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The reluctant cricketer

Rob Courtney

By Rob Courtney
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  • 8 months later...
Rob Courtney

Rob Courtney

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So this year, to try something different, I left my club of 15 years to play for another. I felt really bad doing it, so much so, I couldn't even talk to them before the transfer request was made. I mean, I wrote a few texts that I didn't send, wanted to call but just couldn't, it was like separating from a long term partner I didn't enjoy being at the club anymore, so i made the break... a somewhat gutless break I guess.

Anyways, it's all done now...and I only have to face my old team inext match, so that should be fun, sort of like turning up to your ex girlfriends with your new partner, who is thinner and better looking...I'm sure it will be a fun time.

To the first match, I really wanted to play in the lowest grade but the B grade captain, whom I had tortured for years with big innings was keen for me to play B grade with him and given the game was to be played on turf, on the premier ground in the district, I was keen...to not bowl and bat 11, fielding fine leg to fine leg.

Great plans of mice and men never come to fruition and sadly he wanted me to bowl the 5th allotment of overs in the One Day match. At least he wanted me to share the overs which was nice, so after a poor first over ( which is always the dream when you are playing for a new team and 7 people are going "why are you giving the noob another over?" to the three people saying "he's not usually this bad" I came back to take 2-11 off 4 overs. In the end with tight bowling, we restricted them on an up and down pitch with a slow outfield to 105 off 35 overs.

We batted and the lowest I could get was 3rd drop. My batting last year was really bad , don't think I broke double figures all season, so i was stoked to go out and disappoint another bunch of people but I remembered the words of an old timer I used to play with who said you had to take your time on turf pitches, get the feel for it and then make runs, so I took the advice and played a slow innings. The best thing about coming to the wicket was finding out that on the oppo team, they had a gun A grade player filling in, who was a very good A grade bowler...and there he was with the keeping gloves on, so at least I didn't have to face him.

I scored a few runs before the drinks break ( we were 5-50) and when I returned, I was surveying the field and I thought, "whose that d!ckhead wearing the gloves, where is whatshisname"...only to look at who was bowling...fu**.

Wickets kept falling but I was working some runs and getting some partnerships going and we got to 8-102...and then I got out trying to late cut a ball that would have won the match, feathered it through to the keeper.

Just annoyed as, we lost, I was in, we had overs to spare, I should have taken a single off one of the last balls from the over and faced the gun bowler but I got out and the tail could not see it through, particularly when they swing haymakers at yorkers on middle stump. Still, 22 hard fought runs (top scored) and a belief in my batting returned.

Next game...

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  • 1 month later...
Rob Courtney

Rob Courtney

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Was absolutely stoked today. Thanks to young people trying to hook up at nightclubs and pubs, some cricket teams are unable  to field teams in the seconds due to covid and one of those teams was going to face us :)

Forefeit what a great word that is. I was called up and asked if I would be available to play in the 1s if needed and I diplomatically suggested that we have some really good kids of 15 0r 16 who would love a shot in A grade and it would be unfair of myself to deprive them of the opportunity .

Edited by Rob Courtney
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Dustin Frothman

Dustin Frothman

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55 minutes ago, Rob Courtney said:

Was absolutely stoked today. Thanks to young people trying to hook up at nightclubs and pubs, some cricket teams are unable  to field teams in the seconds due to covid and one of those teams was going to face us :)

Forefeit what a great word that is. I was called up and asked if I would be available to play in the 1s if needed and I diplomatically suggested that we have some really good kids of 15 0r 16 who would love a shot in A grade and it would be unfair of myself to deprive them of the opportunity .

🤣

Yeah Covid is killing us at work at the moment for similar reasons. There was an unofficial memo the other day about avoiding contact outside of work and "no carpooling".

No complaints here if they keep calling me in off days off for $$ but it does cut into brewing and drinking time.

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Rob Courtney

Rob Courtney

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38 minutes ago, Dustin Frothman said:

🤣

Yeah Covid is killing us at work at the moment for similar reasons. There was an unofficial memo the other day about avoiding contact outside of work and "no carpooling".

No complaints here if they keep calling me in off days off for $$ but it does cut into brewing and drinking time.

Yeah my job is getting a bit full on spray this, wipe that, no meetings, only one staff in a closet at once...have to wear pants.

Of course, even under thsoe circumstances they still hold onto the KPIs like they are law

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Rob Courtney

Rob Courtney

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It may not be daylight savings yet but someone turned back the clock today, 4 overs, 2 maidens, 6 runs, 4 wickets. Was almost disappointed when the other bowler took the last wicket on the last ball of his over with a pretty speccy catch on the boundary becuase I reckon I was a chance for 5...but that would have meant bowling another over, so really the catch was probably the bst outcome.

Dropped down the order and got to come in with 5 overs left and red inked with 21 including a pretty damn big 6, boundary was 70 metres and I reckon I got it by 10 metres. On the negative today our captain was hit in the head from a bouncer ( wasn't wearing a helmet so his wife will be just stoked, still they have three kids so its not like she is big on wearing protection either). Poor bugger probably has a fractured cheekbone (depressed) and a concussion that will make him think he's had a three day bender.

Still, that is 2 wins in a row now and we are stupidly looking at finals, thank godness we lost 3 games by less than 5 runs or we'd be in the top 4 and thinking finals. 

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Hambone

Hambone

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1 hour ago, Rob Courtney said:

It may not be daylight savings yet but someone turned back the clock today, 4 overs, 2 maidens, 6 runs, 4 wickets. Was almost disappointed when the other bowler took the last wicket on the last ball of his over with a pretty speccy catch on the boundary becuase I reckon I was a chance for 5...but that would have meant bowling another over, so really the catch was probably the bst outcome.

Dropped down the order and got to come in with 5 overs left and red inked with 21 including a pretty damn big 6, boundary was 70 metres and I reckon I got it by 10 metres. On the negative today our captain was hit in the head from a bouncer ( wasn't wearing a helmet so his wife will be just stoked, still they have three kids so its not like she is big on wearing protection either). Poor bugger probably has a fractured cheekbone (depressed) and a concussion that will make him think he's had a three day bender.

Still, that is 2 wins in a row now and we are stupidly looking at finals, thank godness we lost 3 games by less than 5 runs or we'd be in the top 4 and thinking finals. 

Geez so much in that post. Phew.

Awesome. Haha. Ohh bugger. Haha. Oh sh#t. Cool.

My responses in order.

Cheers 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...
Rob Courtney

Rob Courtney

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So the boy has taken up this great sport 

Has never had an interest in sport up til this year (never pushed it) but this year his mates do so he is happy to have a go. So, I have pulled the whites for his club and will play a few more years to get a game with him. Ironically, I will be qualified for senior cricket around that time...and he can say, "Dad, you're crap, can't catch, can't bowl, can't bat, is your last name Mueller".

Still, exciting to watch him play, you just want them to do well, even if he is the smallest and youngest on the team. He still needs work but he does come from good stock ( not me necessarily but my Uncle represented his country in soccer and my mum represented her country in the Olympics...and didn't she bring that one out because her son was being lectured...anyways).

So he had a go, cheered him on, he is obviously scared of all the older boys in the team so I had to yell at him to join the wicket celebrations but when they batted, I walked him out to where the team was sitting and sat with him and made him join in. It was good, they have to retire after a certain amount of balls and if they do, the team all stands with their bats out for the player to walk under. He got into it and felt more like being in the team.

He also got to face the last two overs and red ink peoples, red ink and the team all got around him and cheered him on, it was really good.

The bad part is...I am playing cricket again, so you'll be hearing some stories about an old old man, struggling to walk...and that's before the game

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