Escaping the Rain at Keyworth

Thanks to various torn arm muscles, herniated livers, infestations by deadly tropical parasites and gardening induced amputations, I found myself promoted up to the second team today, to play Keyworth 2s, a club with which we have many similarities...the main one of which is we both have pavilions with fully stocked bars to enable player refreshment after, or during, the match.

There were a few creaky players on the pitch too, myself included.

I'm always a bit nervous about going up to play for 2s, even though the standard is about the same as the Sunday league I play in, because I'm a bit rubbish at most things and that is exacerbated at 2s level where they hit the ball a lot harder.

My bowling is also a bit slow, especially on slowish pitches like the  one we got today. But we were lucky to play on it at all, the weather took out 20 matches before they started, including our 3s, and brought others to a close early like  our first team.

We batted first today, so boo hoo no three platefuls at tea time for me. As ever at number 11, I talked with my team mates, looked for nature - only a keening buzzard on view - and watched as wickets fell regularly, but not horrendously. Our new imports, Kolpac players from Sleaford and Nuneaton, performed well, and I went in at 100 odd for 9.

The first ball from a good young spinner hit me in the stomach, but I came back to score a mighty 6 not out, although that did include a big smack over their best seam bowler for 4, much to the amuesement of my team mates who generally think I bat like a blind giraffe.

Bowling wise, our big Nuneaton fellow, a powerfully built bowler of some rapidity took a wicket in his first over, in between blasting the ball through the wicket keepers legs for 4 byes a few times. I bowled first change, and felt horribly slow by comparison as their best bat settled in, and then hit me for a couple of big 4s.

Had my revenge though. On 47, he tried to hammer a ball that swung away from him, and he nicked it to first slip, who parried it up to our skipper, diving like a swallow, approximately, from second slip to take an amazing catch one handed.

He'll enjoy reading that.

So, I ended up with 1-20 as we lost by 7 wickets, but feel I could be bowling way better, and a bit brisker too. I don't want to seem so old and crap.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 02.06.18