Written by The Concussion Sub

Forget when you were 20, and you got to the crease surrounded by 9 angry fielders, an abusive wicket keeper and a bowler wanting to rip your head off- that wasn’t fun yet it was part of the grind in trying to make it as a cricketer ahead of every other single minded, selfish player.

You are now over the hill at 40, and you haven’t made it in the game, not even close. You have a belly, you have a hangover, your kit is old, and you won’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow. But guess what, it’s far more worth it, far more rewarding than what it was like when you were trying to make it those many, many years ago. This is the real club cricket we always wanted- opposition greet you before the game, there are smiles on faces, the game is played with a spirit and it finishes with a beer, yet it remains competitive. We forgot as youngsters to enjoy the journey, rather obsessed with the end goal in mind, yet here we are, bodies old and decrepit, we cherish every ball, every word of encouragement, every piece of banter.

Although Sunday’s first game ended in a win for our side, the Pretoria Old Boys Club Vets, I was overcome not by the sweet smell of victory but rather by the enjoyment had by all 22 players and the umpire (just one) at the end of the day. Laudium’s talented group of over 40’s couldn’t have been more different in culture and background than we were, yet the language of cricket, the spirit of the game, and the feeling of camaraderie was palpable. 240 for 6 with a fine middle order knock from Warren Laubscher (94*) and a 20 ball 35 run cameo from Shaan Hussain sent us on our way. This was then followed up by a bowling and fielding performance which showed glimpses of years rolled back.

It however wasn’t all plain sailing. Laudium opening bat, Salim Sikora’s simply sensational first over with the bat gave Paul Pretorius, Old Boys key opening bowler a reminder of why he preferred waterpolo at school. We watched in awe as Salim got to 23 off the first 10 balls of the innings before Pretorius had the last laugh- a perfect length delivery, jagging back through the gate, sending the middle stump cartwheeling. Some tight bowling in the middle subdued the Laudium Stars run chase despite a late flourish ignited by leg spinner and Radio Jacaranda anchorman Joe Mann’s buffet of sumptuous full tosses and the talented all-rounder Lucky Moshoati’s gifting of 3 free hits in one over, reminding us all that the beauty of cricket lies in the fat lady being able to sing, even when the crowd thought she was done.

Old Boys won in the end by 26 runs but that wasn’t the story of the day. Friends were made, laughs were had and club cricket felt good for us all. The camaraderie and spirit of the great game was indeed alive. Now 3 days later, I’m still stiff and sore but I just can’t wait for the next vet’s league game.