SOMETHING GREEN IN SOMETHING BLUE
Touchdown in Tassie
It had been close to 40 hours since I had left the comfort of my suburban home on a chilly Tuesday evening in Nottingham by the time I spotted Something Green in the vast stretch of Blue that lay before me. This was IT. TASMANIA. All of the ifs and buts, last minute meetings, lengthy emails, international networking attempts, of the last six months had led to this. I was finally there. Literally on the other side of the planet. Further from home than the moon.
My weary eyes were rejuvenated by vast expanses of wilderness and natural beauty as the island came into sight. Trees, mountains, lakes and rivers.
I was looking forward to it. Everything. The cricket, The work (or the possibility thereof), and Everything Else.
By the time the aircraft wheels made contact with the runway however, the initial buzz had given way to murmurings of apprehension. Â I was well aware that I was a stranger to all but two people on the island. At the time I did not have a guaranteed placement and I would be going straight into my first game two days off the plane. Though I had been training indoors at Loughborough, the conditions were likely to be different on the other side of the planet. I felt undercooked.
Evidently, this was a concern shared by Paul McNamara, President of the University of Tasmania Cricket Club. Paul picked me up from the airport and whisked me away to first team training at a picturesque training facility located on a cherry farm. Less than 90 minutes after landing in Hobart, I was slipping and sliding all over the impeccable turf training pitches in my plastic spikes, embarrassing myself in front of ex Test fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus.
Jetlagged and sleep deprived as I was, it was nice to get a hit outdoors to settle some of the early nerves. It was also much needed practice before the first game where I was under some self-imposed pressure to make a good first impression. Furthermore, I got to meet some of my teammates; people who would feature heavily in my life over the following six months. I don’t care what they say about Aussies; they’re all right. I was made to feel right at home.
After training, Paul took me to a fantastic Italian restaurant where I was treated to the largest shrimp I had ever seen. Fed and watered, I was taken to the local supermarket to get some essentials before being dropped off at the University Apartments; fancy student accommodation with massive bedrooms and a stunning view of River Derwent with lights from the other side shining brightly in the night.
It had been 50 hours since I had last been in a bed. The slumber that followed was long and delicious. My new life would begin on the morrow.
