34/ Cricket

Cricket like fly fishing is an arcane sport of great subtlety and skill intimately understood by participants and ex players but marveled at in bemused wonderment by the many looking on. My brother has just sent me this marvelous anecdote as a further contribution to my blog: 

At the age of thirteen, I was a slow off spin bowler for upper Seagry men's cricket team. We were playing Lacock on their beautiful pitch beside the Abbey when a bizarre dismissal took place.

A batsman got hold of one of my deliveries and hit it at such a speed that the ball struck our lovely captain, George Benham, who was fielding at square leg, on the top of his forehead before he even saw it coming.

The ball ballooned onward to mid-wicket where the fielder took an easy catch. "How’s that" he shouted. "Out" said the umpire, as poor Len sank to the grass in an unconscious heap.

Stock photo