South Africa are currently playing India in a 5 day test match in Nagpur India. Nagpur is one of the largest cities in central India a hub of commerce and industry and often referred to as ‘Orange City’, not because the ladies wear beautifully decorated orange saris but because lots of oranges are grown there.
The cricket started on Saturday, the two captains toss a coin to determine who bats first and our captain, Graeme Smith won, he decided that we (South Africa) would bat first.
Our chaps got into a bit of bother early on Saturday but sterling performances from other team members resulted in us batting all day. We also batted all day on Sunday and scored lots and lots of runs, so many in fact that Graeme Smith thought it only fair that the Indians have a turn and he declared on 558.
The Indian batsmen didn’t do to well, in fact they only managed to score a paltry 233 after all of their chaps had had a turn. Graeme Smith thought it only fair to let them have another go, they didn’t fair much better the second time around and with the score on 66 for 2, the referees thought it best to send everybody home and let them start again in the morning. So there we are then the fourth day starts tomorrow with India still 259 runs behind our total
Boadicea's Chariot 
Soutie, this is a sympathy comment! Cricket seems to numb the members (and not only at Easter on the village green/outfield). Problem is that cricket isn’t susceptible to description, is it? It’s a play without words, a mime show best enjoyed in silence.
(Judging by the lower pic, that crowd was in Sussex – probably Eastbourne.)
Sorry old boy,
You lost me at “Test Cricket”. 😦
Afternoon Janus
I wasn’t sure if the crowd were enjoying a day out at Es, Sus or somwehere in the Middle 😉
I was rather hoping that one of our more horticultural members could identify the flowering tree in the background.
You’re right of course, it’s not about the cricket, while researching this post I found out rather a lot about central India and Nagpur!
I wonder if anybody likes my banner, I saw something similar on another web site and thought ‘ah, must have one of those’
Indeed Ferret, if you follow my link you will discover that “The city is the headquarter of Maintenance command of Indian Air Force.” and that “Nagpur’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) is the busiest in India,”
Fascinating or wot?
Hee hee, Soutie: my total experience of cricket, of the village green variety, was as a preparer and dispenser of tea, a contribution to the game which should never be underestimated. I did take some time off to sit in the sun(?) and read my book sometime during the match. 🙂
Soutie,
Like I said, I was lost wayyy before the link.
There’s a link? 😉
Hello Ara
And where would we be without stalwarts such as yourself? Not forgetting the sandwich providers, the washerwomen and ironers. Mrs. S was often asked to halve the oranges at rugby matches all very important duties, (almost) as important as the matches themselves 🙂
Furry: the link is in the first sentence 🙂
I used to do sandwiches, tea and oranges, Soutie. I think we were understaffed 🙂
Yes Minty MBE.
And “Test Cricket” is in the title. 🙂
Ha ha, thanks Ara, it appears that ‘ol furry didn’t get past the title!
My most vivid memories of cricket?
1. Making sandwiches and tea
2. Snow in April
3. Snow in June
4. A dislocated finger, put back in place by my mother. Player went back on.
5. Reading a book.
6. The sound of the ball hitting bat a moment behind the sight of the same.
(All under the age of 11)
Pseu – My most vivid memories of cricket? Hayfever! In my distant cubhood I played rugby and hockey for the school and swam for my county, but cricket? No thank you.
OZ
Bodgeball Cricket round the back of the hangar.
Stumps painted on the hangar wall, the ball was a torch battery wrapped in heavy dut gaffer tape. None of that noncey LBW stuff, pads and helmets. Disputes were settled by the last man standing rule. Oh happy days.
Blimey Ferret, that sounds as rough as ‘British Bulldog’ but with the added interest of a lethal missile weapon. What did you use for a bat? An Iron bar?
Paul,
Take no prisoners. 🙂
Swimming’s my thing. Just come back after 40 lengths.
Oh Soutie: you are Blogger of the Week 🙂
Love the banner, Soutie! It was that and the ‘for non-cricketers’ that enticed me into the blog.
I can’t say that I’m a huge fan, unless it’s getting to the end and the outcome is uncertain… then I will watch. I suppose it’s the skill that fascinates me. I always appreciate anyone who has put effort into being the best they can, whatever it is.
Since people seem to be sharing their cricket memories, I will share my very best cricket memory.
I was absolutely hopeless at any sort of sport: couldn’t catch, hit or in fact do anything with a ball… and not one PE teacher ever bothered to show what I was doing wrong – something to do with shutting my eyes when anyone lobbed a ball at me!
Some few years ago, Bearsy taught me how to catch, and hit a ball. Shortly after I went to see my daughter and grandson, who was then about four. He already knew that his grandmother was pretty useless with a ball, and was surprised when I took up his offer to play cricket with him and my daughter in the park. I will never forget the look of stunned amazement on both his and my daughter’s faces when I whacked the ball … well not quite for six, but almost!
Hi all…sorry to take this off topic for a moment just to report that … My MyT account was just deleted!!! My comments disappeared in a Henry Cave Devine blog and then when I tried to log back in, I was told that my account had been deleted. I noticed other bloggers comments have disappeared and am wondering if MyT is in meltdown. I can’t imagine why I or some of the others that have gone quiet would have been deleted!
What bothers is the possiblility of all blogs since 2008 gone up in smoke. I had some poems and creative writing and memoir stuff that I didn’t think to duplicate elsewhere. 😦
Anyway…that’s my report. Cheers.
G’day Marinaid – Welcome. Nice to see you here.
😆
Shame Marinaid. Rather bonkers though. I too have stuff on there which is not always copied anywhere else.
Hello Marinaid: good to see you, but why on earth would they have deleted your account? I can see absolutely no reason for that whatsoever.
Have you tried emailing Kate Day ?
Thanks, you two. I’m talking about bloggers like Sipu disappearing, and Henry Cave Devine’s comment have disappeared with nothing further. Not just obvious contentious types. I’m rather sick about the loss of some of that stuff. A lesson learned. I think i’ll just give up on blogging for a while. But thank you for your welcome here, Bearsy, I appreciate that.
It must be a mistake, Marinaid. MyT can reinstate your account and archive, so I would complain if I were you. This happened to Bravo.
Sipu’s been deleted?
Perhaps it’s not a mistake then. Sorry, Marinaid, what a shame! 😦
I hope so, Ara. I sent a letter and copies to Kate, Ceri, Mods. If they reply, I’ll let you know here. Bilby, I’m not sure, but things have disappeared and gone quiet. In my case it was deleted account, too. Oh, and I reregistered as Marinaid2 in order to make a MyT comment about deletion and could not, with my new account, comment. Every time I hit the ‘preview’ button one of those coded words appeared requesting you type it out. Having complied, your comments been erased!! I think this is a meltdown or even a malicioous hacker thing, dunno.
Ah, they have a new thing Marinaid, and they are apparently blocking people by IP addresses. Badger has mentioned this. Do keep in touch here though,and let us know what happens. Maybe Bearsy can advise if there is any way to get round this blocking business.
Total madness. Yes, please let us know. Good luck, Marinaid.
PS I would be happy to send an email supporting your case, if you wish.
Welcome Marinaid… I’m stunned. My commiserations on the loss of your blogs. You might get them restored – they did delete my account once and restored it in full.
If it’s straight IP blocking, reboot your modem and your ISP will, in all probability assign you a new IP. But I suspect that the MyT block is more comprehensive, so don’t hold your breath! 😉
Soutie – love the banner! Beaut idea.
Thanks, all…I will let you know. But they let me start a new account with no problem, so if the ISP is blocked how could that have happened?
I’ll try the reboot, Bearsy…but tomorrow, as I am ready to quit cyberland for the day! Maybe for my life! 😉 I am noting a reboot of the modem not just the machine, got it.
I’ll hope for a return of my blogs but won’t hold my breath. 😦 Good night, all.
Night night, Marinaid. Sleep well.
Night Marinaid, and good luck!
Love the comments, particularly Pseu’s scientific case study on the speed of sound, Oz’s hayfever (sniff sniff) and Boa’s point about closing ones eyes (my daughters used to do that!)
Morning Marinaid, welcome. I commented on Ike’s post that for you, Ike, Sipu and Oldtom to all go at once has to be an error of some sorts. Accounts have been reinstated, Boa (as mentioned) and more recently Bravo.
Another memory.
I found a strange looking object in my fathers bedside table which he refused to talk about.
It was only many years later that I put two and two together and worked out it was his cricket box.
Sorry Marinaid,
But Welcome to DNMyT all the same.
I am in the process of transferring my entire MyT archive to my WordPress blogsite in anticipation of the incompetent nincompoops doing the same to my account. I am already muchos miffed that they have managed to lose every comment on every blog. It’s a long old job.
Once upon a time cricket was the very air I breathed, but that was a very long time ago 🙂