How many ways can a question be asked, with out repeating every word?

I am a bit of a cricket fan but not an avid one and so recently when I came across an item on the net about 10 ways to go out I cricket, I decided to write a blog about it and share this news with others who might be interested. Up to that point I was not really aware of the exact number of ways one could go out in cricket and so found it interesting. Apparently many others are also interested in this same question of how many ways of getting out in Cricket, as I have found from the number of ways people have asked this question and thereby found my site.

Although there are officially 10 ways to go out in Cricket, I have, so far discovered, that there are at least 38 ways that question on how someone can go out, can be asked. Yes, so far I have had over 60 enquiries access my sight and by using 38 different but very similar ways to ask the one basic question.

Which just goes to show that we don’t always think alike even when thinking about the same subject do we? Thus we should always be prepared to listen fully to every question, even the familiar ones, just in case, occasionally there is in fact a different question thrown in than what we are expecting. What say you?

For your information, these are the 38 different questions asked just to find the same answer.

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Ten Ways To Go Out In Cricket.

According to some information I just received there are ten ways a cricketer can be dismissed in Cricket.

They are:

1) Bowled.
2) Caught.
3) Leg before wicket.
4) Stumped.
5) Run out.
6) Hit wicket.
7) Handled the ball.
8) Hit the ball twice.
9) Obstructing the field.
10) Timed out.
Further to this, there is one more way of being removed from the game but not officially dismissed. This is called “retired hurt”, when an injured batsman may retire and does not come back to bat again.

Technically the above may be interesting to some experts and Purists of the game but to my mind there is only one thing that matters in all this and is more important than the above ten ways.

Yes, the only thing that matters is not how you get out, but that you try not to get out at all, if at all possible. How you failed is only incidental and a matter for statisticians. Staying in the game and succeeding, even if actual runs on the board are slow to come by, is much more important that how you got out.

What about you? What is true in cricket is also true in life too! Do you worry more about how you get struck out in life, rather than concentrating on not getting out at all. Some things may be fine for statisticians and the like but for most of us, staying in the Game and not worrying about which way you went out is what should be more important, unless of course you keep getting out the same way all the time. Then that is a problem, but I still don’t think anyone should be trying to make sure that they have been dismissed at least once in all ten possible ways, do you? No! Stay in the game as long as you possibly can. Try all the ways you can find to stay legally in the game and don’t worry about how you are dismissed, just do all you can to delay that situation that yo can. What say you?

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For those actually interested here are the official ways to go out in Cricket.

Caught — When a fielder catches the ball before it bounces and after the batsman has struck it with the bat or it has come into contact with the batsman's glove while it is in contact with the bat handle. The bowler and catcher are both credited with the dismissal. (Law 32)
Bowled — When a delivered ball hits the stumps at the batsman's end, and dislodges one or both of the bails. This happens regardless of whether the batsman has edged the ball onto the stumps or not. The bowler is credited with the dismissal. (Law 30)
Leg before wicket (lbw) — When a delivered ball strikes the batsman's leg, pad or body, and the umpire judges that the ball would otherwise have struck the stumps. The laws of cricket stipulate certain exceptions. For instance, a delivery pitching outside the line of leg stump should not result in an lbw dismissal, while a delivery hitting the batsman outside the line of the off stump should result in an lbw dismissal only if the batsman makes no attempt to play the ball with the bat. The bowler is credited with the dismissal.
Run out — When a fielder, bowler or wicket-keeper removes one or both of the bails with the ball by hitting the stumps whilst a batsman is still running between the two ends. The ball can either hit the stumps directly or the fielder's hand with the ball inside it can be used to dislodge the bails. Such a dismissal is not officially credited to any player, although the identities of the fielder or fielders involved are often noted in brackets on the scorecard.
Stumped — When the batsman leaves his crease in playing a delivery, voluntarily or involuntarily, but the ball goes to the wicket-keeper who uses it to remove one or both of the bails through hitting the bail(s) or the wicket before the batsman has remade his ground. The bowler and wicket-keeper are both credited. This generally requires the keeper to be standing within arm's length of the wicket, which is done mainly to spin bowling. (Law 39)
Hit wicket — When the batsman knocks the stumps with either the body or the bat, causing one or both of the bails to be dislodged, either in playing a shot or in taking off for the first run. The bowler is credited with the dismissal. (Law 35)
Handled the ball — When the batsman deliberately handles the ball without the permission of the fielding team. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 33)
Hit the ball twice — When the batsman deliberately strikes the ball a second time, except for the sole purpose of guarding his wicket. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 34)
Obstructing the field — When a batsman deliberately hinders a fielder attempting to field the ball. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 37)
Timed out — When a new batsman takes more than three minutes to take his position in the field to replace a dismissed batsman. (If the delay is protracted, the umpires may decide that the batting side has forfeited the match). This rule prevents the batting team using up time to unfair advantage. No player is credited with the dismissal. (Law 31
(A batsman may leave the field without being dismissed. If injured or taken ill the batsman may temporarily retire, and be replaced by the next batsman. This is recorded as retired hurt or retired ill. The retiring batsman is not out, and may resume the innings later. An unimpaired batsman may retire, and this is treated as being dismissed retired out; no player is credited with the dismissal.)

Stupidest question to Richie Benaud,

I know that there are some parts of the world where Cricket is not big, but where it is, so is the name Richie Benaud. Richie is the Doyen of Cricket Commentators, both in England and Australia, where he commentates on both Countries’ Home Summer seasons. He has done this for so long that recently he was able to say that he had not experienced a winter in over 30 years, as he is in England during their summer series and in Australia during Ours. As well as writing 7 books on cricket he has been commentating for BBC Television in England since 1960 and Australian Television since 1977, so is well known to TV viewers and mobbed every where he goes. But just how well do his so-called fans know him and his background?

The other day, in a Newspaper article he was asked what is the question you are most asked? He replied, “Did you ever play first Class Cricket?”

Talk about a stupid question. Talk about knowing somebody and yet knowing nothing about them at all! When I told my First-born about this question, she just rolled her eyes, as if to say, “Just how stupid are some people?”

To answer that question I can’t, because you see anyone who has ever watched the Cricket on TV for any length of time can’t help but hear references made by others to Richie about cricket during his (Benaud’s) playing days. Yes he played first class cricket. Yes he played for Australia. Some 65 Tests in fact. Not only did he play for Australia in Cricket but he also captained the Test Team for 28 of his 65 Tests, never loosing a series under his captaincy. Not only that but he is also one of only 10 Australian Cricketers to score 10,000 runs and take 500 wickets.

But and apparently this is the big problem, that was long, long ago and it seems forgotten too. It seems many today are only interested in his current fame and not his whole game. Thus they know of him; know what he looks like, but know nothing about him. Hence the stupid question. Not once but repeatedly too!

So how well do you know someone you profess to admire, someone always before your eyes, but not necessarily your thoughts? With an election coming up soon I think it is a relevant question. On what do you base your admiration/ support? The few sound bites on TV with out any regard to where they came from or how? Some fancy thoughts but with no thought or any idea on what they base their thoughts and ideas on? Are these personal thoughts from experience, or the ideas of others, whether tested or still untested?

Of course I think it goes without saying that this assessment is relevant all the time too and not just at elections. So on what do you base ‘Your Hero Worship” On a partial knowledge of the person and facts? Or on a complete knowledge of the subject of your current attention.

Finally, how do you deal with stupid questions like this? Questions that would never be asked if people really knew you and not just knew about you? It seems to me that these people are only flocking to Richie because he is somebody “Famous’ but they don’t really know why. Nether the less they want to be able to boast that they spoke with somebody famous but then show their ignorance with their in ane questions.

What about you? Do you always think before you speak, or do you just ‘gush out’ the first things that come to mind? Over to you for your reflection. Walter

Finished With One Year, World Hero The Next!

As it is fast approaching the coming Cricket season I think it time to talk Cricket again. About this time last Year, Australian Opening Batsman, (of both the Test and One-Day Teams,) Matthew Hayden was not getting enough runs in the one-day format and was in fact dropped from the future One-Day World Cup Team line-up, and replaced with a promising new up and coming “star”. At that stage Hayden was still playing in the then current local Tri-series Competition.

Unfortunately the “promising new up and coming “star” got himself injured shortly after, leaving that spot empty again. In the meantime “old Matty” had just kept on going and was starting to get runs again and so they gave him back his place in the World Cup Squad One-Day Team again, and as they say, “The rest is History”.

This week, “old and washed out” Matthew Hayden again stood on the podium and once more received an award. This particular award was for “One-Day Player of the Year”. Not just for Australia, but “One-Day Player Of the year” from all the Cricketing nations. Not bad for a washed-up has-been, hey?

Talking recently about his then replacement, Matthew said, “Shane’s time will come, and it’s just probably lucky that I was in that position at the time where I hadn’t given up.”

“I was trying to send as many messages as I could to all parties involved that Matthew Hayden wasn’t finished playing one–day cricket. I guess here tonight I stand with a great smile on my face for everyone really believing in that, and for just myself, being in a position to play one-day cricket again.”

I think we can all learn from Matty’s behavior. He could have chucked a "Hissy fit”, “spat the Dummy”, or in cricketing parlance, "picked up his bat and walked". But he didn’t do any of that. He believed in himself and just put his head down and quietly went about making the most of the remaining opportunities available to him, and importantly for him, “kept putting Run’s on the Board. The only thing in the long run that really counted!

And when the opportunity presented itself, he was ready, willing and able to take the spot back again and make it his again! Fame and past reputation was not enough, runs on the board were what counted and Matty went after them, all the time signally to all who would listen that he was not finished yet, no matter what others thought. Of course while it is important to believe in yourself and hang on in there, you also have to produce the score on the board. Matty did, but what about you?

Others may think that you are finished, but are you? If not, don’t whinge and whine about it, but put your head down and your tail up and produce the Goods. Put some runs on the scoreboard! Be in the market place with desirable goods and wait and watch for your next opportunity!!!!!!

Maybe you don’t think you are finished like everyone else thinks, but maybe you really are? What then? Well if that is the case, you will soon know if you have another shot at it but unlike Matty don’t produce the goods. When you have done all you can humanly speaking and not getting the results desired, then perhaps giving it away and putting that time and effort into something else is the right thing to do.

But if you truly believe in yourself like Matthew Hayden did, then by all means give it one more shot, but like Matty, put everything into it. Don’t do it half-heartedly or rest on past reputations. Make new ones. Who knows what awards and benefits people have missed out in the past because they either didn’t believe in themselves or give it their best shot, and make themselves available for any future opportunities? What about you? Do you believe in yourself even though you think you have been un-fairly shafted?

If so what are you going to do about it? Whinge and whine? Or put your head down and put all your energy into one more shot at it? The choice is yours! Sure! Not all will succeed or even have the success that Matty had, but if you truly believe and have a go and don’t die wondering. Walter

What Will You Eat There?

More on the recent TV interview with Geoff Lawson, the former Australian Test Fast Bowler, recently appointed as the new Coach of the Pakistan Cricket Team. On the Show he was asked two logical questions about his new life in Pakistan. The first I have already recorded in “Where is it really Safe?”

The second question was, “What about the food there?” (That was another question often asked of us about our time in Transkei/South Africa.) Geoff explained that Pakistan (like South Africa) offers the best of all worlds with food. Yes, there are types of food available in Pakistan (& Sth Africa) that only the more adventurous, or fool hardy, would try! But there is also plenty of “normal” tucker there too. If you have the money that is! (And people in Geoff’s position do!)

I don’t know about Pakistan but I know that in Sth Africa, Western style food was plentiful, if not cheap, in most places.

That is not to say that Western food is best though! As Geoff added, he was also partial to some of the local tucker there too. Geoff has been to various parts of Asia before, including Pakistan, and has tried the local food there and already has his likes and dislikes of the local stuff.

We have done the same thing during our time in South Africa, and even now back in Australia, cook some of the foods first encountered there. And in at least one particular case, have passed it on to other Aussies who love it as much as us!

So the message today is, don’t be afraid to try something new, just because it is different or sounds weird. Try it, if you have the opportunity, even if only to say that you have tried it, and didn’t like it! You never know, you just may surprise yourself and like it. Who knows what tastes and delights you are missing out on now, just because you are unwilling to give something new or different a try?

What weird sounding food have you tried, even reluctantly, and found that you like it? Let us know please: Walter

Where is it really safe?

Recently I saw an interview on TV with Geoff Lawson, the former Australian Test Fast Bowler, who was recently appointed as the new Coach of the Pakistan Cricket Team. Not exactly the dream job that most Westerners would put their hands up for, particularly after the confusion surrounding the death of the last occupant of that position. Therefore it was logical that he would be asked why he would want to go to such a dangerous place like Pakistan seems to be at the moment.

He explained that it wasn’t really dangerous all over the country, only in certain spots. Certain spots that he would not be going anywhere near anyway!

My family can certainly understand this logic, having lived in Transkei/South Africa for 12 years during their transition from Apartheid to Democracy. Unlike Geoff, we lived close to one particular troubled area, the next suburb actually! Yet despite the troubles there, we often visited friends in this area. However we knew when to go there, and even more important, when not too. When one knows what the rules are (even when un-written) and reads the signs, one minimizes the troubles there. Despite the amazing potential for trouble and serious trouble at that, in that suburb, we didn’t experience any there! Well not in that suburb anyway! We did in our own, just not there!

Even when we did have troubles (In our own suburb) apart from the exceptions of the two petrol bombings, these were problems that people in Melbourne Australia and for that matter any city in the world, face too.

So the moral of the story is two-fold: Firstly, if you take reasonable care, you will be safe as one can be, anywhere, no matter where you are.

Secondly, no matter how much care you do take, no matter where you are, there will always be possible problems.

Therefore, whether you are in the most dangerous place in the world, or in the so-called safest place, take all reasonable care and concern everywhere and live your life the way you want, to the best of your abilities and as your circumstances allow.

Do not let fear of the past (or of the future) dictate your future. Just don’t be stupid either!!!!!

What next for the Australian Cricket Team?

A couple of years back, more than a couple of our overseas Cricket following friends, asked me if there was another team in the world who could beat the then Australian Cricket team.

(This was before the 2005 Ashes Loss!) I replied with a positive response.

My positive reply then was that yes there was. The bad news being that it was the Australian Second team. I then went on to explain my theory of why Australia was so good at that time.

It was because we had so many other players good enough to be a winning second string team, yet still not able to get a regular spot in the Number One team.

This discussion came to mind again today, as the Australian Team now has 3 world class champions retiring after the last Test. (4 if you count a world class Batsman who retired two tests back!). So now the question on every ones lips is, “Where to now for Australia? Can these 4 top players be replaced quickly? The answer is twofold.

As Individuals They will never be replaced. There is only one Glen McGrath. There is only One Shane Warne. There is only one Justin Langer. There is only one Damien Martyn.

All true, but as in the past, so in the Future. As far as fast Bowlers go there was only one Denise Lillie, There was only one Jeff Thompson. Still all true. But since them we have had, only to name a few, Massy, Pascoe, Alderman, Lawson, Lee, and oh yeah, McGrath!

As Individuals They will never be replaced, but collectively there are many other potential greats waiting in the wings. People who perhaps would never get a chance to show there potential wares as long as these champions are holding down their spots. Like wise with Batsman! Yes two top world class Batsmen have retired in Langer & Martyn, but as expressed on the TV by someone more knowledgeable than me on the subject, there areallready a couple of obvious talented batsmen in the wings already like Brad Hodges & Phil Jacques, who couldn’t previously hold down a permanent spot, but who now get their chance to regularly show their wares, and not have everything hinge on one performance to get a regular run.

Enough of Cricket. What about You and your life? Do you feel like you can never be replaced, yet still know you can’t go on forever? What will happen when you retire, whether voluntarily or involuntarily?

Are you training others to fill your spot, or whatever other spots that eventually there will be a need to fill? (It is always a shot to one’s confidence, when they hire two people to fill your role!) In Cricket it is not the players, but the Administrators job to train and prepare replacements. However usually in our lives, it seems that we don’t always have that luxury and if we don’t train our replacements, no one does! Thus either making it difficult for us to retire when the time is right or leaving a large hole to fill, when we have to. A hole that shouldn’t really be there if preplanning had been properly done.

Pre planning has been done by the Australian Cricket Board and thus we already have quality replacements ready and waiting, plus future replacements for them also being prepared. Stuart Clark, as top Wicket Taker this series, has already shown that he is a capable replacement for McGrath and in the wings are a couple of young guns like Mitchell Johnson, waiting to show his wares at the top level. So again, are you prepared for the future or do you need to start on it right now?

On the other hand perhaps you feel only a second string player and feel that you may never get the chance to take over the top spot? Are you continually frustrated because you never get a chance to show your wares and when you do, find you still can’t do enough to win the top spot permanently.

If so, spare a thought for Stewart McGill. He is a great Spin Bowler. Some would argue that as a bowler (but not Batsman) he is better than Shane Warne, yet he has had to play second string to Warne for nearly his entire career because normally there is only one spot in the team for a spin bowel and that spot has always belonged to Warne. The only way McGill could normally get a game was when Warne was injured or suspended. (They have played together a couple of times on the rare occasion that that particular Cricket Ground favored two spinners.)

Anyway McGill long ago accepted this reality but still kept playing his best, even though he thought he would retire before Warne. That has turned out to not be the case and now he again has the chance to prove he is good enough to do the job for his own now that Warne has retired.

What about you? Are you doing your best irregardless of your chances of getting the top job? Ready at any time to step into the breach and fulfill the task?

Or have you simply given up and simply going through the motions, or even worse given up altogether and walked away from something that you are in fact very good at, for no other reason than that you couldn’t be number One. Well remember, as in life, as in the Cricket Team. There may be many in a team but there can be only one no, 1.

My advice to you is to stick at what you are good at even if you will never be regarded as Number one, or even to get the chance to be No.1. Hang in there and do your best always, even if it is never properly recognized or rewarded.

If you are already doing that, great! If not buckle down, throw away the excuses and give your best in all things: Walter

Natural Born Leaders?

Is there such a thing as a natural born leader, or do they have to have the chance to grow into the Job?

In the wake of the Test Team’s 5 nil drubbing of the English Test Team someone asked the question on TV today, whether Ricky Ponting was the best Australian Test Captain ever. The wise answer was that although he has come a long way since the team under him lost the Ashes in 2005 and he is captaining very well at the moment, he still has a way to go to reach his best, let alone to be regarded now as best ever.

Ricky is not the best ever, but this is just another example of a person growing in his job as he is able and allowed to do. Now not everyone in Australia has been on Ricky Ponting’s side in regard to his Captaincy skills. It is not that long ago that, when he first became captain, there were many who thought he should not have got the job ahead of Shane Warne. The Ashes loss did not help his cause either. But he put his head down and his captaincy, and his batting both improved and now his captaincy is both accepted and recognized.

My point here is that very few are born fully talented and experienced and thus have to be allowed to grow into their Jobs. Some do so very well, some don’t. Some don’t get the chance. Some countries, like England recently, have had a whole series of Captains. When they have struggled, they have been replaced, rather than being given the opportunity to grow into the Job.

In Australia, most recently, Taylor, Waugh, & Ponting have all inherited strong teams and gone on to be recognized as strong, good and successful captains. But it has not always been so.

I remember well when Alan Border became Captain. It is no disrespect to him to say that he was not good at it originally, but he was the only one available who was prepared to put his hand up for the Job. I also think it true to say that in his first few season’s he, would have lost the captaincy, many times over, if there had been an obvious alternative. There wasn’t so he stuck at the job and the Cricket Board stuck with him and in due course he turned both his, and the Australian Team’s fortunes around and retired as one of Australia’s greats, and as already stated, passed a successful team on to Mark Taylor, who in his turn, turned a successful team onto Stephen Waugh, who in his turn turned the Team over to Ricky Ponting, equally as successful as any of the previous two Teams. Nothing breeds like success! However success never lasts without hard work and strong leadership, working with what you have before you at that time.

My point here that it is hard and even pointless to compare a Captain who inherited a successful team against any who came before him, let alone against those who made successes of unsuccessful teams. Each has to be assessed on what they did with what they had to work with.

It is the same for us. We can’t really bask in someone else’s hard work, nor can we blame the failures of those who preceded us. We have to deal with what we have. Make the most of what life deals out to us. And then be assessed on how we responded to our challenges. Sure we can blame our circumstances and environment to some degree, but at some point all of us must take responsibility for what we have done with what we got. It doesn't matter how little recognition we recieve. Or how poorly we feel we have been treated. Always react with your best. Not excuses, just your best.

How are you reacting to your present situation? Reacting against all the adverse challenges? Basking in someone else’s successes? Or doing your best with what you have been given to work with, without comparing yourself to anyone else but your very own best.

In all that you do, don’t ask if this is better than anyone else but ask yourself, if this is really the best you can do? If so take solace in that.

If not buckle down, throw away the excuses and give your best in all things: Walter