Pro 20 Cricket
Wow, I can't believe we're already in the third month of 2007. The good news is that this month there's a public holiday: Wednesday, 21 March is Human Right's Day!
Anyway, we went to the Standard Bank Pro20 Series cricket match last night at Kingsmead Stadium. Most of the Durbs crowd seems resistant to cricket, so it was just Warren who joined us.
We really enjoy 20 overs cricket, and the provincial season is very short (there’s only 2 matches in Durban), so we thought we had better see a game when the skies were clear. You see, I have a horrible curse of bringing rain to every match we go to.
What’s great about 20 overs cricket is that it’s a fantastic evening of entertainment. It’s cheap to attend, it has a tight 3 hour format, and with the emphasis on setting high scores within just 20 overs (120 deliveries), there are lots of high flying sixes, fours and dramatic fielding to match.
Then there’s the atmosphere: Spectators receive hard hats in their team’s colours, there’s a foam pit, and every time a four or six is scored, someone splashes down in the dunking booth set up at Castle Corner.
Last night the Natal Dolphins played against the Highveld Lions, and it turned out to be a very exciting competition. The Dolphins, batting first, started off very well before a collapse in the batting order in the last five or so overs slowed our runs rate, and we ended on 165.
It seemed like a very defendable target, especially since the Lions were 3 for 33 at one stage. However, the Lions started hitting fours and sixes around the park, and despite some tighter bowling from the Dolphins in the latter stages of the match (restricting the flow of runs), ultimately the competition came down to the last ball – the Lions needed 2 runs off it. When they deflected the ball down to the boundary the Lions batsmen were able to run them quite easily.
In all honesty, the Lions deserved their victory. The Dolphins dropped at least 5 catches, which is really unforgivable at a national level. Or any level of play for that matter.
Here’s the News24 article on the game.
The next 20 Overs match in Durban is on Friday, 9 March. It’s the Dolphins versus the Cape Cobras.
Anyway, fighting our way out of the parking lot afterwards reminded me of why South Africans, especially once they’ve got some alcohol in their systems, are such prats. Hell, forget alcohol. We have a nation of inconsiderate drivers. I’m amazed how quickly my anger at queue jumpers in morning traffic has led me to the dark side: Last night I was wishing car accidents on drunk, loudmouth blondes in the back of a bakkie. Very wrong. Very bad.
But I do so love this quote from George Bernard Shaw: We should all be obliged to appear before a board every five years and justify our existence… on pain of liquidation.
Wouldn't that be nice...?
Anyway, we went to the Standard Bank Pro20 Series cricket match last night at Kingsmead Stadium. Most of the Durbs crowd seems resistant to cricket, so it was just Warren who joined us.
We really enjoy 20 overs cricket, and the provincial season is very short (there’s only 2 matches in Durban), so we thought we had better see a game when the skies were clear. You see, I have a horrible curse of bringing rain to every match we go to.
What’s great about 20 overs cricket is that it’s a fantastic evening of entertainment. It’s cheap to attend, it has a tight 3 hour format, and with the emphasis on setting high scores within just 20 overs (120 deliveries), there are lots of high flying sixes, fours and dramatic fielding to match.
Then there’s the atmosphere: Spectators receive hard hats in their team’s colours, there’s a foam pit, and every time a four or six is scored, someone splashes down in the dunking booth set up at Castle Corner.
Last night the Natal Dolphins played against the Highveld Lions, and it turned out to be a very exciting competition. The Dolphins, batting first, started off very well before a collapse in the batting order in the last five or so overs slowed our runs rate, and we ended on 165.
It seemed like a very defendable target, especially since the Lions were 3 for 33 at one stage. However, the Lions started hitting fours and sixes around the park, and despite some tighter bowling from the Dolphins in the latter stages of the match (restricting the flow of runs), ultimately the competition came down to the last ball – the Lions needed 2 runs off it. When they deflected the ball down to the boundary the Lions batsmen were able to run them quite easily.
In all honesty, the Lions deserved their victory. The Dolphins dropped at least 5 catches, which is really unforgivable at a national level. Or any level of play for that matter.
Here’s the News24 article on the game.
The next 20 Overs match in Durban is on Friday, 9 March. It’s the Dolphins versus the Cape Cobras.
Anyway, fighting our way out of the parking lot afterwards reminded me of why South Africans, especially once they’ve got some alcohol in their systems, are such prats. Hell, forget alcohol. We have a nation of inconsiderate drivers. I’m amazed how quickly my anger at queue jumpers in morning traffic has led me to the dark side: Last night I was wishing car accidents on drunk, loudmouth blondes in the back of a bakkie. Very wrong. Very bad.
But I do so love this quote from George Bernard Shaw: We should all be obliged to appear before a board every five years and justify our existence… on pain of liquidation.
Wouldn't that be nice...?
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