Bloody left handed batsmen! Jesus they freak me out. Despite the fact it's the end of November we're still getting out on the odd ocassion with the bat and ball just have a bit of a knockabout and we did so today with my mate Thomas from way back in the day when this blog was first conceived. He doesn't play cricket and hasn't picked up a bat in years, but he recently knackered his knee (Football) and has been scratching around for a game to play where he's not going to be chopped down whilst having a friendly game, so he's looking at picking up where he left off a few years back. He's a leftie, bowls pretty good Chinaman Leg Breaks ocassionally - but the thing he enjoys is batting as he's got very good eye to ball coordination and he gets on to the ball late and quick. He has no technique, but against my slow bowling and the fact that he's left handed he takes me to pieces!
So today having got a few years of bowling under my belt and trying to ignore the fact that Left - Handers are my nemisis, I thought I might be able to get one over on him? No such luck! I'm going to make some excuses - it was wet and therefore I wasn't getting a lot of grip under-foot and......... No, that's it - one excuse.
Seriously though the Leg Breaks weren't working, he was just waiting to see where they were going and how much turn they had on them and just stepping back and hooking them out to the gap between square leg and Mid wicket ALONG THE GROUND!!! The wrong uns looked as though they'd be okay and I got a couple past him, but on reflection, maybe my length wasn't that good either. Thinking about it - mixing it up a bit may have paid off - Top-Spinners and Flippers right on the stumps might be an option? I'm hoping he's up for some more, because the more I bowl at Lefties the better and he's a much faster bowler than my sons and there's scope for my batting to improve.
