This was the morning I learned how to hit the cricket ball with a cricket bat. Let's just say the pictures tell it all :) Anyways, I got up at like 5:40 am to get ready and be picked up and taken to the field. Of course everyone here runs on India time (doesn't mesh well with a person who considers showing up on time "late"). So my ride was late (I should know better by now) and I thought he was not going to show up. Let's just say I am not a morning person and tend to get pissed off very fast/easy. Thankfully my emotions change on a drop of a hat :) After I woke up a little more I snapped out of my cranky self.
Most of the guys were in their "normal" teams playing on the field. Since the mechanical team was up to bat first that meant most of them were around to teach me to play. My first practice session was off to a side of the field on a separate grassy area. They would just toss the ball underhand and let me hit it. We took a break for a while since some of them had to go bat. The second practice session was on the walking field that circles the field. Off to the other side are locked tennis courts. Let's just say this was probably not the most ideal spot for me to practice. Why you ask...well I seemed to have a problem with hitting the ball over the court fence all the time, even when I was trying not to hit it hard, and the guys had to keep climbing over the fence to get the ball. :) oooops.
They were tossing underhand during the second session also and being "nice." I am not positive but I think some of the people walking the track were looking at me funny. Not sure if it was "what's the white woman doing playing cricket" or "who does this woman think she is that she can learn cricket." Maybe it was my imagination or they were laughing at me hitting the ball over the fence all the time. OH YEAH, so some of you know that I love to climb. I climbed trees all the time as a child and like to rock climb. So I offered to climb the fence and get the ball after like the third time hitting it over. The guys wouldn't let me do it, I think it has to do something with women not climbing in India...not sure. After hitting it over the fence a few times in a row I decided to take a break and watch the match that was going on.
The third practice session was back on the track near the tennis courts again. I decided I would try batting left handed. They didn't want me to try. I finally convinced them I just wanted to try. I think they were impressed that I could hit the ball left handed also. There is at least one guy at work who bats left handed so I knew it wasn't a HUGE deal. The match finally ended with the mechanical team winning. After I asked to practice on the field. First they were just tossing the ball to me. All these little boys came to stand and watch me bat. I then told the guys to bowl normal. They didn't want to and kept asking if I was sure because the ball is "fast". (They obviously don't know me well :) ) Finally they did and I hit the ball a few times. I am not sure what they were all thinking... I did have my own personal cheering section of little boys though. Every time I hit the ball they cheered :)
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