I'd like to see proper cricket played wherever it is and in a proper form ..extending the league/cricket season is possible as turf won't be handed over for rugby,football etc as it maybe in usual circumstances ...let's see what the next ecb dictat says
I’ve played on overlapping pitches where four teams play two games simultaneously. It’s never fun fielding with your back to a game.
There are endless possibilities for new formats. I don’t really get why three teams competing at once works. Maybe two bowlers bowling on parallel strips simultaneously would catch on (albeit a tad dangerous).
My favoured format is T20 with random boundary scores. It would work by having electronic displays round sections of the boundary which changed randomly between each over. For example, a “four“ could be scored as 2, 6 or 8 in certain parts of the ground and a “six” could be 3, 9 or 12 in other parts. Far more exciting. Of course, it would need some random twist like 14 7 ball overs with one Magic Over of two balls where runs scored were doubled making it possible two score 24 off two balls. That would make it 100 balls in total. I would call it The Magic Hundred.
Well clearly Paddy didn't care that much as he's vacated a spot for yours truly in the historic Return To Play game that'll be spoken of in years to come
I mean yeah us losing 4-3 to Reading again won't watch itself but
Last Sunday the Waggoners went to Linden Park (lovely setting) and in the heat, I opened up the bowling, ending with figures of 8-1-29-2. Contextually this looks a lot better when the opposition put on 238-9 off their 40. But then we managed to chase it down pretty easily, for the loss of only four wickets, with four overs remaining!
A decent friendly on Saturday for OCCC 4s against Roan's elusive 3rd XI. Our opening bats put on 80 off about 9 overs, at which point one of them retired, and we collapsed to 110-8 with myself in at 11. Myself and the number 10 put on around 40, then the retiree came back, and we posted 163 all out after I mooed and missed.
In reply, they did well to get to 157, but the game was never really in any danger in my opinion. They were always behind the rate and I brought on the part-timers/never-played-before guys, one of whom got 3-9 in his three overs. 47 extras tells its own story!
Two games this weekend now. Ramping it up. Exciting times! It's great to be back.
Following three in house club matches last weekend, Seb made his official Sidcup debut on Saturday for the 1s against Orpington .
Batting first, Sidcup amassed 214-4 off 40 with Seb opening and making 87 (he didn't get it when I said he must be Australian - kids eh!). In reply Orpington were all out for 195 with the highlight being a very impressive spell by the other young debutant, a 15 year old off spinner, who returned figures of 8-0-29-3.
A relatively close game played in good spirit and a decent warm up for the "Corona Metropolitan League" group games against Beckenham, Hayes, Bickley, Old Wilsonians and last Saturday's opposition, Orpington. A couple of real tests against Premier League opposition there!
I have only bowled at gun batsmen since returning to cricket. I would appreciate some less gunnish batsmen please, as a matter of some urgency
The debrief in the OCCC Captains WhatsApp group from Saturday only has three words in the report for you, though, and they are "bowled very [redacted]"!!
(That said I see the Dulwich keeper got 80-odd, so maybe your point might stand. What's happened to the mercurial Leuth who turns up for the 4s?)
Following three in house club matches last weekend, Seb made his official Sidcup debut on Saturday for the 1s against Orpington .
Batting first, Sidcup amassed 214-4 off 40 with Seb opening and making 87 (he didn't get it when I said he must be Australian - kids eh!). In reply Orpington were all out for 195 with the highlight being a very impressive spell by the other young debutant, a 15 year old off spinner, who returned figures of 8-0-29-3.
A relatively close game played in good spirit and a decent warm up for the "Corona Metropolitan League" group games against Beckenham, Hayes, Bickley, Old Wilsonians and last Saturday's opposition, Orpington. A couple of real tests against Premier League opposition there!
Educate Seb! He has to know that! And great to see Teddy doing so well. I remember him causing us all sorts of issues last year, picking up a couple of wickets and going for not very many off seven overs, on an admittedly bowler friendly deck - 110-9 off 40 played 80 or so. (He did get blown away by our quick bowler for a duck though so hopefully he's a bit stronger/more resolute with the bat now.)
Our 1s start their Corona League fixtures this Saturday, too, starting against Catford & Cyphers. Standards are a tad more uniform here - Bromley Town, Bexleyheath, Catford Wanderers, and Downham & Bellingham are the others in this group.
I have only bowled at gun batsmen since returning to cricket. I would appreciate some less gunnish batsmen please, as a matter of some urgency
The debrief in the OCCC Captains WhatsApp group from Saturday only has three words in the report for you, though, and they are "bowled very [redacted]"!!
(That said I see the Dulwich keeper got 80-odd, so maybe your point might stand. What's happened to the mercurial Leuth who turns up for the 4s?)
Harsh tbf, I got hit for two boundaries off three overs, both bad balls tbf, but the other 16 weren't too bad. 3-0-16-0 doesn't look so great but take away those two, and the gentle dab for two past Geth at backward point, and the missed run-out+overthrow, then idk, they weren't getting me away exactly. "Bowled very [redacted]" is a bit hurtful! When does @AshBurton get back ffs
Admittedly I then bowled better on Sunday but got hit for 30 off 3 by some kids who are probably close to the Kent age-group system. With 9 men on the field. 4 of whom couldn't field
Following three in house club matches last weekend, Seb made his official Sidcup debut on Saturday for the 1s against Orpington .
Batting first, Sidcup amassed 214-4 off 40 with Seb opening and making 87 (he didn't get it when I said he must be Australian - kids eh!). In reply Orpington were all out for 195 with the highlight being a very impressive spell by the other young debutant, a 15 year old off spinner, who returned figures of 8-0-29-3.
A relatively close game played in good spirit and a decent warm up for the "Corona Metropolitan League" group games against Beckenham, Hayes, Bickley, Old Wilsonians and last Saturday's opposition, Orpington. A couple of real tests against Premier League opposition there!
Australian jokes aside, that’s a fantastic debut score. Well done Seb!
I have only bowled at gun batsmen since returning to cricket. I would appreciate some less gunnish batsmen please, as a matter of some urgency
The debrief in the OCCC Captains WhatsApp group from Saturday only has three words in the report for you, though, and they are "bowled very [redacted]"!!
(That said I see the Dulwich keeper got 80-odd, so maybe your point might stand. What's happened to the mercurial Leuth who turns up for the 4s?)
Harsh tbf, I got hit for two boundaries off three overs, both bad balls tbf, but the other 16 weren't too bad. 3-0-16-0 doesn't look so great but take away those two, and the gentle dab for two past Geth at backward point, and the missed run-out+overthrow, then idk, they weren't getting me away exactly. "Bowled very [redacted]" is a bit hurtful! When does @AshBurton get back ffs
Admittedly I then bowled better on Sunday but got hit for 30 off 3 by some kids who are probably close to the Kent age-group system. With 9 men on the field. 4 of whom couldn't field
Back 1st August. Back in June, I made two key calls on Covid restrictions: - The UK/France quarantine restrictions would be lifted by 12th July - The “vector of disease” comments meant recreational cricket wouldn’t restart till 1st August. Only one of these was correct.
I did manage one friendly before departing on holiday, so can support @Leuth’s claims about gun batsmen. As Ash Junior keeps reminding me, I was hit for one of the longest straight sixes ever witnessed. As our boundary fielders confirmed, the ball was still gaining altitude as it left the ground.
It's not a discipline that Seb wants to lose but his focus this season is on bringing his batting up to the level of his keeping. Sidcup 1s have some useful middle order hitters so these are ideal opportunities for him to hopefully bat without scoreboard pressure. He's certainly no Sam Lockwood as yet (Sam used to batter the opposition bowlers in the power play and beyond) and Seb didn't actually hit a ball in the air 'til he was caught off a leading edge at cover. His 87 off 124 balls wasn't slow in the context of the game and the big boundaries.
Despite his desire for the keeping to take a back seat, he has been required to do so in two of the three warm up games at Sidcup as he was on Sunday for the District Academy. And he will be doing so again on Saturday for the 1s as the other three potential first team keepers are all unavailable - just hope Sidcup gets to bat first!
Played my first match with my eldest (14) son today 2nd Xl fixture away at Rainham CC playing for South Loughton . We had six 13/14 year olds , 2 x 22 year olds and 3 of us over 45 oppo prolly 22 -60 year old team we batted first getting 176 in 40 overs my son got 19 including 3 fours on the spin and I only got 2 , he might be better than me and he’s not great , I’m old and shit now . Decent score on the most ridiculous wicket I’ve ever seen, super slow and a track where off a nearly full length delivery it could go past your nose in slow motion or hit your ankle, our score looked a good target . Son then bowled 8 overs 0-24 but had a catch dropped and 2 close(home umpire) lbw’s turned down I bowled the penultimate over late on for 7 Runs (A wide given for a delivery a foot outside off stump, our own umpire🙄 )when they needed 33 and they ended 20 odd short . i took a dolly of a catch as well
Didn’t take long to get used to it but the ball went as direct as possible back to the bowler so none of this passing it around the field to get a touch and every 6 overs all the fielders used hand sanitiser.
Stood in the Bexley vs Blackheath game. Berkley won by 50 odd runs after coming back from 73-6 to make 208. The new young keeper got a ton not out. Blackheath never really in it after a poor run out of their gun batsman. Some good catches to enjoy, plus a falcon flying low over the pitch mid-game which caused a slight commotion. Amazing how the players still don't understand they cannot give equipment to the umpire, nor leave hats behind stumps, nor share them with colleagues! Other than that, very well behaved. Hygiene breaks at wicket falls or six overs works.
Watched Budleigh Salterton 2nd v Feniton yesterday. One of the Feniton lads took a catch right in front of me, threw it up as he stepped over the line and caught it as he hopped back. Superb effort.
Sidcup 1s had a bit of a thrashing at the hands of Bickley who amassed 316-6 off their 45 overs with one of their openers getting a ton. Sidcup managed half that total with Seb bowled off an inside edge from one that went the other way for 11. Still a good education especially for the three boys aged between 15 and 17.
Highlight of the day was seeing a couple of old friends and former Sidcup 1s players who popped up to watch the game. One of them was Dave Croker who I played football with back in the early 80s and who also happens to be the son of our very own Peter Croker, the last survivor of the 1947 winning Cup team 'til he passed away in 2011.
Sidcup 1s had a bit of a thrashing at the hands of Bickley who amassed 316-6 off their 45 overs with one of their openers getting a ton. Sidcup managed half that total with Seb bowled off an inside edge from one that went the other way for 11. Still a good education especially for the three boys aged between 15 and 17.
Highlight of the day was seeing a couple of old friends and former Sidcup 1s players who popped up to watch the game. One of them was Dave Croker who I played football with back in the early 80s and who also happens to be the son of our very own Peter Croker, the last survivor of the 1947 winning Cup team 'til he passed away in 2011.
I worked with Mrs Croker for a short while some years back.
Our 1s won by five wickets off the penultimate ball in a very well-judged chase against Bromley Town, who posted 247/7 off their 45. Our 3s won by a relatively comfortable 14 runs against Cyphers, with @AshBurton of this parish inexplicably batting himself at 10 and getting that red ink of 31* - approximately 31 more runs than @Leuth who was equally inexplicably sent in ahead of him at 9! That said, the latter-named picked up a wicket and a run out to account for the opening bats.
Our 4th XI played well to win by seven wickets against Roan 3s with nine overs to spare: they'd posted 157-8 at a rapid Charlton Park oval off their 35 (the 13 year old Kent wunderkind getting his second half century in as many outings against us), but then "Big Mad Andy" made a cultured 68* alongside a former Roan player - and revelation as wicket-keeper! - who got 32. Both are Charlton fans, hence the shoutout.
And we beat Beckenham Wizards by seven wickets on Sunday! I bowled terribly both days this weekend but somehow burgled two Beckenham wickets including their centurion. Their total of 225 looked pretty meaty but thanks to a beautiful 98* from our 1s skipper, we chased it down with three overs to spare.
Also - does anyone know any pitches available for hire this Saturday, or indeed pitches available in general? I have got a ridiculous amount of players available and I hugely suspect we can field another side, but away games are at a premium.
Sidcup 1s had a bit of a thrashing at the hands of Bickley who amassed 316-6 off their 45 overs with one of their openers getting a ton. Sidcup managed half that total with Seb bowled off an inside edge from one that went the other way for 11. Still a good education especially for the three boys aged between 15 and 17.
Highlight of the day was seeing a couple of old friends and former Sidcup 1s players who popped up to watch the game. One of them was Dave Croker who I played football with back in the early 80s and who also happens to be the son of our very own Peter Croker, the last survivor of the 1947 winning Cup team 'til he passed away in 2011.
Unfortunate to see it was at your expense but I'm pleased to see Will Holcombe got a few runs opening the batting. Clearly, his 25-ball 50 for my 4th XI two weeks ago has seen him rediscover his spark...
It's not a discipline that Seb wants to lose but his focus this season is on bringing his batting up to the level of his keeping. Sidcup 1s have some useful middle order hitters so these are ideal opportunities for him to hopefully bat without scoreboard pressure. He's certainly no Sam Lockwood as yet (Sam used to batter the opposition bowlers in the power play and beyond) and Seb didn't actually hit a ball in the air 'til he was caught off a leading edge at cover. His 87 off 124 balls wasn't slow in the context of the game and the big boundaries.
Despite his desire for the keeping to take a back seat, he has been required to do so in two of the three warm up games at Sidcup as he was on Sunday for the District Academy. And he will be doing so again on Saturday for the 1s as the other three potential first team keepers are all unavailable - just hope Sidcup gets to bat first!
Is Sam playing this season? Heard he had moved away but wasn’t sure if Sidcup was still local enough For him to continue to play for them.
It's not a discipline that Seb wants to lose but his focus this season is on bringing his batting up to the level of his keeping. Sidcup 1s have some useful middle order hitters so these are ideal opportunities for him to hopefully bat without scoreboard pressure. He's certainly no Sam Lockwood as yet (Sam used to batter the opposition bowlers in the power play and beyond) and Seb didn't actually hit a ball in the air 'til he was caught off a leading edge at cover. His 87 off 124 balls wasn't slow in the context of the game and the big boundaries.
Despite his desire for the keeping to take a back seat, he has been required to do so in two of the three warm up games at Sidcup as he was on Sunday for the District Academy. And he will be doing so again on Saturday for the 1s as the other three potential first team keepers are all unavailable - just hope Sidcup gets to bat first!
Is Sam playing this season? Heard he had moved away but wasn’t sure if Sidcup was still local enough For him to continue to play for them.
Sadly he isn't living locally now. A big hole but, there again, most first teams appear to be missing players - Sidcup have another two or three from last season. That said, Beckenham had both Will Macvicar (the best all rounder in the Kent League) playing last Saturday and Blakey who hit a 15 ball 50 against Orpington.
No guesses as to who Sidcup are looking forward to playing this weekend!
It's not a discipline that Seb wants to lose but his focus this season is on bringing his batting up to the level of his keeping. Sidcup 1s have some useful middle order hitters so these are ideal opportunities for him to hopefully bat without scoreboard pressure. He's certainly no Sam Lockwood as yet (Sam used to batter the opposition bowlers in the power play and beyond) and Seb didn't actually hit a ball in the air 'til he was caught off a leading edge at cover. His 87 off 124 balls wasn't slow in the context of the game and the big boundaries.
Despite his desire for the keeping to take a back seat, he has been required to do so in two of the three warm up games at Sidcup as he was on Sunday for the District Academy. And he will be doing so again on Saturday for the 1s as the other three potential first team keepers are all unavailable - just hope Sidcup gets to bat first!
Is Sam playing this season? Heard he had moved away but wasn’t sure if Sidcup was still local enough For him to continue to play for them.
Sadly he isn't living locally now. A big hole but, there again, most first teams appear to be missing players - Sidcup have another two or three from last season. That said, Beckenham had both Will Macvicar (the best all rounder in the Kent League) playing last Saturday and Blakey who hit a 15 ball 50 against Orpington.
No guesses as to who Sidcup are looking forward to playing this weekend!
I think Beckenham at least had the good sense for a bit of stage management in the chase: the gulf in class is huge from Prem to Div 2, but Orpington still got 220-odd in their reply, despite never really being in it.
Bit strange how this league is unfolding, but there we go. Better to have this than no cricket at all!
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/53081052
There are endless possibilities for new formats. I don’t really get why three teams competing at once works. Maybe two bowlers bowling on parallel strips simultaneously would catch on (albeit a tad dangerous).
My favoured format is T20 with random boundary scores. It would work by having electronic displays round sections of the boundary which changed randomly between each over. For example, a “four“ could be scored as 2, 6 or 8 in certain parts of the ground and a “six” could be 3, 9 or 12 in other parts. Far more exciting. Of course, it would need some random twist like 14 7 ball overs with one Magic Over of two balls where runs scored were doubled making it possible two score 24 off two balls. That would make it 100 balls in total. I would call it The Magic Hundred.
I mean yeah us losing 4-3 to Reading again won't watch itself but
Last Sunday the Waggoners went to Linden Park (lovely setting) and in the heat, I opened up the bowling, ending with figures of 8-1-29-2. Contextually this looks a lot better when the opposition put on 238-9 off their 40. But then we managed to chase it down pretty easily, for the loss of only four wickets, with four overs remaining!
A decent friendly on Saturday for OCCC 4s against Roan's elusive 3rd XI. Our opening bats put on 80 off about 9 overs, at which point one of them retired, and we collapsed to 110-8 with myself in at 11. Myself and the number 10 put on around 40, then the retiree came back, and we posted 163 all out after I mooed and missed.
In reply, they did well to get to 157, but the game was never really in any danger in my opinion. They were always behind the rate and I brought on the part-timers/never-played-before guys, one of whom got 3-9 in his three overs. 47 extras tells its own story!
Two games this weekend now. Ramping it up. Exciting times! It's great to be back.
Batting first, Sidcup amassed 214-4 off 40 with Seb opening and making 87 (he didn't get it when I said he must be Australian - kids eh!). In reply Orpington were all out for 195 with the highlight being a very impressive spell by the other young debutant, a 15 year old off spinner, who returned figures of 8-0-29-3.
A relatively close game played in good spirit and a decent warm up for the "Corona Metropolitan League" group games against Beckenham, Hayes, Bickley, Old Wilsonians and last Saturday's opposition, Orpington. A couple of real tests against Premier League opposition there!
(That said I see the Dulwich keeper got 80-odd, so maybe your point might stand. What's happened to the mercurial Leuth who turns up for the 4s?)
Our 1s start their Corona League fixtures this Saturday, too, starting against Catford & Cyphers. Standards are a tad more uniform here - Bromley Town, Bexleyheath, Catford Wanderers, and Downham & Bellingham are the others in this group.
Admittedly I then bowled better on Sunday but got hit for 30 off 3 by some kids who are probably close to the Kent age-group system. With 9 men on the field. 4 of whom couldn't field
- The UK/France quarantine restrictions would be lifted by 12th July
- The “vector of disease” comments meant recreational cricket wouldn’t restart till 1st August.
Only one of these was correct.
It's not a discipline that Seb wants to lose but his focus this season is on bringing his batting up to the level of his keeping. Sidcup 1s have some useful middle order hitters so these are ideal opportunities for him to hopefully bat without scoreboard pressure. He's certainly no Sam Lockwood as yet (Sam used to batter the opposition bowlers in the power play and beyond) and Seb didn't actually hit a ball in the air 'til he was caught off a leading edge at cover. His 87 off 124 balls wasn't slow in the context of the game and the big boundaries.
Despite his desire for the keeping to take a back seat, he has been required to do so in two of the three warm up games at Sidcup as he was on Sunday for the District Academy. And he will be doing so again on Saturday for the 1s as the other three potential first team keepers are all unavailable - just hope Sidcup gets to bat first!
2nd Xl fixture away at Rainham CC playing for South Loughton . We had six 13/14 year olds , 2 x 22 year olds and 3 of us over 45 oppo prolly 22 -60 year old team
we batted first getting 176 in 40 overs my son got 19 including 3 fours on the spin and I only got 2 , he might be better than me and he’s not great , I’m old and shit now .
Decent score on the most ridiculous wicket I’ve ever seen, super slow and a track where off a nearly full length delivery it could go past your nose in slow motion or hit your ankle, our score looked a good target .
Son then bowled 8 overs 0-24 but had a catch dropped and 2 close(home umpire) lbw’s turned down
I bowled the penultimate over late on for 7 Runs (A wide given for a delivery a foot outside off stump, our own umpire🙄 )when they needed 33 and they ended 20 odd short .
i took a dolly of a catch as well
Highlight of the day was seeing a couple of old friends and former Sidcup 1s players who popped up to watch the game. One of them was Dave Croker who I played football with back in the early 80s and who also happens to be the son of our very own Peter Croker, the last survivor of the 1947 winning Cup team 'til he passed away in 2011.
Our 1s won by five wickets off the penultimate ball in a very well-judged chase against Bromley Town, who posted 247/7 off their 45. Our 3s won by a relatively comfortable 14 runs against Cyphers, with @AshBurton of this parish inexplicably batting himself at 10 and getting that red ink of 31* - approximately 31 more runs than @Leuth who was equally inexplicably sent in ahead of him at 9! That said, the latter-named picked up a wicket and a run out to account for the opening bats.
Our 4th XI played well to win by seven wickets against Roan 3s with nine overs to spare: they'd posted 157-8 at a rapid Charlton Park oval off their 35 (the 13 year old Kent wunderkind getting his second half century in as many outings against us), but then "Big Mad Andy" made a cultured 68* alongside a former Roan player - and revelation as wicket-keeper! - who got 32. Both are Charlton fans, hence the shoutout.
And we beat Beckenham Wizards by seven wickets on Sunday! I bowled terribly both days this weekend but somehow burgled two Beckenham wickets including their centurion. Their total of 225 looked pretty meaty but thanks to a beautiful 98* from our 1s skipper, we chased it down with three overs to spare.
Heard he had moved away but wasn’t sure if Sidcup was still local enough For him to continue to play for them.
No guesses as to who Sidcup are looking forward to playing this weekend!
Bit strange how this league is unfolding, but there we go. Better to have this than no cricket at all!