Today's game I'm sorry to say was simply not an enjoyable game to play in. Firstly we lost after a good start to the season isn't a bad thing as can keep us grounded as a team. What really annoyed me today is firstly the quality of the ground. Played a team based in Kent (not going to name and shame) This is a good standard of cricket in the Kent championship but no covers, no sight screens, awful facilities. Secondly is this stupid rule about no umpire and forfeiting the toss. We have an umpire avery week but this one week he has been really unwell. So we don't provide an umpire and we lose the toss. But they provide a shocking wicket, no sight screen on a pitch that sits in a bowl basically surrounded by woodland and 80ft trees, no showers and 3rd world changinge facilities. Doesn't seem a fair trade to me.
So we batted first lost a couple of early wickets both given lbw, so myself and number 5 build a nice partnership until there bowler an off spin bowler bowling to a right hander gets one to grip on the pudding of a pitch turn huge and hit the batter on the hip down leg side, bowler appeals like a moron and umpire gives it out to the amazement of myself and half there team, now the decision was that bad I just drop my bat and walk as far away from the umpire as I can, out batter asks what he was given out for and the reply is ct behind, keeper says he didn't hit it and I say to the bowler his appeal is worse than the decision his reply directly in from of the umpire is "I know it wasn't out but its my job to appeal" so I ask the umpire who heard what was said to call him back " no I've made a decision it may be wrong but I'm sticking with it.
We get to 151 off 46 with myself batting through for 65
So in there innings opener walks in front of all 3 gets one that shoots along the floor and plumb in front, not out. Anyway next ball he is caught no problem. So next guy comes in middles it to me behind the stumps umpire not out. Later in the game batter hits one back to bowler great low catch from the bowler we appeal and hand ball to umpire as claimed the catch, he says couldn't see it, not out.
Luckily the batter felt so bad he walked off.
My point from all of today is this team unfortunately have always been this way inclined. The majority of there lads are great blokes to talk to and are good players but the whole mentality seems to be to get away with everything,
. I don't want to use a set word as its not a great way to describe a team, espicially after losing as may sound like sour grapes. But the whole game is dictated by the forfeiting the toss due to no umpire when this is the first time in 3 seasons we have not had one. They provide awful or no facilities so surly it evens its self up as to make matters worse you have there umpire at both ends to contend with as well. Was he just incompetent or had a bad day?