Firstly I'd like to point out I'm no great shakes as a cricketer - I play 4th grade and could probably play 2nd grade here if I had the time to practice but have stuck with the same club here for 8 years and we're gonna win our first grade trophy here after 11 wins on the trot which is fantastic!
However I'll never forget yesterday!! We play 40 overs a side and were all out for 166 - I managed a modest 26!!
When they batted they were 45-1 and caused a bit of a stink when one of their guys didn't walk. We have an unwritten rule in our grade that u walk as we have to umpire our own games and it's tough to give yr own guys out.... Anyway our keeper takes a brilliant catch in front of me at 1st slip and the prick stays there!! This got my goat totally and when I came on 1st change I was in 'the zone'!!
I won't go into details too much but by the end I'd finished with figures of 6.2 overs, 3 maidens, 7 for 6! We skittled them for 94 and won!
My best figures ever and will never forget it - 4 clean bowled and 2 lbw's. The guys on the team cheered me off and I was given the match ball.
Just a day to remember, sorry if it sounds big headed but had to share.
Richo and I used to play for the same Cricket club (different teams though) and Umpiring would always be one of the big issues.
I remember one great umpiring decision, a guy edged the ball to second slip and he was given not out....umpire (and the batsmans team mate) said he didnt hit it.
I finished up playing last year after winning our Grand final...great way to pull up stumps!
Dead right Lippo and the great thing was he was the last guy I bowled - outswinger that cleaned out middle stump - priceless! The boys were definitely up for that one - he got a good send off...!
Needless to say I'll never pull off a day like that again!!
Nasher - that sounds like a great way to finish!! I'm gonna keep on going till the back says enough then play a bit more golf...
I've always been big into cricket, I have an a wesome pull shot LOL.... anyway womens cricket finally started up here (I only played half a season) but my highlights were 2 for 6 off two overs, clean bowled one and had another pop up a catch.... I had mean swing, I just didn't know how to control it.... I would have liked to really get into it more but i had to move to the bush and couldn't get in and then it died out (womens cricket in northern tassie)....if i had of been a couple years younger I may have almost had the chance to train with the tassie Under 19s side. That was a nice thought.
Nice work Al! Being a bowler myself, I can appreciate that effort.
I played for close to 10 years in a row without missing a game. I have only had hitouts at the nets since I stopped playing a few years ago now. Still love the game.
I once bowled a guy in grade, took the top of middle and off stump, it was a beautiful in swinger to a left hander and it broke the bail and took part of the top off middle stump Still have the broken bits with me now.
Cheers Brad - broken bails sound like a great keepsake for a bowler!! I'm thinking of getting my ball buried with me!!
I hadn't hit a 5 wicket bag for about 3 or 4 years so to get 7 was a shock! You'll know the feeling of being in the zone - I was bending them like a banana! hit leg stump bail, the base of off with a yorker and knocked out middle twice - Never been so devastating! And never again either probably haha!!
Go IRELAND!!
I won the bowling trophy for our grade at club about 15 years ago. I was just an outfielder and the 2 opposing openers were carting us everywhere. Our team went through all players for a bowl and then I got thrown the ball. First ball to the boundary, 4. Next ball clean bowled him on 99. He came down the pitch abusing me as it was his right to score the first 100 of the season. His batting partner calmed him down and back on with the game. I got the other opener out in the same over for 94. Went on to be opening bowler that year.
I got a knee injury playing basketball in the cricket off season and never played again. But I still have the trophy
And it was dang hot too. I used to put a xxxx in the drink container so it was at the right temp when play stopped for the quick refresher.
Super effort that (best ritchie voice),
absolutely awsome.
I was an opening bowler (playing part time now) and few memorable moments for me is a delivery i invented called the terrorist (only worked twice) , 60 not out (batting last - the same day mcgrath got 61) and telling a mate i would hit a six to his mums house (they lived in a street off the street the cricket ground is on 3 houses down).
but again buddy well done those figures and absolutely impeccable.
Top work ljand kj. I've played similar cricket (40 overs a side), but was probably classed as a batsman in our team. One of my best stories is that I came 2nd in the association fielding trophy (behind our team's wicket-keeper), and also in the Association Top 10 (combination of runs scored, wickets taken and fielding votes received), but that's one of my best.
Well we played our last game yesterday and I picked 5-28 off 8! Great finish to the year for me and I got the Zoe Goss Award for player of the day and had to do a box scull - It wasn't pretty but I got it done....
Pretty funny - don't get a five-for in 5 years and then get 2 in 2 games! Last night is a blur thou - I know I was on karaoke - think I did Minnie the Moocher!!!!