WJCC Vs Whitfords Week 1

This morning marked the start of the regular season of the 56 over form of the game.

This game we were playing Whitfords, who knocked us out last year, in the semi-final. So we were out for revenge and hopefully a better result than last week. The main difference this year is that we are playing turf (like you see on the TV, but not that good) instead of astro-turf like usual. This meant playing cricket takes a whole different approach. For one you have to wear spikes when bowling to stop yourself sliding across the cress and if you fall over its painful trust me. Also unlike astro-turf, turf can have uneven bounce that can fool the batsmen but at the same time when the ball hits the ground it loses some of it pace more than it does on concrete. So overall it works out pretty even to both sides but you have to change the way you bowl and the way you bat and set your fields etc.

So back to the game...

Turns out we were bowling first, i didn't mind either way as i looked like it was going to be a clear day and the only weather was a strong breeze pushing across the pitch. I opened the bowling, hesitantly as the pitch was very soft underfoot once you got past the rock hard cap and i didn't trust my spikes completely. I bowled well in my first spell without reward with both batsmen playing themselves in and building a platform. After my first 5 overs i had gone for just around 17 or so runs which was good. Unfortunately the batsmen continued their slow scoring with one of our first chances just dropping short of myself at short cover by about 5cm or less.

Finally we made a breakthrough with a good caught and bowled from Matt that got our heads up again, and with cricket you get one wicket, you usually get 2 as they normally fall in pairs.

The next breakthrough came when Michael bowled the inform batsmen. Only a few overs later the next wicket came with help from yours truley. Bowled by Mickey once again, the ball was pushed firmly through the covers slightly in the air. To the amaze of my team and most of all myself i managed to get down low and dive to the left and hang on, to the ball that was only a foot off the ground at the most and to my left.

The next wicket came shortly after when Michael picked up his 3rd wicket and by then it was time for the second drinks break and a well deserved rest. The team was in a good position especially after Whitfords managed to get such a good start.

The last session was an eventful one, as i became a ball magnet which i didn't really want at all. The last session saw me drop a relatively easy catch that i should and would have taken any other day to my left. The last session also brought 2 wickets for our leg spinner Ras who bowled well, especially to Koby who was aiming to tee-off.

As the game came close to the end, around 15 overs to go. I was brought back into bowl my second and final spell, my aim in this spell was not to try to take wickets although that would be nice to but to slow the scoring down and try to build pressure so the batsmen would make a mistake. I was in my third over of my spell when i accidently pulled on too short while i was trying to bowl a cutter. The batsmen saw this mistake and pulled it straight out of the middle of the bat, but straight to the square leg fieldsmen which took a good catch, which brought up my first wicket of the season. That was the last ball of my over so i didn't get to bowl to the new batsmen being Mehul.

So my next over, captain and i had a plan for Mehul because he is a very quick bowler and likes to bowl a fair few bouncers, but the thing about cricket is that cricketers have long memories and if you dish it out, your going to get it back. So first ball he faced i bowled a bouncer which wasn't the greatest but it did its job as it tempted him into the pull which he just popped up for a simple catch to Ras. So he got a first ball duck which i found very amusing and will give him shit in maths of course.

After my last over i finished with figures of 2-24 off 9 overs which i was very pleased about.

Unfortunately i was still a ball magnet to my disgust as i dropped another catch on the boundry but i knew i wasn't going to catch it, as it was hit quite loopy shot that i had ran into to try to stop from long on. At the time i thought it would drop before it got to me but it was a floater and i ended up in the annoying no mans land, where you either have to go 150% or pull out and look like a tool.

Being the amazing natural agile athlete i am :P i decided to do the first option which proved to be a not so good option. Because i ended up being probably a good meter short of the ball and i decided stuff this i'm going to dive. In the end i managed to get a hand to it but it bobbled out as i ended up crashing to the ground at a many hundreds kms rolling quite hardly on my shoulder and making my whites anything but.

That was probably only with 3 overs to go and Whitfords ended their innings at 178-7 after 56 which was alot less than we expected them to score so a big hand to our side as we all bowled well and fielded well except for me.

Unfortunately being the luckiest person in the world i of course came away from the game with one rather bad injury. It occured either in my second spell of bowling or while i was trying to take the diving catch, I think i have either pulled a muscle or torn the cartilage between my ribs on my left side of my back. So this afternoon i had been on painkillers and a heat pack on my back but unfortunately it didn't help. So if it doesn't get better either by tomorrow morning or tuesday i think i might go to the physio and see what he can do.

So with that news i'll see how i feel about playing indoor on firday because i can hardly walk at the moment let alone run etc, but hopefully i will recover quickly.

PS: I would appreciate no touching of the back tomorrow as it hurts alot CHEERS :-)