How's Your Season Going? CW Cricket Diary

Do you see yourself being under a bit of pressure as skipper since you didn't make runs on the weekend and can't bowl properly?

I'm not feeling any pressure to be honest, I'm gonna have a go late down the order next time and have a slog, no better way in my book to get back form because you'll only be in one mind when batting.

Had a couple of games of cricket this weekend, on Saturday I played for our second XI in a relegation decider. They batted first and made a respectable 218 all out in 50 overs on a difficult wicket. I got 1 catch and 2 stumpings. We went out to bat and my skipper told me I'd be dropping down from opening to batting 8, which surprised me a bit. We started slowly and lost 2 early wickets before a good partnership got us back in the game, we then lost 2 more wickets which was followed by another big partnership that nearly took us over the line. Then we lost 2 more wickets in quick time and I walked out to join our number 7 with just 12 needed off 18 balls. The only complication was that if we lost 1 more wicket we wouldn't get a bonus point and could still be relegated. We finished it off with 3 balls to spare and I was only 2*.

Then on Sunday we played quite an odd game of cricket. The opposition turned up drunk because they had played their last league game the day before. Their best player came in at 11 because he was asleep for the whole innings and their number 3 walked out and stood at backward point before realizing the stumps were a long way to his left. They still had some good batsmen though and our bowlers didn't bowl that well so they made 185 all out in about 35 overs. I got 2 catches and 1 stumping. Their bowling was awful and me and my opening partner raced along at about 9 an over, before I was bowled by a very good offcutter that pitched outside off and clipped my leg bail. I  made 35 off 44 balls and my opening partner made 70 at better than a run a ball. We won by 7 wickets in the end. 

I played the most weird game of cricket I think I will ever play in my life on Saturday. I was playing for our club 2nd XI another second XI at home. They were playing to stay up so dropped down 3 first XI players (all batsmen) to try and score a big total in a 50 overs a side game with no draws. They won the toss and batted first, only 9 of their players made it by the start time, but we started anyway. They played out the first 2 overs comfortably and the wicket was very slow, I said to the guy standing at first slip that we would never bowl them out in 50 overs on the wicket we had. Then things got strange, their top order fell apart, with one player smashing a longhop to point, another being run and 2 more nicking it to me. They were 4/4 after 4 overs and then they fell apart even more, loosing 4 more wickets before the rest of their players turned up, so they were ALL OUT FOR 4 in 10.1 overs. One of our openers got 5 wickets for 2 runs, the other got 2 wickets for 2 runs, I picked up 4 catches. We then knocked the runs off in 3 balls and were finished in 40 minutes. It was our last game of the season as well so we celebrated long into the night.

So that was our season over in the most bizarre way ever, hopefully I'll be able to upload the scorecard soon to show you how bizarre it was. 

Had two T20 games over the weekend on our home ground, the one that is just over 30 metres long straight back.

Amazing! Why haven't you played an FC cricket buddy?
Can we watch those games online anywhere? Would be good to see you in action mate!

With the way you're playing you'd get a start in the first XI of most first class sides here. You'd also be making above AUD100k (US$85000) salary , which is not bad at all for a young bloke like yourself . I can definitely understand why you wouldn't play at the highest level - lack of stability and you can't play forever !

Yes - I am young - but not that young according to our standards taht we set here in Pakistan. I could have started FC cricket 5 years back but I was doing my higher studies and parents here do not want their children drop studies for cricket. Unfortunately, 95% of the guys who opt for cricket as a career are mostly those who do not excel at academics. I now can't even think of playing regular club cricket either, as I am now a father of a 5-day young baby girl.

Edited by zuhair_abbasi - 17 September 2009 at 3:45am

Hmmmm, had my first game today. Don't really know what is going on; theres been zilch communication from the club about teams this season. There's has been a slight shuffling of grades by our domestic cricket board, that's created a lot of confusion.

Basically, our club recruited a bunch of really good players over the winter, so we were told their would probably be a new team created, and dropped down 1 grade (it has same quality players, but just OD cricket). But somehow only 4 of us from the team last year ended up playing for this new team, with 3 staying up (Don't know about the remaining 4). But, we've actually been put down 2 grades, so now I'm stuck in a rubbish grade, with mostly rubbish other players  that have been plucked from a low social grade.
So now us 4 our struggling to try and get some better players together and hopefully get moved up 1 grade where we should be at least. This all could fall over though, because in about 6 weeks a chunk of the uni students that play will be leaving and going home for summer break and everyone just moves into a higher team.


......anyway that was a bit of a rant. We lost by 2 wickets today. We batted first and made 91 on a green, slow, low pitch. I made a breezy 2 before padding up to 1 that cut back in sharply. Bowling well everyone was a little rusty but I bowled okay for 5-1-14-0. Had the key batsman dropped at slip off my bowling which was a real pain. But basically, if I'm stuck in this grade, I might just give up cricket for the year because it's not enjoyable.

Got rained off today. The weather today is actually not that bad, warm sun with a cold wind, but we had so much rain yesterday even the top grade which never gets canceled (since they have fancy pitch covers etc) got called off due to the wet outfields.  

Firstly, I'm fairly sure I'm one of the only girls on this forum (if you know of any others let me know).

Here goes, my first post.

We are into round 3 now in Juniors and seniors. On friday night our 26/26 was rained off, but on Saturday it was about 30degrees so seniors went ahead, we got them all out for 99 in about 27 overs (40/40) and I bowled 3.4 overs and got 1/12, it should've been 2/12, but I dropped an easy catch on the last ball off my bowling. We still got someone run out on that ball though, so it wasn't so bad. I didn't have to bat, and we made their total in about 20 overs or so, with one teammate making 63.
Right now I am knocking my new bat in, only a little bit longer to go, so hopefully I can use it in the nets tomorrow and then again at training, then hopefully I can use it thi sweek in our game.

The Cricket season back here is going to open on the 23rd of this month and it has surprised me to be honest.  For the last few seasons, it has started in April.  I was keeping my fitness in check for the last couple of months doing regular sit ups, push ups, a few minutes jog on my way home etc.  I've been able to complete 20 minutes of jogging so it's good fitness wise at the start of the season.

That's only weakness, great players don't bow out like that - Gambhir went through stuff like that, said he scored plenty at the youth level but was never picked.  That should be motivation to go and try harder to be a much better performer.

Had a great weekend.  On Saturday, me and a few good mates went to the nets and took a 2 hour practice - the bowling still needs a lot of work but was still more pleasing than previous days.  Had a bat and didn't do to badly, did crunch some balls that made one of team mate remark "this isn't 2020" haha.

That's the way SW - get back on the horse after a nasty fall. You'll take a hatful next match!