Another season and the last of getahundred. Enough, enough….
Love cricket though I do, chronicling it in this way isn’t healthy. All blogging is an illness and no amount of self awareness hides that. Get your kicks reading other bloggers is the way ahead I think. And some writers out there, do it well and better; none more so than Old Batsman, Jarrod Kimber and others who I should mention and will mention, blogroll later.
First game of the season today- has been for some time- in Cambridge against the university 2nds; the Crusaders. The mob I play this game for use to play the colleges in a pre-season tour over a week.
And it was 15 years ago I met a Motherwell shirted - or was it Clyde? - bald, drunk Scotsman in a college bar after a game. He was aggressive, abusive and great fun. Irvine he said his name was.
After a night of hard drinking with one of our players who got on famously with him, he handed over a signed copy of his book. That player, a young 60 year old insurance broker then read bits of the book- Trainspotting, I think- to us, the next day in the dressing room.
‘Rubbish, the stuff that gets published these days’ was the standard response. You suspect that Welsh, had he started writing in the Internet age might have tried blogging. But how would you have come by his work? At the St Catharine’s College bar?
There was no chance of getting this hundred. We needed 70 odd to win when I got in. Still went out there and had a whirl with a limited edition Stuart Surridge jumbo as part of a kit review I was doing for a new gig I’ve talked my way into.
The story of Stuart Surridge’s decline in the 90s (they were bought by a rival and mothballed) is arguably a metaphor- a crap one- for the shift of power eastward in cricket. While Surridge languished for a decade, in that vacuum an Indian SS - Sareen Sports Sunridges, which should should make it SSS no?- took over to become the brand globally recognised as SS in cricket.
Not since the fictional Cleo Mcdowell named his fast food chain Mcdowell’s, gave them golden arches, Big Mics not Big Macs, and claimed that defining difference was that his buns had no sesame seeds to fight copyright suits, has one brand coincidentally shared so many similarities with another.
15 Comments
Tom, good to see you back. Love the look of joy on the faces of your team-mates as they caught sight of the jumbo. It’s making me smile like an idiot. 13th August 1976 was my first ever day at Test cricket. Not a bad day to get, first up…
You were there in 76′. Nothing comes remotely close. The narrative that things were always better in the past is not one I’ve ever supported except in some moments of cricket and sport in general. Watch the crowds on you tube, spilling over, kids by the boundary ropes; all pre multimedia age I know but still… I was only a year old but it feels like I was there.
Was only a nipper myself I must add, but King Viv immediately exerted a hold on my imagination that has never been relinquished. England went in at the end of the day, and the people behind us took turns watching Dennis Amiss face Mikey holding through binoculars. Death was anticipated. Next day, he got 200. Amazing match.
Like watching Sobers again - are you any good with the horses too?
very tempted not to publish this but flattery, hell I’ll lap it up even if -if?- certain ridicule follows.
look out for next post where I bat like Garfield the cat.
TR
So, does Third Man get it right, you want to make a hundred using purely attacking shots? Looks like you play on decent tracks. Do you play tennis or squash on the morning of the match or would that be too calculated? This getting the eye in business is important but you don’t have to do in ‘at the wicket’. Just a thought.
TM
Third man, must blogroll you. you’re the first blog I’ve seen that uses archive in an entertaining yet contemporary format.
Re hundred. 50 balls or less. I’ll take any runs if I can get them but if I’ve got my mojo and the oppo take themselves seriously, then the challenge is on.
‘Eye in’- I’m a balance man. If I’ve got it. Game on.
Just a quick note to say it is sad that your blog has come to an end, but it has provided many hours of enjoyment so thanks for the work put into it, good luck with the season and best of luck in getting that hundred.
This blog has not come to an end; I have succumbed to the cult of busyness but fear not, I’ll go back to doing f’all soon and have plenty of time to upload.
Phew! Read the VLOG and thought that was it, no more video diary and witty comments and perhaps no more writing? Thankfully, it sounds like you’re busy and you’ll be resuming once you’ve got some time to do so. Good to see you being bowled by the slow bowler though and I’ll be looking forward to more spinners taking your wickets ensuring your never reach that 100!
Cheers for adding my blog to the blogroll and I’ll look forward to your next installment.
Dave
i can’t believe you’ve never made a hundred. some of your strokeplay is pure sobers. you’ll get there - knuckle down, control yourself, be selective. no one in cricket history gets to make a ton entirely on their own terms. loved the m&h behind the scenes as well.
cheque is in the post
Sobers?
Tom, please blog this season - you’re an inspiration to Summertime dreamers everywhere.
Will be writing again. I’ve taken a pause but still filming. Will resume midway or at the end of the season when I will post the 2010 games. I started the blog like this- posting material retrospectively.
Best
Tom
Good to see that you are still going. Can’t wait for the next updates!
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