Cricket moments you're not proud of

[Garson007]

Watching highlights of a previous game and seeing someone dive to make a catch, I had a sudden flashback to my childhood.

I don't know in which position I fielded or anything else of note really, but I remember diving (I guess I was probably diving) to take a catch and I did catch it, but it then somehow ended up under my body and out of my hands. When I got up everyone was celebrating, the batsman was walking, etcetera. I probably stood there with a ****-eating grin, slightly confused, slightly guilty and cowardly for not speaking up.

So what experiences have you guys got to share?

 

[Spikey]

that time I demanded to bat at number 4 instead of number 3

 

[Spikey]

that time I let the the other team's parents affect my state of mind

 

[Burgey]

Getting run out for 99

 

[benchmark00]

I once batted Peter Siddle at #8.

 

[Spikey]

that time I said the batsman's timing was later than a CityRail train

 

[Spikey]

Getting run out for 99

It was the other guy's fault, though

 

[Burgey]

that time I let the the other team's parents affect my state of mind

The first year Atticus played in under 11s he was playing against a team full of his school mates who are all a year older than him so he was really desperate to do well.

One of the school dads was there, and he's just a ****ing knob. Real loudmouth, has no idea but thinks he's both very knowledgeable and very popular. He's neither. To give you an idea, he showed up uninvited to our joint once when the kids were having a party and just walked his dog around the back of my joint to the pool area and sat down like he owned the place. I just looked at him and said to the former Mrs Burgey "who the **** is this?" Was told not to be rude so I wasn't, but I thought I had every right. Got the bloke the ****tiest, oldest beer I had (think it was a Sydney Bitter twist top from about 1994, with a rusted old top on it and all) and wished him dead.

Anyway, this dickhead is on the sidelines and the young bloke is into his 20s or 30s and batting really really well. Next thing, this **** starts yelling out "You can get out now Burgey. You've scored enough runs now. Come on, get out". This is to a 9 year old playing under 11s.

So I'm umpiring and giving this bloke the death stare. There's a drinks break and he walks over to us and says it all again, with a big **** eating grin on his face. Right to the young bloke's face. I looked at him and said "that's not how we roll mate" and Burgeinho is staring daggers at him.

For some stupid reason the **** keeps going, so I told Burgeinho to head over to the canteen and have a drink. When he was gone I looked at this bloke and told him I think it's a good idea he ****s off, that he's no good and typical of a Hills club, he gets up Oakes Road and thinks he's a different breed. He was shocked, but eventually went.

Anyway, the young bloke walks back over and asks me what to do about this bloke yelling out at him. I said don't do anything, but when you get a chance remind him about it later on.

We go back out and knuckle head keeps at it! I mean, really? I don't think I've ever been angrier at anyone than I was at this bloke. Anyway, Burgeinho doesn't seem to notice. Eventually the young bloke gets his 50 and has to retire, so he raises his bat, and as he walks off turns to this bloke and gave the best impression I've ever seen of Mark Greatbatch's spray to the channel nine press box when he made that ton in Perth all those years ago. God it was great.

So, it's not always a bad thing if the other parents have a go at you, provided it spurs you on.

Ftr, Burgeinho told me he could see I was getting pissed off at this bloke and wanted to dish something back to him there and then, and not wait til later. Was a great moment.

I saw that bloke the other week btw. He's still a ****wit.

 

[Langeveldt]

Used to really lose the plot if I got myself out, have broken a few things in a few changing rooms.. Regret all that, but I just couldn't handle getting myself out

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I saw that bloke the other week btw. He's still a ****wit.

I wouldn't be too harsh on Cribb, he probably saw U11 cricket in the paper and thought/hoped it was a girls match. To be honest, it was probably quite important for him to have his annual excursion outside the house during daylight hours.

 

[fredfertang]

I was never much of a batsman, durable but could barely hit the ball off the square, and I rarely got to turn my arm over. But I loved playing and wasn't a bad fielder and, unlike anyone else in my team, generally held on to my catches. On one occasion I recall fielding at cow corner when the batsman hit a skier out towards me. It was a big park ground and I charged from deep mid wicket towards deep mid on trying to keep my eyes on my feet and the ball. As the ball started to come down I lost interest in my feet and kept my eyes on the ball and, to my eternal delight ended up under the ball and held on to the catch. I was so elated that I didn't immediately look down but when I did look briefly back I realised that I had been a couple of steps over the line when I made the catch, but by now my teammates were celebrating and the batsman on his way back. I agonised briefly, as the bloke was on 40 odd at the time, but I just couldn't call him back. I felt particularly bad because it rapidly became obvious that the square leg umpire knew what had happened - he was one of theirs so I have no idea why he never said anything, but he spent the rest of the innings throwing knowing looks at me.I held a couple more catches later on, unquestionably legit ones, which made me, for the only time in my career, duty bound to buy a jug, which was the reward for scoring 50, taking four wickets or holding three catches as a fielder. I used to dream of buying a jug, and never did again, but the guilt also stopped me rnjoying that one chance I had to buy one

 

[hendrix]

I thought you buy jugs for dropping catches...

 

[benchmark00]

I don't believe it. Tangy wouldn't shout if a shark bit him, let alone for taking a dubious catch.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Not a single moment as such, but I used to frequently lose my cool when I was bowling badly and usually ended up mouthing off at the captain or whoever happened to be in the way. Needless to say I stopped bowling in matches and converted myself into an annoying stodgy opening bat instead.

 

[social]

The worst sledger in Sydney used to play for Petersham.

This guy was such a nutter that he would routinely challenge players/spectators to fights and even sledged Lara when called on as a substitute fieldsman for NSW against the Windies

Anyway, having been subject to non-stop abuse from the worst sledger in Sydney for all the previous week when batting, our opening bowler decided to return fire with fire and went completely over the top when this guy came into bat

A couple of balls into his innings, our quick bounced him, he hit it straight up in the air and most of our team gave him a massive send-off whilst the ball was still in the air

Only problem was that I proceeded to drop the sitter

He went on to score 170-odd, abusing us all the way

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Only problem was that I proceeded to drop the sitter

He went on to score 170-odd, abusing us all the way

Oh dear. I hope you've gained some catharsis from the telling of that story because there ain't much positive side to it. I've had some bad moments on a cricket field, but that'd certainly take the biscuit.

Kudos for telling it - it must have been a tough one to air in public.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Moment I'm least proud of on the cricket field... Well, let me think - so many to choose from. I was playing in a friendly against a mixed team of adults and kids - some of the kids probably 11/12 sort of age, but probably half adults half kids. I was bowling to one of the other adults and as it was a social game, taking it fairly easy (I was about 22 at the time so could bowl relatively properly back then). The guy slaps me through the covers for 4. He proceeds to do the same to the next 3 balls when he comes down the pitch with the pretext of doing some gardening and quietly tells me "You know where the next one's going, ****". I was fuming at this point and made a big show about remarking my run up at a proper length - which really wasn't the done thing in this friendly social game.

I came in off the full run up, gave up a slower ball which cut in off the pitch - he played an hour too soon on it and was bowled and then I proceeded to give him an absolute spray of invective as he walked off the pitch - accompanying him some distance towards the pavilion. I got some very upset looks from the parents of the kids playing in that match as a result, and I was still fuming for much of the rest of the day.

 

[social]

Oh dear. I hope you've gained some catharsis from the telling of that story because there ain't much positive side to it. I've had some bad moments on a cricket field, but that'd certainly take the biscuit.

Kudos for telling it - it must have been a tough one to air in public.

Fortunately we have a laugh about it whenever we catch up with the stories of who said what to him whilst the ball was in the air getting bigger every time

That was actually the most embarrassing moment but the one I look back on with least pride came against the same team

A couple of years later, we had to follow on after being rolled on a wet deck

Our number 11 from the first innings was our regular number 3 but was late to the game as a result of uni exams so he and I opened the innings second time around

This nutter thought we were taking the piss and went ballistic from his fielding position at deepish mid-wicket (he was an Australian baseballer with a rocket arm so one of his party tricks was to dare people to take a single to him - basically what he did with Lara)

Anyway, my batting partner got bowled first ball and, as you can imagine, that didn't exactly help matters from a sledging perspective so rather than walk off, he headed straight for this guy who proceeded to run for the gate with my team-mate and ultimately me/most of the other team in pursuit - thing was like a scene out of Benny Hill

9 of us ended up in front of a disciplinary committee of NSWCA

 

[SpofforthLohman]

Watching highlights of a previous game and seeing someone dive to make a catch, I had a sudden flashback to my childhood.

I don't know in which position I fielded or anything else of note really, but I remember diving (I guess I was probably diving) to take a catch and I did catch it, but it then somehow ended up under my body and out of my hands. When I got up everyone was celebrating, the batsman was walking, etcetera. I probably stood there with a ****-eating grin, slightly confused, slightly guilty and cowardly for not speaking up.

So what experiences have you guys got to share?

My batting sucked, so I would say any of my innings would do but I never had a single coaching lesson in my life, I lived way out in the outback. I also had a problem with some of my captains because there was always a small clique in every team and these captains followed their opinion only and the rest of us always treated like 12th men. In the end I had to demand some overs and when I got them dd well with the ball. The moment I am least proud of was as a 14 year old I bashed my captain a couple of weeks after he dropped me for a final, but it should have been the little prick who was the vice captain cos it was him who was leader of the clique. I don't know if cliques rule every cricket team on earth but I wouldn't be surprised if that is indeed the case. That incident with my ex-captain got me in heaps of trouble with my dad as he saw me belt him and knew exactly why I had. There were many low points in my time playing at the lower levels and only a few good times and that was when I opened the bowling for my Army team and managed to take lots of cheap wickets, I was bowling well mainly because the army had made me very fit and I had learned to swing the ball either way. In fact they are my only good memories of the Army, lol, it was a hellhole for me. After the Army I had to start all over again and from that time on became a victim of cliques who cared only about personality and anything not to do with cricket. In the end I just walked away forever disgusted. The final straw was the last captain I had who preferred to give his 15 year old son more bowling than the rest of the team put together and the lad was a shocker, I never saw a bowler get smashed for sixes as much as that young fella. He bowled lollypops and cost us the game every week but did his idiot father take him off... no way. That final day was the worst of all, we had the game in the bag then he brought his son on to bowl and against two big hitters. They made 100 runs in just about 5 or 6 of his overs and they only hit sixes and fours. That was too much to bear and I quit but the body was getting worn out by then anyway, I wanted to play in that lower grade just to get a bit of bowling in but I got none at all, well I'd get an over when we'd had already been blown away but that wasn't good enough. Anyway, I loved to bowl and would bowl all day if asked but I hated batting and hated facing quick bowlers and hated opposition wicketkeepers, they cheeky little buggers they are.

 

[SpofforthLohman]

My funniest moment to me was a game where I was really pissed off at the captain and I decided to go on a fielding strike, when he yelled at me, "aren't you going to stop that ball" I told him I wanted to see him get it, Well at the time I found it hilarious, I was the only bloke not under 22 in the side and was in my mid thirties, the captain was the only other exception. I hated that lazy bugger, he'd just stand at first slip all day and sent me to do all the running instead of some of those young blokes and it was supposed to be a fun game. he obviously had it in for me at the start, especially as he would drop most of those catches in first slip....