Naturally, we associate that sound with a quintessential English summer. Except last night it wasn`t the sound of leather on willow - it was the spectators` teeth chattering and the blowing of breath onto hands in an effort to keep warm.
Yes, we watched our oldest grandson`s first cricket match of the season last night - wrapped up in as many layers as we could, including my woolly hat! I even had a spare jacket over my knees, for heaven`s sake! May in York, on a "summer" evening. The cricketers didn`t seem to notice, except when the ball stung their frozen fingers.
Please, summer, come quickly!
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Comments
Barbara
I still recall my son's first ever U15s match played out, manfully, in a blizzard.
I hope they won, Tezz.
Our younger son`s very first match for Durham Schools U15s was played amidst flurries of snow! Both umpires wore fur-lined parkas to keep warm.
My 5yr old grandson in L.A. is playing baseball and the coaches are great, encouraging both teams and instilling respect for the opposition.
I have frozen on many cricket pitches. I think the cruellest move was when they brought the Windies to UK in March and sent them up to Durham.
We're a very hardy lot up here in Durham!!
My heroine was Margaret Court, formerly Smith, whose game I so admired, since she could really volley the ball well. There weren't as many long rallys in those days - Francoise Durr had wonderful ground strokes, but they were often cut off at the net.
We weren't allowed to play a two-handed backhand, as it was thought to affect our reach - now they all use two hands on the backhand.
My friend & I once reached the QF of a local tournament ( doubles ) and our prize was a pair of tennis socks each! Happy days!
But in those, more innocent, times we didn't realise you needed a special pair of socks to play tennis
I remember my son's Under IXs cricket side sharing the three boxes, which had to go in their underpants as none had a jock strap. Ah those pre Health and Safety days :roll: