Day Two, a day which has been dominated by five drop catches and some very good batting.
We have let ourselves down there and really could have knocked them over for around 250 and be off the park, feet up, batting! Alas... In saying that though, we didn't bowl well as a team. I felt wobbly in my load up and hence wasn't at my best when it came to release time. I don't know what it was, maybe the slight unevenness of the take off, or maybe, I was just wobbly. Either way, it wasn't good enough. We went into lunch having them 103-3. I had just picked up 2 of those wickets; one about 15 from lunch, and one in the last over before lunch. All it did was put some gloss on a pretty average session. It didn't change much. Maybe we deserved to go in with them only one down. And at lunch we got a bit of a talking to; fair enough too. It just wasn't good enough from an attack that goes into a Test match next week. After lunch we were a lot better. A considerable difference in our lines and lengths and also our energies at the crease. Although we bowled better, hit better areas, went for less runs, we just couldn't get a break through. It was a one wicket session. This happens sometimes. Sometimes you bowl well and nothing happens, other times, like me before lunch, you don't bowl so well, but you pick up wickets. It is a silly game, a real mind screw sometimes.
We finish the day with NSW 6 down and 35 runs in front of our 1st innings total. We have some work to do in the morning to wrap the last four wickets up as quick as possible, as professional as possible. Baz should be back on the field as he had the last 3rd session off with some back troubles. Redders took the over the gloves; I don't think he's done it before, but Red did a great job behind the stumps. Took a catch and we pretty tidy. He looked happy as a kid in mud with those gloves on, almost like it was a new toy for him. Jesse has also been unwell. But his unwell is a little more of the 'sick' kind. He's been going both ends. While he was batting on day one, I was running the drinks. He was complaining then of feeling pretty poorly, even wondered off to chuck while still out on the field. Unfortunately he didn't last to much longer out on the park, and understandable really as as soon as he was off the park he was straight to the bathroom to be rather ill. Soon after that Jesse was on a drip. He couldn't keep any food or drink down and the drip is the best way to get the required liquids back into the body fast. Jesse stayed at the hotel today to rest up, and under 'quarantine' as some papers have put it. He should be back on the paddock tomorrow, hopefully!
Quick debrief at the end of the match, some honest and hard words from Dan. Which followed up on Baz's words at lunch. Then the ice baths. They are never fun and are never enjoyable. The baths today were some of the coldest I have ever been in. You know it's cold when the added ice hardly melts when it's added. It just slushes and freezes together into one big piece around you while you sit in there for your minute. Out of there and into a hot shower for two minutes to get the blood pumping around the body again. Repeated three times except that we're supposed to do the 'hot cold hard mans', which means we finish on a cold. Let the body reheat naturally; supposed to be better for the recovery! Most of the guys just can't stay away from the hot water after the last minute in the icy bath. I do the 'hard man' and finish on the cold. I don't know if I'm a good boy for doing it, or just stupid! I'll trust the phyz and trainer and do what they say!!
I was on media this evening which means I am barraraged by the crew of media that follow and report this match. Five tape/digital thrusted into my face as soon as I step outside the changing room. I get asked the obvious questions, "are you happy with the way you've bowled as a team?" "What about the drop catches?" "Is that good prep for the Test match next week?" etc etc. They have to ask them, as that's what they fill the papers and internet with. And it's not really that much of a problem. I just wish I could do it more often after we have had a great day, not an average one!
Back to the hotel, hit the Room Service menu. What do you reckon I had... Club Sandwich. It's easy and really good for ya; yeah right! Then it's time to see the physio. We have a new one too. Kate Stalker has taken on the tough job of trying to keep this team on the park. Poor girl! She's doing a great job so far and all the guys are impressed with what she's bringing to the unit. I've got a small ankle issue which is a little niggly and just keeps me from hitting the crease as hard as I'd like to sometimes. Today was one of those. So, it's was time for me to get some work on it and then follow it up with a very good massage. We have quite a few massage therapists over the towns/city's/countries that we travel to, and tonights was one of the best. Kiwi girl from Wairoa doing good! Had a good chat to her and enjoyed (well not that much) her squeezing the soreness out of me.
Back to the room, ice up my ankle again, finish my bottle of water and sit down to you lot. I hope you're enjoying these!
And that's it for now, hopefully I can write some slightly more positive stuff tomorrow night! Here's hoping.
OB
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