Season's review

I have a feeling (looking outside at semi-apocalypse) that we've played our last game for this year.

How did the season go ? It was my first season back for quite some time, I have to thank a work colleague (the Batman) for getting me back in when I had given up looking to play again. I'm glad I did, because I've enjoyed quite a bit of this season. It's come at a cost, I picked up one new injury and got reminded of a few more. But that's a cost I'll gladly pay in return for the feeling of the wind rushing past my ears as I kick it up to max speed. That's not a feeling I get too often, as Max Speed needs a lot of room cos it is pretty quick and my brakes are rubbish.

It's a good feeling knowing that even though I'm 35 (serious thought working that out again earlier) and need help to count up the injuries (not enough fingers), I'm still one of the faster runners that take to the field for our team (over a short distance before it turns to coughing, spluttering and redness). We finished better than we started, with our last 7 games played getting us 7 wins. Early season didn't go so well, with us losing a few games we should really have won. No league final for us this year.

I hadn't played a match for 3, maybe 4 years, so I really didn't know what to expect. I knew bowling would be a bad idea because I'd had the embarassment of what may have been 6-7 wides in a practice thing we tried on an evening where the opposition didn't turn up. I think that was last year and my only outing that season. I've had the shoulder injury since I was 23 but I'd usually been able to bowl through it. It's progressed though, such that there's a kind of blockage with the mechanics of the bowling with the result being I can't control the length I bowl now.

So I only bat now and attempt to salvage as much as possible of the shoulder by staying in the in field so I don't have to throw too hard. It's been a mixed bag. When fit, I've been able to use my speed to get to the ball quickly, which usually scares batsmen into not running. Once you get second thoughts into their head, that's half the battle. Appearing competent makes them hesitate, which makes the job much easier.

Gets me grass stains too. I don't consider that I've put enough effort in unless I've earned at least one big green or brown (from the mud!) mark on my whites. Or on my shirt, as happened in the game where I fielded a ball standing on my head. Literally. No kidding !

I was surprised to remember technique with the batting in the early knocks. A 2 and a 9 don't sound like much but it was encouraging enough to get me bat shopping. Mistake ... Or was it :-) I had my highest score for a little while (a 34) but that knock probably lost us a game by taking up too much time. The new bat felt great in the shop and for the first few knocks but eventually I correlated missing the ball too much with it being too light. Back to the old bat and the first scoring shot was a six.

This season has been about the injuries a little too much. I did actually play through 2 games uninjured ! Apart from the shoulder, which is something I don't count any more :-) First game, I damage something in my groin (again). Groin strains are a little weird, feel weird too. Best description of their effect is that it's difficult to start moving and tricky to turn. Get pointed in a direction and you can GO. Because it affected my acceleration and reaction time, I ended up fielding closer than usual. And I field close.

That's another of the old injuries, which I first got in my second season with the home village team. I'd just got fit again from a back injury that hit pre-season nets and thought I'd be able to lengthen my bowling run up to get me more pace. Ah well, the longer run up led to the groin strain. Doh ! Another old injury or more a "tendency" is cramp. I used to have a lot of trouble here, with muscles tending to want to go boom. I've done better there this year, with the cramp only partially hitting once.

Good preparation aids proper performance (ok, I "borrowed" a saying there ... and corrupted it) In my case, it's preparing in the afternoon of a game to avoid running out of batteries during the game. You have to listen to what your body asks for, if you don't do that with exercise then something is going to bite you.

The big injury story of the year was the ankle and shin. I got whacked while fielding. My own fault really, using your hands to grab the ball hurts far less than just getting in the way of it. I should have got this one checked out, as I suspect I could have got the bragging rights of a cracked bone proved by X-Ray. It's still a little sore after I dunno how many weeks but at least I can put power through it on hard ground now. Not comfortably but it is improving enough for it to be a safer bet when I indulge in the sport of dodging trucks.

Anyway, the aftermath of an 8 inch bruise slowed me down but I'm still pleased there were several comments of "What's happened to Sleepypete this year, he's throwing himself around a fair bit ?" Comments like that make Sleepy happy.

Another bruise was the Panda Paw, which I suspect further cemented the Little Canteen Girl's opinion of me being a little strange. Ok, more than a little strange.

Other highlights (lowlights ?) include being an ambulance driver. I've been at several games where an impromptu ambulance has been called for. Once I was the passenger. Once I was batting while their keeper got taken off to hospital (smashed fingers, not pretty). I got hit on the head again in that game but batted on ok because the helmet did its job. First time I've been the driver ...

I also ran out the Batman to preserve my lead in the averages :-) Ok, I was standing down the other end shouting NO while he went for a run that wasn't there but perverseness means I'm claiming responsibility anyway.

To sum it up, we had a slow start to the season but 7 wins on the trot made it an excellent finish. I helped with runs, sharp fielding and 3 catches through the season.

Glad I came back.