Cricket in the neibhourhood

I went as usual with the paper in hand to the balcony. I was just settling down to enjoy the morning weather and Wasim Jaffer's heroics on the second day when I heard a greeting.
"Goodmorning"
I was too startled to respond as I looked around. The morning grogginess didnt make it easier.It was the old lady from the house in front ( Refer post 'The house in front)
'Goodmorning', I replied.
She smiled and entered her house.I went back to the papers and it struck me that I had forgotten to ask my creamish-white labrador friend's name.
Maybe tomorrow.

On my way to the sea, I heard the unmistakable sounds of a neibhourhood cricket match in progress. I followed the sounds through a narrow mud path. The stench of shit from both sides told me the primary use of the path. I walked along and reached a burial ground. Maybe it doesnt really matter where one lies after death. The path opened up into a cricket ground. The burial ground gate opened into it.

I stood next to the guy who were maintaining the score. It was a 12 over match and the side batting first had scored 70 runs. The reply was in progress and the second team still needed 39 runs with 6.5 overs remaining and five wickets in hand.

The scorer next to me was shouting out instructions to the batsmen. After every ball, he would tell the batsman what mistake he had made in the previous stroke and how he should have actually played it.The meekness with which all the batsmen took his advice suggested that he was either extremely influential in the team or that he owned the bat.

This continued until another wicket fell and a long haired batsman came to the crease.The first ball he faced, he tried to tuck it down the legside only for the ball to miss everything and go to the keeper.
The scorer looked at him and said "You should have played that with your bat to the leg side and tried for a single"
The long haired guy retorted " And you thought that I was trying to hit a six with that shot?"
The batsman went on to play a long innings but I never heard another word from the scorer about his batting style.

You will never find a statue in a critic's honour. Naggers irritate !!!