Cricket

On Wednesday, the 14th, I had my last cricket practice. Here are some pics from it.At first people were not very into the pictures. But Clarence was very helpful in telling Ellie where to film me bowling in front of me and pointed at the batsman. Closer to the end of practice, when I gave the camera to Ellie, she got into it, and took 2 videos, and lots of pictures. I was very thankful that someone was interested in helping me out with the camera. I wish I gave it to her earlier so she could have got lots of pics and a video or two of me batting.

Me bowling (I am in yellow). There are two wickets (the wooden post thingy) one by the batter and one by the pitcher. If the pitcher hits the wicket, the batsman is out- it happens very infrequently since the batsmen stands basically in front of it. The bowling, I think has to bowl from the other one, (with a running start). When the ball is hit, and not over the outside line thing, which is 4 runs, the runs- each on a wicket- run to the other one, every time a runner gets to the batting wicket it is a run. Proper cricket games last 2 ish days and have scores like 114-159 or something like that. Everyone bats, 11 people, until they are out, on each team 2 times (I think, maybe in is 4 times) and it takes them forever to get out...

Clarence, the coach on the left, and Sally, the president, from Zimbabwe on the right.

Getting ready to bat.

Ellie chilling.

Clarence telling me to keep my eye on the ball.

From left to right,Ellie, Sally, and Kitty. These 3, plus Helen (the captain), are the good cricketers. They are on the good cricket batting/bowling side when we practice. Today, I got to be on this side.

Sally bowling. She bowls hard. She says it is hard compared to everyone else here, but in reality she bowls very slowly. Apparently, professional guys bowl about 70-80 mph.

Me bowling to Sally.

Sometimes after a bowl my legs feel like jello (or jelly here) and now I see that it looks like it too.

Helen bowling to Sally. During a actual cricket game, the field is 360 around you. That is why Sally is hitting it to her left. Only the Ellie and Sally, and maybe the other two good people try and do this. They also just try and have the ball hit the bat, and do a little swing. So, the ball goes a few feet. Everyone else focuses on hitting it.

The main entrance of the Sports Centre. It is small, but nice. The one and only gym, that all the sports clubs practice in throughout the week, is to the left. The hallway by the blue pillar.

The other group I normally bowl with. I like bowling with them better. It is very laid back, less judgmental and everyone is very talkative and friendly. The girl in the purple is Lucy, she played indoor with me, and Cathrine is in black to the right. The girl in the green/blue is Emma, she just starting coming to practices. The girl to the left of Emma, is a friend of Kitty visiting. And, the girl behind Clarence is Andree, from Wyoming, and went to Miss Porter's Boarding School.  Sometimes Brindley, Lily, and this other really nice girl that is friends with Brindley that I cannot remember the name of, come. And, of course, the random people that are technically on the team, but come to one Wednesday practice a semester. Wednesday is the main practice when Clarence is there. On Saturday morning, only about 5 people are there and it is run by a member of the guys cricket club. It is not instructional at all on Saturdays. Both practices are 1.5 hours. I liked Wednesday practices so much better. I only went to about 2 Saturday ones, I was usually somewhere else in Scotland or had other plans.

A sign post outside the sports centre. It says that it is 1/2 or 3/4 mile to town, depending on the way, and 1/2 mile to DRA and Fife Park.