The Sound of Cricket

 Bang. I am woken by a very pleasant sound.  A cricket ball thumping into my bedroom wall. It’s going to be a good day.

I slowly wake. It’s no dream. It’s the sound of cricket.

The sound of Bruce playing cricket with a few of our neighbours.

I lie and listen to the sounds of cricket.

Let’s toss to see who bats first. Heads or tails.

Okay, you won the toss. Okay, you can either decide to bat or bowl or you can decide what team you want to be.

I’ll be Australia. Let’s play for the ashes.

That’s not fair. You are always Australia.

I won the toss fair and square. You can decide. Do you want to bat or bowl?

One bounce one hand.

Over the fence is six and out.

I dare you. Go the tonk.

That’s six and out.

Well worth it.   

That was just a windy woof.

You were lucky.

Catches win matches.

Your dog loves cow corner.

Leg before. How’s that?

Not out.

I challenge that. I’m going Decision Review. That was plumb.

The sounds permeate my room. Followed by images which flood my brain.

I am glad Bruce has someone to play with. I am glad he has found kids to play with.  

When he plays with others, he stops hitting the ball against the wall.  Bang. Bang. Bang. Continuously. Very annoying. The sound of kids laughing, yelling, screaming, crying, arguing and hitting the wicket is much nicer than the sound of a lonely ball.

Bruce even sleeps with a cricket bat in his bed. His bedroom wall has a picture of his hero. The latest Australian captain.

Then I hear the ball hit the wicket. Which is the rubbish bin. A big shout of clean bowled. The sound of the bat hitting the wicket. 

Bruce. I love you and your mates but time for me to go out and show you a little about cricket.

I slide the flywire door open and enter the field.

The players stand aside and wait for the new player.

I announce: Okay. I’ll now show you how to bat.

Okay Bruce you can open. You can open the innings. Put the pads on.

Hold the bat like this. No like this. Straight upright.

Now move your legs. Dance around the crease. You are a dancer. Watch the ball. Bat next to your pad. Don’t leave a gap. You can get bowled through the gap.  

Now your bat is there to protect your wicket. You can’t make any runs if you get bowled. To stop the ball hitting the wicket watch the ball. Watch the ball and then hit it with your bat.

 

When you hold the bat keep the bat straight upright. Move your feet, watch the ball, bat straight, move your bat. The golden rules. Practise the right way. Keep at it. Practise good habits. Don’t do the wrong thing. Don’t swing your bat like this.

I want you to know the right and wrong way to bat. Be aware of what you do. Look at yourself. If you do the right thing then do it again. 

Don’t give your wicket away. Keep your wicket and it will give you runs. You can’t make any runs from the grandstand.

You will need courage to face me. I’m not going to go easy on you. One day you will thank me.   

If you learn everything I tell you, you will know how to make a century or bowl a hatrick. Look, listen and learn.

Cricket is not what we see on TV. Twenty-twenty is not proper cricket.  Cricket is more than swinging wildly and belting the ball as hard as possible. Today I will teach you proper cricket.

Remember: Hold the bat straight, move your feet, watch the ball. One day you will play with a real ball. The way to play it is watch it. It is dangerous if you don’t watch it. If you watch it you will see where it goes.

Cricket is more than just a game. Cricket is life. If you ever have a problem; face it; look at it; look at it honestly; see what it is doing; then attack it. Belt it. Smash it into next week.

You'll face harder things than a cricket ball and you'll have two choices: Be frightened. Back away and get out. Attack with a forward step or pull the ball like this.

That's what cricket's all about.

 

I grab the bat and say: Okay. Now it’s my turn to bat. Look watch me. Look and learn. You can practice your bowling. Bowl as fast as you want. I can take it. Don’t go easy on me. Bowl your fastest. Work together. Team work.

As Bruce leans against the back fence. I ponder. I can see the future. Now we just have to replay what I have seen. I will defend. I won’t  belt it. I don’t want to destroy their confidence. They love cricket. I place my mark and take guard.

Bruce pushes off and pelts towards me. Arms and legs rotate twist and spin. Screams loudly as a ball shoots out of the whirling mass.  

I prod forward. The ball hits the rubbish bin. Bruce jumps with arms raised.

Bruce: First ball. Duck. That’s a golden duck.

They all do a high five. One of them holds a twig as a microphone and says to me: Can you tell us how to hold the bat, watch the ball and protect your wicket. Tell us all about that ball.

I let those comments go through to the keeper.

I replay that shot and say: You have just learnt something. In life and cricket, luck plays a part. I did everything right. I had good footwork. I watched the ball. Even Bradman was bowled for a duck. That was plain luck. Hit a crack. Just luck.