Story My Journey Through County Cricket [C2k4]

[Deleted member 13648]

Usually Sundays are utter shite, but this week there's a change. It's just gone 7:20 in the morning but I'm not bothered as the excitement is rushing through me. Today I'm going to meet some of domestic cricket's biggest stars. Andrew Flintoff, Jimmy Anderson, Sajid Mahmood, Stuart Law, Brad Hodge, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dominic Cork and many others. First though, a 2 hour train to Manchester's Piccadilly Rail Station. 2 hours goes quick when you're listening to your iPod (Muse and t'Arctic Monkeys mainly). Bloody hell Manchester is big! Considering the biggest city I've been to is Nottingham, Manchester is a darn sight bigger than that. I got off the train and hailed a taxi just outside the station and I told the driver I was heading for Old Trafford, Lancashire's home. A 10 minute drive around Manchester before I saw it. Old Trafford. Not the crappy football stadium though, the cricket ground. It looked amazing from the outside, and I'm sure it looked just as nice from the inside.

Old Trafford. Hopefully I'll get a lot of cricket here this season​

I walked in and Mr Evans was waiting for me in the entrance. We both walked through to the player's lounge and he got us some drinks. He asked me how the ride down was and we made some jokes, then he got onto the cricket side of business. He told me that he and Lancashire's cricket manager Mike Watkinson had both discussed at length and had come to the conclusion that they wanted me to play a big part in Lancashire's season. I was thrilled! I couldn't believe that only a mere week ago I was contemplated another season playing for Grantham Cricket and maybe hoping to get into the 1st XII, but now I'm expected to play for Lancashire Cricket Club, I really have to lie down now. However, there was no time for that as my new team-mates would be coming in soon for a pre-season briefing. After a few more minutes chat with Barry about how I was extremely grateful to him for giving me this oppurtunity, the team came in through the doors. The first thing that hit was the enormous size of Freddie. He looks big on TV, imagine him in the flesh. Before I knew he it he was talking to me asking what sort of player I was. I didn't want to come across as arrogant so I just more of a bowler who can bat a bit. He laughed and said that I was an all-rounder then. I was amazed at how nice he was. He even took me round introducing me to the other lads. I was pleased I got to meet Jimmy Anderson especially, as I had watched him bowl and tried to emulate him in my own game. Then the briefing started. Mr Watkinson came in and pointed me out saying I was the new lad and that he hoped the lads could make me feel welcome, but to be honest, the attention was a bit overwhelming for me. I had barely said a word all morning but still I was feeling tonnes of pressure. After the brieifing, Freddie said that he'd seen the video that Mr Evans had made of my batting in the nets back in Grantham and he was impressed. He said he'd try and get me a sponsership with his bat makers, Woodworm, but he wasn't making any promises. Okay, could this day get any better?

If all goes right, I'll be using the same bat as Freddie, KP and, errr, Muttiah Muralitharan​

 

[Jaztheman]

nice read there, i actually read your post very good writing and hope you get that sponsership and why would a scout be at granthm nets

 

[Deleted member 13648]

why would a scout be at granthm nets

Cos I was there

 

[surendar]

Freddie said that he'd seen the video that Mr Evans had made of my batting in the nets back in Grantham and he was impressed.

really... And regarding bats, we dont want woodworm.. go for MRF which three main legends have used

Btw, layout is very neat! :cool:

 

[Jaztheman]

Cos I was there

So true :hpraise Tell murali to smile after every wicket and look at the batter like he usually does, it's hilarious.:laugh

 

[kookaburra69]

nice start mate,good luck on the woodworm deal.

 

[treva]

Great to see a pure quality story from you Stu

I have to say cricket 02 is better but 04 is not far off and will make a great story with you at the helm.

Well considering I train at Grantham nets do ya reckon they could pop me a visit

(Seriously, I do train there lol)

 

[Deleted member 13648]

Freddie got me the Woodworm deal! I'm over the moon about it! Never in my dreams did I expect this, a sponsership deal with one of the best bat makers around. I'll be using the Woodworm Torch, used by Kevin Pietersen. I've used it before as one of my old team-mates at Grantham had one, but actually owning my own is fantastic! I can't wait to get out there with it now, I'll get my chance in the first game against Surrey in a few days.

Bit flash eh?​

The game against Surrey is at their place, The Oval. Personally, I've always seen it as a great ground. After all, it's where England regained the Ashes in 2005. I cannot wait to test myself against some top class cricketers in the shape of Mark Butcher, Graham Thorpe, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammad Akram and Mark Ramprakesh. In fact, I was given a team sheet for the game.

Surrey
S.Newman
R.Clinton
M.Butcher
M.Ramprakash
G.Thorpe
J.Batty
R.Clarke
Ashar Mahmood
Harbhajan Singh
Mohammed Akram
J.Ormond

Lancashire
I.Sutcliffe
M.Chilton
B.Hodge
S.Law
A.Flintoff
S.Cullington
W.Hegg
D.Cork
J.Anderson
G.Keedy
Muttiah Muralitharan

The Oval, where I'll get my first taste of County cricket​

 

[Leicester Fox]

These are 2 top sides. Surrey will have to hope theres no spin with Keedy and Murali. With you and Fred as well Lancs have the stronger attack but that Surrey side looks very strong. What a ground to debut on! nice pres too

 

[PhilD123]

Not a bad ground to start your life in county cricket, although OT would have been better.

You'll do well, just dont get star struck at the sheer brilliance of the whole team

Great start Culli.

 

[Jaztheman]

Good luck with debut Stu, hope it is a blast.

 

[Deleted member 13648]

Match-day. I cannot believe it's here already. It only seems like yesterday that I was on my way to the Grantham nets. It's a horrid day, I was expecting it to be sunny and a lovely day for cricket. Instead, we get a damp pitch and grey clouds. Still, the ball will swing around a bit and will virtually stop on the batsman. So naturally, when Stuart Law won the toss he decided the bowl first. I was pretty happy to field first as it could give me a chance to see what would be a decent total.

You can imagine my joy when I stepped out and saw this...​

We walked out onto the wicket and took our positions. I was told field in the covers which I was more than happy to do as it means I would get a good overall view of the action. Right then, the action was just about to start. Jimmy checked his run-up one last time and then he was ready to bowl. He came firing in and nearly made the break-through immediatley, finding the edge of Newman but the ball flew over the slips and rocketed away to the boundary leaving us all amazed at how Surrey still have not lost their first wicket. After this scare, Surrey knuckled down a bit and were scoring at a quick rate. Only a few plays and misses off the bowling of both Cork and Anderson. Stuart Law was thinking about his next move and on the 10 over mark he brought on Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. Usually bringing on a spinner that early in an innings would be crazy, but with the pitch damp, I can just imagine that the skipper was thinking that the immense spin of Murali would be able to get the breakthrough. However, the Surrey batsman did well to keep Cork and Murali at bay for the best part of 5 overs. That was until Murali flighted one in a bit fuller than usual, and invited Newman to go over the top. Newman tried to loft Murali over the covers but didn't get enough on it leaving a pretty straight forward catch for myself. I was delighted to have played a part in the first wicket of our season. The score was now 33/1 and we looked in a good position with lunch creeping ever closer.

Murali's brilliance proved too much for Newman​

The wicket ball was the final delivery of Murali's over which brought Cork back into the attack and with the first ball in that over he nearly got the second wicket in as many balls. He ran in and bowled probably the quickest delivery of the day and hit Clinton on the pads with a beautiful inswinger and everyone went up for a huge appeal. However, the umpire didn't move and gave the batsman the benefit of the doubt. It was one of those decisions that could go either way, but on this occasion the ball probably didn't do enough to get back in line with the stumps.

Extremely close, but looks like it's missing off-stump​

We looked on top now and every ball that came in from Cork looked like it could take a wicket. In fact, that's just what happened a few balls after the LBW appeal. Although, the wicket won't go down as Dom's. Clinton played an on-drive out to long-on and looked for a single. They managed to get this easily, but a slight mis-field from the fielder at long-on prompted Mark Butcher, now at the striker's end, to call for the second run. The fielder quickly made up for his mistake and threw the ball back into Cork who took the bails off with Butcher barely in the picture. It was a terrible call and a comeplete lack of concentration from Butcher who is of course Surrey's captain. Butcher went without even facing a delivery. The score now 33/2.

A complete lack of concentration from Butcher cost him his wicket​

About 10 overs remained now until we went into lunch but Mark Ramprakash had come in and was hitting Murali around a fair bit. He came in and the first ball he faced was against Murali which he blocked and we thought he'd try and rotate the strike a bit due to the loss of two quick wickets. Instead, the second ball he faced he hit Murali back down the ground with a crisp straight drive that raced away to the boundary. It wasn't a bad ball from Murali either, it was just a superb shot, straight out of the coaching manual. A mere two balls later and Ramprakash had hit Murali to the fence again, this time with a lovely cover drive beating myself and the covers and rocketing to the fence. Stuart Law was looking slightly worried at this point. However, all Ramprakash had succeeded in doing was make Murali more keen on taking his wicket, and this he did, the very next time Ramprakash faced him. Once again, it was a flighted delivery that got Murali his second wicket. This time Ramprakash went to go on the offensive again, trying to sweep Murali, but he top-edged it and gave a simple catch to wicket-keeper Hegg. With the score now on 57/3, we looked in a very strong position heading into lunch.

Ramprakash made a good start but Murali got the ultimate revenge​

Thorpe and Clinton managed to successfully guide Surrey into lunch without the loss of further wickets. Also, Freddie was introduced into the attack replacing Cork and keeping it tidy for the most part, but not creating any major threats thus far.

​

 

[evertonfan]

Warren Hegg!!!!!!

Legend!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Leicester Fox]

Ramprakash looked god there. A nice start for Lancs with their attack being very strong

 

[PhilD123]

Lancs you beauty! Brilliant start to the season, Murali's been superb!

Great work Culli.