There’s been plenty of competition on and off the field in Sydney over the last few weeks.
Myself, Harry Brook and Matthew Waite have all put in some performances for our respective clubs in grade cricket, and I am also taking part in a Movember challenge with some of the Mosman lads.
I’m trying to grow a tash as best as I can before those involved go in front of a judging panel on December 2.
It’s just a small part of the great atmosphere that is created down at the club, which I will return to a bit later.
On the field, I have been happy with my recent performances.
Since we last spoke, I took 4-41 from 11 overs during the second day of a two-day match against Manly. They were chasing 293 and we bowled them out for 185.
The pitch offered a bit and was quite good to bowl on, so I was patient, sat in and took wickets at good times.
The Saturday just gone, we played a one-day game against Sydney and I hit 68 off 63 balls and took 1-22 from five overs in a big win.
I came in at a tricky time – 90-5 and was happy with how I went. I was about 30 off 50 before going ballistic in the last few overs. I got out with about nine balls left. I bowled alright as well.
Brooky and Waitey both got first grade fifties for the University of NSW and Bankstown respectively, so hopefully it kickstarts a good few weeks for us.
Waitey hasn’t bowled quite as much as he’d like, especially in the white ball stuff.
At Bankstown, I think their team changes quite a bit from white ball to red ball. It seems they have a lot more bowlers for the white ball teams.
I think he’s bowled quite a bit in the red ball stuff, but he didn’t bowl at all in the T20 last Sunday. Still, he’s ticking over nicely.
Brooky has scored a decent amount of runs.
He’s scored a lot in the under 21s games on Sundays. He got 72 against Mosman the weekend just gone but lost.
I missed out on that trophy having just turned 22.
It would have been quite good to play in because it’s a mixture of one-dayers and T20s. Unfortunately not.
I spoke last time about having to remain patient with regards to breaking through into the first grade team at Mosman. They want you to prove yourself, and I totally understand that.
It’s a bit like being back at Yorkshire for me. To play in any first team at whatever level, you have to be performing at your best.
There has been a few words flying around that I might make the step up this weekend.
We have a couple of seamers missing, and I’m scoring runs and taking wickets. This could be it. But you never know what happens. We’ll see.
Away from game time, the training with the ICP Academy continues to be extremely useful and enjoyable.
We started the week with a beach session at Coogee on Monday. We were up early at 7am for some running amongst other things, which was good. It was a change to what we’ve been used to. It was hard work as well and good for team building.
Not a bad spot to start week 6 #Mondaymorningsprints #ICP2018 pic.twitter.com/qEzryA8E3F
— Int Cricket Prog (@IntCricketProg) November 12, 2018
But I don’t think we’ll be doing that with the Yorkshire lads at Scarborough when I get back home!
There’s a range of players from all over England and a good bond between us.
I think there’s six pros, a similar amount of Academy players and then the rest are lads who just fancied the programme having come over here from club cricket back home.
Returning to my club out here, Mosman. There is a fantastic atmosphere there.
The social side is similar to club cricket back home in many ways and different in others.
One thing that is noticeable is that you don’t have bars at the clubhouses, which would be quite rare in England.
We have a fridge upstairs for a beer after the game.
We then have a sponsor, the Duck Hotel, which is our local pub, and we tend to gather there after training on a Wednesday and Thursday or after games. You’ll find that a few lads from each grade come back to have a few drinks.
We also have other social events.
There’s a first grade T20 double header on December 2, which is Ladies Day as well. One of our other sponsors, Taste of India, is coming down and putting a tent up.
The club is very family orientated.
On a Friday there’s mini T20s that the kids take part in.
There’s a Mosman Cricket Academy, which is run by Ash Doolan, our first grade keeper.
I’m helping out down at Balmoral, which is one of our grounds. There’s about six of us who are coaching the 8-year-olds up to 13-year-olds.
My degree at Leeds Beckett was in Sports Coaching, and I’ve done a lot of it back home on the Yorkshire Pathways and with placements in schools from my degree. I really enjoy that side of things.
