8th September 2001 - Indian Runs

Wow wee, what an interesting time my head's going through at the moment. With the adrenalin still pumping from my mission, things have turned into quite entertaining pictures. Marinating the fish!! Talk about panorama. Smell seaping through the room, eek, then sorting out the laundry stuff, a mission to hide it and sneak it past hotel staff with curious eyes watching you up and down. I'm listening to my Ministry of Sound CD, singing about sleeping under flowers for a couple of hours, yaahummm. We're lovin' it…lovin' it....Tama, wonder what he's up to, what stories to tell!

Well, funny times in India as we roll on closer to the Buchi Babu tournament final...rolling rolling rolling, where is my Limp Bizkit CD? Yesterday was entertaining with the grand prix race in tuk tuk's to Pizza Corner for free feed. Our guy stopped for petrol, could you believe it? So we lost…but, no, we didn't! 20 minutes later Wiz and Brooky came stumbling in. They got lost…ran out of petrol…lost...wrong pizza corner…shambles.

Earlier cool downs involved Mark Richardson's idea for stretching under water. Watching him do sit ups was amusing. Marshy had brought his flatmate's TV control from London, oops! He got an email tonight to send it back, so he wrapped it up. Oops again, he wrapped the hotel's one up…hehe!
My mind is going crazy with so many unusual thoughts…my hands are tingling with the music, watching the ashes…buzzing...hat backwards, belly full with macaroni and cheese and sprite…mmm. After dinner mint looking at me, tempting me to put another layer of insulin on my skinny-ass body…I'll get ya, little punk…there, I win, get in my belly…I'm bigger then you!
I want to talk to Tama but can't get hold of the bro, my boy…what a shot from Hussain through the covers late in the morning off Gillespie! The allegiance to timing, it's a beautiful thing…when it comes, you know. If not, don't make it...just have dreams and goals and everything takes care of itself...prosperity to the strong.

Funny things happen at times…I just can't wait to get back to being able to drink the water in the shower and not have to worry about getting funny bellies. Bullet from the bum, I tell ya…swallow pips and look out! Tomorrow's breakfast has just been shot…little piggy, where are you...hehehe!

Mum's birthday…I think I got the right day, I think it wasn't the 24th…oops…but she's still loves me no matter what I say to her...

Today we worked on one of Ashley Ross' wonder world ideas…3 phases to win our game…bowl the 'Thomas the Tank Engine''s out first session with a 60 run deficit, phase 2 - make 245 in 70 overs and phase 3, bowl them out in 80 overs. Teaching us to believe in winning and nothing else. Very interesting...but that's the Ozzy attitude which I sometimes lose through being soft...I'm learning it back though. Marshy did something very nice for me today when I was struggling in the heat on 50 odd, losing my head and playing some out of this world shots to the boundary. The 'peak day' brother...that's it boy…being high and living on it and motivating friends around you. Marshy goes, "Hey Lou, being a trial for both of us, c'mon, you're playing for a test spot. Look up there at that flag. The kiwi flag, Louie. Knuckle down and get on with it." Okay...Louie's back in town...Ministry of Sound pumping in the background, I think it's track 6 or 7…sorry, had to stop for a boogie…hands up…yeah, yeah, lovin' it.

I hate India, but you learn to be patient. What their lifestyle is, you wouldn't believe. I'm talking, these people are programmed puppets, not nasty in any way, but they don't have any drive to learn what's going on with other cultures around the world…and being in slave ridden streets, they're not having any real chance to get these opportunities. I feel for them. Cricket's going good and I'm cruzin'…wanting to get better and be a STAR, a kiwi star, with my bro, Tama, alongside me. C'mon dude, if you're waiting for your set of waves, brother, people are going to stop and wonder at the natural machine and go faaaarrrkkk! Keep waiting for the set, bro. I'm at the beach party waiting, marinating the fish, one roll for you, cos I'm No.1, remember! What a great two days with the boys.

Well, gotta sleep, got 15 overs to bat with Millsey to set a target from 60 so far to around 140 in 15 overs, c'mon Tama's little baby (my new cricket bat). Love all, god bless, happy birthday mum…love you. Anyway, I'm going to sleep cos my ass gonna win the game for NZ 'A' - louievee

A few days later…..

What an unbelievable day...we won! We came from being bowled out for 129 and their reply of 279??? A three-dayer on the flattest pitch in the world that didn't get over waist high...wrong. We came out in the second phase and went at 5 an over to get 318 in 62 overs…wowee, and wahoo to me, dropped twice but finally got to that illusive ton. It was bizarre…I was playing shots in weird places but with result. I could hardly stand up, but all I could think about was winning, looking up at the flag and then the lads supporting on the boundary…Marshy, what a champ. He really was the one who really motivated me...he is a player...that's a team mate.
Anyway, we had a lead of 168 with 70 overs to bowl at them…flat as a duck, remember…WE WON! Bowled them with some unbelievable heroic bowling from Bondy…got 6 wickets with all wickets being from short balls at the little Indians. Pinned half a dozen, but mostly glove and bat, wahoo! Awesome catch from Bell at short leg and Brooky's wicked direct hit from cover to run out the 'All' of India. Katicki?? Dickhead dude. That run out changed the game for us.

Well, we won and all credit must go to Ashley Ross for his inspiring speech after the first day, which set out a plan of 3 phases to come back and win the game. We and him did it…and I got a hundred for the boys…loving it!!
Funny times still rock on in the 4th session back at the hotel, laps of the pool, Shrek (Oram) monstering all moving sprats in his way, with Richardson's constant non-negotiable policies in his contract about not performing in the hot-cold exercise. Bucket of ice and a hot spa...ouch for some, but love it…all the lads are gelling. I feel for Joey, he probably won't get a go in the final...top lad, but his set of waves will come.
Anyway, I'm ducked and need 'body lying on back with little movement for the next 12 hours'. Long fly the kiwi.

Well, we go on to win the final. The Buchi Babu tournament is ours, never again…two years in a row is enough for me…off to Hyderabad tomorrow for the one day tournament?? Wahoo…till next time with more stories of Vince World India. Seeya!

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