On Again

Yay, it’s on again, Cricket that is. I still froth at the thought and anticipation of playing even though the body is not quite as fit as it used to be. The soul? Is still 150% committed and as long as the desire is still keen, I will still put the hand up to play.

Two hours before the game, haul out the kit bag and zip it open to release that vaguely mouldy smell of cricket gear never quite dried of previous games sweat with an additional odd smell that I can’t quite place.

Yuck! Just found a very dead banana and extremely mouldy half eaten trail bar in a plastic bag long forgotten in the bottom of the bag. Happy to find and dump in the bin. The odd smell dissipates from the bag and memories of a washed out game a few months ago come to mind as to when they were left there.

Into the bag goes the cricket footwear, floppy brimmed hat, freshly washed whites – trousers that can never quite get the grass stains out of the knee area and shirt that can never quite get out the red of the cricket ball rub for ball shine and socks jammed into one of the shoes.

For the uninitiated the bag also contains batting protective stuff including leg pads, thigh pad, batting gloves, helmet, the most important of all – the Box (protects my reproductive bits), cricket bat and various used cricket balls. Check that the sunblock, various sticky plasters and emergency bat tape are still there, zip the bag and cart downstairs into the car.

The weather forecast is good with maximum temp of 33 degrees while breathing a sigh of relief that the chance of afternoon thunderstorm has diminished, but it is Kuala Lumpur and you never know. My two previous games at this venue had both been washed out with much lightning, thunder and driving rain for the second half of the game and both when I had just started batting. Quite frustrating

Playing for Kelawar Cricket Club in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia and am now in my eighth year with the Club. We are a social club mainly filled with expatriates not linked to any specific competitions, so games are not easy to find. This game is a reasonably regular social game with Royal Selangor Club (RSC), our hosts.

A half hour journey, reverse out of the driveway and head out with the fave pre-game warm up tunes (usually funky hip-hop) at volume. Am sucking down a salt replenishment drink as body sweat prep which will be followed by water during the game and frosty amber fluid after.

Hit the freeway exit to the ground, smiling in pleasure at first sight of the wide expanse of smooth and cool grass oval with the brown/hint of green pitch in the middle. It is enticing this green, the thought of running over the cushioning and cooling blades of grass or running along the pitch. As per always the ground looks immaculate thanks to the ground staff.

Mock Tudor high roofed Pavilion, a throw back to Colonial times sits off to one side, with a big shaded long balcony running the Pavilion length replete with many ceiling fans and tables to sit, eat, drink and enjoy the cricket in the middle or each others company. Massive blinds guard the front ready to be rolled down to protect from thunderstorms. An airconditioned Bar at the back compliments the setting.

Sounds of the freeway no more than 100 metres away dissipate as soon as the step over the boundary rope is made. A light consistent breeze greets the players, a much desired thing in high humidity KL, where more often than not there is barely a waft of relief.

For a change we win the Toss and bat. RSC team is a mix of Seniors with majority of Juniors making up their 11. Not the normal Social side we usually play. Us? 10 out of the 11 are seniors with many years of cricket between us and Siva’s son 11 year old Bavyesh to top us off.

Bat well we do, providing limited chances for what ends up being a wayward bowling attack led by two young angry fast bowlers who think fast will get them wickets, but accuracy is the key. Our regular No 11 Siva was promoted to the opener position, participated in an opening partnership of 57 with ever reliable Captain Rohit, with Siva rewarding us with 22 mighty runs, possibly something never to be witnessed again.

RSC get punished by most batters apart from me. Disaster strikes when on 1 not out, seeing my batting partner hit the ball past me and he starts running, with me doing the same to get safely to the other end. He stops without saying standard words of warning like “No” or “Wait”. I stop as well, turn around to run back to the safety of my end just in time to see the bails removed by the fielder nearby. Fate is sealed as I have been run out!

Quite a few expletives are said to self as I trudge sadly off the field. Grrrrrr……it had been almost three months since I had previously batted and was well overdue to have some batting fun again.

The next ten minutes I kept to myself as the anger slowly diminished, but finally get back to watching the rest of the boys bat up a storm to be eventually 5 wickets down for 205 runs off 25 overs. A great score and quite defendable. The run out is forgiven as my ex partner batted pretty well to contribute to the score.

RSC bat and were in trouble very early consistently losing wickets never to build solid batting partnerships until near the end from their senior players. But by then it was too late and at the end of their 25 overs were 8 down for 113 runs, 92 runs short of the target. All our bowlers contributed with tight bowling and I contributed with 2/28 off 5 overs. Special mention to young left arm quick Bavyesh who was extremely unlucky not to pick up a wicket or two in his short accurate spell. I look forward to him getting a bit taller and stronger. He will be a handful in years to come.

All up, the game extended to just under four hours in this sunny sweaty paradise that descended at times to hotter than hell. The Victory though savored was tinged with the fact that us oldies were just way too experienced for the youngsters of RSC. They will continue to learn and grow from games like this and tougher they will become as a result. Give them another 2 or 3 years and am sure they will be most competitive as the raw talent is is in evidence. They just have to develop “cricket smarts” that only comes with time and experience which Kelawar has in spades.

Satisfying it was, being the third win in a row after some earlier in the year disastrous drubbings. Yes, we can be consistent and confident in our ability to win. Yes, give me the green green grass, red ball, whites to wear and washed down after the game by a frosty amber fluid in satisfying this sporting soul.