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5 ways of dealing with the end of the cricket season

Ed Kemp by Ed Kemp 4 minute read

The season’s over. What are you going to do now? Here are five options to consider.

Branch out

Become a footballer. It’s quicker, more glamorous and we hear there’s money in it. There’s also the charming possibility of having a set of studs put through your shin or a banterous ankle-bashing from a hard-tackling simpleton.

Go to rehab

Your back’s in bits, your knees are creaking, you can’t lift your arm above your shoulder and there’s a random shooting pain going through your right elbow. It’s time for some rest and recuperation. Spend Saturdays on the sofa. Meditate. Take up yoga. Soothe the aches and pains before royally screwing your body all over again next summer.

Work harder

Next season starts now. Identify three key areas of improvement (batting, bowling and fielding?) and pursue your goals relentlessly. Hire out a net lane, fire up the bowling machine, enlist the services of a professional coach. Drill your problem shot, develop a new variation, re-read Mike Brearley’s The Art of Captaincy. Become better. Be sick of the game by the time next April rolls around.

Watch and learn

So you can’t live without cricket altogether. Content yourself with following the professional game – because for them, the fun never stops. Once the county season is over some time in mid-October, watch England’s winter tour, soak up the drama. Learn how (and how not) to play the turning ball. Have your say on who should make the XI, and keep up with all the latest domestic transfer gossip. Will Derbyshire’s want-away marksman make his much-talked-about move to Nevil Road?? Before you know where you are it’s mid-March.

Hibernate

The end of the season can be traumatic. Some species find winter’s lack of cricket so unpalatable they give up on everyday living altogether. Why not try it? Build up a store of fatty reserves, identify a suitable stowage and enter a deep, season-long sleep. Only awake when the phone call comes from the skipper asking you to come on pre-season tour.

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Have Your Say

Comments (3)

  1. Neil L 7 years ago (Edit)

    Can't think why you would ever suggest playing football in winter. All cricketers should be playing rugby in winter without exception!!!!

  2. nicholas 7 years ago (Edit)

    Writing as an EX-CRICKETER:
    My five are:
    (i) Get depressed and wonder how many summers remain for you (ii) Reconsider views re KP and conclude no change: great bat, bit of a prat. (iii) Reconsider your views re Strauss, and again find no reason to change your mind: to whit, his reputation as a perfect, disinterested, gentleman has been carefully crafted (iv) Decide you MUST now must address the evident failings of your club's chairman/chairwoman and committee, but realise that you couldn't have done even half the job (v) Remain depressed and wonder how many summers.....

  3. Barry 7 years ago (Edit)

    Football pah! Every cricketer should be playing hockey better for hand eye coordination and also guaranteed too develop bad habits that may improve your ability to p[ay T20 with lots of bottom hand in every shot!

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