CRICKET: Worthing's Andy Lutwyche's weekly column (July 2)
NO game this week as us and Littlehampton had a free week. Looking at the league table, the week off doesn't appear to have done us too much harm, but with a win the week before the free Saturday, it would have been nice to carry that momentum on into another league game.
The lack of Saturday action has left me with something of a dilemma this week, as I have no action to talk about. So, this really is a severe test of my journalistic (some may say rambling or other less flattering terms) skills.
It's also meant that the TLC-o-meter has been mothballed for the week, and the paracetamol supply in the house hasn't dwindled this weekend.
A few of us went to a Murray Goodwin benefit function at Hove, where there was a Q&A session with none other than Ricky "Punter" Ponting, Adam "Gilly" Gilchrist and Mike "Mr Cricket" Hussey (brother of the president of my fan club, but that's another story that I may well go into later), as well as "Muzza" himself, and hosted extremely well by former Sussex CCC all-rounder, Neil Lenham.
It has to be said that the amount of time people spend with each other at cricket means that there are some good stories that I won't do justice here. It was a thoroughly good evening, especially when an excitable (and 42-year-old) Tim Dunn rushed over for autographs and pictures, behind the dubious auspices of getting them for his sons, Harry and Jack. Tim hasn't moved that fast in the field for a good number of years.
Many of the questions were along the lines of "how gutted were you to lose the Ashes in 2005?" including my Gary Pratt related question to "Punter" (Ricky, not Kevin), which he answered with a verbal custard pie that was thoroughly deserved on my part.
I suppose I ought to expand on David Hussey (brother of Mike), president of my fan club. David, who has played One Day and Twenty20 cricket for Australia since his swearing in as president, played for Horsham in the Sussex League in 2001.
He wasn't keen on the commentary I was giving of my innings during a cup match, where a partnership between myself and Ben Cameron won us the game. David (not so) politely told me to concentrate on my batting rather than describe every shot I played. So I've been abused by an international cricketer, not the glac cherry of my career cake but it could be a "hundred and thousand"!
The Ashes build-up has certainly intensified in the last week, with Sussex giving the Aussies a run for their money.
I reckon it will be a tight series but I have a nagging feeling that the Aussies will just about sneak it.
Their batting is a powerful unit and, although their bowling looks a little fragile, they have in Mitchell Johnson an extremely dangerous and match-winning fast bowler.
I really hope that England do win the Ashes back from our antipodean cousins because the mood around the country after the success of 2005 was fantastic.
If England are to have a chance of victory, both Flintoff and Pietersen will have to perform well, with the rest of the squad also playing to the best of their ability.
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Weather for Worthing
Tuesday 29 May 2012
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