I believe there are two types of amateur cricket in this country. The first type is for those players who are highly competitive, mostly very competent and vying for places in the top teams within their club… this is League Cricket. The second type is for people who perhaps used to play the first type but the ageing process and child rearing have rendered them a bit hit and miss; it’s for people who might never have played cricket and after watching things like England’s men and women win world cups wanted to try it; it’s for people who maybe played as a child and fancied making some new friends and having a bit of a laugh; it’s for people who don’t put winning ahead of having a great day and enjoying a beer afterwards with the oppo… this is Village Cricket.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel like the two rarely used to come into contact and clash on the same pitch at the same time. It used to be that the League Cricketers played on the Saturday and there were sharp catches at 3rd slip and beautiful leg glances for four runs. The Sunday was reserved for the Village Cricketers who get out to the middle with their phone still in their pocket, or who bowl one that might have hit leg stump… two pitches over. Now though, more clubs are using Sunday as a run out, an extended net session for their players that might not have played in the 1st XI match the day before. So for the second time this season the Village Cricket team I play for, Clapham In Cricket Club, faced a team of mostly 2nd XI League Cricketers, some of whom are pushing for a place in the 1sts, and can do things that the Village Cricketer can only dream of.
The pitch on this latest occasion was an absolute road. A batter’s dream. We lost the toss and were put into the field where we actually fielded pretty well. There were sharp stops, great throws and even some energetic running. Sure there was the odd drop over the boundary (sorry again, Matt) but mostly we bowled and fielded well. So it seems a little sad that they scored 353 off the 40 overs for the loss of only 2 wickets and 3 retirees.
After tea Joel and I strode out to open our innings and I must admit the thought crossed my mind that their captain might put some part timers on to begin with so it didn’t get ridiculous. Nope. Not League Cricketers. I faced up and the first thing I knew about the opening delivery was hearing a fizz and the sound of their keeper taking the shiny new ball before I’d even thought about playing a shot. I can only speak from my own experience, but I have never faced as quick or as consistently accurate a bowler in my life and was inwardly jumping for joy at seeing off all but 4 balls of his spell myself.
Thanks to a brilliant 89 from our No.3 in his first match of the season we got to a respectable 225/9 by the end of the 40 overs. If we’d have batted first and posted this we’d have felt pretty good, and then at least started the 2 hour journey back home a little earlier after they’d knocked it off in under 20 overs.
I think the difference in mindsets between the League Cricketer and the Village Cricketer is summed up by the final over of CICC’s innings. The opposition opener, who hit 150 off 69 balls and retired, was brought on to bowl. I was chatting to him whilst umpiring at square leg, and other than noting he was an absolutely lovely guy, he said his main skill was bowling and often opened for his T20 League team. So I question the point in bringing him on to bowl (pretty quickly) at our tailenders and take two wickets in the final over when we went into it needed 127 to win. Fun fact, I think one of those wickets was caught at second slip. IN THE 40th OVER OF A SUNDAY FRIENDLY.
So, in my humble opinion may I suggest that, because life is short and weekends are precious, League Cricketers stick to the serious business of playing against League Cricketers, and us Village Cricketers stick to playing against like minded people who want to enjoy their day with friends and family and celebrate taking The Dreaded High Catch or hitting their first ever boundary before worrying about such boring and pointless things as results.
