The LST Cricket Team

I don’t think I’m destined to play cricket. Last year I played a game for the LST team and it was fun. I fielded a bit, caught someone out and got a golden duck. This isn’t so bad, I thought. We played the same team on Wednesday evening at the same location but this time I had a different experience.

Paul and I got there early and had a bit of a muck around, throwing the ball and having a half-hearted hit around. The rest of the team arrived and sat down for a pre-match beer, as you do. It was then off to the pitch and the game, 18 overs each with a limit of 25 runs per batsman (this not being any way professional cricket and everyone should get a go this way). All well and good. I believe it was the second over, might have been one or two more. Someone bowled and the ball was dispatched towards the boundary with I being the closest fielder. Off I went, feet barely touching the ground as I reeled the ball in. I ran over the end of the wicket block and, not noticing the change in ground level, for a brief moment over-stretched my right leg and felt something pull rather further than it was meant to go. The guys behind me said I looked like I was ballet dancing towards the ball with my arms out wide and my legs akimbo. I got the ball and returned it wicketwards and then stopped to see what was going on.

So, I’d pulled a muscle, time to stop? Nah. I could no longer run and anything more than a slow shuffle was proving difficult but I could still stop anything that came towards me and wasn’t more than a foot or two to either side. I was placed behind the wicket ready to flap at anything that came my way. And so I flapped through a few more overs until a ball came into that dangerous position of being just close enough that I thought I could grab it on the way past. I lurched to my right, over my injured leg and bent to get the ball coming my way. My leg didn’t like this and all thought of the ball disappeared as I collapsed. Unfortunately all thought of where to put my hand was left to reflex and I came down on the little finger of my right hand, which was fine until I looked at it. ‘This looks funny’ I thought ‘what’s going on here?’. My finger was now pointing in an odd direction at the first joint above the knuckle, a 45 degree angle away from the other more obviously normal digits.

Strangely it didn’t hurt and really was more of an inconvenience I thought. So I got up and approached my team mates looking for someone to pull my finger out and back into line. Most people went to look and then turned away with a not-very-comfortable-with-what-was-being-presented-to-them look on their faces. One attempt was made to straighten it with no success, so off I went to the pavilion to get some ice and some first aid.

The designated first aid person didn’t want to know, she effecting the same look as those on the field. Thankfully the barman was happy to grab a towel, take a grip and pull and henceforth I had a straight finger again. Ice was applied, followed by strapping tape a while later and today that is where things are at. I’ve seen a doctor and he doesn’t think anything is broken or that I need an x-ray so it’s just going to be inconvenient for a week or so.

Away we go

Back to the game we got into bat and ended up loosing by a number of runs but all enjoyed themselves. I also spent a few overs as an umpire so managed to contribute something to the game other than revulsion. I managed to get hit in the knee with a straight drive as well, not being able to move especially fast. It’s only a small bruise. I managed to lurch to the train station afterwards and get home OK and today after seeing the doctor survived a trip to a new office in Norwich and am able to walk just about normally now. Running will be something to try next week (maybe Tuesday when I’m meant to be playing netball). At least I’m doing better than Matthew Leonard, even with the insertion of metal plates he’s still attracting injuries much worse than mine. All I have now is to look forward to my next game of cricket, surely it can’t be worse than this time? We’ll see.

Some of the guys, keeping score and watching our batsmen

Further action in the middle