I can tick off the first of my 52 challenges for this year.

This afternoon we went to a T20 cricket match.

I’ve never been particularly interested in cricket and never imaged I’d want to go to a match. But the Aussie Big Bash League is a fast and fun format of the game. Eight teams competing against each other, with each game limited to twenty overs per team. I’ve been hooked on the tv coverage in recent weeks.

It was the last home game for the Hobart “Hurricanes”. We were part of a record crowd. It was a real family affair with people of all ages, lots of kids and teens, girls and boys. Lots of purple in the crowd, supporting the local team. It was as great atmosphere, lots of clapping and cheering.

I know more about cricket than I ever realised. I’ve obviously taken more notice of office conversations over the years, male colleagues talking about sport. I’ve even been explaining some of the rules to an Aussie.

It turned out to be an exciting game. We lost by 1 run.

The visiting team went into bat first, scoring 173 runs for 5 wickets. After the interval, the home team steadily scored runs, but not quickly enough. The run rate increased. We needed 42 from the last 16 balls. The crowd cheered as the batsmen hit the ball to the boundary scoring fours and sixes. We needed 16 runs from the last over. Everyone around us was doing the same maths, 3 sixes or 4 fours from the six balls. Then it got down to needing 6 runs from the last 2 balls. The penultimate ball took a wicket when the non–striking batsman was run out. A four from the last ball was not enough to win the game. Oh but how thrilling. I’m glad I went along.