4/3/15

Dear Diary,

Bit of a nothing day today. Nothing planed. Nothing doing. Just waiting for the big match tomorrow between Scotland and Bangladesh. Its Scotland's last realistic chance for a victory at this world cup and, unlike the previous two best chances, this time I think we really can do it and pull of a victory. Our other best chance of a win was against Afghanistan but in reality I didn't think we could really get over the line against them. They are a good, fluent and flamboyant team and while Scotland is good and fluent, at the moment we lack the extra edge of flamboyancy that the huge self confidence of the afghans have in abundance. They are a better team than us and this is backed up by their consistently higher placings at world cricket league level and I-cup level too and not just because I’m a hash judge of Scotland’s on field performance. Having said that, we have beaten them recently and beaten them convincingly which shows that they are vulnerable and beatable when we play to our proper potential.

Unfortunately our batting didn't play to their proper potential during the clash with them in Dunedin and as hard as Scotland pushed them it just wasn't far enough and they piped us at the post to claim their first win. Meanwhile Scotland missed an opportunity and one of our best chances to claim our first win at world cups was missed.

The previous big chance we had was against England. A team that were in disarray before the competition started and lacking confidence after a humiliating defeat against the Kiwis just a few days before. Again, I never truly thought Scotland would win that game against the old enemy as England have too much talent to be down for long. Also, England may lose to associate nations regularly at world events (Ireland in 2007, the Dutch in two different world T-20 events) but they always raise their game against Scotland. Which is what they did this time too after being let off by some ordinary bowling by Scotland early on. Again, an opportunity to step up was missed and the other one of our best chances to push for a victory was missed.

This game against Bangladesh has something of a different feel about it. It feel like a game Scotland should win ... not an opportunity to push for victory but a victory that we should attain.

It will be tough, Bangladesh is no pushover and thinking that they are will lead to disappointment, and our batting will have to be on song, our bowling tight and our fielding energetic but this feels like the victory we have all been waiting for has arrived. All we have to do is take it. It is our last best chance at this world cup that's for sure.

Besides pondering Scotland's fate today I made Mum take me into Nelson city again because I felt I had missed some of its city center streets the other day. After walking up and down all two of its central business district streets it turns out I hadn't, it really is a small city. Beautiful, but small.

Drove past the cricket field on the way home again and saw everything getting ready for tomorrow's big game. In all the promo photos I saw of Saxton Cricket Oval it looked like a beautiful cricket ground in the middle of a paddock. Driving past it to day I couldn't help but feel that farmer Saxton can't believe his luck that his little ground in his big paddock was selected to host a World Cup match! I guess it really is true: if you build it they really will come! The only problem would be, where was he going to put all the sheep?

When I get home I decide to phone Christchurch Hagley oval to see if my lost jumper was handed into lost property. I have a very pleasant conversation with the chap in charge of lost and found and he give me full commentary of everything he saw in the box as he rummaged around in it but there was no sign of my jumper ... somebody had left their trousers behind though, but no sign of my jumper !

.... Wait, what, someone left their trousers behind?

... Oh, we get all sorts brought in here. You'd be surprised. No sign of your jumper though.

... OK thanks anyway (I hate you Christchurch!).

Besides that, bit of a nothing day really.
Just getting ready for tomorrow and THE BIG GAME : Scotland V. Bangladesh.




"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it." Jules Renard - (1864 - 1910)