Now, two readers of my match report last week commented that it sounded a little like ‘Watership Down' and now I cannot get the annoying theme tune out of my head. Somebody please shoot me! Next week's report will be based on ‘Titanic', ‘The Poseidon Adventure' or ‘Armageddon'. Just think of all the clichés I can employ (and have done - sunk with out trace, subsided etc) whilst describing our batting. I liked the little bunnies reference but I shall have to think of new and imaginative ways of describing the total inability of the Saturday 1XI to post a score and so ruin my afternoon.
I have a scoring protégé! Mary has been taught by a proper scorer and so appeared on Saturday ready to sub for me as I was due to go to the Oval (but didn't). She then proceeded to upstage me with colours, symbols for byes and leg byes and charts showing umpire signals, none of which remotely resembled Billy Bowden's antics. I managed to keep her in her place by pointing out every little error and not let her copy me. I am the senior scorer after all. I can see that Rita, Mary and I shall have to have a score off at the end of the season. I am whittling my 2B as I write.
When the weather is nice, I like to go down and watch the Sunday 1's for an hour or so, maybe have a beer and swipe a slice of pizza, but this Sunday I had to watch the brilliant Ashe's victory. I had arranged to go and see Ma for dinner, so during the dogged resistance of the 8th wicket I took my chance and got in the car only to be frustrated by hearing the fall of the 8th AND 9th wickets on the radio. I had to get to see the final act, so drove like a loon round idiots oblivious of the history about to be made. Made it in time thanks to Mr Cricket digging in before Swanny got him! Dave in Australia was very gracious so Sydney here I come to see a repeat of the result this summer (here's hoping).
Sometimes, when writing emails and even Blogs, it is worthwhile having a period of reflection before hitting that ‘send' button. I think I have waited long enough. There could not have been two more contrasting days of cricket over the past two weeks for the Saturday 1XI. Two weeks ago we played a team, lets call them Hammersham Mill to preserve their anonymity, and we had a thoroughly unpleasant afternoon. To be fair, we anticipated this having played them earlier in the season. The racket and cacophony of ‘encouragements' while they were fielding was a little like Wimbledon Centre Court, but substitute Andy for Buddy. The ‘common buddy' count and clichés reached epic proportions and was clearly aimed at putting off the batsmen as they obviously did not back their bowlers to do the job. Our obdurate ‘go slow' and determination to grind out a draw would not have been half as effective had they not been so objectionable. Let's hope they get promoted to Division 1 and others can enjoy their particular brand of village cricket.
Meanwhile, at the lovely Little Marlow the silence was blissful, the game enticing and the company witty. The game swung more violently than Linford Christie's shorts and was lit up with a superb century from Naeem to pull us out of another batting mess, Alex R ripping out their middle order with career best 3-22 and the Profster hitting the stumps three times in the penultimate over to secure victory. The opposition were very sporting and even had almost as many as us in the King's Head afterwards; also kudos to the superb rack behind the bar.
The enthusiasm of our colts fills me with great hope. James Taylor was down the club today (Sunday) and in the nets after his brush with a collapsed lung and Portuguese doctors and hopes for a return to the ranks next week. Even dad Steve (who follows my musings) was offering son to the sacrificial altar of the 1XI next year. George Lewis was peddling around the boundary organising drinks and a select batch were contributing to two fine performances by the Saturday sides. Poor Ross could not play this weekend as his parents were going away and would not leave him on his own despite his protests. I am sure someone would have adopted him for the weekend!
And finally, common buddy, I mean Freddy.
During the Sunday of the 3rd Test, my friend in Australia was texting the hell out of me with cliché comments about the weather here. He then tried to suggest that Jimmy Anderson had Australian roots (bleached blond?). I may have jeopardised my trip down under in 2010/11 by saying that I had made a search and could find no criminal record for Jimmy and therefore he did not qualify. The texts stopped.
Now, this little blog is not meant to upset people, it is just a personal view from the boundary, and if I have upset anyone I really do apologise, these are not the views of Hurley CC! Of course a little controversy can be a good thing, I would hate for this blog to be bland and uninteresting, but not offensive. I take full responsibility, my comments are supposed to be constructive, and sometimes we all need a little perspective.
The development plans for the club took another huge step forward last week. About 8 of us gathered to plot the progress of the club. The support of Berks Development Board is dependent on us providing volunteers to train as coaches and deliver structured training sessions for colts next year. We think we have identified 6 but could always use more, anyone else interested should contact Dave Forrest. Things look bright a few years hence, but I worry about this season and next.
Both Saturday sides are beginning to fall away to the blight of brittle batting but the youngsters are doing well. I just hope we can keep them interested until both sides can be competing again. It was good to see Alex Dunnings, Ross Brown and Alex Ridgeway all contributing on Saturday and Ross and Jack Chambers on Sunday. Well done skippers for giving them a game.
Now hopefully that did not upset anyone except a few million Australians
