Casing the joint

A week or two ago, I wrote about a possible mini-challenge later in the summer. Now that I won’t have the commitment to score every week, I am looking forward to watching a bit more cricket. Our 1st team play in the Southern Premier League while our 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th teams play in the Hampshire League. The challenge was to take in matches for all five teams on one day, watching a bit of each over the course of a long walk. Looking through the fixtures, the first day of the season – 6th May – would be the most likely chance of success.

The route would take in, from my home in Sarisbury Green, a long trek to Knightwood Leisure Centre, Chandlers Ford (4th team game), on to Wide Lane, Eastleigh (2nd team), Turnpike Way, Hedge End (5th team), and to our home grounds at Sarisbury Green (3rd team) and The Hollow (1st team). I am well acquainted with all these except Knightwood Leisure Centre.

I decided that I would case the joint at Knightwood and planned a route down the A27 to Swaythling before turning into Stoneham Lane past Eastleigh FC (they were away today) and cutting through a new housing estate. It was all going to plan until the road was fenced off for construction. It needed me to divert through Avenue Park, be half assaulted by a dog who apparently was “just playing”, finding Chestnut Avenue and then negotiating a large roundabout with the hypermarket. It became something of a slog but at least I had the designs of a reasonable route.

I reached Knightwood Leisure Centre after 11.5 miles and 3 hours 25 minutes. Not a bad pace given I had had to stop to check my phone map for an alternative when the road had been blocked. I noted that the 4th team game starts at 1pm so I would need to leave home around 9 – 9:15 am to give me time to get there, have a coffee and snack before watching the first few overs. A prominent sign told me there were refreshments but I was disappointed that they comprised a coffee machine at reception and a small rack of flapjacks, crisps and shortbreads. The cost of living crisis has hit hard here with a remarkably small (but reasonable tasting) coffee and a flapjack for £4.20.

Walking is more tiring when you’re not sure where you’re going and my legs already ached a little. But at least I know where to go in 9 weeks time and I might have the company of a colleague on the walk back. I wasn’t intending to preview all the other grounds on the way back today but I did want to check a short cut path through to Wide Lane. It took about an hour from Knightwood to there and I then took a less than direct route home.

It is very feasible. The biggest threat to success on 6th May is the weather but in that instance I have a reserve day on 27th May with a different set of grounds in Curdridge, Netley, Locks Heath and the two in Sarisbury. I must admit that I don’t fancy that one as much. The other threat is that one of the games in Sarisbury (or even in Hedge End) finish before I have the chance to get there. Sod’s law is that it’ll be the day when one of our sides skittle the opposition for next to nothing and then knock off the runs in no time.

My longest walk of the year so far at 25.77 miles. That was far enough for my heels and Achilles to feel the start of my boots wearing a bit thin now. These ones have given me more than a thousand miles so no real complaints. They are still good for walks of about 20 miles but I didn’t enjoy walking up Sarisbury Hill at the end. Recovery started with a nice mug of milk, a hot shower and then some corned beef hash. At least I hadn’t made a hash of today’s walk.