Over the Fence is Out!

Page 2; and we slip into those interesting memories of games past. Are you going to write one for us? We do not even insist on the whole truth...if a stretch or two makes it more interesting...     And we introduce Stickball for our American cousins, but are very short of content.     We need contributions about both stickball and Wiffle Ball. Can you help?

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Stickball ...in the Bronx "...one uses an old broom or mop-stick and a rubber Spalding ball. Believe it or not, I never played stickball, I was a non sports type. The only time I even tried I broke a finger from attempting to catch a high fly ball.         H.A.

Cricket Oh, brother... Perhaps as a female I can offer an explanation as to why professional cricket is never played in mixed gender teams. Playing against my bad tempered red headed brother, me bowling, he batting with his precious brand new professional players cricket bat and matching wickets. The ball heads straight and true down the pitch at my brother but fails to hit wood. How could I tell, below is the little sisters glossary of cricket hits: THWACK is the sound of wood against ball. THUD is the sound of flesh against ball. THUMPOHERGGGGG! is the peculiar sound of ball against ball (Followed usually by mm-mmmph, mmmmphh etc. and a cute little knock kneed hop dance). Professional cricket has a range of strange descriptive terms to describe various parts of play. As an avid cricket hater I am blissfully unaware of the true meaning of these terms but no doubt there is a specific name for the above delicate area of play. Perhaps it is related to leg before wicket, possibly the short leg before a wicket or maybe it's called hitting the stumpy leg before the wicket, personally I think my brother should have gone for a quick duck. The first time it happened I did a quick survey of family members on the sidelines to ascertain why play had to stop while my brother did a hopping jig while tonelessly humming and turning purple in the face. Father: "Never you mind." Mother: "The ball hit him on the thumb." Big sister 1: "I think he had marbles in his pocket and he's worried that he's lost them." Other big brother: "You whacked him in the family jewels." Big (no nonsense) sister 2: "You've cracked him in the nuts, you dill." At which I howled: "How come he got some nuts and I didn't get any?"         G.J.Wethereld

Cricket ...is also out! ... running for the other wicket I was looking over my shoulder to see where the ball had gone and how the fielding was going. My partner was a fully grown man....as we passed each other running between wickets I looked over my shoulder again and collided with him. ...2 hours later I regained consciousness in hospital.         David Williams The hope... He strode up to the crease. Baggy shorts, faded white shirt and a yellowed picture of Don Bradman sticking out of his back pocket. He looked down the seemingly endless stretch and frowned at his nemesis shining a solid looking ball on his shorts. The oldsters gave a gasp. This was it, the Showdown. A record was in the making, only two runs were needed to seal the Test. These great cricketing heroes were at last going to find out who was the Greatest. An Immovable force against an Unstoppable object. A hush spread across the green. Eye contact between the adversaries was established. The fielders looked nervous, knowing that if the missile came in their direction that they would be heroes if they caught the ball or be forever despised if they missed. The wicket keeper shuffled nervously, if he made the wrong call, his life would not be worth living. The run up started, the Batsman nervously tapped his bat on the pitch. He saw the ball approaching, faster, faster... 'My God' he said, 'I don't think I will get this one". He raised his bat, brow furrowed in concentration. He swung. The crowd cheered. He was ready to run, half an ear on the wicket keeper, when the worst announcement he had ever heard in his life penetrated his ecstatic state and sent shivers of disappointment though his entire being. " You boys put down those toys and come in for dinner NOW".         Ben O'Kenny (2002)

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