PDA

View Full Version : Spiritual Home of Aussie Cricket



Virgal_Tracy
5th April 2006, 08:57 AM
Just to make those cricket nuts on here jealous, on Sunday I get the chance to play at the spiritual home of Aussie Cricket; Bradman Oval.

A selected Bradman 11 plays the army every year and this year the Army team is short a couple of players and I've been invited to join them on this hallowed ground.

Apparently the Bradman team is full of ex grade cricketers and we are mostly park cricketers so a shellacking could be in the offing but who cares.

Hopefully my form from the end of the season continues as I finished with 2 forties a repeat of which on Sunday would please me greatly.

Only downside is missing the unfurling of the premiership flag at the swans on Sunday. Sacrifices have to be made.

AndyP
5th April 2006, 09:04 AM
My father-in-law is part of a cricket club on the Sunshine Coast called Antiquarians, for the older gent. They organise these sorts of days fairly often.
Last year, they travelled down to Bowral to play at Bradman Oval and had the whole weekend washed out. It was very disappointing for them.

Hope you have a great day.

Andrew
5th April 2006, 10:34 AM
VT,

I played in a similar game many years ago representing the grade cricketers. Yes, you will get thumped, but like you said, "who cares". It's a wonderful little park, although the pitch is not always that great, you will have a great day nonetheless.

Make sure you report back.

Moe Norman
8th April 2006, 09:36 PM
I played there against the Wanderers as part of the QLD Schoolboys XI, it wasn't much fun cricket wise as the pitch was a runway and I went for plenty and if it weren't for Watson and Chris Hartley we'd have been soundly spanked, rather than just spanked.

Beautiful place to play the game, though I'm not sure I'd call it the spiritual home. He was born in Cootamundra and learnt to play against the corruated iron there.

AB Oval in Brisbane is also a fantastic place to play such a fine sport.

Virgal_Tracy
10th April 2006, 10:08 AM
Well played the game yesterday and what a great day.

Arrived at 9:30 to a fresh but sunny morning. None of us could believe we were going to play on a ground where you new that if you went down to pick up a ball it wasn't going to bounce up and smack you in the face.

Revised format for the day. Each team was to get 44 overs split into two seperate seesions. Bradman's won the toss so batted for 22 overs before we went in and batted our first 22. Lunch then a second session.

Copped a spanking in the first 22 overs to go to the change having them 2/124. We started reasonably well enough but lost wickets consistently to be 5/106 at the end of our seesion. I had gone in at the fall of the 5th demoted from my usual no.4 as I was a ring in. Managed to survive until the break at 3no.

We had a much better second session and cleaned them up for a 203 total.

I had achieved one of my goals by avoiding a duck and now it was a chance to sees what else I could do. 2 4's in the 1st over back with a hoik over backward square and (modestly) a beautiful straight drive to the fence. How good was it to play on a ground that you got values for your shots.

Achieved another of my goals by lifting a ball in the next over well over the fence. It smacked a branch of one of the large trees at midwicket facing the clubhouse. Tried to repeat the dose after a couple of singles but managed to hole out in front of deep square for 20. we wne ton to lose by 26 runs with 6 of us getting into the 20's but no one going on with it.

Great day and what an experience. Hopefully will soon get the chance to play on the SCG in a proper match rather than just having some throwdowns.

After a month away from the game have woken up quite stiff today but it was all worthwhile.