Mat-fixing allegations :)

We'd a big mat-fixing operation yesterday before training, it certainly seems to have improved matters somewhat - though we won't know how much until we get to bowl on it when it isn't spilling rain!

We all got pretty soaked, and it wasn't ideal bowling conditions with the ball getting very greasy and mis-shapen. I decided I'd play around for a while when bowling and see if I could get the ball to do anything interesting, so I just experimented with a few grips - inswing, outswing and cross-seam, and different wrist positions. I found I was able to get the ball to swing in late a couple of times - which was great, as my natural movement is away-swing. Granted it didn't move very far, but at least it did move. The grip felt awkward though, and in conjunction with the wet ball made for a few wides and full tosses. It's definitely something to work on though.

During the day yesterday too we had our little work-related indoor game. First time around with the bat I felt I played well. I was playing at anything straight with the full face of the bat, and without trying to score it was getting punched back past the bowler for a couple and kept the tally ticking over. Unfortunately I didn't learn from this and in my second batting stint I was trying to score runs and ended up getting caught very quickly I really need a lot more experience in the middle to get the mental side of my batting right. If I concentrate on just watching the ball and getting the bat on it late I might have some hope of sneaking runs - whereas if I go after the bowling I usually can't see the ball at all and end up swiping at fresh air while the ball is busy beating the stumps to death. I'll stick with the patient approach, it'll come good one of these days :D

Tomorrow would be a good day for that to happen ... we've a first round cup game against a team that hammered us two weeks ago - bowled us out for just 60 I got 0* in that game without facing. Unfortunately, at the moment we only have 9 players (8 that will be there on time), so it could be a tough day! Batting the overs will be the main plan I think. If we can get through them there's a good chance we'll have a defendable total (anything over 120 I think is possible on our ground) and we won't be able to blame the missing batsmen for our score.

Obviously it will be tough fielding with 9, but we've done it successfully before and the skipper is canny enough to come up with a good plan I reckon. A big part of it is going to be for the bowlers to be consistent in their line. Ideally we'd be looking at a 6-1 off side field - but I don't think that's possible for Junior C bowling.

I'm actually looking forward to it though ... weather permitting of course.