Ilkley from the Neb Stone

The personal highlight of the day for me was a run on the moor this morning - which actually was a run, as opposed to the walking/jogging I've been doing lately, trying to condition my troublesome calf. My new physiotherapist is working wonders! The legs felt looser than they have in a very long while, despite riding to and from work the day before. There was no discomfort. I was reminded of the pure joy of running on the open moor and the glorious sense of freedom it provides. I'd almost forgotten what that felt like.

The rest of the day was centred around the opening matches of the cricket season. Roam has come up from London to play for the Ben Rhydding 2nd team he captained last year. Forrest was opening the batting for the 1st team after his winter in New Zealand. This last few days, having them both at home, surrounded by cricket gear and general chaos, it's as if they've never been away!

The morning cloud cleared to leave a sparklingly sunny day for sport, albeit rather chilly in the wind. For once, the logistics of watching my sons play for different teams was made easy because the 'away' game at Olicanians was actually nearer to where we live in Ilkley than the 'home' game at Ben Rhydding, just over a mile away. Roam was keen to play this one as this is the club both boys played for as juniors. He was a bit rusty but bowled well enough, and in the end they took a resounding nine wicket victory. The toss allowed me to watch Roam bowl and then go home to get the bike to cycle down the club to watch the firsts try to overhaul an impressive 235 posted by Green Lane. We lost a wicket in the first over and Forrest was dropped first ball in the second over, but he rode that bit of luck to bat beautifully for 78, eventually holing out trying to combat the scoreboard pressure that was building with a hundred runs left to score at six an over. His was the third wicket to fall. Sadly, the next seven went quite quickly to leave us all out for 174. 

The temperature plummeted in the late afternoon and I was caught out totally unprepared for the cold. After it had warmed up earlier in the afternoon I was lulled into a false sense of security. To be honest (sorry mate!), I never expected to be watching Forrest bat so long. The idea was to go for a bit of a bike ride and return to watch the end of the match with a few more layers! I needed a long hot bath to revive the body. 

Cricket is a very cruel game. It was Forrest's highest score for the first team. It was higher than any score he'd posted all winter playing down under. He was timing the ball wonderfully well. Yet he finished the day gutted at not having gone on to get the hundred he deserved and his team the victory they craved to start their season. He was still very upset the following morning, as I write this. I feel very flat too, not just around the cricket, but for a combination of other reasons. Escape from the real world only lasts so long.

I chose to post this shot from my run because, if you zoom in far enough, you can see both the cricket grounds where I spent much of the day. The whole of Ilkley can be seen here nestled in the Wharfe valley. You can understand my fondness for the place. I can be home for a cup of tea in ten minutes from here!