Hi all,
Here is something for u all. Cricket has its own saga wherever it is played, in any form it is played. Here is a small drop in the ocean of experiences with cricket.
I played few games here in CA. Playing cricket, good cricket, after ages I found the lost love again. I played with team of Sunnyvale. I had this match against a team called Caribeans . It was kind of an interesting match since the team had a good history with Sunnyvale. It was a home game for them.
Untill I reached the ground I wasnt sure who I am playing against. But as soon as I entered the field, I saw all caribeans, literally caribeans. All those big built black curly haired people we see in West Indies team. They are intimidating by looks, trust me. I got the point why match was going to be an interesting one. They won the toss and asked us to bat first.
We have one of the most explosive batsmen as our opening pair. One end, hes this JAT from Hariyana who just scored 158 in his last match and 2nd, is a classy scorer. The match started, the opening bowlers started off their fiery spells. 3 sleeps and a short leg to a left handed over the wicket blacky, in ground with only one intention, get blood out of the batsmen. I figured his intentions out in his 1st couple of balls. The sledging was all caribean. Fun to listen to from pavilion, not so healthy on field. 3rd over, JAT is out. 5th over, classy is out. I am the replacement.
To talk little bit about my batting, I always have had problems with short balls. I can still do away with it on pitches we play in India coz ball doesnt rise, its a different ball game here. I was asked to do a job of sheet anchor. Play out this fiery spell and do not let the middle order get exposed to them. Quite a job.
I start to bat with a welcome whistle of red cherry flowing right near my helmet. Obviously called a No Ball but I know it wasnt meant to be an extra. It was meant to threaten me and help me my way to pavilion soon. I still have 3 more balls to play of him. Somehow I managed. One good thing at this level is, people understand the batsman pretty soon. 4 balls were enough for him to figure out I am cramped with short deliveries and have almost nothing to offer but a decent defense. The second bowler was a big guy right hand medium fast. The pace wasnt much but the length was testing length. Every now and then I could hear the threatening whistle of cherry.
After playing through a couple of overs from both the bowlers, I thought I can still settle with leaving the balls and get away with the spell, until they plotted a new way to get me. The big right handed guy started bowling round the wicket into my ribs with a fielder at silly mid on, short leg and leg slip. Rest all were in slips. Just try to imagine this and place urself in batting stance. I know what u felt just now.
1st bowl a fast bouncer, faster than any of his previous deliveries, left alone. 2nd ball, good length leg stump, just held its line and hit straight in my right chest. I was choked for 1 breath. That was quite a blow. It was a really really good delivery and it took me back. But this very blow made me stronger and more determined to play this guy off. Next ball, again a short one, little on leg stump, pulled to square leg for 4. What I had forgotten was he was a regular league player, smart player. 3rd ball, in swinging yorker and trust me this is the fastest ball I have ever played in my entire career, atleast as far as i remember. Straight on boots. Cherry when fresh n hard hurts through all guards. I got a swollen ankle bone. I was down twice in same over. When I write all this, I simply cant describe what I heard as part of sledging.
To my account, I played off the entire spell and did my job but more to mention was after all this I expected to move on and convert the hard work to some good score. All I did is, after coming back from drinks, got out on an average delivery for 14.
Not to save a^%, but this write up is to talk about the extra ordinary session of cricket I experienced. It was thrilling all throughout the 1 hr I played those fiery black guys. Hope to get these scores converted to big innings.
All in all, Cricket Rules..........
