Stand locked Climb in

England 470-7 declared (or 5 if you ignore the Retired Outs)
v South Africa Invitational XI 188 all out
England 190 all out
South Africa Invitational XI 5-0
Match Drawn

Thursday 17 December 2015

Senwes Park, Potchefstroom

30 South African Beer Ticks

Twitter @ball_sup

The Main (only) Stand was locked when me & Mrs Ball Sup pitched up this morning. We've climbed in. It's that sort of game.

Yesterday (Wednesday) was a Public Holiday. Whisper it. It used to be a full on Voortrekker/Afrikaans mental piss up. Now recast as Day Of Reconciliation. I mention that because that meant there were a few more in yesterday. They even unlocked the Stand !!

It's a great ground here at Senwes Park. Bit of everything. Nice big Player's Pavilion/Media Centre in red brick. One smallish 15 row stand square on. The rest, say three quarters of the ground, is grass banks.

Then maybe 30 or so Chalets at the top of the various banks. For those not familiar. Chalets are a (my experience) uniquely South African affair. They used to be on most grounds. But, slowly they've been knocked away at the Test Grounds.

Essentially hospitality boxes. But, individual & substantial brick built affairs with green sloping roofs & a patio area out front. They look for all the World, well, like Chalets actually.

Many have their own brick built barbecues (Braais in these parts) alongside.

On your travels across the country, you see many tin shack, shanty township dwellings being replaced by brick built one room houses. With sanitation. More power to that.

Thing is. Some of these Senwes Park Chalets are bigger, better appointed, better built, with more facilities than the new Township Houses.

Over on the far reaches of the grass banks there are some lean to gazebos & public Braai Pits. Some Afrikaners straight out of Central Casting up there yesterday. Preparing the traditional meat & three meat Bank Holiday meal. Starters of Brandy & Coke. Interestingly, seemed to be dessert an’ all.

Passing comment to anyone who walked by who they felt was “English’. 

My vriend Ek het na Millwall het. Jy gaan hê om beter te doen as dit om my te intimideer.

There is no real PA here. But every now & then some younger fellas pitch up. They fire up the music between balls & overs. Then they get bored. So at one point, they were firing up God Save The Queen.

And. Get. This. The Afrikaners fired up their own deafening Ghetto Blaster. And belted out the South African anthem. Essentially, they've brought firewood, petrol, a Butchers, Brandy, THEIR OWN PA & heaps of “attitude”.

Can't fault ‘em.

And, finally a Saffer phenomenon. At the late close of 1730, a few overs short. Nearly all (of the admittedly few) Saffers in the ground just stayed put. Barbecuing. Drinking. Younger ones playing bat & ball.

No mad rush to Burley Park Station.

Nothing much going on today. England already had enough to declare and have at ‘em. So it was pointless Time At The Crease time. Which went tits up as they went from 135-3 to 148-8.

Including a petulant Bairstow auditioning for a future career as an Umpire. Out first ball. Caught down the legside. Appealed for quite a few of them yoursen ain't you young man? Appeared to think it brushed his shirt or hip. Any Road Up. I've checked on the Internet. Still Out.

Then Thunder Rain Hail. Covers on. Covers off. Sooper Sopper would only go one way. Natch - away from the ground. Bit of Hammer. Here she comes. Dried up enough for them to be kept off for Bad Light.

What have they learned? I'm going. … not much. Hales hasn't cemented. Footitt has got some Tup. Ballance & Compo appeared as interesting cameos. Bairstow didn't hit it.

Long Mountain Brewery, Wheat from a bottle at 4.8%. Almost Yellow. Hoppier than I'd expected. Mango aroma. Which doesn't come through in the taste.

Long Mountain Brewery, Porter from a bottle at 6%. Lovely initial sweet red fruit hit. Rich. Deep. Currants. Lots of flavours.

The Best In Show for Long Mountain Brewery was the American Pale Ale.

Brickfields Brewing Co. Lager from a bottle at 4%. Pleasant. Easy drinking. Orange citrus coming through. My first Jozi Beer.

249/512