The Paul & Jenny Stories Pt. 17f: The Batting Order Ch. 06
The Batting Order.
A Paul and Jenny story.
(Copyright 2002 by Paul C. All rights reserved)
As with all my stories all events and characters are fictitious.
Part 6.
Paul.
I ducked under the first ball that Len bowled at me in the nets. He was very hostile. He walked back to his full run up, turned and came thundering in again. He gave his customary hop as he reached his delivery stride and his arm flashed over. The ball was well pitched up and thudded into my leg pad. He could have broken my leg if I hadn't been wearing it.
"Careful Len." Steve called from his position on the ground next to our cricket bags where he was strapping on his own pads. "Save something for them."
"What's got into him?" Steve asked as Len walked back to his starting point.
I bent to pick up some of the balls he'd used and threw them back to the other end of the wicket.
"Can't think." I replied.
Len was running in again. His leap. The arm flashing towards me. The ball pitching about five yards in front heading for my balls. I leapt in the air slightly as I played it down with my bat. Perhaps I should let Steve have a go.
"Do you want a go?" I called to him.
"Knock his head off Len."
I turned my head and saw Stephanie looking out of one of the windows of the main room in the Pavilion. She would be setting up the member's bar.
Len was coming in again. The ball was bouncing half way down the pitch and heading for my head. Right. Take a half a pace back, keep your eyes on the ball and give a full swing of the bat. You always know when you have made a good contact with a cricket ball because you hardly feel the impact. I watched as the netting to my left caught the ball and returned it to the ground to roll back and come to a stop a foot from where I was standing.
Len stood looking at me, breathing heavily.
"Nice shot." Steve said walking into the open end of the nets. "You would have been caught by square leg."
"Not a chance." I answered, passing him. "Six all the way."
I walked over to where our cricket bags lay aware of two pairs of eyes boring into my back. It was their own fault. If they were going to have a fuck on somebody else's property then they shouldn't complain if anybody watches them. Anyway, I'm sure that would have watched me if the positions had been reversed.
I reached inside my trousers and removed my box, the hard plastic prick and balls protector. Then I sat down and began unbuckling my pads. I looked up and watched as Len ran in to bowl. He'd slowed his run in and was bowling with a much smoother rhythm. Steve played the first ball back with a straight bat. I went back to unbuckling my pads.
"Ah, Paul."
I turned my head to where the voice had come from. It was Ron Watson the new curate. He'd been in the village since the previous Christmas with his wife and two daughters aged four and two. Behind him I could see Roger, Bill, Fred and Tony. Two, Roger and Bill were already wearing their pads; they must have changed in the pavilion changing rooms. From the team list on the notice board they would be opening the batting, I was down to follow Ron, at number four, followed by Jim Clarke, the team captain, Steve as wicket-keeper, Tony, Len, Arthur and Harry. There had been a space number eleven, the dreaded AN N Other. I wondered whom Jim had got. My father had used to play but hadn't for two years. I was sure he would have somebody in mind.
"I'm glad you could make it down." Ron said as he pulled on his batting gloves. "Jim has had an awful job getting a team what with people being away on holiday."
"He'll manage." I said, encouragingly. "He always does."