You may have noticed on our website the regular call for donation of new cricket balls to the club. Trying to explain the background of this action, we have to go back to the 90’s of the previous century. At the time we had a bowler in one of our top teams who all of a sudden became very expensive. Batsmen of the opposition hit him all over the place. It was as if his deliveries were presented on a silver plate and vanished in the surrounding bushes and ditch-waters. Ball sticks were invented and at the same time a nuisance to the searching fielders who had to drag them from one side of the ground to the other side, as there were no special dropping zones for these sixes.!
There was only one practical solution to correct the bowler in question and make him find a better line and length. After a number of warnings the bowler in question was ordered to pay a fine of 50 guilders for each lost ball, so that the club could replace them.
After some time it was felt to be a little unfair towards the bowler in question as a number of free hitting batsmen were deemed to be also guilty to the terrible loss of all these balls that landed in the various ditches to go in early retirment…….
Even some members were sorry for the poor players and started to offer new balls, in the meantime for a bargain price of €50.- as the euro had by then become the going currency. English players could not believe the currency change and decided to stick to the pound sterling…..
That’s how the CRICKET BALL ACTION (BALLEN ACTIE) originated and supplied the club on an annual basis anywhere between 50 to 100 new balls, depending on the quality of our bowlers in a particular year!
So we would like to ask our players from ALL TEAMS (from high, to low, ZAMI or ZOMI) to consider joining the party and offer a new ball to the club and you may donate the ball to the team of your preference.
Just inform your Captain or any of the Club Officials (EP. – Rick – Richard – Mark) and your name and donated ball of your preferred team will be announced at the club website. You will automatically receive an invoice of € 50.-
Our target is to receive at least 50 newly donated balls this season.!
With kindest regards,
Cricket ball committee.