Not Troubling the Scorers

This isn't a name and shame post about the number of ducks on Saturday. So AJ can rest easy. Although Wickman may return to the subject at a later date. Be warned.

Nope. This is a post about the phrase "He didn't trouble the scorers". Which has always struck Wickman as odd. As you will know if you have ever been asked to do the book for a bit while some other git is farming the filthy dobber you just got out to, the best kind of scoring is sticking a dot in the bowling analysis. What could be easier? Ball whistles through to the keeper and you just press the pencil down in the bowling analysis. The only way it could get any less troublesome for the scorers is if it's tea time. Then the scorer is scoffing DBW's finest treats and checking to see if there's any talent sunbathing on the outfield that they couldn't see from the box.

The absolutely last thing the scorer wants to have to do is deal with a wicket. And if the unlucky victim has just failed to register any runs there's a strong argument that they've only just finished dealing with a wicket before you got in and got straight out. When a wicket falls you have to close off the innings, write in the batsman's total (at least you don't have to add much up), write in the time of dismissal. Count the minutes in the innings. Stick in a W. Try to work out which oppo fielder caught it. Write in the fall of wicket total. Who's the not out bat and how many are they on? Write in the number of the bowler and bat in the annoying strip down the bottom which shows what happened in what over. Then work out who the next bat is. And whether or not anyone crossed. etc etc.

So the next time you are trudging back disconsolate from the middle thinking "at least the scorers will be better off without me" think again. In fact rewind. Think about the poor scorer. Instead of trying to thrash the ball into Selvesy's allotment (and probably break his ipad which is all he seems to do down there - wink wink Selvesy - HD is it?) pat it back to the bowler. Repeat...