A bit early perhaps, but my young bloke wants to play so we signed him up locally for the U10’s comp.
Wandered over to Rebel last night - ostensibly just to check out Whites for him, of course- and I ended up looking pretty closely at the senior cricket bats… Wtf has happened to bat making over the last 10 years??? I knew from TV viewing that they have changed a bit, but in the flesh (so to speak) they all seem to be artless, craftless slabs of fence post timber with right angle edges 3 inches thick! And I couldn’t find a single one with a “pick up” that didn’t feel like an Axe. Wrong, unweildy and horrible. I understand why even average batsmen can cream the ball so hard now, though. These things are so far from the old Duncan Fearnleys and Maestros it’s not funny. Even the SS Jumbo and Super Tusker would probably seem svelte in comparison.
Anyway, health and work permitting, I plan to play vets again this season. Had a fun season last year. But I’m praying nothing happens to my old Callan because based on last night there isn’t anything available even close to its feel.
Debating what to do about a bat for TYB. Probably let him use a club one for a while and if he’s super keen then maybe it can become Santa’s problem.
Rebel are crap, always have been & always will be.
If you're keen (or if Santa's confident enough to look ahead... if you go "for a look" now, will he remember in 4 months?), get down to the big sale at the back of Sportsmart Moorabbin. Normally around this time of year? Only for a couple of weekends... just a warehouse with about 32509 bats and about 2 staff.... aka heaven...
Across the board the bats are a lot bigger than bats used to be - but then so are the people. Tend to find there's much more variation between the extremes in terms of balance. I like slightly toe-heavy, there's a couple of bats the other blokes have (especially some of the T20 type bats... big weird hooks, scooped out toe etc) that I just could not use in any situation.
I think Callen is still around in some form - he's definitely moved though from where he used to be. Can't make much money, hand-making for not much more than factory produced stuff. Very much a niche market.
I don't shop at Rebel unless I need something like grips, inners, bat tape, linseed oil, etc. Anything related to bats, protective gear, footwear they just don't compare. I tend to go to places like the Greg Chappell Cricket Centre, when I lived in Perth I shopped at Meulemans and my whole kit is basically from there now. There's a place called The Cricket Warehouse which has just opened in Smith St, Fitzroy (near the cnr of Smith and Alenandra Pde as you get off the Eastern).
As far as cricket goes, I'm not going to play *shock horror*, haven't missed a season since I was 10 so it will be very weird to not be playing on a Saturday, but from now until the new year work is going to be crazy busy, I will be commuting between Melb and Perth on a regular basis so I won't be able to train regularly, and I really don't want to hack around playing 4s/5s on potato patch grounds. Someone at work plays in a pub comp around the Fitzroy/Brunswick area, it's a 25-ver a side game, I think they play every 2nd Sunday, so if I get the itch I might just fill in for them.
PS: Am looking at moving to around Flemington/Kensington/Ascot Vale area after the new year, what are the best local cricket clubs within close proximity? Anyone play in that area?
I've always got my gear at Sportsmart (That sale before the season is great) or Greg Chappell's. Icon seem to be going well for a new company. Has anyone used there gear? Is it any good?
I'm going to have a hit this season. Won't play every week. I'll be looking forward to just getting to the ground and playing, not being captain or involved in selection. Haven't been to training yet. Will start in a week or so.
As far as cricket goes, I'm not going to play *shock horror*, haven't missed a season since I was 10 so it will be very weird to not be playing on a Saturday, but from now until the new year work is going to be crazy busy, I will be commuting between Melb and Perth on a regular basis so I won't be able to train regularly, and I really don't want to hack around playing 4s/5s on potato patch grounds. Someone at work plays in a pub comp around the Fitzroy/Brunswick area, it's a 25-ver a side game, I think they play every 2nd Sunday, so if I get the itch I might just fill in for them.
PS: Am looking at moving to around Flemington/Kensington/Ascot Vale area after the new year, what are the best local cricket clubs within close proximity? Anyone play in that area?
Mate of mine plays in that pub comp, reckons it's great for a relaxed hit - and he normally plays in 3s/4s park cricket, so he knows relaxed when he sees it. If you've got whites you're in line to be captain...
I've always got my gear at Sportsmart (That sale before the season is great) or Greg Chappell's. Icon seem to be going well for a new company. Has anyone used there gear? Is it any good?
I'm going to have a hit this season. Won't play every week. I'll be looking forward to just getting to the ground and playing, not being captain or involved in selection. Haven't been to training yet. Will start in a week or so.
Are they one of these start-ups?
A couple of different blokes I've played with have been involved in them, mixed results. Mostly Indian market stuff imported & badged here.
Some of the best bats you've seen... up until about Christmas. Then they break.
Other gear is a mixed bag, some decent stuff some crap.
7 minutes into first pre-season net? New bat broke, exactly 1 year & 4 days old. Never done that before.
The new Slazengers? stay away.
■■■■■■ hell ! That’s scheizen.
Hardly surprised anymore, knowing how much they dry out the willow these days in order to keep the weights light whilst having a massive amount of wood in the bat. I’m very wary of any bats that advertise the fact they are “pressed for performance rather than durability”. They also press them very softly so they perform at their peak pretty much from ball one. Add to that the drying of the willow meaning less moisture in the blade, if you get 2-3 seasons out of a top grade bat you are doing well…
You should look up Parkville District Cricket Club. They’re pretty strong in that area. @PDCCWombats on twitter
Zebs looking OK. saladin dunno if you've got any interest in coming back home but we're running a 'dads & lads' team this year (officially our 6ths) for basically kids to play first year of seniors alongside the old blokes.
1s are looking OK, only 1 recruit to the flag team last year but he's a good one, took 34 wickets @ 15 and bats. Young leggie has come back down from Richmond & we haven't lost anyone. Shaping up well.
Went to my first training session and pulled my groin/abductor...so crap..thought I had given my body a rest since footy..nope same old problems
I was the fittest i'd been for years when i did that. Played through it but it hurt a lot when i turned, either batting or bowling. Took two cortisone shots to fix it...and by that time i was up 20 kg.Went to my first training session and pulled my groin/abductor...so crap..thought I had given my body a rest since footy..nope same old problems
78 kg which will be hard to believe for anyone who knows me...was in 1991
Yeah I will probs give it a miss for a few weeks
Had a niggling side strain (not sure which muscle, some small one only activated by bowling mediums) last year and a rotator cuff the year before that (left arm but still couldn't bowl with it).
Annoying.
haven't been training, don't intend on going until we get onto turf wickets....hate hard wickets and to be honest after officially retiring from A grade cricket (at least the club will stop asking me to make myself available and some of our young blokes can have a decent crack at it), i have lost a bit of passion...one day cricket from here on in for me...got a premiership to defend
So sore. First game in 18 months. Haven’t picked up a bat in that time. We had a one day game. Fielded first and they got 160. We lost early wickets and were never in the hunt. All out for 110. I got 38 and can’t move today.
Can hardly farking move today thanks to my back after our 30 overs game yesterday.
Took 2 for 12 off six, but should have had 4 fer. Routine catch dropped at 1st slip and had a caught behind turned down despite it being a clear nick (and the batter admitted as much afterward).
We got the win. Chased down their 7/93 off 30 with 6 overs to spare.
■■■■ sport, cricket.
Had more or less decided not to play. Calls came through on Friday. “Struggling for numbers, especially batsmen, turf wicket. Any chance you could come down on Sunday? No pressure but we really really could do with you at #3”. ■■■■, fark, ok.
At 41 years old and for a casual game, why the hell do i still get nervous on matchday morning and wonder if I’ll get a run or two!?