Excitement in the Rain

 Saturday saw the third team,  now captained by The Man from Blidworth, head out to the lovely ground at Colston Basset to face Keyworth 3rds again. 

As ever early, I headed off into the gloom up the hill to photograph the ruins of St Mary's Church that overlook the venue and help make it so scenic. 

Well it would be scenic on a normal day, but the entirety of this match was played in what ranged from a misty drizzle to full on heavy rain; that we played the whole thing was remarkable.

We were surprised at being asked to bat first, as we had what on paper was a weak team and we thought this meant we were going to be skittled and the match be over in an hour. 

This was not the case, no sirree. Things started very slowly, with one of the Keyworth opening bowlers bowling seven overs for two runs, until one our first batter, having done an admirable job in seeing off these very good Keyworth bowlers, fell right at the end of the 14th over, at which point we had 15 runs on the board.

A remarkable partnership then developed between the other opening bat, the Owmby coach of our women's team, and the grandfather of our young opening bowler who was out there using my bat and in the process that it is me, not my bat, that is talentless.

The two of them out about 90, starting cautiously before unleashing an array of powerful shots around the wicket despite a very tricky pitch and the awful weather. After they were out, we did subside a bit when the opening bowlers came back on. 

But ask us before the game, we'd have taken 125 for 6, in fact we'd have bitten your hand off to the shoulder. 

The weather worsened. We went out to bowl. Could we do it? Could we pull off an improbable win?

Things started well. The aforementioned young opening bowler found his range very quickly and castled one of the openers, while others fell to the Keele captain LBW. There was a deflection run out - gosh luck really was running with us! 

Before too long, they were about 65 for 6. 

This is where our problems started. These lads did not panic; they knew what they were doing. They played straight. Meanwhile, we were running out of bowling - you could tell this as I was brought onto bowl.

50 runs needed, 45, 40. There was a brilliant run out before a young bat came on and started smoking us everywhere, including a mighty blow off me. The ball was like a bar of soap, it was hard to bowl, but the young opener snagged the big hitter to claim his fourth wicket! 30 runs, 25, 20. I was bowling as well as I could but one bad ball an over was costly, as was a batsman nicking one past the keeper's gloves. 

15 runs, 10. THe number ten bat managed to hit a coulpe of fours while looking like he didn't know what he was doing. Four runs to win, I floated one outside off stump, and got walloped for four. Scores level. 

I then agonisingly beat the bat with a beauty. 

However, he cross bat swatted the next ball for a single, and that was it. We lost. Winning runs scored off me. 

"Well that one was my fault" I said in the dressing room, hoping that the others would tell me it wasn't. 

They did.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 19.07.24

I Do Best when I Do Nothing at All

 A home game today against Keyworth 3s, a team with whom we have had many good matches over the years, matches in which I've done well in - I took my first 5 wicket haul in a game against them a few years ago. 

I must confess, I didn't really want to play the match. My body being what it is these days, I'm not really able to play two games in a weekend. My left ankle really doesn't like it. However, the Captain asked me to play as they had three drop outs, so I said I would, wincing as I did so. A couple of other semi retired players also carrying injuries had also been press ganged into service.

It was worth it to get the game on, however, as we had a father and son combo playing today, the youngster in his first ever senior match. We had a cap presentation "ceremony" before the game, taking place in the shadow of two gazebos wobbling alarmingly in the breeze.

After the usual "scouring the ground for pebbles to use as counters" preamble, I sacrificed myself to open up the square-leg umpiring as we batted first, which gave me a good view of how the wicket was playing, which the ground staff had not had enough time to properly prepare because of the usual flooding and rain.

Despite their hard work, it was evident very quickly that it was going to be tricky, to say the least. One ball would pop up chest high like a tennis ball, another would roll along the ground like a bowling ball trying to wipe out the batter's ankles. Keyworth's young bowlers caused problems, and reduced us to 13 for 2.

Our numbers 3 and 4 then put on an excellent partnership about 80, so I was able to have a walk round the ground after my umpiring stint. When the sun was out, it was a lovely day, and brimstones, orange tips, speckled woods and small tortoiseshells patrolled the hedgerow margins, avoiding the occasional hazard of a cricketer with a weak bladder looking for a secluded spot. The keening buzzards were back, an oystercatcher "peeped" its way over the ground, and a more mechanical life form also flew over - a spitfire!

After the skipper hit a 6 into the adjoining field, I then did what I accurately predicted would be my most important contribution to the day when I found the ball for the first time ever in such a hunt. However, after these two went, scoring then seemed to become almost impossible on the wicket, and we only added another 30 or so more in the last ten overs.

I was hoping to get a bat, not that I would have done any better. But I was padded up on the sidelines for half an hour and I wasn't needed.

I wasn't needed to bowl either, although I was wondering if the game had gone on further I might have been called up to bowl a couple to try and get a breakthrough. Instead I fielded energetically enough again without actually having to do a lot, other than a big dive to fail to stop the ball. 

"At least I'm trying" I thought at the time. At least by not doing a lot I could mess anything really up.

Our bowlers turned out to be a little bit much for Keyworth on that wicket. One of our youngesters took his first wicket early on in an excellent spell of off spin. Then our debutant son went on later and took an amazing wicket with his first ever ball in senior cricket, which caused much understandable joy on his father's fizzog. And our's too.

He took two more in a brilliant spell, and it was left to the skipper to finish the game when the last Keyworth batter came in, who was barely the height of the stumps. He tried to game him a wide one first up, which he chipped straight to cover, upon which he (the batter, not our captain) burst into tears. We had bowled them out for 56. 

It's a cruel and heartless game sometimes. 

Headlice Worries while Umpiring

Second last second team match of the season, and only a miracle could save the second team from relegation. Now I know I'm not capable of producing any miracles, but we had a very strong side today, and hopes were high.

On a day that started brightly, but with heavy clouds gathering, we batted first, and with me down the order as ever it was my job to umpire.

We batted very well, and because of this I ended up umpiring for 31 overs at both ends, while we batted powerfully against a moderate bowling attack. Our opener, up from the thirds where he scored stacks of runs got 64, and we had significant other scores of 54 and 36 too.

Got to signal 6 a couple of times, which is always fun, and our Keyworth opponents were nice chaps apart from a wicket keeper who complained about our bats running down the wicket every five minutes. Well, I was busy watching the ball and the running between the wickets, I barely have eyes in the front of my head, let alone in the back.

Of more, but weirder concern, was headwear. Now, as umpire, I normally get handed a variety of caps, hats, sweaters and glasses by the various bowlers, and only having two arms it is tricky to sort them out. Normally I wear the caps with the shades on top of my own shades and cap, so I end up with double decker hat arrangements of various daft looking kinds.

Today, I wasn't wearing my own cap to umpire, so had to put their player's hats on top of my own bare head. This was fine early on, but after about 15 overs I suddenly had a bit of an OCD attack and got worried about catching nits from these caps. This is no reflection of the standards of hygiene in Keyworth, might I add, it's just my contamination fixations that I have been getting on and off for 30 years.

Consequence of Tourettes.

I ended up sticking the caps in my pockets and they did end up getting rather crushed.

We had a rain interruption of about an hour, so we had an early tea, but the sun appeared again, and we were able to bat our overs to a competitive looking 181 for 3, our best score of the year.

We had to make a quick turnaround, and after my umpiring stint in the mizzle and wind I was already rather stiff and tight muscled, and sciatica setting into my left buttock, and I had no time to do a full set of stretches. Thus when I opened the bowling from my least favourite end, into a strong breeze, my left calf gave out second ball in with a nasty teary sort of pull - which has now bruised up to go with all the rest of my body of woes.

Bowling was a real struggle, but I managed to get through 8 luckless overs for 27 to contribute to a really strong start for us - I was nicked through slips a couple of times to go with the usual beaten outside edges, and I have to say I was disappointed in myself despite the scoreline. They were 50-2 after 20 overs, and it was looking so good for us.

It was a day for injuries - an opening bat got walloped on the head by a throw, and our wicket keeper got hit in the unmentionables by another return. Believe me, I was well placed to sympathise.

Alas their gun bat, who made 99 last week, then got in, and as soon as he got his eye in, he began scoring more or less a couple of boundaries an over for the next 8 after the halfway drinks break and the game got right away from us and we just couldn't get it back.

We ended up losing by 6 wickets in the 38th over, and we are relegated. Damn.

I still enjoyed it though, and tomorrow is a more relaxed game. It had better be anyway.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 

The Ruined Church Overlooked me Ruining Wickets

Well that's a hyperhubristic title, but allow me to induldge myself for a change.

The week prior to today's match had not gone well. My knee tendons were sore from overstretching, and my back muscles were tight too. The Saturday skipper, who considers himself portrayed as a Moriarty like figure in this blog, was wondering if I was ok, and I said I was fine.

I don't like missing matches, especially on the attractive ground at Colston Basset where we played Colston Basset today. But I was worried I'd break down, especially on the concrete grounds we are playing on this hot summer.

Luckily as soon as we got going, I was ok. Or more likely, I forgot about it. Certainly the  ground looked like it was in central Spain rather than Nottinghamshire, and the wicket was as hard as a glacier.

I didn't open up, as has been the case this year, but rather fielded rather well by my creaking standards as the skipper bowled a great opening spell (satisfied skip?) and our junior opener both took wickets while I fielded at slip in various inelegant positions for a while. Another bowler chipped in, as bees tried to feed on brittle dry clover at my feet and a squadron of Typhoons went by overhead in salute.

Time  for me to bowl, at their skipper, who can hit. And hit he did, straight down the throat of long off. Wicket first ball. Last ball off first over, yorked one of their youngsters. Double wicket maiden! Take that, ye doubters!

Nothing happened for a couple of overs, then a hack resulted in an experienced bat whacking the ball vertically upwards, and despite father and son trying to collide with each other, the catch was taken.

Next over, I bowled a quickish (ha! by my milk float standards) delivery that resulted in the wicketkeeper having to dodge a ball and two bails flying towards his face after I clipped the top of middle stump. 4 wickets, best of the season by miles, but could I get 5, which I've never done before due to being not very good.

I had to wait a bit, and dreaded being taken off. I couldn't find a straight one all of a sudden, having bowled straight all day before tailing the ball in late. I was getting mad with myself.

BUT it did happen, I yorked their young number 10's off stump, and then celebrated by lying flat on the ground, a celebration later deemed "excessive". Didn't care. Hadn't bowled this well before.

Led the team off for the first time in my life, having taken 5-20 as we bowled them out for 110. Our fielding had been brilliant, and I'd been lucky for a change.

We got the runs while I went off to explore the ruined church, beautiful and gothic as the sun began to lower on a blistery day. Bees looked for trefoil, large whites flitted by whispering congratulations. Young and old, everyone had a good day.

Seemingly, me most of all.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 14.07.18

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

Under the Ruined Church my Bowling was Ruined

Today's match took me to play Keyworth. Only we didn't play at Keyworth, we played them at the beautiful ground at Colston Basset, a village out towards the Leicestershire border not part away from Cropwell Butler, the home of Stilton cheese.

We didn't see any cheese, but we saw a lot of skydivers leaping out of planes taking off from nearby Langar.

I played here on a Sunday last year, when there more flowers, and the ruined church was full of bees and butterflies. This year, there are big queen bumbles seemingly looking for a hole for the winter, and all the thistles have gone to seed. Buzzards circle the ground.

At the start of our innings, vultures were circling as well. We found ourselves 15 for 4 at one point, as extremely talented young bowlers bowled it straight on a tricky wicket. I could hear the joyful roars of the opposition as I explored up the hill.

Luckily we had youngsters, seniors and guests down the order who were able to stabilise the situation and crack a few much needed runs. Even I ended up batting for 9 overs at the end, and after all my lamentations the other day about being rubbish, managed to hit a boundary and score 10 whole runs as we scored 112.

I thought this would make me confident to bowl, but it didn't quite happen as I expected. My first ball, against their top bat, was absolutely stone dead LBW. Next over there was another big LBW shout, and a nick behind that wasn't given. For some reason, probably because I don't like bowling at left handers, I let one bad ball go an over, while others weren't fielded.

It stressed me. I was so angry with myself, and I was trying too hard. I was going for 6 plus runs an over, while bowling some utter beauties. I was devastated. So mad. No wickets.

We had other bowlers who bowled better, and we actually had them 7 down before their old head skipper came in and calmly won the game for them. A lot of us weren't right in the head out there today, I know I wasn't, but then I'm usually like that. I have a highly self punitive nature.

Still, it's been a beautiful day in a beautiful setting.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 26.08.17