Thoughts about our game........

Last week the Hustlers2 team found themselves in another situation whereby the rules are not clear on what condition the field must be in after it rains to constitute a game. Of course we're talking about a 25 overs softball cricket game run by the SFSCL played in parks all around the city.

Last Sunday’s round 5 match between Lehigh CC and Hustlers2 CC almost created an ugly situation because no ruling was put in place about a rain affected game start and the conditions of an outfield even though the actual batting wicket was very acceptable and playable. The Hustlers2 team will show you. How? Take a read.

 Here goes: both teams arrived at the ground well before the schedule start of play, the usual Hustler players were attending the pitch and setting up stumps, then the boundary markers were put in place. Behind both wickets are baseball fields that had small patches of water that was left by overnight rain, also, there was a small puddle of water no bigger than the size of a barrel cover ( usual size sent home with goodies cram up) at about 5 yards in from the boundary on the western side of the pitch (deep mid on for a right hand cane cutter batter).

Finally, the pitch was given a nice cut and deweed from a brand new Echo weed wacker complements of no other than one of our die hard supporters.That actual wee wacker should be borrowed by some of our current batsmen the way they have been batting recently as well......

Just before the toss, a senior member from LeHigh CC came over to our camp and with a lot of conviction said his team will not play because the ground is unfit, moreover the puddle of water is a worry for his players fearing the worst, ( drowning I suppose or some gator appearing looking for lunch). Good thing, the majority of the Hustlers players saw this as a joke and didn't make a fuss over it, except for a few who's temper flared a little but quickly calmed down by the soothing breeze coming across the ground and some proper English (translator was required), coming from their captain.

This is a classic example of one team that came to play and the other to abuse their power and ride the waves of the League's ineptitude. Why would a team travel from so far and don't want to play? 3 points on offer for a rain affected game. Did they know they only get the 3 points if the game has already started and play then gets abandoned? I know,that beats me too.

Mind you, Lehigh CC was the only team winning the game from ball one at the innings end, until a couple or their fielders drowned in the enormous lake puddle they were so concerned about and the Hustlers batsmen took advantage of it.

Now, I don't want to drag this out and to be fair to the Lehigh guys, they chose that route knowing fully they could've gotten away with a free 3 points and they know fully the League would've done nothing. How unfair this would be for the teams who are really trying hard for a playoff spot?

Too many times we see teams looking for the easy option to get points to win a playoff spot by default and the league does absolutely nothing about it. Even some of our governing body members are abusing their position with rules and favoring their own teams. We had it happen to us in the first season of the year when a score sheet were submitted late because the database was corrupt and we were told by people in position it will all take care of itself as they know about the issues with the league database. What happened next was a 1 point deduction and a $50 fine for us after those same people in position told us face to face they would fix it and don’t worry about the fine and point deduction. I think the 1 point loss was a plan for their own team to make the playoffs which in the end didn’t happen simply because they just weren’t good enough to make it. Fixing run rates and asking teams to throw games is also rife in this league to knock out other playoff contenders. Again we were witness to that after a 2 and a half hour drive to a team that is still new to the league and even to this day they still feel we did not do them any favours by fixing the game for them and knocking out another playoff contender.

 It’s a shame that certain teams venture so low just for the sake of winning a championship. May I also ask why the SFSCL entertains a team 2 and a half hours drive away and after being accepted in the league, they expect now for all teams to travel up to them every week. This league said right from the off that team has to travel down to our pitches every week and they agreed to that. Now they are fed up driving so far and demand to split the fixtures in half. It should be down to the teams who wants to travel so far. If they want to go then so be it let them go but if they don’t then don’t force them to go. I wonder who is pulling strings there?

 

For the League: guys, this by no means blaming you for everything but, it's highlighting the fact that nothing was done in the first instance, therefore, it's a recipe for disaster with more serious consequences in rain delayed games. Another thing, I know all you guys have full time jobs, families to attend and don't have time for this 'lil stupidy softball ting', If that's the case then hand over the reins, don't hold up an end and bat for a drawn game and don’t side with your own team. You all should be thinking about the other league teams all in the same way. No team is different from another as we all pay the same registration fees as your own !!!!

 

Quick runs/ action is definitely needed here.

Feel free to post your comments.