“Howzaaaaaaat!”
Not out. It was going down leg. It pitched outside the line of off. It hit him above the knee roll and he was well forward. It wasn’t an LBW shout at all, it was an appeal for a catch, but it came off his pad – missed the bat completely as it ballooned to the man at short fine leg.
Which of those things is true? Who can say. It really doesn’t matter.
The umpire shakes his head. The batsman stands his ground. The bowler glares at him. The captain strokes his chin. The cherry thwacks into the keeper’s gloves. He quickly flicks it on to his first slip who gives it a good rub on his thigh before passing it on to gully, who passes it on to point, who throws it to cover, who examines it, identifies a spot that could do with a little saliva, a good finger rub and then another thigh rub before he sends it on to the captain at mid off. The captain jogs it over to meet his bowler at the end of his run.
“Can you pitch it up a bit next time?” “Ok but I need a man in short on the off side, and we’ll have to push square leg deeper in case I drift too far into his pads…” “Patience mate, you’ll get him! Stick to the plan. Let’s go guys let’s go let’s go let’s go!!”
“Howzaaaaaaat!”
Not out.
I was only driving past. On my way to somewhere else. But I can’t resist cricketers in whites. Oooh look, there’s a parking space with a good view right there. I’ll stop for a couple of deliveries. Just to see if a wicket falls. Maybe I’ll see the ball swing in the air, or an elegant cover drive, or a sharp piece of fielding, or maybe just an impeccable forward defensive shot. Nope, it’s a wide…
Well, I can’t leave on that note. Let’s see how he rebounds from it. Ooooh a play and a miss! What a beautiful piece of bowling that was. How will he adjust his next one just enough to get the snick? Fuller? Shorter? A slower ball? Soften him up with a bouncer before probing his off stump again? Damn, that was the last ball of the over. Now I’ll have to stay until the battle recommences…
An hour has passed. I’m beyond late for whatever it is I was supposed to be doing – what was that again?
The Fox and the Crow 