I’m at the Oval – it’s the test match, England v Pakistan, first day. Shame not to see more people here. Ticket prices should be lower, I guess.
Anyway, it’s teatime, and England are seven down, but fighting back. I had a nice bottle of Petaluma Chardonnay 2006 for lunch, as well as some D’Arenberg Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2007. Must get back to the cricket.
Have you tried some of those adjustments re. outswingers this summer? As I think I told you, I can only bowl inswing (still) myself, and the best I can do is one that straightens slightly. But most of the boys in my Under 15 squad can’t pick my inswing anyway (or they don’t bother, more likely, they play every ball the same way).
How much were the tickets Jamie? 😉
Paul, I haven’t been able to get the outswinger going. The inswing hasn’t been as big this season, but I’ve been more accurate.
Michael, they were probably very expensive. I was piggybacking on someone else’s hospitality, actually – he’s into commercial property, and was given tickets for the swanky Montpelier club by a contact of his, who is father of a surrey player, and so he invited me along too.
Used to be able to get it to move both ways but gave it up to concentrate on batting as my shoulders got worse and a subsequent action change meant that movement into the right hander fine, but the outswinger could end up doing to much too often and cause no problems at all – it was all from a relatively front on action and my pace had dropped to dibbly dobbly.
Fortunately being the best fielder in the side by a country mile (whichever team I’ve played for I always make sure I’m the best even if it means lots of work) and turning myself from the expansive left hander in the Gower mold (fishing anyone?) into a more compact nuggety sort kept me playing until work and a small child have made it unpractical to play for a club – have thought about the Wine Trade Team.
Wine trade members might like to know that there is a thriving Wine Trdae cricket team – fixture list here http://www.wtsc.org.uk/fixtures.pdf
The next game is on Wednesday next week at the delightful Woolpit cricket ground in mid Suffolk. The game is being played in memory of Slim Williamson who was the chairman of the club. He was a great wine trade cricketing stalwart. Sadly Slim died, on the cricket pitch, last year, doing what he enjoyed. Any spectators more than welcome – bring a picnic. Kick off is 1130 for this all day game. The intention is that this becomes an annual fixture.