Cricketers thread

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Great thread spenze .
I’ve been playing Men’s cricket in Toowoomba for the past 6 seasons. Returning to the game in the 2018/19 season at the age of 45 years and 9 months. Before that, I hadn’t played cricket since I was 22.
A former school friend talked me back into playing and the temptation was too hard to ignore. I’ve had the bug since I was 40. Plus, I’d never scored a ton and that was a major motivator. I scored my first in the 2019/20 season (189). I only got out because there was 8 minutes left in the 2 day game and I was trying to get to 200.
Now I’ve scored 4 centuries.
Last season I averaged 60 with the bat from 6 matches and this season just finished I averaged 128.5. I only played 4 matches out of a possible 12.
In the winter I play veterans cricket. That’s why I haven’t played much cricket in the summer as I needed a break.
The post Xmas C grade comp, being 40 over cricket, was limited to a possible 5 games to us. Our side, that I captained, was a late inclusion in round 3 to get rid of the bye plus to give excess players some cricket.
I played 3 of the 4 games and sat out the last game of the season for us last Saturday. One match was lost to rain.
In my first game I won the toss and batted and we held on to win by 3 runs. I batted at 7 and got 57* off 35 deliveries. In the next game I lost the toss and we had to chase down 263, falling 36 runs short. I opened the batting and was the last one out for 124 off 126.
The next game we were sent in and we got 6/203. I got 72* off 64 deliveries batting at number 8. I was trying to give everyone a go and I was still sore from the previous match.
The second last match was washed out before our last we were bowled out for 72. I was 12th man as we had excess numbers an I’m an old bastard feeling my age.
My 4th season of Veteran’s cricket starts in a month. I’m the fittest that I’ve been in years so I’m hoping to go better than last season when I got most runs for Toowoomba in Division 2. I play Division One also but you’re allowed to have 2 Div 1 players in Div 2 as long as they don’t play for Queensland.
 

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My daughter took two catches, took 4/30 off 7.5 overs with the ball and scored 9* off 10 deliveries batting at #11 in her GF last Sunday. They lost by run.
However, if the umpire had given a legitimate dismissal out when she produced an edge to the keeper they would’ve won for sure. At 1:09:15 the umpire said that it didn’t carry.
 
So, in a best day ever event.

Club had a juniors and seniors cricket match, 2 captains, toss the bat, humps or flats, pick teams.

Myself and SOS got to bat in a partnership together, seriously best day ever.

Of course SOS saw it differently, he was now batting with a partner who turned an easy two into a quick single and he let me know about it too.

Maybe when I am dead he'll look on this day fondly but for now he thinks he got lumbered with an out of shape batting partner
 
spenze said:
So, in a best day ever event.

Club had a juniors and seniors cricket match, 2 captains, toss the bat, humps or flats, pick teams.

Myself and SOS got to bat in a partnership together, seriously best day ever.

Of course SOS saw it differently, he was now batting with a partner who turned an easy two into a quick single and he let me know about it too.

Maybe when I am dead he'll look on this day fondly but for now he thinks he got lumbered with an out of shape batting partner
Click to expand...
I understand where you’re coming from. I won a 40 over grand final with my daughter two years ago. It was a day that I’ll never forget.
 
Righto boys and girls, footy season is over so it is time for cricket

I have done the right thing to get myself in the zone...and that is to buy a new cricket bat.

I'm sure you'd ask, what was wrong with your other four bats? and the answer, quite clearly is, I have given one to a mate and he does not realise the lucky bugger he is, a Laver and Wood reserve bat and if I am being critical, it is 2 pound seven and I'm happier at 2 pound 9.

So if I am getting rid of a reserve, may as well replace it with a signature, we will see how that works out. Will it see out the season? Maybe, I am saving for a Europe tour next year so that will hamper my bat buying.

My goal for this year is to score a ton, it's been a while and I'm not getting younger...oh and a hattrick, that'd be sweet. Today is SOS's's 10th birthday and he gets his first English Willow bat, he should be stoked, this thing has a middle. I was trying to hit catches of his Kashmiri bat and it was pretty bad, this will be the year him gets his first boundary.

Worse than that though, he has always been a terrible, unco bowler, I could not work out why, and then I asked him to try bowling left-handed on a hunch..., it's a disgrace but he looked far more co ordinated bowling left. If he doesn't try to bat left-handed, he can still live in the house.

Bring the season on
 
First game of the season yesterday after last week was a washout due to a waterlogged pitch. The other team complained about us not wanting to play on a soaking-wet pitch arguing that they have played on worse but it meant little to me, I was already in the car back to the sponsors fine establishment for an Imperial pint and a Schnitzel burger.

Before we get onto the boring bits though, lets address the exciting bit, after mucking around with SOS' bowling action and which hand he bowls with he has practised by himself for a month in the backyard. Today, he wanted me to take him to the nets to give him some bowling tips.

Mind that he has only just turned 10 but he comes in and starts bowling leg cutters and it is fair to say his is landing 70-80% of them. There is no flight, he is pushing them through at what you would say for a 10 year old was a decent clip and when they land they move appreciably. Proud is the word that comes to mind, despair that at 10 he is bowling in a fashion I could only dream of is another. My only tip was to say don't get down on yourself if you bowl a wide or a double bouncer, just go for the next delivery.

I was standing behind the stumps as he was bowling and some of those deliveries were crackers, one pitched a good foot outside leg and took middle and off, little bastard, I could only dream of bowling that delivery and here he is at 10 doing it.

Still, if he keeps that up, goes through the ranks, gets a Baggy Green and takes Dad to the Caribbean and an Ashes series in England, I will probably let it slide.

Anyway, it was the first game of the season and I found out we were bowling first which was good as I had only woken up 45 mins before play and got to the ground with 5 mins to spare. I then found out I had the new cherry which was bad, I mean you don't mind but geez, turn 55 soon and if I am being honest, there is barely, any noticeable difference between the effort ball and the knuckle ball these days.

I finished with 1 for 5 off 5 overs and luckily didn't have to come back on to bowl, we have 6 people who can bowl and a couple of left arm spinners to change things up so I was very pleased as I am starting to see age or maybe waistline catching up with me. We held them to 124 off 35 on a slow outfield where our new captain measured out the boundary to 90 metres straight which basically had me refusing to field at mid on or off, seemed like you'd have to chase.

We went out to bat and I am happy to say didn't get out for a duck, which is always my first and only plan. The new bat goes alright and for those who have used a Laver and Wood bat might understand, you place the ball between two fielders thinking there is a quick single but the ball seems to go further than you gave credit for the shot, hit a sweet cut shot along the ground for a boundary when everyone else's shots seemed to pull up.

In the end, I was out to a friggin peach from the bowler, an inswinger that took the seam and went the other way for a feather and I walked on 15. It was OK for a first up and hopefully next time the field will be a little bit better cut to allow some more boundaries.

In the end, we chased their score down in the 27th over for a good win, followed by good beers, chips and gravy.

SOS started his match with a duck after moving his feet while playing a shot. He took it well, only overturning the scorers table on the way to his kit bag. But he has this week to bowl his team to victory. I'll be down there cheering him on.
 

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We will get to the important bit first, how did SOS go?

So, SOS was in week two, and his side was in the field. I got there just in time to see him bowl. His first three balls were wides, but he told me later, when he finished sledging me, that he remembered what I had said about that ball being done. The next ball was another chance. On the last ball of the over, edge through to the keeper, on your way over finished 1-5.

With that wicket came a lot of confidence he was landing everything out side leg and you could see the batsmen having trouble as the ball moved a decent amount. 3rd over he took his second wicket, bowled and he pointed the batsman to the sheds in case he forgot where they were. SOS finished with 4 overs 2-13 and he was chuffed, half of that score came from wides but bowling one didn't stop him from having another go next nut and he got his rewards, which included a POTD award with a gift voucher for a round of mini golf at the local golf club.

Adding to his great day he took a decent catch, ball was hit high, sadly, in his direction but he got under it and took it well.

I knew what was going to happen as soon as the little shit got off the field but he walked up to me in front of all the other parents and said "Hey, I got two wickets, you only got one isn't that right...so I'm leading the house bowling trophy then". Now, I am uncertain about house trophies but yeah, may buy him a stupid big one if he has me covered season end.

Then, he said "and I took a catch, so you may as well write my name on the house fielding trophy now"

It hurt, mostly because it was true but eff that little shit.

I swear it may only be weeks until he calls me "champ" in a conversation and "champerino" by Christmas break such is his strut after his bowling effort.

Onto my game and it is a two-day game, our side posted 188 which is good but we left 17 overs on the table. It was great to see our kids go so well with their batting, contributing handy lower order runs. Something great about the spirit of cricket happened today though, our youngest player batting last, hit the ball got a little excited and ran down the pitch, being sent back by the other batsman, the throw came back over the stumps and the young batsman was short of his crease by 4 metres. In a true show of sportsmanship the keeper held the ball above the bails and let the batsman make his ground.

When I thanked him for doing that at innings break he just said it was hard enough getting kids to play, last thing you needed to do was run one out first ball.

We have some work to do next week though as they were zero down for 30 by days end...and I am still behind the leading wicket-taker in the house
 
spenze said:
We will get to the important bit first, how did SOS go?

So, SOS was in week two, and his side was in the field. I got there just in time to see him bowl. His first three balls were wides, but he told me later, when he finished sledging me, that he remembered what I had said about that ball being done. The next ball was another chance. On the last ball of the over, edge through to the keeper, on your way over finished 1-5.

With that wicket came a lot of confidence he was landing everything out side leg and you could see the batsmen having trouble as the ball moved a decent amount. 3rd over he took his second wicket, bowled and he pointed the batsman to the sheds in case he forgot where they were. SOS finished with 4 overs 2-13 and he was chuffed, half of that score came from wides but bowling one didn't stop him from having another go next nut and he got his rewards, which included a POTD award with a gift voucher for a round of mini golf at the local golf club.

Adding to his great day he took a decent catch, ball was hit high, sadly, in his direction but he got under it and took it well.

I knew what was going to happen as soon as the little shit got off the field but he walked up to me in front of all the other parents and said "Hey, I got two wickets, you only got one isn't that right...so I'm leading the house bowling trophy then". Now, I am uncertain about house trophies but yeah, may buy him a stupid big one if he has me covered season end.

Then, he said "and I took a catch, so you may as well write my name on the house fielding trophy now"

It hurt, mostly because it was true but eff that little shit.

I swear it may only be weeks until he calls me "champ" in a conversation and "champerino" by Christmas break such is his strut after his bowling effort.

Onto my game and it is a two-day game, our side posted 188 which is good but we left 17 overs on the table. It was great to see our kids go so well with their batting, contributing handy lower order runs. Something great about the spirit of cricket happened today though, our youngest player batting last, hit the ball got a little excited and ran down the pitch, being sent back by the other batsman, the throw came back over the stumps and the young batsman was short of his crease by 4 metres. In a true show of sportsmanship the keeper held the ball above the bails and let the batsman make his ground.

When I thanked him for doing that at innings break he just said it was hard enough getting kids to play, last thing you needed to do was run one out first ball.

We have some work to do next week though as they were zero down for 30 by days end...and I am still behind the leading wicket-taker in the house
Click to expand...

One of the local golf clubs, and to be fair, the poor cousin.
 

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