So here we are sports fans, the 2012 Club Cricket Season!
For those of you unaware, I'm based in Ipswich, England, and play for a club about 3 minutes up the road from me, namely Kesgrave Cricket Club.
Background
So basically I have played for Kesgrave for (I think) about 4 years... that sounds about right. I played Indoor Cricket for England U19s a couple of times, and was asked by someone at Ipswich Indoor to play for his team as they were short. That was an away game at Eight Ash Green, Essex, and the rest, as they say, is history. I settled straight into the side with a cool 82 on d?but, and have played for them ever since, excelling in the field, showing flashes of talent with the blade, and generally under-performing with the ball. As at the start of the 2012 season, I have 775 runs @ 25 dead over that period, with 35 catches in 48 games fielding primarily at mid-off or mid-wicket, and 23 wickets @ 16.87.
The outgoing Saturday captain from 2009 brought in a new skipper for 2010, and it's fair to say we didn't see eye-to-eye on many occasions, not least when I was down to bat at #9. I went out at 7 down one game, and asked the keeper who had the best hands in their team. He replied "mid-on" so first ball I faced I lifted the simplest of catches to mid-on and told the captain where he could go, before disappearing off to work before the conclusion of the game.
(I should note, I don't often walk away from a team, my current total is 1, but this guy really should not have been captain, and I complained to the Committee and they lent me a sympathetic ear.)
The Sunday side was more entertaining to play in, and we won the league and cup double, I came in at 8 for the final (I can tolerate being #8 if I'm the 8th best batsman) and smashed a quick 33* which proved vital in getting over the psychological hurdle that is 200 in a 40-over game.
That Saturday captain also left at the end of his first season, which brings us to last year, one that saw me turn out twice: once for the Sunday side, where I wasn't needed to bat or bowl, and once on a Saturday and their new captain. I hit a match-winning 63* but during that week managed to tear the cartilage in my right knee, ruling me out of the rest of the season as I waited for surgery.
Today, the 2012 season
So here we are today, after returning to Ipswich from University I decided I'd play for Kesgrave as clearly they needed me (relegated from Division Six) and made my return a full 13 months after injury in a game at home against Stowmarket II. They turned up with a team full of either old men or young kids, and it showed. Our openers put on a steady 187 for the first wicket, and another 16 runs were added before I strode forth to the crease ready to face my first delivery in over a year. I defended it admirably (not least as the number 5 was still in his shorts and t-shirt) and had a chat with my captain (his first game skippering) who was on his way to carrying his bat for 127*. He told me he was knackered (this was after about 30 or so overs, so it's understandable) and my instruction was to hit "as many boundaries as [I could]". Mission accepted and I bludgeoned my way to a quick 24 (off about 16 balls) before skying out to mid-on.
We finished 303/5 off our 45 overs, and at tea victory was all but in the bag, we just needed to bowl them out for maximum points.
Which we did.
For 23.
So with 20 points in the bag, we head to Coggeshall on Saturday, knowing that if they're as crap as these guys were, we'll be set for another easy win and 20 easy points. If they're that easy again, I'll be leaving the Saturday side to let youngsters learn their game, and play only Sundays where we're in the top league.
My Stats
Kesgrave v Stowmarket II Scorecard
For those of you unaware, I'm based in Ipswich, England, and play for a club about 3 minutes up the road from me, namely Kesgrave Cricket Club.
Background
So basically I have played for Kesgrave for (I think) about 4 years... that sounds about right. I played Indoor Cricket for England U19s a couple of times, and was asked by someone at Ipswich Indoor to play for his team as they were short. That was an away game at Eight Ash Green, Essex, and the rest, as they say, is history. I settled straight into the side with a cool 82 on d?but, and have played for them ever since, excelling in the field, showing flashes of talent with the blade, and generally under-performing with the ball. As at the start of the 2012 season, I have 775 runs @ 25 dead over that period, with 35 catches in 48 games fielding primarily at mid-off or mid-wicket, and 23 wickets @ 16.87.
The outgoing Saturday captain from 2009 brought in a new skipper for 2010, and it's fair to say we didn't see eye-to-eye on many occasions, not least when I was down to bat at #9. I went out at 7 down one game, and asked the keeper who had the best hands in their team. He replied "mid-on" so first ball I faced I lifted the simplest of catches to mid-on and told the captain where he could go, before disappearing off to work before the conclusion of the game.
(I should note, I don't often walk away from a team, my current total is 1, but this guy really should not have been captain, and I complained to the Committee and they lent me a sympathetic ear.)
The Sunday side was more entertaining to play in, and we won the league and cup double, I came in at 8 for the final (I can tolerate being #8 if I'm the 8th best batsman) and smashed a quick 33* which proved vital in getting over the psychological hurdle that is 200 in a 40-over game.
That Saturday captain also left at the end of his first season, which brings us to last year, one that saw me turn out twice: once for the Sunday side, where I wasn't needed to bat or bowl, and once on a Saturday and their new captain. I hit a match-winning 63* but during that week managed to tear the cartilage in my right knee, ruling me out of the rest of the season as I waited for surgery.
Today, the 2012 season
So here we are today, after returning to Ipswich from University I decided I'd play for Kesgrave as clearly they needed me (relegated from Division Six) and made my return a full 13 months after injury in a game at home against Stowmarket II. They turned up with a team full of either old men or young kids, and it showed. Our openers put on a steady 187 for the first wicket, and another 16 runs were added before I strode forth to the crease ready to face my first delivery in over a year. I defended it admirably (not least as the number 5 was still in his shorts and t-shirt) and had a chat with my captain (his first game skippering) who was on his way to carrying his bat for 127*. He told me he was knackered (this was after about 30 or so overs, so it's understandable) and my instruction was to hit "as many boundaries as [I could]". Mission accepted and I bludgeoned my way to a quick 24 (off about 16 balls) before skying out to mid-on.
We finished 303/5 off our 45 overs, and at tea victory was all but in the bag, we just needed to bowl them out for maximum points.
Which we did.
For 23.
So with 20 points in the bag, we head to Coggeshall on Saturday, knowing that if they're as crap as these guys were, we'll be set for another easy win and 20 easy points. If they're that easy again, I'll be leaving the Saturday side to let youngsters learn their game, and play only Sundays where we're in the top league.
My Stats
Kesgrave v Stowmarket II Scorecard
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Much rather lose by a run or two. Just pointless contests. Like beating up a no armed midget.
