Jiminy Cricket

My ultimatum of Friday has come and gone and the verdict on my knee is it’s better but it’s not healed. While pondering why my hip and back got better but my knee didn’t, I remembered an innocuous incident getting out of the shower. A small little slip as I was transferring weight caused my left leg to slide and twist away from me. That was Friday morning when the knee pain became constant. I feel better knowing the why. It’s not some phantom injury sustained just because I’m old.



My knee is still sore so I’ll stay off the running for another week, but I refuse to spend another week just sitting. I didn’t even go to dance last week and that irritated me to know end. I have a few low impact (i.e. no jumping and very little squatting-type motion) at home workouts planned as well as a couple of longer walks. If the weather stays like it is today, I’ll need very little convincing to get out for my walks!


In my exercise boredom of the last week, I started looking around online for group sports to possibly join over the summer. Initially my plans had been for a recreational soccer or baseball team. Usually, I’m out doing something physical by myself or doing something social involving sitting and beer. It would be nice to have a healthier balance of the two during the beautiful summer weather. Somehow I ended up on the cricket website.


I say ‘somehow’ but I know exactly how. I went to see Out of the Ashes at the Victoria Film Festival (excellent film by the way) and ended up sitting beside a few cricket players from Australia. Hunky men with accents can pretty much cajole me into doing anything so I sent off this email to the women’s team:

I know the upcoming season is a few months away yet but I was just looking for some general information about it; mainly, if someone joins and has no experience, do you teach them what the heck they should be doing or do you enjoy just watching them flail about while taking bets on how long they'll last? Also, costs, equipement/outfit requirements. You know, things that a complete novice should probably know before joining. I'm a thirty year old girl who just thought learning to play cricket would be a bit of fun. I think I held a cricket bat once. I was about 8 so my memory is a little hazy. I think my dad was trying to teach us about cricket but making daisy chains was much more interesting. And I occasionally drink at the Sticky Wicket. Obviously, if those are my cricket qualifications, I really do mean 'complete beginner' when talking about my cricket level.

If that doesn’t have them beating down my door to get me to join, I don’t know what will!

Question: Do you enjoy team sports?