This blog normally sticks to reporting about sport, football in Ankara in particular, but today yours truely actually went out and played some. Cricket in Ankara. Thought it never existed? Well it does thanks to the great work of a group of expat Pakistanis.
The pitch was a just a little uneven but the organisation was excellent. We all had all the kit, two umpires of course (who had walkie talkies to inform the scorers!) and we even had a proper medic, well, a guy with medic-type bag.
As for my game, lets just say that Isaac Promise is a damn sight better at football than I am at cricket. Unfortunately the Ankara Stars lost by (I think) six wickets to the Deri of Istanbul. I was told deri means village in Urdu.
It was a fun day though, although I have a feeling the bruise on my backside is going to be bloody sore in the morning.
Photocaption: The Ankara Stars line up before play.
EDIT early Monday morning: The second match was played on Sunday and despite weary limbs and one hell of a bruise your correspondent managed to score 15 runs. Not great, but not bad either. Unfortunately the Ankara Stars went down by about 30 runs to METU.
I am confused (that is probably normal I can hear you say !!).
ReplyDeleteNo, what I mean is.... being a Scottish person, I didn't understand the word CRICKET !
So, I checked in my Chambers Dictionary (Scottish Dictionary and therefore superior to Oxford and Cambridge) !! and....
Cricket.... a chirping insect !!
I don't think it is necessary to say any more on the subject !!!
All the best from Footie Fanatik Eski Kanka Jim
:-) My dear Eski Kanka, I don't understand word cricket as well. What is the deal in that sport? :-S
ReplyDeleteWhere is fun in cricket my dear Oz?
Confused Zagreb Kanka :-)
Dear Sir Eski and Zagreb Kankas,
ReplyDeleteIf you don't know what cricket is by now you will probably never learn.
As an aside, I did take Mrs Oz Kanka and Little Oz Kanka along yesterday and when I put on my pyjamas that you can see in the photograph Little Oz Kanka merely said one word: "Football"
Mmmmmm, so, as I thought, Little Oz Kanka has inherited his mother's brains !!!
ReplyDeleteThere is only ONE sport in the world and the name is.......
ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL
I am now volunteering to be Little Oz Kanka's adopted uncle !!!
All the best from footie fanatik Eski Kanka Jim
I'm not letting Little Oz Kanka anywhere near Sir Eski Kanka. I've already got to cope with the brother-in-law teaching him "sari-lacivert en buyuk Fener". How confused will the little bugger be with Sir Eski teaching him "sari-lacivert en buyuk Ankara".
ReplyDeleteMuch better to stick to the red and black of Gencler.
Oz, what does that mean?
ReplyDeletesari-lacivert en buyuk
Non-Turkish Kankie can not understand.
Dear Zagreb Kanka the chant I was talking about means, in English, "yellow, blue, the greatest".
ReplyDeleteAs both Ankaragucu and Fenerbahce play in yellow and blue (sari, lacivert) my point was that in order to end any confusion I'm teaching my little one how to sing "kirmizi, siyah, en buyuk, Gencler" (red, black, the greatest, Gencler).
Watch this space.... A video of Little Oz Kanka singing the chant won't be far off, I've just got to find the whip.
Shame on Oz Kanka the Child Molester !!!!
ReplyDeleteBeating his lovely little son with a whip is bad enough, but even more cruel and outrageous.... making him sing Gencler songs is unforgiveable.
In fact it is almost as horrendous as supporting The Aussies when they play The Mighty Croatia !!!
All the best from Child Lover and Blue and Yellow Ankaragucu blooded Eski Kanka Jim
I am red and white kind of girl! :-) I have no idea how to say that in Turkish, but in Croatian,.., bijeli i crveni. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are teaching me Turkish, so, I think I could teach you a little bit of Croatian. :-)
Hugs from Zagreb Kankie
Little Oz Kanka has now almost got the hang of "kirmizi, siyah, en buyuk, Gencler" - it's amazing what dawn to dusk teaching of a two-year-old can do.
ReplyDeleteI'll be putting a link up to the video site youtube any day now I reckon.
Once that's out of the way I guess the next project will be "yesil, altin, en buyuk, Australia"
Does anyone know if they have a Child Support Agency in Turkey ? If so, please contact me with the details soonest.
ReplyDeleteIt is my sworn duty to protect my adopted nephew from further abuse. Please help this defenceless little boy from his oppressive father's wicked ways !!!
All the best from a concerned Eski Kanka Jim
Once the Aussie project is done I guess I'll have to drop my republican tendancies and teach him the old verse from "God save the King/Queen" that really should be re-inserted into the British national anthemn.
ReplyDeleteGod grant that Marshall Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
victory bring,
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush
God save the King.
Rebellious Scots ??? Did I actually read that correctly ???
ReplyDeleteBrave, Courageous, Honourable yes, but rebellious....NEVER !
As The Romans, Danes, and Ingallish discovered to their cost.... a Scotsman will not surrender one inch of Scottish soil !!!!!
All the best from Proud Eski Kanka Jim
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete