I now know why Shane Warne has decided not to grace us with his presence over this county season. The lure of poker.
It is always tough early season when the first team squads are revealed for the first few games and you’re name is not in them. It is made even more frustrating when you have, cumulatively, seven days of cricket rained off. The only way to force yourself into the side is by weight of runs or wicket-taking sprees. When you don’t actually get on the park, I’m sure you can appreciate this task is made all the more difficult.
Second team game at Horsham C.C. – the wicket is wet, the outfield wetter – no play possible for three days. So what to do? There are no adequate practice facilities or gym available…after the customary inter-squad (slightly heated) game of football, there is only one answer – countless and seemingly endless games of poker.
Given that during pre-season every county squad attended a PCA-organized seminar entitled ‘addictive behaviour awareness’ you would be forgiven for questioning our sanity. But sanity, I assure you, is the last thing on your mind when it is not raining and you still can’t do what you’re paid to do.
Poker is not unlike cricket. There are many ways of succeeding. Inevitably it is the player who holds his nerve at the vital times who will prevail. To get to the eventual end point where all the money is yours, (we only play for small stakes I promise), you can either play like Adam Gilchrist, Kevin Pietersen or any other such destructive entity. In doing so, you are aggressive, unpredictable and bully other players into fragile decision making. Or you can grind it out, Mark Richardson-style, until all others get so bored and frustrated that they throw their chips at you and stomp of cursing what an annoying, boring, negative, wimp you are. Much like cricket, and like many a batsman who has reached 100 not out off a mountain of balls that has had such abuse directed their way, you can offer a simple retort: ‘look at the scoreboard chump!’ Translated for the poker table: ‘look at all my chips bozo!’
I will leave it to your judgement to guess which type of player I am, suffice to say that like my cricket, I am no Adam Gilchrist…
It all makes for good, clean, competitive fun and keeps everyone on their toes for when we do actually play some cricket, which at some point soon I would love to report to you. For now, I will have to comment on the two recent first team games – the first one being in front of the Sky cameras against Yorkshire at a bitterly cold Riverside. Those of you who saw the game on TV could be forgiven for thinking that Neil Killeen was simply fuming at the fact that his last over went for 22, he was in fact breathing steam, much like you would on a frosty, mid-winter morning as you scrape layers of ice of your car.
The game was notable for a class innings from new overseas signing Neil McKenzie, who held together a faltering 50-over innings under difficult circumstances. And no less for a cool display of death bowling from Graham Onions, to ensure that an improbable Yorkshire comeback did not materialize. A win and a good start all round.
So to the first championship game against Surrey, who seemingly had a dream batting line-up. But then again, we seemingly have a dream bowling line-up. A great contest between bat and ball was, predictably, thwarted by the rain. Two assured fifties from Dale Benkenstein, one from Mark Stoneman, and some penetrative seam bowling again from Graham Onions the high points of a game that, were it allowed to reach a natural conclusion, would surely have been our first championship win of many this season.
Next week, hopefully I will have tales of more wins, great aggressive play, periods of assured defensive resilience and pairs of sixes aplenty. From the cricket pitch and green baize of the poker table in equal measure I imagine. Just call me Will ‘Snake-Eyes’ Smith!
Comments
Posted by: Ram at April 29, 2008 11:31 PM
As a perpetual on-the-fringe player for a US univ. team, I completely agree with you. At least, in your case you can create a chance by scoring some runs and getting wickets for the second team. The only hope I have of getting into the team is if a person
A. graduates from school (average time is 5 yrs),
B. gets married to a girl who will not let him spend the weekends playing cricket (best bet), or
C. somebody gets injured.
We don't get sufficient time in the nets also. The pecking order is people in the team and then at the fag end of the session the almost-in-the-team people, followed by newcomers:).
Posted by: sam Buono at May 19, 2008 2:20 AM
Hi Will .
Hope things going well for you
Sam Gordon cricket club
Posted by: Reece Bombas at May 19, 2008 11:09 AM
Will,
Hope all is well,
I am currently in England playing for Formby (liverpool premier league )
Maybe we can catch up.
Regards
Reece B
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The Contributors
James Foster was still a student for Durham University when he was called up to the England A squad in 2000-01, before progressing to full
international honours the following winter. However, he broke his arm in the nets early in the 2002 season which allowed Alec Stewart back into the side and he has played just one further Test, at Melbourne in 2002-03. But two strong seasons have put him back in the frame and he was part of the England Lions squad during the 2007-08 winter tour to India. He was appointed
Essex's vice captain in 2007.
Nick Compton, grandson of the legendary Denis, was raised in South Africa before moving to Harrow as a teenager. Like many young South Africans, he excelled at handball sports and, although he took some time to
cement his place, he's been a consistent and elegant batsman at the
top of the order for Middlesex ever since. This winter, instead of
spending it in the gym, he and Graham Napier trekked in the foothills
of Mount Everest to stage the world's highest ever cricket match.
Will Smith was 22 when he sparked Nottinghamshire's interest with a fine 156 for Durham Universities in 2005, and it was enough to earn him a
contract and three games with the county in their Championship-winning
season. A strong opening batsman, he had to wait until 2006 to hit his
maiden first-class hundred following a winter in which he had double
hernia and shoulder operations. He joined Durham in 2007 and has a
range of curious nicknames: Posh Kid, Smudge and Jiggy.
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