[Cricket] The village / amateur 2024 CRICKET thread...

[Eeyore]

I'm not engaging with my team's WhatsApp at the moment because I know that even if I tell them I can't run, bend down, throw or bowl the ball, they'll still be like "oh it'll really help if you can turn out".

I can't bowl anymore, I certainly can't field, I'll need a golf cart to drive me between the wickets, and now it's all limited overs I'm pretty pointless standing there blocking.

But I'll often get asked when I'm making a return.

There really can't be many sports like this. That's why Sunday friendlies are so wonderful.

 

[Eeyore]

I must tell a little story on this thread.

A number of years back I joined my Sunday team in Spain for the October visit. I sat there scoring at the matches and didn't want to play. I'm past that now, at least at the standard they found themselves against.

10 overs or so to go in the last match and the team insist I come on. The match is all but lost but they want me to feel what It's like to be on the park again. Very kind of them. So I agree. It's only for 20 minutes or half an hour.

Next I know, 'come on Ian, have a bowl'. I only agree because the opposition are a few short of victory. I take a couple of steps to the wicket and throw up a dolly that hangs in the air for eternity. The talented young batsman (and I learn afterwards with a conceited arrogance to match) is deciding whether to hit it into France or Morocco. He dithers too long and too late. The ball hits the floor and, in pure cartoon fashion, everything seems to go slow mo as it rolls along the ground, past his hurried bat, and hits the stumps.

He has just been bowled by the worst (straight) delivery EVER.

Although the match is lost, my fellow team mates erupt and gather round me like I'd just won the Ashes for England. The Stuart Broad celebrations at The Oval looking like polite handshakes. The batsman trundles off sheepishly. I'm awarded the Champagne Moment of the Season at the annual dinner.

I bloody love cricket.

 

[Audax]

Where do Uckfield play home fixtures these days? Is it still Victoria Pleasure Grounds?

Yup.

Hopefully I can put in a better bowling effort this week. Was clearly having an off day last weekend.

 

[Simster]

Lovely ground at Quality Street. Only played at Merstham once on my days at Caterham.

It certainly is. Beautiful view too, and five mins from my door. Fast turning back into one of my happy places (I was a member a decade ago and have just returned this season).

However I'll be playing at our second ground for this fixture, The Ring in Earlswood.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I've been drafted in for my dad's village team this Sunday as they're short of players. I played a game for them last year and did OK, scored 12 and stopped the rot for a little while before swinging at one and getting caught behind before we got skittled out for 70 odd.

The thing is, I have no idea how to play cricket. I know the rules and the basics but I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to batting and definitely got lucky against some poor bowlers last time. Anyone got any advice which could potentially prevent me making a knob of myself?!

Good cricket is played best when you understand it's all about alignment - by that, I mean head [i.e. your eyes] are behind the line of the ball as it moves towards you. Foot movement is key to achieving this. So, catching, fielding & batting are all about getting your head / eyes in line with the ball. Throwing & bowling are essentially body alignment - side-on to target.

Obviously there is a lot more to it than just alignment, but if you're naturally achieving this, refinement can be achieved for further improvement.

Point of [pedantic] order, cricket has Laws, not rules - but we all knew what you meant ....

Just enjoy it, but accept there will be more disappointment than success.

 

[Arkwright]

It certainly is. Beautiful view too, and five mins from my door. Fast turning back into one of my happy places (I was a member a decade ago and have just returned this season).

However I'll be playing at our second ground for this fixture, The Ring in Earlswood.

The Ring isn't a shabby place to play. Use to play against Redhill in the Slazenger / Kookaburra League before Caterham went into the Fullers League.
Many years ago (my memory might be wrong) was something like the Top Deck (canned shandy) advert filmed at Quality Street).
I don't play anymore but I think Caterham played Merstham last week in the midweek 20 over League.
Haven't played for about six years, I miss the banter but I don't miss not being able to field anymore, a yard either side of me and I'm waving the ball to the boundary. If I have the misfortune of stopping the ball I then have to do a Risk Assessment before attempting to throw it in.

 

[Simster]

The Ring isn't a shabby place to play. Use to play against Redhill in the Slazenger / Kookaburra League before Caterham went into the Fullers League.
Many years ago (my memory might be wrong) was something like the Top Deck (canned shandy) advert filmed at Quality Street).
I don't play anymore but I think Caterham played Merstham last week in the midweek 20 over League.
Haven't played for about six years, I miss the banter but I don't miss not being able to field anymore, a yard either side of me and I'm waving the ball to the boundary. If I have the misfortune of stopping the ball I then have to do a Risk Assessment before attempting to throw it in.

You're not wrong, although in the past the wicket has been somewhat ill-prepared. Last weekend it was an absolute road apparently so it's obviously OK at the moment, but I remember watching my son play there a decade ago and it was like bowling on a trampoline.

The only Top Deck cricket advert I could find was this one, and sadly I don't think that's Quality Street:



P.S. I actually watched the T20 game last week - it was on Wednesday and I was in for nets practice. We were well beaten, but the scores were level in the 13th over (78/1). Three overs later it was 78/4 after some pure chuckles cricket including a comedy juggling grab on the boundary off an absolute pie, followed by that same bowler clean bowling two more batters with his bang average gentle off spin. Eventually the winning runs were knocked off though!

 

[GT49er]

Well, you may yet have the chance. We're often one short for our Sunday friendlies. Talent only optional.

If you ever have a tricky away fixture over here in Gloucestershire, give me a shout!

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

It's called the long barrier

Not something to be coached nowadays. ECB removed long barrier from level 1 some years back.

Get your body behind it and wear it if you need to, seems to be the modern equivalent.

I learnt LB as a kid mainly because our school cricket pitch outfield had 2 football pitches either side of the square and so it was a necessary technique to avoid embarrassment from a dodgy late deviation.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Lovely ground at Quality Street. Only played at Merstham once on my days at Caterham.

I worked in Reigate for nearly 5 years and one of my clients there was a player and member at Merstham.

A couple of times in the summer we hired QS for an evening of work social cricket, BBQ and curry and they were both great events at a lovely ground (especially the second time when I got fed some absolute pies and got to retire unbeaten on 20 like a proper cricketer!).

 

[Audax]

Not something to be coached nowadays. ECB removed long barrier from level 1 some years back.

Get your body behind it and wear it if you need to, seems to be the modern equivalent.

I learnt LB as a kid mainly because our school cricket pitch outfield had 2 football pitches either side of the square and so it was a necessary technique to avoid embarrassment from a dodgy late deviation.

Yup. I help out coaching the kids at Uckfield. Staying on feet and positioning the trailing foot to intercept the ball should you fail to pick it up with the hand(s) seems to be the direction now. Means you're in position to get a throw away quicker.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Not something to be coached nowadays. ECB removed long barrier from level 1 some years back.

Get your body behind it and wear it if you need to, seems to be the modern equivalent.

I learnt LB as a kid mainly because our school cricket pitch outfield had 2 football pitches either side of the square and so it was a necessary technique to avoid embarrassment from a dodgy late deviation.

Many years ago we had a work game against another local company and our new and enthusiastic American boss wanted to join in.

First over and their batsman hit a powerful shot straight towards our boss who tried to stop it with his shin after it bounced a few feet in front of him. Thankfully, the ball flew just past his leg avoiding a nasty injury and we quickly explained how hard the ball was and showed some basic techniques including the long barrier.

Another US colleague came along with us to watch a Sussex game and was amazed at the fielding. He coached his church young kids baseball team and he messaged me a few weeks later to say that he had the young kids using the long barrier for hits along the ground and it had saved them several runs as the ball often went past the youngsters in that age group.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I've been drafted in for my dad's village team this Sunday as they're short of players. I played a game for them last year and did OK, scored 12 and stopped the rot for a little while before swinging at one and getting caught behind before we got skittled out for 70 odd.

The thing is, I have no idea how to play cricket. I know the rules and the basics but I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to batting and definitely got lucky against some poor bowlers last time. Anyone got any advice which could potentially prevent me making a knob of myself?!

The advice I'd give is to not worry too much about it. You can spend an awfully long time standing or sitting around worrying about a mistake you've made or might make, and a) it can kill the fun if you're stewing on it, and b) it means you're more likely to cock something else up if you're worrying.

I'd also say that actually worrying about anything technique wise during a match will only cause problems. Just try to hit the ball, or wang it down the other end if you're pressed into bowling. If you've got any problems caused by your shoulder/hip alignment not being quite right then you're playing at a level well above anything anybody on here has to worry about.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Another US colleague came along with us to watch a Sussex game and was amazed at the fielding. He coached his church young kids baseball team and he messaged me a few weeks later to say that he had the young kids using the long barrier for hits along the ground and it had saved them several runs as the ball often went past the youngsters in that age group.

On the flip side of that, my mate (who coaches at Rottingdean CC) lived in Detroit for 10 years and played baseball for a local sandlot team with his mates - but refused to wear a glove when fielding. Quickly became known as "The Brit without a mitt" They all thought he was crazy fielding bare handed

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Many years ago we had a work game against another local company and our new and enthusiastic American boss wanted to join in.

First over and their batsman hit a powerful shot straight towards our boss who tried to stop it with his shin after it bounced a few feet in front of him. Thankfully, the ball flew just past his leg avoiding a nasty injury and we quickly explained how hard the ball was and showed some basic techniques including the long barrier.

Another US colleague came along with us to watch a Sussex game and was amazed at the fielding. He coached his church young kids baseball team and he messaged me a few weeks later to say that he had the young kids using the long barrier for hits along the ground and it had saved them several runs as the ball often went past the youngsters in that age group.

In my late teens (between A-levels and Uni) I signed up to the Camp America scheme, and spent a glorious summer of sunshine, swimming, nature, girls, beer and sport in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York.

Mostly the 'work' with the kids involved playing / coaching SOCCER with them, and generally stopping them from getting lost / beaten up or drowned. Baseball was one of the other sports that was big on the camp, and 'my' kids would spend sessions in pairs practicing pitching the ball to each other. We had an odd number so I paired with the last kid - but I didn't have a baseball mitt.

To me this was really not a problem - I explained the concept of 'soft hands' - the ball is lighter, and less hard, than a cricket ball - and these kids were only 12 years old so the pitches were no harder than you'd throw a cricket ball to each other to warm up before a game.

To these American kids though - this was apparently AMAZING. Soon, all of the pairs have stopped their drills, and all of the kids are in a line, waiting to have a turn LUZZING their baseball to me. When parents day (half way through the summer, when the rich folks come and spend a single day with their offspring, and compensate for their guilt with big bags of candy) came round, I was wheeled out like a FREAK to show off this AMAZING party piece.

Funny country, with its funny sports!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Haha. @Fignon's Ponytail posted while I was typing that /\

his mate isn't me, btw.

 

[MJsGhost]

In my late teens (between A-levels and Uni) I signed up to the Camp America scheme, and spent a glorious summer of sunshine, swimming, nature, girls, beer and sport in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York.

Mostly the 'work' with the kids involved playing / coaching SOCCER with them, and generally stopping them from getting lost / beaten up or drowned. Baseball was one of the other sports that was big on the camp, and 'my' kids would spend sessions in pairs practicing pitching the ball to each other. We had an odd number so I paired with the last kid - but I didn't have a baseball mitt.

To me this was really not a problem - I explained the concept of 'soft hands' - the ball is lighter, and less hard, than a cricket ball - and these kids were only 12 years old so the pitches were no harder than you'd throw a cricket ball to each other to warm up before a game.

To these American kids though - this was apparently AMAZING. Soon, all of the pairs have stopped their drills, and all of the kids are in a line, waiting to have a turn LUZZING their baseball to me. When parents day (half way through the summer, when the rich folks come and spend a single day with their offspring, and compensate for their guilt with big bags of candy) came round, I was wheeled out like a FREAK to show off this AMAZING party piece.

Funny country, with its funny sports!

What do you expect, when they have to wear helmets and body armour just to play a slow form of RUGBY?

 

[METALMICKY]

Yup. I help out coaching the kids at Uckfield. Staying on feet and positioning the trailing foot to intercept the ball should you fail to pick it up with the hand(s) seems to be the direction now. Means you're in position to get a throw away quicker.

That makes sense. The major disadvantage of the long barrier was time taken to then get the ball in.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

What do you expect, when they have to wear helmets and body armour just to play a slow form of RUGBY?

Ooh, dont get me started on that!

 

[ROSM]

Number 1 son had an eventful afternoon. Bowling 7 overs with 2 maidens and getting 2 wickets for 8 runs. Of those 8 conceded there were 3 wides and 1 no ball (unforgivable in my view)

However he also took 2 catches bookending his bowling spell. What we now know is he partially dislocated his thumb taking the first one and so bowled (luckily the thumb was on his left hand and he is right arm bowling) and took another catch with that injury.

His mum ended up at a&e with him last night for x ray, manipulation and a booking for the fracture clinic this week.