I never thought I’d be posting a Bobby Cliff song while writing about how I ended up spending Australia day, but then there is a lot of firsts for me on my travels.

Easy Tiger had advertised that they would be having a cricket match and some other games to celebrate Australia day.  In my ignorance I will admit that until I visited Vietnam a couple of years ago I hadn’t heard of Australia day and so this would be the first time I’d been involved in any celebrations of it. A few days before the event the weather had been particularly rainy and so it was touch and go whether it would be held on a muddy field or somewhere more hardy.

It wasn’t my intention to actually play but when the numbers seemed low at first I decided to have a go.  I’ve never been a sporty person, I wasn’t really dressed for it and I still can’t catch a ball very well –  I was destined to be a loser at cricket before I’d started.

Beer crates for wickets

Captain Caveman is a good bowler

Pete checks the hot dogs

My first injury came when I tried to catch a ball that Captain Caveman had hit towards the outside seating area. The tyre seats had been moved but the concrete had some standing water and was slippy so my sandals weren’t able to stop me slide into the round tables where I landed with one boob on the table but my bum and legs on the floor – it hurt but I got up and carried on for a bit.

More people came to join and so I had a bit of a break and a few beers to numb the pain, but then it was my turn to bowl.

My second injury came when I bowled my first ball and it was batted expertly back at me hitting me in the face and knocking my glasses to the floor. The Aussie batsman was shocked himself as he was sure I would catch him out but I’d not kept my eye on the ball that came so fast at my face and was a bit stunned. Luckily my glasses were in one piece and we were only playing with a tennis ball.

After that I sat down and watched the match while eating the delicious hot dogs and drinking beer to numb more pain. The sun stayed out and the Easy Tiger car park was later turned from cricket pitch to a thong (flip-flops to you and me) throwing court.  It’s more difficult than it looks to throw footwear on to a tyre.

When I woke up the next day I could hardly move and had a massively bruised chest, luckily my face was fine and no black eyes, I think cricket is not my game.