Nets

I’ve been meaning to write this post for the last two weeks and have finally got round to putting digit to keyboard prompted, more than anything, by the fact that my brother Tom has finally started netting down in Kent. Up here in the North we’re a bit keener than that and tomorrow will be Rasen’s fourth net session of the year.

With the slightly slimmer figure and improved fitness (well, compared with last year at any rate) I’ve found nets an awful lot more enjoyable than last season. Whilst you couldn’t describe me as gamboling around the gymnasium, I’m definitely moving better than I did. What’s been most positive though is that, for the first time since I became involved with the club, we have, so far, been fairly inundated with players coming along. Both nets have been over-subscribed on each occasion and we’ve even had wicket-keepers practicing separately at the same time. Amazing stuff.

Whilst I find nets enjoyable and invaluable before the start of the season I do find it hard to get the most out of them from a cricketing perspective for the following reasons:

Firstly:
The tendency to want to smack the living-whatsit out of the ball. Anyone who’s seen me bat in an actual game will find the concept a little worrying, but for some reason when I’m batting in the nets I become convinced that there’s a Twenty20 monster just waiting to be unleashed. Watching Tendulkar and Kallis in this year’s version of the IPL doesn’t help, but I find it strange. Once we’re out on the grass you can be assured that I’ll be eschewing every attacking stroke save the square cut and grinding my way to another gutsy 13.

Secondly:
My bowling gets completely tonked. Again, anyone who’s seen me bowl in a game won’t be surprised. As even Mrs R has been known to comment I’m ‘no Shane Warne‘. On grass I seem to be able to find a modicum of control – certainly in Lincs League 4 – that breeds if not respect, then a wary recognition that the line’s reasonably tight and there’s the chance that the ball might turn in a minute or two. In the nets it’s merely a question of how many of the bricks at the back of the gym the lads (and lasses were there any) feel like trying to crack tonight. I blame these big bats they use these days!

Lastly:
Bowling one in every 4 or 5 deliveries. This is the only drawback to lots of people turning up. Whilst it’s great to see them all, bowling one delivery followed by a 2 or 3 minute gap before your next one is strangely discombobulating. Getting into a rhythym seems impossible and you end up trying too hard to turn every delivery into a wicket-taking one, rather than getting the stock ball right.

Being in knowledge of the above one would think I would be able to combat the above and bat out a net session in grim Tavare-like defiance and concentrate on my stock ball, but it never seems to work. The best intentions go out of the window as soon as someone sends their first delivery soaring into the gallery. Hey ho. There’s always next year!

Getting a Team Together

As a cricket captain, I have found that there are numerous problems facing someone running a side, but of the myriad issues, getting a team together every week must be the most vexing. The vagaries of form, fitness, interest, exams and holidays all play their part, obviously. But when you then throw in the fact that you run the 2nd XI and that the 1sts will, quite rightly, be grabbing players as and when they need them – very politely I might add – selection headaches become a regular occurence.

Whilst there are a plethora of people up and down the country better placed for offering advice on how best to approach this, the Richley Regimen for team selection follows, in no particular order:

1. Gather ye phone numbers whilst ye may.
   You are never, ever going to have enough people ‘in’ your phone who possess a set of whites. A ratio of 3 possibles for every player required is generally sufficient, but has been known to be inadequate.
2. Don’t just take their mobile number.
   Get their home phone number, their email address, the dog’s pager, their wife’s fax and anything else that can be purloined. The more numbers, the less chance they have to ignore your pleading messages of a Friday night when your star seamer’s broken down (emotionally or physically, it’s a toss-up) or half your team’s just remembered that they’d rather be at T4 On The Beach….
3. Don’t tell ’em where the game is.
   Cricketers like their home comforts; the familiar smell in the changing room, their corner of the bar, their spot in the shade down at fine leg, the short ‘commute’. Other people’s grounds are not so popular. This might just be a Lincolnshire thing, but you’ll rarely struggle to get a side out when you’re at home. When you’re away in, for example, Cleethorpes, Gainsborough or Boston, it’s another matter. Therefore, always ask them if they’d like a game first and tell them where it is and what ungodly hour you’re meeting, second!
4. Parents = Players
   If you’ve got junior players in your side (and what good 2nd team doesn’t), get the parents on-side. The youth of today eh? Fantastic at cricket, not so great with diaries and driving. You’ll need your parents to organise their kinder, wash their kit for them and, if you’re really lucky, play and / or help with the teas.
5. Confidence
   When coralling your team early in the week, you need to be up-beat about the forthcoming fixture. Both in terms of who you’ve got playing for you:
   Player – ‘Who have we got playing for us then?’
   Captain – ‘Strong team out this week chap, plenty of batting and enough bowling.’
   At which point we fall into the classic trap of the player thinking he’s not needed so can take the weekend off…. It’s a tight-rope, I can tell you. So, in summary for this point, you have to make your player feel; wanted, that he’ll be making a real difference to the line-up, but also that you’ve got lots of other good players as well who will be complementing with his, or indeed her, own unique skill set.

So, all relatively straight-forward, I think you’ll agree.

Market Rasen Cricket – Weekend Roundup

Not a great weekend in the villages for Market Rasen as the 1st XI saw their interest in the Cup ended at Cherry Willingham and the Sunday XI lost at Scothern by 8 runs.

The Sunday side’s loss was all the more galling, as they had put in a fine display with the ball, only to be let down by some poor catching and a middle-order collapse that handed Scothern the points. Graeme Bell and Dale Chambers led the way for Rasen with the ball, as Scothern batted first and found runs hard to come by. Bell was particularly parsimonious, taking 2 for 14 from 7 overs, whilst Chambers picked up a desered 4 for 39 from 10 overs. They were ably supported by Jon Darke, who claimed 3 for 39 as Scothern were restricted to 130 for 9 from their 40 overs. Without three vital misses in the field, Scothern’s total would have been even lower.

Rasen’s reply got off to a solid start with Bell continuing his fine form with the willow to knock 32 and Crowther top-scored with 43. However, with Rasen 70 for 3 and seemingly coasting, the rot set in as none of the middle or lower order were able to put together the required runs, Rasen eventually being bowled out for 122. Not the season’s best performance by a long way, but Rasen will take heart from a good bowling performance the form of their top order batsmen as they head into the second half of the season.

Published in Market Rasen Mail, Wednesday 24th June.

The end of the beginning…

There’s just not enough out there on church music, especially anglican church music involving choirs and organs. This offering is an attempt to change that. However, as anyone who’s met me – especially between the months of April and September – will attest, I would have very few topics of conversation were I to be without cricket, hence the second strand of this publication.

I hope that you’ll enjoy the content and feel compelled to start singing, playing or watching at your local church or cricket club.

Market Rasen Weekend Cricket Round-Up – 18/04/2009

The end of the Easter holidays saw Market Rasen’s cricketing sons back in league action on a beautiful, is somewhat brisk, weekend.

The 2^nd XI were at Old Lincolnians for a re-arranged Home fixture and won by 10 runs. They were only denied the outright win by a whisker, 9 wickets down at the close of their inning. This was the re-formed 2^nd XI’s first game and they got off on the right foot by winning the toss and choosing to have first use a suprisingly hard track at Christ’s Hospital School. Rasen made a brisk, if profligate start and 57 for 2 after 11 overs, with Ivan Nash contributing a bright 31 (5 fours) before becoming over-ambitious. This brought George Fussey (13) to the crease in his first senior league match for Rasen. Together with Dean Richards he put on 114 for the 3^rd wicket in 27 overs, compiling an unflustered and classy 16 (1 four) and proved the perfect foil for Richards, who put a varied Old Lincolnians attack to the sword, racking up 94 (13 fours). Richards unfurled a wide range of shots, but his cover driving and a pulling were particularly memorable. With both falling within six balls of each other, Rasen were 176 for 4 and looking to push on for the last few overs, but with two new batsmen at the crease, progress was not assured. However, Tom Corden (14) also playing his first senior league match, made his mark with a sparkling cameo of 25 not out (3 fours), putting on 34 for the fifth wicket with Richard Fussey to get Rasen to 210 for 4 after their 45 overs.

Aaron Wells and Tom Corden took the new ball for Rasen and made Old Lincolnians graft for the solid start they desperately required. Wells bowled a good line, with pace and little luck in his first spell, whilst Corden made the most of his first opportunity with the ball, finding some in-swing, and was the first to strike, bowling Mangham for 11 in the sixth over. Rasen had to wait another 9 overs for their next break-through, with Limmer finding reward for a searching spell with the wicket of Rees for 18. This set the scene for Luke Richards to mark his 2^nd XI debut in style, sending down a fine spell of spin bowling that repeatedly tested the batsmen and garnering 2 for 42. Rasen’s other bowlers continued to chip away at Old Lincolnians as the match remained in the balance. A pugnacious 53 from Matt Jelly threatened  to take the game away from Rasen, but Wells returned to immediate effect to reap the reward for his earlier efforts. With Jelly gone, Old Lincolnians continued to strive for runs, but Rasen’s total always looked sufficient, despite Dowson, Dave Hill and Savage all compiling 20s. A fascinating and even game came down to Rasen needing one wicket from the last two overs and Old Lincolnians needing 23 runs. Neither side backed down and a fine match closed with Old Lincolnians on 200 for 9.

Rasen acquried 19 points out of a possible 20, making a fine start to the Division 4 campaign for the 2^nd XI.

Market Rasen 1^st XI did not have such an enjoyable time on the North Lincolnshire coast on Sunday, opening their league campaign against Cleethorpes 4^th XI. Rasen were bowled out for 96, with Karl Bieirlein compiling 36 and whilst the 1^st XI fielded and bowled well, the total was not defensible and was knocked off for the loss of 6 wickets, Karl Bieirlein being the pick of the Rasen attack with 2 wickets.

Cricket returns to Rase Park this weekend, with the 1^st XI playing Hartsholme 2^nd XI, whilst the 2nds travel to Old Lincolnians again.