Lots of laughs, Archytas; gosh, the good old days, so many stories and anecdotes to share on those long hot summer days in the pavilions with a pint, bemoaning the changes to cricket rules and colours..."these young uns just dont know what cricket is...sigh; its just not cricket anymore...", i hear me say :)
I wasn't too shabby with the bat either, though i confess i never batted higher than 6 in a serious game; back then i knew i'd be wearing prescription glasses soon :) I dont remeber my highest batting score, but i remember the match well, it was a varsity match, i was facing a very tall, very quick seamer; his fist few deliveries whizzed past my off stump while i raised my bat and got on the front foot; "what great judgement", everyone must have thought; truth be told, i didn't see much of the line of the ball till the wicketkeeper had the thing. Well, the next ball was a vicious bodyliner, first glimpse i had of the thing was off the seam; too late to look composed and elegant, so i did the next best thing (well, my subconscious did); my bat flew at the line of the ball, one handed, i heard true contact, and a great roar of applause; i looked round to square, and the ball was sailing majestically over the boundary. I thought to myself, "that's probably your best strategy, matey; beacuase, you really ought to have gone to specsavers!".Lol. I believe i scored a respectable 50+ runs; dont remember much of it; i do remember the great appeal for caught behind; didnt bother looking back or at the umpire before walking; you just know when you've had a damn fine run of luck! :) Oh, the days... On Aug 2, 4:41 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > Sometimes it really did seem that lethal Para - the ten wickets fell > for 7 runs. The following year, again in the last game of the season, > needing to tie to win the championship we were 120 for none chasing > 130 with me due to bat at 4. I was on nights so asked the skipper if > I could shower and get ready to leave early. He gave me the nod. > Wickets started to fall quicker than trousers in a brothel and I had > to pad up again. I got in at the 7th wicket down with us needing one > to win, smashed my first ball just wide of cover. He ran out the > other guy, leaving me off strike. My best mate came in, walloped his > first ball and was caught at long on. We crossed, so I had strike on > what was now the last ball. The scores were tied, leaving me either > to score one to win or get out so it was a tie and not a draw. The > bowler had taken four wickets in the last over, plus the run out. I > charged the ball and swear the non-striker was passing me as I screwed > up the slog and dropped the bat on the ball and sprinted to the > bowler's end. I think I made it anyway, but the ball missed the > stumps. The rain, which had held off all day unleashed and I was > soaking by the time I got back in the pavilion. You got the back foot > raider right - for most of my scoring shots - I'd have been your bunny > with that in-ducker. I bowled 13 consecutive maidens in the first > game mentioned before taking the first wicket - a pre-arranged quick > one with the keeper down the leg-side for a stumping. My execution > was dismal, the ball a foot wide of off, taking a bottom edge and > resulting in the best keeper's catch I've ever seen. I was bowling > off-breaks by then. The last ball of that game is recorded as leg > before, though the batsman would disagree as he thought he'd glanced > it for four. We offered to rescind our appeal after the match, but > their skipper declined on the grounds the other team that would have > won the title were a bunch of slimy toads. > > On Aug 1, 9:20 am, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Wow Archytas, that must have been one heck of a strip...10 wickets in > > 8 balls...amazing. > > > I used to be a pace opener, with a late outswing starting at middle, > > seaming just short of a length, four slips, a deep gully/point, and a > > short square leg; my party trick was the shade slower, fuller, 1 late > > inswinger of the over, just the trick for back foot raiders like > > yourself :) Great days indeed...takes me back to a time when i was > > just 12st or under :) > > > On Jul 31, 10:06 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I played at a 'tidal club' Para - as far from the sea as you can get > > > in England, but tidal nonetheless. Very hard to describe the 'tidal' > > > conditions, but it would all start with the kind of rip-snorter Swanny > > > got in the current Test. When I was still young enough to bowl chin > > > music we'd have the other side's batsmen remembering urgent > > > appointments and driving off without taking their turn. The trick at > > > these times was to bowl slower and just let the pitch spit the ball at > > > the poor sod batting. When batting you had to give up playing forward > > > and only play square of the wicket to get runs - the game was turned > > > upsidedown. We beat a few county sides on that track thanks to the > > > 'tide'. The tide seemed to be inspired by using the heavy roller at > > > tea. Great days. We won a championship on the last day on a tide > > > pitch after the opposition were 72 for none chasing 80 to win. > > > > On Jul 31, 9:06 am, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Sold! I'll take them all! Lol. > > > > > On Jul 31, 8:35 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > There's a lingerie football league and beach volley ball, etc. > > > > > Seriously, sports are often a ballet of form and extraordinary display > > > > > of what the body/mind is capable of. It's real- versus paintings or > > > > > statues of nudes at a museum. And the horses! :-) > > > > > > On Jul 30, 7:31 am, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Err, yeah...might depend on the sport in my case, rigsy :) > > > > > > > On Jul 30, 8:31 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Also football uniforms. Well, we are admiring bodies and > > > > > > > physiques in > > > > > > > sports, aren't we? :-) > > > > > > > > On Jul 29, 2:39 pm, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > I've always thought that baseball players have an interesting > > > > > > > > sense of > > > > > > > > dress style, rigsy; somewhat "hugging"? :) > > > > > > > > > On Jul 29, 2:21 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > We have baseball. :-) > > > > > > > > > > On Jul 28, 4:42 am, paradox <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Lol. Yeah, i've seen some innovation in rugby, for sure. > > > > > > > > > > > Well, cricket is one sport that i am passionate about (at > > > > > > > > > > least as far > > > > > > > > > > as i can be passionate about sport). It's at once a game of > > > > > > > > > > supreme > > > > > > > > > > patience and incredible reaction speed. You have the > > > > > > > > > > batsman who, with > > > > > > > > > > the right "guard" and standing perfectly motionless, is > > > > > > > > > > practically > > > > > > > > > > impenetrable, against a bowler and 10 strategically placed > > > > > > > > > > teammates > > > > > > > > > > who patiently and cleverly induce the batsman to make a > > > > > > > > > > "false" stroke > > > > > > > > > > with ever so subtle changes in the speed, flight, movement, > > > > > > > > > > trajectory > > > > > > > > > > and/or spin of the ball. When it happens, it can be a > > > > > > > > > > beautiful > > > > > > > > > > thing :) > > > > > > > > > > > On Jul 28, 7:23 am, Allan Heretic <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Until I came to Europe I never was a fan of any sport, > > > > > > > > > > > since I have become a fan of rugby ,, ever since I > > > > > > > > > > > watched a man fall on the ball with the other team piled > > > > > > > > > > > on top. But his legs were sticking out of the pile. So > > > > > > > > > > > his mates (6) grabbed his legs and used him like a wheel > > > > > > > > > > > barrow. As for cricket,, I have never gotten it wrapped > > > > > > > > > > > around my mind. > > > > > > > > > > > Allan > > > > > > > > > > > > On 27 jul. 2011, at 17:42, paradox > > > > > > > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > I thought that Relativity was pretty revolutionary, > > > > > > > > > > > > actually; less > > > > > > > > > > > > "fundamental" than perhaps String Theory, but frame > > > > > > > > > > > > shifting for sure. > > > > > > > > > > > > > So, you're a rugby man, eh? I'm more cricketer myself; > > > > > > > > > > > > all that > > > > > > > > > > > > physical contact would have strained my control beyond > > > > > > > > > > > > breaking > > > > > > > > > > > > point :) > > > > > > > > > > > > > Btw, your ballet's not at all lacking :) > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Jul 26, 5:35 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > >> The point, Para, is not that Einstein is bull, but > > > > > > > > > > > >> that interpreting > > > > > > > > > > > >> Relativity as 'new physics' always was. I did my > > > > > > > > > > > >> dancing on the rugby > > > > > > > > > > > >> field so you can expect my ballet to be clumsy! > > > > > > > > > > > >> Chemistry is more my > > > > > > > > > > > >> line, but Ludwig and Snell satisfy me that the > > > > > > > > > > > >> 'paradigm' stuff is > > > > > > > > > > > >> wonky. I suspect we are collectively very dumb as an > > > > > > > > > > > >> alternative to > > > > > > > > > > > >> enlightenment concepts - most people don't learn much. > > > > > > > > > > > >> Thus they > > > > > > > > > > > >> remain prey to the Old One. Indeed, it's the > > > > > > > > > > > >> propaganda of the Old > > > > > > > > > > > >> One that prevents enlightened society, aimed as it is > > > > > > > > > > > >> at the dumb. I > > > > > > > > > > > >> believe this may be what leaves us with only the worst > > > > > > > > > > > >> of democracy. > > > > > > > > > > > >> There has been no enlightenment,only some space > > > > > > > > > > > >> developed away from > > > > > > > > > > > >> the old Idols. > > > > > > > > > > > > >> On Jul 26, 1:01 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > >>> Not sure of what you mean. Do you want e-books to be > > > > > > > > > > > >>> controlled in > > > > > > > > > > > >>> content? Take history, for a long time it was written > > > > > > > > > > > >>> by the winners/ > > > > > > > > > > > >>> colonists, etc. until the "losers" started publishing > > > > > > > > > > > >>> their stories/ > > > > > > > > > > > >>> recollections. A good example is "Bury My Heart at > > > > > > > > > > > >>> Wounded Knee". > > > > > > > > > > > >>> There are countless books/ personal confessionals > > > > > > > > > > > >>> (St. Augustine, > > > > > > > > > > > >>> Newman, C.S. Lewis, etc.) that have inspired others- > > > > > > > > > > > >>> perhaps readied > > > > > > > > > > > >>> them for a personal journey of their own. The > > > > > > > > > > > >>> "enlightenment" is not > > > > > > > > > > > >>> always religious/spiritual- there are the arts of > > > > > > > > > > > >>> man/women which also > > > > > > > > > > > >>> inspire an individual/society. There is also > > > > > > > > > > > >>> propaganda and deceit as > > > > > > > > > > > >>> a path to power. > > > > > > > > > > > > >>> On Jul 25, 11:13 am, Allan Heretic > > > > > > > > > > > >>> <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> LOL. Yeah I am still here, > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> Enlightenment is a fascinating subject, to me it > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> always will be an experience(s) yet there are may > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> book thumpers thumpers can sight article and books > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> many volumes justifying what they have to say. When > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> you get discussing enlightenment you begin > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> discussing personal experience not that of others. > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> Putting it simply in my opinion your personal > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> experiences will stand on their own .. > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> Allan > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> On 25 jul. 2011, at 16:30, paradox > > > > > > > > > > > >>>> <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> Thing is archytas, though i dont altogether feel > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> "on board" with your > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> critical insights, your arguments are resonant and > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> very persuasive :) > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> Nice pirouette with "optimism" :) > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> You think Einstein's work was "bull"? Steady > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> archytas, we have the one > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> "heretic" here already...alan? :) > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> Thanks for the insights. > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> On Jul 24, 6:12 pm, archytas <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>>> That's more or less what I mean > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
