Robbie Jones's
Letter from
Australia
19th November 2003
We're doing pretty well over
here, and are as yet undefeated! I got a bash on the toe in nets last week and
have a feeling it may be broken, but the Aussies insist, "you'll be right mate",
so I've have had to battle on. It gets pretty painful after 80 overs in the
field though!
Got a bit of a stiff decision last week; lbw to a ball pitching a good foot
outside leg and hitting me on the inner thigh. We had a win though, which is
obviously the main concern.
We had our first half of a two-day game on Saturday against one of the top sides
(Caulfield). It was bloody scorching (38 degrees), and we lost the toss so had a
day in the field. We managed to restrict them to 205 for 9 in the 79th over, at
which point they declared - leaving us about five overs to bat at the end of the
day. I was the only wicket to fall, caught behind off my back pad! So two
stinkers in two weeks! Hopefully that will be the bad decisions out of the way
for the season. The crap thing is that with this type of cricket, I might not
bat again for another two weeks! Will have to get the beers in instead.
I started work last week at the Gray Nicholls cricket factory up the road,
shaving clefts, sanding bats, waxing bats and putting stickers on bats, so it's
hard to escape cricket at the moment! I'm getting paid a reasonable wage though
and working full-time with some obvious perks, i.e. free kit and meeting some
top players: Chris Cairns, Martin Love, Matthew Elliott, etc.
I have successfully been thrown out of just about every night spot I've been to
so far. It would appear that the Aussies don't take to kindly to people being
pissed up in their nightclubs. Why do they allow them to be open until 5 in the
morning then? Strange bunch!