Lashed by Flower

I was playing for Stone Cross, a second-division team in Sussex, against premier-league side Eastbourne in a county-wide T20 Cup game at Eastbourne.

Andy Flower opened the batting with Richard Halsall, former England fielding coach, currently with Bangladesh. Halsall was captain. Darren Stevens, later of Kent, was in the Eastbourne side too.

We thought that Eastbourne might reverse their batting line-up, but then we saw Flower and Halsall march out. Terrific.

It was a fairly breezy day, going across the ground. I thought it would help my left-arm inswing - outswing to the left-hander. Until I bowled the first one at Flower, that is.

We'd heard that Flower had been reverse-sweeping medium-pacers, bowlers who at our level would have been quick bowlers. Guys we would struggle to play normally.

First two balls of the game, I bowled two perfectly good, on-a-length awayswingers to the left-hander and they went through the covers for four before anybody moved. It was a typical Flower cover drive, on the up, just leaned into it. Picked up the line and swing so easy. Opened the face of the blade and it came off the bat like a bullet.

After that you get a bit nervous, don't you? One of those days when you think. "I'm going the distance, here." When you know you're out of your league.

I said to Halsall down the other end: "What's going to happen when I bowl him a bad ball?" He just laughed.

Next ball I tried to bowl one that swung back the other way. I've never been able to do that and it ended up a wide half-volley. Flower was down on one knee trying to reach it, got an under edge and cannoned onto his stumps.

As I followed through, he mumbled "Shit ball." Our captain, mumbled back. "Shit ball, shit wicket."

Eastbourne piled up a good 220 in 20 overs. We were about 70 for 9.

I said to Halsall in the bar, afterwards, "I really, really want to say something to Flower." And Halsall said "I wouldn't."

One of the Eastbourne players said to me. "However many shit balls you bowl for the rest of the time you play cricket, you'll always have 'A Flower, bowled Thornton 8' on your CV."