Up or Down?

This weekend saw the final instalment of my 5th season in cricket. On a personal level, I've come a fair distance. From the bottom of the batting order at midweek side Aspen, I have moved up to the top of the batting order, to 2nd XI captain, to 1st XI member to 1st XI captain. It hasn't been a bad ascent for 5 years worth, but the main problem is, the club I play for has failed to do the same.

In our first season in the Bedfordshire County Cricket League, we were walking our division. We had 10 wins out of 10, and seemingly coasting to promotion. Then, almost at the blink of an eye, we lost it. We threw it away, and since then, we have come so close yet so far. Unable to get out of a division, that, on paper, we should be winning fairly easily. Except, it never works out that way in this sport. The beginning of the season, we were lucky to get a team out at all, as we struggled our way to lower-mid table. Pondering another season of so near, yet so far. But the last couple of months, we have made a real surge, as the returning University players and a couple more set us up. Today was the final chapter, and a real chance of promotion.

The game itself was a bit of a non-event. I was nervous. After Ridgway's very good birthday celebrations the night before, where I saw off half a kilogram of steak and chips followed by a poker night, I went to sleep with the same sort of feelings I had before the cup finals I played in as a footballer a few seasons back. (More on the football later...)

I woke up this morning, relatively relaxed, and as I walked to the ground, I told myself I had done everything I could for this club this season. I have been through the mill, getting a team out, organising this, that and everything and I could do no more except put in a solid performance this afternoon. As I say, the game itself was a huge anti-climax as we bowled them out for a measly 52 and knocked them off in no time. We had done our bit, but the promotion wasn't going to happen unless other results, in other divisions no less, went our way. There were many factors to take into account:

- If Blunham 2nds in Division 3, lost to bottom of the table Pilgrims Oakley, they would have been relegated to Division 4. Likewise, if Kempston Sports above them, won, then Blunham would go down.

- Because of this, Blunham 3rds could not get promoted to Division 4, if their 2nd team lost, due to league rules stating you can't have two teams from the same club in the same division. Blunham 3rds are 2nd in our division.

- This means that 3rd in our division would get promoted. Us. But we needed Blunham 2nds to lose or Kempston Sports to win in Division 3.

And neither result went in our favour. Blunham 2nds survived Division 3, leaving Blunham 3rds free to get promoted to Division 4. Meaning, no space for us.

Understand? Maybe. Maybe not. But it's another case of so near, yet so far for us.

The problem? As always, the first 5 games of the season. When most of our squad is either at university or has exams, we seriously struggle to even get 11 out, let alone be competitive.

In a few years, when our main players are through university, it will be much easier. But the problem of keeping them interested in playing for a club that is in Division 5 remains a big problem. Players leave, in search of a better standard, and I fear it may be the case again this time round. I'm determined to stick around and try again, but if others aren't prepared to make the same sacrifice, then we're back at square one.

But the bottom line is, bar a very slim chance of Blunham not getting promoted because of their facilities not being good enough, we have another season of bottom-division cricket next season on Sundays.

For me though, a more immediate problem has arisen. It's now the end of the cricket season, which means nothing to look forward to for the weekends except for boredom. I have debated in the past few posts about what to fill my Winter with, and I have yet to make a decision. But the past week, I have been inundated with messages, almost begging for me to go back to Mowsbury Athletic Football Club.

I have been thinking about it. Their keeper has left them in the lurch by transferring back to his old club, and now Mowsbury Athletic are left without a keeper. Father Mitten is their current keeper, and although he does enjoy it, the general consensus is that they need a better one. Mother Mitten isn't happy about it, and neither are the current squad. Even I do admit they need a better keeper if they are to keep up their streak of promotions, but gone are the days where I make decisions based around what other people want. The main question is, do I want to play? And I'm torn down the middle.

On one hand, yes, I will be occupied during the Winter and it is at least something to do. On the other hand, I really have fallen out of love with football as a sport. I am convinced it is full of "smegheads" (as a friend put it earlier!), and it's hard to disagree with him. Will i enjoy it? Will I want to get out of bed on a cold, wet Sunday morning to go and partake in a sport I don't necessarily want to be involved in anymore? I don't know... But as their season started today, (with a 4-4 draw none the less), it is a decision I need to make sooner rather than later.

I go to bed then, rather disappointed. Yes, we got promoted as champions in the Saturday league, but I would have been very annoyed with anything less. The main goal this season was to get going on the promotion front on Sundays, and yet again we have failed. Part of me wants to take responsibilty, as captain, for that failure, but the other part of me says I was one of probably 2 or 3 people who the team would have been very screwed without. Without wanting to sound big-headed, if it wasn't for me and the large help of a couple of others, "off-the-pitch", we wouldn't even have left ourselves a chance whilst on it.

Onwards.