Another dry day and blustery with it, so the Paddock would have dried considerably today? I went over and had a look and sure enough it looks a whole lot better than it has for the last 4 or 5 days or so. Further more the grass seed has sprouted and there's evidence of new growth on the wicket up around the stump area. I've got a feeling that now leaves me with a new dilemma in that after this bout of rain the wicket will need to be rolled again and I'm not sure how this brand new grass is going to survive a roller? Given how wet the wicket is I can't really see that I'll be able to roll it for at least another 5-7 days, so the new growth will be able to establish itself a bit before the next rolling?
Another exceptionally good day with Ben and Joe with them both really enthusiastic about their cricket at the minute and they're really enjoying it with both of them batting and bowling better than they have ever done. We had one of the scenarios going where I was the last Aussie batsman needing to score 24 off of 2 overs, the first over with Joe bowling I got up to 16. Ben then bowled 2 balls that I couldn't get hold of and I was swinging wildly to try and hit him for 4's. Ben bowled slightly wide of off meaning that I again was lured into swinging at it and the ball just clipped the top edge and Joe gloved it, they were well chuffed at their good work!
Me and Joe were working Ben over with my Leg breaks, Joe taking loads of edges and Ben just not knowing what to do. My Wrong Un was coming out lovely, turning as big as and bigger than my Leg Breaks, so that was good to see.
Practice.
After tea I went back over to the tennis courts with the Hockey Balls and spent an hour bowling 95% Leg-Breaks and working with my three variations - Flipper, Top-Spinning Flipper and the Wrong Un. I'm still a bit rusty with the Flippers, but everything else was coming out well, turn was good and accuracy (Line and Length) was very good so I'm shaping up well. There's been talk of setting fields on the Spin Forum www.bigcricket.com and I'm probably going to set my own field this year as I feel like I've got some sense of what I'm doing and how I'm going to achieve it.
