Never before in my life have I played cricket so voraciously.In the past one year,I'd been making a beeline to the university ground,after classes, to "reserve" the cricketing pitch,while the class representative would get the stumps and bats.
I'm neither a skilled batsman as tendulkar nor as poor as the Zimbabwe team.My innings at the crease last much longer than Sourav Ganguly's.Presently I'd been tiring myself out ahead of the forthcoming Challenger series conducted by the Industrial Engineers' society.
The last time I ever played so much cricket was during my high-school days with curses ,vampire and a few others.Then,we used to play near K.J.Yesudas' chennai home in Valmiki nagar.That placed seemed earmarked specially for us.Curses had been playing there since 1997.All was fine until 2003 when the owner of the nearby bungalow sued us and even threatened to complain to the police about us.He never actually went to the police station initially but by that time he had had enough.The moment he saw us playing,he set off for tiruvanmiyur police station,located just half a mile away,in his car.Not wanting any trouble,we left the place.
Next we got a place in kottivakkam near the beach.It was here that I improved my batting skills.Curses,I must say,was a terrific allrounder.As accurate as steve waugh.We had to leave that place too since it was located at a good 2 miles from tiruvanmiyur.
We got another place too,behind vampire krishna's apartment.But that too had to be renounced for a resident of the adjoining flat threatened to file a case.(The former was much better).After that,we haven't been playing.
Coming back to cricket in my campus.It was the Industrial engineers' society(SIE)which began the concept of inter dept cricket matches.Last year's series turned out to be a partial failure for most of the matches had to be declared default because of absence of players.The same has been planned this year too. In the recent practice matches,I hadnt been able to stand up to the bowling of various McGraths.My scores read 0,5,0,0,1 and 8 n.o.My fielding too had been shoddy.In one valiant attempt to catch the ball in mid-air,I twisted my ankle and it took me 2 whole weeks to recover.I've even fallen down occasionally feeling proud to have gotten up suceessfully without a bit of sand sticking to my moustache(meesai-la mann ottaama vizhunthaen).I was given just one over to bowl in the six matches and the runs read--4,1wd,1nb,1nb,1wd,3,1,2nb,5,6,0,4nb,2. In all cricket at AU campus is as exciting as it can get.But what lies ahead is still a mystery.The VC has plans to incorporate uniforms for students.Wonder if he would lay hands on campus cricket. |
