A Covid Draft up to the Seconds

 Was expecting to play for the third team today, after C19 caused a few gaps in the Saturday line-ups, but a late "ping" to one of our players on Saturday morning saw me moved up into the second team to play Hoveringham 2s on what was a blisteringly hot day.

Today sporting a cap, as opposed to my usual headband this year, was a very good move. My brain would have been fried to a crisp otherwise. Spray on factor 50 was slathered all over my face and neck. I had enough water in my cricket bag to fill the hump of a camel. And it still wasn't enough.

I had kind of resigned myself to a no bowling or batting day, as opposed to just no batting, as the second team have proved to be incredibly strong this year, riding high second in their division. So I tried to do the best I could in the field, and luckily I was actually quite sharp and made no cock ups whatsoever which is staggeringly rare for me. That was fielding in the "Jonty Rhodes" position at cover point as well!

Hoveringham too had struggled with C19 related issues, and could only play 10 men in the end, and it was, shall we say, an experienced squad. This combined with the heat and some extremely accurate bowling from our lads up front led to some very slow progress, with regular wickets keeping Hoveringham in check. 

This was all watched, probably with little interest, by three buzzards circling on thermals and making regular keening calls. Looks like the resident birds from the stand of trees at one end of the ground have successfully raised another little raptor!

After 25 overs with Hoveringham 4 down for about 90, I was slightly surprised to be called into the bowling attack after the Sunday skipper was hoiked off for bowling too many beamers. And it went pretty well, all things considered. I didn't bowl anything short, only bowled the one wide when I stumbled in delivery, and best of all - lol - forced the keeper not to stand up to the stumps as I was getting ball to zip through reasonably sharply by my pitiful standards. 

And yet, I took no wickets despite beating the bat a few times, and every so often I got spanked for four by Hoveringham's resident cow corner hacker because I look to bowl the ball full to get it to swing. 

"Never be upset by being hit for 4 on the drive" is often the club bowler's mantra, but I was still annoyed. "Grrrrrr". That's how annoyed I was. 

Our opening bowler then returned, and in combination with our "mystery spinner" at the other end, made short work of the remaining sloggers to bowl Hoveringham out for 132. 

Unbelievably our opening bats knocked off the runs in less than 20 overs to win by 10 wickets, while I tried to increase my step count by walking round both grounds on my shonky ankle. Racked up over 20,000 steps in the end. 

As the third team went down to a heavy defeat that I would have done nothing to change, I probably had a decent deal out of the day, although my ankle is telling me otherwise.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 17.06.21

Another Merciless Execution in a Nice Sort of Way

Today we entertained Hoveringham on a bright and breezy afternoon that followed on from some sharp showers in the morning. Well I'm told they were sharp, I didn't actually notice anything other than a bit of light rain. But whatever it was, it wasn't enough to ruin the wicket and the ground was in fine condition thanks to our ground staff.

We ton the toss and batted, and I immediately got myself ready to do some...photography. I did ask the skipper if he wanted me to open, but was politely turned down in favour of real batsmen.

What then followed was an odd sort of innings, where no-one made a really big score, but most people got in and knocked a few around and ran between the wickets really well - apart from one little error. I guess that's because we didn't have the couple of first team bats we usually have been playing today, and had a vigorous young side. Apart from me, not so vigorous at 46.

I've been very fretful about my batting this year, largely because I've hardly done any. I did get to go in today though, and managed to take on the opposition fast bowler and got 5 off the 3 balls I was actually able to face. Only one duck for me this year, and with only 4 games to go this guarantees my best ever year in terms of getting big fat noughts.

After a less hearty tea than usual - sucks to be bowling second! - it was over to our apparently rather feared bowling attack. I think we are actually quite nice. I opened up anyway, and proceeded to bowl ball after ball either past the outside edge or over the top of middle stump. I did get the left handed opener LBW when I smacked on the ankle with a yorker, and after a frustrating three over passage when the batsman's only scoring shot was an edge past first slip, I managed to castle him.

Then it was two overs where literally every ball could have taken a wicket - but nothing doing. 8 overs 3 maidens 2 for 6 in the end.

Time to let the younger lads take over, and they did in some style, with our newly unquiffed young bowler ripping the middle over out to take 4 for 6, including their gun batsman who made a duck. That was that for the match, althugh seeing as they only scored 30 runs off the first 20 overs, it would have been a bit of a reach for him.

They also rather hamstrung themselves by putting their best techincal bat in at 11, who then got involved in a hideous run out. But, that's their call I guess.

Another ruthless display, to leave us firmly in the promotion mix up!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 18.08.19

Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man

Off to Hoveringham today to play on a very scenic  little ground, where oystercatchers made a peeping racket as they flew past, while house martins twittered about the treetops before the swifts came out to play later.

Lots of damselflies were out and about, and I found a peacock caterpillar when I was fielding at mid on. Hope it didn't get squished.

So we fielded first, and after the lump of plastecine we bowled on yesterday, today's wicket had much more carry and felt like I was able to bowl with more pace.

Of course, most of the runs scored off me were off streaky edges, and my wicket was taken off a rank ball. That's the way cricket goes.

We bowled pretty well as a unit, and at 100-9 we had Hoveringham in trouble. However, the last wicket pair managed to add 50 runs in a very annoying fashion and we didn't bowl well at them at the end. In the end, we did stump the last batsman, but they set us 150 to win.

I felt it was a bit much, especially as we only had 10 men versus their 11. We lost wickets steadily early doors, although our opener from yesterday scored 59 again and never looked in difficulty until the ball that bowled him. I did a big chunk of umpiring so didn't have time to take many photos alas, but I enjoyed waving my arms around, falling over when attempting to signal leg byes, and given stern faced "NOT OUT" decisions as they appealed at me.

I think most of us thought the game was gone when our experienced opener got out, but two young lads, both 14, played absolutely brilliantly for a good hour or so to chip away at the runs. Even the opposition fast bowler was seen off, which was a relief as there was no way I wanted to face him.

But I had to go in with 20 needed, and only two wickets left. I was very nervous, far more so than my young partner. Didn't have a clue what I was doing, especially as I had the sun shining straight in my face at one end.

Then I got my shit together, as they say, and hit a two before smashing the ball into a hedge for the first 6 of my life, much to the joy of the travelling Newark ultras.

Finished it off by hitting a 4 into the same hedge to win the match.

And now I am going to have a drink.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 30.06.19

The Warriors at Hoveringham

Found myself playing at rather too high a standard today, subbed up into the second team due to a lack of players in the club today. Everyone is on holiday today, or working, or on a Virgin Galactic flight to Mars for all I know.

What it did mean was that I got to play at a lovely ground at Hoveringham, with the pub on the boundary supplying tea, a paddock filled with insect attracting thistles, and house martins swooping about looking for food.

Low fields of wheat surrounded the ground on two sides, giving the illusion that the ground was some kind of "Field of Dreams" for very short old cricketers. Perhaps the disgraced Hansie Cronje would walk out of the corn in the manner of Shoeless Joe Jackson, and bring a few players with him; Jack Hobbs maybe, or Don Bradman. We certainly could have  done with them, as we only had ten men under today's skipper, the Love God.

We batted first, and while I photographed bees in the lovely wild paddock, or operated the boingy scoreboard, trying to flip bits of elasticated plastic about to make recognisable numbers. We started well, continued well and finished ok thanks to our straight batting opener, who made 57 not out. I went out to bat with him, snicked my first ball for a single with 4 left in the innings to give him the strike as instructed - and he missed every ball. Oh well, he can be forgiven for that.

Batting first of course means no tea enjoyment, but no 8 stone weight gain. But I was hoping to be a bit more mobile  in the field today, felt a bit less stiff. Of course, being more mobile didn't mean I'd be any less clumsy.

With 167 on the scoreboard, we fancied our chances and indeed  we started pretty well - our very  bulky and quick 2nd team opening bowler removed one opener before the wides started creeping in; by way of contrast our other opener is 15 and a third of the weight but doesn't spray it around as much. He took a wicket too.

Then it was my turn. Being average at best, I'm always a bit nervous about bowling at second team level, but I started ok, swung the ball in the breeze, and had a catch missed. However, that was soon made up for, and I had a wicket as well.

Unfortunately this brought the Hoveringham skipper to the crease, a rather powerful hitter. It took him a while to get going - I bowled well at him to start with - but when he did, the boundaries flowed. I kept beating the edge of his bat, but he wouldn't nick the bloody ball, and eventually he took me for 14 in an over and I was off. Everyone was bored of looking for the ball in the corn.

He didn't like the rather cheeky run out we did of his partner, but it was out! No ball doesn't mean dead ball! This probably spurred him into hitting the ball into a posh garden next to the ground, and that was it really.

As ever, defeat bites, but only for a short time. Not like last week...

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 16.06.18