sar2005
May 8, 2006, 03:32 PM
I had my debut in Danish 2nd division cricket league yesterday. We are two BD players playing for the team Soranerne which is mainly a cosmopolitan team. In our team, we have players from AUS, ENG, SA, IND, Denmark and BD. All the guys are experts working here including a few students. Another Bangladeshi is Tiklu (probably some of you know him as he was in Holland for five years and now in Denmark for almost five years).
I played in many grounds in BD and IND (while studying there) but have no hesitation to say that the Svanholm Park ground (National cricket ground in Denmark) is the best I have ever seen. There are 3 standard size cricket grounds in the whole area. These are all open grounds without any gallery. People just lay down or sit on wooden benches on sloppy grassy surroundings of the ground and enjoy cricket. There are 6 pitches in line at one side of the ground, all covered with high and long nets for practice. As far as the eyes goes, it is just green and green. The wicket is covered with mats and probably the best ever one for me where I played. The bounce were very even and I did not see a single delivery that went low.
http://www.picturepuppy.com/images/sar011/svanholmpark.jpg
I am not a very good cricket player. I played some 2nd division qualifying matches in early 90s when I was a teenager. By seeing all those facilities here in Denmark, I feel terribly sorry for my poor friends back in home. They can never expect such a wonderful arrangement although their quality is by far better. Playing in such a wonderful condition is dream for anyone who plays cricket. I was really asking myself, why these people can’t improve in cricket although they have so much facility. It again has been proven to me that wealth and resources are not all for cricket. You must need the ‘passion’ for the game which is luckily with us in BD.
My team Soranerne won the toss and decided to bat first in a 40 overs affair. I went to bat at one down (28/1 in 7.4 overs) and when got out, team score was 133 for 2 in 28 overs, a perfect foundation for free hitting. The task was smartly completed by our South African mate Mark when he scored 73 in 30+ deliveries with 8 huge huge sixes. The total score was 252/6 in 40 overs. I scored exactly 50 and then got stumped. While I was going back to pavilion, opposition captain was calling me Rajin Saleh, Habibul Bashar – a time when I really feel proud of them.
In reply AB III started brilliantly and they just conveyed the message that it was not going to be a quick day. Their opener and one-down batsman took the score to 100+ in around 20 overs. First and lucky break through came as a run-out when both the batsman ended at one side. The most fantastic moment for me came when I bowled an off-spinner to one of their key batsman (he was really taking runs as per asking rr 8 per over) who hitted high and high to long-off where another BD guy Tiklu took a spectacular catch. This was marked as the turning point of the game and many of our mates in the team called it a ‘Bangladeshi Special’. At the end AB scored 216/8 in 40 overs. Good start for Soranerne in the season and same for me.
I thought BC would be a nice place for me to share my joy and nice moments of first cricketing day here in Denmark. After all, over last few months, I feel, you all are the friends in my lonely away life to share my pleasure of cricket – the sports that we all love so much. Please forgive me for my poor writing as I’m not a professional ;)
I would be happy if our other friends of BC keep this thread alive by writing their own personal cricket experience in different countries all over the world. Please post your experience of fun time with cricket in away life.
I played in many grounds in BD and IND (while studying there) but have no hesitation to say that the Svanholm Park ground (National cricket ground in Denmark) is the best I have ever seen. There are 3 standard size cricket grounds in the whole area. These are all open grounds without any gallery. People just lay down or sit on wooden benches on sloppy grassy surroundings of the ground and enjoy cricket. There are 6 pitches in line at one side of the ground, all covered with high and long nets for practice. As far as the eyes goes, it is just green and green. The wicket is covered with mats and probably the best ever one for me where I played. The bounce were very even and I did not see a single delivery that went low.
http://www.picturepuppy.com/images/sar011/svanholmpark.jpg
I am not a very good cricket player. I played some 2nd division qualifying matches in early 90s when I was a teenager. By seeing all those facilities here in Denmark, I feel terribly sorry for my poor friends back in home. They can never expect such a wonderful arrangement although their quality is by far better. Playing in such a wonderful condition is dream for anyone who plays cricket. I was really asking myself, why these people can’t improve in cricket although they have so much facility. It again has been proven to me that wealth and resources are not all for cricket. You must need the ‘passion’ for the game which is luckily with us in BD.
My team Soranerne won the toss and decided to bat first in a 40 overs affair. I went to bat at one down (28/1 in 7.4 overs) and when got out, team score was 133 for 2 in 28 overs, a perfect foundation for free hitting. The task was smartly completed by our South African mate Mark when he scored 73 in 30+ deliveries with 8 huge huge sixes. The total score was 252/6 in 40 overs. I scored exactly 50 and then got stumped. While I was going back to pavilion, opposition captain was calling me Rajin Saleh, Habibul Bashar – a time when I really feel proud of them.
In reply AB III started brilliantly and they just conveyed the message that it was not going to be a quick day. Their opener and one-down batsman took the score to 100+ in around 20 overs. First and lucky break through came as a run-out when both the batsman ended at one side. The most fantastic moment for me came when I bowled an off-spinner to one of their key batsman (he was really taking runs as per asking rr 8 per over) who hitted high and high to long-off where another BD guy Tiklu took a spectacular catch. This was marked as the turning point of the game and many of our mates in the team called it a ‘Bangladeshi Special’. At the end AB scored 216/8 in 40 overs. Good start for Soranerne in the season and same for me.
I thought BC would be a nice place for me to share my joy and nice moments of first cricketing day here in Denmark. After all, over last few months, I feel, you all are the friends in my lonely away life to share my pleasure of cricket – the sports that we all love so much. Please forgive me for my poor writing as I’m not a professional ;)
I would be happy if our other friends of BC keep this thread alive by writing their own personal cricket experience in different countries all over the world. Please post your experience of fun time with cricket in away life.