The Lockdown Diary - DAY 77

Couple of dial-ins, got a bit done and both kids had maths to cover, which was pretty good, but not as good as the main event.

Son had another net tonight, a three-hander, and his shot selection and offside work has come together immeasurably over the winter. Needs to work on his defence a touch but the impetuosity of youth... He also used the bowling session to try out a few things. If my shoulder were not hanging like a wrenched ham at the minute, I'd have found it difficult not to join in.

Recommended listening - Dave Brubeck, Take Five



Not like me to put up a bit of jazz, you're wondering, and you'd be right. However, it's the piece in particular because it's a quartet with memorable sax as "lead vocal". You'll have to allow me licence with the piano, but while out at nets watching the kids, on the outfield just beyond the square were a group of Asian lads having a knockabout (the lad batting was carting it about good style), beyond them were a family who'd set up an impromptu badminton court, there was a clutch of black kids having a cones-and-balls footie session on the other side of the outfield nearer us (and so to a certain degree in the firing line of Beefy's midwicket hoists).

You've got the tableau, but where's the jazz? Well, these four blokes turned up with what at a glance could have been cricket coffins but were in fact a set of drums (tinnitus brushes and all), two guitars and a sax which they decanted at the top of the pavilion steps, their own stage made real, and proceeded to have a leisurely rehearsal/jam session. It's not random, the club has a semi-resident jazz group who perform outdoors on given Saturday evenings when not in lockdown. I'll upset ML here, but it was like a lengthy break in play at an outground. All that was missing was a deckchair for me.

A very good day.

Stay well