Sheffield Cricket Lovers' Society Year Book 2013

16 One correspondent, so I’m told wrote that the past season was the worst ever. Really? Try telling Nick Compton that. Try telling Karl Krikken that. Try telling Warwickshire and Hampshire and Yorkshire and for that matter the ducks. Sure it was wet. It was tough going at times but amongst the action I recall only two days when I thought to myself this is time wasted and days I will never get back in my life. I won’t dwell on those days but suffice to say they involved games going nowhere. Rare events in this day and age. Who would have thought that 3 points for a draw would have such a telling impact on the game. Wonderful idea along with removing heavy rollers. Although I’m not against the idea of reintroducing them in the early season. I love the season starting in early April and ending late September as long as the time is used well and not to cram more cricket in. My highlight of the year was a close call between going to see country great Don Williams in concert at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester and being gripped by the fit again Marcus Trescothick taking on Monty Panesar down at Taunton or watching Derbyshire get promoted. I know now that should Derbyshire manage to stay up next year it will be a real lift for the game. My county side for the year didn’t include any players from that club although several are good prospects. That’s also reflective of a well run set of players who made the most of what they had. The step up might require a bit more but under good experienced cricket people I won’t write them off. Every year for no obvious reason I spend more time at one ground than any other. This year it was Taunton. I say no obvious reason but the profiteroles with real Cornish ice cream and terrific Pork baps should be reason enough. We broadcast from two garden sheds on the flat roof which sits perilously close to the edge. At the front we could fall onto the outfield and the back into the graveyard – dead ball and all that. The sheds on a wet and windy day produce challenges to ‘Some people feel the rain; others just get wet.’ Sheffield Cricket Lovers’ Society