Season 2012

After another abnormally long and cold winter, and a delayed start, the 2012 cricket season finally got underway this weekend. This is very good news for me. Something to look forward to at the weekends, something to keep me fit and active, (for my Winter bingeing has given me a bit of a stomach), and lightens the mood. I always love the anticipation surrounding a new season.

So much so, that I couldn't sleep on Friday night. Sounds silly I know, but I really was looking forward to it! I have taken over the captaincy after Mr.Collins has departed to further his career, so was excited about carrying on from where I left off a couple of years ago. We started on Saturday at home to Blunham, at 2pm, on an admittedly damp and treacherously slow Bury pitch. Naturally, I lost the toss, and we were put into bat. Myself and new boy Ben Woodcock would open and we would open rather successfully. My own personal form wasn't amazing though. My lack of winter practice, in contrast to Ben's was there for all to see, and although we had put on an opening partnership of 90, I had only scratched my way to 22 of these, before being bowled by one that submarined. In fairness, after 20 overs of, "playing the anchor role", watching Ben race to 60 odd, I was a bit relieved to hand over to the more attacking players of the new-look side, who battered their way to a very good 217. Ben hit an awesome 116 not out on his Bedford debut, and while we sat around eating the tea that myself and Saggers had made a few hours earlier, I was a happy captain. We bowled them out for 102, with good bowling performances from another couple of debutants and I went home, aching, but happy.

On Sunday, we played practically the same side, but in the Sunday division, and at Roxton CC. Now, it's a nice enough village and all and it's got a cosy little pavilion which is all well and good, but the pitch and outfield at the best of times is horrible. Given that we've had a year's worth of rain recently though, meant that it would have been better if we were playing on a beach. Again I lost the toss, and again we were put into bat. Myself and Ben told each other to do exactly the same as we had yesterday, but, after hitting a very decent cover drive with my borrowed bat, (my old one had broken the day before), I was beaten by a decent yorker and departed with a measly 6 next to my name. However, another cracking 82 from Ben and good supporting acts catapulted us to 179, a score we were able to defend with ease, winning by 75 runs. I was captain again, which won't usually be the case, but our usual South African competitive captain had dropped out shortly before the toss for reasons unbeknown to any of us. It also left us with 10, but that ultimately meant nothing.

I mention that word again. The word that cropped up a fair bit last season. Competitiveness. The Saturday side has, for the past few years, been a fun side who focus on enjoying and participating, and as captain, I try and give everyone a decent bat or bowl. On Sundays, our focus is on winning. Even I think we need to get out of the bottom division, to keep players at the club and attract better players to further ourselves. We are still the butt of the jokes amongst the fellow players that I know, and I'm not best pleased about it. I still play in that side with the same light-hearted approach that I always have done, but I appreciate that we need to win games to get ourselves up a division. I don't think the Sunday side is going to last much longer if we remain in the bottom division. The senior figures at the club, (of which I am now one), keep saying that the main focus for the Sunday side is to win at all costs, yet they tell me, as captain, to "give everyone a chance". When you struggle to get 11 out on the pitch, having no choice but to select players who are very young and nervous and not up to scratch, yet want to win every game, it's almost impossible to balance the two. The Saturday side is for getting youngsters used to adult cricket, and the Sunday side is about winning "at all costs". And they're not my words. Either go for the ruthless win, or give everyone a chance. Trying to mix the two is where we've been going wrong, and whilst I'm captain on Sundays, that will change. But unfortunately, I won't be captain very often!

I still enjoyed the whole weekend though. My lazy Winter has left me with aching thighs, even today, but with time and more games, I will get used to it. This week is officially "birthday week", so at 1.30pm on Wednesday, I shall be free for 6 days to enjoy, even if most of my friends are revising for exams. Having a birthday in exam time is really very bad...

Onwards!