The Overseas Cricketer, 2014 edition

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while will possibly remember my issues with overseas cricketers coming to stay for the summer season. I did mention it here, many moons ago when I first started this blog, I know I've mentioned it since then too. Probably around March/April time every year in fact!.

Just to recap, the boys (and by boys I'm including the Builder) belong to a local club who, for a few years now, have made room for an overseas player to join the club for the summer. Did you know that you can buy a young, athletic, foreigner on the internet? Depending on how prestigious (wealthy) your club is and how skilled the overseas player is you can offer them money to play/coach, cost of their flights, a house or place to stay and a vehicle. In the past our club has been able to offer, flights partially paid for, a room to live in above the local pub (or our penthouse suite garage) and a bike or for the elite player an old banger with it's own set of jump leads!

I mentioned before how our garage was built and fitted out as a bachelor pad (should I say cricketer pad?) at great haste and with a great many helping hands one year, and all work on the completion of our house extension halted. Which I was told at the time was to make a great party room for the boys, however one week later a young Australian moved in for 4 months! - And the house still remains unfinished several years later!

I have stamped my feet, had tantrums and shouted in true only-child style and for a year the garage remained empty, well not exactly empty it's now full of old bikes, boxes of books and junk in general - up to the ceiling! - the house still remains unfinished but that's a whole other story!

I was told a couple of weeks ago that the overseas player for this year was due to arrive, he was picked up from Heathrow yesterday I believe. No one has made any attempt to clear the penthouse garage and I'm told he's been offered a room with a family nearby (club members) for the first month. Hang on, did they say for the first month only? Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I guess I'm about to be sweet talked for 4 weeks aren't I?

Apparently this young man from New Zealand is only slightly older than Number 1 son, and is here more to travel and experience England rather than being a top flight cricketer, we're off to meet him later today, I promise to stand firm and not offer him a place to stay - wish me luck.

On the plus side and at risk of showing my age I understand his surname is Cassidy, do you think he's related to David Cassidy?? In that instance I could change my mind!

 

I was obviously just a baby when he topped the charts!