T20- Gully cricket and a little more


T20 is just like what we used to play every weekend as teenagers. 8 over matches, hard tennis ball, no care in the world and a 1000 window panes to knock over. Hardly any time to settle down; see the bowling and all those nice things mentioned in the coaching manuals. It was downright scything from the word go, some did it better with technique, others just did it. As evening approached 8 overs would come down to 6 and the attitude would become more scavengers like. Standing 4 ft outside the crease to a fast ball, attempting impossible singles, getting away with it, running off overthrows, mock running off every ball, fighting with umpires and crying hoarse on parched mouths shouting abuses at someone who bungled. At the end of the day, there would have been 6 ‘matches’ and a cool kitty of money if it had been our day. Otherwise there would be hell breaking loose, with accusations flying at a rate that would put Ferrari to shame.
Dhoni and his boys, took this to a different level, so did Shoaib and his boys. When our arch rivals played taped ball cricket all their lives, they didn’t realize that they were practicing for a T20 final many years later. Dhoni, Yuvi and the small town brigade would have knocked more of tennis balls and window panes that kookaburras. When the two met at the Wanderers they had left behind correct cricket and the coaching manuals in the dressing room. The dug out had only animal instincts and it showed.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I also visualised the same thoughts as you have beautifully penned down.

Simply brilliant.

R.Vaidyanathan
October 04, 2007 12:00 pm
Anonymous said…
I had visualised the thoughts that you have penned down beautifully.

Simply brilliant.

R.Vaidyanathan
October 04, 2007 2:51 pm
voyager said…
and the balls getting lost on terrace tops and the huge some good hitters hitting huge sixes crossing the building tops... and the treat of 25 paise pepsi, sometimes 1 Pepsa and if big amount was won a bottle of thumbs up... Man good old colony days...now standing in Sun for >30 mins is like a nightmare ;)
October 19, 2007 6:18 am
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