THE CRICKET BURBLE TEAM
John Wright
Take one fresh young male of prime Hertfordshire pedigree. Marinade liberally in a childhood of exposure to playing and watching sport and send annually to the Lords test match for personal development. Leave to simmer on low heat for twenty-four years, skim off some of the excess physical stature and infuse with the bustle and ebullience of a youthful Darren Gough, the cunning variation of an aging Adam Hollioake, and the entertainingly unpredictable ball-striking of a Seve Ballesteros. Apply regular doses of Earl Grey tea. Serve up with a deliciously wry sense of humour and an omnipresent battered Jack Russell sunhat as soon as a haircut appears months overdue.
Whether this is a fail-safe recipe for the ultimate cricketing machine is largely a matter of taste for the observer. Mind you, the end result - Cricket Burble blogger John Wright - is undoubtedly a lot more fun to have on your team. An able seam bowler with a fierce armoury of variations, this Harry Potter look-alike's wizardry with the ball renders him a constant wicket-taking threat whenever he plays. Nor is he a slouch with the bat - for, with some oversized six-hitting beef at his disposal, parking cars on the long-off boundary on match days is a mistake cricketers don't repeat.
John is currently in club cricket exile at Hong Kong University whilst he studies for a Ph.D. in mathematics. He takes time off from saving the planet one partial differential equation at a time in order to participate in the local expatriate cricket leagues. Big hitting is rife against a backdrop of mountainous terrain, artificial wickets, short boundaries, and Indian child prodigies. 'One off the mark' is frowned upon and high scores prevail.
An all-rounder in the true Corinthian spirit, John has recently returned from a rugby tour to that clichéd sporting destination of Cambodia.
Favourite cricketing memory:
"My first (and so far only) hat-trick, for Chorleywood under 10s against Dunstable! First ball was a long hop caught brilliantly by a South of England player. Second wicket was another great catch off another long hop from our other South of England player. Finally the last one was straight and the batsman was courteous enough to completely miss it."
Take one fresh young male of prime Hertfordshire pedigree. Marinade liberally in a childhood of exposure to playing and watching sport and send annually to the Lords test match for personal development. Leave to simmer on low heat for twenty-four years, skim off some of the excess physical stature and infuse with the bustle and ebullience of a youthful Darren Gough, the cunning variation of an aging Adam Hollioake, and the entertainingly unpredictable ball-striking of a Seve Ballesteros. Apply regular doses of Earl Grey tea. Serve up with a deliciously wry sense of humour and an omnipresent battered Jack Russell sunhat as soon as a haircut appears months overdue.
Whether this is a fail-safe recipe for the ultimate cricketing machine is largely a matter of taste for the observer. Mind you, the end result - Cricket Burble blogger John Wright - is undoubtedly a lot more fun to have on your team. An able seam bowler with a fierce armoury of variations, this Harry Potter look-alike's wizardry with the ball renders him a constant wicket-taking threat whenever he plays. Nor is he a slouch with the bat - for, with some oversized six-hitting beef at his disposal, parking cars on the long-off boundary on match days is a mistake cricketers don't repeat.
John is currently in club cricket exile at Hong Kong University whilst he studies for a Ph.D. in mathematics. He takes time off from saving the planet one partial differential equation at a time in order to participate in the local expatriate cricket leagues. Big hitting is rife against a backdrop of mountainous terrain, artificial wickets, short boundaries, and Indian child prodigies. 'One off the mark' is frowned upon and high scores prevail.
An all-rounder in the true Corinthian spirit, John has recently returned from a rugby tour to that clichéd sporting destination of Cambodia.
Favourite cricketing memory:
"My first (and so far only) hat-trick, for Chorleywood under 10s against Dunstable! First ball was a long hop caught brilliantly by a South of England player. Second wicket was another great catch off another long hop from our other South of England player. Finally the last one was straight and the batsman was courteous enough to completely miss it."