Dangerous moment from Fochabers cricket youngster
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FOR all my years in the game, in any capacity, I had never, until Saturday, witnessed a bowler being removed from the attack for what is basically dangerous bowling.
Adi Mehta is a distinctly talented 16-year-old with both bat and ball. With regards to his bowling, he is normally extremely accurate, and to deliver a couple at virtually head height, was certainly out of character.
Of course, when the game is stopped by the umpires, and both were experienced Highland players, the adrenalin immediately kicks in. No official in cricket should be surrounded by the entire fielding team, or even the batsmen in the middle. All that is required, is for the bowler concerned and his captain to be taken aside and informed as to the transgression of the laws of fair bowling; end of story.
A seven-minute hold-up of play to discuss the decision was completely unnecessary, since nobody should attempt to negotiate with the umpires once they have made their judgement.
Adi is but a teenager, but his age is totally irrelevant when it comes to breaking any law of the game.
I can fully understand why his father, home players and spectators felt aggrieved that the youngster would not be allowed to bowl again at a later stage in Highland’s innings. Although the Macallan League is a minnow one, one cannot change what is in black and white, just because of an unexpected occurrence.
Thankfully, the batsman on the receiving end of the high deliveries was not only a competent one, but he was wearing a helmet. In addition, being over six feet tall, the balls passed him about throat height. Had it been a less capable batsman who was shorter in stature and not wearing a helmet, who knows what might have been the outcome.
Once a bowler loses his rhythm and starts spraying the ball around, his self-confidence rapidly evaporates.
It was brought to my attention that had Adi been permitted to return to the attack, Highland would never have amassed a final total of 172.
That is purely hypothetical, since he could have taken wickets, restricted the run rate, but also could have been struck to all parts of the ground; especially since the high deliveries would have still been preying on his mind.
Downcast Adi may have been when stopped from bowling after 3.3 overs; however, what a fine innings he played, which almost secured a win for his side.
He is a gifted all-rounder for his age, and I very much doubt if he will ever repeat what happened last Saturday. Adi has simply to erase the memory of those deliveries and carry on with his line and length bowling in which he specialises.
I REFER to Mr Gerrard’s letter in last week’s ‘Scot’, and will agree that the players should always play within the spirit of the game.
Last Saturday, while reporting upon the Fochabers versus Highland game, I decided, unknown to the participants, to focus on the non-striking batsmen. I certainly did not pay attention to every delivery bowled, but saw sufficient to arrive at a certain conclusion.
No fewer than seven batsmen, those being a mixture of both teams, left the crease prior to the bowler being in his delivery stride. Did any of the bowlers stop and gesticulate with ball in hand to indicate the batsmen were taking an unfair advantage? In fact, did any find a necessity to communicate a warning to the offending batsmen?
According to Mr Gerrard’s interpretation of the spirit of the game, seven batsmen, whom I clearly witnessed, were not adhering to that practice. On the other side of the coin, can he think of any opposing bowlers who stop at the crease with such regularity as that of one of his own club?
From my vast experience, I can say that the objective of a bowler is to fully concentrate upon how to remove the striker, and not have one eye continually on what the non-striker is doing.
Everyone knows that the method by which the Elgin batsman was dismissed is within the laws of the game. However, why the necessity to make the initial warning so blatantly conspicuous? Could the bowler not have just delivered the ball and then had a quiet word with the batsman about his backing up? Maybe, that caused the reciprocal gesture of the said batsman from walking, not running, up the track with the bat still grounded in the crease.
This is not the first instance that this Forres bowler has created animosity with an opposing side by his antics. There are many cricketers who are equally as competitive, but do not stoop to try and win by any means possible; even if they can be construed as legitimate.
As regards the reporting of one of his players to NoSCA being a private matter, I wholeheartedly disagree; it is of public interest. Is Mr Gerrard trying to imply that if a player from any club contravenes what is deemed acceptable, sporting behaviour, it should be kept out of the Press?
When at Fochabers last Saturday, one of the home batsmen told me about another incident which doesn’t do the game any favours. Having dropped the ball near his feet while batting during a recent reseve fixture, he looked at a close-in fielder for an acknowledgement to pick up the ball. Having apparently met with the necessary approval, the next thing he knew was an appeal for handled ball, which was not upheld.
What on earth is happening to North cricket, when even a very small minority are apparently hell-bent on sending batsmen back to the pavilion by appealing for the most obscure methods of dismissal? In an era of generating interest in youth development, the last thing the game requires, is senior or experienced cricketers going a way over the top, which is not the example they should be exhibiting.
