On Saturday I took part in a catastrophic collapse, when everyone tried to play like McCullum/Pietersen/Gayle/Warner/de Villiers/Rahane/Sangakkara* [*delete as applicable].
On Sunday, in a state of deep melancholy, I accidentally found myself watching Australia over-60s vs Hampshire over-60s. [Australia won by 5 wickets]. I didn't recognise any names, and when I chatted with one of their coaches it wasn't so much 'oh, didn't you recognise Alan Border [well he is only 59]?' so much as 'so and so used to play with Merv Hughes [53]' etc. Nevertheless, a lot of these guys had played Grade cricket in their day and, notwithstanding dodgy knees, hips and general wear and tear, what struck me was the economy of effort in all aspects of the game. The bowling seemed effortless, and was magnificent - one bowled medium cutters for something like 8 overs, from which there were only 3 scoring balls! Although there was a certain amount of footwork in the field [if they bent over, they might not be able to straighten up?] and underarm throws from the boundary, the fielding was none the worse for that. The batting, however, was a masterclass in how to build an unhurried innings. No rush, no forcing the pace, just gentle accumulation. And every scoring shot the product of timing and placement rather than brute force. It was a revelation to an impetuous young forty-something.
Author
Topic: Learning From Old Timers [there's a pun here] (Read 913 times)