The Googly

An English pavilion

Picture 476
Originally seen on Flickr (daveypea).

Couldn't be more English, could it?

Southgate

Went to Southgate today - picturesque ground in North London - to see Middlesex against Sussex. Terrific day it was too, written up here.

Outgrounds are a great way to watch cricket. There is an intimacy Test and county grounds can’t aspire to; a greater sense of the occasion rather than just the game. Sid was there too. It was his first trip to an outground having been to Lord’s, The Oval and so on and he was fascinated by the quaintness of Southgate. Most amazing of all though is that it is situated in N14, one of those postcodes which simply says “suberbia.” Yet, despite it being a stone’s throw from the Piccadilly line, you could almost be in the country.

Well worth a trip. It’s £15 to get for adults, and comparatively cheaper for kids - which I find pretty extortionate quite frankly - but it’s a super little ground and worth keeping an eye on Middlesex’s fixture list for forthcoming games. Also had a brief chat with John Emburey, who I rudely interrupted, who was a top bloke and very accommodating. Cheers Embers.

Langer's triple hundred

In case you hadn’t noticed…

He had already broken the record for the highest innings at Guildford, and this morning he passed Viv Richards’ record for the highest score for Somerset (322). He was within one shot of Charlie McCartney’s 345 - the highest by an Australian in England - when he fell. It is the seventh biggest innings in the County Championship.

Tendulkar is back

Sachin Tendulkar is back and has been declared fit to play in the tri-series in Sri Lanka:

“Tendulkar has been undergoing rehabilitation under the supervision of team physiotherapist John Gloster and in the last five days has made progress satisfactory enough to make him available for the Sri Lanka series,” he told reporters. “The report we have got is that Sachin is fit to play. He is available for selection again.”

More at Cricinfo

Goughie's big gob

I have to admit that when Sri Lanka were pissing all over England in the one-day series I did seriously long for someone of Darren Gough’s calibre as a one-day bowler. I even, momentarily, honoured the notion of recalling him. But then, he is so very old and so very up his own derriere - in his own cheeky, impish and mildly endearing manner - that I’ve binned the prospect of him ever returning, especially when he sounds off like this:

“I never give up and I’m determined to get back in but the only reason I’m not selected was the fact I did Strictly Come Dancing,” he told BBC Five Live.

“The reason I took the winter off was to spend some time with my children and it was the best winter I’ve had.”

Who is he trying to kid? He spent the winter prancing around for some extra dosh. He ends it with:

If I don’t get a recall for the Pakistan series, I’m not going to get the recall

Well, duh.

Return of Fred

I was on Cricinfo's ball-by-ball commentary for the first Test against Pakistan, an exhausting yet uplifting experience. It was the first Test in which the ball-by-ball coverage was handed over to Editorial staff - my boss had done the one-day series against Sri Lanka to great success - and, all in all, it was a triumph, met with very positive feedback. Great fun, too.

Anyway, that's by the by. Fact is, I watched practically every ball of that Test which left me with a feeling England did start the series pretty well. Their bowling attack is still missing Andrew Flintoff, but today he made his first proper comeback with an excellent 10-over spell, grabbing 2 for 16 for Lancashire today. With him back for Old Trafford and the second Test, we hope, England will be infinitely more potent with bat, ball and leadership.

Ashes injury update

Good grief. There's actually been some good, positive news about Simon Jones. Well, nearly. Apparently later this month he will learn of his fate in this winter's Ashes series. This is tremendously exciting, or very nearly so; England do need him back, rather desperately. And while I'm not at all hopeful of him returning, at least the noises being made are of a positive nature.

I put the report up on Cricinfo yesterday. Check it out.

Desperately seeking authority

Andrew Strauss was given the unenviable privilege of captaining England in the first Test against Pakistan at Lord's. He is not only a stand-in, but a stand-in for a stand-in (a double stand-in?). He failed to summon or convey any sense of authority in the first three days of this Test yet today struck a hundred to silence those who, perhaps, felt he was weak of character and lacking in authority. However his quality and authority as a batsman has never been in doubt, and the first three days remain a slight concern.

He joined unique company, too, today; only Allan Lamb and Archie MacLaren have made hundreds on their captaincy debut. To do it at Lord's, his home ground and where two years ago he made a hundred on his Test match debut, gave the occasion added posterity and wistfulness. His celebration on reaching three figures was noteworthy too; gone were the youthful arm-swinging and bat-waving of 2004. In its place, both arms were calmly raised in a gesture which perhaps signalled his relief in leading from the front as he intended. Although he had just run out Ian Bell...

He is no Flintoff. There is a diffidence and reverancey to his character; he is a potentially fine writer on the game, an erudite reader of match situations and ever since his debut has been earmarked as a Future England Captain. Unlike Flintoff's "follow me into battle, guys", his calm air might serve him and England well in the forthcoming months.

The first three days are nevertheless a real concern though. Nothing much happened. And when nothing happened, he did little to affect a change. A resigned smile, hunched shoulders and much chewing of nails did little to stop Mohammad Yousuf, much as it will do nothing to stop Ricky Ponting and co. in the winter. Without the tongue-lashing of Michael Vaughan England rather drifted along. Well done, Strauss, but Flintoff's my man for the Ashes.

Ponting "embarrassed" by 2005 defeat

The Australians are still hurting, quite painfully, in handing over the Ashes last summer

"It's a huge series for the team," Ponting told the BBC. "To be the first one to hand over the Ashes in 18 years was something the players were embarrassed and ashamed about. England will face a better Australian team than they did last time."

Bless em.

That's not a woman, is it?

Contrary to popular belief I am a supporter of women's cricket. However, the news that the ICC will now accepted gender-changed men to play women's cricket had me in fits. Can you imagine the farce?

Written about it at Cricinfo in The Week That Was.