A couple of days ago (6th June I think) it rained properly for the first time since February giving me the opportunity to get in the paddock and get the roller going. In recent weeks what with the back to back sunshime in what is now the dryest and warmest start to a summer for more than 101 years, the paddock had already gone through the big cracks phase and was on the verge of strating to crumble on the surface. So this bit of rain is most welcome as it's allowed us to get out there and affect some serious repairs and set us up for another month or two I reckon. Looking around tonight when I was bowling (see below) there was more ominous clouds and the report is for more chances of short but heavy down-pours. If that happens I'll get out there again and roll again.
I've just bowled another 250-300 balls tonight all flicking the ball rather than my usual rolling technique, not once tonight have I rolled, which is a major break-through 5 years into my development as a bowler. Again tonight I followed the same format as last night - cocked wrist - gently flicked or unfurled, with the big flick off the collective fingers as in my Youtube video from a couple of months ago which I need to re-shoot. Initially I was having some reasonable success omitting the looking up, but in comparison to last night the results weren't so consistent, but still nonetheless reasonable. Then the last bucket of 50 balls I went back to the looking up at the hand and bowled 44 good balls. 4 went wide legside and 2 went wide off-side and all using the big flick and looking up at my hand as I bowled.
I haven't got a clue really what the affect of the looking up is, but the impact on my bowling is massive, it may be I'm standing taller, I know in doing it I get up on to the ball of my foot in the rotation and it maybe that I'm releasing earlier as well, but all in all it's giving me a massive improvement on what I've been doing the last couple of years! It's not fast - but it's loopy and accurate and turns big. In between the odd ball here and there I've been bowling the Wrong Wrong Un and that is vastly different and coming along very nicely- Tiny off-break action and skids in low at massively higher speed. All in all a very good couple of sessions in the paddock and my recently re-injured knee is showing signs of improving already which is good.
Ben & Joe B&PCC news
Both Ben and Joe have a game this weekend and again they're at different venues. So far I've been at Ben's games and watched those and they were on a winning streak. Since then we've been away on holiday and missed 2 games and 2 other lads that were in the 'Core' U13's team were also on holiday and some of the other lads got to play and came up against some very stiff competition and B&PCC having got off to the best start to a season in their U13's history came crashing down and out of the cup across the 2 games. On the upside though, Joe's Under 11's have continued there winning streak and have yet to lose a match. I reckon I'll go and see Joe at his away game with Horndon. Ben's at home and he's playing against the Horndon U13's. From what I can gather the remainder of the games for the season are against the strongest teams in recent junior cricket history, so both matches will be difficult.
