ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Sport
SEEING IT LIKE A BEACH BALL
Christchurch third-grade cricketer Brent Briggs, 33, has doubled down on claims that he was “absolutely seeing them like beach balls” on Saturday, despite being clean bowled for 2 at Hagley Park after facing just 10 deliveries.
The dismissal marks Briggs’ fourth consecutive single-digit score, but the seasoned No. 4 insists the numbers “don’t tell the full story.”
“Honestly, I was middling everything in the warm-up,” Briggs said, unstrapping his pads while loudly sighing once again. “The eyes were in, the feet were moving. I was seeing them well. Just one of those freak ones that nipped back half a mile.” Said Briggs who had just watched his stumps get completely skittled.
Briggs scratched around for nine balls apart from two square cuts he hit remarkably well, both of them straight to the same fielder for singles. This was before attempting a loose drive at a straight one, missing it entirely and watching his off stump go cartwheeling.
“Pitch played absolute tricks, mate,” he explained. “Bit of variable bounce, bit of swing, maybe the wind caught it. Umpire said it was a good nut but I swear it kept low. If that ball hadn’t jagged, we’d be talking about a different story.”
Brent’s’ Teammates were less convinced and grew tired of his weekly excuses.
“Yeah, he was seeing them alright, just not with the middle of his bat,” said opener Cam Wallace, adding that Briggs “hasn’t found the middle since daylight savings started.”
Brent, despite scoring less than 10 runs across his last four innings remained optimistic he can turn things around.
“Oh well, always next week. I’m feeling good, mind is in a good place. I just need some luck to go my way!”
More to come.
