Cover Point - Weston Creek Cricket Club

tPOINTNEWS MAGAZINEWESTONCRICKETPOSTAL ADDRESS:Weston Creek Cricket ClubP.O. Box 47Weston Creek, A.C.T. 2611EDITORIAL ADDRESS:14 Hyndes CrescentHolder, A.C.T. 2611Telephone (062) 88 6873EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:Jonathan AbrahamsWal HallPercy Samara-Wickrama (Editor)PRINTED BY:Lowes—PrinterGin i;in Shoppin Cf;nt M!ContentsCREEKCLUBEditorial Page 1Position Vacant 2Competition winners 2Prom the Boundary 3Portrait of a Young Cricketer 4Yabba by Jonathan Abrahams . bThe Path to the Finalby John Abrahams . . 6Are You really a Left Hander? 8Cricket Cartoon 9Quiet Please 9Tour of England 9Stop Press 10Cricket in the ACTby Shane Madden. . . 11Beating the Slumpby Crista Wocadlo. . 12Did You Know 14March Reports 14EditorialIt seems appropriate at this early stage inthe season to reflect on 'Practice', itsfunction and purpose.Before a budding genius can develop, heneeds to possess a love for and devotionto cricket. To many players practice tendsto be looked upon as a boring, tediousexercise to be endured twice a week. If,however, you check the careers of thegreatest cricketers from Sir Jack Hobb toBill O'Reilly, Sir Donald Bradman, GregChappell and so on, you will find a startlingsimilarity. They rose to eminence throughsheer natural skill, allied to adherence tothe basic fundamentals acquired throughhours of practice.One of the most accepted sayings in sportis 'practice makes perfect'. I believe thatall the practice in the world will not evengreatly benefit a cricketer if he doesn'tapproach his practice in the correct fashion.Improving ability means obtaining greaterresults by scoring more runs, taking extrawickets, dropping fewer catches and stoppingmore runs in the field. Cricket practiceshould try to duplicate centre wicket conditionsas much as possible. As pressureis the key element in the centre, so itshould be at practice!It is not good enough for a batsman justto go into the nets and casually hit a fewballs here and there with little thought tohow many times he was dismissed or howmany times he wasted opportunities by hittingballs straight to fieldsmen. Concentrationis the key to batting success. Netswith their many distractions provide idealopportunities to work on building up yourconcentration. After all, survival is thename of the game and getting out - thesame as scoring runs - can become a habit.Most bad habits - such as being dismissed -are acquired in the nets.Bowling in the nets should be a challenge- a challenge to work out plans to dismissbatsmen. That is a bowler's job in a matchand that is what he should be practisingin the nets. Bowlers at nets should be practisingboth their skills and patience: probingcontinually, tying down the batsman andtesting him out.There is little doubt that the most neglectedarea at practice is fielding. Yet, with somethought, it can be most rewarding and enjoyable.The secret in taking the drudgeryout of fielding is to work in small groupsand remain active!

2EDITORIAL(Continued)-With greater dedication and commitmentfrom all players at practice, there is noreason why Weston Creek should not seesome more premierships coming our way.limitedRemember: time at practice,so make every minute count and work underpressure at all times.COMPETITIONWINNERSBruce Tapp,There was only one entry for the competition- a joint all correct entry by AnnaPerera and Kelvin Brown. Congratulationsand you have won a book prize fromCollins Booksellers.SOLUTION to last edition'sHowzat?First Slip - Allan; Point - Paul; CoversHarry; Mid-Off - Jerry; Silly Mid-On - Ed;Square Leg - Andy; Long-On - Bill; DeepFine Leg - Sam; Deep Third Man - Mike.DECEMBER ISSUE OF COVER POINTWILL BE PUBLISHED ON lOtti DEC.CONTRIBUTIONS TO THAT ISSUE TOBE SUBMITTED BY 30th MOV,POSITION VACANTCRICKET CAPTAINWCCC seeks the services of an experiencedcricketer to captain a Club lower grade XLThe successful applicant will have experiencein handling a blend of youthful and matureplayers; be qualified to Stage I horticulture;hold a certificate of meteorology and possessa Class II driver's licence.Ability to bat, bowl or keep wickets wouldbe an advantage.A graduate qualification in law and computingexperience desirable as the ACTCA hasscheduled further one-day games.Willingness to travelessential.Candidates must reach the Club's stringentmedical standards. Particular emphasis isplaced on eyesight, hearing and alcoholtolerance.Superannuation is available after aperiod.qualifyingEnquiries in the first instance should bedirected to the Hon. Chairman of Selectors.Cover photograph of Greg Irvine isbyP.S.NEED A PAINTER ?SERVICE,CIVILITY,THINKINGOF WALLPAPERING?Don't be Sturifpcd

FROM THE BOUNDARY^"• • -JfiC .-.J.1 V.'• X :3Now if a batsman broke a strap or a bootlace,it is customary for the nearest fielderto offer a helpful hand. Afterall it is agentleman's game. However, the situationin the first round of the "Country Special"competition between Weston Creek andNorths 5th Grade match was quite different.One of the North's younger players appearedat the crease with the thigh pad worn overthe creams, instead of under, as is thecustom. Every time the player attempteda run the strap either slipped or broke.A certain (not so young) fielder from WestonCreek team who happened to be fieldingquite a distance away from the wicket wasfirst to offer help and brought "the housedown". "Why?" you may ask. The batsmanin question is in fact a woman player whowas forced to wear the thigh pad on topof her trousers as the changing facilitieson the ground were limited to three gumtrees, and the straps fitted around someawkward and delicate curves.Sorting the sheep from the goats? In arecent WCCC match a well bred kelpiejoined the Creek XI in the field. Therewas a break in play as the dog and CaptainJ.B. frolicked in the vicinity of the nonstriker'send (he could get J.B. to leave thefield). The antics were interrupted by asharp whistle from the former country ladWal Hall. The kelpie trotted obedientlyinto the covers, sat in front of the masterand shook hands. Having stamped hisauthority on the game the dog departed thefield with all the dignity of a Lord'sstreaker.Another Under 19 player playing in thesenior grades, Paul Bamforth who was a contenderfor an A.C.T. Under 19 spot, wentthrough the Wests 31"d Grade side to take7 wickets including a hat trick.What if Tim Morris had taken a wicketinstead of the batsman taking a bye? Inthe first grade "Country Special" limitedover game between Weston Creek and NorthsTim was on the way to the crease, aboutto deliver the third ball of his llth overwhen the scorers realised the mistake. Aftera lengthy mid-field conference, the umpiresdecided to declare the two balls void anddeduct the bye from the total. But whatIf a wicket had fallen?Jolmathan Abrahams, Paul Evans and CliveJones of the Club have been selected inthe A.C.T. Under 13 Squad.Under new point system introduced byG.I. all players are awarded 1, 2 or 3 point*per match, by the rest of the team,the end of two games the points are aggregatedand the winner announced. The overallpoints winner will be awarded a specialtrophy at the end of the season.Canberra manager of C1C Insurance, ClubMember Col Kelaart has offered a novelform of sponsorship to the Club. Underthis scheme the Club will receive the fullamount of the commission for any businesstransacted through C1C.The purists may not agree, but a finelybalanced limited over one-day game can providemany thrills - both to the player andspectator alike.But the first round of "Tooheys CountrySpecial" Cup matches provided problems tomany. Halfway through the games blackclouds and rain took over from the brightsun reducing the 50-over game to an exercisein mathematics and off-field tactics."J.B." Bowdler was ready for it all. Hearrived at the ground with calculator, readyreckoner, stop watch, pencil and paper, andduring the rainy period kept both teamsposted with periodic announcements on theovers and runs needed for victory.

Greg was born in the fashionable Sydneysuburb of Camperdown in 1956, a year inwhich Bob Menzies was Prime Minister ofAustralia and Bob Hawke was playing firstgrade cricket in Melbourne. Surprisingly,inspite of their fondness for kissing babies,neither of the Bobs took any notice of youngGreg's arrival. By all accounts, Greg was avery quiet little boy, a fact that hisacquaintances now find difficult to believe.After an uneventful career at EnfieldPrimary School, Greg proceeded to AshfieldBoys' High School where his name stillcauses surviving staff members to shudderand groan. Greg and his notorious pal, JeffSpotswood, wreaked havoc upon the place.Their favourite trick was to hide theirschool shoes in their lockers and put ondesert boots, which were forbidden. Whenthey were sent home to get the shoes theyspent the free time practising their skillsin the nearby snooker parlour. In classthey were even worse. Before every Sciencelesson they would strip another boy calledCharlie and hide his clothes in variousdrawers and cupboards in the lab. PoorCharlie then had to dash madly around lookingfor his clothes before the terrifyingteacher arrived. This little game was knownas 'B.P. Pick-A-Box'.Somehow Greg managed to qualify to attendGoulburn C.A.E. where lie studied (veryoccasionally) during the late 70's. Justbefore going to College Greg toured Englandwith Bankstown Sports Club, for whom heplayed first grade cricket. This was thefirst occasion when his famous off-fieldactivities became better known than thoseon the sporting field. Greg also playedrugby at this time and his speed on the wingled to his being dubbed the 'Greyhound' byhis Goulburn colleagues. Once again therewere other sport-related activities for whichGreg was better known during his years atGoulburn. However, as this is a family publicationno details of these sordid episodescan be given, but suffice it to say thatPenthouse expressed a strong interest in publishinga serialised account of his nocturnaladventures.In 1979 Greg came to Canberra, seekingthe excitement of a big city after his yearsin Goulburn. lie taught P.E. for a coupleof years at Ginninderra High before transferringto his present position at WanniassaHigh, near his home in remote Cowrie.There he lives with his lovely wife, Karen,and his baby daughter, Joelle, to all intentsand purposes just another suburbanite. However,when he gets a cricket bat in his longthin hands he becomes an aggressive hunter,as of old, and we all trust that Greg willcontinue his amazing scoring feats this yearto help Weston Creek take out the firstGrade Premiership.

voice which could be heard from all partsof the ground and over the radio commentary.He was the entertainer, responsiblefor some light-hearted relief from thetension in the middle.Compared to his rivals, Yabba's commentswere sharp and spontaneous. When a slowbatsman scored after a long time, he yelled:"Whoa there! He's bolted!"; and to bowlerswho strayed wide of the stump: "Yourlength is lousy but you bowl a good width."Clearly It was not the rhythm of HaroldLarwood's plod, plod, shuffle, plod, plodwhick kept us as cricketers awake for theeternity of the 'Bodyline' mini-series. Infact had it not been for 'the Barracker' theseries may have finished for a lot of viewersmuch sooner than it actually did.Barrackers, ockers, larrikins, call them whatyou will, have long been, for good or bad,an integral part of the game of cricket,and always will be. None, though, haveachieved the (notoriety?) or the fame ofStephen Harold Gascoigne (1878-1942) uponwhom the character of 'the Barracker' seemsto have been largely based.Yabba, as he was more affectionately known,was a hawker of rabbits by profession. Hewas popular with the Redfern cats becauseof the bunny entrails he left on the streets.But it was 'the Hill' of the twenties andthirties where he made his mark. WheneverYabba took up his seat hundreds flockedwithin range of his 'coarse and penetrating'His comments were based on an intimateknowledge of the game and its characters.After the Nawab of Pataudi had been keptscoreless for half an hour, an umpire whomhe knew to be a gasmeter inspector wasadvised to put a penny in Pataudi because"he'd stopped registering". Another timewhen an umpire had his hand up for thesightscreen to be moved, Yabba yelled out:"It's no use, Umpire, you'll have to waittill playtime like the rest of us".Yabba was the subject of a Cinesound newsreelamongst numerous articles. His obituaryin the Sydney Morning Herald reported that"there was no tedious repetition aboutYabba's barracking - a trait unfortunatelynot possessed by his imitators". Hiscomments were respected for their honestyand fairness, even by the cricketers.After he died members of the NSWCA stoodin silence in honour of a man who contributednot only to the entertainment but the verysize of a crowd. He was honoured witha very select band of Test cricketers in theAustralian Dictionary of Biography, lor asa barracker Yabba was unparalleled.JonathanAbrahamsFISHER and HOLDER PHARMACIES"SERVING WESTON CREEK"A Pi "For Jill First ma& Sports Medicine NeedsSEE US FOR CLUB OR ASSOCIATION DISCOUNT DEALSMON-FRI 9 00- 6 30 SAT 9-00 - 12 30PHONE.. %i\blb(f'SHEii) SS4SS8 (HOLKB)

- THE ZONAL GAMESby JohnAbrahamsThe Benson & Hedges Trophy is a one-day55 overs competition played during the firsthalf of the season. There are four groupsof five . teams each, including Scotland, acombined Oxford and Cambridge Universitiesteam and a Minor Counties team, selectedfrom the non-first class cricket playingareas of England.The Minor Counties were in our group, ourfirst opponents and our first scare. Althoughtheir team contains several former countycricketers, a first class side is expected tobeat them. One other factor that causedconcern was how the pitch at a local leagueclub would play.Jack Simmons declared himself unfit andwe went into the game with five seamers,plus D. Hughes or J. Abrahams if required.We won the toss and fielded mainly due tothe apprehension concerning the pitch. Ourfears were confirmed, the ball movedappreciably sideways and up and down. Hadwe batted first we may have been all outfor a low total. As it was their batsmenfailed to make contact and survived to reach89-4. Our bowlers also failed to bowl theright length, allowing the ball to move toomuch by the time it passed the bat.Their fifth wicket produced 130 runs, thanksto a fine 78 not out by Richard Haywardex Hampshire, enabling them to reach 219for 4.We started disastrously, losing Fowler andOrmrod before scoring double figures. OurIrishman, S.J. O'Shaughnessy, steadied theboat and scored a steady half century, butwas then dismissed with the score at 117for 4. J.A. was joined by young NeilHarvey Fairbrother, christened by his parentsafter his mother's favourite cricketer.Together we saw the side home in the 54thover having needed 63 off the last 10 overs.Drinks were bought by the captain and theIrishman for achieving their highest scoresin the B. & H. competition, or any excusefor a drink. Lancashire cricket tradition.The following weekend we played Notts atOld Trafford, probably the favourites in ourgroup. As it turned, out this match saw thestart of good team performances in the oneday competitions.Again winning the toss and allowing themto bat first, the bowlers and fielders restrictedthem to 100 all out in the 51st over.Steve Jefferies finishing with figures of 4for 15, and £10 poorer after shouting atthe bar. S.O'S scored 41 as we passedtheir total with 3 wickets down.Having beaten the favourites there was nowa quiet confidence in our camp which graduallyincreased during the competition.Worcestershire were our next opponents, nogreat stars in their line-up, but a morethan useful line-up of good county cricketersled by a popular enthusiastic captain PhilNeale.I don't think we won the toss, but theybatted first anyway, and through an indifferentbowling performance, scored 237 for 9.We replied rather slowly and lost wicketsconsistently reaching 162 for 6 in 46 overs.(j.A. blocked 10 and departed),0'Shaughnessvsupplying the only resistance with 51; whichmeant he had beaten his previous best byone and had to shout again - proof of Irishdecent. Needing 54 in the last 5 oversJefferies with Fairbrother, who had slid downthe order due to over-protection by the captain,scored the required runs in the 54thover at 7.55p.m.There was now talk of using a rule toqualify should we lose to Derbyshire in ourfinal zonal game. The top two teams ineach, progress to the quarter finals andshould teams finish equal on points the teamtaking their wickets more quickly wouldqualify. The captain refused to discuss sucha negative attitude, but had a quiet wordwith the manager and scorer to keep himabreast with the situation.Again we won the toss, again the oppositionbatted first. I should have realised thatsomething was about to happen. There hadbeen arguments as to who should field atshort leg, no ready volunteers for the'suicide' position. During the pre-matchwarm-up, I had some close-catching practicewith coach Peter Lever, without muchsuccess; informing him that: "We won't behaving a short leg today, and if we do itwon't be me!"

7Steven Jefferies was swinging the ball quiteconsiderably and a new batsman, well knownas a front foot 'lunger' made me decideto field at short leg."Put a helmet on then!" he said."It's alright, I'll only be there for a coupleof balls!"Slight miscalculation, it took only one. Thepain wasn't bad, but the embarrassmentacute! On reflection I was stupid and verylucky.After having two teeth pulled back intoplace, four exposed roots filled, and lipslike Mick Jagger's after a wasp sting, Ireturned to find us in some trouble. Theyhad scored 210 for 8, a good performanceby our bowlers and we had mustered about100 for 5. Fortunately Fowler was still inbut the slump continued and I had to batwith the score at 136-7 off 42 overs, knowinghowever, that we needed to stay inlonger than 50 overs. Our wicket takingrate would then be superior.The England opener was out soon afterwardsfor 92 gloving an attempt hook to BobTavlor. Our other England player, P.J.W.Allott stayed with me for ten crucial oversuntil 1 was caught at slip off Geoff Miller.By that time the result was immaterialbecause we knew we had qualified.Unusual to see all 9 fielders in catchingpositions in the last 10 overs of a one-daygame. Some spectators were confused andothers critical of our tactics. Perhaps notthe perfect way to progress but no morethan any 'professional' (what a dirty word)would have done.The first few hurdles had been negotiatedsuccessfully albeit not entirely convincingly.All we could do now was to wait for thequarter final draw on the Monday.THE QUARTER & SEMI-FINALSThe draw on the following Monday had tobe performed twice, ^on live radio, becausetwo teams from the same group could notplay each other. Both times, however, wewere drawn to play Essex at Chelmsford.Feelings were mixed. Even though the confidencewas increasing with each success,Essex is probably one of the best all-roundsides in the country on paper led by themost experienced captain Keith Fletcher.Would you believe it? Lanes, won the tossand invited Essex to bat on a well grassed,slightly uneven pitch in overcast conditions.The bowlers and fielders pulled the stopsout once again and restricted a strong Essexbatting line up to 157 all out in the 55thover; their captain top scoring with 48 in 39overs. Would you also believe it? Whoshould produce his best bowling figures inthe B. & IT. Cup. Yes, S.J. O'Shaughnessy,1 I overs, 3 for 10 - another round - expensivegame cricket.When J.A. joined David Hughes in the 21stover we were 3 for 35 and falling behind.We decided to take the attack to them andplay more positively. It paid off. The next29 overs saw 107 runs, and despite a latescore of ihreo lost wickets, the target wasreached in the 53rd over. A good day, J.A.- 53 and a first gold award - a good day.J. Simmons with D. Hughes were reluctantlo join the rest of the team on the coach,but a visit to a fish ,and chip emporium convincedJ. Simmons that we should be on ourway.Another place in the semi-finals, the fifthin five consecutive years. Where would webe? Surely Old Trafford would at last seea semi-final. It was not to be. Notts, atTrent Bridge, leaving the possibility of aLancs./Yorks. final. The zonal game wouldcount for very little, we were the underdogs,which was good - less pressure.Guess what? Yesss Clive Rice lostthe toss and had to bat first. Not aninspiring performance in the field, but thebowlers plugged away and only RichardHadlee showed any aggression taking themto 223 for 6. Exhausted from his batting?I doubt it, but Notts, held Hadlee back forlater.By the time a thunderstorm stopped playwe had progressed, with some luck to 41-0off 12.2 overs, Fowler nursing young MarkChadwick, opening for the injured Ormrod.This allowed us to take stock and reassessthe situation. We knew that we now needed183 in 42.4 overs with ten wickets in hand,a reasonable target.The first wicket fell at 103 and we tooklunch at 185 for 2, or was it earlier? withten overs to go. We had also learnt thatClive Rice was unfit to bowl and that ChrisBroad would be their fifth bowler. He finishedwith two wickets including J.A. having

8scored 22 runs - all out behind square onthe off side off back and front foot (feet?),but his eleven overs cost 73 runs. Hughesand Fairbrother were coincidentally the notout batsmen as we passed them in the53rd over.Mark Chadwick, incidentally from the sameleague club as J.A., scored 87 and won thegold award in his first B. & H. match.Normally a member of the short arm/longpocket brigade, he did not mind shoutinga round too much.Actually nobody minded, we celebrated onthe coach all the 2 hour journey homehaving reached our first final in nine years.YESSS!!!AK£ YOU R&ALLY AL&FTNo one has really madj a serious attempt* M Jt h tft 0% explain this anomoly. That is, until at 0f f XI Mil m Jm_m wf r Professor of Anatomy at the University ofLondon, Professor Spencer-Silver offered thefollowing possible explanation.My ten year old son was pleased to haveJohn Abrahams back in Canberra and soonwere into discussions on what each otherdid during the winter. John of course, losta few teeth, made many runs, won goldawards and a Benson & Hedges final; whilstRohan played soccer In our winter. Thewinter months had dimmed Rohan's memoryand looking at a photo asked John "Are youreally a left-hander?""Yes, who is a left-hander?" I asked myyoung son, who went on to demonstrate adrive with a little bat. The stance was thetraditional 'left-handed' stance.But - it is the right foot that went forward,it is the right shoulder that pointed in thedirection of the bowler, it was the rightelbow that was pointing towards the bowlerand it was the right hand that led the strokeAnd we refer to him, John "Abrahams, andthousands like him as left hand batsmen.So, one is called left-handed if the leadingfoot, shoulder and the top hand, which isthe one which does all the work, is "right".Is it not reasonable, then, to change theterminology? A 'left-handed' batsman to becalled a 'right-handed' batsman and viceversa.It also seems sensible that if one isright-handed normally for writing etc., oneshould be encouraged to bat left-handed asthe right arm is stronger and would be the'top hand'."There is a certain logic in answer to thequestion concerning the stance at the wicketof right-handed batsmen. The key to understandingis to be found in the posture ofthe spinal column."The position is that in most right-handedpeople there is a slight asymmetry of thespine as a result of which the left shoulderis held a little higher than the right. Whengrasping a bat handle the left hand thereforeonly fits comfortably above the right. Atthe wicket the raising of the left shoulderis merely brought about by an enhancementof the asymmetry of the spine with whichthe body is already at ease. Such a startingposition feels right, and the movementswhich flow from it are slick and dextrous."To grasp the handle with hands reversed(which is required when facing the bowlingfrom the 'wrong' side) requires an elevationof the right shoulder brought about by atwist of the spinal column in an inwanteddirection. Such a starting position feelsall wrong, and movements based on it cannotflow but instead are clumsy and maladroit."Let rne say about phraseology that bydefinition right-handed batsmen are thosewho bat the same way round as most otherright-handers (even if they write left-handed).Also the posture of the back and theasymmetry of the shoulders can best bepondered not on the cricket field but onthe golf course. French cricket is alsoworth thinking about."Percy* * * * * *Samara-Wickrama

cN01AJ,TMe COLtS FOfcTl+EFIRST ROUND- l^eRAIWIL-L START AT ll-OO•••AMDATwith a iomt fyaertKAT =>0

10STOP PRESSSTOP PRESSNO PRIZES FOR THIS ONEPlay was interrupted by WCCC 1st XI captainJohn Abrahams during the recent oneday clash against Norths at Stirling Oval.Abrahtrms, who at the time was batting,claimed that his concentration on the laughableopposition's antics was being upset bya loud undeterminable noise (sheep like)eminating from the WCCC change rooms.He presented to the umpires, as evidence,the fact that he had already giggled severaltimes in mid pitch conferences with seniorpartner Mr. C. BURGESS (Amateur).The umpires upheld his protest, if only tostop him from damaging the (damp) pitch -due to certain bodily functions that arethe result of extreme fits of laughter.Players, officials and spectators were askedto uncover the source of Abraham's complaint.This was done almost immediately,diagnosing it as a noisy flush TAPP.Mr. T. Morris (amateur) volunteered toremove the problem. The left arm slowiethen threw a bucket of ice cold water ontothe squeaking TAPP who at the time wassinging in ins shower. TAPP's defence wasthat he was practising for inclusion in thenew rock sensation BOY MacLEOD band.Play was then continued - see match reportelsewhere.Bruce was left pondering his navel at hisrejection from the BOY MacLEOD band.G.I., though, came to the rescue and offeredBruce a position in nis group, "G.I. and theBOOZERS". A gumboot wearing sheepexpert would be a valuable addition to hisband.Kelvin BrownNo book prizes for this one, but can yougive details of the Test match in whichJohn Abrahams fielded for England as 12thMan? Where? When? And Against whichcountry?'If* ic:THE CO-OPERATIVE INSURANCECOMPANY OFOTSMUA LIMITEDThe Club is pleased to announce sponsorshipby the Co-operative Insurance Company ofAustralia Ltd. of whom one of our players,Col Kelaart, is the A.C..T. Representative.The amount of sponsorship will be thedonation to the Club of any commission payableon Club Members' house and contents,motor vehicle or commercial businessinsurance placed with the Company.C.I.C. is a wholly Australian owned companyestablished in 1918 by Victorian Co-operativesand has offices in all States. It generatesa premium income of over $40 million peryear and has assets of over $60 million andcapital reserves of $25 million.Col will be happy to provide Members withcompetitive quotations when their renewalsare due or any other insurance advice.Colvin KelaartCo-operative Insurance Co.A.C.O.A. House,Burton A.C.T. 2600Tel: 73 3388WINCHBOOKS(FORMERLY "LAWTONS")68 WOLLONGONG ST FYSHWICKPh 80 5304ASK US ABOUT THAT SCARCEOR OUT OF PRINT CRICKET BOOKor any other Book for that matternoun:;: Mon - Hat9.00 to r >.on

11MM TMSShane is the Chairmanof the A.C.T. CricketAssociation Executive.Cricket, in the A.C.T. during the new season1984-85 looks again to be presenting muchexcitement and challenge. I am sure thatwhen April 1985 arrives you will all lookback with fond memories of the gamewhether it has brought defeat or success.Cricket is a great game along all the scalefrom the junior cricket ranks to Test class.It has a salutory influence on character.The game welds a camaraderie and teamspirit, in my view, unsurpassed by othersports. Despite what has been written orread of the Lillee/Marsh betting exercise itis free of this element which is a fungusgrowth on other codes.The game has produced an impressive arrayof characters, all sportsmen in the truesense of the word - men with an aboundinglove of the game, scrupulously fair, modestin triumph and philosophic in adversity.Cricket is a game for everybody no matterwhat standard or whether you are an activeplayer, administrative or spectator. It drawspeople from every avenue of life.In this spirit may I commend the very positiveinitiative taken by your Club in theintroduction of Kanga Cricket for ten yearolds each Saturday morning at Stirling. Therehas been no waiting for policy directions orexcuses on lack of equipment but a veryinnovative forward move by the Club whichI welcome. Over the years it has been thesesorts of things that I have found to be abreath of fresh air running through theAssociation and primarily displayed by thisClub.I only know a limited number of WestonCreek players, primarily those associatedwith Representative or Fourth Grade cricketor as delegates to the Association. May Iagain welcome Mr. John Abrahams of Lancashireto Canberra and extend my thanks tohim. and Mr. M. Watkinson for the assistancehe is providing to coaching at junior level.1 trust that the Association can be involvedwith these type of projects in the future.A very exciting time lies ahead on theCanberra cricket scene in the next threemonths. It is regretted that our represen -tative team will play five major matchesaway from home in November and December.May I invite you to be identified with yourClub, your parents and friends at the followingfixtures:-26-29 October, 198422 January, 198523 January, 1985N.S.W. v W.A.at Manuka Oval(Sheffield Shield)P.M. XI v West Indiesat Manuka OvalA.C.T. v West Indiesat Manuka OvalThank you for the opportunity to make acontribution to your journal "Cover Point"and 1 wish the Club every success and goodfortune in this new season.Shane G. MaddenpuwwaiSTORES *>"•"'Phone 88 8-352 AH. 88 2637Bnerly Street Weston, ACT. 2611Stan & Genny Didier. propsBICYCLES & ACCESSORIES * SPORTING GOODS* SPORTSWEAR * TOYS & HOBBIES *OF ALLSPORTS GEARAVAILABLEINCLUDING * SHIRTS* TROUSERS* PROTECTIVE GEAR

12.Remember that day when no matter whatyou did, how you played a stroke, bowleda ball or fielded, nothing went right. If youdo then you've had a 'slump'. Everyone hasthem, and they may go for one day, a weekor in some severe cases an entire season. 'Selectors and captains often don't understandwhat causes their players to slump and manydon't have the patience to look for underlyingcauses. If a slump continues for toolong, they may simply label a player as ahopeless case and relegate to drink waiting.No one is at the top of his game all thetime, and no one should expect to be. Theshort periods of below-average performancethat every cricketer goes through periodicallydo not consistute a problem. Some of theseslumps are normal variations in performanceInjuries and mental or physical fatigue canalso cause simple slumps for which the bestcures are time, rest and relaxation.Other slumps occur when players don't preparethemselves properly for competition,and these are more difficult to diagnoseand treat. Pre-season training plays a partin getting the team ready for the competitionahead. Further difficulties occur whenplayers don't reach the proper arousal level.Those who are too psyched-up or too relaxedwon't be at their best. Everyone must findhis optimum level of arousal, under whichhe can perform to the best of his ability.Few people in the cricket world - coaches,captains, selectors or players - understandwhat serious slumps really are: a reactionto a specific stress. In the language ofsport psychology, a slump is a prolongedperformance decrement that causes theathlete or team to suffer a serious loss ofself-confidence. This is usually accompaniedby a feeling of powerlessness. The physicalskills that once were taken for granted,suddenly fail.Sometimes the stress that gives rise to aslump is relatively simple - miscommunicationwith the captain, an argument witha team-male or a disagreement with a girlfriendor wife. It has been said, thataffairs of the heart have caused more'slumps than all the other stresses combined.More subtle stresses can also intrude onperformance. Worry about old injuries orstrains, for instance. Some problems aredeeper, much more emotional in content,and therefore precipitate an equally seriousslump. The sources of slumps can be asvaried as the people who, have them.Since teams are groups of individuals, theirproblems can feed upon each other and causeteam slumps. When the 'breaks' start goingagainst the team, irrational fears can bearoused, and sometimes pull the team downinto another slump.Players and teams sometimes manage topull themselves out of the slumps withoutdealing with the underlying problems, butthe improvement is usually temporary. Assoon as a similar situation arises to the lastone, old fears and anxieties may surface,and even memories of how 'badly' you didin this situation last time, can re-establishthe slump. Until the problems are understood,both by players and captains, theproblems are likely to re-surface and impedeperformance.With most cricketers, signals as those ofmental-physical disharmony (that shortcircuits normally beautifully conditionedphysical responses) are the prime componentsof a slump. Regardless of what causes aslump the techniques used to cure it arequite similar. To accomplish this there area number of techniques that can producesuccessful re-integration:1. Cognitive shifting - taking control ofinner communications that have consistentlyproduced successful performancein the past.2. Blocking out of negative feelings aboutyour game.3. Not being judgemental about yourperformance.4. Don't be too psyched up or too relaxed.5. Concentrate on each ball; don't letother thoughts intrude.6. Don't think too far ahead, and don'truminate about past matches.These are some of the essential elementsputting your game back together.Adapted from: Ogilvie, B.C. & Howe, M.A."Beating the Slumps at Their Own Game".Psychology Today, July 1984.(Crista Wocadla is a psychologist currentlyconducting post-graduate research at A.N.U.and the Australian Institute of Sport.)for

Somebody Up There Likes You(juntas.The flying kangaroo seen in so many places around the worldis jusl as visible, and as welcome, in numerous community activitygroups throughout Australia.Groups invoked in community projects, theatre, film, crafts,sport and many other endeavours, all find the going made easier by(Julias sponsorship.It's something Qantas has always done, and w ill always do.It's our way ol adding to Australia's achievements. And yourway ol knowing that - somebody up there likes you.13

14DID YOUKNOW:The most runs ever recorded in a singleinnings was by A.E.J. Collins in a housematch at Clifton College, Bristol in 1899.He scored 628 n.o. in under 6 hours. LaurieO'Mara holds the Club record of 165 againstCity in 1980/81.Greg Ratford is the only 'Creeker' to take"tenfa". It was against South Woden atPhillip District and he took 10 for 39 off16.2 overs. Hedley Verity holds the FirstClass record of 19.4 overs 16 maidens10 wickets for 10 runs.Miriam: 1 don't know if I prefer Rog (Wodge)to have a good innings or a bad one;II it's a good one, he re-lives it in bed,shot by shot, and if it's a bad one heactually replays the shots until he getsit right. He can make a really goodinnings last all winter.Richard HarrisOwL-i-lde. Edge- (Act. 7ioo)Dennis Lillee: "Few fast bowlers have hadfiner physique or technique, or sucha glorious flowing action. He addededge to it; with a hostility to hisopponents often theatrical andsometimes offensive. He wouldhave been greater still without that."John ArlottMATCH(^nX^djb ^Om^&UXslVI^ ScoresREPORTS— ' WESTSACTCAVs. WESTS1ST GRADEStirling)Loss. Abes won toss. Wests were dismissedfor 192 off 122 overs. Six catches weredropped! Ken Bone left off from last seasoncapturing 5 wickets, while Kelvin 'Worm'Brown bowled with pace, and at timeshostility (aarrgh!).WC were dismissed for 160 - due to lackof concentration. JA, obviously practisinghard in the off season, batted confidentlyscoring 50. The only support he receivedwas GI and a late swashbuckling inningsfrom Graeme Drew.Batting a second time Wests were torpedoedfor 60. Four catches were dropped!! Ken,'Worm' and GI (3/3) each snared three wickets.Paul Evans kept impressively throughout.Needing to score 93 runs from 9 overs, WCfinished at 1/69. With a mixture of deftplacement and power hitting, GI and J Anearly snatched outright victory for theCreek.Special thanks to BODS for using his mowerto cu| much of the outfield after the Depothad once again showed their interest)?) incricket.1st Inns. 192 2nd Inns. 60Bone 34-12-43-5 Bone 3-27Brown 19-8-40-2 Brown 3-29Irvine 3-1-3-31st Inns. 160WCCC2nd Inns. 1/69-9 oversJA 50 GI 27*Drew 32 JA 23*GI 20ACTCA 2ND GRADEVs. WESTSTheir place (two in a row). Chris Burgess —Began with a loss loss giving Wests thechance to get dirty in the fresh top-dressing.Peter Engelbrecht, ex Wagga, led the sidethrough a patchy start compiling anuntroubled 31. Mick Gahan didn't let theoutfield interfere with his shots and stroked6 home runs (is this a record lor it debutantBods?) in his 69 minute stay, and withsupport from Pino D'Addio, yet another new-

comer, put us in a strong position. PeterMosley batted sensibly to get us a sixthbonus point before the close came at 206.Wests began next week at 0-14 in idealconditions, but some good stuff from 'Kiddie'and Mick Gahan had them on the ropes atdrinks at 3-52. After this they gave a goodlesson in application to survive' some droppedcatches and streaky shots to reach tea at3-129. First over after tea IT happened.After two years of waiting and mumbling,Clive Jones took a catch!4-129, 5-133, 6-175, 7-187, 8-190The new ball at 8-199 (sorry Don, I'll tryand slip it into a game without umpires)half did the trick, 9-200, but not quite.Still to come back so well and get so close,given the disparity in conditions, was mostheartening.ScoresWCCC9-206 dec. (off 71)M.GahanP.EngelbrechtP.D'Addio803128ACTCA 3RD GRADEVs. WESTSWESTS9-209 (off 87)R.Chapman 27-8-56-5M.Gahan 24-4-36-3RobChapmanUncut grass and a wet pitch caused dayone to be abandoned and the match becamea 50 over one day match.Wests- won the toss and batted on an easypaced Phillip District wicket. Wests' batsmenbatted poorly however, and were soonin trouble at 5/21. Finally, two of thenput their heads down and progressed to5/60 before Paul Bamforth cleaned up thetail, taking 5/6 off 14 balls, including ahat-trick! Paul 6/31 and Mick O'Ryan 4/8shared the wickets although tight bowlingand good fielding were the main reasonsWests were kept to only 67 runs off39 overs.Todd Ritchie' 60, Hugh Abrahams 29,Andrew Burgess 61 (off about 10 overs)and Mai Skelley 31 n.o. all batted well andafter 50 overs we had scored 8/214 torecord a first innings win and a good startto the season.MickO'RyanACTCA 5TH GRADERound 1 (2 day)Vs. WESTS15A steady start had the 100 up with the lossof only one wicket (Ewan McKenzie 17,John Bowdler 35 and Scott Evans 33), howeverthe introduction of leg spin saw 5wickets then fall for only 22 runs. Anexcellent knock of 58n.o. by Peter Seberryrestored respectability to the innings, withDean Taylor chiming in with a blistering34n.o. (including 3 sixes). WCCC declaredat 8-233.Wests began carefully, but a fine doublefrom Dean Taylor (4 for 43) saw themcollapse to 7 for 66 at tea. Stubborn battingsaw WCCC struggling to end the innings,with Wests finally all out for 132 with only20 minutes to play. Greg Ratford deservedfar better than 0-9 off 18 good overs.Vs. NORTHS(1 day - Stirling)JohnBowdlerWin. JA won the toss. Norths struggledall day against a tight WC attack led byGi (7 consecutive maidens) and Ken Bone.Norths laboured their way to 8-100 fromtheir allotted overs - mostly due to astutefield placing.Rain delayed the Creek's innings for approximatelyone hour - we were set a targetof 73 from 36 overs. On a damp wicketthis was achieved from a mere 26 overs.GI and JA batted sensibly to assure victory.It's always such a joy playing Norths (*l!/x!*)ScoresNORTHS8-100 50 oversBone 10-5-11-1Irvine 10-7-9-2WCCC4-74 - 26.5 oversIrvine 28Abrahams 21*Chris Burgess"Don't practise or. opponent's ground beforematch begins. This can only give themconfidence." - J.M. Barrie (1899)

16Round 1 (1 day) Vs. NORTHS MajuraYet another toss loss left Norths to bat ona typical Majura track. After the firstwicket fell in the second over to a directhit from that well known gazelle Chris Body,they collapsed in a more orthodox fashionto some nasty bowling from Paul Bamforthand Mick Gahan to virtually decide the gameat 5-20. They hung around through tostruggle to a modest 99 off 48 overs.Todd Ritchie and Andrew MacLeod gave adisplay of wet weather driving that JackBrabham and his Goodyears couldn't betterto complete the demolition by putting on60 for the first wicket, leaving PeterEngclbrecht and Bods to polish off the restand improve their averages.Highlights Section: Peter Engelbrecht's 1stwicket (2-0-1-2). Mick Gahan, after totalling24 overs last week without one, saw his firstball this week hit for four. Andy Mac.bowled by 5 metres.ScoresWCCCNORTHS2-101 (off 30.3) 99 (off 48)T.Ritchie 38 R.Cotton 10-2-3-37A.MacLeod 33 P.Bamforth 10-5-2-8M.Gahan 10-3-2-23Round 1 Vs. NORTHSRob ChapmanNorths won the toss and sent us in onwhat looked a good batting wicket. Unfortunatelydespite a good start, we failedto back with aggression or common senseand made only .137 off 48 overs! The mostdisappointing aspect was that six batsmenreached double figures and all failed togo on with it.Some good fast bowling from Tim Overlandand two fine slips catches saw Norths inearly trouble although poor ground fieldingfailed to keep the- pressure on. Northseventually passed out total in the 49th over.This was a disappointing start to the oneday competition with improvement neededin most departments, including looking forsingles when batting and a greater effortin the field.Batting: Greg Rouse 23; Bob Coughlan 29Bowling: Tim Overland 2/22; Peter Coyle 2/18Round I (1 day)Vs. NORTHSMickO'RyanA strongly all-round performance resultedin victory by 62 runs. Batting first we ranup 188 for the loss of 8 wickets. KenWild (39) and Scott Evans (42) set the basefor the innings and later contributions,particularly from Wally Hall (28) and BarneyDevlin (22) gave our bowlers a solid scoreto defend.With rain threatening, Norths batted aggressivelybut in the process lost three earlywickets to Andrew Malin who finished with4-36. Tight bowling from the other fourbowlers contained Norths to 126, EwanMcKenzie securing 2-18. Our fielding effortwas first rate with good catches held(including a screamer from an airborne WallyHall) and the stumps thrown down twicefor run-outs.John BowdlerWoden Tyre & Exhaust2 Locations* Botany St. Phillip821392• NEW TYRES•RETREADS* Cnr Cape & Badham Sts, Dickson • BATTERIES486365• WHEEL ALIGNMENT• BRAKE SERVICE• FRONT-END REPAIRSDRIVE-IN MUFFLER SERVICETRADE INQUIRIES WELCOME

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