Strike three

This was back when I hadn't played enough representative or club cricket to make it to even the first-class sides in New Zealand.

Our country side, Mouteka, was visiting the top of South Island to play Marlborough, who had in their side Gary Bartlett, one of the fastest New Zealand bowlers of the time.

They also had the best wicket in the country. Marlborough is one of the few places in New Zealand where the sun shines for long hours, and so the pitch was hard and quick.

Dave Cederman, our captain, had once won a light heavyweight boxing title in the navy, and he proceeded to give us a team talk about how even if the opposition bowlers were quick, we weren't going to be frightened; we were going to be on the mark and we were going to go at them.

The match got underway, and in the very first over one of our opening batsmen got hit on the hand. He wasn't wearing gloves, and it took the skin off.

Another player, who had not worn a protector, went to the hospital for two days. As for our honourable captain, the ball hit him in the face, breaking his nose.

I learned very quickly that it doesn't matter what you say at meetings; it's what you do on the field that counts.