drainpipe32
Chairman of Selectors
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2008
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St. Pauls vs Mount Waverley
My one - and only to date - game as captain was at Batesford Reserve against St. Pauls, the top team in the league. We were Mount Waverley, barely making the four. This was U-13s.
Our captain had been taken ill with flu - yes, in summer - so I, the vice captain stepped to the plate.
Bad start. I've called heads and Queen Elizabeth has gone under.
St. Pauls go into bat and I'm setting my fields. I have my strike bowler lining up and searing them into a 7-2 field.
First ball - an inside edge to my waiting short mid off. Falls shortly and bounces awkwardly, the misfield produces a scurried single.
Good start, I think, this really isn't as hard as it looks!
Second ball and the ball sails to the boundary for four. Oh no. My Bowler doesn't look happy.
Runs Up. Unleashes. Bang. Gone He has shattered the stumps with an absolute jaffa, swinging down like I taught him at 100 km/h.
St. Pauls survive the rest of the over, but then in the next one my best bowler, the 'Stuart Clark' takes two consecutive wickets. We're on a roll.
The hat trick ball is an anti climax, swinging down the leg side. Then, the third over, another gone and St. Pauls are 4/5. How has this happened?
After fifteen overs we have the leagues top team 29/9, the almost hattrick man with 4, my strike bowler with three and myself with the other two. My big swingers resulted in a caught behind and a bowled, and my captaincy has looked absolutely brilliant, catches going straight to my men.
I've brought my two worst bowlers on for a spell, what could go wrong from here?
Both overs go for ten apiece. Drat. The seasons lowest total record is gone. But the worst is still to come.
St. Pauls final to men, one of the an opener who has carried his bat and the other an unfortunate middle order batsmen who has been relegated to give the No. 11 a go against the 'lowly' Mount Waverley.
I brought my two spinners on, but still we couldn't get the final wicket. Runs flowed easily, and after 35 overs the score is 150/9, both batters having posted their half centuries.
My fields have been shocking, fielders being miles away, and their work hasn't helped, mis fields galore.
I strain my eyes, looking around at all me combatants. I've got no one, my strikers are exhausted, my spinners are worn out and my part timers have been shocking.
The ball rolls down to me, and I see the beautiful shine on the 'Kooka' side. Thats right. I'm a swing bowler I remember. I'm the best - and only - remaining option, and I haven't bowled in 20 overs.
I run up to my 13 step bowling mark, and get my grip ready. I run, release and crash! The perfect inswinger has knocked out the batsman off and middle prod. I'm ecstatic, I don't think I have ever celebrated like this.
We have bowled the top team out for 159, a good job but it could have been so much better.
As the opening bat I strap on my pads and head out to pummel the renowned St. Pauls attack. We have five overs to survive, and hopefully go through unscathed.
Their frontline Kiwi bowler charges in and chucks, sorry hurls one down at my feet. I just manage to dig it out, and it's not looking good. We lose one wicket, and finish the day at a precariously placed 1/11, me unbeaten on 8.
The boys return the next week for our second dig.
Wickets fall steadily, as I prod and tweedle may way through the innings.
When I retire early at 16 its 4/32, and we're absolutely stuffed I think. Nico and Josh are at the crease, and they have to get us a lot of runs.
We have 30 overs left, and 6/128 to get.
20 overs later I much more happy, as it's 6/130, a number of good partnerships have pushed us forward, and we have some retired batsman in the bank.
3 wickets in six overs and it's 9 for 154, just six runs left and four overs left to get them.
I stroll in, shaking like a sheep in an abattoir.
I'm welcomed to the crease by the slips cordon. "This guy was skipping like a girl down the wicker earlier" they call.
I cut hard at the first ball. It flies straight to the sledging leader at backward point. I know I'm out, and I run down the wicket heading to the pavillion.
Shattered, I look back as the ball bounces off his chest and spills to the ground. It' a miracle; we're still in the game, and one more run down.
Our other retired batsman is on strike, as Kiwi smashes in a bouncer.
CRACK! He stands tall and hammers it over midwicket to the boundary for four.
SCORES! ARE! LEVEL!
The next ball he runs in hard and its edge, one bounce to slip. But it's a no ball and we've won the game!
An absolutely miraculous battle, the best game of cricket ever. I get MOTM for my all round performance, and good captaincy at the start.
Next game, our skipper returns and I hand over the reins, glad thats it's over. Captaincy was fun, but I don't think I want it full time, I know I play a leadership role anyway.
Unfortuantely, we didn't make the finals that season, but it's still a game we talk about, and one I'll remember for ever!
My one - and only to date - game as captain was at Batesford Reserve against St. Pauls, the top team in the league. We were Mount Waverley, barely making the four. This was U-13s.
Our captain had been taken ill with flu - yes, in summer - so I, the vice captain stepped to the plate.
Bad start. I've called heads and Queen Elizabeth has gone under.
St. Pauls go into bat and I'm setting my fields. I have my strike bowler lining up and searing them into a 7-2 field.
First ball - an inside edge to my waiting short mid off. Falls shortly and bounces awkwardly, the misfield produces a scurried single.
Good start, I think, this really isn't as hard as it looks!
Second ball and the ball sails to the boundary for four. Oh no. My Bowler doesn't look happy.
Runs Up. Unleashes. Bang. Gone He has shattered the stumps with an absolute jaffa, swinging down like I taught him at 100 km/h.
St. Pauls survive the rest of the over, but then in the next one my best bowler, the 'Stuart Clark' takes two consecutive wickets. We're on a roll.
The hat trick ball is an anti climax, swinging down the leg side. Then, the third over, another gone and St. Pauls are 4/5. How has this happened?
After fifteen overs we have the leagues top team 29/9, the almost hattrick man with 4, my strike bowler with three and myself with the other two. My big swingers resulted in a caught behind and a bowled, and my captaincy has looked absolutely brilliant, catches going straight to my men.
I've brought my two worst bowlers on for a spell, what could go wrong from here?
Both overs go for ten apiece. Drat. The seasons lowest total record is gone. But the worst is still to come.
St. Pauls final to men, one of the an opener who has carried his bat and the other an unfortunate middle order batsmen who has been relegated to give the No. 11 a go against the 'lowly' Mount Waverley.
I brought my two spinners on, but still we couldn't get the final wicket. Runs flowed easily, and after 35 overs the score is 150/9, both batters having posted their half centuries.
My fields have been shocking, fielders being miles away, and their work hasn't helped, mis fields galore.
I strain my eyes, looking around at all me combatants. I've got no one, my strikers are exhausted, my spinners are worn out and my part timers have been shocking.
The ball rolls down to me, and I see the beautiful shine on the 'Kooka' side. Thats right. I'm a swing bowler I remember. I'm the best - and only - remaining option, and I haven't bowled in 20 overs.
I run up to my 13 step bowling mark, and get my grip ready. I run, release and crash! The perfect inswinger has knocked out the batsman off and middle prod. I'm ecstatic, I don't think I have ever celebrated like this.
We have bowled the top team out for 159, a good job but it could have been so much better.
As the opening bat I strap on my pads and head out to pummel the renowned St. Pauls attack. We have five overs to survive, and hopefully go through unscathed.
Their frontline Kiwi bowler charges in and chucks, sorry hurls one down at my feet. I just manage to dig it out, and it's not looking good. We lose one wicket, and finish the day at a precariously placed 1/11, me unbeaten on 8.
The boys return the next week for our second dig.
Wickets fall steadily, as I prod and tweedle may way through the innings.
When I retire early at 16 its 4/32, and we're absolutely stuffed I think. Nico and Josh are at the crease, and they have to get us a lot of runs.
We have 30 overs left, and 6/128 to get.
20 overs later I much more happy, as it's 6/130, a number of good partnerships have pushed us forward, and we have some retired batsman in the bank.
3 wickets in six overs and it's 9 for 154, just six runs left and four overs left to get them.
I stroll in, shaking like a sheep in an abattoir.
I'm welcomed to the crease by the slips cordon. "This guy was skipping like a girl down the wicker earlier" they call.
I cut hard at the first ball. It flies straight to the sledging leader at backward point. I know I'm out, and I run down the wicket heading to the pavillion.
Shattered, I look back as the ball bounces off his chest and spills to the ground. It' a miracle; we're still in the game, and one more run down.
Our other retired batsman is on strike, as Kiwi smashes in a bouncer.
CRACK! He stands tall and hammers it over midwicket to the boundary for four.
SCORES! ARE! LEVEL!
The next ball he runs in hard and its edge, one bounce to slip. But it's a no ball and we've won the game!
An absolutely miraculous battle, the best game of cricket ever. I get MOTM for my all round performance, and good captaincy at the start.
Next game, our skipper returns and I hand over the reins, glad thats it's over. Captaincy was fun, but I don't think I want it full time, I know I play a leadership role anyway.
Unfortuantely, we didn't make the finals that season, but it's still a game we talk about, and one I'll remember for ever!
