Two weeks off, but no let up...

Over two weeks off work I managed to play a number of games for club and county but only managed to score an unbeaten 70 and a handful of 30s as I continued to be unable to reach those three figures.

My bowling has continued to be impressive as I am finding some rhythm. Probably the pick of my spells was a 2-16 off seven overs for my club side where I ran in up the hill and against the wind and took the two big wickets in consecutive overs. I feel as if I have now definitely decided to be a medium/medium-fast bowler. Time in the gym should help me add a few miles an hour on as I look to become that genuine all-rounder that could get me noticed over the next few years.

I am still young, so I believe I still have a few more years yet until I have to give up my dream of being a professional cricketer.

When batting, a little more responsibility has to be taken as I am not fully valuing my wicket…playing that horrific shot to get myself out to after all the hard work has been done. I need to be a lot more patient; as runs do not always come quickly so taking my time and playing straight will inevitably produce runs as my innings progresses.

Now when I go into games, I have to back myself one hundred percent….and that is what I am going to do!

Next I shall play against Bourne CC for my club Lindum CC as we try to get out of the bottom half of the table. Last year Lindum finished third, but this year we seem to be struggling for runs from the batsman as we again collapse trying to play these silly shots that are not needed. I am really enjoying my time at my new club, but I am really wanting that one innings in the Premier League to show them what I can do as it has been a pretty poor season for my standards so far.

Finally, with all the fuss surrounding the Stanford Twenty20, maybe there will be a role for youngsters coming through as specialist Twenty20 players in a county squad. Maybe this is a possibility to look at and try to adapt my game to the shorter format to break into the county scene.

79 Not Out

This weekend saw my first real good knock of the year, as I hit an unbeaten 79 not out to secure a ten wicket victory for Lindum within 19 overs, chasing down 120. After having a bit of luck at the start of my innings, I found that using my feet to all the bowlers got me into a positive frame of mind and I was able to punish the bowlers.

Securing this knock was very important for me as it has shown my new team-mates what I can do again, as all the promise is not just words. But more importantly, it has probably given me a few more shots at batting at the top of the order over the next few weekends.

With the ball I also bowled well, I took 2-16 off my overs as I took both of my wickets with slower balls that bowled the batsmen as they were through the shot way to early. I feel that I am getting a bit more pace and I think that if I hit the gym a fair bit between now and next year, then I should come back at a genuine all-rounder.

Next I will play for Lindum over the weekend in the ECB Premier League and then two Lincolnshire Development Squad games against Huntingdonshire and Essex Academy (on my 18^th birthday).

I think more practice in the nets is needed as my head seems to be falling over a little bit making me off balanced, but apart from that, I feel more like my old self from last year. I need to believe in myself and be more relaxed at the crease – then I can show what I can do.

Now I Have Something In Common With Gooch And Vaughan...

With no games this weekend, for once I had a chance to rest up and take my mind of cricket for the first time in ages. This might be a good thing as I have been getting way to worked up about my game and really do need to relax and enjoy the game again.

There has been little cricket of late, apart from the old spot of office cricket where I was adjudged out having handled the ball after attempting a ‘Misbah’ paddle sweep off the bowling of John Pennington.

I was told yesterday by my Dad that he is actually playing at Lord's this week for a select corporate team, which I am very envious about…even though because he didn’t get me a place on the starting line-up, I can claim that I let him play over me as his father’s day present!

Today my new kit has arrived, I haven’t had the best bats this year with Gray-Nicolls and Bradbury, but now my full time sponsor from Kookaburra will hopefully be a good one. I have gone for the Blade range, which Owais Shah uses. If I can have anything like the amount of success with it that he has then I will be a happy boy.

Next for me is training on Thursday where I will try and impress my new team-mates again, and then matches on both Saturday and Sunday. This weekend, I really can feel the runs and have found some confidence in myself again after a few decent performances.

10/10 Cricket Heralds Return To Form

I turned up to the match on Saturday in the ECB Premier League against Haxey, ready for action and rearing to go. I joined in with a bit of changing room cricket before we moved onto the outfield to get some fielding going and hit a few balls in the nets.

This match was a must win for Lindum as we had lost against Woodhall Spa on the previous weekend. So when we won the toss and elected to bowl on a decent wicket, and saw their opener bowled third ball then we were elated. But Haxey’s Sri Lankan overseas professional dug in after being struck on the helmet and hit a dogged 70 odd in a solo effort. Wickets tumbled as Haxey were reduced to 179-9 off their 50 overs, with a fair few run outs near the end of the innings.

In reply, we made light work of the total and knocked it off with the loss of just one wicket. New Zealander Josh Brodie hit a classy century as he continued to impress me greatly. He is definitely one for the future and is set to play a lot for Wellington over this winter (New Zealand’s summer) and is tipped to play in New Zealand colours one day.

Unfortunately for me this meant that I did not get into bat and couldn’t show my new club what I could do, but on the whole it’s a team game and I enjoyed the day!

On Sunday, I played in a 7 a-side tournament and had some time at the crease, feeling in form for the first time this year. With the overs so short, you had to be positive from the off and I think this helped me relax and not worry about the game.

So I went out there with a clear mind and played the ball as I saw it. First game I hit a quickfire 32 opening the innings that included a few sixes, I think that I actually timed pretty much every ball I hit, so this gave me some confidence. The second match was a little bit more difficult as the opposition bowled well and I struggled to 20 not out. But I saved my best performance till last, as I hit a blistering 41 not out off just 16 balls as I went out there and showed my new team-mates what I can do at the crease.

I think for me that this tournament may have opened a few eyes and made them believe that I am a decent player. Of course I wouldn’t play in such an attacking manner in a 50 over game, but I played proper cricket shots and played with positive intent from the off.

When I came off after my innings, a few of the lads said that I need to relax and play like that on Saturdays. Which is easier said than done, but I think they are right really. I get to nervous and my cricket suffers due to this, I need to back my ability because I do have some potential.

On Monday night, I went for a session with my coach straight away after work. He wanted me to just focus on hitting the ball and not worrying about how many times I got out. He had got my friend along, Tom Dolby, who is a quick opening bowler…so it was testing but it think I probably came out on top as Tom only had me edge the ball once, but apart from that I think I played really well.

The coach reminded me that I am a good player, but the longer I keep sulking about my poor start to the season, then the longer my rut is bound to carry on for. But I think that I am coming out of it now, and must make the most of those weeks when I am in my best form, and turn this around into a positive season.

New Challenges...

Over the next few weeks I had been contemplating a move to a different club for a number of different reasons, the main one being that I wanted to play more competitive cricket and a bigger role for my team in the ECB Premier League.

Lindum had offered me to go and play last year, which tempted me but I declined. So it was a simple choice really to go and move to the Lincoln based club, who are actually Bracebridge Heath’s local rivals.

I just felt that my time at Bracebridge Heath was at an end and I had fulfilled all I wanted too at the club. Sometimes you have to move on when you don’t want to, but I am sure the move to Lindum will benefit me all-round.

Thus far, I have played a few games for Lindum. Originally I was supposed to play my first game against Bracebridge in a Twenty20 cup match, but I was unable to due to a few transfer reasons. In fact Lindum defeated Bracebridge in a close encounter that saw them win with one ball remaining, I had mixed emotions but overall I was pleased to see how much it meant to another side to beat Bracebridge who hardly ever lose and have won the League for the last six years.

Since then I was involved in two wins in my first two games but I wasn’t able to show the best of my ability with the bat.

I hit a decent 20 and 40 odd when opening the batting and felt that I showed glimpses of what I can do, but it is not enough. Still I am in awful form and have never had a patch like this before during my career. It is making me get down on myself and I am doing all I can to rectify the situation. Every player during there career has these slumps and I will hopefully come out of it soon and be a better player because of it.

With the ball, I have been bowling well in the nets in from of my new team mates and will hopefully get more recognition. I do have the potential with the ball as I have taken 6-15 opening the bowling for a Bracebridge side, but have struggled with consistency. I took 2-25 during my first bowl for Lindum, up the hill and into the wind but I felt like it was a positive performance.

Unfortunately my first county game of the season was cancelled as I was due to play for Lincolnshire against Huntingdonshire, but the weather halted any chances of getting onto the pitch.

Now I shall play against Haxey in the premier league this Saturday and then play in a 6-a-side ‘slogathon’ on Sunday which might get me into some form as I have no time do build an innings – meaning that I will just be trying to be positive from the start.

This weekend, I am determined to do well for my club and show my new team mates what I can do. I am very comfortable and love the team atmosphere because they are a great set of lads, hopefully success at my new club will come soon!

Pierce

Twice As Many Runs As Mistakes...

Some good news today as I passed my driving test with just three minors, this will enable me to get to my cricket nets a lot more and have more freedom.

On the cricket field, times are still bad in 2008. I did not last very long on Sunday against Caythorpe in the Notts Premier League and was cleaned up second ball. It was a good delivery and I think that I was through the shot way to quickly. When in a rut, I am sure that you do get these good balls that have your name on it, but still I am getting very frustrated and upset about my performances this year.

After speaking to my coach, he said that there is nothing to worry about as you do not become a bad player overnight. Apparently I am just one shot away, whether this be smoking a cover drive or nicking one through the slips to get me going.

Since the weekend, I have been to my club nets with my dad and had dozens of throw downs to try and get me back into the groove. I can not see a problem with the way that I am striking the ball, but I feel that I am losing concentration after hitting a few sweetly timed shots.

Unfortunately, my game for the NUSC was cancelled against a Newcastle school side due to the rain the night before. It was a real shame that I could not get out and try to gain some form in the middle.

My plan of action for this weekend's games is to grit it out when in the middle and not worry about the rate I am scoring. I used to talk to myself when batting to psyche myself up but of late I have not been getting in the mood.

Six...and out!

It was the first weekend of my 2008 cricket season, but unfortunately it did not feel like the season with the bitterly cold winds and rain that interrupted the matches.

My first team match versus Cleethorpes, a side from the Yorkshire Premier League was cancelled on Friday night due to masses of rain the night before. I was really disappointed because I couldn’t wait to get a game in and prove my worth in the first team for Bracebridge Heath during my first year starting in the first team.

I woke up on Sunday to the sight of drizzling rain. We still travelled to Nottingham to face Papplewick in the Newark Alliance Premier League. I had been asked to captain the side and rallied around to muster up a side, which was definitely not as strong as it should have been with only one other first team player including myself.

This was a game that I have been eager to play in since seeing that it was the first Newark Alliance game of the season. Having scored a maiden century against them in the first game of the season last year, I wanted to score another ton against them and keep getting recognised. Granted the pitch was a road last year but I feel it was one of my best knocks thus far.

When I turned up to the ground after a long journey, I lost the toss and we were put into bat on a green wicket.

I have been told never to make excuses, but this was one of the worst wickets I had played on and to be honest. I opened the batting and made six and felt completely out of form. But I am not going to get too wound up over this as batting was almost impossible as the ball was not getting above knee height.

We struggled to 71-8 off our allotted overs, which might have been enough considering that Papplewick had scored 80 odd and won the previous day.

Unfortunately, it was not enough, but we gave up a good fight and claimed six wickets before our opponents completed the chase.

A disappointing start for the season to me, but I am not going to beat myself up about scoring six.

I have two games for Bracebridge Heath First team over the next weekend, the first is the league opener against Nettleham and the second is in the cup against Lindum, who one of my best mates has just signed for.

Before these matches I will get to the nets and try and hit a few balls outdoors, getting back into the groove for the important matches this weekend.