Thursday, December 20, 2012

A very Wisden Christmas

Courtesy of www.wisdens.org
'twas the night before Christmas 
Children smiled as they slept
Except in New Zealand
Rangi wailed and he wept.


For he feared that from Santa
His sack would be missin'
An old and well-read
Wisden early edition.
 

But he needn't have feared
For his Dad played an ace
And explained to young Rangi
Santa knew Dr Grace.

 
So, as Rangi now slept
With a smile and with glee
He dreamed of his present
A yellow book, he did see.

 
And the world was all well
Santa's myth still alive
For under the tree
Was a crisp '65.



Thanks for all your support this year. I've enjoyed writing far more than I expected, but nothing beats the comments and discussion that come off the back of it. If there's a cricket topic you're interested in, post a comment below or tweet me @aotearoaxi - inspiration is always welcome.

6 comments:

  1. This should be Christmas Number 1 , have a wonderful Christmas, Chris :-)

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    Replies
    1. Cheers, Chris, and likewise. I will be thinking of you and a white yorkshire Xmas as I soak up the sun, humidity and BBQs in the Hawkes Bay. Could be some late nights following NZ in SA though.

      Have a great Xmas, mate. One year, I'll get back for a proper UK Christmas.

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  2. Not a bad debut at all.

    Merry Christmas

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  3. When I was a lad, my Mum used to let my sister and I each pick one present from under the tree to open on Christmas Eve. It was her way of calming us as the excitement built towards the big day.

    In December 1977, I chose a small, but deep, box-shaped gift from my God father. I unwrapped that year's Wisden and spent the hours before bedtime studying it (and England's mauling by the Windies in '76). I spent more time with that present than any other I was given that Christmas and it's very definitely the only one I still own 35 years later.

    Wishing you a prosperous 2013, on the blog and elsewhere.

    Chris

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comments, Chris, and all the best for the year ahead from a sunny New Zealand.

      I love people's Wisden stories, they are one of the many reasons I was first drawn to the little yellow book. Unfortunately, the only one I ever get for Xmas is one paid for with my own hard-earned. Like a lot of collectors, you have your favourites you'll never pass up, regardless of how tatty or out of place they may look wit the rest of your collection. It's the memories that make the book as much as the book itself.

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