2008-09 - University of New South Wales Cricket Club

Fourth Grade ReportUNSW Cricket Club Annual ReportFOURTH GRADE REPORTI can forget 08/09.The season for 4th grade (at least the games I played), like that of the club was very disappointing tosay the least. But from my point of view, the results of the games themselves was not the mostdisappointing facet, it was the manner in which we lost, the manner in which we approached games ~a malady that afflicted not only 4th grade ~ but in my view the entire club.The truly disappointing feature of this season was the lack of desire shown by the club, the lack ofwill, the lack of killer instinct, the lack of mental application and determination to succeed on apersonal and team level.The UNSW bumblebees has always been a fantastic club socially with a great bunch of blokes whoenjoyed a laugh and a good time, but I feel we have forgotten that once you step on the field you haveto switch on and step up, show some mongrel. Enjoying one’s cricket is borne of success, both of thepersonal and team nature, there is nothing better than sitting in the sheds after a tough win (well anywin really!) with a beer in hand and 11 good blokes singing the club song ‐ badly normally. Theensuing talking of shite, tubbing and latest instalment of Hooley Dooley’s self porking anddebauchery is always entertaining and worth the blood sweat and tears of a long day in the sun inHawkesbury swatting flies the size of Shetland ponies. But in order to enjoy all this, we actually haveto win a game first – and even if we don’t win, if we can walk of the field with our heads held highknowing we played our ass off and were simply beaten by a better team on the day, that we playedgood tough cricket, than we can be confident that more times than not we will walk off with the rightresult.The Bumblebees of last season were weak mentally … we need to work on being mentally tougher,switching on and showing some real fight – rather than the all to regular backing up of the gas truckthat occurs at what should be our fortress DP. How is it that visiting clubs seem to revel in the M5 likeconditions of DP while we regularly fall like panties on prom night? I like to attribute it to theseemingly ubiquitous attribute at our club, the most evil of labels that is all too often applied –“Talent”. We as a club do have some extremely talented cricketers – but it means nothing if you don’tperform. The word we need to be using is “performance” or perhaps “tough” ‐ I would prefer to hearus talk of “tough” cricketers rather than talented ones. Who cares what you look like batting, bowlingor fielding if you perform? Of course you may be on the receiving end of some light hearted jibes forunique style, but you can be assured of one much more valuable thing, respect, the respect of yourclub mates and peers for your performances.The simple message I took away from this season was; harden the fuck up UNSW! If we want to beknown as a great club to play for because of our performances and tough style of cricket and not onlybecause we are good blokes; we need people to start knuckling down and sticking our collectivehands up and showing some desperation, some heart, some grit. Every game every player has towant to be the one who is desperate to score runs or take wickets, or make a run‐out that turns agame, gets the job done, not leave it to some one else … I am optimistic that next season will see areturn to a culture of performance in 4th grade and the club and that UNSW will return to a positionof prominence on the club championship tables because we do have the traditions, the club spirit andmost importantly the people to be truly great cricket club ‐ if we want it.Personally I can’t wait for 09/10!TAL FLEMINGPage 52 Season 2008/2009