Two Matches in One Day

Today I was with both Newark 2s and Newark 3s, two different grounds in a day.

I wasn't in any kind of quantum state of Heisenbergian uncertainty. The reason, sadly, was that the second eleven I was playing for went down rather horribly, the match turning on a moment of misfortune, so I had time to cycle over to the other ground to cheer on the 3rd team, who were putting on probably their best performance of the year.

It was my first ever match today at our Kelham Road headquarters, an attractive setting with a pretty pavilion, with pretty flowers, and very high level teas. Sadly it has a high water table and so with the June rains we hardly had a game there as it took on lake like conditions, although we batted today as if we were still all at sea alas. One of our senior players appeared to be shot in the leg as he ran a second, such was the degree of his agony, and after this muscular dysfunction, we never got going again.

I, like several of us, was given lbw to a young spinner although for the second week in a row I was left scratching my head a little bit, but as ever, I took it like a chap.

Our 35 all out on a belting batting track was always too low, but thanks to our young (very) fast bowler being very straight we gave them a bit of a scare. Me, not being very fast, got hit for 4 when I bowled straight. Such is my cricket life; I'm not being very lucky and I can't buy a run or a wicket.

On the nature front, the best visitors we had were a migrant hawker coming to watch us bat, and a buzzard that sailed over the far end of the ground. Never saw it though, only heard it keening. Plenty of butterflies in passing, but not many pollinator friendly wild plants on the ground.

The pavilion, with luxury teas!

Here we go

Getting to the pitch of the ball

This was the scorebox at Lords until the 1980s

Into the covers

Soldier beetles having a party

Thistle

Hoverfly on ragwort

Little worker early bumblebee

Poppy

Willow tree

Flower bed

Buzzard feather

Drone fly

With it being a really nice day, the decision to cycle over to the other ground to see the third team play was an easy one. They had already posted their best score of the year, and were busy giving the best team in their league a real scare, despite the fact the several of our players were so young they were barely taller than the stumps. Frankly, in this town, I was old enough to be the grandfather of one or two of them. They still made me feel rather ashamed of my own level of ability however.

There was nature to be had at this ground too, lots of house martins on insect patrol, and a flowering bush that was litteraly buzzing with bees, and was attractive to many small skipper butterflies too.

Bee fuzzy with pollen

Small skipper

Another match goes by as a bit of a personal failure, But it was a gorgeous day, and there is another game tomorrow. Perhaps it will happen for me then. I always say that. But someday it must.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.07.16