“The Cricketer”
by Kate Birrell
Last week as I walked out of my weekly exercise class, I chucked out a speculative tweet. After some post-Second Test pondering, a childhood flashback about backyard cricket rules had lodged in my bonce. I thought I’d ask the inhabitants of the worldwide digital cesspool to both confirm my memory and let me know whether it was confined to the place of my youth.
Was it just in Adelaide backyards where you had to call out “crease” before wandering down the pitch?
— Swish’ll Know (@swishtter) July 4, 2023
Expecting the customary cursory review of my musings, I was surprised to see that I’d gained some on-line interest. The first few responses came from my regular circle of followers but, as the morning headed towards lunch, my phone was buzzing like an – ahem – artificial pleasuring device. The stimulat-, er, notifications were still going well into the night and by bedtime I had easily surpassed my previous high bar of a couple of hundred red hearts (which involved having a crack about Barnaby Joyce’s hypocritical stance re using his family as a way to deodorise his foetid image in view of his recent change in relationship status).
Not only had I struck a Jonny Bairstow-induced chord across the nation, the sheer range of different ways that Australian kids had of indicating the same thing (i.e. “in the agreed manner, I am claiming temporary immunity from a run out/stumping dismissal”) was impressive. Although there were some broad differences across state boundaries, it was also apparent that what was good in Elizabeth South 5112 was not necessarily acceptable in Mitcham 5062. I wasn’t imagining “crease” after all, but it wasn’t universal. I was trying to assemble a coherent narrative about the response, but it was time for bed.
Journalist Patrick Smithers popped into my DMs (as we 400-like veterans put it) the next morning, making good with his offer the night before of penning something about the reaction to my question.
Patrick’s words appeared here the next day and I was pleased with what he had written (yes, I could have clarified my identity but wasn’t too fussed) and how it was tied back to England’s bloated butter-fingered backstop.
Over to you – I’d be pleased for my fellow ‘Nackers to answer my original question in the comments below. And feel free to click on the tweet at the head of this piece and see for yourself the range of ways that your fellow Australians responded.
P.S. – Erstwhile follower Jock Serong seems to be giving Twitter a wide berth these days – I’d love to know his answer.
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About Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt
Saw my first SANFL game in 1967 - Dogs v Peckers. Have only ever seen the Dogs win 1 final in the flesh (1972 1st Semi) Mediocre forward pocket for the AUFC Blacks (1982-89) Life member - Ormond Netball Club -That's me on the right
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In 5373 it was crease.
Playing schoolboy cricket it was to say loudly ‘wicket’ or ‘wicket leave’ for me. Sometimes just to bang your bat in the crease was sufficient.
At 4341 it was “Wickets!” – and usually very loudly to leave no doubts.
From memory, if the backyard game concerned was a bit more formal than usual (we’re talking my Geelong boyhood here), it was a call of ‘Wicket!’ The general principle, otherwise, was stay in your effing crease.
Love it, Swish.
Re: artificial/ real pleasuring devices – as long as the pleasure is real, I don’t think it matters.
I can’t recall anyone ever Bairstowing (to wander in a self-absorbed fashion) out of their crease in 3084.
But whenever anyone left their crease with purpose – to move a fallen branch, search for a ball lost in the ivy, enjoy a cup of lemon cordial – they would call “leave wicket.”
Same for the beach pitches of 3226, where pitch-maintenance trips out of the crease were pretty frequent.
It was “wicket leave” where I grew up (outer-eastern suburbs of Melbourne), though it used to be pronounced “wicket leaf” for some reason, usually bat still in crease until a nod of understanding from the opposition.
In Williamstown – 3016 – it was “Leave wicket”.
Jock is on Instagram…
Definitely “wicket” in our Melbourne neighbourhood- and for good measure you had to tap your bat beyond the stumps/bin, not just the batting crease as we didn’t always have chalk to mark a crease.
In Winchelsea HES it was “wicket” with a defiant bat struck firmly behind the bin, to remove all manner of dispute. RDL
Thanks all for those geographic examples, proving the point along the way.
“Wicket” was all that was required in my part of South West Vic
Definitely crease at 5066
I experienced both, but not at the same venue!
Very late to this party. In 7320 we said “wickets” for some reason. Good morning / evening Swish I hope you’re well.
It was “wicket leave” in the 3550 region of country Victoria
I reckon it was ‘Wicket’ or ‘Wickets’ on the Darling Downs – Oakey 4401.
It was most used when only one batsman was at the crease and had to make it to the bowler’s end for a single. Then, only after saying the magic word, could they return to the striker’s end to face the next ball.
Legalists revealed themselves in the application of this rule.