First experience of Cambridge (almost)
The weekend saw the first what should be a classic series of roadtrips for the Oxford second XI - out to Cambridge. We were playing the team from Anglia Ruskin university - which is the poor man's Cambridge, for handwriting studies, handkerchief embroidering and the like - [University of Canberra compared with the ANU if you will]. We weren't quite sure who hated the Tabs more, those who didn't want to go there or those who weren't able to get in there. It was also good banter to emphasise the definite article when yelling in teh field: Come on the uni. Classic elitist humour.
The pitch was Mumbai-tastic. Recall Michael Clarke taking 6 for 9: their opening bowler took 5 for 10 or something similar. We were skittled for 108 - and at one point were 7 for 30, when TS Trudgian entered the fray. With a eye for leaving a ball on its length and a proclivity to turn a quick two into an easy one (no need to haste really) I managed a defiant 5 (although the partnership was around 40 due to cunning extras and the other batsmen AJ Ball).
Keeping was well, interesting. Not one, but two catches went square into the gloves, and both times the same umpire, who resembled Captain Jack Sparrow crossed with Ronny Corbet, gave the batsman not out. Oh dear, it was a tough pill to swallow. We had a similar run with the pitch, and although there were no 5fors taken, we managed to have them 4 for 40. With a fiendishly quick stumping we had them five wickets down, and then the second of the umpiring 'decisions' an absolute classic: cannoning from the bat onto the thigh pad, (a double deflection for the price of a single) and no, no need for a dismissal.
So we lost by 5 wickets, but I have managed to work out some of the bugs and acclimatise to the low and slow English pitches. HA I am watching the South Park episode where the Mormons are in heaven and wanting to sing songs about how much it hurts to lie. The simple pleasures...
I drove the big 9 seater van to the game and went along at 70 miles +... make that 70 miles tops, down the highway. Tomorrow is MAY DAY, aka the first day of May - with all sorts of dawn services and carols sung.
Ah yes, and tickets are booked and it is all set in stone: back in Canberra from the 15th of June to the 1st of July. Good times all round.
I was filling the rental car up before returning it when I drove into a small 'local' petrol station. An old bloke came out, I asked for diesel. He said: 'Twenty?'
'Ahh, what?'
'Twenty?'
'Twenty what?'
'I can only do twenty.'
'Ahh.... I don't know what that means. Can I have the tank filled with diesel please?'
'No'.
'Oh, OK. Ah, why?'
'I can only give you twenty.'
'P-p-pounds?'
And so on: he only had a bit of diesel left and only wanted to part with 20 litres, but we got there in the end. Good times.
The pitch was Mumbai-tastic. Recall Michael Clarke taking 6 for 9: their opening bowler took 5 for 10 or something similar. We were skittled for 108 - and at one point were 7 for 30, when TS Trudgian entered the fray. With a eye for leaving a ball on its length and a proclivity to turn a quick two into an easy one (no need to haste really) I managed a defiant 5 (although the partnership was around 40 due to cunning extras and the other batsmen AJ Ball).
Keeping was well, interesting. Not one, but two catches went square into the gloves, and both times the same umpire, who resembled Captain Jack Sparrow crossed with Ronny Corbet, gave the batsman not out. Oh dear, it was a tough pill to swallow. We had a similar run with the pitch, and although there were no 5fors taken, we managed to have them 4 for 40. With a fiendishly quick stumping we had them five wickets down, and then the second of the umpiring 'decisions' an absolute classic: cannoning from the bat onto the thigh pad, (a double deflection for the price of a single) and no, no need for a dismissal.
So we lost by 5 wickets, but I have managed to work out some of the bugs and acclimatise to the low and slow English pitches. HA I am watching the South Park episode where the Mormons are in heaven and wanting to sing songs about how much it hurts to lie. The simple pleasures...
I drove the big 9 seater van to the game and went along at 70 miles +... make that 70 miles tops, down the highway. Tomorrow is MAY DAY, aka the first day of May - with all sorts of dawn services and carols sung.
Ah yes, and tickets are booked and it is all set in stone: back in Canberra from the 15th of June to the 1st of July. Good times all round.
I was filling the rental car up before returning it when I drove into a small 'local' petrol station. An old bloke came out, I asked for diesel. He said: 'Twenty?'
'Ahh, what?'
'Twenty?'
'Twenty what?'
'I can only do twenty.'
'Ahh.... I don't know what that means. Can I have the tank filled with diesel please?'
'No'.
'Oh, OK. Ah, why?'
'I can only give you twenty.'
'P-p-pounds?'
And so on: he only had a bit of diesel left and only wanted to part with 20 litres, but we got there in the end. Good times.
posted by Tim Trudgian | 5:48 pm
1 Comments:
I don't suppose you've got a stopover in Hong Kong perchance? I hear there are some pretty groovy folk down that-a-way.
Post a Comment
<< Home