Elliston
We left Streaky Bay and headed down the Flinders Highway on
the Eyre Peninsula West Coast on a grey windy day with rain threatening for a
130km trip to Elliston. There was not a lot of development or anything else for
that matter between Streaky Bay and Elliston. We did stop off at an interesting
rock formation within some wheat fields called Murphy’s Haystacks.
Early afternoon we
arrived at Walkers Beach about 10km north of Elliston. It was bush camp time.
The camp site was well patronised right on the beach that was many miles of
white sand and surf where you could pick your spot for a swim.
I have to say, there was not much to the town of Elliston
itself. However, the surrounding headlands and tourist drives along the cliffs
were very impressive if not spectacular.
The weather closed in so we headed back to camp for a rest
and then an early dinner. However after dinner the weather cleared and allowed
us a game of cricket on the beach.
And then it happened ; a significant moment on the trip. I
bowled a delivery that will to go down as one of the greatest deliveries ever
produced on the West Coast of the Eyre Peninsula ever to be caught on camera.
With the guile and cunning, with exquisite use of the gusty westerly winds, I
delivered what I knew was the perfect ball as soon as the ball left my
fingertips and was in flight. The ball deceivingly drifted away from the right
handed batsman Georgia Burton, tempting her to chase it and thus open up a gap
between bat and pad. The ball then dropped suddenly, bamboozling her in flight.
As it hit the turf, it viciously cut back like a knife in a significant off
break to slice between bat and pad to take out the middle stump and then spun
into the off and leg stumps in a chilling death rattle of timber. I am sure at
that moment I heard music and saw a flash of lightning in clear blue skies. The
batsman was emotionally distraught at facing such a delivery. She needed
several hours of intense counselling after the experience to regain her
equilibrium. I fear I have only snuffed out a promising and burgeoning female
cricketing career before it has begun. Henceforth, this delivery will be
remembered as “ Elliston ball”.
After an early morning run along the beach which was lovely
and a cold shower, it was off to Coffin Bay at the bottom of the Eyre Peninsula.
You're dreaming Rodney
ReplyDeleteI consoled a distraught Georgia by telling her that she put up a great effort in trying to defend her wicket against such a masterful delivery, but not to worry, that delivery would have gone through her cousin and uncle Ashley and Paul Burton's defences and taken their middle stumps with no resistance like a hot knife through magarine left in the summer sun for an hour. Georgia seemed to readily accept this fact and was more cheerful and acknowledged she was bettered by one of Australias great spin bowlers.
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