I decided to make sports fields the theme of this post. All the ones pictured are used for multiple sports but I have only visited in summer to watch cricket.
This photo was taken in 2010, my first ever time at a cricket match and the first time I had seen inside Bellerive Oval. There is a big new grandstand where the two small ones are now which is a shame in a way because you can’t see the mountain as well as before.
My first visit to Bellerive Oval in 2010. It looks very different now.
In the lead up to the Cricket World Cup practice games were held at suburban grounds. This was at Kingston and I especially liked the way the ground staff had prepared for the game which was between Scotland and Tasmania.
patterns in the grass. Kingston Oval.
Another first for me was to travel to Launceston on my own to see a charity cricket match at Aurora Stadium.
Aurora Stadium, Launceston, Tasmania
This one was taken at the playing fields at Rupertswood, a grand old house in Sunbury, Victoria. Cricket history has it that the legend of “The Ashes” began here. Apart from the modern lighting towers, this place has not changed a lot.
Playing fields at Rupertswood, Sunbury, Victoria
On the same trip to Victoria, my friends and I went on a tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It was not a match day and I am unlikely to ever see any cricket played there because I won’t go to the mainland in summer if I can avoid it. However, I can imagine these empty stands full of excited fans on Boxing Day the traditional first day of the post Christmas Test Match because I have seen it many times on television.
I do enjoy action photography although I find it quite difficult. We used to go regularly to the Australian Grand Prix when it was held in Adelaide and I took many photos there, most of them still not on the computer as this was in the days of film.
Between 2010 and 2017 I practiced my skill at capturing moving objects at cricket matches at Bellerive Oval in Hobart. I went to a lot of games in that time always striving for the perfect capture, when I wasn’t busy cheering for our team or groaning at some awful play that is. The photography part was always fun even if we lost. Here are a variety of shots from those years.
Australian fast bowler Mitchel Starc.Looking up at the ballOne of the few occasions I’ve captured the ball leaving the bat.practice before the game.Spin bowlerThe Hurricanes warm up before a game.Tim Paine, Hurricanes and Australian wicket keeper.
Johnny Bairstow at Bellerive Oval during an England v Australia A tour match 2013
The Ashes are on again and the First Test is being played at “The Gabba” in Brisbane this week. I think this beardless boy is England wicket keeper Johnny Bairstow. This photo was taken four years ago when England were playing a tour match against Australia A. Hobart does not rate an Ashes Test Match which is a shame because I’d love to see one but hate going to the mainland in summer.
This bad photo is one of those ones that I kept because of the subject matter even though as a photo it is not very good. It was taken at a Hurricanes match that I went to with my friends Allyson and Matt a couple of years ago. Ally asked me to take a photo of her with Ricky Ponting but unfortunately where they were standing the floodlights really messed up the picture.
I was too disorganised to post anything this week so in the spirit of better late than never I’m posting my entry now.
Looking Up at the Night Sky Bellerive OvalLooking Up at the Ricky Ponting StatueLooking up at the ballLooking up at the new grandstandLooking up the steps at the new entrance to the cricket ground.Looking up at the fans.
As I mentioned in a previous post Allyson, Matt and I attended a charity cricket match in Launceston during our trip to the north of Tasmania. The match was to benefit The Ponting Foundation set up by former Australian Cricket Captain Ricky Ponting and his wife Rihanna. The foundation raises money to help children with cancer in Tasmania, Ricky is from Tasmania and still likes to support his home state even though he no longer lives here. Launceston is his home town so the stadium there, currently known as University of Tasmania (UTAS for short) Stadium, was the venue for the game. Most major men’s cricket matches are played in Hobart but when Ricky retired from cricket a few years ago a tribute match was played here featuring many well known cricketers and former cricketers and a few footballers as well. It was a huge success and also a lot of fun. I should know as I was there.
Hawthorn v North Melbourne
This particular cricket match had a football flavour to it as it was the North Melbourne AFL club who play some matches in Hobart versus the Hawthorn AFL club who play some matches in Launceston. Ricky, a North Melbourne supporter, captained that team while former cricketer and Hawthorn supporter Damien Fleming captained the other. There were a few retired footballers and Peter Siddle who has played cricket for Australia included in the teams.
Allyson, Matt and I arrived early for the match after a three hour drive from Hobart through what seemed like endless road works. We were happy to buy some food and relax in our seats which gave us an excellent view. There was another cricket match on when we arrived so we had a chance to set up our cameras ready for when the main match began.
The Trophy
Ricky Ponting and North Melbourne
Damien Fleming and Hawthorn
Later on the two teams came out to warm up and we took quite a lot of photos. I am not in the least bit interested in AFL and especially not in football teams from Melbourne so I did not take that many of them but concentrated on the three cricketers which soon became five cricketers when two of our favourite Hurricanes players, George Bailey and Tim Paine, arrived. We wondered why they had come in their uniforms and why they were having Go Pro cameras strapped to their heads. It turned out that they were to be the umpires.
Autographs
Tim Paine and George Bailey learn to be umpires.
Go Pro cameras
George Bailey and Hawthorn’s Jarryd Roughead
I won’t describe the match in detail but let’s say there was some very entertaining cricket played, not all of it good and some very close, some might say dubious umpiring decisions at times. However, the umpires word is law so if the batting team is four runs short and the umpire says that the last ball of the match is a no ball and must be bowled again who are we to argue? I really could not tell from where I was sitting if it was or not but as it resulted in a win for Ricky’s team I am not complaining.
Former Australian cricketer Damien Fleming – Photo by Allyson Clark
Australian Cricketer Peter Siddle – Photo by Allyson Clark
Damien Fleming and Umpire Tim Paine
Photo by Allyson Clark
Photo by Allyson Clark
Ricky Ponting bats
Ricky Ponting walks off the field.
It was not the easiest photography to do because of the long shadows the stadium threw across the ground at the evening went on. This proved quite a problem to me as I had not used my 100-300 zoom lens at twilight before. Allyson’s lens seemed to cope with it better. I have used some of Allyson’s photos here as credited.
After the presentation of the trophy the players all stayed around signing autographs and having their photos taken with the fans. When we left more than half an hour after the match ended Ricky and one or two of the footballers were still patiently signing for the few fans that were still there.
