ARTICLES 2002

Ljubljana v Salzburg, 7 July 2002

It's a long, long walk back from the middle when Slovenia have made a mess of your stumps first ball, as yet another international batsman finds out to his cost.

"Well, he wasn't very good, was he!"

The MCC coaching the kids from Valburga Primary School, Wednesday 19 June

I vote we go over there and play cricket". -"No, don't be silly, it's much too hot. I think we should all go to the pub in the opposite direction". As usual, there seem to be differing opinions about the best way forward.

"Now, either you promise to forget all about that basketball nonsense, or..."

Batting by committee never was going to be the easiest thing in the world. Note the disinterest in the slips cordon, and some bloke audaciously attempting to steal the stumps.

The problem here was that they were supposed to be teaching him how to bowl the pies. Two coaches and a star student after what we can only imagine was a very good lunch.

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In 15 years this young man is going to be one of the world's top five batsmen, and the first Slovene to score 5,000 test runs. Notice how he is already learning how to bat in the midst of an entourage of bodyguards, journalists, groupies, other hangers-on etc.

In proper test cricket, the batsman doesn't normally have to cope with the wicketkeeper making faces and funny noises like this..

...and, naturally, our proper keeper, always a stickler for cricketing protocol, thinks it better to turn a blind eye to such irregularities behind the stumps.

LJUBLJANA VS MCC 2002

Our Bradley Eve tormenting the MCC batsmen. The non-striker was controversially given out shortly after this photo was taken for seriously denting the pitch while running between the wickets.

With the ball rising off a length like a homesick angel, Dan Ryan (above and below) unleashes another pearler at a perplexed and worried MCC 'star'. Anže Zigmund waits for the inevitable catch to be spooned in his direction.

Mohammed Raheem showing some of the bowling techniques he had picked up at the Paul Adams coaching clinic the previous week. Frog in a blender, indeed. The batsman seems happy to waits a while for the ball to get nearer before thinking about whether to play a shot or not.

interesting thing here was that the bowler's unusual action had taken him all the way to square leg in his delivery stride. The batsman deserves no little credit for his speedy adjustment to such slippery tactics. Rob Crawford is already on his way a) to the pub for a quick pint and a "gasper", or b) to give the errant bowler a few tips. "That's right, sunshine".

Ljubljana CC v the MCC's finest ambassadors, Valburga, Sunday 16 June 2002. Some marvellous subalpine scenery was also available for the backdrop to this commemorative photo, but, instead, we chose the tour bus.

Ljubljana's openers making light work of the batting. Don't worry. It didn't last long.

Slovenia at ECC Representative Festival, Zagreb, 23-25 August 2002

Above: Croatia v Slovenia; Handshaking all round after Slovenia's batsmen Oman and Green complete the victory... and Croatian captain Ivan Bilić contemplates his future.

ECC Rep Fest 2002: Slovenia beat Croatia in unsurprisingly low-scoring game.

To the surprise of not very many, Slovenia beat Croatia in Zagreb to take the much-coveted runners-up spot in the ECC Representative Festival 2002. Then we all gathered behind the flag for a poorly-organised commemorative photo, in which the faces of the better-looking players are obscured and only the ugly ones can be clearly seen.

Batting learned straight from the Boycott and Tavare School of Cricket. Or the Laurel and Hardy School of English. Or something. The shock of blonde hair, the look of determined aggression, the wild, outrageous swish at thin air... It could only be the Bishop. He went on to make 0 in this innings at Seebarn. The scorers were not overly troubled the following day either.

...meanwhile, we don't want to Bash the Bishop, but our Greg can show young Chris a thing or two about playing a straight bat.

World's media award Sports' Photo of the Year 2002 to Ljubljana CC's Matej Butala

Above: What a photo! One of Ljubljana's upper-middle order demonstrating a defence that is about as effective as that of his beloved Newcastle United. Below, he prepares to receive the appropriate punishment afterwards.