Its a Falcon ! - Hamish Rutherford hits century on debut

A falcon is a bird.  Never take your eyes off the ball ~ the elementary rule for a budding cricketer – when batting you try to watch the ball as it is released from the hands of the bowler; when the ball is hit and is travelling towards you – whether on the turf or in the air, watch the ball, position yourself to field or catch….

Kiwis are not a strong team – they were thrashed by SA.  England did so well against spin in India ……… and you expected the results to be pretty different, far different from the way England are struggling against New Zealand in the Test.

Bowling to Kevin Pietersen can be a painful experience for the bowler – he can be hit all over the park.  The tale was different -  Wagner, already with his tail up after Cook's wicket, was spot on with his first delivery; full and straight with just a hint of shape to catch Pietersen in front. It was the fifth golden duck of Pietersen's Test career, the previous one was against Pakistan, at Lord's, in 2010 when he edged Mohammad Amir to the wicketkeeper. It also meant he joined Ian Botham at the top of the list of the number of golden ducks by those considered batsmen for England.

In this Test BP Martin and HD Rutherford made their debut……  the left handed Hamish Rutherford made a strong 171……….  He is the son of Ken Rutherford, who once toured India too…… Ken Rutherford who was a good fielder, made his debut in Test 1013 at Port of Spain and bagged a pair in his First Test; in the 2nd he made 4; in the 3rd – 0 & 2; then 1& 5; later in 1986 against Australia he made 65 & 0.  He eventually played 56 Tests making 2645 runs with 3 centuries and 18 ducks. 

His Hamish Duncan Rutherford, the 23 year old leftie has made an impressive debut here.  He joined JE Mills, BR Taylor, RE Redmond, MJ Greatbatch, MS Sinclair, Lou Vincent, Scott Styris, Kane Williamson….. those who made a century on their debut. There was this comment that when he briskly made 12, he had made more than what his father made in his first 7 innings.  When he struck hard, the commentator said :  'Oh no, it's a Falcon!'

Falcon is a bird,  of the family of hawks  which are known for their speed  in hunting.  Their acuteness of vision is wonderful, and they have very great powers of flight. They soar to a prodigious height in the air, always endeavoring to outsoar any bird of which they may be in pursuit, and to swoop down upon it from above; although it is far more difficult for them to rise.  There is a specialized welfare hospital devoted to Falcons in Abu Dhabi, one of the largest Avian hospitals. 

A Falcon is a tongue-in-cheek term used, often in football, to describe an accidental knock to the head with the ball. The phrase is believed to have  originated from rugby league in Australia. There is the 'Golden Falcon Award' informally awarded to players whose head came into contact with the football in professional matches.

So when the commentator said 'Oh no, it's a Falcon!' – it was that  painful moment for the fan who had come to enjoy watching the match, as the ball struck him on his head.  He was chatting to his friends and failed to watch the ball, though others were excited by the mighty lofted shot.   Fortunately, the hurt was not serious though.  Hamish Rutherford struck it neat and clean, the ball soared high, perhaps all spectators watched it – but not the man who was hurt.  

Having skittled England out for a pitiful 167, New Zealand finished the second day of the First Test 131-0. Hopefully the injured person was a Kiwi fan - otherwise his day would have been made even worse.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

News and photo of the event courtesy : www.dailymail.co.uk [the photo depicting the hit – the shot is not that particular shot but photo shopped for better depiction]