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.
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