Ah, the sound of leather on willow on a balmy summers evening… Cricket’s a fun game. As with all sports, you get a perspective of how shite you are at it when you play with a pro, or even very decent player. I remember facing a fast (ish) bowler. The way that ball hurtled towards me was unnatural. I simply couldn’t react/adjust…. There was soon the inevitable ‘thwack’ as my outside stump was sent end over end…. And then I thought ‘hmm, I’m shit at this as well’
On one of my regular cycle rides I often sit at a bench in a small village churchyard, where on Sundays, can still be heard the quintessential sound of leather smashing onto bone and the call of 'Howzat'. No need to see it, it's just nice to hear it in the distance. England oh England...
When I play for the 1st X1 I'm first change bowler and bat toward the end of the order, but when I play for the 2nd XI, I open the bowling and bat mid-order. I was a promising fast bowler when I was a teenager but I smashed my elbow, which left my right (bowling) arm crooked and changed my action in such a way that I couldn't swing the ball as well as I had. I was still quite good, albeit nothing special, but stopped playing in my mid-20s until I started again this season after a 27 year lay off. It was a shock to discover that having been a fast bowler, I was now just "a bowler" but after initially managing to get some pace back, I realised it was wrecking my back and knees, so I now bowl medium pace swing and seam. I aspire to being an all rounder and I am not bad with the bat in the nets, but come game day, I tend to try and score off every ball and end up getting out to deliveries I should have left or just prodded away defensively. How about you?
Yep. When I play for our first team, we encounter some pretty good opposition with properly fast bowlers that often take the game very seriously. The other weekend I hit one quick guy for 3 fours in a row, the last of which was a very lucky top edge over the slips and was having bants with the keeper about it, which didn't amuse the bowler one bit as the next delivery came fizzing past my nose at about 80mph. Tbh, I prefer playing in the second team as it's less pressure and at 40 overs rather than 50, there's time and energy left for a few beers afterwards.
Almost a mirror of you Zhed, bowling was my thing, quickish. I did aspire to be an all rounder, but my skill with a bat left me down.
I first got into boxing when I was young watching it on grandstand many many years ago. Here's a few names some may remember, Dave Boy Green, Tony Sibson, Alan Minter, John Conteh (what a jab he had), Dennis Andreas, Kirkland Laing (beat Roberto Duran!), Jim Watt winning his world title in a smoky raucous arena & of course those great fights between Duran, Hearns, Haglar & Sugar Ray Leonard. I'm way too much of a blouse me, to even train let alone get into a ring... but that doesn't mean I don't have the utmost respect for anyone who does. And not just for the physical fortitude but the mental strength required to stand up and be counted. As Joe Loius said "Once that bell rings you're on your own. It's just you and the other guy."
Eric Morecambe’s joke about the return of summer being signalled by “the sound of leather on Brian Close”.
There’s a bit of a backstory to that clip. https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...he-west-indian-bowlers-at-old-trafford-921731
Cracking read - I remember watching the series but didn't know the full story. "and suggested he go to hospital. "I'll be all right, lad," he replied. "Just give me a Scottish (whiskey - for some reason spell check automatically changes the short form to Scottish)"" But I did know of the "Make them grovel" quote from Tony Greig.... just what was he thinking....
Who watched the Yarde v Beterbiev fight on Saturday night? Some scrap that! Those Chechen/Russian guys are genetically equipped to fight. They are just so tough it’s ridiculous. Yarde must have been utterly terrified after landing bomb after bomb with no effect.
It was a cracking scrap and it’s a shame Yarde’s corner pulled him as he was neck and neck, maybe even slightly ahead. I don’t follow MMA but I see a lot of it because my son is really into it and those boys from the Caucasus are really dominant in some weight divisions - really tough guys who are all bone and sinew. It must be like trying to fight a pile of scrap iron.
Ha ha, gotta be spirit crushing when land flush time after time and bugger all happens… Re the stoppage- I think his trainer knew he was knackered, good call I thought, saved him from a hiding….
That Khabib Megemedov (or something like that) that was in MMA was another one of those far eastern Russian double hard mofo’s…. He packed it in because it was too easy And he was literally just too hard and strong for everyone. Notably Conor McGregor….
