Anyone notice some of the new headers? They mainly come from the Bell / KP partnership in 2011 v India. Look for more new pics in the future…
The international cricket spotlight is currently on Sri Lanka as the first test against Australia evolves. In the spirit of following the ECB Chief, we aren’t likely to be seeing a 4th day if the weather holds. Simon has pointed out that there are Youtube highlights of the match, so good luck if watching 100 play 200 plays 100 excites you.
James over at the Full Toss has done a piece on the T20 changes that Nick Hoult was signalling in his Telegraph article. I’m genuinely glad James still cares, because, frankly, I don’t any more. It’s the usual response to something perceived as a “shiny toy” and it is appropriate that Vaughan is one of the key proponents of a Big Bash for Britain. The counties are destitute and this may be their only way of making money (if it is for the collective good) but that’s never been the English way. We’re all in it for the cash, and instead of getting a good for all product like the Big Bash, which didn’t make a heap of cash in its first incarnations, we’ll try to replicate the IPL and its bidding for players. But as the game is dead in the mainstream conscience now, it won’t be able to work. So we’ll end up with a dog’s breakfast. When the two biggest counties, Yorkshire and Surrey, the two teams you would presume least threatened by the new system, are worried about it diluting their brand, you have to take notice. But it’s T20. It is fluff. It isn’t for me, but that’s not the point. I’ve got more than enough to worry about other than an arcane structure that is beyond repair. It’s like my boiler. I pray I get another year out of it each year.
I finished reading an old book I found in my cupboard – Andrew Strauss’s tour diary of the Ashes in 2010/11. It also includes a bit about the India series and the World Cup. Interesting that he does nothing but praise KP throughout the book – pointing out he can be a tricky customer, but he was also a great help – and also some of the “culture” stuff. I may do a more full review in the next couple of days.
I have a piece half drafted on a test match 30 years ago. There’s not a lot to read on that time, that English summer, but I was after one piece of assistance from you. Graham Gooch did not tour the following winter – the Ashes series which I intend to do a series of articles on in the same way as I did Blackwash II – and I wasn’t really sure why. Anyone know the reasons?
I visited a cricketing figure today. Put it on Twitter and only pktroll and metatone acknowledged it.
Heathens.
Also, on the way home, I saw this article in the Evening Standard. I quite like Tom Collomosse, but this was every bit as much mailing it in, as this post feels. Do we really need some stupid antics to liven up the series. I think we’d prefer a third and fourth test that has competitive cricket and great matches, rather than a few rows. I don’t know. I think I’m getting old.
The other project in mind is something that will get our fans across the social media sphere in a complete whirl. The old labels will be out. They come here, of course they do, and there will be the usual. But let me think about it. It will be a lot of hard work.
And, remember all. Fill in our Q&A. The responses so far have been great, and a couple of new faces have appeared. It also meant I read back some classic posts of last year, including A TLG special called Publish And Be Damned, and one I wrote called Bruised, where I was told that certain journos “have never read the blog”. Then there was a classic Maxie too, which all derived from a post I wrote about Adelaide to Perth. Dig them out. If I get time tonight, I’ll link them.
Have a good night everyone.
Being Outside Cricket 
If I recall correctly, Gooch didn’t go to Oz in 86/87 as his (then) wife had not long had twins and he didn’t want to be away for the winter.
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That article in the Standard is why I reject the whole English media’s (looking at you Newman) fetish with the so called ” spirit of of cricket. It’s a bullshit concept, full of hypocrisy. Aggers was defending his criticism of Broad on his interview with Parkinson. Now I am no friend of the Broad family, but he did not break any law by not walking. It’s not in the rules that says you have to walk. Ask any Australian. Instead, an absurd culture of what is acceptable has been created but a group of lofty insiders which has nothing to do with the laws of the game.
After all the concern before the series that it might kick off, the media in their usual hypocrisy are now complaining there is not enough Agro. Really? I’m reminded of Newmams tweet about how he disliked the WI celebration at the 20/20 World Cup. Both men’s and woman’s teams. Not in the spirit you see. Jesus wept!
On a lighter note, I did have to laugh at this sentence about Pakistans celebration at Lords……..
” Who could fail to enjoy Pakistans celebrations at Lords?” How about the England captain who sulked about it?
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http://thecricketcouch.com/blog/2016/07/28/ed-smith-pulls-a-melania-trump/
How interesting.
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That is hilarious!
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Beware. Smith may have written both. He writes for the Economist.
http://www.edsmithwriter.com/longform
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Great catch!
So either Smith wrote both pieces or he plagiarised one from the other? If he wrote both pieces he is getting paid double to give the same content.
Funny he should write for both the New Statesman and the Economist. Bit like Henry Ford. “You can have any colour you like, as long as it’s black.” Both magazines come in a different wrapper but serve up the same “conventional wisdom.”
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From Crinfo’s biography of Gooch: In the 1980s Gooch was often where the action wasn’t: he was banned for three years for leading the first rebel tour to South Africa, a decision he never adequately explained, perhaps even to himself. Even when unbanned, he was often refusing to tour and threatening to come home. England made him captain only because there was no-one else.”
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Calling Captain Renault!
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/27/ecb-city-based-t20-cricket-county-officials
They should just print a synopsis of “The Scorpion and the Frog” with every article about the ECB.
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It seems this story has been leaked to Nick Hoult, although credit must be given to Charles Sale for kicking it off and giving it legs.
I’m personally ambivalent to the whole thing, but am hoping the county chairmen will be the instrument of death to the machinations of Mr Mediocre and his chums! This battle could be epic!
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Newman’s twopennorth..doesn’t seem as enamoured with Colin as he is with Giles?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-3711356/Cricket-turmoil-plans-city-based-T20-revolution-s-war.html
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Read this on the way in. “Verbal gaffes” is of course Newman-speak for calling a mediocre West Indies team “mediocre” but more importantly for opening up the chance of the great Satan playing for England again. He will never be forgiven for that.
That he’s crap (Graves) is not the issue. But look at the notes to the ECB accounts to see how he might get one of the big boys in line.
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Ever since Graves has made it clear he wants to stick with Sky for this new tournament I have paid little attention. If the chairman of English cricket still thinks that hiding all cricket behind a pay wall for a game that is dying is a good idea, then he is not to be taken seriously. But that is the mess they are in. Sky now bankrolls English cricket.. All those big salaries and expense accounts would have to be trimmed right back.
Nero fiddles while Rome burns. (Is that an Ed Smith historical example?)
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Those cutbacks at the Guardian must be the reason why Selvey’s latest hasn’t got any enabled comments.
Nothing to do with the flak that was going to fly his way about the Stokes’ injury, of course!
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Warning: a Test match may be breaking out!
SL 100 ahead with 6 wickets left. Mendis playing some innings.
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Chandimal sawn off by a suspiciously high-looking LBW.
Guess the umpire….
SL 120 on with 5 wickets left and Australia a bowler down (O’Keefe done his hamstring). This pitch may be improving and it is the ground where Pakistan scored 380-odd in the 4th innings last year to win. However SL didn’t have Herath or the new spinner Sandakan then.
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Mendis has the highest Lankan score against Australia in SL (overtaking Gurusinha’s 137 from nearly a quarter of a century ago).
Long way to go to Sanga’s 192 as the highest anywhere. There are also three other higher SL scores against Australia in Australia (by Aravinda De Silva, Dilshan and Gurusinha). Weird that SL’s batsmen have been better in Australia than at home against them.
Mendis has just been dropped off a caught-and-bowled.
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Kusal Mendis probably playing his innings of once in a life-time. If not, some serious record are going to be shattered …
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The greatness of the game, isn’t it? One superhuman performance renders the rest of the match as a sideshow. Probably why I loved Lara so much.
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De Silva holed out to mid-off giving Lyon his 200th Test wicket.
Lead around 190 with 4 wickets left. Second new ball due and weather starting to look dodgy again.
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