This is a wonderful track. The best club wicket in London. Johnsy their head groundsman is a groundsman’s groundsman- meaning he doesn’t like anyone playing on his wicket. But he prepares belters. The ball hits the bat. There are runs for batsmen. There are wickets in it for every type of bowler over the course of a day.
The club has a semi pro air to it. They love their multicoloured tracksuits here. It is a nice club though. Like many London clubs it has seen an influx of British Asian players. Finchley have been quite an open club for a while. Team photos in the seventies testify to this; they bear the faces of clusters of Asian players. Many leafy London suburban clubs were still practising blatant discrimination until the late 90s.
We started a 40 over game at 2pm. Finchley racked up 255. A former pro called Selwood was brutal. I was asked to open. I left the camera in the scorebox with the sound on. A transcript of what was said by a sorry lot in the score box follows.
PR is Peter Ray. He’s the man who lent on me at lunch 06 in Aston Rowant and said ‘hurry up and get out, I’ve got better players waiting to bat.’ GP is nonagenarian life president and scorer of our team, Johnsy is the groundsman. Moore is a lifelong critic and teamate.
PR: It’s not running or anything is it, it’s not running is it
self: yes is it is
PR: is it really?
Self: I won’t be out there long
GP: we decided the score was 255 did we?
PR: to the best of my recollection yes…It looks like he is going to take first dig. I’ll put my hand up because they wont want to see this. Oh I don’t know looks alright. And he has successfully negotiated the first ball.
Johnsy: better put some more film in. Think he only put in enough for one ball.
PR: did he? Ah yes, you’ve got plan ahead haven’t you, he is a pragmatist if nothing else. He-l-lo,
GP: gosh that was a classical looking shot,
PR: he has smashed it for 1.
GP: he’s got a 1, that’s right
PR: now there have been two wides .Hel-lo, he’s driven him through mid off imperiously. Hel-lo he’s done it again. Look. O-o-oah B has gone. B has gone.
Moore: there’s the shot, that’s it, you see I told you
GP: he doesn’t the control the swing, if his swing was right, it’s the same swing for everything, but occasionally lifts the bloody thing.
Johnsy: there was plenty of film
PR: shall we do a piece to camera and explain how he has been unfortunately caught and bold sadly, so we shall see no more of his colourful personality…
GP: was that Mr Blighton?,( the bowler) first ball,
PR:…. on the pitch; much to disappointment of the assembled crowd.
GP: was that Mr Blighton?
PR: yes it was ,
GP: first ball, first ball
PR: far too good for him
Johnsy: and this is not a feature…..
PF: far too good for him
Johnsy:… length film
Thank god for days like this; days when idle chatter, good humour and comradeship mean a bit more than some bloody score. I mistimed the shot. I could have patted it back. I should have patted it back. I didn’t because those elemental drives, I’d hit, left me skull buzzing high and I thought I could do anything- this is condition is known as the batsman superman complex or misplaced confidence.