Well I am back in 2nd grade & feel very priviliged to be skipper of a talented mix of both youth & experience. I arrived at 12.20pm for a 1pm start, (mental note to self “it’s 2nd grade you only need to turn up at 12.59pm”), needless to say I sat alone for 20 minutes to contemplate the days play. No need to look at the pitch….it’s concrete with a green carpet on it…..should be a flat track I say to myself. At 12.55 I try get the team together for a pep talk & to welcome in the new season, at 1pm everyone finally has shoes on & in a round about way we decide we are going to win the comp ….EASY. Parksey, aka Robert Parkes an old foe from another era in 1st grade, is the opposing skipper, he is 120 kg & I get a glimpse of exactly where my career is heading. He wins the toss & decides to make first use of the well prepared wicket.

I open with Nathan “slippers” Mills & Tess-tickle, 2 young 6ft plus tearaways, they both bowl well & in particular “slippers”, he soon finds an edge & Our Don thrusts out a right glove & takes a sharp reflex chance low to his right. He soon after deceives everyone with a slower ball to trap a batsman whom resembled a rabbit in the headlights…out LBW.

Other highlights included the silver fox Mick Lacey clean bowling their dangerous big hitter, Potts taking a one handed juggling caught & bowled, Ben “butters” Crawford dropping a dolly only to redeem himself with the ball claiming 3 scalps including a lovely piece of slipsmanship from yours truely, & the Hose Porter who bowled beautifully with some late dipping offies that at times hypnotised the batsman.

Parksey batted out the day showing experience however we steadily take wickets all day & bowl their other 10 batsmen out for 114, they scored 179.

We had about 6 overs to face in fading light & the 2 life members Hose & Wayno Porter were my openers, now fading light, a quick bowler, a red ball on a green background is not ideal for Hose so I gave him the option of swapping with Our Don, Tony stared upwards & thought long & hard, it was not until I was in my car heading home it dawned on me….The Hose was not looking at the encroaching shadows & angle of the sun, no way, what hose was doing was staring right through the balcony of the Bangalow Bowlo & assessing how many schooners he could neck in the ensuing change of innings & 6 overs . Hose 1 - skipper 0. Anyway Donny & Wayno put on 9 with no loss & did a marvelous job.

All is in readiness for a gutsy run chase on Saturday, lets just hope the pitch is as well prepared.