My eldest, Kimbo, has been a player, and follower, of Cricket for as long as I can remember. He even had a trial for Sussex (unsuccessfully).
Rather than play for his old Brighton club, now that he lives back in 'God's own City', he has decided to continue playing for his Bishop's Stortford club, even though it means a long drive every Saturday.
He's always been a good fast bowler, as well as a hard hitting batsman, and last Saturday he scored his first ever century; assuring him a place on the 'Honours Board'.
A knock of 102 against Harlow (not out) won the game last Saturday, and assured his place in the history of the club.
I'm not sure if he's playing again today, but I quite expect he is.
Well done Kimbo!
Oh well done!
ReplyDeleteYour comment went to 'spam'; now retrieved.
DeleteWell down Kimbo! Cricket is still a mystery to me though all my brothers played. I enjoy watching a match , one every ten years or so, because of the novelty. And now I can Google the score and work it out a bit more.
ReplyDeleteAs a native Kiwi I'm not surprised that your brothers played. It's not really as complicated a game that some imagine. In fact it's just a game of scoring points (runs), and the side with the most wins.
DeleteWell done, Kimbo. I loved cricket but I discovered that having only one usable eye meant that I was useless as a batsman or fielder. Being a reasonable bowler just wasn't enough!
ReplyDeleteI loved the game myself. I was a decent bowler, but a hopeless batsman. I quit playing after school.
DeleteGet him signed up for the England Team quick.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite surprised they haven't been in touch!
DeleteOur son played for his Grammar School team, his University team, and the best team in our local league. He was a more than decent batsman and a fabulous 'demon' bowler.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, his knees are no longer in any condition to play cricket, at any level.
This is because at Uni, he decided to not only play cricket, but also 'Ultimate Frisbee', and threw himself flat out on the ground far too often!
Kimbo too played for his school, and also his college in Oxford, in fact he's never really stopped playing his whole life.
DeleteA great achievement and I suspect it is one that Kimbo will remember for the rest of his life. I didn't realise that you were double-barrelled and now I wonder how that happened.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he will. It will have to be recorded somewhere. On St Peter's tablet maybe?
DeleteI must say I do enjoy watching Test cricket but watching 'local' cricket when one is actually a spectator 'in the flesh' rather than 'on the screen' can sometimes be a bit boring.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was briefly in Shropshire I went to see a cousin playing for his village team, and witnessed our postman make the most spectacular catch I've ever seen!
DeleteMy husband had just hung up his bat and so I never had to get involved in producing the 'Teas' , this was perhaps just as well.
ReplyDeleteWe often spent a happy hour or two stopping to watch a couple of teams playing on village greens.
Lady M was roped in to make the Teas on occasions, when he played for his Brighton team. She didn't do it willingly.
DeleteWhat can be nicer that stopping to see a couple of village teams playing in the Summer sunshine on a village green. Nothing is more 'English'.
A game that never really caught on across the pond, someplace in archive there are photos of the only time I have seen it played.
ReplyDelete'Stickball' or 'Baseball' as it became known, was more of an impromptu game that was played on farms, etc. It crossed the pond and was eagerly adopted by the Americans. I imagine it was easier to find a long stick and a ball, than the kit required to play Cricket.
DeleteI believe the first mention of 'Baseball' is in Jane Austin's novel Northanger Abbey, so it must have had some popularity in England.
Congratulations to Kimbo. Well done.
ReplyDeleteA real high-point in his Cricketing career.
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