THE STORY SO FAR

Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.
~ John Madden (10 April 1936- ) Former American Football player and Former Head Coach of Oakland Raiders.

Over this Christmas/New Years season hiatus I have had a lot of time to assess and appraise how my first half season back in club cricket after a twenty six year absense has gone. I have had to be brutally honest with myself in my self examination because that is the only way one can find the answers to improve their game as opposed to living in some kind of delusional fantasy land and keep doing the same thing and getting the same end result.

My first half season scores were as follows:

18 vs Burnley – run out

A terrible mix up with Nat when I had the measure of the bowling and looked set for a big score.
This was a very bad blow in hindsight as a big score on the opening day of the season would have done me a world of good. It was not to be, and the mix up was worthy of a Keystone Kops episode in its clumsiness. It would have been hilarious if it happened to anyone else - as it was, I wasn't laughing. Still, we put on an opening stand of fifty nine in reasonably quick time.

7no vs Canterbury – retired hurt

Ripped both quad muscles during they pre-game warm up. Simply could not run in those frenetic overs when we were trying to secure a miraculous victory. To rip both quad muscles during a pre-game fielding drill is - again - hilarious. That is, if it happens to somebody else. Schadenfreude - just as I would be having a laugh at others expense - I am sure my teammates found my predicament very funny indeed!

0 vs Parkville – bowled

Bowled in freakish manner off my right toe with the ball clipping the leg bail and ending up in first slips hands as they appealed for a catch. Once in a career type of dismissal.

You need some luck early on in an innings and this was one day where I had none.

8 vs Parkville – bowled

Bowled by a jaffa as I went the big drive to move the scoring pace along. I was told at the drinks break that the scoring rate was too slow and that some big shots were needed. I promptly smashed a pull stroke for four on resumption and then missed an inswinger with a big heave aimed for mid off.

17 vs Maccabi – caught

Imploded by throwing my wicket away after surviving more than an hour on a green and seaming deck. Prior to my brain fade, I was looking good for a big score. It was a difficult pitch and the outfield was treacle slow. I was batting very comfortably up until the point I dabbed at a low full toss that careered off the toe of my bat to mid off.

DNB vs Parkdale – washed out

DNB vs National – washed out

21 vs National – bowled

Batted pretty well and had a big score well and truly in my sights when I threw my wicket away playing across the line of a leg break that simply did not bounce. To be fair, I was trying to up the run rate. Still, it was a waste of twenty two overs of grind. Put on a fifty one run stand with Richard Hounslow and batting with Richie was an education in being organized and aware at the crease. Aimed a big pull shot at a long hop that skidded through almost ankle height.

8 vs Thornbury – caught behind

Umpiring error. Given out caught behind off a bump ball that passed underneath the toe of my bat after looking comfortable to that point. I felt extremely confident during my short stay at the crease. I aimed a big cover drive at a widish delivery that caught the toe of my bat and the ground at the same time before the keeper took the "catch" at chest height. I was furious at teh decision, but, realistically, it was the only bad decision I have recieved so far this season - so I cannot complain. At this level, to have even half reasonable umpires is a blessing!

1 vs Thornbury – bowled

Bowled around my legs by a leg spinner. Simply a once in a season delivery. The first delivery I recieved after the drinks break.

My first half season assessment based on not converting any starts into meaningful scores is therefore 3/10.

That may sound somewhat harsh, but there are very good reasons for me feeling that way about my performance.

If the three scores of 18, 17 and 21 were converted into innings of 30+ runs each, then I would have considered my first half of the season to have been a 5/10.

Furthermore, if those three starts were converted into scores of 40 plus with maybe one of the innings being greater than 50 – then I would have considered my half season rating to have been as high as 7/10.

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Season Hilights

Undoubtably the two stands over fifty. The fifty nine opening stand in round one with Nat Williams was sensational, but could easily have been over seventy as neither Nat nor myself are the swiftest runners between wickets. The fifty one run stand with Richard Hounslow was a great learning experience for me in how to organize an innings and set targets. Richie Hounslow's constant updates of deliveries left in an over, runs scored off the over, etc was fantastic and made batting with him a real eye opener. It is something that I am consciously trying to emulate and incorporate into my game.

Season Downers

The two outright failures of a duck in round three and a score of one in round seven just before the Christmas break. Both were freakish dismissals of the likes that are not going to be repeated too many times over the course of my second coming as a club cricketer. Still, there was a lesson to be learned in both dismissals. In both instances opening up my stance a little bit more would have aided me greatly to combat those deliveries.

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With all the practice I have put in at official training with the club and private training with my club mates on other days, not to mention private technical tuition with Happy each Friday with the bowling machine at Hawthorn Indoor Centre – I really should have made some bigger scores.

My form has been good throughout and my confidence has remained unshakeable. I really feel I am one good innings away from cracking the code so to speak. Early on when I noticed some technical deficiencies, I worked diligently to iron them out as best as I could.

I have learnt a lot in my first half season of adult turf cricket. My stamina out in the middle is not what it used to be as I found myself wilting after only a few overs. This is in contrast to my formerly boundless stamina as a teenager when I could bat for two to three hours without any great problem.

Happy suggested that I eat a banana for breakfast on game day and then another banana just before the game to give my body the energy levels to get through an innings. Leading Yarras run scorer from our First Eleven - Kim Price - suggested that I drink an energy drink at drinks instead of the usual cordial that is doled out. He suggested something like a Powerade.

I am taking both those suggestions on board as I am staggered as to why I am fading fast so early in all my innings. Another though that occurred to me is that I show most of the symptoms associated with Type Two Diabetes, namely:

• Being excessively thirsty
• Feeling tired and lethargic
• Always feeling hungry
• Having cuts that heal slowly
• Itching, skin infections
• Leg cramps.

I had absolutely no idea that I was a candidate for Type Two Diabetes until I was listening to a sports talkback program that was discussing the symptoms associated with Type Two Diabetes and I immediately recognized that I have most of the symptoms that were mentioned.

So, I will be booking in for a thorough medical examination shortly to ascertain whether I genuinely have Type Two Diabetes (which I am pretty sure I have) or whether it is an overreaction and simply some other minor problem like lack of fitness. Either way, a full health check by a GP is a must.

I am going to leave no stone unturned to achieve my optimum level of performance which (rightly or wrongly) I feel I am capable of much more than what I have shown. I feel that I have nearly all the shots. The only shot that I lack that I need to work on is the late cut. I have seen a few batsmen use it to good effect as a scoring stroke.

Another facet that I want to improve in is my scoring rate. In my comeback this season, I have batted slower than I can ever remember. I would like to get back to scoring at a faster rate with more boundaries. All my boundaries so far this season have come either behind or square of the wicket. It has been greatly disappointing that I have not even looked like scoring a boundary with a drive.

That has to change and has to improve for me to make bigger scores and to score quicker. I have grown up as essentially a back foot player because of playing my junior cricket on coir matting. On low bouncing turf wickets, I have to construct a better front foot game and learn the art of lofting bowlers back over their heads. It is a different type of batting to what I am used to, but I am enjoying the challenge of learning new ways to play an old familiar game. At any rate, I have to double my scoring rate from now on for the benefit of my team.

Easier said than done, but one thing that is certain, I will be in there trying!

See you all soon.

Vic Nicholas
Melbourne
AUSTRALIA