Cricket in the Rookery

I've been fretting all week about how the weather was going to be for the cricketing this weekend, and indeed, it did look very grim at one point today.

That was about 8 overs into to our batting against Calverton at the their ground I believe is called The Rookery, a very attractive if awfully slopey ground up the hill from the village, where the horses live in danger of being smacked on the fetlock by a big hit.

I started off umpiring at both ends, thanks to the Calverton player who said I was a very good and fair umpire, and watched our good early batting while doing my arms waving and sounding officious shtick. I also watched as very dark and grey clouds began to block out the sun and hem us in like Dracula's cloak. Sure enough, after those 8 overs, it turned black overhead and it absolutely hammered down on us and we ran off like the proverbial drowned rats.

But local knowledge from the very friendly opponents meant that we were able to get back on after only 20 minutes, while so many other clubs had to abandon their games when that torrential downpour came.

It was very squelchy underfoot, and the bowler sounded like the Creature from the Black Lagoon as he ran in behind me but we GOT THE GAME ON as the slogan goes. We batted for the full 40 overs for only 3 down, and everyone who batted scored good runs, and yes the horses were bothered by some big hits, but none got their manes dented. I umpired for 20 overs, both ends, which I've never done before.

I believe I therefore be what is known as a Good Clubman.

We got to 161, had a good tea, and then it was time to bowl. I was told that I was opening the bowling this week, which was good of the skipper, and myself and my much more accurate opening partner started well. He got one opener, and I got the other with a beautiful yorker after he had smacked me for 4.

Sadly, for me that was as good as it got, as their number three bat, after a shakey start where I beat him a few times, decided he liked the look of my bowling and took me for 15 in one over. It wasn't even bad bowling, just gave him a fraction enough width for him to free his arms and disappear the ball into a bramble bush while the flying swallows admired him.

He went on to score 98 without really any problems at all, although our other bowlers were a bit better at restricting him than I was. Won them the game, as they took the victory by 8 wickets in 30 overs. I ran around like mad in the field and made no mistakes, but my weirdly crappy throw was noted, and twos were taken to me, which was annoying.

We did take points out of the game, and as Calverton are near the top of the league and we are near the bottom, this is still a decent result for us. And it was an enjoyable day.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 20.07.19

I am the Fly...

...I am the Fly
I am the Fly
I am the Fly
The Fly in the ointment

I don't suppose many of you are familiar with that song by Wire, the post-punk band of the 70s and 80s, but it came straight into my head when I came across this striking red-eyed creature sat on the verbena type stuff in the wild garden.

I like the white stripes riding down its body as well.

It looks rather like a horsefly, but it didn't come after my visible previous bites with murderous intent.

These purple flowers in the wild herb garden seemed to be very attractive to bees as well today, and very skittish small tortoiseshells were feeding too, but not wanting to be photographed. Well, I don't blame them.

I don't like being photographed when I'm eating either.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 17.07.19

Butterflies are Out and About

My internet at my flat finally works, so I can write this while listening to "Chop Suey" by System of a Down rather loudly.

A marked contrast with the beautiful and tranquil images I have for you today.

On the river, a tiny little barge has been tied up for a few days now opposite the castle and I want it so much. One this size can't be much more than £15000. Which I don't have.

Si

All text and Images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 15.07.19

Cricket World Cup Final Day

Well, no match for me today, but there was a match for everyone.

It was the 2019 Cricket World Cup final, where England played New Zealand, and people played their cardiologists.

I watched most of the first half, then couldn't bear to watch England's batting! I believe I am a curse you see.

I went to watch a chunk of the match at our club, where our resident genius chef made some excellent asian style kebabs, and we had a lot of fun playing knockabout cricket while our brilliant cricket tea-maker slogged her son out of the net a few times.

I then took myself off for a long walk to distract myself, believing that England were doomed, by photographing a beautiful banded demoiselle resting on a tree by the barge pub. It didn't know about the cricket. A brass band were playing in the castle grounds, luckily they weren't broadcasting the match score.

I checked in back in my flat and thought we'd had it. I then flogged myself to death on my exercise bike for an hour, waiting and waiting for the score to flash up on an app. It never did, leading to me to suspect, correctly as it turned out, that a super over was required, a super over that England won.

Phew! My nerves were unbearable as it was without watching it, my Tourettes would have been insane.

But it has been a good day! Hope we get a lot more kids coming into the club now.

Si

A Very Restful Afternoon

So today we had Beeston and Toton Sycamore come over to visit our second team at Kelham Road, a team I have now played against all three varieties of.

Today was their second team, although it contained many familiar faces from the third team last year, including the grey beared very slow opening bowler, the man in the West Indies floppy hat, the long haired heavy metal dude in a bandana and the oldster who did a lot of complaining in my ear when I was out there umpiring.

Anyway, as expected, the game had a very slow start on a very slow wicket. I tried to live stream the match but only one person watched for a bit before getting bored, so that didn't really work out. But we kept wickets intact and sped up, and two of our bats made fine 50s although one of them got so tired he needed to hail a taxi to run between the wickets at the end.

We closed on 149-3, which always looked a decent score against what we figured would be a weak team, so I kept myself loose and fit for bowling, tried to only eat a light tea...

...and spent the next 40 overs fielding at fine leg.

We were too good for me to be needed today, and they closed on something like 98-8 off 40 overs. We strangled them to death basically, with our opening bowlers going for 20 off 20 overs and taking 5 wickets. I touched the ball 5 times, each one costing me £1.60. Result is all that matters though.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.07.19

The Hoverfly and the Caterpillar

The humidity has not yet had a thunderstorm to break it up and as I'm playing cricket tomorrow I'd rather it didn't.

A  cold front is due to come through over night and freshen things up, hopefully freshen me up, I was dire attempting to bowl in cricket nets last night, and was openly laughed at by the first team opening bat as the ball rolled past him.

Warm weather and a work campus rich in flowers means that lots of insects have been about today. I had a quick look for common blues, but saw none; there are small skippers and meadow browns everywhere though.

And the cinnbar vaterpillars are munching too, with at least one on every ragwort stem in the world at the moment.

Si

All text and  images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 12.07.19

Small Skippers in Abundance

The long grasses and wildflowers of the various environments at work are proving to be a welcome habitat for large numbers of small skipper butterflies.

They are pretty little things, a warm golden colour and those peculiar "dart flight" wings where the upper and lower wings are a similar size and shape, unlike most other UK species. This time of year is their peak season, after the first ones were seen two or three weeks ago.

Not seen any large skippers yet, recognisable for being the same size as small skippers (!!!) and having much more pronounced black markings on the wings. Whether this is down to preferring a different habitat or actually being less in number, I have no idea.

Make good photographic subjects if you catch a co-operative one. These three were sat within half a metre of each other on our uncut verge.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 10.09.19