Now don’t tell me you get THIS in any normal blog. Anyone who knows the Editorial Team here at BOC will tell you that we really want Arron to write some blog pieces for us (Nonoxcol as he’s known round these parts). Well, he has, but this is completely different. He’s put together a crossword. Yes. Seriously.
I apologise that in my New Year horror-zone I had completely forgotten this (and a Man in a Barrel piece I also want to put up) and so this should have been up weeks ago. I hope you’ll be able to click on the picture and get the full size version of the grid.
And to the clues….
It is very BOC-centric so hopefully you will get the references! My thanks to nonoxcol for all the effort put into this.
This is no ordinary blog, eh?
If you wish to comment on the appointment of Joe Root, please read TLG’s post below. Judging by the current reaction it’s all a bit of a shrug of the shoulders.
Being Outside Cricket 
I had to give up when the answer to “a pest that won’t go away” wasn’t KP…!
LikeLike
Hi Philip. This may help:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/mar/02/colin-graves-ecb-woes-kevin-pietersen-england
I don’t see this as cheating, so much as helping to level the playing field between those of us with total recall of biased Guardian articles… and relatively normal people 😉
LikeLike
Fruit Fly was my guess. Only one I’ve got so far as I am lying in bed ill trying to work out how I can walk the dog, help my daughter with her homework and do the accounts whilst not moving from my bed.
Any advice welcome 😂
LikeLike
41 across is a good place to start…
LikeLike
Am I missing a clue for 2 down?
LikeLike
The 2 across clue relates to 2 down! There is no 2 across.
I have no idea why I haven’t spotted that before.
Sorry!
(There’s also an asterisk telling people not to be rude with their answer, as the final word has four letters and it’s sorely tempting given who 35dn is….)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi everyone.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed compiling it. As already established (see above!), some of it is for the cognoscenti – there are certain people I know will get these references without even trying, and some of them aren’t even named SimonH. However I am happy to help if you need a nudge in the right direction. Hopefully there are enough of the more general clues to enable you to fill in most of the grid.
It is largely derived from common topics and flashpoints in the two years of BOC and (before that) HDWLIA from Feb 2014 – Feb 2015.
I won’t be around for most of the day due to our AGM, but I can sweep through any queries this evening.
Good luck!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great job Arron, got a reasonable amount due to the wasted time on the G during the period covered. I must admit I’m not the worlds best at cryptic clues though.
If I can’t finish it can I just go and throw things at Trump and May as punishment?
LikeLike
Let me know the ones you are struggling with and I’ll give you a tip. You won’t be alone I suspect…
LikeLike
Thanks Arron but my inner masochist requires me to suffer through this. Although I’d far rather be throwing things at Trump and May.
LikeLike
Was working through it last night. 1 across better not be what I think it is.
LikeLike
All three of you are in there somewhere. How could you not be?
LikeLiked by 1 person
LCL I need to do another update on my piece, so hold it back a day or so
LikeLike
Some of these are hard for a knackered brain like mine!
This is alot of fun and must have taken some effort to pull together. Congrats Nonoxcol
LikeLike
Just printed it off, and will get back to you when I’ve finished it. In the mean time, have a great 2017! 🙂
LikeLike
Love the fact that one answer doesn’t have, or need, a clue!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was the idea from which the entire project sprang!
LikeLike
I am getting no bloody work done because of this. My wife is not happy with you Arron!
LikeLike
Update done, LCL…. Hope it still works for you. It makes me feel mighty depressed
LikeLike
Loaded it up as a draft. Travelling today so will have a full look tomorrow and then publish. Providing nothing major happens.
LikeLike
Just a heads-up – there’s a Tim Wigmore article on the Guardian cricket pages that’s worth a read. Puts so many of the regular “journalists” over there to shame.
LikeLike
I do like to see a bit of 54 across appearing ATL for once.
LikeLike
Tim gets it. I hope this commitment to thoughtful stuff continues.
LikeLike
I’d love to cross words, but the size of the clues is absurd!
My sight combined with an aged lappy due to be bin consigned
Makes it hopeless for this dope, less an eye
To even start, so never to complete! 😦
LikeLike
Can you save the picture and zoom in?
LikeLike
With apologies to Arron, and Private Eye, here are:
“Those Crossword answers in full…”
1: His 1985 Playfair entry
2: A broom cupboard
3: WAGS, but not mothers
4: Because Aggers knows his family, and he just wouldn’t do that sort of thing.
5: mentally fragile
6: Cook / Flower (delete as applicable)
7: A full dossier, very full, honestly
8: C – Johann Hari and Ed Smith
9: He doesn’t sing it.
10: two whole years
11: a so-called friend
12: All the media before an ODI in Ireland
13: about 10 minutes, including preparation for going on air
14: Something disrespectful to the Gods of Cricket
15: A great success (i.e. not 0-5)
16: mediocre
17: 6,6,6,6
18: in home conditions
19: 5,921 runs, and an ocean of acceptability
20: D – a double century at least (and not A – 95)
cont. on 99.94 blog…
LikeLiked by 1 person