A Season of Cricket, 2013

When Whitchurch on Thames CC suffered some sort of IT failure that resulted in the loss of the whole of last year's averages, I was just a little peeved about it.  So this year, I thought I'd keep a record through the season of my performances, just a little something to keep the focus as the season heads through those difficult months of mid-summer when the batsmen are getting themselves into form on flat pitches.

The purpose of this little post is to update myself on how the season went in numbers.

In a great summer of cricketing weather I managed to get in 35 matches; probably some sort of record.  Of these, 13 were for Mandarins, the rest for WCC or their opposition (1), who were short.

I bowled in all but one of these games, the one being when I was suffering a cricked neck; and got through 217 overs (phew!).  40 of these were maidens and from the rest 809 runs were given away.  The harvest in batsmen for all this was 41 wickets.  That's a pleasing economy rate of 3.73 runs per over and averages 19.73 runs / wicket, striking slightly more frequently than once every 32 balls.  My best numbers came at Goring on the second played match of the season: 8 - 0 - 15 - 3.

Definitely the secret to a good average is to bowl to passive batters, as the openers frequently are; and try to get yourself a fielding team that can catch and run around a bit.  WCC do that creditably, though Mandarins are a little slow on their feet these days.

I collected a rather small number of catches - five - the last one being at the back-end of July.  Note for next year: keep a log of drops, half catches and feeble pretences on cold days that "it wasn't quite there".

The batting doesn't need to be gone into much detail.  Going in as tail-end-charlie in a run-chase is not always easy an easy place to score from.  So maybe an average of 12.46 with the best innings (29*) in October's last fixture is not too dreadful; but then again, there is a reason why I tend to go in this position, and it's not just because I'm opening the bowling.

Looking out for warm days in the spring of 2014.

Tragic Case

How You Know Caissa Has Forsaken You

Strictly between us chess players... My form on the board has been rather poor of late. My team mates know it, and I know it. This is my self indulgent notes-to-self after Wednesday's debacle...

• My pieces are not the equal of my opponents.  My opponent and I are managers of two teams but, on a man for man basis, every piece on my side is a weakling compared to his.


• My pieces get in the way of each other and refuse to work together.   It's as though they are all enemies; of each other, and me.  Some have clearly gone rogue.


• My opponent's moves seem to happen more frequently than mine.  On his turn, he seems to be making more moves than me.  My own pieces seem content to stay at home today.


• I know I'm losing, even in positions which to anyone else would be OK.  I've seen them in books and know, objectively, they're fine; but at the back of my mind, I know I'm losing, if not already flat lost.


• I struggle for ages to find any move that doesn't lose immediately, and yet my position continues to  degrade with every clock tick. On the other side of the board, I see so many resources!  It's inconceivable that, bunny though he is, he won't find the easy moves that'll beat me.


• I know that I'm going to lose this evening, even before the clocks have started and no matter how weak my opponent.  He simply has to turn up and push some wood.  If necessary, I'll help him beat me; and if he's a real patzer, I'll probably selfmate.

Captain Patzer