Ice, Ice Baby!

Day one, Surrey v Leicestershire at the Oval

I enjoyed today very much despite the fact that it was, over all, Leicestershire’s morning. The sun was out here in Scotland’s fair capital, as it was in London, and I have a week’s holiday to look forward to. Dad came through his operation okay, although there was a moment of mild confusion, as when we arrived at the hospital he was missing from his room! Apparently he’d been sent to x-ray without the nurses knowing about it and not, as I joked in bad taste, because he’d been smothered in the night by a patient for snoring like an asthmatic gnu. I offered to lend him my radio so he could listen to TMS but the signal was extremely weak. Perhaps it’s just as well: I’m not sure seven hours of Geoff Boycott is a good idea for a convalescent...

Even as someone who readily admits their idea of a good time is to stay indoors and read a book, and finds the prospect of travelling anywhere further than the city centre horrific, I should have loved to have been at the Oval today with the small huddle of Rampants in the traditional meet-up point of the Wedlake Bell Family Enclosure. Dad’s op sort of knocked that possibility on the head, even if I had found the courage to get on the train to London. I will set my sights on the September Rampant Annual General Meeting and try and get my finances – and my head – into gear. Oh to be a normal person like everyone else and just be able to go places by myself without turning into a nervous wreck!

Liz provided a cake for the dynamic duo of Mr Church and Mr Barran, or rather her granddaughter did. I said I’d give her a name check, so thank you Ashleigh for your hard work! I think the general consensus from the Rampants was that the weather was very hot, that Mr Ramprakash had his built-in Rampant detector on full alert (as he fielded as far away from them as he could again), and that a good time was had by one and all. Also having a good time, it seemed, was a stag party who decided to dress up as Whoopee Cushions, Babies, Robin Hood and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz amongst others! Maybe that’s an idea for September, and the Rampants should make an effort to wear fancy dress. We could have a dance theme!

As for the game, Leicestershire won the toss and decided to bat first, which is what you tend to do at the Oval. Jade Dernbach made an early breakthrough by getting rid of Boyce lbw for a duck, but after that initial spell of tight bowling the Leicestershire batsmen dug in without Surrey being able to take any wickets on a traditional flat batting track. They remained with only one wicket to their credit until after lunch, but by that point I had to visit my dad in hospital and to be honest I didn’t have a clue what had gone on until I got back home at 17.00pm!

The upshot is that Leics find themselves four down for a total of 337, with one centurion in the shape of Jefferson (135) and two other batsmen with very respectable scores of over 50. It’s that old problem of not being able to nip the partnerships out before they form raising its head again, but there’s no point in getting angsty about it as (fingers crossed) we found ourselves in a similar situation against Northants. Hopefully we won’t be relying on Andre Nel to get us out of a fix this time. Especially as he isn’t playing.

There’s still a long way to go in this game, but a long-range weather forecast suggested it was going to pour with rain on Saturday in London. I know it seems difficult to believe it at the moment given the positively tropical weather the UK is enjoying but these things have a habit of sneaking up and taking a positive result away from you. Surrey had maybe better hope that they get a good, long batting session tomorrow some time or it could be yet another draw on the cards.

I remain intrigued however at the idea of there being an international sign from the players for ‘ice bath’. Firstly, I find it difficult to understand why anyone would voluntarily ask for an ice bath even if the weather was hotter than Satan’s Jacuzzi. But given that there is such a signal, what others might there be?

ONE HAND HOLDING AN INVISIBLE CAN, WITH ONE FINGER TUGGING BACK THE RINGPULL: Get them in, Schoey’s paying.

ONE HAND PULLING AT THE REINS OF AN INVISIBLE HOBBY HORSE, WHIP IN LEFT HAND: Find out what won the big race.

ONE FINGER POINTING AT CROTCH ACCOMPANIED BY FRANTIC FLAPPING OF ARMS: There’s a wasp in my box.

The possibilities are endless!