I was still suffering from my bruised left shin from the 4th-grade semi-final that we lost. I found it challenging to walk pain-free, and attempting to run was out of the question. Thus, my preparation for the weekend was deeply affected. I could perhaps practice my sharp catching, but given that I cannot bowl or attempt to take high catches or practice ground fielding since there’s running involved, I decided to rest on Tuesday rather than attend training.
The weather leading up to the weekend was extremely wet, and thus Thursday training was canceled. Sadly, the wet weather continued on Friday, and ultimately most of the matches were called off. In turf, if it rains and the wickets are not covered enough from the rains, then the weekend’s play gets called off. Even if the wicket is dry from the rains, I needed to be told that the outfield will need to be reasonably dry. That’s what I had learned from other people and from my prior experience against Queanbeyan last month.
I suspect most of the guys in our club will be disappointed that there’s no cricket, particularly Chris ‘Archie’ Arcella, who was going to line up against his former club, North Canberra Gungahlin, in the hope that we could smash them in 5th grade. Anyways, I was hopeful that we may see our game rescheduled, but as Ben Healy told me, it will be challenging to find a free weekend. So at least we walk away with our first points against a fellow top-four team for once.
With all the grades except 2nds being abandoned before the start despite bright and sunny weather, I ended up at Vishnu Chari’s residence to watch the Australia v Pakistan and India v England test matches. As the afternoon went on, both Vishnu and I learned that 2nds won by 1st innings defending 300 and were 1 wicket into their mission for outright victory through a Facebook post in our group. We both decided to head out to Kippax early to cheer the guys on.
Unfortunately, when I arrived, there was no cricket. As it turned out, both Norths and Ginninderra decided to close proceeding early that started only at 1pm. So 2nds are off the mark with a win in 2-day cricket.
Then came the Christmas party at ‘The Nest’ which is what Kippax 1 is referred to. It was the first time I was stepping on this ground ever. It is a multipurpose ground as cricket and football are being played there. I immediately had thought that it will be great to go out and play at The Nest one day.
Nevertheless, it was great seeing plenty of familiar faces. Quite interestingly enough, I only knew a few people from the club during pre-season. By now, I knew almost everyone who turned up at the Christmas party, but I was hanging out more with Vishnu and a few guys from 5th grade, mainly Archie and Andrew Loveday. Nevertheless, whenever I said hello to a few people, those guys (they know who they are) mentioned that they’ve been reading my entries and enjoyed reading them.
While the positive publicity was there, I never was prepared for feedback from our club president, Chris ‘Griffo’ Griffin. I was initially puzzled when Griffo wanted me to pull me aside. Anyways initially, I couldn’t hear what Griffo was telling me, so I managed to get hold of him while we were at the finish line for a footrace between the fastest guys in the club. Griffo mentioned that I wrote something publicly regarding my view on selections on a previous entry, which caught his eye through John Prior, the chairman of selectors and Mick Delaney, the head coach. Believe it or not, what I wrote matched their views, and they were astonished by what was written. Griffo himself acknowledged and commended me for writing such stuff, which meant that he, too, was also enjoying what I’ve written. Furthermore, he was appreciative of the fact that I lost 10 kilos since the end of last season when he checked it out on Facebook.
I was welcoming constructive criticism for everything I write in my entries, but Griffo’s positive feedback tonight was the icing on the cake. It helped to enjoy a great Christmas party that was filled with good food and activities. I quite enjoyed all you can eat BBQ and the deserts, particularly the Black Forest Cake and the Caramel Cheesecake. I also enjoyed Jess Howard bagging Archie for costing her a maiden 50 last weekend against Tuggeranong when she was stranded on 15 not out. But I refused to believe Archie and Andrew when they think that they can send across an Italian Cricket team for the 2024 Olympics. I love their optimism, but it’s honestly all trash talk, much like Archie believing I was good enough for a Big Bash League contract for Hobart Hurricanes.
Overall, a good night out with everyone enjoying each other’s company. That’s Ginninderra for you given as mentioned before; they’re one of the most sociable cricket clubs in ACT Premier Cricket. It helps strengthen the club chemistry, which in turn enhances the chemistry during practice and in the games.
Diary of a Grade Cricketer 