And That's A Maximum!

Today, I spent most of the time sitting on my backside watching the Indian Premier League, admittedly with a large bar of chocolate and a can of Carlsberg and, while watching the likes of Jacques Kallis, Anil Kumble and Matthew Hayden with his tiny bat, I thought to myself how much I'm looking forward to the forthcoming cricket season.

I haven't talked so much about my cricket. Since I started writing this blog, its been football football football however, now the Summer is coming, it's close to the time where I hang the goalie gloves up for another season, (although this season indefinitely), and dust off the pads and my box in time for the new cricket season. I only started playing cricket a few years back, for a midweek team set up by CW and JC called Aspen, and I didn't have much of a role to play in that team. I looked forward to every single Wednesday evening however, as it signalled the day for a fantastic time playing 16 over cricket. Since then, I've joined Bedford and became captain last season, (don't laugh), and after a couple of years break, have re-formed Aspen with KS. So this coming season is going to be packed full of cricket and I have to admit, I haven't looked forward to something so much, for a long long time.

I don't know what it is about cricket. I'm not the most talented of players. I'm not likely to be in the next Ashes squad to be fair, but I just love the concentration required to bat well and the skill of bowling and occasionally being acrobatic making a ridiculous one-handed catch or an excellent stop in the field. Someone like me should hate the concentration part of batting, but on a blazing hot Saturday afternoon in Summer, donning the helmet and going out to the middle is something I look forward to every single week, without fail. Being captain this year aswell makes things that little more challenging and enjoyable and making decisions is something I enjoy on a warm Saturday afternoon, with the breeze coming in from the Pikey End..

Our team is quite young. Quite... immature if you like. We are not the best team in the league, (we got relegated last season although that got cancelled after a lot of new teams entered), but the fun we have out on the cricket pitch mixed in with the seriousness of playing and wanting to win is something I have missed over the winter. The difference between cricket and football is the rivalry of it all. I'm not a fan of the physicalness that football brings and the rivalry of it all, whereas, cricket is anything but. The gentleman's game. Makes it more enjoyable for everyone. Being captain also brings the responsibility of making choices and leading your team to victory, (once again, dont laugh!), and everyone looks up to you, despite it only being Saturday afternoon club cricket. It may well be quite tough this season, working nights, meaning little sleep, but this is not going to deter me from another action-packed summer!

I have my targets. Last season I got my maiden 50 and this season I hope to take it one further and get my maiden 100, (No... not my maiden 51..), and would like to get a few wickets in the bag aswell. The thing I'm looking forward to the most though is spending whole days in the sun, lounging around if you've been unjustly given out or waiting to go into bat and then defending your score as the sun goes down. Cracking jokes with teammates, (even if some of them are poor Mr O'Fee..), and having a laugh. Surely there is no better image?

So, although I may just about be a more talented footballer and more used to the sport, I do have to admit, I look forward to the cricket season more than the football season. As a player. Being a referee in football is slightly different.

Football = cold, wet Sunday mornings

whereas

Cricket = Warm, Saturday afternoons in the sun.

1st May is our first league game. I have a couple of friendly matches before that and an exhibition match on the 3rd April. I simply cannot wait.

Cya x