The leaving of it

Well, that's it.

As trailed in last week's blog entry, yesterday saw my last day as a regular cricketer. After nearly 35 years of playing competitive team sport (including my footballing days), I'm no longer an athlete. 35 years of honing my body to a finely tuned instrument of sporting prowess can be laid to one side with due reverence and dignity. No more will I have to put myself through the punishing training schedules and fitness regimes. Next time you see me I will probably be a little overweight, the proud possessor of a beer belly, and most of my hair will have gone. Don't be shocked. Just smile and remember me as I once was.

I would be lying if I said yesterday wasn't an emotional day for me.

It was a day when most thoughts began with "This is the last time that I'll..." and were followed by mundane and trivial things like "pack my cricket bag", "run in to bowl", and "drive home from the match".

Regular skipper Steve Tranter asked me to captain the side with the proviso that I opened both the bowling and the batting. This was a wonderfully kind gesture though it did little to steady my lower lip.

We were batting second and as I strapped on my pads, Steve surprised me by revealing that my son was going to open the batting with me. My son and I had never played together before so I was a little choked. I think I managed to blurt out "Thanks Steve" before I hastily turned my face away to concentrate on tying up my boots.

After a brief but hugely enjoyable partnership of around 15, I'm afraid Dad let the side down and perished first. A trademark looping dolly to square leg did for me and as I left the field for the last time it seemed strangely symbolic. Last match of the season nearing Autumn, and the old man shuffling away with a smiling backward glance over his shoulder at the youth who remained. Circle of life and all that. I hope my son's future years playing cricket are as enjoyable as mine have been.

The opposition came together and applauded as I left the field (Thanks Swindon boys), and I don't mind admitting I shed a tear or two.

Steve had arranged a post match meal for us all at local Indian restaurant. It was a lovely evening and an incredibly generous gesture on Steve's part. It gave us all a chance to have a chat and laugh about events from this season and seasons past. I will never forget it as a perfect end to the day, the season, and my career. The only downside was having to leave at all and it provided yet another difficult moment for me as I waved my team mates away into the night.

So all that remains to be done are some very important Thank You's. A big Thank You to Steve Tranter for all he arranged on the last day. Thanks also to Gilly for arranging to video some of the day's events.

I want to thank all of the players I've ever played with. Everyone of you has helped make the journey an exciting and enjoyable one. Thanks too to all those I've played against. Without you there would be no game.

Thanks too are due to my family (especially my long suffering wife) who have had to put up with Dad being away from the house pretty much every summer Saturday over the last 20 years.

Finally, I need to say a big THANK YOU to Stewart Gill and Glyn Martin. Twenty five years of playing cricket in five different clubs has brought me into contact with an awful lot of players. Stewart and Glyn were with me through most of it, and were there with me at the end. Thanks boys.