24 Hour Batting #getroblegless

Calling on all members of the cricket community and anyone who wants to help out ………. Can you dig in and help me bat for 24 hours on Wednesday 29th November into Thursday 30th November 10am - 10am at The Indoor Cricket Centre

There aren’t many of players who be it playing on a Saturday, Sunday or Midweek wouldn’t know Rob. My first meeting with Rob was in a game against Ferndown Strollers midweek in a 20/20 game, and I’m sure he’ll thank me for pointing out that this game saw the start of a near tradition of playing against him and being involved in the fall of his wicket (sorry mate …..) as we met in further games indoors and on Sunday’s.

I got to know him far better however as a coach when he was working with Poole Town and through his coaching progression in session with South Dorset with my youngest son, Flynn in 2016. To his credit, and the credit of both set ups Rob's the epitome of a coach and the group of coaches at Poole Town, always taking time with the kids and to discuss any concerns or plans for development with parents. This is where I got to know more about his cricket past, his level of play previously and his plans and hopes for the future, and how he became involved in disability cricket for Dorset which resulted in him going on to Captain England Disability Cricket following his tumour. Rob moved on to a coaching position at Ellingham at the start of this season, but we kept in touch through games though the year with him always asking about Flynn’s progress. Having got to know him, it summed him up as a man and as a coach. Always keen to help, always keen to be up to date and looking for things to work on. 

I hadn’t seen Rob for about 7 weeks before hearing about his choice for the amputation, the only inkling I’d had of him struggling with pain in his leg was a Facebook post about looking to buy an automatic car because of pain when driving. True to his nature though it was little fuss, just a question about recommending a decent car dealer who could help sort the need. It made the post about his fundraising for a leg amputation a surprise to say the least, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one left scratching my head at first, but as I read through his reasons for funding it became clear not just that it was necessary for him and his family, but just how long he has been battling pain and weighing up the decision to start his funding campaign, which I want to help with.

It’s amazing that Rob has funded the £15,000 for the operation, but the needs won’t stop there with physio needs, vehicle adaptions and prosthetics.

With the help of Dorset Cricket Centre at Christchurch they have offered to assist with providing a location for me to solo bat a 24-hour net session against both bowlers and bowling machines to further Rob’s funds. A truly magnificent gesture of them to provide the facility, but when I mentioned the plan I was laughed at and called crazy, when I mentioned who it was for ………. I had an agreement to put the session the very next day. Proof if ever needed of how much you man to people in cricket mate (even if you said not to do it when I phoned to discuss it with you)

One question few have asked is why do it, and why for Rob. Those who have asked have had only a little of the truth. Mainly, and when it was first discussed on a trip to the Rose Bowl with Talbot CC for our end of season do to watch England wallop the West Indies, they were already aware of my plan to try and do the net, I’d had few ideas about who for but when sat on the train on the way to the ground the discussion became clear…….. “let’s get in on for Rob, I need help from cricketers to make it work so let’s do it for a cricketer”, but few have had the other part.

Some of you know, some of you won’t that Flynn, my son who Rob coached is Autistic. His biggest outlet, his biggest enjoyment, his main way of being ‘socially normal’ is sport. He’s a decent goalkeeper and a decent cricketer and it helps him function day to day, it give’s him an escape. His frustrations come out in training through physical exertion and it gives him a situation where he can be quirky and nobody cares. It’s something I can’t fault either Dexter Sports where he plays football, or Poole Town where he plays cricket. He’s accepted everyone who coaches him for who he is and I couldn’t ask for him to be in better set ups.

What Rob was able to give Flynn (and us as parents) though was something a little different, he helped cement a mentality that disability doesn’t define who you are. Our biggest challenge as parents has always been keeping Flynn in mainstream education and in mainstream sport because of what it provides our biggest fear has always been that being taken away from him. Rob gave us the belief to never be held back, and I remember the chat we had stood on the tennis court at Poole Grammar School about the Middlesex Disability Side he was part of who were working towards becoming league champions. It gave balance to me about the options available to Flynn to continue sport both in mainstream circles and also the options that could be opened up to him in disability cricket should that be a path he may want to take and the pride with which he spoke gave me more clarity than anything about never allowing barriers to be put in front of you.

There’s a real strength in Rob as a man, and a warming humbleness to him that’s beyond infectious. Please help, turn up and bowl, feed balls into a bowling machine, keep me smiling (and probably help keep me upright at some points!) and let’s get Rob legless.