It's not cricket. Literally.

In normal times, summer in Duthie Park is heralded by the appearance of gentlemen dressed in white who take over a large area of the centre of the park on Saturday afternoons and indulge in a game known officially as 'cricket' and by some as 'organised loafing'.

In Aberdeen, we note that a disproportionate number of the players have brown skins and are apparently of South Asian heritage, and the fact that their cricket whites are often layered with fleece hoodies and even puffa jackets demonstrates how, in contrast to the Indian sub-continent, our chilly North Sea climate is not well suited to this slow-paced game.

Well anyway, due to Covid-19, these gentlemen have been absent this year, and so the outfield grass has not been mowed and the cricket pitch lies undisturbed.

But elsewhere in the park, the occasional gym refugee is still active on children's climbing frame.

Things here are far from back to normal yet.

Needed in India?

I was chomping my way through my kibble last Saturday morning when I heard this on the radio:

"The England tail failed to wag".

Maybe some of my readers are unaware that England's cricket team is currently touring in India, and that they lost the most recent game against the host nation.

Anyway, it seems this business of the non-wagging tail contributed to the defeat.

I am thinking perhaps I should fly out there right away and give 'our boys' the benefit of my expertise in this area.

What do you think?

Oh, it seems that some pup has beaten me to it...


Or maybe not. I didn't see much tail wagging going on there.

Now which is the quickest way to Mumbai?

After the weather in Aberdeen this week I could do with some warmth...

 

Square Leg or Fine Leg?

What's YOUR favourite position on the cricket field?

Cricket fielding positions

(We're hoping England won't be needing my help against the Aussies this summer…)

It's (not) cricket

Can you believe that us dogs don't always get the local park to ourselves?

For example, I came across this notice today during our Saturday afternoon perambulation.

Imagine my horror! I mean normally I get to run around wherever I like. But for some reason Gail saw fit to snap my lead straight back on and started issuing tedious instructions about not straying over the white boundary line or chasing after the men dressed in white clothes.

Well, I said to Gail, you're always trying to get me to fetch a ball (so far without success, but that's another story....) Surely that means I can join in? I mean any game that can involve bowling a maiden over has to be good fun, no? After all, that's what I do to Daisy Dachshund at puppy class every week....

Gail laughed - in an ever so slightly patronising way, I felt - and asked if I'd considered which fielding position I'd like to try. Well, obviously, 'fine leg', I replied and was just a bit hurt when she said no Bertie I think 'silly mid off' would be more your thing. Or perhaps 'slip'.

Well we clearly weren't getting anywhere, and to be perfectly honest, the game of cricket is just a teeny weeny little bit slow if you're only allowed to spectate. I persuaded Gail to let me go and introduce myself to some new friends, for once choosing doggies approximately my own size.

She started telling me to 'play with a straight bat' or I'd find myself on a 'sticky wicket'. Did I have any idea what all this meant?

Frankly I was stumped.