It was your advice to get our opening bowlers back on that did the trick. And Haccky telling me to get my arse back into the infield so I could receive said advice!
Thanks Gideon for this (and John's) reflections on why we play local cricket into our dotage. I played until I was 55, but you kinda know when your time is up. In my last few years I was a regular Seconds player, but one year the First's lost a player on the eve of the finals and I was promoted without, it must be said, having done a single thing to warrant it (being 2nds captain may have helped). We won the flag, I contributed nothing, and if I had had any brains would have quit cricket on a winning note, but I played on for another year in the Two's and regretted it. Like you and John I loved my cricket, the camaraderie, finals and the like, and it is very difficult to give that up.
But there are other reasons we play on longer than we should. My old club played finals at the weekend with the 4ths winning their GF with 6 under 18 players and 5 club life members. One was aged 59 and another two others well over 50. One guy was batting with his 16 yo son when we passed the opposition 6 wickets down, and he wasn't afraid to admit shedding a tear afterwards. Playing cricket with your kids (and I once knew a bloke who played in a game with his son and grandson) must be a pretty powerful incentive to keep fronting up.
BTW I love your stories of your local playing experiences at least as much as the international stuff - keep 'em coming please!
Thanks Gideon, just the tonic I needed after losing a GF on the weekend and wallowing in the trough of disillusionment for the past couple of days. Ours was "the one that got away" after being minor premiers and losing only once during the season - to the team who also beat us on Sunday. It was a tight game, but they played that little bit better than us and had two critical match winners - one with the ball and one with the bat. This is my third losing grand final in 6 seasons and at times I've been thinking about packing it in. You may have inspired me to keep going!
Once played in a semi having been the dominant side all season. A fellow I considered a rabbit of mine was dropped from my bowling early and then proceeded to cross bat slog his way to a quick century as my captain, 20 years older than I, refused to listen regarding the setting of fields. We lost. I was 15. I am now 54 and it still haunts.
Oh, CJ, I feel your pain. Those experiences can be shattering. I bat in glasses. I remember getting bounced out in misty rain, unable to see the ball, in a final when I was 19. Only then did the umpires call it. I'm still seething.
Hey Gideon, does your competition or club have a Veterans team? Usually over 40's and played fortnightly on a Sunday. Fielding a Veterans team can be a dilemma for small suburban clubs. On one hand they are an outlet for old blokes who want to keep playing but don't want (or can't) endure the rigours of playing every week, but they also often draw still very good players away from Saturday cricket, which clubs strapped for players don't always like. I'd be interested to hear your views if you do play it.
There's plenty of veterans, Greg, but no team. Our oldest bloke is 76 but he will not hear of a separate side. Besides, age and guile loves getting the better of youth and vitality!
I’m 59, play B grade in Southern Sydney. Leading up to the final game of the year, our team were on top of ladder and seemingly headed directly into the GF. Only a loss and the #2 team winning their match would upset that plan. We ended up losing the match by 2 runs with one of our batters having a gammy leg & unable to run 2’s and a very questionable lbw decision against our #5 ending the innings. So, we go to SF, playing the same team. It was a cold, windy, rainy day and we lost the toss, got sent in and got demolished with our middle order gifting a hat trick to their best bowler and getting bowled out for 76. I was 3rd top scorer, and if you ever saw me batting you’d know that meant we had a shocker. We played valiantly but lost, the 4th time I’ve been in a final n lost.
At 59, some of the young-un’s bowl a bit too quick n short pitched for my liking, introducing the fear factor as evidenced by multiple large purple bruises I had throughout the season.
I’m thinking of switching over to Veterans cricket, a more sedate 60+ comp that does not involve anybody able to bowl above gentle medium pace. My 60th birthday can’t come fast enough.
I remember my first (and only) grand final in cricket, under 17's when I was 15 probably around 17 or 18 years ago. I actually found the score book for it just the other day, which was a treat, as I was cleaning out my house to move. We'd just scraped into finals and had all performed really well in the semi to make the final. We were up against the dominant side in the competition who hadn't lost a game all season and we hadn't even got close to them once. We batted first, and for our team started quite well with our two openers retiring not out once they reached 25 as was the competition rules. After that we faded, and when I eventually came in at 8 I made a solid 2 and was run out in the second last over. I can't remember what we made, it just wasn't enough. We started well in the field though taking early wickets. I took a catch at mid wicket to dismiss one and was involved in two very near run outs one a direct hit where everyone include the batter, who started to walk, thought he was out of his ground but the parent, I mean umpire, thought he had made his ground. The other was a throw fired in over the stumps that the bowler fumbled and the batter made their ground. Still, as good as a wicket is, the reduction in scoring rate was almost as good as they barely tried to score a run when the ball came near me for the rest of the innings. From there, the last few wickets were mopped up with so many overs to spare I didn't get a bowl, didn't matter though, the might Rovers were premiers once more!
Ten years this coming season since that flag Gid. What a day it was!
G'day Skipper! Best day of my career. Many thanks!
It was your advice to get our opening bowlers back on that did the trick. And Haccky telling me to get my arse back into the infield so I could receive said advice!
Thanks Gideon for this (and John's) reflections on why we play local cricket into our dotage. I played until I was 55, but you kinda know when your time is up. In my last few years I was a regular Seconds player, but one year the First's lost a player on the eve of the finals and I was promoted without, it must be said, having done a single thing to warrant it (being 2nds captain may have helped). We won the flag, I contributed nothing, and if I had had any brains would have quit cricket on a winning note, but I played on for another year in the Two's and regretted it. Like you and John I loved my cricket, the camaraderie, finals and the like, and it is very difficult to give that up.
But there are other reasons we play on longer than we should. My old club played finals at the weekend with the 4ths winning their GF with 6 under 18 players and 5 club life members. One was aged 59 and another two others well over 50. One guy was batting with his 16 yo son when we passed the opposition 6 wickets down, and he wasn't afraid to admit shedding a tear afterwards. Playing cricket with your kids (and I once knew a bloke who played in a game with his son and grandson) must be a pretty powerful incentive to keep fronting up.
BTW I love your stories of your local playing experiences at least as much as the international stuff - keep 'em coming please!
Great stuff Greg.
Thanks Gideon, just the tonic I needed after losing a GF on the weekend and wallowing in the trough of disillusionment for the past couple of days. Ours was "the one that got away" after being minor premiers and losing only once during the season - to the team who also beat us on Sunday. It was a tight game, but they played that little bit better than us and had two critical match winners - one with the ball and one with the bat. This is my third losing grand final in 6 seasons and at times I've been thinking about packing it in. You may have inspired me to keep going!
Glad to be of service, Crullers!
Once played in a semi having been the dominant side all season. A fellow I considered a rabbit of mine was dropped from my bowling early and then proceeded to cross bat slog his way to a quick century as my captain, 20 years older than I, refused to listen regarding the setting of fields. We lost. I was 15. I am now 54 and it still haunts.
Oh, CJ, I feel your pain. Those experiences can be shattering. I bat in glasses. I remember getting bounced out in misty rain, unable to see the ball, in a final when I was 19. Only then did the umpires call it. I'm still seething.
Finally won one on the field Gideon, 10 years after winning one as the 12th man sub!
Hey Gideon, does your competition or club have a Veterans team? Usually over 40's and played fortnightly on a Sunday. Fielding a Veterans team can be a dilemma for small suburban clubs. On one hand they are an outlet for old blokes who want to keep playing but don't want (or can't) endure the rigours of playing every week, but they also often draw still very good players away from Saturday cricket, which clubs strapped for players don't always like. I'd be interested to hear your views if you do play it.
There's plenty of veterans, Greg, but no team. Our oldest bloke is 76 but he will not hear of a separate side. Besides, age and guile loves getting the better of youth and vitality!
I’m 59, play B grade in Southern Sydney. Leading up to the final game of the year, our team were on top of ladder and seemingly headed directly into the GF. Only a loss and the #2 team winning their match would upset that plan. We ended up losing the match by 2 runs with one of our batters having a gammy leg & unable to run 2’s and a very questionable lbw decision against our #5 ending the innings. So, we go to SF, playing the same team. It was a cold, windy, rainy day and we lost the toss, got sent in and got demolished with our middle order gifting a hat trick to their best bowler and getting bowled out for 76. I was 3rd top scorer, and if you ever saw me batting you’d know that meant we had a shocker. We played valiantly but lost, the 4th time I’ve been in a final n lost.
At 59, some of the young-un’s bowl a bit too quick n short pitched for my liking, introducing the fear factor as evidenced by multiple large purple bruises I had throughout the season.
I’m thinking of switching over to Veterans cricket, a more sedate 60+ comp that does not involve anybody able to bowl above gentle medium pace. My 60th birthday can’t come fast enough.
I hear you, Vince, as a 58yo opening bat used to facing slippery 20yo quicks.
I remember my first (and only) grand final in cricket, under 17's when I was 15 probably around 17 or 18 years ago. I actually found the score book for it just the other day, which was a treat, as I was cleaning out my house to move. We'd just scraped into finals and had all performed really well in the semi to make the final. We were up against the dominant side in the competition who hadn't lost a game all season and we hadn't even got close to them once. We batted first, and for our team started quite well with our two openers retiring not out once they reached 25 as was the competition rules. After that we faded, and when I eventually came in at 8 I made a solid 2 and was run out in the second last over. I can't remember what we made, it just wasn't enough. We started well in the field though taking early wickets. I took a catch at mid wicket to dismiss one and was involved in two very near run outs one a direct hit where everyone include the batter, who started to walk, thought he was out of his ground but the parent, I mean umpire, thought he had made his ground. The other was a throw fired in over the stumps that the bowler fumbled and the batter made their ground. Still, as good as a wicket is, the reduction in scoring rate was almost as good as they barely tried to score a run when the ball came near me for the rest of the innings. From there, the last few wickets were mopped up with so many overs to spare I didn't get a bowl, didn't matter though, the might Rovers were premiers once more!
That's a great find, Tim.