Monday 5 April 2010

Cricket Tales (3) All a blur

One year the League Management Committee decided to appoint me to stand in the Division 2 Knock-out Final. The two teams were from a mining village and rural village and there was no quarter asked or given between miners and farmers.

There was a big crowd at the match which exacerbated the nervousness I felt about the day. The match was at MCC - Marehay Cricket Club. The ground has a major advantage over many other grounds. The local pub is by the side of the ground, indeed french windows lead from the bar onto the ground.

Umpires have to arrive early to inspect the wicket, ensure the boundary is marked and that there are sufficient cricket balls of appropriate quality. This we did and we adjourned to the bar. About ten minutes before the match started there was a bit of a stir, as who should arrive but none other than the League's President, the Duke of Rutland. He insisted on buying the umpires a large stiffener as it was a cold overcast day. Big mistake. Come the start of the match I wobbled out to the middle in more or less a straight line.

The rest of the day is a bit of a blur. I recall one run-out decision greeted with approbation, indeed acclamation, by the crowd and a not out to an appeal for a catch which resulted in some rather rude banter!

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