October 21, 2003

Shouldering Arms

Apologies to those uninitiated to the game of cricket; the following necessarily includes various elements of cricket jargon.

Now that we've won our second match, I feel more able to laugh about my method of dismissal on the first day of the season.

Having volunteered to open the batting and having survived the first few overs, I was facing up to a young in-swing bowler. The ball was delivered wide of off stump and I instinctively shaped to let it go through to the keeper. Unfortunately for me, the ball not only swung in but cut in off the wicket as well, clipping the top of my pad on its way to hitting the stumps. Off I trudged.

The following Saturday morning I was giving a pep talk to the Under 12 team that I coach. They had been dismissed for a low score and I felt they needed to learn the basics of defending balls on the stumps. The boys listened attentively until one piped up with the question: "How did you get out last week, Mr Pitty?"

I had to admit that playing any shot at all to a ball on the stumps, rather than shouldering arms, was a good start! And keeping a sense of humour at one's own expense certainly helps.

Posted to Cricket, Personal by Keith Pitty
Comments

yup, I was nearly out to a particularly quick bloke the same way. fortunately just missed the outside of off stump. unfortunately played and missed the next ball which started on middle swung away, hitting the top of off. my excuse was it was 5.40pm and they had stopped playing at the SCG just up the road 20 mins earlier due to the light (it was diabolical, dickhead ump!). At least I got him LBW from my FIRST ball to him earlier (3 fer 8 off 7)

btw. Oskar signed up for his first year of U8s and I said at the rego I don't mind helping out now and then. Predictably, when we turned up at the jumper day they handed me the kit and a manual, and now I'm coach! Had our first run on Saturday, good bunch of kids.

Posted by: Jed Wesley-Smith at October 21, 2003 4:40 PM

Onya, Jed! Great to see you are participating so actively in handing down the cricketing tradition from father to son. Brace yourself... looks like you have quite a few seasons of coaching ahead of you!

Posted by: Keith Pitty at October 21, 2003 5:27 PM

I'll wait and see how I get though one first ;-) really enjoyed the the first day anyway!

Posted by: Jed Wesley-Smith at October 24, 2003 12:27 PM