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hartsholmecc-blog · 7 years ago

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“Life is too short to be cool…”

So … When it comes to sport … How sad is sad … and what are the acceptable levels of geekiness & obsession before you become a busy wanker and everyone thinks you’re a tool.

I personally feel I am seriously flirting with the boundaries of this at the moment. It’s all well and good to love your sport and chuck your heart and soul into it. But that quickly borders on the obsessive and can quite easily rub people up the wrong way.

I have always tried to use this as a captaining technique; hopefully people see your passion and drive and therefore follow more readily. But if you’re a boring twat with an unhealthy obsession, I can imagine it would also start to do the opposite and push people away too.

Don’t get me wrong I don’t think we’re quite there yet. But it’s an interesting notion none the less.

The thing that triggered my thinking was a recent purchase that I made, and the obvious piss taking I received as a consequence.

I am also very aware that if I am prepared to share my views on others actions and criticise their decisions/behaviours, then it is only fair that I don’t hold anything back on my own frailties and embarrassments too! Let’s try not to be too biased and hypocritical …

So I was sat in my man room … cricket themed obviously …

(HCC canvasses adorn the walls, a Tele placed front and centre so as Milly doesn’t have to put up with any cricket being watched in the lounge, a large sofa, a couple of cricket balls on the floor etc. etc. It’s so solely focused that my 2 year old calls it “cricket room”)

In the corner are all of my trophy’s, aligned anally upon little corner shelves (I know, I’m a 30 year old man, who displays his cricket trophies front and centre in, what basically equates to, his play room … it gets worse).

Well, it has been a long term gripe of mine that my collection isn’t complete;

Hartsholme CC doesn’t provide small keep sake trophies/medallions/shields when they give an award. They give the award out at presentation evening, name engraved on it, you keep it for a year and then give it back. Pretty standard, not the worst thing in the world, but slightly stingy (in my humble view of course).

Now … sat there in my man room, a couple of drinks down and thinking that this needs rectifying, can you have a guess at what I did. (Again, ill remind everyone that I’m a 30 year old man, a father, married, living in my own house, with an adult job).

Well … I ordered my own keep sake trophies on the internet … and had them engraved with the award/date/name etc. (I’m sorry!!!)

Now, in my own mind I was merely righting a wrong that has been occurring over the last couple of decades. As well as evening out the terrible imbalance created in my weird obsessive compulsive mind and completing an unsatisfactory display.

You know what, I don’t think anyone would even disagree with me that they should be handed out in the first place. Nor would anyone begrudge us ensuring they are given out in the future. But my god they would think it was odd to supply yourself with your own trophies.

When you put it in black and white and simplify it, what I have effectively done is … BUY AND ENGRAVE MY OWN TROPHIES!

Fuck me it sounds sad when you say it like that.

In my defence, they were about £2.80 each, with about £3 chucked on for delivery, and as I was only missing 4 it cost around the £16/£17 mark.

They are very basic, little keep sakes and I shouldn’t have had to do it in the first place, but I agree … it’s an inexcusably depressing thing to do.

Of course my personality means that I find this kind of weirdness hilarious. So I had to immediately share what I had done with people.

At first I only told Bob and Sven, which resulted in taking the appropriate amount of abuse. Bob just found it hilarious at how sad I had been … but Sven … I think he genuinely felt sorry and embarrassed for me, the obvious pity in his texts being laced through every line. It was almost as if he didn’t want to talk about what a massive loser I was!

I then told the HCC group, a couple of other cricket mates, and finally brought it up at selection committee. The funniest reaction being Phillo’s (serious player back in the day) “fuck me, I don’t think I’d be able to even get all of mine out on display” … this is the cricketing equivalent of standing next to someone in the shower with your massive dick swinging away next to his tiny todger.

Emasculated to say the least.

General consensus … yes we definitely need to provide keep sakes considering how cheap they are … however I am now the biggest bell-end going for back dating trophies and buying my own …

Fair I would say …. But I don’t regret it for a minute!

The conversation of being too keen, too observant and all together a bit of a complete spud, cropped up again not long after.

Upon completion of the new club handbook, Bob had sent it over to me for a proof read (decent book btw! Does just what it should). I had a quick whip through and said it was great.

Well after they had been handed out and I had my own copy I gave it a proper read. I had missed a couple of bits (Bob was fuming), but nothing major (The chairman’s welcome was not allowed to be proof read! So those errors have nothing to do with me … My Captains welcome was, however, a work of art!).

The one thing I did pick up on though … it had so CLEARLY been composed by a bowler. The reason being that no batsman would have ever listed people who had scored 50-80 runs for the season in the batting stats … they would have ensured that minimum qualification applied and cut out all the high averages who have batted about twice. A Bowlers view, “nope! In they go gents!”

I of course messaged Bob this little observation, finding myself hilarious whilst doing so, and he wound up tighter than a spring in no time!

He gave me a couple of bullshit reasons like ‘filling space’ but eventually just highlighted how sad it was that I noticed …

“Also you will be the only person that brings this up – 100% - unless you get in someone’s ear’

Well … “someone’s ear” … listen up! I find it nicely convenient that the big man scored 80 odd 1st team runs in 4 innings batting at 8/9 or 10 and gets himself in the averages ;) … nicely done Bobby

But again, jokes aside, it does highlight my need to obsessively chuck myself into something, reading it multiple times and checking tiny details. Then once I’ve checked them I just HAVE to bring them to the surface, whether in jest or not, it’s all a bit sad isn’t it!?

So … am I bordering on the obsessive? Do I need to take a step back? The fact that I am writing a cricketing diary would probably indicate that I do …

So keep tabs on me … bring me back from the edge should I need it … but most of all, pity me, as I don’t think I can ever change.

Feedback from last entry

Well … thank god I have a tough skin. Discussing legends was definitely a touchy subject to a few!

The general consensus was that I was pretty much spot on (well clearly).

However it was generally agreed that I was only correct based on my personal assumptions/definitions of the word legend.

Other people had different definitions and therefore slightly differing answers. Far enough … I can agree with that, and I can see their points of view. The really annoying people however are those who get aggravated by a certain opinion and just cannot see that it is totally based on a personal interpretation of an individual word, so everything around it is biased and has numerous caveats attached.

All you have to do is alter the definition, explain your reasoning, give your answers … and you are also correct!

Oh well, simple people can often struggle with matters based on fluid opinion and changing goal post … the anger descends and they can’t see the wood for the trees.

We’ll maybe have to return to this at a later date, just to rock the boat again!

04/03 – Initial Selection meeting

So it’s over a month until the first game … and Bunny calls a selection meeting…

What ... a … twat!

In attendance – Myself, Bobby, Phillo, Bunny & TP (Can’t believe he turned up, and on time! hates punctuality that lad).

To be honest, I am not in the mood, and can see my Sunday evening being totally wasted!

The reasons he stated were to talk us through the rule changes and to discuss where we are at with player numbers.

Well I can write a list of names at home, and you could talk me through the rule changes the week before the season starts … not a month out!

Or … I could just read the sodding things … oh wait, I have, because I’m a sad fucker.

Then, to add insult to my already foul mood, he sits down and says ‘oh, did I call this meeting’. Yes Adrian … yes, you fucking did.

Anyway, after he has talked through the rule changes and summarised peoples disdain with having to be there we learn (as we already knew) that they basically just equate to ‘make sure you’re not a dick head, or you will get punished’ … enlightening

And the squad situation ‘isn’t terrible but could be better’.

Well that was worthwhile … let’s leave the next one until the week before we have a game maybe …

And they say that I’m keen!!

10/03 – Winter Nets

What a turn out!

I 100% guarantee that this will be the most heavily attended net of the winter, possibly even the summer. Both nets full … people doing fielding drills … and even a new player to train!

We even had the old stallion Jay-bone turn up! Bad back ‘n all! He didn’t look like he’d missed a beat through injury and immediately dropped his floaty drifters on a length and shaped up nicely when batting. (Probably with another new stick, the blokes obsessed).

The new lad looks like he’ll come back and would be a decent addition, which is good news as we really need it following selection. And to be fair, he was meant to just show his face and be polite, as he had to run off and fit a cooker half way through! But ended up netting for an hour! Decent commitment there young man!

Recruitment as a whole has been a nightmare this winter. What with the issues surrounding the overseas players everyone seems to have been focusing hard on recruiting locally … but they don’t seem to be out there! What with failing numbers in involvement and a lack of youth coming through the whole sport seems to be taking a real hit.

My tactic … keep what you have got!

Whilst other people are trying to coax very average players out of their current clubs for false promises and in some cases cash, I reckon that we are better served keeping hold of those already loyal to us.

If we went into the season with last year’s team plus a ridiculous overseas, we should go up! If we don’t then there’s no one else to blame but ourselves.

After chatting with a couple of opposing captains it seems that everyone is in the same boat … so may the best club win.

10/03 – Quiz Night

Firstly, we nearly won!

Secondly, we were the top of the cricket teams!

Thirdly, Wooly & Aj’s team couldn’t answer ‘how many teams are in the T20 Blast this year’ … come on lads! Just count the counties!

It was seriously well attended, not that I’m surprised as Nick always does a good job at the shed getting the locals in. But there were a lot of cricketers there too!

Our team consisted of Bosworth x2, Thorpe x2, Lewy & Phil Brown.

We called ourselves something shit and not funny through panic, and then as soon as we had submitted our name realised that we should have called ourselves ‘Philma Brown’ … gutted and the usage of an anal pun totally missed!

In all honesty if I hadn’t bottled a couple of answers then we would have won, and didn’t Thorpey tell me about it!

Saying the correct answers then second guessing yourself is piss poor and I won’t forgive myself for a while! Those boxes of Corona were ripe for the taking!

Sven came bottom and won free shots, so he was happy!

The best thing that came out of it was my old mate ‘Pumba’ (all I’ll say is, he isn’t a small bloke) attending. He was shoved in Woollys team and after they had plied him with a few Guinness’ got him to agree to be our season mascot.

We are going to take the lad out on the town, dressed as the Hartsholme lion … I cannot wait!!!!

Milly got excited that there was nearly a fight between two women! …

And then we went home, the perils of having to relieve the babysitters!

18/03 – Winter Nets

Poor turn out but it was quite useful to those who attended.

The only real thing of interest; I wore one on the foot and now have three black toes.

I basically missed the slowest yorker ever delivered, played way too early, and round it. Fuck me it hurt though! Bob, deliverer of said ball, found it absolutely hilarious! I did very well not to lose my head and give him the nibble he was craving for. The only saving grace was that Sven received the exact same delivery about half an hour later, with the same result. As Browny described ‘he jumped about and rolled around on the floor with some serious style’.

I have also finally found someone with a strong enough arm to mimic a quick seamer!

JT throwing onto the catch-it, FUK ME SIDEWAYS, that thing flew.

Sore hands and a few calluses coming, and trust me, it has to be from the catching because I am about the least practical man around.

Individual prices are also out for the coming season of the HCC fantasy league. Thankfully I have gone up, which helps my ego of course.

Some, however, have gone down…

Quote of the day –

(Bosworth to Brown) … ‘You’re the same price as Thorpey now’

(Brown in response) … ‘Fuck me, well that’s a reason to retire right there!’

#cricket #clubcricket #amaturesport #lincoln #lincolnshire #lincolnshiresport #captain #blog

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hartsholmecc-blog · 7 years ago

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“When you really want something, try to want it a little less..”

A lot of people seem surprised by the amount of stock that amateur sports people put into their given pursuit. The bloke who lives for Saturday to play for his pub team, the women who builds her week around her netball game and subsequent social, the cricketer who has his diary stand around the pillars of his sport for 6 months of the year (Thursdays are for training, Saturdays are dedicated to match days, Sunday games will be considered before family meals, bank holiday Mondays are for cup games).

These commitments are often sneered at by bystanders, by people who are not involved and do not hold that passion, confused as to how you could care about something that delivers no income or tangible return. It is socially acceptable to sit in the house all weekend with your family, doing nothing, socially acceptable to drive yourself into work in the pursuit of capital gains, we even applaud or at the least do not question the social habits of young men and women who go in their droves to bars all weekend to get smashed. But to live and breathe sport at an amateur level … that’s too much? You should find something that matters? We should understand that it is just a game?

I do not feel that the level at which you play should have any consequence on the level of importance apportioned to the activity, just because you are not being paid or playing for your country does not mean you should treat it any less professionally and does not mean that you should not strive to reach whatever your roof is.

The reason for these thoughts is that I think when you live in this manner, with sport being your be all and end all, you start to experience the side effects often attributed to elite sport and the professional level …

I think recently I have been suffering from a form of burn out. When a life has been charged so forcefully in one direction and that target suddenly seems to take on less importance there can be a case of a lack of identity. Whilst my every waking moment over the last three years has been focused towards HCC (however tragic that may be viewed) and that drive disappears to a certain extent I seem to find myself searching for something to fill the void. Thankfully I have a family and a son which makes the re-direction of passion an easy one (a move that some may say should have happened slightly earlier). But I believe you cannot be a person without outlets, and I think if I went 100% family man and stayed in the house 24/7 two things would happen, either I would go crazy or Milly would!

So the question is, why does burn out happen, how does it happen, and how the hell can an extremely average, amateur cricketer be experiencing some form of it; surely that’s only for the pros right?

I want to say that this is clearly a culmination of a few things and it must include work and home life, but that just wouldn’t be true and would be shying away from the fact that historically I have put too much focus on cricket.

I do however recognise the symptoms. Being angry at everything, shouting a lot, disagreeing, tiredness, headaches etc. They ring true with the preliminary stages of depression, which I have some experience of, all be it many years ago.

Now I am not saying that I am depressed, but I also don’t shy away from issues, so if something is perhaps on the way back, then let’s mention it. I am also the kind of person that you wouldn’t notice much of a change in. Very opinionated and extremely black n’ white in nature, therefore the odd extra explosion or rant would probably go under the radar. The one noticeable change would be my love for the game, something that my closest friend Wooly picked up on straight away when I asked if he wanted a game of golf instead of training the other week (usually a sentence that would have not escaped my mouth).

The strangest thing is that this hasn’t followed form or performance, usually when I become disillusioned it is because I can’t buy a run, or we are losing - but I have had a reasonable start to the year without pulling up any trees and we have won almost everything we have played. Anything over a 20/30 odd with the a bat and I usually go home in reasonably chirpy mood, this has not been the case lately.

The reason I have pulled the phrase ‘burn-out’ out of the bag is because I read too much, have heard about it and am an extremely self indulgent know it all who would have to have an answer for everything.

I constantly try and psycho analyse everyone and give a stone wall reason for everything.

Maybe I am just tired, maybe my son is getting up earlier than usual, waking me at 4am most mornings and its having an adverse effect on other aspects of life, maybe I am now 30 going on 31 and this is the point where some people choose to stop playing, maybe 3 years of trying to have control over every aspect of the club instead of my own assigned responsibilities has caught up with me.

Ill probably never know for sure, but right now it is doing my f*cking head in!

But I have assigned a conclusion (of course I have, I think I know everything). A quote came up the other day and I thought, that’s it! That is what it is!

‘He just wanted it so bad, that he drove himself crazy’

I forget where it was from, I am sure it would have been some wanky new TV show or a hippy insightful book, but it resonated.

I have spent the last 3 years devoting every waking moment to Hartsholme Cricket Club, tried to drive selection in the correct way, tried to elevate the club to better playing levels, recruit strongly, train well, get buy in from every corner and bring cohesion of thought across the board and as a consequence put such a heavy weight of importance on my shoulders. When I probably should have been either letting others take some weight, or telling myself ‘it’s just a game’. On a personal level I have focused on averages, milestones, legacy, opinion and measured much of my outside life on how well I achieve these targets…

I have tried to do it so hard, with such passion and ferocity and with the conviction born only from the absolute knowing that you are right … that it has sent me a bit crackers. I have realised that I cannot control everything, people do not always think the same as you and not everyone takes club cricket as seriously as you do (and rightly so). In short, I just wanted it so very badly and marked my worth as a person based on how well I did. Now I don’t need to be a Psychiatrist to know that eventually that kind of model was going to get to me, and we were going to see some cracks.

I don’t apologise for this, I will probably have a moment of clarity in the near future and move on in exactly the same manner, rediscovering absolute and over powering drive. And after all, in a very compact and busy time of my life, when everything was changing (new house, new relationship, moving back to Lincoln, becoming a father, marriage, growing up) Hartsholme Cricket Club was the one constant that I could hold on to with everything I had, and for that I am extremely grateful.

It must also be said that is has taken me a very long time to work out what is going on, 3-4 weeks of being horrendous to be around and arguing with anyone that will disagree with me. I can’t imagine how bad its been for Milly! And poor old Bunny has had to deal with his fair share too. So it’s all well and good typing away saying I have had a premonition, but people have taken some punishment along the way!

But I suppose the point is, its happening everywhere. The bloke you’re chatting to may be the most spritely up beat person you know and under the surface he’s drowning. Someone might be losing it with the very thing that you think they love. And most importantly just because it is a small thing to you, you can have no idea of the level of importance that that person has put on it.

I mean for Christ sake, I LOVE cricket … I think I just want it all far too much.

Louth Away - 28/04/18

Rained off –

So it’s shit it down all night, clearly the game is going to be called … but for Christ sake, don’t call me at 7.15am to let me know! I get it … we are travelling to Louth, you want to give us as much time to not travel as possible, but pleasseee engage brain.

Well, needless to say I ignored that call and rung back at the more reasonable time of 8.45am. Bearing in mind you can’t call a game off until 10am, it is just uncalled for!

Oh well, 5 rained off points, everyone else is off too. Day off on the way!

Broughton @ Home 05/05/18

Well what a lovely deck!

After the usual routine of breakfast club and stop at the coop for water and sweets I get down to the ground. Off I go to set up the usual bits and bobs (stumps out, scorebox open, unlock changing rooms, set my gear up) and then off to have a look at the track – white, road-esq, flat. It’ll be slow and low but will be decent to bat on!

We lose the toss (shock, there’s a bit of a running joke that I can’t win a toss) and surprisingly we are put in on a flat one! I mustn’t question too much though, they could easily have seen something we haven’t! I also think its maybe to do with them skittling Rasen the week before and fancying putting some early pressure on us.

Aj and Green open up reasonably safely and get through the first few overs without incident.

Greeny goes back and across to a straight one and is standing in front of all three as Broughton go up … F*ck off that’s out!

Aj slowly continues whilst young Sam Mason blazes a reasonably quick 18 before being caught at 1st slip to their resident grabber Mr N. Simpson … bloody good catch tbf!

In I wander at 4 …

1st ball, medium pacer, short and wide … eyes light up … ‘shit it’s not bounced’ … and its jagged a tad (avg ball, just shite execution) it clips the plastic on my top thumb and goes through to the keeper. Keep your head down, take guard … wow … the keeper and slip haven’t gone up (everyone else is appealing like mad) … NOT OUT. Oh you bloody hero.

Square leg umpire asks me ‘did you hit it’, ‘nope, no I did not’ … he doesn’t need to know it clipped my glove though.

Needless to say I get a few comments around the sounds of ‘you cheating bastard’ etc. but Hey ho, that’s a goldy dodged.

Couple of nice shots … get to the drinks break and say the immortal words to AJ … ‘he bowls too slow, he’ll get me out’ … I then walk back to the crease chatting to their slipper … chatting about slip catches … what happens first ball I face after drinks … snick the slow bowler to first slip.

What a twat! Given it away.

Off I wander, and watch the rest of the game whilst lapping continuously with Sven.

Aj goes on to register his first Hartsholme 1st XI 50 and looks assured throughout, eventually falling to a shit shot for 56. I did like his mentality though, self-talking, confident, visualising and telling me more than once that he was going to bat through and be the anchor. We filmed his 50 and you can just about hear Sven calling him a creep as he raises his bat, so much love.

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Wooly is going along nicely by now, he has a dolly dropped off him on about 8 or 9 but bloody hell he makes them pay. Going on to score an aggressive and quick 115*. We were just about to film his 100, but then on 98 he ran poor Lucas Cooling out whilst on 42. 100% sold down the river.

Wooly has been serenely knocking the ball around throughout the 80s and 90s … no rush … in total control, 100 a certainty. Gets to 98 … drills one to deep long off … ‘TWO’ … now anyone else sends him back, but Lucas is young and has the tendency to be a bit simple at times (add to not wanting to run someone out on 98) so he takes it on … OUT BY A MILE!

The best thing about this whole saga, by tea Wool has convinced Lucas that it was his fault … AMAZING!

We finally finish on 272-6. A score which I would describe as ‘enough’.

The return innings was a bit of a non-event and the visitors were bowled out for 131. Everyone shared the wickets around and it was a very nice performance from the bowlers.

Sven got a bit of tap and wasn’t happy when I pulled him after two overs, but he came back nicely and all was right in the world.

The best moment was Thorpey getting hacked at by their number 4, a nice lad who seemed chirpy and up for it. Well needless to say that Bob thought he was a total ****. He did not appreciate being smeared across the line and all the continued playing and missing.

When the bat finally got out for an entertaining 59 Bobby gave him a big send off, to which the batsmen advised him to stop getting pissed off when bowling sh*t, you fat f*cker … or something similar anyway.

All very strange … but I can’t talk! I would fight my own shadow.

When coming back for his second spell and taking the final wicket Bobby decided to get his stomach out and wobble it at the onlookers. Fair one!

20 points, good day and a good set of lads to play against, probably the nicest of the ‘North Lincs’ sides to come up against (not a hard award to win that one though).

Lindum @ Home – George Marshall 1st Round 07/05/18

What do you think of Lindum?!

Set of C*nts! That’s what I think!

Nah, only joking, they are all right, and actually have a reasonably nice set of lads. I’ll get lynched at HCC for saying that.

But being our closest neighbours, and the posh boys up the hill, in contrast to our inner city mob, they can still f*ck right off!

So quick match summary! They got 223-8 and their overseas pro, a really nice young lad it turns out, scored 146* of them! That’s it, I may as well not put anything else, that’s the game right there. The headline would be, 1 man team beats Hartsholme XI. Bitter? No, just honest.

F*ck me he batted well though! Serious timer of a cricket ball. Some of his flicks off the seamers were timed brilliantly, he also took the short boundary apart, making it look even more destructive.

It was unfortunate that we lost the toss. A hot day, a road, a short boundary … and we’re stuck in.

All of the bowlers went well though, with Jay being the pick getting 4fer not many. Bertie bowled good tight one-day lines with a changeup of balls, Bob got through all of his 9 in one spell and wasn’t costly, Rik looked after the short boundary well and always looked penetrating, Sven was economical, Birky ran his tits off and closed at the death well.

But their pro spanked it, can’t say much more than that.

The crying shame was that we dropped him on 70 odd. Relatively easy high catch at cow that cost us.

The one strange thing that happened, after this lad had got to end of his innings and was jogging off, I went to shake his hand and say well batted … he looked at me … ignored it and sprinted off. Either it was lost in translation, i.e.. In NZ they don’t say well don’t to each other, or he thought I was a prick and wanted to bin me off. Probably the latter.

But odd none the less; especially the way he sprinted off leaving his batting partner behind. I wish I could just call him a prick, but he seemed really nice when chatting later!

In our response we lost our two openers early. Bringing myself and Wooly to the crease. The honest truth of it was that if we were going to knock them off then the bulk would have to come in this partnership. We managed to add around 120 before Wooly spanked one to midwicket (and I mean crunched it) and one of their old boys took a worldy (Lindum C*nt).

I plodded along to get a scratchy 41. I absolutely love batting with Wool, obviously he is my best mate, and we have played together since the age of about 14, but it goes beyond that.

We completely complement each other, he has all the ability in the world but struggles to graft it out when he’s not in form, I have zero ability and have to doggedly eek/nurdle every run before I’m ‘in’. I have said it many times, but if only you could put my head and mentality on his shoulders … what a player.

The usual reaction is to get angry at talented players because they can’t do the simple (to some people) thing of engaging their brain. But the talented ones must also stand at the other end watching the nurdlers, screaming in their heads as to why we can’t just spank one to relieve pressure. I suppose the easy answer is, if either side of the coin had both then they would probably ‘make it’, therefore the local leagues are full of one or the other.

The match continued right until the end and I had to stand along the short square boundary with only a couple of people; I think if I had been anywhere near the crowd then I wouldn’t have been able to deal with the nerves of it all.

We were unfortunate, always up with the rate, and only needing 23 off the last 5. But eventually we ran out of wickets.

All in all, beaten by the better man (not team … w*nkers)

Free week - 12/05/18

Myself, Wool, Sven & Green have entered into a tough mudder, great fun … it was wet and muddy …

Evening – joined by a few more, Bierkeller … messy and loud!

I stayed at Bobbys so that I didn’t puke all over our spare room again. All I can say was that the service was top drawer. His Mrs, the lovely Soph, provided food and coffee in abundance. How the big lad is a grumpy bastard when he is waited on so excellently, I do not know!

Spoilt little shit!

Cherry @ Home 19/05/18

My anger is really starting to show case itself now, I am insufferable and taking it out on anyone and anything, as well as just looking and acting angrily.

The main sighter of this included; having the ball thrown at the stumps and it deflecting off my heel.

Well - I decide to run through for a second, but the ball is called dead by the umpire.

I got a little too mad at this. Firstly, I have to say it and I’m sorry that I just can’t stop myself being a prick, but … I was right … it should have been allowed.

I am sure it is not the sporting thing to do and I probably looked a right cock, especially seeing as we were 250-3 at the time, but … I was right. Head down, going for ground, didn’t adjust my line, didn’t look at the ball … the fielder decides to throw, it hits me. The umpire tried to avoid discussing but me being in a horrid mood decided to argue and spit my dummy out. He then went on to say I had obstructed the field, and even though I am sure he was just saying this to shut me up and his real reason was I was being a twat, if that had actually been the case his choice would have been to give me out. Terribly geeky, but give me out or let me run … then call me an unsporting wanker afterwards … hey ho.

Long and short I didn’t cover myself in glory and banged on about it for another half an hour … to the point where Wooly, who was batting with me at the time, left me chuntering in the middle of the track.

So anyway, Cherry come to visit … always a great set of lads! I do think I maybe ruined their day when the coined landed and we chose to bat on a road, in the baking sun. But no way can you bowl on a day like that … in Bobbys words ‘I think I’d have got in the car and left if you’d bowled’.

Well, we racked up 273-3 … so it was a bit of a brutal day.

A lovely opening partnership of 103 between Browny and Greeny. Greeny eventually falling for 38 to a bit of a rats hack off of their spinner; he walked off knowing that he had missed out on a big one.

Sam followed him pretty quickly, caught behind, pushing at one back of a length and outside off.

So in I went, turgid, sticky, not fluent at all. But thankfully one of my few abilities is to graft runs when out of form, so I finished with 45no at a pretty boring 81% strike rate (I’m aware, I’m a tragic for knowing that).

All the while Browny is going well at the other end. Admittedly he had 2 or 3 real dollys go down, but none the less got himself to 98, and considering this was his first game back of the season following ear surgery … good bloody effort. Unlucky to have got out on 98 but he was knackered by this point and played around a reasonably straight one, probably hitting leg and middle half way up. Deserved of a sit down though and he went on to field at 3rd man for most of the match due to the shade available!

Wooly came in after him and finished on 44no, he found it equally tough to really get going and kept smashing the ball to fieders, but it says a lot about his batting style that he still managed to score at better than run a ball!

At one point early in his innings he drilled a half volley through the covers and a young fielder exclaimed ‘what the f*ck is he doing coming in at 5!’ … our reply, ‘he used to bat at 6’. They had had a long and hot day, and the sight of our best bat coming in when they should have been making headway was clearly disparaging.

The bowling side of things held some reasonably frustrating moments.

Poor Bertie and Bob … back of a length, nipping a touch = play and miss, play and miss, play and miss.

Berties figures were, 4 overs, 3 maidens, 3 runs.

Rik came on and bowled excellently, he made a breakthrough but also had some bad luck; 12 of the 17 runs he went for coming through 1st & 4th slip in the same over.

Rik and Birkey both realised the need to chop and change and volunteered to end their own spells … a luxury at times for a captain, if done for the right reasons, which they were.

All in all, a good day, even when setting a big score that probably won’t be chased there is always a slight eye on ensuring we get 10 wickets quickly and take the full 20 points.

OH ALMOST FORGOT! I played a reverse dab sweep for three … oh my lord it was sex (I’ll get fined for that)

2nd in the league – 8 points behind 1st with 2 games in hand. Red, Gold & Green.

#cricket #clubcricket #sport #lincoln #Lincolnshire #lincolnshirecricket #lincolnshiresport #captain #englandcricket

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