Story William Rose - My Attempt at greatness! - SOTM November -

[rosewt02]

Note - this game will be based off ICC 3 and I want to apoligize for my first story however I have already part of this story already so no worries about me ending it early.

My names William Rose, I went through the ranks of Yorkshire when I was scouted as a bowling all rounder (fast medium) at the age of 14 however at the age of 19 they decided they couldn?t keep me just to play 2nd XI games. I was devastated I really thought that maybe I could achieve things for Yorkshire. The season ended and I thought I had blown my big chance to become a professional cricket player. Yorkshire was always very kind and they invited me to a ECB run academy in which teams would scout players. I had no other cricketing offers; I was still at University so I had no real job either.

I played with some really amazing players when I was there. I began to realise this was a big mistake. The players were all bigger, fitter, better and more confident than me. But that didn?t stop me. I tried my best and began to realise that the academy had given up hope for me. I was being paired with other weak players and even though I was taking wickets, I was still being ignored by coaches. I continued to work on my bowling as I constantly experimented new things but it was no use. They had already made up their minds on me. My batting however seemed to be constantly improving as I started to be able to hit even the best bowlers in the academy (the rare times I was paired with them) away.

The academy however treated people terribly. The food was appalling and they had no respect for people?s well beings. I was tough though and I wouldn?t let them get to me and even with the poor food and the bad treatment my dream to become a cricketer wasn?t a million miles away if I could just get scouted. The academy had less people each day, the bosses of it treated people so badly that they dropped out.

With a week left of the academy realism kicked in. There was twenty people in nets considered higher than me who got better food and better treatment. There were only 5 counties who used this academy and with twenty people at their finger tips I didn?t stand a chance. But I was so determined that maybe even without my natural ability I would carry on trying. Soon the academy came to an end, Yorkshire took people from it but sadly I wasn?t one of them. I left the academy with no offers from clubs and all I got from this was a sad experience.

Days later with only two weeks before the new season, I was just checking my email when I found an email entitled: ?Glamorgan CC? They said that they wanted to give me a few games and see if I was up to the challenge, I wasn?t sure if it was right for me. I would have to leave my university, leave my family, and leave Yorkshire. It was a really tough decision for me but with major support from my family and friend I decided it was right. I signed a one year contract with Glamorgan.

 

[Chewie]

Looks like a good start

Keep it up! It's always good to see ICC stories here

 

[Gorro_124]

Impressive start there! Good luck with this one mate!

 

[Dutchmen]

'wow' luckily you've escaped from the trouble. That' really good bit of writing and the presentation is quite excellent either. Good luck pal!

 

[harrisb]

Nice writing, hopefully this story can go the distance, it's got a good back-story, and has got the ability to grow.

 

[rosewt02]

I arrived at Glamorgan and no surprise; I was playing in the second team. I took 9 wickets in my first 4 matches at 27.8. But Glamorgan lost all their first six matches and looked clueless when Simon Jones was injured. But I was called up from the second team for a debut against Kent in the Challenge Trophy South.

Glamorgan Vs Kent
Challenge Trophy South​

I was so nervous, I expected nerves to get the better of me. Glamorgan were really calling on me, 20 years old to play for them. We got off to an average start but really speeded up when Michael Powell hit 70 and James Maher also hit 70 but a collapse started and we went from 154-1 to 184-6. I came in at 8; I needed to see the team through to the end of innings while scoring at a decent rate. I think I needed the toilet.

It couldn’t have gone worse! First ball! Tyron Henderson bowled the same ball to me as he had done to Bragg the ball before and we were both out, exactly the same way, LBW. I came in and through my pads on the floor and moaned about how bad my shot was for about half an hour. But Davies and Croft took us through to 235/8 after the innings. It was defendable.

Another surprise! I was given the new ball! I didn’t believe it, first game and I was already trusted with the valuable new ball, well that and no one else wanted it. And in my second over, I took the massive wicket of Rob Key, it was unbelievable. Rob Key! One of the best players ever, well maybe that’s an exaggeration but it was still a marvellous moment in my career. I bowled him one that went away off the seam and took the edge and was caught at slip. I was mobbed by the team mates and I couldn’t have loved it more. However I was expensive, after four overs for 24, the skipper came up to me and said one more expensive over and you can have a rest, the pressure was on. They had made a good start – 45-1 off 8 overs. But then I bowled three dots before getting one to come back in and Martin Van Jaarsveld played round it and I had my second victim, I could get used to this. But Andrew Hall had to ruin my wicket maiden with one off the last ball, what a tw*t.

Me and Andrew Davies were both taken off after six overs each and we were replaced by Melvyn Betts and Robert Croft. Both bowled superbly as they were reduced to 128/4 off 30 overs. Still needing 108 runs off 20 overs, the game was in our half. Davies and Sheriyar were brought on and Davies took two wickets as he bowled out and the game was surely ours. They were 170 for 6, still needing 6 an over. But that had to be when I was brought back on. My first over went for 8, I was gutted. I thought I was going to give the game back to them but Sheriyar backed me up at the other end bowling an over for one and I that was fine with me, I no longer was worried. I had good reason to be, what was I doing? A no ball and a wide in one over! It went for 11. Crofty – the skipper – gave me a stern look, he may seem all kind but he can be very scary. It was worse though, Sheriyar bowled an over for 11, 7 overs to go, 35 needed. I had two overs left and I was determined to make a hero for myself.

Dot, dot, dot, It was going great. Just had to carry on like this. Oh wait, four, six. They’d won surely, it was all my fault. I was gutted. I ran into bowl knowing this had to be out. I bowled a beauty that pitched on off stump and came in quite a way and he thick edged it. CATCH! Peng drops it! What an idiot! How could he do that? It was a dolly! They needed 12 off five overs by the time I bowled again, the over only went for two but I was too upset to be happy about that. I’d finished my spell, 10-0-63-2. They won by four wickets, I blamed myself. Well not entirely I still feel it was Pengs fault.

Kent won by 4 wickets​

 

[rosewt02]

Training -

Getting up at nine on a monday morning to train sounds horrible but I just wanted to show Glamorgan what I was capable of so i couldn't wait for this weeks training. Skipper Crofty seemed to think that I wasn't fit enough after my recent university life and wanted to test me with some laps round the training ground. And by some laps he meant three miles! I mean I was one of the fitter lads at university but really three miles took it out of me and our other youth players B Wright and Kyle Tudge were much more prepared. They were much quicker than me and they seemed like three miles was nothing. This was like my twentieth session, why had they suddenly decided I was unfit?

By the time the coach and skipper had decided I should actually join the rest of the lads at the nets I was shattered. I knew that my bowling would be off to put it losely and the lads would punish me. There was a negative atmoshphere in the squad mainly based at me and Sheryiar. We were both new to the squad and had only pllayed a handful of games between us, our team hadn't won a game and they thought the game against Kent was a big chance for that to change.

I would be bowling to Peng, brilliant! Bouncer coming first ball but he just stepped back and pulled me way too easily, that wouldn't stop me. I was really gonna get Peng for ruining my debut and next ball I had him playing and missing. This continued for another twenty balls as he couldn't lay a firm bat on me, i was really bowling well. Then Peng changed for other nwebie Ben Wright and straight away he showed he could be a great talent with a couple of attacking but safe shots. A big shot straight down the nets impressed the coach but it wasn't long before his "sensible" play got him out as he tried to push one of my inswingers and edged onto his stumps. The coach told me to change nets and get padded up and I was really looking foward to impressing with the bat.

Croft would be bowling to me and immediatly he had me hit in line with the stumps and a cheeky wink told the whole story. He then brought the nets to an end and that was training. Dissapointed with my short batting time to say the least.

 

[Rohit Doshi]

The writing is absolute fantastic

The shot you played was indeed poor

 

[Aussie Team]

Geez that's a great start! I'm not sure whether it is 3 or not because it don't look like it is.

 

[rosewt02]

Cheers for the comments guys
And i know but when the screenshots go through photoshop for some reason the backgrounds go different but its definatly cricket captain 3

 

[rosewt02]

Glamorgan Vs Middlesex
First Class Debut ​

Remarkably they kept me in the team, I don?t think I could believe it, I prepared for my FC debut against Middlesex. The coach told me I was playing and I was extremely nervous. This meant everything to me and I could see there was a bad aroma after the OD game against Kent. I still blamed Peng because he dropped the catch.

We got off to an amazing start with Hemp and Peng ? the cheeky b*stard ? both hitting centuries. I came in at 387 for 6 but I could tell there was some bad chemistry with me and Peng. He is just a nasty individual and thank god, he edged to slip and we were 387/7. I should have been annoyed but in my head I was doing a little fist punch. But then I feel for 2. Still yet to score any proper runs and I was again walking back to the pavilion complaining about how I got out. We carried on batting and got to 433 all out. Croft had stern words with me afterwards and I was beginning to take a dislike to him as well. But he is my captain, mouth shut.

Me finding second slip with an edge​

Me and Davies both bowled averagely however and found them 49/0 after our spells had finished. But Sheriyar bowled a knee high full toss which Ed Smith struck like a bullet at me. But I caught a convincing catch at short-midwicket and I was over the moon. Two overs later and I was at it again, a short ball was pulled straight up into the air and right down my throat. Get in! Crofty and me then both came on to bowl and I tied the batsman down at one end while he took the second wicket of the innings ? again with a full toss, that?s were im going wrong. I tried one myself, it went for four. Gutted! But I carried on supporting the skipper and he took another wicket. This time the ball pitched.

Day two ended and I was taken off. With no hope with the ball I resorted back to fielding and I took another catch with Croft the bowler, he tried to drive It through cover but edged the ball straight to me. Im unstoppable (but only in the field.) Sheriyar ended up cleaning them up taking 6/58 and Croft took 4/57. Oh and I took another catch, taking my innings tally to five or was it six?

 

[Ollie_H]

Shame to see you go wicketless, looks as if it could be a bit of spinners pitch. Although Shreys kind of proves that wrong, anyway it's always hard for a youngster to get in on the wickets so early in his career.

Anyway, it's nice to that writing isn't dead and you don't need fancy graphics to create a good story (although it does help form some of the members).

 

[ShamiLoverGlipGlops]

The writing is absolutely brilliant Really good to see this story do this well

Although you could not do much but as Ollie said, it's always difficult for new comers especially when it's a spinner

 

[Rohit Doshi]

The writing is really nice to read Still time left and hope to see you taking wickets

 

[qpeedore]

I'm loving this story. Keep it up.