Wicker Man Goings On

 Monday saw my family and I visit Wellow village for a special ceremony. Now I've played cricket here a few times, and drunk at the pub overlooked by the traditional Maypole in the village, I've never attended the May Maypole ceremony. 

It was a major occasion in the village, preceded by Morris Dancing, some rather inappropriate medieval children's entertainers who were, perhaps in the traditions of the time, rather rude, which preceded the main event, when the carefully selected children of the village carried out some dancing. 

The whole event was incredibly reminiscent of watching the classic film "The Wicker Man", and a reminder of ancient times when such ceremonies were probably accompanied by a spot of human sacrifice to go along with all the merriment. 

Nowadays, the bloodiest events are probably the arguments between the mums of the village, fighting tooth and nail about whose daughter gets to be May Queen, or the train holder, or the flower girl. Like something out of "The Archers". 

Probably families not speaking to each other to this day. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 28.05.25

The Other Kind of Wildlife

 Saturday's cricket adventure took us out to play Trent Bridge CC, a new league club for this year, at the tank trap wicket at Farnborough Road Rec. 

Situated atop a Table Mountain like plateau, the wicket is well known to us as one of the worst in the county, and it already looked like nothing had changed before some of the local characters had ridden across it on moto-cross bikes while we got ready. 

Indeed, it seemed to be quite the Saturday meeting place for young families to get their young toddlers to go helmet-less quad biking around the park. Luckily they left the playing area alone when we got started, although we had some walkthroughs from local teenagers who gave us a mouthful when we respectfully asked them to get off the field. 

Our opposition was always going to be a mismatch, containing as it did several players who had moved from other clubs that played at a high standard, including a wicket keeper who played for Attenborough 2s last year, probably about ten divisions higher than us. Thus their decision to put us into bat, a mix of oldsters and 13 year olds playing their first league game, seemed an odd one. It basically prevented us getting anything out of the game for our young bowlers.

Perhaps they were worried about being run over by a three year old on a quad bike. 

Predictably, we were shot out for 43 on a wicket which alternated between bouncing shoulder high and ankle high, particularly at the end which the moto cross bikes had ridden over. I was pleased to score one run and bat for a few overs though. 

They then knocked the runs off in five overs, so no need for me to turn my arm over, although I dropped a stinging catch which I tried to go for one handed as my body got confused as to what to do. 

After the sun came out and began to scorch the earth after a freezing start, we left to take in some proper cricket at Burton Joyce with the first team, before going back home to watch the seconds. 

That was a lot of cricket for one day. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 19.05.25

The Red Mason Bee

 On our campus I've seen a few of these very vivid little solitary bees feeding off rock cranesbill and rosemary., while at home I sometimes see one inspecting my walls for a suitable nest hole in the brickwork. 

They are fast moving and hard to photograph; the ones that visit my garden never stop for a second, but when they are feeding you have a chance if 1 you are very quick, and 2, very lucky. 

Emphasis on the very lucky.

I hope you too have seen some interesting insects during this fine dry weather. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 15.05.25

Freezing in Upton

 Sunday took us to play Upton, our traditional friendly game season opener, and the fact that we were playing a great bunch of guys with a tea in the offing, was rather off-set by the fact that it "a bit chilly".

I lie. It was freezing, freezing cold. Upton's ground is high upon a Trent Valley plateau, and the wind swept in from the Arctic North over the ground. No chance of a buzzard or red kite flyover today. Or even getting in the ground, as Upton's keyholder was a bit late so cars were hogging the narrow lane the ground lies beside. 

Facing a strong Upton side with a keen, but very young, team of our own - it was me keeping the average age above 18 - it was agreed that Upton should bat first in a 35 over game. 

They did very well, but so did we. All five of our young players, two of them being young ladies making their debuts in senior hard ball cricket, did a fantastic job with bat and ball. They took wickets, kept things tight, and batted really well. 

It was myself that let the side down, bruised tailbone rendering me virtually immobile in the field, not helped by some kind of panic attack that made me lose my nerve and not want to field the ball I couldn't bend over to field anyway. I had to resort to fielding with my feet, resulting in some painful whacks on the ankle. 

My bowling suffered from being at two very good bats, both of whom wiped me to the boundary whenever I dropped a fraction short, which was ineptly too often. 

When we batted - we had no chance of winning but were out to acquit ourselves well - I found myself umpiring for twenty overs in the bitter cold, but at least got a chance to watch our youngsters bat really well in close up. Far better than I could, I got out first ball while falling over to a leg stump yorker. 

I wanted to put a bag over my head, and plugs in my ears to drown out the endless mickey taking by my older team-mates. 

I felt like I never wanted to play cricket again until tonight, when I had an ok net bowling. The feeling that there might be a golden day one day comes back. Ha ha. 

Luckily, these young players we have will have plenty of golden days. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 08.05.25

Cricket is Back

 Feeling low on confidence, it was finally time to return to the greensward to play for our second team against Coddington and Winthorpe at our home grown, on a day where when the sun was out it was pleasant, and when it wasn't it was freezing. 

Even the local buzzards stayed home most of the day, although a great tit was busy at its nest in a tree, and what sounded like a whitethroat was singing away. 

Playing way above my pay grade, and with a bruised lower back from a fall hampering my movement, it fell to me to go out to umpire. Our new opening bat rather eye-openingly hit his first ball for 6 with a lovely lazy flick over square leg, which gave me a chance to stretch my arms up and stay warm, but in the main it was a hard slog for out batters on a slightly up and down wicket against good accurate bowling. 

Getting the ball away was very difficult, and at 50 for 5 things were looking very dicey indeed. But our young all rounder partnered our older all rounder, and supported him well as he blasted a 50 against the support bowlers. 

The third team captain blasted a big 6 too. I thought I'd mention that so he lets me bowl in the next third team game. 

I did have a bat, as usual against the rampant returning opening bowler, but I managed to survive two whole deliveries without too much difficulty or physical injury and suggested to my batting partner that he should now take the bowling apart. 

He was caught out two balls later, but it was the right plan! 

We closed on 129, which at least was something to bowl at. Alas Coddington's batters were talented and experienced, and our bowlers were very young. Or very old and rubbish in my case. Or new player looked the part though with a sharp spell that removed one of the openers LBW, but otherwise in the sunshine now it seemed like a different wicket. 

I fielded ok by my lamentable standards, and I did get a bowl, which was unexpected. But I was too slow and a little short, and all I did was finish the game a little quicker. 

Still, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I wold, and it was good to be out there again. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 03.05.25