21st September 2002 - All that waiting just for one!!

What an interesting period at the mo...a month of solid training, Auckland traffic early in the morning to face plastic missile training, the skill of batting heading into the big clash vs. Australia at the ICC Knockout Trophy in Sri Lanka...well, all those hours, more hours dreaming, believing...well, it lasted one ball!!!

Walking out to bat, the aussie's already cunningly in position for the start of the next over, Gillespie's.. hold on, what's happening here, I'm half way out thinking it's good to come out at the nonstrikers end, have a look for a couple of balls before you face your first ball. The best placed seat to watch cricket from...running for Cairnsey in Chch test v England watching Astle pummel the Poms out of the stadium...I had a mouzer of a game so I was trying so hard not to run Nath out...

Well, suddenly the field changes and the background voice of the umpire, Tiffen, "one ball remaining lads". To the surprise of the aussies, McGrath's eyes light up with the joy of another ball, a bonus ball; the aussie were loving it. So I take leg with so many hours to back up my skill behind me, feeling slightly nervous but excited to fulfil my pre-evening throughs as 1.34am rolls on...first ball...OUT! Nicked it to martyn at 2nd slip...first ball duck...the laugh of the aussies ringing through the atmosphere. I'd been done; WACA test was my day - I missed that first ball four feet outside off by a millimetr - today, a solid nick to the choir... and guess what? It was the 7th and extra ball in the over... there's a chapter for ya!

Well, having a quiet drink with Gillespie and McGrath later that night, with umpire Tiffen still saying he was right so "blordy pess orf mun"...good to have a laugh but it's the pain up remember...funny how negative we can get, but how normal or natural is it? When we meet someone they say they are judged on first impressions and if there's something so small that doesn't appeal to you, you remember only that. We tend to focus on the bad points... how do you train the brain...are we looking for that perfect person our whole lives...some come and go, but how many do we write off before they get a chance?

Just watching some 1970's German Easter festival...a crowd of thousands packed into a countryside courtyard backyard...two teams doing activities, which are timed on clock, with officials all dressed up to make sure the contestants don't cheat. One activity was to jump on a trampoline and hit a bell hanging below a chicken, which then fires out two eggs from it's butt and you have to catch them. And this repeats; 2 minutes to see how many eggs you can catch and put them in a basket. Seventeen was the record, but the funniest activity was while wearing a bunny suit with huge flipper feet, flick eggs from on the ground with the flipper, over their heads, while the partner also dressed in bunny outfit with a basket strapped to their backs, catch the eggs. I think this was another 2 min activity...what a crack up!

Well, Bangladesh monday...good for the team to have a complete game; we haven't really clicked for a string of games for a while now...very difficult conditions here, but it's who deals with the heat and humidity the best. Had an impatient day this avo, after a hard out training session from 8:45 to 11:35, straight to the pool for warm downs, meeting at 12:05, then computer review of Bangladesh at 12:45 till 2pm...I managed my time perfectly for food. A mans got to eat once he's worked out. Before the pool, I walked passed the restaurant and ordered spaghetti, which was approximately 20-25 min. That extra 5 min could be costly...I asked nicely for 20, and thankfully Sri Lankans are very nice. It arrived at 12 o'clock, 19 minutes after ordering...so walking to the meeting with bowl of spaghetti and a cool redbull; 2nd last to arrive at meeting, but with a belly full of food I was real happy...I lasted the 2 hours sitting down as others faded, but after this it set a trend for the rest of the day.

Felt in such a hurry that I was at the upper-class shopping store with a king-size duvet and sheets piled up on the counter, and a local lady who already had one item on the counter walked from the other side of the shop and with a trolley full of 30 goods got served before me. I could have easily gone across the floor to another cashier, as I later was informed, but the guys looking after me wanted me to hang around with them so they could ask all about cricket...my frustration growing (as this happened the day before), but cos I forgot my cricket voucher 15% off card from hotel gift, they wouldn't give me a discount because I didn't have it on me and wouldn't give me as everyone else was getting a discount...money was the issue. The commonsense and naivety bugged me so I said I'd be back tomorrow with it...well, today I remembered it and after waiting 15 min for one lady and the guys seeing I was in a tad rush keep me waiting...so I pretended to see someone and walked out to a different floor and didn't bother buying anything. Bad, but I couldn't be bothered in the end...for the sake of saving $80 NZ, carrying them back plus excess luggage. I'll buy NZ made and keep our economy strong...

Sorry for no stories for such a long time, but people go through phases and I seemed to find other things to do rather than writing thoughts down...but hopefully things settle now, with my first home in Auckland which I move into on the 4th of October; inspiration to write...especially after reading Lance Armstrong's book on how he survived with cancer and is a kick butt dude on a bike...good times.

Rock on...

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