Tasmania University Cricket Club

Latest News (8th. December 2005)

Twenty20 hits the TCA - an overview.

The phemenon that is Twenty20 cricket debuted in Grade cricket on Tuesday evening. The Clubs wanted to see what it was like, the players weren't against missing a training and the TCA promoted the four games admirably.

The TUCC embraced the concept with a mixture of much excitement, some fear of the Twenty20 becoming part of Grade cricket and 200 sausages, 100 hamburgers, 40 loves of bread and 10 kgs. of onions! With the ABC broadcasting live from the clubrooms and the chance to grab a crowd catch worth $50 all that was needed was good weather (that would be a pleasant change) and a crowd!

The weather at 1.00 pm was not typical for recent weeks - Hobart hit a high of 30 degrees with about 75% humidity! Jovial Jason was putting the finishing touches to mowing the square (diagonally!). It was pointed out that it was ABC radio and not television that would be transmiiting but this didn't deter his flambouyance at all.

The contestants for the curtain-raiser began to arrive in a mixture of whites and board shorts, the rules were explained to those who hadn't played cricket before and, with the roller finally removed from behind the stumps, a very sociable game was underway.

At about the same time there were two other arrivals - John Lemm (the ABC technician with a swag of efficient boxes and miles of cable) and dark clouds! Despite our concerted efforts to try to fool the rain gods by having a game on a Tuesday instead of a Saturday it looked like they were up to this pathetic attempt at trickery.

Whilst John went about his job a few drops of rain descended causing those at the ground to contemplate calling the players from the ground and putting the covers on. It was still hot and windy so the game continued, the sky lightened and the main players began to filter into the ground.

The best laid plans now began to go astray. With John Gerrard having set up the PA system for the match commentary the idea had to be shelved, at least whilst the radio transmission was in progress. Having booked the notable thespian Graeme Paine to provide running comments the ABC declared it was not on! Initial thoughts were that it may have been due to Graeme's tendency to 'call a spade a spade' and there was no ten second delay on the radio but in fact it was that it would drown out any interviews that were to be conducted. Instead the PA was linked to the radio and beamed (quietly) around the Oval.

Loiuse Saunders settled into her chair in front of the microphone and procceded to comment on the weather, interview a variety of those present - Bob Cotgrove, Graeme Paine, Tim Coyle (Boony couldn't make it) amongst others, briefly comment on the curtain-raiser, comment at greater length on the impending weather and generally say nice things about the University Cricket Club (thanks).

The Staff v. Staff game came to an end (no-one knew who had won and no-one seemed to care) and the Uni. and North Hobart teams finished their warm-ups. The barbeque was running hot and with Kibster doing his usual stirling job with tongs. No prizes for what happened just 15 minutes before the start of the game! It started to rain. Not heavy enough to panic (yet), it cleared at 5.10 and the game got underway on time. Not for long though - as the sky became darker the players persisted but, after 4.2 overs enough was enough - on with the covers.

The TUCC went into the day having spent quite a bit of effort in promoting the game, the TCA had placed a reasonably big ad. in the paper, Loiuse was continuously coercing people to drop in after work and we did have a lot of sausages, hamburgers and bread on our hands! But we really had no idea of what sort of crowd would be watching the game!

Mt. Wellington appeared and then disappeared for the next half an hour and the rain finally stopped. Covers off, 13 overs a side (umpires racing to the rules for possible run chase targets and so on)!

The temperature had dropped dramatically by now with the humidity often 100%. Louise finished her programme as the players made their way back out. There was a resonable crowd still at the ground and they witnessed some lusty hitting, and more rain!

It was fortunate that a white ball was being used as, towards the end of the game even it was hard to see! With half an hour to play the floodlights (designed for footy training and not quite up to the standars of the MCG) were even switched on. At about the same time it was discovered that the sole light in the scorers' box didn't work and their duties were completed in candle light.

The game ended in resonably heavy rain with a win to Uni. and cars driving by with their headlights on! No crowd catches by the way (although the Jubb boys somehow managed to get in each others way and the chance was splilled).

The crowd filtered away, the players met over a beer or two, the Uni. faithful cleared up and discussions about what could have been abounded. Even given the weather there was a crowd in excess of a hundred (which is considerably more than at First Grade games) we gave away the last half a dozen sausages and I'd had a very pleasant chat to someone who was meant to be at a conference at the Uni. but preferred to watch the cricket!

No doubt there will be continuing discussions on the experiment. Uni. are through to the semi-finals and hopefully another home game - wuth no rain.


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