Reggie Cox Scores A Run
This Joke First Appeared in issue 8 of "One Short" in July 1994
This is a short story about one of Cogenhoe Cricket Club's players and his start to the season of 1994.
To those of you who have never met Steven (Reggie) Cox , he is best described as a very muscular, six foot two inch, dark haired Adonis. For those of you who do know him, you'll still be laughing at the previous sentence.
Reggie is PROBABLY the best wicket keeper/batsman the club has ever known, in much the same way as Carlsberg is PROBABLY the best lager in the World.
It is true to say that in the past, Reg has had his knockers, but since going on a diet a year or two ago it's not now as noticeable.
Regardless of what anybody has to say about him though , it is certainly true to say that he is dedicated to our club. Every week he travels to games from his home in deepest Leicestershire. Not only is this travelling time consuming, but it also adds further expense, to an ever costly pastime. To add insult to expense, in his first match of the season against Northamptonshire Police, he opened the batting and was promptly caught second ball. In the next game, against Delapre, he was out first ball and in a mid-week cup tie he was bowled for a duck second ball. In other words, for a total of five deliveries and no runs, Reggie had paid an estimated £25.00 in travelling expenses and match fees.
The following week came the game against defending champions United Social and in a bid to relieve some pressure from his massive shoulders, the skipper dropped him a few places down the batting order to number six.
When the fourth wicket eventually fell a hush descended over the ground as everyone turned their gaze towards the incoming batsman. Expectation was low. Reg carefully took his guard and then looked all around him, memorizing the position of each and every fielder on the ground. He took his stance and then greeted his first delivery with a straight bat and the ball returned along the ground to the bowler. The second ball was played in much the same way , the only difference this time, was that the completed shot was followed by loud applause from around the ground to recognise the successful defence of two consecutive deliveries.
It was the final ball of the next over before he had to face again. It was a speedy, well pitched delivery, which Reg met on the half volley with an elegant shot straight out of the coaching handbook. The majestic stroke brought the crowd to their feet with open mouthed admiration. The ball shot towards the boundary with ferocious speed, only to be met on the line by a United Social fielder who in one seamless movement scooped the ball in his right hand and returned it into the wicket keepers gloves immediately.
This was a shot that surely deserved to score four but incredibly was indeed only a single.
Sadly Reg was out clean bowled with the next delivery and things returned to normal.
BUT AS THE SAYING GOES REG
"AT LEAST YOU GOT A GOOD RUN FOR YOUR MONEY"