NZ vs NSW - Day Three

Plan:  Knock the four wickets off, real quick.  And we did a pretty good job of it to.  Twenty overs we were out in the field and we picked up the four wickets for about 50 runs, which, on this deck is a pretty good effort.  Elmer Fudd picked up three of the four, and I got the first one to fall with a rank short wide one that was hit straight to Dizzy at cover.  Happy days!  Elmer Fudd you ask; well it's Dan Vettori, of course.  He went "wabbit 'unting," and came up trumps,  "Wabbit 'unting,' you ask... well, tail enders are called 'rabbits,' and Dan has a great skill in 'rabbit hunting!'  It is actually quite amazing how he turns his 2 and 3 fa's into 4's and 5's.  Something, we as a team, don't mind at all.  It gets the wickets wrapped up, it gets us off the park, and the wickets go to a great bowler, with amazing skills and perseverance.

Off the park, and batting.  As a bowler, there is no better feeling; walking off the park, 10 wickets in the bank, feet up to recover for the rest of the day and get ready to come back tomorrow to win the game.  Sure we were just under 100 runs behind, but we've learned, this morning especially, how to bowl on this track and we are certainly confident that if we can get enough in front we can bowl them out and pick up a win.  That is, of course, if there is enough time left in the day, and if we can get enough in front.  Currently, we're not enough in front and rain is going to play a part in the time we have to both score runs and dismiss NSW.  Yeah sure, that's putting a pretty positive spin on the position were in, but it can be done, and I, honestly, have complete faith in our abilities to do it.  And lets be honest, Dan is at the wicket, how much have we relied on him this season already, and he has come good and been the 'man,' and Baz is at the other end with a big one more than due.  Baz has had some terrible luck this summer, already.  An 'iffy' LB in Bangers and run out in this first innings, he's hungry for runs, big runs.  Jesse to come next and then into us bowlers that have to pull our weight too.  Tim can bat.  He is a tallent.  I can bat, I just have some 'technique' issues that I need to sort out; like hitting straight ones!  But I think we have enough out in the middle and in the shed to get far enough in front that we can win this one.  Given the rain stays away.

Bit of a rushed start this morning.  It was raining when we left the hotel this morning and raining even harder when we got to the ground.  The start was only delayed by 15 mins.  Amazingly quick drainage and set up.  So when the umps informed us of the start time we then had 45 mins to get our warm ups in, be off the park and get into our whites and back out.  It's a little tight, but I quite enjoyed it.  I was out there as soon as I could with Tom (Martin) and Millsy.  I was hopeful of being one of the two guys to start of this morning, so I wanted to send the right message to the skipper;  "I'm ready, I want to bowl."  I was, and I did.  It was a warm up without some of the skill stuff we would normally do, but it was exactly how I would love a warm up to be.  Get out there, get warm, get some bowling in, get off, get changed, get back out there and play...  

I was a little bit nervous about my ankle, which had given me some grief yesterday.  The foot holes were a little warn out and some decent holes had been dug by the NSW bowlers where their front foot landed over the first day.  Given that my ankle hasn't been great since I went on the 'A' tour to Chennai, and that was because of some dodgy foot holes, I was a little shy on landing in them and twisting and straining the inside of my left ankle.  I got through most of yesterday without it giving me to many problems untill the afternoon session where I landed in one, felt some pain, and then became a little nervous of how it would be the next ball, and the one after that etc.  The effect of being shy to land hard on my front foot is that I loose energy and therefore pace in my delivery.  After some physio, some ice, and starting a course of anit inflams, I hit the bowling crease hard today, with proper energy, with real intent, with what I need to do all the time.  The phyz also suggested no lacing my boots up all the way, wearing them more like shoes than boots.  Don't know if it was that or not, but I didn't have an issues today and felt better at the crease.  Bowled well with Tom and then decided it was time to start some 'chat.'  It wasn't big and wasn't necessarily cleaver, but I did get him out within six balls (with said rank short wide one!)

It was decided that we would all meet in the bar after todays play for a couple of quiet ones, on the Managers card; which ensured a full turn out.  An hour in the bar, a chat and a laugh at some of Braces's stories from his playing days and then it's time for some food.  Steamed veges and some chips.  That's a rounded meal isn't it?  Well, it was what I wanted and what I got.  They kinda cancel each other out, don't they!?

It's now 9.30pm and it's time to get to bed.  Did get an email though today though which was great, a mate and I are designing some sports underwear, for men.  I've just seen a photo of a prototype and they look great.  Getting them sent over early next week for a fit and see how they will be.  Really think we are onto something with these pants.  Hopefully we can get them in production real soon and get them onto market real quick.  I really think they will be great, in fact I know they will be great, and, hopefully, be something for me to continue after I finish playing.  So, soon lads (not for girls at the moment), you'll be wearing my pants!  Or something like that anyway....

That's all for now, thanks for reading.  Hope you're enjoying reading them.