Season updates thread

[hodge]

First topic message reminder :

I just thought for anyone who is playing this season that we could have a thread where people give updates on how their season is going both personally and for their team if they are interested?

As I said in another thread I have what are apparantly my university's first every cricket games thursday and friday this week and i'm captaining the side, no pressure there We have Newport cricket clubs midweek team on thursday and face UWE 2nd XI on friday who a freind of mine is captain so we have a little wager on the outcome of the game. Loser has to buy the winner a drink for every club 2nd XI game we both play in Again no pressure there!

Anyways good luck to everyone for this season, unless somehow in some strange case you end up playing against me!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Top work Alfie to make that comeback in season - get yourself rested and ready for next summer!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Season started on Saturday - I was out twice in 5 deliveries for 2 runs. (Dropped on 0, second ball by square leg).

Not a good start!

[alfie]

Season started on Saturday - I was out twice in 5 deliveries for 2 runs. (Dropped on 0, second ball by square leg).

Not a good start!

Only way is up from that !

At least you didn't waste valuable deliveries and mess with the Run Rate

Look forward to a report of a quick bounce-back next week

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

A bounce back indeed happened Alfie! 24 run victory, including 56 off 82 balls for yours truly...played in quite frankly horrid conditions, constant light drizzle all day and tbh if we hadn't already started and got into the match by the time it started, I doubt we'd have gone on and played in it. But, batted much better this week and felt more comfortable, think the conditions made me concentrate properly

https://horsford.play-cricket.com/website/results/5792520

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Last couple of weeks have been not so good for me

Rained off three weeks ago

Two weeks ago we were away at 1st in the division, with only 10 players (of which 4 were players, playing up a side) - won the toss and batted first, was going nicely on 18* before I was triggered by one of our own players for one which never in a million years was hitting the stumps, going miles down leg to the point only the bowler half appealed and the keeper was like "oh he's given you out". Just what you need

This saturday was bowled for 1, dumb dumb leave which bowled me off stump. Not my finest moment, wasn't concentrating properly

[alfie]

Last couple of weeks have been not so good for me

Rained off three weeks ago

Two weeks ago we were away at 1st in the division, with only 10 players (of which 4 were players, playing up a side) - won the toss and batted first, was going nicely on 18* before I was triggered by one of our own players for one which never in a million years was hitting the stumps, going miles down leg to the point only the bowler half appealed and the keeper was like "oh he's given you out". Just what you need

This saturday was bowled for 1, dumb dumb leave which bowled me off stump. Not my finest moment, wasn't concentrating properly

Bu..er of a time for DRS to go down , eh

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Last couple of weeks have been not so good for me

Rained off three weeks ago

Two weeks ago we were away at 1st in the division, with only 10 players (of which 4 were players, playing up a side) - won the toss and batted first, was going nicely on 18* before I was triggered by one of our own players for one which never in a million years was hitting the stumps, going miles down leg to the point only the bowler half appealed and the keeper was like "oh he's given you out". Just what you need

This saturday was bowled for 1, dumb dumb leave which bowled me off stump. Not my finest moment, wasn't concentrating properly

Bu..er of a time for DRS to go down , eh

Honestly I know it's only a village game of cricket, but you spend all week pulling a side together, you're finally playing and not only playing, I was feeling SO good with the bat too (which like happens a few times a year), and you're not even out when you're out.

This dumb sport that we love really tests you sometimes

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

So last three weeks I've posted scores of 34, 40 and then today, 104*

Properly in the groove batting wise - game has never felt as good. 104* today was in a score of 165-8 team wise, next top score was 18...! Scorecard below for proof

https://horsford.play-cricket.com/website/results/5793449

[guildfordbat]

So last three weeks I've posted scores of 34, 40 and then today, 104*

Properly in the groove batting wise - game has never felt as good. 104* today was in a score of 165-8 team wise, next top score was 18...! Scorecard below for proof

https://horsford.play-cricket.com/website/results/5793449

Wonderful, Olly - really well done! And a couple of snaffles as well.

PS I assume ''your Jamie Smith'' isn't the Surrey and future England player.

[alfie]

Well done Olly ! Glad to hear you are on a run of great form.

We should maybe give Baz a call : you wouldn't have missed that stumping I'm sure

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Bizarre game today - opposition batted first and were 80-2 off 15 overs at the first drinks break, and ended up 99 all out after 23 overs. Not seen a collapse quite like it!

We knocked it off for two down, I got 43*. This following last week, where me and my best mate Rob knocked off 142 as the opening pair and I ended 65*.

Good couple of wins, good few weeks. 10 games into the year, 364 runs at an average of 52 (those red inkers the last few weeks helping!). 2 fifties and a century. Seeing it so well at the moment, just need to remember to keep my head and get myself in (week after the century was out for 1, flashing at a wide one 3rd ball)

https://horsford.play-cricket.com/player_stats/batting/4986545?rule_type_id=179

[alfie]

Very late start to a season for me : that shoulder issue flared and kept me out of the early games this year and then it rained for two weeks solid. Some trepidation yesterday wondering if the tricky body parts would hold up for even a couple of overs ... rather relieved when my very first ball removed the opposition opener who unwisely left an inswinger...thought then it might be my lucky day.

Sort of was as I ended up bowling a full allocation of 8 overs and taking 5/22 (without my arm actually falling off) ; though it and other joints are a bit sore this morning. But unfortunately we then managed to drop about ten catches allowing the opposition to regroup and post a winning score. Hasn't been a good season so far for my usual side but hoping we can do better when resuming after Christmas... but at least I can now look forward with some confidence to playing regularly again in January...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Very late start to a season for me : that shoulder issue flared and kept me out of the early games this year and then it rained for two weeks solid. Some trepidation yesterday wondering if the tricky body parts would hold up for even a couple of overs ... rather relieved when my very first ball removed the opposition opener who unwisely left an inswinger...thought then it might be my lucky day.

Sort of was as I ended up bowling a full allocation of 8 overs and taking 5/22 (without my arm actually falling off) ; though it and other joints are a bit sore this morning. But unfortunately we then managed to drop about ten catches allowing the opposition to regroup and post a winning score. Hasn't been a good season so far for my usual side but hoping we can do better when resuming after Christmas... but at least I can now look forward with some confidence to playing regularly again in January...

Great to hear that news Alfie - both you are back playing, but also rattling through the oppo again! On the honours board

[alfie]

Why thank you , Olly. I suppose the stars aligned for me on Saturday and not really expecting to find the going as easy in January...but we do play the same opponent a few rounds on so will be interesting to see if they've worked me out

Seriously , just delighted to be able to play again - have found Saturdays strangely empty when unable to do more than spectate. Keeping fingers crossed that the body will hold together for the next couple of months . And hopefully to play a moderately useful part for the team going forward...

[alfie]

While waiting for play to resume in India , a final (somewhat self-indulgent , forgive me ) season report ...

As fate would have it , January didn't bring me continued success...maybe overdid it at practice which caused more injury issues . So after a couple of short and unsuccessful spells - not helped by the fact that we kept getting bowled out for under 100 so defending became frankly impossible - and annoyingly having to miss a couple of games due to some healthy weeks coinciding with byes for the side , a related injury sidelined me for most of February

Desperate to play the last round yesterday (team was short of players anyway) so combined massage , painkillers and perhaps unwise determination to play through anything and opened the bowling : again with a lousy 110 on the board. Got smacked for a few boundaries by an aggressive opener keen for an early beer but had the last laugh when he skied one to mid off  ... and happily also found that after a couple of (painful !) overs the muscles sort of settled and finished with some respectable tight overs in a bit more comfort. We lost , but at least made them work for the runs so altogether not a bad note to end the season on. Hope it isn't my swan song (bit of physio work needed for the next few months !) but if it was then at least gratifying to finish with a couple of my old teammates who had also made the effort to come back from injury absences.

Bit sore today but wouldn't have missed it for anything. Just love this game...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

While waiting for play to resume in India , a final (somewhat self-indulgent , forgive me ) season report ...

As fate would have it , January didn't bring me continued success...maybe overdid it at practice which caused more injury issues . So after a couple of short and unsuccessful spells - not helped by the fact that we kept getting bowled out for under 100 so defending became frankly impossible - and annoyingly having to miss a couple of games due to some healthy weeks coinciding with byes for the side , a related injury sidelined me for most of February

Desperate to play the last round yesterday (team was short of players anyway) so combined massage , painkillers and perhaps unwise determination to play through anything and opened the bowling : again with a lousy 110 on the board. Got smacked for a few boundaries by an aggressive opener keen for an early beer but had the last laugh when he skied one to mid off  ... and happily also found that after a couple of (painful !) overs the muscles sort of settled and finished with some respectable tight overs in a bit more comfort. We lost , but at least made them work for the runs so altogether not a bad note to end the season on. Hope it isn't my swan song (bit of physio work needed for the next few months !) but if it was then at least gratifying to finish with a couple of my old teammates who had also made the effort to come back from injury absences.

Bit sore today but wouldn't have missed it for anything. Just love this game...

Top stuff Alfie - hope the body doesn’t punish you too much, and some physio and good maintenance over the winter mean that isn’t a swan song!

[guildfordbat]

Top stuff indeed, Alfie. Always good to finish with something in the end column. Winter well, my friend.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Well not many updates from me so far this season - that’s because I’m having a honking time. Top score of 35, only 100 total runs at an average of 16 to date. My worst start to a season in adult cricket since I was 16 in 2012.

Don’t know what it is, but just feel horrible at the crease. Constantly getting bowled which has never been an issue for me with my defensive technique before. Need a bit of luck to go my way and get some confidence back.

On another note, my club has Jordan Neil in as an overseas from South Africa this year. Top player, currently on trial with Notts 2s as he’s looking to get UK citizenship (and if he does, first class counties are very keen). Best bat we’ve had since Chad Bowes a few years back

[dummy_half]

Well not many updates from me so far this season - that’s because I’m having a honking time. Top score of 35, only 100 total runs at an average of 16 to date. My worst start to a season in adult cricket since I was 16 in 2012.

Don’t know what it is, but just feel horrible at the crease. Constantly getting bowled which has never been an issue for me with my defensive technique before. Need a bit of luck to go my way and get some confidence back.

On another note, my club has Jordan Neil in as an overseas from South Africa this year. Top player, currently on trial with Notts 2s as he’s looking to get UK citizenship (and if he does, first class counties are very keen). Best bat we’ve had since Chad Bowes a few years back

So has something changed technically (grip, stance, backlift) or is it a mental thing that the doubts and nerves are getting the better of you? Might be worth getting someone to video you in the nets, especially if you have some footage of when you've been playing well, to see if there's something that feels right but looks wrong from the outside.

Is it one particular type of ball that's bowling you (inseamer?). If so, maybe try taking a different guard (at least in the nets)- say leg or middle and leg, so you are moving a little more across to the ball in defense and giving you a slightly different thought in your head ('got to get over a bit more') compared with the current 'what if I miss it?'. Looking back at what you've posted on here though, you're obviously a very capable batsman, so it's more likely you'll just need a bit of an innings where you can find the middle of the bat consistently for half an hour for the confidence to return.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Well not many updates from me so far this season - that’s because I’m having a honking time. Top score of 35, only 100 total runs at an average of 16 to date. My worst start to a season in adult cricket since I was 16 in 2012.

Don’t know what it is, but just feel horrible at the crease. Constantly getting bowled which has never been an issue for me with my defensive technique before. Need a bit of luck to go my way and get some confidence back.

On another note, my club has Jordan Neil in as an overseas from South Africa this year. Top player, currently on trial with Notts 2s as he’s looking to get UK citizenship (and if he does, first class counties are very keen). Best bat we’ve had since Chad Bowes a few years back

So has something changed technically (grip, stance, backlift) or is it a mental thing that the doubts and nerves are getting the better of you? Might be worth getting someone to video you in the nets, especially if you have some footage of when you've been playing well, to see if there's something that feels right but looks wrong from the outside.

Is it one particular type of ball that's bowling you (inseamer?). If so, maybe try taking a different guard (at least in the nets)- say leg or middle and leg, so you are moving a little more across to the ball in defense and giving you a slightly different thought in your head ('got to get over a bit more') compared with the current 'what if I miss it?'. Looking back at what you've posted on here though, you're obviously a very capable batsman, so it's more likely you'll just need a bit of an innings where you can find the middle of the bat consistently for half an hour for the confidence to return.

The only thing that has changed is I got a new bat this year for the first time in five seasons - not sure I have quite got used to it yet, but that still shouldn't explain the being bowled issue.
I think I might try batting outside my crease, being a bit more proactive with trigger movements...I've never been a huge mover of my feet but they feel stuck in the mud at the moment. Think rather than waiting on it, I might need to chance my arm a touch

[king_carlos]

I've long been a fan of, "swing yourself into form", in club cricket. I used to become a nervous wreck after a few low scores. I'd bat like I was terrified of getting out. Footwork becomes tentative, suddenly you can't do anything. "You're only ever a couple of boundaries from being back in form", is some of the best advice I've got in those situations. I started trying to flay a couple away early.

[formerly known as Sam]

Leicester Tigers have defeated Scarlets 31-7 at Welford Road. Tigers rotated the side heavily during the game and used scrum half Whiteley as a back up 10 but still won comfortably.

Only downside appears to be Mike Brown hobbling off, young Joe Woodward got another run out at 15, which seems to be a new position for the skillful inside centre who also played 10 whilst coming through the academy.

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