导出博客文章Its the preserve of cricketers of any age, location and ability: a Thursday evening, a setting sun, and a practice wicket underdone.
David Fluellen Jersey .So here I am, a nominal batsman on the wrong side of youth, three overs into a spell of ungainly part-time net bowling, awaiting a bat.To the relief of just about everyone, a call finally comes for me to put em on. Ive done this dance a thousand times before, but the gruff command still elicits that short, electric bolt of adrenaline inside. Or is it nerves? Ive never quite worked it out. That Ive survived until this point should instil me with confidence that I will once more, but Ive no time for rationality at this point.Sam, youre in the first net, Im told. Im not usually in the first net. The first net is where our best bowlers bowl. The first net is the good net. I do my best impression of a casual saunter to the mess of cricket bags that lies 20 metres away, and manage to make an important mental note: the quickest bowler in our club is currently batting, so I am free from his thunderbolts for now.There are almost innumerable aims when it comes to net batting. Maybe today Ill summon the courage to use my feet to the spinners. Perhaps I should try to unearth that on-drive that has forever eluded me. Ditto a pull shot. But to bastardise the flightiest of corporate language, these are nothing but blue-sky goals. My true aims are better defined by what I want not to happen.Yes, when it comes to net batting, its simple: dont get hit and dont get out.I unzip my cricket kit with a familiar, concealed tremble of hands. They contradict an external composure as I rifle through my still-disorganised bag in the only way I know how - hastily. Left pad, right pad, wheres my box? Last couple! bellows our organiser as I fumble further for a thigh pad and helmet.My eyes may be trained on my gear but my ears are elsewhere. I hear a distant grunt from an imposing quick in the nets, immediately followed by the thud of leather into flesh. It sounds like inside thigh. A chorus of oohs trails from the bowling cohort, and then a sound even more chilling that that: laughter. The auditory terror prompts me to re-tighten my gloves for the third time as my heart quickens appreciably.My batting predecessor finally completes the third iteration of his last one and the net is mine. Not that Im feeling much ownership of this space. Three sinewy top-grade quicks and a solitary spinner await as I take guard - something I do to simulate a match situation. It immediately feels ridiculous. The bowlers arent fooled; my bat wafts at the first one as I contemplate the concrete in my feet. The ball springs from the back net with a vigour that suggests to me, for a moment, that it may roll all the way back to the bowler. It stops some way short of that. Our eyes meet as if to say Whos fetching this thing? I dont think twice. I get the ball, because for now I am the servant.Minutes pass and I still cannot find the upward social mobility I desperately seek. Balls seem to cannon into a thick outside edge here, the splice of the bat there, or just fizz past me entirely. Like any seasoned cricketer I first turn to my internal compendium of excuses. Is it the wicket? Is it the fading light? Is it that our bowlers regularly bowl from 18 yards? Whatever it is, its hard to find solace when Ive forgotten how the middle of my bat feels. To make matters worse, this always seems to be the time when batsmen in the other nets start receiving praise for glorious front- and back-foot play. I can only guess they are on better wickets.Even so, Ive not been hit, and Im not out.With a hypothetical score of 3 from 17 deliveries, my personal stakes are raised. Our fastest bowler, previously batting, decides to join the first net. I calculate that we are halfway through our allotted batting time, so Ill face a maximum of four or five deliveries from him.We face them more than anyone else, but theres always an oddity to competing against your team-mates. Together on the weekend, you appreciate their efforts from multiple angles - a view from mid-off, a view from gully, a view from the pavilion. Perhaps this is why its so chastening to study the strained face of your clubs fastest bowler front-on as he hurtles in to bowl at you. I feel paralysed by the sum of his physical aggression as I brace for the hard flash of red. He enters his delivery stride, I see something and I waft at that something again. Except, this time it strikes the middle of the bat, sending the ball careering through hypothetical cover-point. The ball rolls back off the net and settles at my feet as I look up to survey the scene.I see an angry young muscular man who wants his ball immediately, so I oblige. I am still in mild shock. My bottom hand, the protagonist in my heroic victory seconds earlier, then became the villain. In returning the vanquished ball to my opponent, my underarm is so limp that it arrives on the half-volley, forcing him into an unwanted bend of the lower back and a higher level of coordination to retrieve the ball. It rolls past him and into the path of a bowler in the second net, who now stops his run-up with a deep groan.My high-pitched Sorry, mate is received without acknowledgement.To be continued…
Brett Kern Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings.
Joseph Parker Jersey . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games.
http://www.cheaptitansjerseyselite.com/?tag=cheap-david-long-jersey . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. WASHINGTON -- Alexander Wennbergs power play goal with 53.6 seconds remaining gave the Columbus Blue Jackets their fourth straight win, 3-2 over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.Washingtons Nicklas Backstrom was called for high-sticking Nick Foligno with 1:34 remaining. Wennberg took a pass from Foligno and slammed it past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby. It was Wennbergs third goal of the season.The goal was confirmed after a video review. It was the Blue Jackets second power play goal of the game.Alex Ovechkins ninth goal of the season midway through the second period gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead, but the Blue Jackets tied it 14 seconds into the third period on Brandon Dubinskys second goal of the season.Backstrom, who scored the games first goal with three minutes gone, his fifth, added an assist on Ovechkins goal.Columbus goal by Nick Foligno in the second period broke Washingtons streak of 15 straight successful penalty kills.
LeShaun Sims Jersey. Game notes Washington was without C Lars Eller and RW T.J. Oshie. Both have upper-body injuries. They were injured in Fridays game against Detroit. . C Paul Carey was recalled from AHL Hershey. . Columbus D Dalton Prout (upper body) missed his third straight game. . D Todd Jones (foot) was out for the sixth straight game. Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella says Jones is back practicing with the team, but isnt sure when hell return.UP NEXT:Blue Jackets: Host Colorado on Monday. They play five games in seven nights.Capitals: Continue season-long five-game homestand against St. Louis on Wednesday.
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