Hampshire Hogs v Refreshers

 

So today was the last game of the Hogs’ season. We won the toss at our ground, the stunning Warnford…. I was asked to bat at 8 …. that high I thought…. I was in 30 minutes before lunch at 70 for 6. One guy got 47 and extras were about 23 5 others made 0. I stride to the wicket having had 15 throw downs in the nets. I got hit on the toe, the thumb and tweeted a back muscle….. I left the first one as you would and the second ball pitched a foot outside my off stump bounced hit my elbow and took the bails off! Thanks for coming… 80/8. We made 202 all out!!! . 

 

Special mention must go to Tim Hammond (63) and Khajit Sharma (58 not out) for putting on 124 runs for the 9th wicket partnership and getting us to a score that was worth chasing.

 

First wicket to fall was caught at second slip by…..Me… diving (surely not) no other way I could have got it, thank God for gravity…. I started to feel that the day had not been wasted after all! I always loved catching in the slips. Oppo got to 120 for 3 needing 82 off 20 ish overs. “Camey have a bowl”… well it had to be down hill and wind assisted and quite frankly having not bowled a ball since 2017 I feared the worst! Memory was blank, I muscle memory blank…. it must be there somewhere…. first ball wide! Oh shit…. come on pull yourself together it’s just all bullshit. Lob…… wicket ahhh I start to remember…… 8.3 overs 5 for 34 hahaha……. sadly I fielded the ball four times and now I know the only way to stop the ball a my age is literally to dive on top of it. Your hands want to help but seemingly your arms have shrunk and they don’t work together anymore. My shins have the bruises to show for it. The oppo won off the last over of the day 9 down with a Chinese cut ….. cricket was definitely the winner.

 

I am not looking forward to the morning!!

 

Happy winter everyone!”