Again too much to keep up with and I've got to somehow condense these posts to shorter versions. No pic's unfortunately as my camera gave up this morning when trying to video Ben, Kieran and Franks bowling U13's, so it looks like a trip to John Ilsley is due tomorrow to see if it can be saved. I could gone on now about how crap digital cameras are and how I've got a few 'Proper cameras' still and they're 30-40 years old and they still work, but I wont.
Anyway after the U13's I had to dash home throw some food down my neck (Pasta, cheese, tomatoes and Ham) and then try and get to the club by 12.00. I got there just after 12.30 and the news was that we had 11 and that they were waiting on news as to whether the game would be on because of rain over at Harold Wood. A heavy shower passed through and with covers on the wicket the game was on and we all made our way over to Harold Wood. Got there and it was raining again and we had to wait another hour or so for that to clear and for the covers to come off and start the game.
Mike Morris, Liam Rouse, Jack Farrington, Harrison Morris, Kieron & Steve Ward, Anthony Ayres, Phillip Tooke, Scott Noble, me and some bloke I've never seen before (James Bunce)? Made up our team and we were to bat first with Rousey putting me in to bat with Phillip Tooke. I lasted about 3 overs and score two runs before being clean bowled. The highlight of the day was Scott Noble being denied his 100 by the weather, because of a down-pour it was decided that the match be reduced to something like 25 overs and despite Rouse's efforts Scott was one short at 99.
A decent tea was had by all as we all sat and watched the Olympics waiting for the covers to come off again because of the rain. Again I was part of the opening pair, with Jack Farrington bowling bowling the 1st over and me the 2nd. This team had an over-seas player - a South African bloke who kept for much of the match and was a very good player. He opened LH along with a bowler RH. My first ball landed on the edge of the cut strip for a wide and the 2nd ball was put away to the boundary by the SA bloke. In the same over I think he did that at least twice. Left hand batsman are not my favourite variety and for them to be so good that they're the chosen as over-seas player for a club spells disaster for me all the time I've not got my Wrong Un working. But after a few balls we figured out a tactic. I bowled over the wicket to his leg-side, where he then hit the ball down to fine leg where Mike was fielding and this restricted him to one run much of the time meaning he was off-strike, allowing me to bowl at the far less adept RH bat and over my seven overs we had some fun with this bloke with me bowling reasonably well, meaning that there was loads of chat around the wicket as Scott (Slips) and Rousey oohed and aahed and bigged me up as I bowled. In the end I got the bloke, but had to negotiate the very good South African LH bat and that meant that I came away with 40-0-7-1 and a new nickname on top of 'The Blogger'. The new nickname being 'Superman' due to my proclivity to dive in a very enthusiastic manner to stop the ball going past me. If you read this blog on a regular basis I'm always ranting about the fact that youngster when they're playing cricket and fielding, do so in such a half hearted way and because of it, leak runs (Boundary 4's especially) simply because they wont dive and put their bodeis on the line for the team and end up losing by 1 run with only 4 balls left in the match like this morning at Orsett. But my dives had Rousey in stitches, one especially during my bowling when I did a very 'Over the top' one just to stop a single at best as Jack was right behind me fielding at Mid on. But, I like to lead by example and if the kids see a 52 year old bloke going for it like that they may feel shamed into putting in an equal amount of effort when it comes to their games?
The South African bloke despite everyones attempts went on to score 50 or more and eventually as it was so obvious that he was going to get them past our total on his own his captain retired him and let some of the other bats have a go and without the South African they still did it relatively easy. With access to the scrore sheets I remember that Steve took a wicket, Harrison Morris took one and Phillip Tooke had a bloke bowled and caught at the very end.
It was a match that I enjoyed very much especially as I bowled pretty well despite my figures and got to bowl 7 overs which was very nice. Other than that it was played in a very convivial manner with people giving the younger kids a chance.
Whoa - what's that about - blimey I finished an entry!!!
