A 3 wins out of 3 matches, 90 Point Saturday, behind us.
Two teams out on duty today, lets hope they can be equally successful.
The Heslam car didn’t make it too far yesterday owing to family commitments but it did make it to Reed where our 1st Xl were entertaining Flitwick and the match eventually threw up a notable talking point. Does “Sledging” the opposition actually do any good?
Even up to the early 1990’s sledging in recreational Cricket was barely in evidence. The odd uncouth “colonial” visitor might demonstrate his vulgarity, and seek to question everyone’s parentage, but by and large matches went by in relative tranquillity with encouragement and mutual respect for quality moments being to the fore in any comments/banter.
What then changed was the better televising of the national game. Stump microphones began to pick up some of the less pleasant asides which had been in the international game for years, particularly when competing with antipodeans! In addition, to my personal knowledge, coaches at junior county level started promoting “noise” on the field as a demonstration of competitiveness and alertness!! Young players were actively encouraged to produce a comment after virtually every ball, and you can imagine some of the pathetic drivel that ensued! All of this soon spread throughout the game of Cricket, particularly in Club 1st Xl’s at whatever level. Aggression and “noise” was deemed as a demonstration of dominance and something that would unsettle and intimidate opponents. No doubt it did to some, at first, but once it becomes the norm it is less effective, and if you have got any sense anyway you just let it flow over you and do not react. Reed 1st Xl were no better or worse than any others, but in the past couple of years the comments, those audible from the boundary at least(!), seem to be more encouraging to our players than ridiculously offensive or disparaging of the opposition.
So who really won in this war of words? Did the sledging upset, intimidate, and distract opposing batsmen or did it make them more determined to show these loudmouths that they were not as good or as clever as they thought? Equally in concentrating and fixating on what the next “clever” remark could be, how many sharp catches were missed, or balls mis-fielded? There is nothing so satisfying or amusing as ‘the biter bitten”!
We had a lovely example of come uppance yesterday – and an instance that in Cricket that many of us had never seen before in many a long cricketing career.
The Reed innings in yesterdays 1st Xl Match v Flitwick had apparently been fairly full of opposition sledging, plenty of it from the “gloveman”, and the odd unnecessary “send off” from a southern hemisphere fast bowler presumably overcome at the shock of taking a wicket!
The match moved towards a climax. Reed in the driving seat having only lost 3 wickets chasing 209 to win and with Chris Jackson and Tom Greaves batting steadily and well, and hopefully leading us to glory. However, Flitwick were bowling steadily and fielding well, and runs were coming mainly in well taken singles. With 6 overs to go 28 were needed to win – almost 5 an over. A loss of a wicket or two at this stage could have put the pressure on and threatened our ambition.
Greaves facing up to the 2nd ball of the 42nd over.
“You’re just a F****** Fat Slogger”
another in a long line of insults is uttered in the batsman’s hearing.
The ball is bowled from the Reed pavilion end and then disappears soaring over “cow corner”, and narrowly missing a lone car parked near the Reed nets, for “6”!
“See – You’re just a fat slogger”!
The next ball, majestically swept, disappears for 6 over square leg.
The following ball is deposited over the midwicket boundary and lands on the roof netting of the Reed mobile net! 18 off 3 balls.
The fifth ball of the over is struck down the ground over Long Off for the 4th consecutive “6” – 181 for 3 has become 205 for 3 off 4 balls – 4 needed to win!
“It’s all gone quiet over there!” – but not in the Reed pavilion where the Reed cognoscenti, fortified by an early evening pint or three are thoroughly enjoying the display!!
The last ball of the over (and the match!) was deposited onto the roof of the main Reed Nets for yet another massive “6” – Five consecutive “6”’s to win the match by 7 Wickets with 5 Overs to spare!
Batsman turns to wicketkeeper and says – “You’re right!!”
