Everyone knows the famous Rudyard Kipling poem and so I shall not lament upon it here but after what has happened at The Oval and subsequently on twitter I thought I would post a note on this blog.
The picture that you see at the corner of this blog is of a Huddersfield Team put together to join the Yorkshire League back in the 1980's. This was much against the hierarchy of the Huddersfield League who believed that this shouldn't happen. The home ground was Fartown and the Old Pavilion had graced many a famous Yorkshireman. The Rugby League team were still in residence in the old ground adjacent too.
Barry Wood was the Captain and Mansoor Ahktar the number 3 batsman. I was brought in to my first semi-professional role as opening bowler (I am the gorgeous one third left of Barry on the back row). Or so I thought.
The first match I turned up all decked out in my fine new blazer that was required for press call. Everything was going swimmingly and I was really excited. We ran out on to the field and I was asked to field a short leg. Odd I thought as I was the opening bowler I had hoped I would have the honour but the Captain had other ideas. In fact I didn't open the bowling, nor first nor second change. I was getting a little frustrated so I went up to the Captain and politely asked if he needed me to warm up. At which point he looked at me blankly then told me in no uncertain shades of blue that he was the boss now get back to where he had told me to field.
Well for once I held my temper, which was pretty good for me as I was fiery as so to speak. At the end of the match (we lost) I was packing my stuff away neatly into my bag to return to University as I had a match the following day. Everyone had left except me and the skipper so I thought this was a timely chance to have a word.
It was a bit like Ali versus Frazier without the actual punching and when I went out of the changing room I was non too sure as I wanted to carry on as I didn't like being paid for nothing. I saw it as I had a job to do, we'd lost and I hadn't felt able to contribute and so what was the point with such belligerence at the helm. Well on the way back to Liverpool my wonderful but long suffering girlfriend got me to calm down, especially as my driving was non too clever. I was still fuming though the following day when I went out to open the bowling for the Varsity.
Well I ended up taking only 22 wickets that week including 2 seven fors. And I went back to the changing room at York (we were away) and walked in all ready to stuff one up Mr Woods pipe and say that's why I'm here.
He beat me too it as as soon as I walked in he immediately asked for silence (I was the last to arrive wanting some kind of youthful dramatic entry). And then he said "Gentleman I am proud to reveal that one of your teammates the young Mr Senior here has just been picked to play for English Universities and BUSF. He is the first player from his University to gain this achievement and would you all congratulate him"
Wind, sails well you have got to see my predicament. After the noise had got less he quietly put his arm around me and said "So are you going to punch me or are you going to use that aggression wisely and win us this match?"
I learned a powerful lesson that day and was to become a better cricketer for it. But what has it to do with today?
Well we lost, plain and simple. South Africa were a better team, they played better cricket. It happens. Sometimes you win sometimes you lose. That's how life works. But the game goes on and life goes on. At the end of the day if you did all you could do then no one can fault you.
So for all those who think it's fun to be a twitter troll I say to you , get a life, grow up and get real. It's OK to be disappointed but this is sport.
If you can treat victory and defeat...............
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