Sporting Triumphs

Peter: I found another racketball tournament to play in recently. But as before with no one to play against I had no practice before hand. It didn't matter though as the tournament started at 12:00 and was finished by 4:00 the same day. I got to play two games, only giving away a few points, winning the tournament easily. Most of the people in the tournament I had seen at the previous tournament. As usual its the same people every time. Racketball just hasn't taken off over here. Only a few clubs push it where it is popular and other clubs haven't even heard about it. I don't think I will get to play anymore racketball while I am here. At least I can go out as a winner.

With no racketball to play I haved moved onto cricket. I need to do some sport. I play for a village team called Great Staughton. They are in Division 5 and are rapt to have on overseas player in there side. Andrew plays as well. The first match was played April 27th against Warboys III. We batted first and made 121. I top scored with 43, Andrew batted with me for a while and made 2. We then bowled the opposition out for 56. I took 1 wicket. Here is the report out of the local paper.

"Cricket Round-Up - April 26/27
17:44 - 29 April 2008
CRICKET ROUND-UPHunts League Division 5

Great Staughton fielded seven new players for the visit of Warboys III in the first game of the year, including Australian batsman Pete French.Batting first, Staughton struggled on a difficult track and fell to 121 all out. French, 43, and Jonny Brittain, 21, held the innings together.Warboys fell into disarray due to some fine bowling by Sam Gibbs (5-19), Dave Oddy (2-5 from six overs) and Curtis Gallagher (2-18) and collapsed to 56 all out."

The next game was at Ramsey on May 18th but he result was a bit different. We travelled to Ramsey where we batted first again. This time we were all out for 69. I top scored (again) with 19. They made the runs for the loss of 4 wickets. Anmdrew couldn't play because of his wrist. I don't play next week but after that there is four games in a row.

Andrews Injury

Andrew: On the 2nd of May we were meant to be going to London. But I put my arm through the bathroom glass panel. Then we went up to the hospital we waited 40 minutes then someone came and saw us. We thought we might only need stitches. When someone looked at it they cleaned it. Then I had an x-ray. On the x-ray it showed there was no glass in the cut. Then another doctor came and spoke to us he said you will have to have surgery tomorrow. After 5 and a half hours someone strapped it up then I went up stairs into a ward called the holly ward which is the kids ward. I had something’s to eat then I had to fast from 12 o’clock that night until the operation. The operation was meant to be between 6 and 9 am. But it wasn’t until about 10am. The operation lasted about 1 hour. Once it was done they said that I had cut it down to the bone and had cut 80% of my tendon I had also just missed my main artery. After that I went back to my room I had to have antibiotics until I left. That went into my arm like a drip. The rest of the time I just stayed in bed and watched TV. I came home Sunday night at about 10pm. My arm was in a sling and I had another sling to protect it more I couldn’t go to school for a while because if it got knocked it could bleed again. We decided we would go to London next weekend. After my arm has been in a cast for 2 weeks it has to go in a splint for 2 more weeks then I have physio.