One (or five) for the Road

 Last Saturday took us to Upton to take on Wollaton 4ths at Upton's beautiful ground. 

Now we are are very young team, 8 of us under 15 years old, with only the presence of myself, the Captain and a senior bat taking our average age above 13, as it seemed to me. We thought our opposition would be the same, but no, they turned out to be a bunch of very adult big biffers, albeit very nice big biffers. 

Knowing that if we batted first the game would be over in about half an hour, we agreed that Wollaton should bat first, and to be fair, our young bowlers made a good fist of things early on, on a blisteringly hot day where the most important fielding positions were those in the shade under the trees. It was so hot, even I ditched my usual Mr Miyagi headband for a cap as I patrolled my usual areas. 

To be fair to myself, I'm an ok ground fielder, just utterly hopeless at catching. Being reasonably fit, I also let the young ones field under the trees. 

We were doing ok until the last 10 overs, where a Wollaton big unit came out and decided to go big. Against our junior seam bowlers, he was reasonably contained, if you can call 10 an over contained. Against my off-spin, however, it was a different matter. 

I'd done no worse than anyone else until my last over. When this happened. 

Ball 1 - slightly too straight. Hit for 6, landed in a helmet in front of the pavilion. 

Ball 2 - On off stump. Fetched from out there and hit onto the road over the hedge at cow corner. Ball lost. 

Ball 3 - nearly bowled him through the gate. 

Ball 4 - went for 4 at cow corner. 

Ball 5 - Went wider in my approach. Hit straight back over my head for 6 into a haystack. Ball lost. 

Ball 6 - See above. 

Four overs for 61. I'm glad that before this game I decided to stop caring too much what happened to me. They ended up on 271 for 2. 

With no chance in a hail of hells of winning the game, we went out to bat and made a decent start. But with so many young kids against adult bowlers, we were always going to struggle. Muggins here did mange to hit a four to get us a batting point, before getting bowled attempting to hit a spinner to Nottingham.

So, a heavy defeat, but I actually enjoyed the game, and our young players should be given huge credit for the shifts they put in. They made it fun. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.07.25 

The World's Slowest Gazelle

Probably my final competitive Saturday match of the season, as the 2nd team took on Wollaton 3 on a pitch that having been thundered on the previous day was as tacky as wet clay. Which this being Notts, is what it probably was.

It's the Keuper Marl that is the main geological feature of the area. I know that from working for a loss adjustment company - my god, that was a boring job.

It was a hot day, and we made the bowlers work hard early on, although as a number 11 batsman my main job was to sit in the sun and watch the migrant hawkers on the hunt, and take photographs. A metallic green beetle, possibly a green dock beetle, was very interested in rabbit droppings. Well who isn't? The crab apples are ripening, and the tiny worker bumbles feed  off white clover on the slightly revitalised ground.

However, the bowlers of Wollaton got on top and began to feed off us. We went from 99-3 to 117 all out. I had  to rush off from umpiring in order to change into my kit, all in order to score 3 runs before being given out LBW from a ball that hit me on the thigh and left a red mark on my pocket.

Perhaps a little high lol...

Tea was excellent, and off went went to field. We actually competed very hard, and I actually fielded with great energy, although the comment of "You're a gazelle today!" was either sarcastic or unwarranted. I desperately wanted to take a catch, but nothing came my way. I did get a bowl, and I was ok-ish but too full.

No wickets, sadly. But I did try, we all did. Lost by 4 wickets in the end. We made them work for it.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 11.08.18

Boiling Over

Played for the second team today against Wollaton 3, at an attractive Kinoulton ground that offered no shade from the sun which used the pitch as its own personal anvil for the entire day.

We lost by about 100, I don't really remember much about it as I wasn't allowed to bowl and was banished to field at the  same place on the boundary for two hours. Still a bit frazzled despite that factor 50 and the cap - it was very hard work out there although everyone tried hard, even fielded a ball with a dive for the first time in two years.

I may not be very good at fielding but I do try. Being naturally this clumsy is very frustrating.

I was just glad to get off the field as I was beginning to melt. Very unusual for me to want an innings to end.

When we batted, wickets fell regularly against very good and terrifyingly young bowlers. I of course had to bat number 11, and I only faced two balls before our innings ended. Seeing as I think I fielded the ball 6 times, that with my subs the match cost me £1 a ball, tremendous value that.

Still there were house martins over the ground and butterflies in the hedgerows, so there was something nice to see.

My face is still hot now.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 30.06.18

I am a Dog Mess Cricketer

Today was another of the rubbish ones.

I was actually expecting a day off today, the 3rds didn't have a game, but a few drops outs meant that I was drafted into the 2s for the first time this year.

Sweat was pouring off me just cycling down to our ground, let alone after doing a few warm ups. We fielded first, and after a fairly controlled start, the opposition coasted to 261 for 2 off 45 overs. We fielded really well, even my own usually stiff as a board self was good today, with no mistakes made at all.

Unfortunately against higher standard batting my bowling was rubbish, although to be fair no-one else's was very good at this point in the game apart from our two juniors. Couldn't bowl with the big follow through I need to succeed after my confidence was dented by an umpire's warning for full tosses.

Darn umpires. They are always having a go at me, I feel persecuted!

Still got a few past the outside edge of the bat, but a dead slow wicket like this was take's all my effectiveness out of the game.

When we then batted, I took as many of my clothes off as I thought I could get away with, and lay down on the boundary to do a not very good sketch of the opposite view of the ground. Meadow brown butterflies were out in the meadows, and also a banded demoiselle drifted by. The big spot however, was a brown hawker dragonfly, wings glinting brassily in the sun, patrolling the dog rose hedgerows.

After a super knock from our opener, we subsided, and muggins here after trying to bat straight and properly, managed to knock the ball onto his stumps viat the bottom of his bat.

Really in bad form at the moment, and utterly luckless. Another chance tomorrow. When maybe I won't be dog droppings.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCRackeredNature 17.06.17