The Experiment Part 2

While my experiment to reinvent myself as a spin bowler/tailender sounds good in theory, making it happen in reality is proving more difficult than expected. Just several games into the winter season, I'm already having doubts. The goal with my new team is to be a bowler first, tailend batsman second. However, right from the outset, I've ended up batting at #3 or #4. To make matters worse, the team has more spin bowlers than an Indian Hall of Fame - 5 "genuine" spinners with me at the bottom of the pecking order. Much easier to go with the flow and concentrate on batting.

Nevertheless, I'm staying the course. When we took the field this week, the opposition took the long handle to our opening bowlers. Smarting from the last time I bowled to a rampant opener, I sweated on some wickets falling before coming on. Fortunately, their destructive lefthander fell for 50. I came on at the 24 over mark with the opposition motoring along at 7 runs per over. My first ball was anxious, flat and slightly short - punched through the covers for four. Another boundary and my first over went for 12 runs. After conceding 37 runs in my first match, my bowling figures were now 0 for 49 off 3 overs. The captain must be loving me!

Fortunately, I found some rhythm. The next 3 overs only conceded a few singles and twos. A few balls were squirted into the air through the covers but never to a fieldsman, dammit! My fifth over conceded several boundaries - surely this would be the end of my spell. But the captain kept me on for the penultimate over.

One delivery was a rank long hop and top edged directly into the hands of point. Finally, a wicket for my new team! And predictably, off a pie. My last over went for 4 runs - not bad for death bowling from a legspinner. Final figures - 1 for 44 of 6 overs. Expensive but in an innings going at over 7 per over and bowling at the death, well, certainly an improvement on 37 off 2 overs :-)

Chasing 7 per over was always a big ask. The captain informed me I was batting at #3. Normally I love batting but this was wreaking havoc with my master plan. How can I slog like a tailender going in first drop?! But the required run rate dictated quick scoring so I figured after the first wicket fell, I could slog with impunity.

Easier said than done. This was the most disciplined bowling attack I'd faced yet. Not uncomfortably quick - just medium pacers - but barrel straight line and length. One guy was a dead set Glenn McGrath - 6 consecutive deliveries on off stump, just short of a length. In the end, I got desperate, blocked a ball towards mid-on and called for a quick, somewhat suicidal single. The fieldsman swooped in, threw at the stumps, missed and I bagged 4 overthrows for my troubles. Mmm, 5 runs off a defensive prod, I'll have more of that, thanks!

Then runs started to come. A short one down the leg, hooked to the boundary. Pigeon miraculously bowled a short wide one, cut for four. We were scoring at 5 per over. I decided to throw the bat at everything. The new bowler was getting good away swing. I tried to straight drive over his head, got a thick edge over point for four. Next ball, same shot, same direction, this time point took the catch. Out for 23. In half the time it would've taken batting for the Cavs.

The wickets continued to tumble as our tailenders fell in similar fashion, trying to smash the ball into next week. The run rate faltered and we were eventually all out 130 runs short of the total. Outbatted, outbowled by a superior side (must be what it's like for teams playing Australia). But I did stick to my plan - bat like a tailender and bowled my longest ever spell (previous longest was a 5 over spell for the Cavs). So the experiment continues...

Posted by JC on Fri 13 Jun

10 comments

Great going! Next time, just try to score as many you give away while bowling, so that even if you get a wicket for your team that would mean a huge net positive contribution!

Posted by Zapper on 2008-06-14 01:48:09

The general rule of thumb is 1 wicket = 20 runs (eg - a 5 wicket haul is the bowling equivalent of a century). By that equation, I ended up 1 run in the red :-(

Posted by JC on 2008-06-14 09:47:55

Oh no, not another team of Bradmans & Warnes!

Why does smashing 50 off the last 5overs look so easy on the tv then... ?

Posted by virtualgaz on 2008-06-15 07:02:48

Great Narrative :).JC, I really wait eagerly to your "Match Reports"

Your story reminds me of First century of VVS Laxman against Australia in 2000. He had given up upon his career, when his good friend Gavin Robertson(Aussies need to banish the bloke, or at least pelt stones at his home ) told him (over a cold one I assume)to go out and have fun at the crease. Well next you know VVS threw caution to wind and voila we have someone whom they call Very Very Special :)

Good Luck Mate. Its just a matter of time when you will be the leading batter I tell you. About the bowling,since I have greatest respect to that art I won't give you false boost, practice practice practice :)

Posted by Unsuidojo on 2008-06-17 06:48:04

My goal is never to be leading batsman, in fact, I'm eschewing that direction altogether. I'm just planning to enjoy the batting and if it pays off, great. If not, no biggie so long as the leggies land well. It's a deliberate mindset.

Posted by JC on 2008-06-17 15:43:27

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The Experiment Part 2

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