Captain O' Captain!

I have a new infatuation thanks to a series of questions to which I have no answers. It started last night before the Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Thunder match when my guest, who was new to live Big Bash cricket, pointed to the ground and said, ‘What is that?’ 

I looked to the purple foam and Lycra clad team mascot who was waving ‘Make Noise’ cards at the crowd from a cart with giant sparklers shooting from it.

‘That’s Captain Hurricane,’ I answered innocently. 

But the answer only prompted more questions between us, to the point where cricket was only our secondary focus… with Captain Hurricane, standing proudly in his shiny cape, he became central to my mind as the questions kept coming. My eyes kept roaming the ground to find him. 

Who dreamt him up? 

Did he have a day job?’

Was he an actor or an athlete?

Why was he wearing one 80’s rocker shoulder pad?

Was he a different person at each game?

Did he get paid a lot of money to wear such a costume on a stinker of a 30 degree day and dance about like that?

Who designed him?

Did he like chicken parma?

I began to see our beloved Captain Hurricane in a new light. 

Why did he wear purple washing up gloves and what looked like a purple sanitary pad over his eyes with holes cut in it? Was I being too harsh? 

There are elements of him that were very alluring, like his handsome cleft chin and his rock hard toned thighs. But what was the designer thinking when he gave our Captain Hurricane hair that could be described, (if you’re being kind,) as a dollop of chocolate Mr Whippy ice cream on his head, (or if you’re not), as a dog poo from a dog that’s eaten too much Chum.

As I wake this morning, I can’t get Captain Hurricane out of my head. Yes our George Bailey made 69 not out, giving us some status in our defeat, but Captain Hurricane became my real hero of the night. Afterall, he has to look out of his mouth to see and he didn’t have a water boy following him with every outfield ball chase like the cricketers did. He had to sweat it out. Which got me thinking, what sort of underpants does Captain Hurricane wear? Were they purple like mine?

Yes, Captain Hurricane is now my man of intrigue. But is he a man? Could he be woman with really strong legs? I love these deep ponderings between friends, prompted by the entertainment Big Bash Cricket delivers. Life at a BBL match is fun… more fun than you can ever know until you’ve been to one. I hope you get to a Big Bash before season’s end, and you meet your mascot. Your hero.

Hurricane hugs,