Jonesy's Blog.

Top Contributors
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

That sucks then.

Woooooooooooooooooooooooo. Had juniors tonight. We started steadily, losing 1 wicket in 20, but only going a touch over 3 an over. Our best batsman got dropped first ball, but only went on to make 10-15ish. Our second best batsman did basically the same, and we thought we were totally screwed. We needed like 70 off 10 or something with 4 wickets in hand. We had a really good partnership, bringing us to need like 4 off 3 overs, when one of them hit it to the fielder, didn't call and just ran. Bang. I was in. Last ball of the 3rd last over. Could not see a bloody thing, the ball hit me in the box, rolled down onto my stumps, hit them. I just stood there waiting for the bails to fall of. But luckily they didn't. Next over the other batsman just dropped and we ran. Then the field came it super close. Short cover, short mid-wicket, point was super short too. Band cut shot, got 2 runs. Needed 2 to win in 2 overs. Blocked out the rest of the balls but on the last ball I hit a drive-ish. The bowled was bowling loopy pace so it was hard to get a hold of, but I smothered the ball into a gap for 2. We won with an over to spare.

I dunno why I was batting at 8 though - I had gone from 4 last year to 8 this year, when we just had one player who wasn't in the team last year batting before me. The guy who coached us last year was shocked that I wasn't batting higher too. I mean, I'm not a super batsman but IMO I can bat pretty well sometimes. This guy from the 4ths came down too, he couldn't play u16s because we had too many, and he reckons I should be batting higher too. Hmm. Hopefully next week I'll get up the order a bit.

Oh yeah and at training I got to bat on one of the turf nets, was sweeeeeeeet.

Got seniors tomorrow. Should be interesting. But quietly I'm not too confident about it. But hey, I thought we'd lose easily today and I was wrong...
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

Fair play lad, good thing you "accidentally" superglued the bails on eh...

IMO, middle order batting isn't based so much on ability than on attitude. Some people need to be moved up the order and told to "go for it" - as they might be too nervous and defensive at 8 trying to protect the tail. It's also great if you can afford to have someone with a bit of talent and a good head on their shoulders at 8 or 9, so that if the other batsmen fail, there's someone there to see the game home - as you managed to do quite well by all accounts.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

Yeah I guess.

Welllllllllllll today almost straight away we lost a wicket, the guy left it and it hit the stumps (must of swang a mile). Then another player went for a duck and suddenly we were about 5/80 and I decided to chuck the whites on. We had a few good partnerships here and there. There was one suicide run that we had, the ball was thrown to the keepers end, but the keeper knocked the stumps over without the ball, and our square leg gave him out, but luckily their keeper was good enough to say it wasn't out.

Thinks went on, I couldn't watch and finally we lost the 9th wicket, and we needed 20 to win, off a heap of overs. Me and the number 10 batted well, for about an hour. Just defending and hitting the bad balls. We had to guys fielding basically on the pitch, lol. The offie nearly hit one of them in the head :p. So yeah, then the number 10 edged a pretty good ball and it was all over. We lost by 5. Opposite to last night, I guess. Anyway, it was good to get some time in the middle, and I felt good. I got like 5 or 6 not out. I just want to have a real innings were I can have some freedom!

The loss didn't feel too bad, but the bad thing was we had to field for another 20 overs (it would of been more but luckily the umpire was happy to let us go). I nearly rolled my ankle chasing after one and stepping in a hole. My ankle was already hurting before that so now it's no good. Gonna get dad to strap it for next week if it's still hurting.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

Thanks mate.

So yeah - Saturday we played a one day game, 40 overs a side. The team they had were hardly a 4th team, more like high 3rds. Our team, where we only have 3 players over 16, and their team, where they have most people in the mid 20s. Hmph. Anyway. I opened the bowling again. Got a wicket 5th ball of my first. Nice inswinger to a left hander, got his middle stump. From then on we struggled though. Some hack got 30 odd, couldn't get bat on ball to our bowlers. I wasn't bowling at the time, but they were just bowling it shortish outside off and he kept trying to cut but never got anywhere near it. We were just cacking our selves in the field, and our captain did some pretty funny sledging, the guy was trying to ignore it but you could tell he was getting frustrated. They ended up getting 5/200, one of their batsmen got ran out on 49 on the last ball of their innings. Lol.

Our batting was just laughable. All out for 62, highest scorer was the extras column, 2 golden ducks (one courtesy of your truly) and between 8 of us we got 8 runs combined. How good are we?! My dismissal was caught behind off a spinner and apparently I was lucking to even get an edge on it, it span that much. Hmm.

And for Hatch, I've almost made it in to the team, just got to survive the last cut of 2 people.

Anyone got any tips for spinners? Because I just can't face them lately.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

Tips for spinners- I find putting them into practice harder than saying them.

Either be right forward or right back, make your decision early, as if you leave to too late bad things happen.

If your playing right forward and its a good ball, just smother it so the spin isnt a factor.

With charging down the wicket, if you choose to do this, again, decide early if youll do it, but don't pre empt the delivery. Even if you charge it, you dont have to smash it, you can just kill the ball. Other than that Ive got nothing mate.

Cheers.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

In regards to spinners, find a mate who likes bowling them and will bowl for a long time. Don the gear and get in the nets and just face him. I did that and I was in there for like an hour, bloody great fun.

If going forward, get as big a stride in, but not so big that you overbalance, to smother the spin.
If the ball is short, try to use all of your crease, you will find it easier to manipulate the ball where you want.
Get the bat in front of pad, pretty important.
I'm no good with using my feet, but if you do, don't premeditate, whatever you do. Use it to flighted balls and, as breeno said, you don't have to whack the crap out of the ball, you can just stroke it.
Try to focus on the ball with all your might. It will help you read the spin. Again with my friend in the net, it became easier to read and play the ball once my attention was completely focused on the ball.
Most of all, wait for the bad ball, every spinner will offer up a boundary ball or a ball to get you off strike, so just use that. No point slogging across the line, in the end, the spinner will win.

Well thats the end of my rant, so hard luck with that match and good luck with both your next match and the Hatch team, whatever it is, it sounds prestigious!
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

Thanks guys.

Got my leggie mate to help me out on Thursday with batting to spinners, but the turf nets weren't rolled properly and the synthetic nets were all being used so we had to go on the grass, which made it really impossible to bat. Anyway, a first XI batsman gave me some hints and said he'd chuck me some next week if there's a free net.

Hatch is basically all the sub-district clubs competing in a u15 comp on turf, but the teams consist mostly of players from different clubs, so the level is pretty high. According to wikipedia it is "Victoria's premier under 15 tournament".

Tonight was a washout. I guess we could of played, but the other team only had 4 players there. We played in worse conditions last week, so I guess they should of had to forfeit, but all well.

Tomorrow looks like a possible washout, too. The second XI keeper or something is injured, so now we only have 3 keepers for 4 teams, so our keeper for the 4ths had to go up to the 3rds, leaving us with a part time keeper. Apparently he is pretty good though, so that's alright. But also, I think a few more people are injured, because we have to have 2 fill ins who came to the club on Thursday. Apparently they're not that good, but we'll see.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

He just said make sure you keep really still when their coming in to bowl and take your time in making decisions because you have a lot more time to make decisions.

Today's match was called off, the pitch was soaked, you could stick half your finger in it. That means it's a 1 dayer next week, which sucks.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

I made it into the Hatch squad for the other team. I doubt I'll make it in for my real club, so it's good. I get 1 sunday off and then we have a practice match. Sucks.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

Thanks mate.

Last night I had the match off (we have 15 players for juniors).

Today we had a 2-dayer turned into a 1-dayer thanks to some rain last week. Opened up the bowling, got 0/10 off 5. Basically from then on we got carted. One guy made 108 not out. He hit sooooooo many sixes. One time he hit it over the road and into someone's front yard and there was like 10 of us looking in their front yard for 10 minutes. Lucky they weren't home. We ended up finding it, but I had to field from boundary to boundary as sweeper every over (what did I do to deserve that?). I had to bowl at the end and got carted for 3 or 4 sixes. All well. Also got a wicket, caught by long on 3/4 to the boundary. Woot? The ended up with 204. Some poor kid got a diamond duck xD. He just got hit on the pads and they ran, but the idiot batsman (who was earlier on trying to convince the umpire that our off-spinner was no-balling. What a tool) kicked the ball away from me, but luckily it went straight to another fielder who ran in and got the run out.

Batting, well we did better than last week, WOOOOOOOT. Our captain made a great 60* plus a few supporting acts meant we got 3/140ish off our 40. Decent effort compared to last week xD.

Oh and the umpire continues to give some pearlers. One got hit for six when we were bowling. We had a fielder back but it went over hit head and to the side a bit, the ump asked him if it was 4 and he said he didn't know and they umpire gave it a 4, and it cleared the rope by like 5 metres, and there was another like that as well.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

Hard luck there mate. Some days are just like that hey? Ah well, your bound to come back stronger
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

Better than the round before's 10/60 :p

I didn't play Friday night (we have 15 players, rotation system argh), today was washed out and tomorrow's Hatch practice match has been washed out as well. So no cricket this weekend.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

That sucks. Our team got rolled last night, and with 2 wickets in hand have to bat 19 overs next week :S
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

Today after much debate and waiting around, we finally got off to a start an hour late. The game was shortened down to 30 overs each thanks to rain. I opened the bowling, and the pitch was so bloody soft, the ball took chunks out of it whenever you bowled it. I got 0/12 off 5 overs opening the bowling. We got them like 6/107 off their 30. We batted like crap, our opener and number 3 both got ducks, top score was like 17 and we got like 50 off our 30. Hmph. All well.
 
Re: Jonesy's Blog.

12 runs in 5 overs; u used the conditions very well.
Any specific plan for bowling.
Unlucky for not getting wickets but keep up the hard work and u will be rewarded.

Virender
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top