More Snap More Pop More Crackle

I wasn't supposed to be playing today, on a much nicer day than yesterday, but we had a very late drop out and the Chairman out the call out after the match has started.

Typically, selflessly, I answered the call. Even though I was only just awake at 2pm.

It was a 15 minute job to get ready then cycle down to the ground to find us batting at 63 for 2 with the aforementioned chairman out second ball. Thus I was just in time to witness a pretty awful collapse down to 79-9 against a good young Balderton side. To be fair, we had a very young and inexperienced side today.

This meant, at the dizzy heights of number 11, I had to bat for the first time all year.

I thought I'd have no chance, but managed to hit the 4 deliveries I faced no problem. But before I could get a run, my partner missed a straight one and that was that. If only he hadn't got out, I might have scored a century.

Onto fielding, and we started ok, taking an early wicket, but we weren't getting them quickly enough. I stodd at mid on, hoping I wouldn't have one smashed at me after getting a whack on the ankle yesterday.

I am still nervous about various bits of my body when bowling, but although sore, I was able to charge in a bit harder and bowl with a lot more purpose today. First ball I was edged between keeper and slip, something that would happen to me again.

It was exciting to be bowling with a bit more snap, and I must to admit when I castled their opener, who was batting in a sort of tweed floppy hat for some reason, I gave a bit of an overenthusiastic salute and was accused of giving the batsman "a send-off".

As if I would do that! I am a perfect sports and gentleman. Lol.

Anyway, despite feeling like I was bowling well, I'd drift one ball per over onto leg stump and get whacked. And that helped us lose, alas.

But it still feels good to be playing again.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 26.07.20

Happiness in the simplest things

So, I geared up for a walk this morning having fallen asleep with a rum and coke while following the Lance Armstrong interview with my mobile phone.

There was a brisk wind last night that has blown the frost out of the trees, and the mist has lessened to leave a view of a sickly yellow grey snowy sky that hasn't started depositing any snow yet here in Nottinghamshire. Paths are still slippery, and my hands are still getting cold. I have invented a new way of keeping them warm by vigorously blowing under the wrist, amusing mysel;f as the glove comedically inflates like a pulsating living entiry about to wrap itself around a passing throat.

London Road Lake is frozen apart from a small area down the far end, where the mallards are squabbling. Great tits blur gey and yellow as the fly along the cycle path. A friendly dog owned by a co-worker lumbers joyfully into view from someone's garden.

At the back of TK Maxx, by the river, someone has put out a few fat balls in red stringy bags low down on a willow tree I think. Old skool bird feeding! Nothing was on these feeders, but underneath and not more that 5 feet away, there was a veritable bird party going on. 7 or 8 Blackbirds, a couple of Dunnocks making faint little peeping noises with their pretty striated chests showing up against the leaf litter. And there was also a fearless robin strutting back and forth on the ground, all but barging the much larger blackbirds out of the way. It flitted up onto a low branch and gave me a series of hard avian stares, as if it wanted me out of the way before feeding, or alternatively starting a feathered blood-bath.

By the barge pub, a cormorant caught a fish, and made a great show of swallowing it, casting its head back, gulping, shaking its beak, and generally looking like an fat man overdoing the praise of a gourmet meal.

I saw nothing exciting, or extra-ordinary today. But that doesn't matter. It was a simple walk, seeing simple things, on a simple sort of day. And I enjoyed it greatly.