A summer of sport IV: Cricket

I’m loving the series “A summer of Sport” by Peta. I had no idea that all of this was available in the area!

For more of Peta’s posts, please have a look at her blog: http://minrva.blogspot.co.uk/

Howzat?

England is hosting Australia this year in the 67th battle for the Ashes.

Britain can boast a number of recent sporting triumphs; a massive medal haul in the 2012 Olympic Games, great success in cycling, tennis, horse racing, and car and motorcycle racing, to name but a few.  But will cricket be another happy hunting ground for British sport?

Right from the start of Ashes cricket, Australia was dominated by the mother country. There were a few short periods of Aussie greatness, but history is clear about which country was consistently playing superior cricket.

In the 1990s things started to go horribly wrong for England; England started losing and Australia started dominating. By the late 1990s England’s oldest cricket foe had secured the greater number of Ashes series wins, and this made millions of Australians, including myself, very, very happy. (We do take our sport seriously.)  This was a glorious period for Australian cricket and we set about building on our lead, and build we did… Until the 2010/11 Ashes series. For the first time in 24 years England won an Ashes series on Australian soil. With only one series win in the last decade Australia is clinging to a 31:30 lead, and I bet England are keen to finally even-up the tally.

On the other hand, Aussie pride is a fierce animal, and sport is a serious matter. When threatened with the possibility of a mediocre result or even, God forbid it, failure, Aussies are capable of producing inspired results. This might just be where Shane Warne’s ‘ball of the century’ originated, that or it was just one of many episodes in our glorious period of cricket. Maybe Aussie pride sparked Ashton Agar’s enormous run haul (for a number eleven batsman) just a few weeks ago, in an effort to save the test for the Australians?

I recall learning of my grandfather’s cricketing prowess some years back. The local Masters picked their team and country (Australia or England); their selections were final and permanent. My grandfather was England captain and like Misses and Masters today, he acted out the achievements of the sporting heroes of the day. But this was during the bodyline series; my grandfather ‘was’ Douglas Jardine. I am proud of his selection to a such senior position and his being (nick)named for such a strong character, but I am not so sure about the whole bodyline business…

England hold a 2-0 lead going into the third test starting tomorrow (1 August) at Old Trafford, but I suspect play will not be as one-sided as the scorecard suggests. Whatever remains for Ashes series 2013, my hope is that this oldest of rivalries continues to inspire Misses and Masters in England and Australia to pick up a cricket bat and play. Play in the garden, play at the beach, play anywhere. Just get out there and play.

Feeling inspired?

If you would like to make your cricket playing a little more formal there are a number of local clubs to investigate. To name just a few that encourage cricket for all ages and abilities (in alphabetical order): Basingstoke & North Hants CCOakley CCOld Basing CC.

A summer of sport III: Golf

Enjoy Peta’s Guest Post for this week! For more details about Peta’s blog click HERE.

Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.

The Open Championship 2013 has been played and the Claret Jug has been held aloft (congratulations Mr Mickelson). So what’s next?

I was always a bit of a Daddy’s girl and whatever Daddy did, I did. My Daddy liked to play golf; I liked to play golf. So it is strange that over the years I have not played often. To place some of the blame elsewhere, I have struggled to find someone to play golf with. You see, there are not many women folk out there that play golf – least, not many that are within my friendship circles. And now my friendship circles invariably include Misses and Masters. Is this a further hindrance to my golf?

No. In a word. Golf is no longer confined to the business deal making, (male) suit-wearing (stereotyped) population the world over. Golf is for everyone.

I have often heard golf described as a ‘perfectly good way to ruin a lovely morning walk’. Golf does not have to be that way (entirely). Make the walk more efficient and play golf with your family. Family time, exercise, fresh air and practising your skills (because, as any golfer will tell you, this game is one you will never perfect).

We are fortunate to have a plethora of golf courses in north Hampshire and many of these advertise junior lessons, Basingstoke Golf Centre (RG22 6PG) and Dummer Golf Club (RG25 2AD) are just two such courses.

Has The Open fanned a spark of interest? Maybe golf was not previously on your radar? Perhaps you are unsure if you will even like golf? Well, what if you could give golf a try for little or not cost?

I have just the thing! Get Into Golf are running taster sessions all up and down the country. Try Thursday 1 August at Bishopswood Golf Club (RG26 4AT) or Wednesday 7 August in Eastrop Park (Basingstoke), or check www.getintogolf.org for further venues and dates.

Pleasant putting, folks!

A summer of sport II: Cycling

Another Guest post by the lovely Peta who writes at  http://minrva.blogspot.co.uk/:

Cycling. A thoroughly freeing and enjoyable pastime, in my book. But for those who are not proficient, the suggestion of cycling can conjure up visions of skunned knees, bruised hands and scraped elbows. Miss is learning to ride…

Unfortunately, Miss is blessed with our family trait of an irregular torso:legs ratio, which makes reaching the pedals of a regular-sized toddler bike quite the stretch. But someone out there at “Ozbozz” has, in their infinite wisdom, made a little pink scooter with significant flexibility in the handle bar height department.

With my trusty bicycle, I have been known to challenge a mountain or two. But the thought of Miss learning to ride the way that I did (fear of falling is a great motivator to keep upright) is a little worrisome. Miss is learning to wear her safety helmut every time she rides, just like her Mama did, which does help ease my mind some.

Miss is learning to run and explore safely, to be inquisitive of new things without fear, and to make good observances about danger. But will Miss show such sense when riding her ‘gooter’?

Miss is encouraged to climb the ladder, to walk up the slide (the wrong way) and to conquer the climbing frame. But will Miss manage such balance when riding her ‘gooter’?

Miss is provided many opportunities to develop independence skills, such as self-dressing, replacing books in a bookshelf and measuring food portions. But will Miss achieve such coordination when riding her ‘gooter’?

The moment of truth, as they say, arrived. Miss was escorted around the block by Papa, who encouraged practise on the flats before attempting the slightly-sloped home straight. Papa lined up Miss, with scooter, at the top of the slightly sloped home straight while I braced myself and prayed for the best; I could not watch. I could hear, but I could not see. But I could not hear anything. No squeals of delight nor screams of despair. Nothing.

As they rounded the corner to our front gate Papa explained the silence. At the top of the slightly sloped home straight, just as Papa gave the gentlest of push-starts, Miss had exclaimed: “Not too fast, Papa!”

Ah bless, Miss is not the daredevil I feared she would be.

Related Posts

Summer Sport

A Summer Sport I: Tennis

I’m very excited to announce that Peta is going to be covering the Guest Post Wednesday slots during the summer holidays. Peta is a Mum of two who has recently relocated to the Hampshire countryside from central London. In one of her first posts she says: “By passing on bits & bobs, tips & hints, and a handful of anecdotes of life as I know it, I hope that you can benefit from (or at least have a giggle at) things I have learnt.”

I’ve been reading Peta’s blog since the beginning and have picked up some great tips from several of her posts. Today’s post is focused on Summer Sport and ties in nicely with Wimbledon this week. If you would like to see more of Peta’s posts, please check out her blog here:

http://minrva.blogspot.co.uk/

Summer Sport

It is that time of year when tennis courts up and down the counties of Great Britain are filled with tennis racquet wielding folks in an earnest exhibition of skills that encompass the entire range of on-court abilities.

 (Perhaps I am a bit cheeky but being a bit of a fair weather player lately, I tar myself with the same brush.)

It is the second week of The Championships (“Wimbledon”) at the All England Lawn Tennis Club and it is has been wonderful to see many British players in the draws*. These players carry the hopes and dreams of many and provide inspiration to little Misses and Masters everywhere.

While the Olympics are every four years, Grand Slam tennis is a reliable and regular fixture in the sporting calendar and offered me a steadfast supply of sporting inspiration when I was a Miss.

My family is a tennis family. I played tennis every summer and when I was too young to compete, I either watched my parents play or hit-up against the practice wall with my sister. I even read tennis themed fiction.

So it was to be expected that within half an hour of the eagerly anticipated arrival of grandparents MaMa and Pa, out came the toddler tennis set. Although Master would rather eat the racquet than play, Miss has had poor MaMa running around the garden playing tennis ever since. On the upside, however, all this activity should help rid MaMa of her jet lag.

I have had some success on the court, but nothing like the greatness that I dreamed of as a Miss. Perhaps my calling is not playing tennis, but raising the next Dorothea Chambers and Fred Perry?

Tennis anyone?

Making a season-long commitment to a tennis club can be off-putting for some, but this need not stop you playing. Click this link to the Lawn Tennis Association for court locations near to you (all surfaces).

I encourage everyone to get out there and play tennis. Tennis was the source of many family fun times in my childhood and I aim to engage Miss and Master likewise, albeit from the ‘other’ side of the net, if you will.

*at the time of publishing only Andy Murray remains on the order of play