Your Cricket Brendon's 2009/10 Season Diary

[hedger_14]

As my first year playing grade cricket, I thought I might write up a season diary. I'm playing 4th grade with my dad and a few friends. I am 14 years old and I am an offspin bowler who can't bat for ████ although I can play some nice shots but I don't have much power.

Anyway, I was meant to start training 2 weeks ago but my dad couldn't take me into training so I had a bat in the nets in the afternoon when I went over to my friends who are also playing with us. Their dad will captain the side. Anyway, I padded up and went to have a bat. It took some time to get in, mistiming a lot of balls early on and had trouble deciding whether to play on the front or back foot. I was playing better against the spin though. I prefer playing spin. My dad was bowling some spin. He normally keeps though and Adam, one of my friends in the team who is a great allrounder. Takes plenty of wickets. Is 2 years younger than me but has taken a 5 wicket haul and scores some runs and keeps as well. He bowls leg spin but I was sweeping and glancing anyway. I just prefer to play on the legside against spin. My dad tells me to play straight but I play better either glancing or sweeping even against the spin. When I play forward defence, I drag my back foot out of my crease. Luckily I haven't got stumped before except like once when I was like 9. Brad bowls some pace but he isn't too hard to play except when it is down the legside. Very inconsistent, bowls down the legside a fair bit. I just have trouble getting bat to ball though when it is down leg. I prefer playing pace either straight or on the offside, especially the cut shot although I top edge a few. I can't believe it but my bro gave me the most trouble and he's like 9. He is a slow swing bowler. I guess it doesn't help coming down the wickets to hit it over his head though lol. Les came and had a ball and I reversed swept him and my dad had a go at me. He then bowled medium pace and I edged one into my leg. It was painful but I kept going until my bro was padded up and went into the net. I had a bowl but I couldn't get a run up because my leg hurted too much. I bowled alright for a few over's before coming off and had a look at my leg. It was really swollen. It was the biggest lump I ever had. I got some ice on it and just watched for the rest of the session. It's still swollen now and it has been 2 weeks.

Last Sunday, I had my first proper training session. I padded up first and nearly all my balls were down the legside which didn't please me. I didn't bat too well until the end when I played a few good shots. I then packed my gear up and grabbed a ball. I met up with my best friend from primary school, Blake. He was playing, I had only seen him like twice since high school. Anyway, We had a talk about the footy. He just shook his head though when I had my Manly cap on. So I chatted to him between balls. I probably would have got a few wickets after a few went high up in the air. The highlight of my bowling was probably when bowling to Jarrad, Blakes older brother. He kept charging at me so I dropped one in short and wide and he missed it completely. We had a laugh afterwards though. I bowl better to left handers than right handers. I drift it in and then straighten it a little with the turn and it really troubles batsman and then there will be the one where I let it go on and it beats the bat. Anyway, that's all I got time to write at the moment.

 

[Jakester1288]

Grade >>> Juniors. I know from experience.

 

[hedger_14]

I've learnt that much for myself. I had 2 reason's for playing grade.
1) To play with my dad before he stopped playing for good
2) Juniors was pretty easy.

 

[OffCutters]

Juniors is as easy as it gets, though i`ve never played Grade. Was fun while it lasted though (juniors).

 

[TheGreemSim]

Well good luck playing grade Brendon!

 

[hedger_14]

Well I played the first day last weekend. 2 day match, second day is tomorrow. We were put into bat on a wet pitch. It was short boundaries and a quick outfield though. Me and Blake were playing in our first 4th grade match. Les and Adam opened the batting. I had to field for the other team cause they only had like 9 players. I was fielding at square leg and Adam pulled the first ball wide of me for 4. Les got out for 2, clean bowled and I came off to pad up since I was batting at 5. Blake went into bat. I volunteered him to bat at #3. Adam made 16 before edging behind for an easy catch. My dad went out there and made 5 before going LBW. Blake and I had to build a partnership. We did just that putting on 53 before I got out. I scored 14, with 2 boundaries both through leg glances and the outfield was quick. I had scored a few singles playing behind square, either just deflecting through gully or down to fine leg for singles. I ended up going bowled straight through the gate to the spinner. It was a shame there was no spin on the ball that day or it might have hit the bat instead. Anyway, Blake and Jarrad put on a good partnership before Jarrad retired on around 10 because he couldn't see because it was raining. Mark, Blake and Jarrad's dad went out to bat. Blake finally got out for 90 on debut. He felt really sick and the problem was that he was going to retire after the ball he got out cause it was tea after that ball. Jarrad went back out there with Mark and put on some extra runs before Mark went for 22. Matt went for a duck and Annie, one of the worst players ever. She's blind in 1 eye and partially blind in the other finished on 2 not out, somehow while Jarrad finished on 20*. We finished the day, 7/186 or so off around 45 over's because of the rain. We can still bat another 45 over's but this is our second last wicket partnership with Brad still to come but he is batting at 11 because he has a problem with his knee. Anyway, I got to play tomorrow and I will get a bowl which is good.

 

[TheGreemSim]

Well done for the crucial partnership between you and Blake.

 

[hedger_14]

I played this afternoon. I'm really sore now.

Anyway, we went out to bat again and lost Annie early but Jarrad and Tony put on a 25 run partnership to give us a final total of 223. We went out into the field after that.

Blake opened the bowling. I was fielding at deep point. The batsman looked comfortable to start with not having too many problems with Blake and Les except for 1 over by Blake which he bowled a few beauties and got a maiden. Jarrad, Blakes brother was brought on for Blake in the 9th over. We couldn't get a wicket and I was brought on early in the 14th over. I got hit around in my first over and I couldn't get my line right other than my first delivery which was a great delivery spinning away from the left hander. In my second over, it was better and I should have had a wicket or 2 but my dad couldn't take the ball cleanly and missed a great stumping chance and Matt dropped a dolly mid wicket. Jarrad took a wicket in his next over and we went off for a drinks break. I got to continue bowling and I took the big wicket of the guy who I should have had out stumped.

He came down the wicket to a full toss but it was a quicker delivery and was beaten and middle stump came out of the ground. Jarrad took the wicket of the other batsman and the next 2 batsman had to build a partnership. They did just that. One of the batsman who was umpiring earlier had trouble playing me as I was bowling on the awkward length that is hard to play on either the front or back foot. Other than a few full tosses I bowled fairly well and was taken off after 6 over's with figures of 1/19. Les came back on and took the wicket of the guy who had a lot of trouble playing me, clean bowled. Next ball, I was fielding in the gully and it was a top edge and Max who was a substitute fielder, fielding at first slip was running back and somehow caught it and Les was on a hattrick. The next ball was just kept out from the batsman.

I came back on and bowled tight again. I always seemed to get punished though when I bowled a full toss. My 11th over, I conceded 13 runs and was taken off. I finished with 1/47 off 11 over's even though I should have had a few more wickets. Blake should have had a few wickets in one of his overs which had 3 dropped catches and he was annoyed since it was his last over he could bowl (due to fast bowler limits) and he hadn't taken a wicket yet. Adam took 3 wickets though despite bowling crap to finish it off. They finished with 177 from 48 over's. I was probably our best bowler going at 3.4 an over excluding my last over. I only seemed to bowl a great length or full tosses but I'm happy with my performance even if I did deserve a few more wickets. Adam took 3 wickets, Les took 2, Jarrad took 2, I took 1 and Tony took 1 wicket. They only had 10 batsman (9 wickets).

We went out for our second innings to get a bonus point and we had to score 60 runs in 5 over's. I was going to bat at 5 but Blake and Jarrad put on a few runs before Jarrad got out on the last ball of the day which annoyed me cause I wanted to go out and have a slog and we secured a bonus point. I think we finish with 14 points, 2 batting points, 3 bowling points, 1 bonus point and I think it's 8 points for a win (first innings) but it might be 6. Anyway, that's all I'm writing.

 

[hedger_14]

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that I nearly had another wicket too. I bowled it well down the legside and the batsman went to sweep but it hit his arm and rolled down his leg and just missed the offstump.

 

[blake]

Lolz Hedger, cool diary but don't you think you are a little bit up yourself?

"I was probably our best bowler going at 3.4 an over excluding my last over"

These other guys take hauls of 3 and 2 wickets and knock over the opposition and you take 1/47 and claim that you are the best bowler, despite bowling a lot of full tosses?

*shakes head*

 

[hedger_14]

Well Les took 2 wickets in a row. Jarrad bowled pretty well I guess to get his 2 and the batsman went to slog Adam after getting another spinner on and two were short and pulled straight to the fielder in the deep and one was an LBW which was miles too high and an inside edge. Even the other team was saying I was the best bowler and one of the older guys was having trouble and even hurt his back playing me and then laughing when he pushed one uppishly just wide of me.

 

[hedger_14]

Pissed off with my last game. Batted at #6. Got out, bowled to one just nipping away off the seam and knocking off stump out of the ground. We made 174 all out without using our 40 over's up. I only got to bowl 1 over, which was in the 28th over when they were already 8 wickets down, and I got a wicket, the batsman who was going along nicely tried to smack me after a wide first ball and a boundary second, but he only got it to Adam at cover who took a nice catch going backwards. I nearly got a wicket next ball when the batsman drove it back towards me but it went just wide of my reach and landed short of mid off. I finished with 1/5 from 1 over. Matt took the final wicket the next over and finished with figures of 1/1. We bowled them out for around 110. Greg took 4 wickets, both times 2 in a row. He was unlucky not to get a hattrick on the first occassion. I did field well though and I hurt my arm diving to stop a ball hit hard to me at point or square leg (I can't remember where I was fielding then) and it went past me but I dived at the ball managing to pull it back and then quickly throw it in to the keeper and saved a few runs. They only got 1 and there was a wicket next ball which made me feel even better since the guy who got out wouldn't have been on strike if he hit a four. I made some good stops at backward point. Didn't get any catches to take though. So we won our opening OD match.

 

[hedger_14]

We managed to win the game yesterday. We played a 40 over match against Ex-Servos. We won the toss and elected to bat. Tim (who came into the squad from third grade replaced one of the rested players) and Glenn opened the batting. Built a good partnership, Tim not using his feet and set to attack. Glenn made 28 or so before getting out. Tim made 50 before getting out the next ball and Jarrad chipped in with 12 off 6 or so balls, hitting 3 fours before getting out. I was batting at 9. Mark was going along nicely. The other Tim stayed in for a while but I came in with 6 over's to go. First two balls beat me comprehensively. Then I got off the mark with two down to fine leg. The annoying thing was that the two best bowlers who hadn't bowled all day were bowling at the end. Very accurate they were. Mark scored some boundaries, around 3 off edges through slips. I was just scoring 2's and a few singles. I scored my first boundary to a bad ball, which was unusual since he was on the money the previous over which kept me to 4 dot balls at the end of the last over, even though I should have got a couple through gully when I cut it but there is some dirt next to the pitch and I hit it down right into that which pretty much stopped it completely. Cutting is a nightmare on that pitch if you want to do it safely. Anyway, he bowled one short for a change and I nicely pulled it between short fine leg and square leg and it raced away for 4. Mark nearly run me out as he called me through for the single after I knocked it back through cover and I dived near the end and I was lucky I did since I only got home in time as it was a direct hit. I hit a few more runs, and the last ball, Mark faced and it came off the pad straight towards square leg and I ran the single quickly. We finished with 200 (which was 210 but the scorers stuffed up). I finished with 12* off 15 or so balls and Mark scored 45*.

We then went out to bowl. The skipper opened. We needed to get him out early but he attacked pretty early but he lost his opening partner to Jarrad who was opening the bowling since Blake had pretty much broken his angle playing summer soccer. Jarrad struck again with another wicket. I was brought on as first change in the 10th over, which was pretty early. I had one thing to do. Dismiss the skipper. I was told to bowl wide of offstump and I did but he played me straight back over mid off for 4. Second ball was good. Dot ball. Then he hit me wide of long off for another 4. Dot ball again. 1, wide, 1. 11 off my first over. Les asked if I wanted to bowl another over. I said ok. First ball, full, straight, hit on the pads. I shouted at the umpire (who had just replaced the other one) and he raised his finger. It was plumb. The big wicket of the skipper. I was very happy, especially after he hit me for 2 fours in my first over. I bowled well for the rest of the over, conceding 4 I think since I got hit for a boundary at the end of the over. I was brought on to bowl a third over. Good over it was, conceding 4 singles. I was given the ball for one last over. 2 off the first 3 balls went for four. I threw in the doosra next ball and it nearly got a wicket as it spun away from him and caught the edge but just wide of the slip I had in there. They got a single off it as well. The young guy was on strike then. I threw in another doosra and beat teh edge. Maybe I should bowl more of them. Last ball was a dot ball. I had 1/28 from 4 over's. I got taken off then. We bowled very well but two of their batsman built a good partnership, one of them scoring fifty. It was going down to the wire. I didn't get to bowl again though. Les took 2 wickets in the 38th over which really turned the game in our favour. They were 192/9 after 49 over's and Les came on to bowl the last over. First ball, full and straight, knocked middle stump out of the ground. Bowled out for 192, they were, losing by 8 runs. I also took a catch, one of the young guys trying to cut but getting a big top edge and I ran around and got under the ball, since I was fielding at point and took it safely. I fielded well again that game. At least I can do that. Hopefully, I get to bat a bit up the order in the next game.

 

[hedger_14]

Been a while since I updated this. We got beaten today. We only had 10 players. We batted first and finished 120/8 or so. I batted at #9 and scored 4*, nearly getting out twice, once mistiming a slog shot to the onside which the fielder just couldn't get to and once, nearly chopping the ball onto the stumps after coming down the wicket to a fast bowler trying to play over mid wicket in the last over. We bowled alright. I fielded pretty well, mostly fielding at point, square leg, short point and short leg. Dropped a catch, one skied over my head and I misread it and ended up running backwards and it ended up being over my head and I could only just get a hand to it.

Bowled 3 over's, 1/9. Bowled fairly well, should have had 2 or 3 wickets. The wicket I got was pulled straight to Tom at deep mid wicket. In my last over, I had an LBW appeal 2nd or 3rd ball which was probably hitting leg stump but the umpire turned it down saying it was going down leg and then Greg dropped a catch on the fifth ball of th over and they had taken the final runs. So we lost by 6 or 7 wickets, I think.

 

[hedger_14]

Yeah. I'm not really updating this anymore. Last day of school today. Played in the Yr 9 vs Teachers match. We got beaten. It was a 25 over match. Sheldon lost the toss and they chose to bat first. I opened the bowling with spin and bowled a good first over only conceding around 4 runs I think. Then I took over the keeping gloves from Sheldon who was just keeping for one over to let me bowl. I dropped a catch in the third or fourth over, one of the teachers edging it wide of me and it only just hit my fingertips. I kept pretty well, the only byes I really let through were down the leg side which I'm not very good at taking them down there. Sheldon took a great catch, Sawko cutting it but getting an edge which went wide of me and Sheldon who was in the slip and he just put his hand well out to the right and it stuck. There was a time when I was pretty much captaining the side when Sheldon was off the field and I had pretty much taken up the role as vice captain already. Anyway, I bowled a few overs later on and got hit around in my last over. I took a catch at short mid on where I decided to field myself and the ball just popped up to me where I caught it. I fielded in a lot of places. fielded at slip, leg slip, leg gully, short fine leg, short mid on, short mid off and short square leg as well as keeping. They ended up with just over 150. I opened the batting with Tom and Tom went second ball of the innings which was pretty bad. We had Lauren coming in next and she got out early on in her innings. I decided to defend a lot and just get singles and 2's. I played pretty well and I finished with 23 off around 40 deliveries which was ████. I didn't hit one boundary in that because by the time, I was settled and ready to go out, I was too tired to hit with a lot of power and ended up running myself out, running back for a risky second but I just wanted to get out. Despite Sheldon's knock of 34* off 10 or 11 balls, including 2 sixes, we still fell short by 35 or so runs. It was a good match but I feel ████ now.