By Greg Gibson

Covered in mud, brow creased against the falling rain, I looked back at the ground as I made my way through the gate for my last ever footy half time. I took a moment to capture the miserable image in my inner camera’s memory drive and, like the playing surface with water, I was flooded with emotion. I was half way through my last game of footy, a grand final no less, and was approaching a life playing no competitive sport.

I’ve always loved playing sport. It was two sports for me, footy and cricket. I was always better at cricket, and played a lot of games from age nine to about 33, but family and work made it obvious that I had to give it up. That was ok, at least I still had footy.

I was never all that much good at it, which was part of the joy. I had absolutely no expectations of myself and could revel in turning up with no pressure and have a red hot crack at it. Scrapping and competing, fighting to make position, or out muscle an opponent, and then coming out with the ball and getting it out to the advantage of one of my more talented team mates was, for me, a joy.

By Martin Gibson

​As I approach my 40th birthday and 200th game for my club I’m facing my mortality as a first eleven player. There’s no doubt that as you get a bit older you start to wonder if you could be bothered with all the extra stuff that comes from being a ones player, as silly as that might sound to those that don’t play at all or those that play Premier Cricket or above. There’s the extra time that you have to arrive at the ground before the game, the longer warm ups, the extra pressure as there’s always someone that wants to take your spot in the team or criticise your performance.

There’s also the expectation that you train all of the training nights that are scheduled. Is this the best way for me to spend my Saturdays? My Tuesday and Thursday nights? Would I be better off just relaxing and playing in the second side or even the third? Would my time be better spent at home with my wife and our young children or does cricket provide the challenge, distraction and enjoyment I need to be relaxed and happy?
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The idea that I may have to play some second eleven cricket was flagged to me before the season began. At a meeting with the club leadership group they outlined who they thought would make up their best eleven if everyone was fit and available and my name was not listed. I reconciled myself with this notion and vowed to give the team and club everything I had regardless of where they picked me. I also noted that this was likely to be my last season.

By James @ichymochek

​It promised to be a fascinating series & I haven't been disappointed. The two best Test cricket sides in the world facing off – India number 1 touring 2nd ranked South Africa. India fresh off handing Sri Lanka their biggest defeat in Test history with captain Virat Kohli imperious in that three Test series averaging 152, including two double centuries, one century & a fifty in only five innings. South Africa having made short work of Zimbabwe at home, bowling them out twice within two days after batting first.

Much of the speculation heading into the 1st Test in Cape Town centred around the Proteas' 11. The Indian side was seen as settled but a fit Dale Steyn meant South Africa had an embarrassment of riches in their pace bowling stocks. Morne Morkel looked in ominous form with five wickets in the 1st innings against Zimbabwe. Kagiso Rabada, the 22 year old firebrand, was coming off a 2017 in which he took 54 wickets (second only to Nathan Lyon). Vernon Philander has a career bowling average of 22, testament to his uncanny accuracy & relentless consistency. Then there was Keshav Maharaj, the left arm orthodox spinner making an impressive start to his international career, who took five Zimbabwe 2nd innings wickets. Who would miss out?