Thanks to the efforts of Stuart Spalding, Bob Masefield and fellow Willows Club members I had the opportunity to be involved with a month long tour of Singapore, England and Holland in 2017. There were players on the tour who had never met each other but we all quickly became friends which is a key characteristic of cricket.
We played matches at some wonderful grounds including: The Padang in Singapore, Hinton Charterhouse, Bath Cricket Club, Nijmegen Cricket Club, Pembroke College in Cambridge and Margate Cricket Club. Every ground was unique and it was a real privilege to have the opportunity to visit. During the tour there was opportunity to meet many new people and make new friends.
While we were away we had time to reflect on the many experiences, learnings and the special friends and acquaintances we have all made through cricket. During these times of reflection I developed a list which I thought readers might be interested to contemplate:
(1) I was recently talking to my 90 year-old mother and she made a comment “Andrew you have met many very nice people through cricket”. This comment is so true and I am sure fellow cricketers will agree that you tend to meet very nice people who make very good friends when you are a cricketer.
(2) Cricket is a tough game and you have more disappointments than successes which is why it is so important to enjoy the good times when they come.
(3) Cricket has enabled me to learn about myself. One must be very careful about what we are thinking. If we think we are going to bowl a bad ball or our “self-talk” suggests that we are always nicking out offside stump then both are more likely to happen.
(4) Technique and tactic both go together. Too often coaches focus on the technique which is important but I think it is much more important to think about how you are going to play against a bowler or the type of deliveries you are going bowl.
(5) Keep it simple – too often cricketers’ minds get cluttered with all sorts of theories or ideas. When you are playing ask yourself “what is the job to do?”, “what is the task that you must complete?” Remember to stay in the present and don’t get tied up with whether you are going to win or not. If you do the job well the outcome is likely to be more pleasurable.
(6) To be a good cricketer your most important role is to help all your team mates have a good day. Take care about what you say to someone so that you don’t plant negative seeds. Support your bowlers, support your batsmen and support the other people on the field. Those good positive vibes will certainly bounce back to you as your ten team mates will all be helping you to have a good day.
(7) There are no silver bullets or magical ways to become a good cricketer and very few will become successful professional players. It takes hours of dedication, many disappointments, a lot of hard work sprinkled with some talent, to become a top player. Over the years I have too frequently heard “he’s a real natural” but this is really being confused with many hours of hard work practising bowling up and down the hallway or hitting balls against a fence.
(8) Tough times wake us up and make us stronger. Three ducks in a row can help you become a much better batsman as you evaluate and turn those disappointments into motivations.
(9) Cricket is a metaphor of life. We have disappointments, we get knocked down so we have to get up and bowl another ball. The lessons learnt on the cricket field and in the nets also help us to succeed in business and I have seen many of my cricketing friends become successful in so many other areas of their lives.
(10) Cricket provides many benefits. It encourages us to keep fit and active. It provides us with camaraderie and challenges. It provides us with opportunities where we can experience adversity but also the most thrilling moments that one can experience and share with others. And perhaps ultimately cricket is just plain good fun and that’s how it should always be played.
(11) It’s more fun to win. Play hard and fair and respect the opposition.
Final message
It saddens me to see so many enthusiastic and capable schoolboy players who have lots to offer but do not take the opportunity to join clubs when they leave school and continue to play and stay involved. Our club, The Willows, has an enduring task to continue to promote and foster the love of the game. The game will evolve and we need to evolve with it to provide ongoing benefits for future generations.
July 2017 was certainly a trip of a lifetime but on reflection I realise that cricket has been my lifetime trip.