The Googly

Grass roots cricket is the place to be

This is my farewell piece here for the Googly and it's hard to know where to begin or what to write.  With only one piece left, I wondered whether to continue with the off-stage antics of Shane Warne - thinking the tram-crash fest in Melbourne last week - or whether to write about something closer to home.

I've chosen home because I'm sure you all know about the other thing! So last weekend I went to our season opener. A triangualar tournament of Twenty/20s between Lossie, Elgin and Fochabers. What a day to open the cricket season. Minus about 10, no-one there but me and the prettiest ground in the north-east looking dreadful because all the trees are still in full winter mode.

A ground that delights in being situated beside the Spey and lined on all sides by lovely trees was left looking like a 12 year-old's football playground at the side of the A96!

It didn't matter - my team hammered the opposition to win their matches and to my surprise, enchanted with some damn fine cricket. The match I'd been to before this had been Australia v India at the MCG. Sitting in the sun there, I had been entranced at the sight of Ishant Sharma befooling the Aussies with his magnificant bowling, and equally been impressed by Gilchrist walking when palpably not out. Last weekend, everyone out walked before the umpires even gave them out. It was cricket as I know it.

There could be no greater contrast between freezing to death at Fochabers, and having to leave the MCG because it was too hot. Amateurs playing for nothing but the love of the game - professionals earning their livings, but there was something that made these two experiences the same. I was the fan at both matches. I cared. In fact I probably applauded my mate Dave with more enthusiasm when he got a wicket than I did Ishant.

This may be the end of The Googly, but it won't be the end of fans wanting to have a voice.

It's been great fun being part of this and I hope all readers will find their way to other sites. Here at The Googly we have directed readers to check out many up and coming England cricketers - so follow our stars. Last year Toots and I brought you all the news of the County Cricket and hopefully you enjoyed that. Keep the faith. County Cricket is not dead. Outside the Counties, not just here in Scotland, cricket is a fine place to be. See this little song from someone in Oxford:

If you go down to the Parks tomorrow, you’re sure of a big surprise,

If you go down to the Parks tomorrow, you’d better go down in whites,

For ev’ry fan that ever there was, will gather there for certain, because

Tomorrow’s the day the Oxford UCCE play Nottinghamshire

Ev’ry cricket fan who’s been good, Is sure to see 3

England

players,

Including a leading wicket taker, and lots of runs beside

Beneath the spires where nobody works, they’ll bat and field as long as they please,

Cos that the way the cricketers have their innings.

All the best to my readers. Follow the links and you'll find me elsewhere.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig}

Performance of the Day - Andy Bull

Today we are continuing with post-modern irony. There's nothing else we can do really as followers of England cricket. Thanks to the rain - monsoonal conditions were described - Cookie and Belly held up hopes for a draw after Vaughanie had been dismissed in the 19th over. Caught Jayawardene, bowled Weledegara. In the words of today's PotD chap - it was another crapulous shot from the England captain. And a soft dismissal just when he should have been demonstrating to the rest of the top order how to bat out 5 or so sessions.

I am losing the will to live in this match - we've lost, why not just lose honorably? So today's Performance goes to a journalist who has stuck with this series through thick and thin - early mornings and hangovers not withstanding. Day after day we have been able to wake up and log on to Guardian Unlimited's very own diamond - Andy Bull and today, with play faltering, Andy treated us to a rant worthy of the Good Doctor Mark Kermode.

We've got to go through it all tomorrow - Andy won't be holding our hands as the baton has been passed to young Sam Collins but hopefully we'll all log on again and if we don't, you can always relive the rant here:

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/englandinsrilanka200708/story/0,,2231008,00.html

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Performance of the Day - Paul Collingwood

I've just heard a report on Sports News that England teams are dominating. Obviously this does not refer to cricket. England suffered their worst collapse in five years this morning and without wishing to detract from the superb performances of Chaminda Vaas and UWMBCA Welegedara, this had more to do with the tourists' utter ineptness than anything else. It wasn't just the soft dismissals, but the two comedy run-outs - Ian Bell and Monty Panesar - that proved England can be World Champions at being rubbish.

We do live in a cynical age and it is in this spirit of post-modern irony that I award the PotD to Paul Collingwood rather than to Mahela Jayawardene - who batted like a god again today, Chaminda or young Welegedara. All of whom deserve it for their fine cricket. No Colly gets it, not for being England's top-scorer with 29 (one of only three England batsmen to get into double figures, or four if you count extras), but for his extraordinary post-match interview. He recognises that England are "in a slump" but worryingly he thinks they are "heading in the right direction".

AAARGH! Someone buy me a new sofa NOW! Mine is not big enough to hide behind.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

England eke out a draw in weather-affected Second Test

The weather undoubtedly helped England slog to a draw in the final day of the second Test in Colombo, but for the first time this tour, I can't help agreeing with captain Michael Vaughan that there are positives to draw today.

After Mahela Jayawardene called his boys in yesterday, declaring on 548 for nine, Vaughan and Alastair Cook negotiated the final overs of the day safely and returned to the crease this morning with 54 runs on the board and all of England's wickets intact. They made a speedy and confident start and Vaughan had pushed on to 61 when he was undone by Dilhara Fernando - caught and bowled, and he trudged off knowing he was the source of his own undoing. Cook and Bell plugged on until lunch - with a brief rain-break - but Cook was gone to the first ball after they resumed.

This brought Kevin Pietersen out to join Bell and they were fine until young Ian hoisted a ball from Muralitharan straight to Michael Vandort and thereby failed again to convert a fine half-century to something England really needed. His record really is not good on that front - in 14 Tests since last November, he has made his fifties in 11 but only converted one.

As skies darkened and rain clouds massed, KP and Paul Collingwood dug in, with KP the more flamboyant and Colly the dogged one - so no change there. At tea, England had a 53 run lead, and looked capable of batting out the final session but this was not required as the rain swept in and play was abandonned for the day and the match declared drawn.

The most encouraging thing to take away from this match is that Steve Harmison proved himself match-fit, bowling 41.5 overs and although wickets did not fall before him (he took three), they also failed to fall for the Sri Lankan fasts. Whether or not he will succomb to the "homesickness" that has so troubled him on earlier tours of the Sub-continent, it is probably too early to say, but in yesterday's post-match interview, I saw a man in a very positive frame of mind, determined to retain his place in the Test side and eager to get on to the next challenge. Ryan Sidebottom was also a reason to be encouraged - his three wickets came at an economy of 2.77 - only slightly higher than Harmy's of 2.65 and Stuart Broad's 2.63 - who took his first Test wicket (Vaas) and like Sidebottom bowled 36 overs.

Monty Panesar seems to have attracted a lot of criticism with pundits wondering if his Test game has been damaged by One-day exposure, but actually he only did badly in comparison with Murali. Going for 151 in the course of 50 overs and with two wickets is not a hugely bad position to be in and he didn't have the greatest of fortune regarding his fielders. Prior missed a stumping off a Monty ball and someone else, Cook or Bell, I think, missed a decent chance of a catch.

Sri Lanka's toiling in the field today suggests to me that England's problems lie not so much with the bowling attack but with the failure of the top order to convert decent 50s to big hundreds.  Vaughan's 87 in the first innings - although beautifully played - does not stack up against M Jayawardene's 195 and so it goes on down the order. Cook, Bell, Pietersen and Collingwood must make their first innings stints really count and give the bowlers something massive to defend.

The weather, and Mahela's late declaration in the first innings combined to give England a get-out-of-jail-free card in Colombo. It won't happen again and going into Galle 1-0 down in the series gives the coach and selectors a lot to chew over for the next few days. Shah in for Bopara might not be a bad bet.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Performance of the day - Sanath Jayasuriya

By all rights PotD today should probably go to Mahela Jayawardene for his decision in the evening session to toss the ball, not to a fast bowler, but to the at the time wicketless Muttiah Muralitharan.

But it doesn't.

My choice is a more emotionally-led one, although Sanath Jayasuriya's dismissal of Ravi Bopara could possibly have been match-winning. But it's not for that wicket today that he gets the award. It's because this is the last chance he has in the Test arena to get the prize and I'm soft that way.

Sanath has been a jewel in the Sri Lanka side since his debut against New Zealand in 1991. He has played 110 Tests (making 6973 runs) and added a further 12207 international runs in 403 One-day matches. 307 One-day wickets and 98 Test wickets stand testament to his importance to Sri Lanka in the bowling attack.

He took over the captaincy of Sri Lanka in 1999 and it is widely acknowledged that his consensual style (a contrast to the dictatorial approach of his predecessor Arjuna Ranatunga) created a happy and unified team. His warmth was much appreciated during the time he graced these shores playing for both the MCC and Somerset.

Last year's retirement from International cricket didn't last long and Sanath was back in England for the One-day series last summer. This time, however, it is unlikely that he will rescind his decision, certainly for Tests and so I thought it appropriate to celebrate him today.

Runner-up number three today has to be Ian Bell for coming so close to shepherding the tail home and for playing the most mature innings of his career.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Defeat for England in Kandy

It was no real surprise to me to return home this afternoon and discover that England had failed to drag a draw from the jaws of defeat. I had managed to sustain a smidgin of blind optimism after Ian Bell and Matt Prior had survived the afternoon session intact, but with the new ball due after the 80th over, in my heart I knew we would lose. It was just another day of England doing to us what they do best: tempt us with false hope before condemning us to the reality of yet another loss in the Sub-continent. If memory serves me right, since victory in Colombo in 2001, we have only won three times in 13 attempts, and two of those wins were against Bangladesh. It's hardly a record to inspire hope, especially in the situation we found ourselves in today.

So a few facts: we started off either needing to score 350 runs to win, or bat out the day for a draw both of which looked unlikely at close of play yesterday. We failed to do either and Sri Lanka won by 88 runs - which in all honesty they deserved.

Predictably the morning began badly. Vaughan went in the 10th over for a mere five. Jimmy Anderson hung around for a bit but all too soon he was gone - and in this instance we really needed a nightwatchman who could stick around. Ian Bell was joined at the crease by the man known by some as The Ego and broken hand notwithstanding, I allowed myself a glimmer of hope. Surely KP could pull out a blinder and Bell could support him. No. Dilhara Fernando delivered an absolutely unplayable ground-level ball and Kevin was gone. Collingwood did nothing to dispel the gloom and it was up to Ian in partnership first with Bopara and then Matt Prior to offer resistance and that glimmer of hope.

Sadly it went Sri Lanka's way after tea. Bell and Prior dispatched with the new ball and the bowlers just couldn't hold on for what would not have been much more than 15 minutes to get the draw. As has so often been the case, Murali was the trump card for the Lankans and while I was surprised not to see Vaas be the demon with the new ball, Murali was exceptional in the final session despite the slowness of the pitch.

I can't see England doing anything but lose this series now and I was, quite frankly, astonished to hear Michael Vaughan in the post-match interview saying that the side can "take a lot of positives from this defeat".

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

A bad day at the office for England

Before I launch into what may well become a rant about England's hopeless, hapless and lacklustre display this morning, I must proffer warm congratulations to Kumar Sangakkara for today's fine 152 to add to his also fine 92 in the first innings. However I am an England supporter and most of my thoughts after close of play today are to do with how ghastly they were rather than concentrating on the strengths of the opposition. In fact, England were so woeful that it is hard to judge the opposition - they were barely tested.

It's hard to recall, even after just a few hours, at exactly what moment I realised that getting up at 4.30 am this morning had not been a good idea. Things didn't actually start too badly. Matthew Hoggard wasn't bowling badly and his second over was a maiden, but it went rapidly downhill from there. By the time I'd brewed up a jug of strong coffee I was wondering whether the caffeine would be better employed energising the England team.

Both Test Match Special and Guardian Unlimited's Over-by-over coverage described the start as a dream for Sri Lanka and this was the tone for all three sessions. At lunch their lead was 199 after a wonderful partnership between Sangakkara and his captain Mahela Jayawardene who had made 65 by the time Hoggard dispatched him in the 86th over.

After lunch, although Kumar did hover in the nervous nineties for four overs, when he made his century (his fourth in six innings and completing the full set against all Test nations) the writing was well and truly on the wall for England. Taking 10 wickets was not going to happen and all England could hang on for was a late declaration by Sri Lanka and the hope that they wouldn't have to bat today.

Eventually as the light was fading Mahela declared on 442 for 8. England need 350 to win, or to bat out the day to draw - both options hurt by the dismissal of opener Alastair Cook for four in the first over. Michael Vaughan and nightwatchman Jimmy Anderson had to negotiate four more overs before being offered the light - which unsurprisingly Michael took.

It rather says it all that sports news this afternoon, after celebrating Sangakkara's achievement is focussing on the swarm of bees that invaded the pitch in the final session causing every player to hurl himself to the ground until the insects departed. England have a daunting task ahead of them tomorrow, made more difficult by the worries over Kevin Pietersen's broken digit - which may be worse than was first thought, and over Hoggard's back injury - which may well keep him out of the next Test at Colombo.

Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that as I was taking a quick power-nap during the afternoon session, I dreamed that my Boy Bell dropped a sitter and deprived Sangakarra of his century. Imagine my horror when I woke and found it was true. Even I am finding it hard to have warm feelings for the Boy right now and I dread to think how Ryan Sidebottom feels.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

England must not rest on laurels

So there we have it. England won their second warm-up match before Saturday's first Test by five wickets, having drawn the previous match against the Board President's XI last week. With a target of 246 runs, England's batsmen managed not to squander the hard work done yesterday by Matthew Hoggard and Ravi Bopara. Deciding not to repeat their first innings show - for which the word woeful could have been invented - openers Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan notched up a respectable 58 and 28 respectively. Sadly, for me, Bell disappointed again - caught by the multi-initialled Welegedera (UWMBCA) off a ball from Tillakaratne Dilshan. He had made a mere six.

Pieterson was the other player to get a half-century - de Silva caught him on 59 and Ravi's 21 runs (although today outscored by Owais Shah:33) may have done enough to secure his slot for the Test.

Although I have doubts as to how much one can read into the importance of warm-up matches, one thing is sure. It's always better to win and as we see across all sports, winning breeds winning. Unfortunately I don't think this win was in any way convincing (apart from Hoggy's bowling) and the captain and selectors must feel that there are almost as many unanswered questions today as there were when the team landed in Sri Lanka. Oh, except for knowing that injury or not, Harmison is too much of a risk.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Only one shining light for England

Despite doubts that I've expressed previously in these pages about the conclusions that can be drawn from warm-up matches, I can't help thinking that the dodgy form shown by Steve Harmison in the previous game should have had an impact on Peter Moores and led to the selection of Stuart Broad for this one. Obviously no-one could have foreseen injuries to both Harmy and now Jimmy Anderson, but with Steve a perpetual risk these days, giving the young Broad a chance with the ball would have seemed wise. However, this did not happen, and now we look forward to Saturday's first Test with only Matthew Hoggard firing on all cylinders, or indeed, on any cylinders at all as far as the fast-bowling attack is concerned. So thank goodness for the Hogster with his economy today of 2.77 and a splendid five wicket haul.

Let's face it, there was bugger all else for England to attempt to "draw any positives" from after a gruesome first innings with the bat by a team that surely should aspire to hit at least half as many runs as the opposition.

All out for 134 with opener Michael Vaughan gone for a duck (Hoggard's and Anderson's ducks are less remarkable) is worrying for all except Sri Lankan supporters. KP and the Bell-Boy seriously underperformed - Ian was lucky to amass the grand total of three having been dropped with only one to his name. KP looks totally unconnected with the concept of cricket at the moment and must have some very serious thinking and netting to do before Saturday.

Cook was better - at least he seemed to be able to read the ball, but an ill-judged sweep saw him lbw. Owais Shah was stumbling and hesitant - I was surprised he managed to get into double-figures - and I think his place is now Ravi Bopara's for the taking. Ravi not only was respectable with the bat (47 including four fours) but admirably stepped up to the plate when handed the new ball. Two wickets were his reward and we will surely see his inclusion in the Test side. Monty Panesar was neat, tidy and economical in his nine overs only allowing 14 runs, but if the pitch at Kandy means only one spinner for the England team, don't be surprised to see The Trumpet's favourite Graeme Swann named. After today, England's tail needs something to make it wag.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Harmison injury: scare or relief?

At the close of play of day one of England's last warm-up match in Sri Lanka, I can't help wondering if news of Steve Harmison's back injury may not be greeted with relief in some quarters. While it is never pleasant to witness others' pain and misfortune (OK - there are some permissable occasions!), after Steve's pretty woeful showing in the last match, and the selection problem outlined in an article below regarding the strength of the tail, there may be a school of thought that reckons with Harmy out of the equation the bowling choices could be easier.

Although Harmison was showing much improvement today  - he picked up his first wicket of the tour taking out Tillakaratne Dilshan (who I have read isn't actually in the Test squad), he has been very much the unknown/dodgy factor in the bowling attack.

Matthew Hoggard (returning from a summer of injury) has proved immediately reliable and hostile. Along with Monty Panesar he took three wickets today. These two much be shoe-ins for the Test match. Jimmy Anderson had no luck, but still on paper looks to me a better bet than Harmison and with part-time improving bowlers Collingwood and Bopara, maybe Steve being injured does make the selection easier.

Bopara is, of course, still competing with Owais Shah for the number 6 slot with the bat, so the next two days will have much to tell us there (we hope).

Elsewhere in the game, it was encouraging to see some neat fielding by Alastair Cook (two catches) and by Ian Bell who may be settling in to second slip (one catch).

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Performance of the Day - Paul Collingwood

I've just heard a report on Sports News that England teams are dominating. Obviously this does not refer to cricket. England suffered their worst collapse in five years this morning and without wishing to detract from the superb performances of Chaminda Vaas and UWMBCA Welegedara, this had more to do with the tourists' utter ineptness than anything else. It wasn't just the soft dismissals, but the two comedy run-outs - Ian Bell and Monty Panesar - that proved England can be World Champions at being rubbish.

We do live in a cynical age and it is in this spirit of post-modern irony that I award the PotD to Paul Collingwood rather than to Mahela Jayawardene - who batted like a god again today, Chaminda or young Welegedara. All of whom deserve it for their fine cricket. No Colly gets it, not for being England's top-scorer with 29 (one of only three England batsmen to get into double figures, or four if you count extras), but for his extraordinary post-match interview. He recognises that England are "in a slump" but worryingly he thinks they are "heading in the right direction".

AAARGH! Someone buy me a new sofa NOW! Mine is not big enough to hide behind.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

England eke out a draw in weather-affected Second Test

The weather undoubtedly helped England slog to a draw in the final day of the second Test in Colombo, but for the first time this tour, I can't help agreeing with captain Michael Vaughan that there are positives to draw today.

After Mahela Jayawardene called his boys in yesterday, declaring on 548 for nine, Vaughan and Alastair Cook negotiated the final overs of the day safely and returned to the crease this morning with 54 runs on the board and all of England's wickets intact. They made a speedy and confident start and Vaughan had pushed on to 61 when he was undone by Dilhara Fernando - caught and bowled, and he trudged off knowing he was the source of his own undoing. Cook and Bell plugged on until lunch - with a brief rain-break - but Cook was gone to the first ball after they resumed.

This brought Kevin Pietersen out to join Bell and they were fine until young Ian hoisted a ball from Muralitharan straight to Michael Vandort and thereby failed again to convert a fine half-century to something England really needed. His record really is not good on that front - in 14 Tests since last November, he has made his fifties in 11 but only converted one.

As skies darkened and rain clouds massed, KP and Paul Collingwood dug in, with KP the more flamboyant and Colly the dogged one - so no change there. At tea, England had a 53 run lead, and looked capable of batting out the final session but this was not required as the rain swept in and play was abandonned for the day and the match declared drawn.

The most encouraging thing to take away from this match is that Steve Harmison proved himself match-fit, bowling 41.5 overs and although wickets did not fall before him (he took three), they also failed to fall for the Sri Lankan fasts. Whether or not he will succomb to the "homesickness" that has so troubled him on earlier tours of the Sub-continent, it is probably too early to say, but in yesterday's post-match interview, I saw a man in a very positive frame of mind, determined to retain his place in the Test side and eager to get on to the next challenge. Ryan Sidebottom was also a reason to be encouraged - his three wickets came at an economy of 2.77 - only slightly higher than Harmy's of 2.65 and Stuart Broad's 2.63 - who took his first Test wicket (Vaas) and like Sidebottom bowled 36 overs.

Monty Panesar seems to have attracted a lot of criticism with pundits wondering if his Test game has been damaged by One-day exposure, but actually he only did badly in comparison with Murali. Going for 151 in the course of 50 overs and with two wickets is not a hugely bad position to be in and he didn't have the greatest of fortune regarding his fielders. Prior missed a stumping off a Monty ball and someone else, Cook or Bell, I think, missed a decent chance of a catch.

Sri Lanka's toiling in the field today suggests to me that England's problems lie not so much with the bowling attack but with the failure of the top order to convert decent 50s to big hundreds.  Vaughan's 87 in the first innings - although beautifully played - does not stack up against M Jayawardene's 195 and so it goes on down the order. Cook, Bell, Pietersen and Collingwood must make their first innings stints really count and give the bowlers something massive to defend.

The weather, and Mahela's late declaration in the first innings combined to give England a get-out-of-jail-free card in Colombo. It won't happen again and going into Galle 1-0 down in the series gives the coach and selectors a lot to chew over for the next few days. Shah in for Bopara might not be a bad bet.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Performance of the day - Sanath Jayasuriya

By all rights PotD today should probably go to Mahela Jayawardene for his decision in the evening session to toss the ball, not to a fast bowler, but to the at the time wicketless Muttiah Muralitharan.

But it doesn't.

My choice is a more emotionally-led one, although Sanath Jayasuriya's dismissal of Ravi Bopara could possibly have been match-winning. But it's not for that wicket today that he gets the award. It's because this is the last chance he has in the Test arena to get the prize and I'm soft that way.

Sanath has been a jewel in the Sri Lanka side since his debut against New Zealand in 1991. He has played 110 Tests (making 6973 runs) and added a further 12207 international runs in 403 One-day matches. 307 One-day wickets and 98 Test wickets stand testament to his importance to Sri Lanka in the bowling attack.

He took over the captaincy of Sri Lanka in 1999 and it is widely acknowledged that his consensual style (a contrast to the dictatorial approach of his predecessor Arjuna Ranatunga) created a happy and unified team. His warmth was much appreciated during the time he graced these shores playing for both the MCC and Somerset.

Last year's retirement from International cricket didn't last long and Sanath was back in England for the One-day series last summer. This time, however, it is unlikely that he will rescind his decision, certainly for Tests and so I thought it appropriate to celebrate him today.

Runner-up number three today has to be Ian Bell for coming so close to shepherding the tail home and for playing the most mature innings of his career.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Defeat for England in Kandy

It was no real surprise to me to return home this afternoon and discover that England had failed to drag a draw from the jaws of defeat. I had managed to sustain a smidgin of blind optimism after Ian Bell and Matt Prior had survived the afternoon session intact, but with the new ball due after the 80th over, in my heart I knew we would lose. It was just another day of England doing to us what they do best: tempt us with false hope before condemning us to the reality of yet another loss in the Sub-continent. If memory serves me right, since victory in Colombo in 2001, we have only won three times in 13 attempts, and two of those wins were against Bangladesh. It's hardly a record to inspire hope, especially in the situation we found ourselves in today.

So a few facts: we started off either needing to score 350 runs to win, or bat out the day for a draw both of which looked unlikely at close of play yesterday. We failed to do either and Sri Lanka won by 88 runs - which in all honesty they deserved.

Predictably the morning began badly. Vaughan went in the 10th over for a mere five. Jimmy Anderson hung around for a bit but all too soon he was gone - and in this instance we really needed a nightwatchman who could stick around. Ian Bell was joined at the crease by the man known by some as The Ego and broken hand notwithstanding, I allowed myself a glimmer of hope. Surely KP could pull out a blinder and Bell could support him. No. Dilhara Fernando delivered an absolutely unplayable ground-level ball and Kevin was gone. Collingwood did nothing to dispel the gloom and it was up to Ian in partnership first with Bopara and then Matt Prior to offer resistance and that glimmer of hope.

Sadly it went Sri Lanka's way after tea. Bell and Prior dispatched with the new ball and the bowlers just couldn't hold on for what would not have been much more than 15 minutes to get the draw. As has so often been the case, Murali was the trump card for the Lankans and while I was surprised not to see Vaas be the demon with the new ball, Murali was exceptional in the final session despite the slowness of the pitch.

I can't see England doing anything but lose this series now and I was, quite frankly, astonished to hear Michael Vaughan in the post-match interview saying that the side can "take a lot of positives from this defeat".

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

A bad day at the office for England

Before I launch into what may well become a rant about England's hopeless, hapless and lacklustre display this morning, I must proffer warm congratulations to Kumar Sangakkara for today's fine 152 to add to his also fine 92 in the first innings. However I am an England supporter and most of my thoughts after close of play today are to do with how ghastly they were rather than concentrating on the strengths of the opposition. In fact, England were so woeful that it is hard to judge the opposition - they were barely tested.

It's hard to recall, even after just a few hours, at exactly what moment I realised that getting up at 4.30 am this morning had not been a good idea. Things didn't actually start too badly. Matthew Hoggard wasn't bowling badly and his second over was a maiden, but it went rapidly downhill from there. By the time I'd brewed up a jug of strong coffee I was wondering whether the caffeine would be better employed energising the England team.

Both Test Match Special and Guardian Unlimited's Over-by-over coverage described the start as a dream for Sri Lanka and this was the tone for all three sessions. At lunch their lead was 199 after a wonderful partnership between Sangakkara and his captain Mahela Jayawardene who had made 65 by the time Hoggard dispatched him in the 86th over.

After lunch, although Kumar did hover in the nervous nineties for four overs, when he made his century (his fourth in six innings and completing the full set against all Test nations) the writing was well and truly on the wall for England. Taking 10 wickets was not going to happen and all England could hang on for was a late declaration by Sri Lanka and the hope that they wouldn't have to bat today.

Eventually as the light was fading Mahela declared on 442 for 8. England need 350 to win, or to bat out the day to draw - both options hurt by the dismissal of opener Alastair Cook for four in the first over. Michael Vaughan and nightwatchman Jimmy Anderson had to negotiate four more overs before being offered the light - which unsurprisingly Michael took.

It rather says it all that sports news this afternoon, after celebrating Sangakkara's achievement is focussing on the swarm of bees that invaded the pitch in the final session causing every player to hurl himself to the ground until the insects departed. England have a daunting task ahead of them tomorrow, made more difficult by the worries over Kevin Pietersen's broken digit - which may be worse than was first thought, and over Hoggard's back injury - which may well keep him out of the next Test at Colombo.

Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that as I was taking a quick power-nap during the afternoon session, I dreamed that my Boy Bell dropped a sitter and deprived Sangakarra of his century. Imagine my horror when I woke and found it was true. Even I am finding it hard to have warm feelings for the Boy right now and I dread to think how Ryan Sidebottom feels.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

England must not rest on laurels

So there we have it. England won their second warm-up match before Saturday's first Test by five wickets, having drawn the previous match against the Board President's XI last week. With a target of 246 runs, England's batsmen managed not to squander the hard work done yesterday by Matthew Hoggard and Ravi Bopara. Deciding not to repeat their first innings show - for which the word woeful could have been invented - openers Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan notched up a respectable 58 and 28 respectively. Sadly, for me, Bell disappointed again - caught by the multi-initialled Welegedera (UWMBCA) off a ball from Tillakaratne Dilshan. He had made a mere six.

Pieterson was the other player to get a half-century - de Silva caught him on 59 and Ravi's 21 runs (although today outscored by Owais Shah:33) may have done enough to secure his slot for the Test.

Although I have doubts as to how much one can read into the importance of warm-up matches, one thing is sure. It's always better to win and as we see across all sports, winning breeds winning. Unfortunately I don't think this win was in any way convincing (apart from Hoggy's bowling) and the captain and selectors must feel that there are almost as many unanswered questions today as there were when the team landed in Sri Lanka. Oh, except for knowing that injury or not, Harmison is too much of a risk.

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Only one shining light for England

Despite doubts that I've expressed previously in these pages about the conclusions that can be drawn from warm-up matches, I can't help thinking that the dodgy form shown by Steve Harmison in the previous game should have had an impact on Peter Moores and led to the selection of Stuart Broad for this one. Obviously no-one could have foreseen injuries to both Harmy and now Jimmy Anderson, but with Steve a perpetual risk these days, giving the young Broad a chance with the ball would have seemed wise. However, this did not happen, and now we look forward to Saturday's first Test with only Matthew Hoggard firing on all cylinders, or indeed, on any cylinders at all as far as the fast-bowling attack is concerned. So thank goodness for the Hogster with his economy today of 2.77 and a splendid five wicket haul.

Let's face it, there was bugger all else for England to attempt to "draw any positives" from after a gruesome first innings with the bat by a team that surely should aspire to hit at least half as many runs as the opposition.

All out for 134 with opener Michael Vaughan gone for a duck (Hoggard's and Anderson's ducks are less remarkable) is worrying for all except Sri Lankan supporters. KP and the Bell-Boy seriously underperformed - Ian was lucky to amass the grand total of three having been dropped with only one to his name. KP looks totally unconnected with the concept of cricket at the moment and must have some very serious thinking and netting to do before Saturday.

Cook was better - at least he seemed to be able to read the ball, but an ill-judged sweep saw him lbw. Owais Shah was stumbling and hesitant - I was surprised he managed to get into double-figures - and I think his place is now Ravi Bopara's for the taking. Ravi not only was respectable with the bat (47 including four fours) but admirably stepped up to the plate when handed the new ball. Two wickets were his reward and we will surely see his inclusion in the Test side. Monty Panesar was neat, tidy and economical in his nine overs only allowing 14 runs, but if the pitch at Kandy means only one spinner for the England team, don't be surprised to see The Trumpet's favourite Graeme Swann named. After today, England's tail needs something to make it wag.

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Harmison injury: scare or relief?

At the close of play of day one of England's last warm-up match in Sri Lanka, I can't help wondering if news of Steve Harmison's back injury may not be greeted with relief in some quarters. While it is never pleasant to witness others' pain and misfortune (OK - there are some permissable occasions!), after Steve's pretty woeful showing in the last match, and the selection problem outlined in an article below regarding the strength of the tail, there may be a school of thought that reckons with Harmy out of the equation the bowling choices could be easier.

Although Harmison was showing much improvement today  - he picked up his first wicket of the tour taking out Tillakaratne Dilshan (who I have read isn't actually in the Test squad), he has been very much the unknown/dodgy factor in the bowling attack.

Matthew Hoggard (returning from a summer of injury) has proved immediately reliable and hostile. Along with Monty Panesar he took three wickets today. These two much be shoe-ins for the Test match. Jimmy Anderson had no luck, but still on paper looks to me a better bet than Harmison and with part-time improving bowlers Collingwood and Bopara, maybe Steve being injured does make the selection easier.

Bopara is, of course, still competing with Owais Shah for the number 6 slot with the bat, so the next two days will have much to tell us there (we hope).

Elsewhere in the game, it was encouraging to see some neat fielding by Alastair Cook (two catches) and by Ian Bell who may be settling in to second slip (one catch).

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Have we learned anything from the Board President's match?

I have a problem with these warm-up matches as no doubt the players and coaches do too. My problem is that I have no idea what we (as fans) are supposed to understand by a match which has no meaningful result. The coach presumably is checking out form, and the players are trying to get aquainted with local conditions. But if they are not competing - and obviously in this match England's batsmen were not competing, what conclusions can be drawn? Ali Cook, The Bell Boy, Paul (I'm still One-day Captain) Collingwood and Owais Shah all chose to have a bat for a bit then retire. Of those, a generous soul might say that seven 4s for Cook and five for Collingwood shows some form with the bat, but I'm not convinced. Perhaps the best showing was by Michael (Give it back Paul - I'M TEST CAPTAIN) Vaughan, who was at least proving his fitness with seven 4s in his total of 38.

However, although the comparative run rate (England 3.53, Sri Lanka 3.81) between the sides was not wildly out of kilter, the batsmen's scores were. Top scoring for SL: 141 (Chamara Kapugedera), 112 (Upal Thuranga) weighed against England's top-scores of 63 for Cook and 52 for Colly. What does this tell us?

Conclusions to reach regarding bowling are a bit easier. Hoggard seems well-prepared and should be a shoe-in for Test selection. Graeme Swann is too vulnerable (he went for 112) and does not have the match-changing abilities of Monty Panesar (went for more: 117, but we know what he can do in the heat of the Test moment). Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad made a case for inclusion and the one who really has not yet shown why he's there is, I'm afraid, Steve Harmison (pictured). Poor Steve has had a terrible time and it wasn't helped by rain in South Africa which curtailed his preparation or the fact that his luggage (with the bowling boots) went missing in Dubai.

Sadly, to go for 48 in just six overs and that included six no-balls and a wide in the first four overs, is not a great way to re-announce yourself to the squad.

Well, there's another match beginning on Sunday 25th Nov, and maybe we'll know a bit more then. It would certainly be good to see Kevin Pietersen hanging on for more than just the 4, and no doubt the coach is waiting to see if there will be some clear water for selection between Owais and Ravi Bopara. That looks like a tough decision from what we've seen over the past three days.

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Ian Bell is still my hero

With less than 24 hours to go before our brave boys fly back out to Sri Lanka for the Test tour, I felt it was time, again, to nail my colours to the mast and publicly declare that Ian Bell will be our top scorer. I gather from my readings that the Boy is relishing the opportunity to bat at three - his favoured position, and of course he enters this series off the back of being top-scorer in the NatWest Series against India.

Bell has always had his critics alongside his fans. He is routinely described as "little Ian", which I think is a tad unfair as he does stand 5 ft 10 in his stocking feet. Admittedly he is a strawberry blond (with highlights, sometimes) and as such is mocked as "ginger-haired". Neither of these remarks about his appearance bear any relation to his ability as a world-class batsman. He has even been mocked for saying that he aspires to bat like Ricky Ponting. Well, I said it before and I'll say it again, what on earth is wrong with aiming to equal the best in the world?

It sometimes seems that Ian has been around for a very long time - after all Dayle Hadlee did describe him as "the best 16-year old I've ever seen" back in the 1990s and Ian made his debut for England when drafted into the side in New Zealand during the 2001-02 tour. In those early days, he was often compared to Michael Atherton - not just for the expectations that were heaped on his shoulders but also because he seemed to have the mental strength to survive in the piranha-pool of Test cricket. His reputation took a battering as the Australian greats Warne and McGrath reduced him to just 171 in 10 innings, but they did that to lots of batsmen.

For all that Ian has been around the international scene for nigh on six years now, it would behove critics to remember that he only celebrated his 25th birthday in April this year. I may object to descriptions of him as "little Ian", but for sure "young Ian" is apt and one would be wise to recall that the Australian giants who pulverised him had more than a decade of age on this talented and exceptional striker of the ball.

Despite being dropped by his own club - Warwickshire - during the summer, Ian ended the season in fine spirits and heads off to Sri Lanka with stats of 2035 runs from 30 Tests (average 42.39) and couldn't be more confident.

In other matters, I, like all readers of this site I'm sure, abhor the detention of Imran Khan, currently under house arrest in Pakistan.

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Performance of the Day: Ian Bell

There are many who think that Ian Bell can only turn it on when it doesn't really matter. I have never been one of those who doubt the Boy. A rough trot earlier this summer saw him not only not selected for England's ICC Twenty20 Tournament campaign (a triumph,not) but also left out of his own Warwickshire side.

Picked to join England's tour of Sri Lanka, Ian answered his critics with his bat. 131 not out in the first match with 12 fours and four sixes, he was in commanding form. He will never be the imposing physical presence at the crease of such as the muscular Australian Matthew Hayden and as long as he peppers his post-match interviews with "I'm sorry", I doubt the world's best bowlers will fear him.

However, for all his meekness, I do think his performances tell a different story. Ian is coming of age, and stuff the lot of you, Ian is a force to be reckoned with.

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Ian Bell leads the way in Sri Lanka

In the early hours of this morning (a 4.30am GMT start), England began their tour of Sri Lanka with a warm-up match agains the Sri Lanka Board XI. They won the match comfortably by 80 runs, and the man who, according to some, is not very good at One-day cricket, ended his innings on 131 not out. Ian Bell, batting at 3 and coming in when new boy Phil Mustard was caught by Ganegama off the bowling of de Silva, combined well with Ali Cook (who made the second highest score of the England innings with 66). Bell is obviously comfortable at that position and after Ali holed out after facing 88 balls, kept the momentum going with Kevin Pietersen who knocked up his half-century in just 29 balls.

KP was caught by Viraj Perera immediately after reaching his 50, but Ian played on well with first Ravi Bopara and then Owais Shah to ensure England went safely over 300.

This was always going to be a tough target for the Sri Lankans, and they found it hard to get going. Ryan Sidebottom was given the new ball and struck in the second over. Perera's dismissal brought the exciting young Test batsman Chamara Kapugedera to the crease and he settled in well and did his best while wickets fell all around. He ended with an attractively struck 75 but the England bowlers had the edge, and the fielding was also sharp. Stuart Broad (bless him) took two wickets, as did Sidebottom and captain Paul Collingwood. Jimmy Anderson was the pick of the bowlers with three for 43, and Monty tidied up at the end taking the final wicket of Fernando.

This match really gives very little indication of how England will perform against the full Sri Lanka side but as a confidence builder after the shocking performances we saw in the recent Twenty20 tournament, they couldn't have made a better start.

Makes you wonder if Bell's presence in South Africa might have made a difference.

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Ian Bell: NatWest Player of the Series

Joy is an interesting word, and an interesting emotion. Today, after England sealed the series win against India at Lord's, I was, understandably, joyful in victory. But nothing like as joyful as I was some minutes after the win when Indian cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar, and Test Match Special spokesman, Phil Tufnell, decided that the Man of the Series should be my boy, Ian Bell. I have taken a lot of stick for my support of Ian over the past couple of years, and it is joyful, truly so, to see him live up to my expectations.

Earlier this season his own county, Warwickshire, dropped him and many thought that for a player with a "fragile mentality" this could have seen him disappear. Thankfully, Ian has grown up a lot and went away and spent time with England's batting coach Andy Flower, and others, and emerged stronger, and a key component in the England One-day side.

Today, although run out by some heedlessness from Kevin Pietersen, Bell walks away with Man of the Series for his century, two 50s and his excellent fielding skills.

He may not be on the plane tomorrow night for the Twenty20 World Cup, but he has sure laid more foundations for his inclusion in both Test and One-day sides.

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Ian Bell: future England captain?

Far be it from me to go racing ahead and big up Ian Bell, but I have read that he is thought of, now, as a contender for England captain in the years to come. On the back of three decent One-day performances that would seem perhaps a step too far, but looking back over his progress since his days at the Academy - then under the guidance of Rod Marsh - it seems that the FEC initials have been put against his name for some years.

He was described by Dayle Hadlee as the best 16-year old he had ever seen and comparisons to Mike Atherton (a former FEC who made those initials his own) for his tenacious and technically sound batting and for his mental attitude, have been made by some far cleverer than I.

In 2004 Ian made his Test debut against the West Indies and the following year, playing against Bangladesh, his career average read a ludicrous (or as Cricinfo says: obscene) 297. It seemed to go downhill after that - not the first batsman to find McGrath and Warne tough dogs, but he was class in Pakistan having sought help from Alec Stewart. Targetted as a "bunny" in Australia, he managed four half-centuries and was one of England's best players.

Some less than headline-grabbing performances caused many (media writers and cricket watchers) to start writing him off as a one-paced choker, and being de-selected by Warwickshire while "rested" by England didn't help. However, his last three One-day shows against India seem to have brought a reassessment of the Boy and a bit of humble-pie has been eaten.

I think it's too soon to talk of him as an FEC, but as a Rugby boy, he certainly has the E. Whether we can attach Future and Captain to that we have yet to see. I'd like to think so, but then you knew I'd say that.

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Ian Bell - not just relished by me

I've taken a lot of stick from readers of this Googly for my relishing of the Bell-Boy, but tonight I feel relieved because the commentators have all agreed that he batted very well indeed and closing on the end of the Indian innings, he caught Powar and Chawla.

England have won - Bell and Panesar made it for England. What a team.

I truly believe that Bell is part of the future of England cricket. If anyone can argue against this, then do so.

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Bell plays beautiful cricket

A packed out ground at Bristol, an India first innings posting the highest One-day score I can remember, and a great night on the commentary with Justin Langer making a mockery of his hard man image. He was just lovely and has gone a long way to warming the cockles of the English cricketing public with his contributions tonight. We are looking forward to more of the same, when he has the time to spare from his Somerset work.

The best part of tonight was following Ian Bell's innings. Please remember that Ian is still young - in years and in experience as an international player. He shut his critics up a few days ago with a ton plus in the first ODI, and tonight, got his half-century but then was gone for 64 (from 96 balls). Langer reckons that Ian has the chance to be England's best number 3, and the selectors should stick with him. Well, Readers, you know how I rate the Boy, and to have that backed up by such as Mr Langer is heartening.

Interestingly, Langer also rates Matt Prior (I don't), but reckons that we in England - fans and media - are far too quick to condemn. Although the game in Australia is very tough (see The Thunder), they give their guys a bit more of a break than we do. I'm not sure about that, but the joy of our radio coverage is that we get these opinions, broadcast, free.

Langer stayed with the BBC for almost the whole evening, and we were treated to his memories as well as his opinions. He is a remarkably humble man who doesn't think he merited more appearances with the Australian One-day side that the meagre nine or so (I may have got that wrong) that he earned. He had so much nice to say about the Indian spinners, and much nice as well about the England batsmen.

What he kept saying was that it was easy to sit up in the box and make comments about how to play, but so much harder to be there trying to do it. Well, I have acres of time for all Australians, but before tonight, I didn't like Justin very much. Now I do, and I will feel deprived if we don't have more of him. When he said that Lord's was his favourite ground, well, I have to admit to shedding a little tear. I think this is another occasion of the BBC getting it all right and well done them. I won't be the only one to have changed my view of Justin after this broadcast. And bless and how sweet that he was worried about how to get "home" to Taunton. I think he'll be with us next year, and gosh, if the young boys bother, what a lot he has to offer them.

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Ian Bell - my hero!

I offer no apology for bringing more Bell to The Googly. In my view, you can never have enough of the Boy! Yesterday evening, all are agreed that Ian played magnificently, and has proved himself as a One-day player. His shot selection was spot on, and he used his brain (as well as feet, hands and bat) to play the perfect innings. Exactly what his captain, Paul Collingwood, ordered, and it's hard now to see that Owais Shah will nick Ian's place for the next ODI.

Even former critics are not suggesting that last night was a flash in the pan. Most seem agreed that this was the performance that has been bubbling under for a long time.

There's no doubt what it meant to Ian - a breathlessly excited interview with the BBC immediately post-match says it all.

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Checking up on the Bell-Boy

So Ian's back with us, in the pages of The Guardian, and with the bat at Southampton. Although his column shows signs that he has been listening to Teacher, I'm glad to say that today he has been mightier with the bat than he was yesterday (or whenever he actually spoke to the hackette who wrote his piece) with the pen. It was another disappointing piece, short on insight - of course England are rankling after the defeat by India - and to be told that Ian has been "trying to tap into Andy Flower's knowledge since he joined our coaching staff" is just bizarre. For why else would Flower be there as a coach if not to have his knowledge tapped?

For someone who has never watched/followed One-day cricket, perhaps there was merit in Ian describing the need to work the ball into "areas that disturb the opposition's plans" and "moving the field ... so that you can then score in the areas you feel more comfortable in", but to be honest, he's writing on the cricket pages of the sport section, and I would suggest that most readers could have worked all that out for themselves. I did note that he referred to Owais Shah (they played together in the Lion's match at Northampton) and I would guess that Ian was surprised at Shah's omission from the team today. The only point at which I thought Ian's own voice was in this piece was right at the end with the poignant "I'll be available for Warwickshire, and hoping they pick me this time".

Well, I would suggest that after today's show, Warwickshire would be stark staring bonkers not to select him whenever he's available for the end of the county season.

Ian reached his half century today (in partnership with Ali Cook - a magnificent ton for the Essex lad) off just 54 balls, and then accelerated! 101 off 100 balls - eight fours and a six. Bell got his maiden ODI ton in the 45th over (at this point batting with Kevin Pietersen). The TMS crew could hardly contain themselves - almost every stroke Bell played was described as beautiful. For this Bell-watcher, the day could hardly have been better. My boy ended on 126 not out, and England now has to bowl India for 287 or less. It could be tough, but at least there are runs on the board, and Ian really showed himself to be in fine nick. It's possible he might get a bowl tonight - a wicket to add to his century would be very thick icing on the Bell cake.

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Mediawatch with Ian Bell and Matt Prior

My latest little review of what our fine boys are saying in the print and web media is, yet again, light on revelations, though in a way, the fact that Matt Prior has been prepared to go on record and be quoted with anything in the light of his performance is somewhat of a revelation to me. Surely he'd have been better served by either crawling off into the woodwork, or better still, going back to his county and putting some effort into practice? To have a headline for your own column saying "My performance at The Oval has been criticised and all I would say to that is I am still learning" and the commentator's headline: "Prior admits to toughest week", surely is not helpful - even though honest.

Prior must be aware that there not only a lot of questions being asked by both professional commentators of the game but also the fans about his performance, but also that there are some fast rising contenders for the gloves out there - not least young James Foster and Steve Davies. How then is it helpful in your own cause, Matt, to tell the BBC that: "mistakes do happen - we're all only human"? Or that: "Maybe at Lord's in the second innings I could have gone on to get a good score but Zaheer Khan bowled me a very good ball on 42 and I happened to edge it"? Without wishing to be too harsh, and Matt has said he is his own biggest critic, it's all a bit "the dog ate my homework". Should have done better, should have kept his mouth shut.

Bell gets a mention today because the dog SHOULD have eaten his homework. After weeks of doing very nicely (he was verging on an A minus for his previous pieces in the Guardian), he served up utter tripe in his column of 2nd August. The topic, unsurprisingly, was the sledging jellybean-gate row, and I would have thought the point of having a column (ghost) written by someone who was actually there, was to get a bit of insight. There, genuinely, is nothing worth quoting from the dross served up in this article and bloggers quite rightly got on the case, and if Ian bothered to read their comments, it's amazing that his self-esteem lasted well enough for him to score a sound 67 in the second innings.

All in all, a poor showing from England in the field at The Oval and an absolutely C minus performance in the media. Back to the nets in cricket class, and into detention at Googly Dungeons in writing class. It's not just a matter of could do better, it's a matter of don't even try if you fail so abysmally.

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Reasons to love Ian Bell 500-1000

Just why is it that a reasonably sane person such as I like to deem myself, just goes weak at the knees for Ian Bell? He isn't a god-like presence on the pitch (see Simon Jones for the bod), but there is something about Ian that gets my pulse racing and heartbeat raised. Is it that he seems to be such an honest cricketer? A man who wears his heart on the sleeve as I do?  Is it that he always seems to be verging on the edges of the England team? Every time we see him in the whites, we wonder if this will be the last time. He always seems to be the one about to be dropped. Today we heard it again - when Fred's back, Bell will be the man to lose his place. It's so hard to remember that little Ian really is little Ian. He's still only 25 years old. At that age I'd hardly touched life, let alone lived.

Today at Trent Bridge, dear Ian held the end up wonderfully. A very tough wicket saw Strauss, Cook and Vaughan walk off the park. Ian was left, with the tail. After Prior went, he was left with Tremlett, and a huge task to see England through to the end of the day. I really don't understand why the world of cricket lovers doesn't love the Bell-Boy. Out for 31-  sad end to a very good day.

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Jimmy Anderson: cricket management has served him badly

I woke this morning to a beautiful dry day - windy, but blue skies, and hoped that it was the same at Trent Bridge. No such luck - as so often this so-called summer, the further north you travel, the better the weather, and frankly, Nottinghamshire just isn't far enough north. So while I was wondering whether play would ever get under way in the second Test against India, I had a look at the England squad and realised that there was one guy I hadn't yet investigated for The Googly.

Yes, Jimmy Anderson - and why should this be so? Do I not rate him - or has he just slipped under the radar recently? I think I may have been guilty of writing Jimmy off with injury, and joining the Stuart Broad, bless him, club of supporters. But this is unfair - as Jimmy's performance at Lord's last week proved. Write him off at your peril, and look more at his record of a few years back.

There's no doubt that, after only three One-day games for Lancashire, he was called into the England squad too soon in 2002, but on his international ODI debut at the MCG, he did collect the wicket of Adam Gilchrist. His Test debut was impressive, though against Zimbabwe, he took a five-fer at Lord's in May 2003 and all looked good. At the Oval, against South Africa, his star still waxed strong, but then the promise seemed to be just that: promise. We hardly noticed Jimmy as England toured Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa in the years 2003 to 2005 - occasionally wandering on with drinks for the lads was about the measure of it.

As everyone else got hurt, we saw Anderson back in Mumbai and play a major part in England's win, but then disaster in Australia - Brisbane was a horror-show for all England players. Some redemption followed in the ODIs but injury struck again before the ICC World Cup - this time a broken finger to add to his collection of woes. Peter Moores (his selection process partially decided by injuries to such as Hoggard and Harmison) picked Jimmy for the first Test against India this summer, and was rewarded for the choice - five for 42 at Lord's last week, and there's another chance this week for Jimmy to cement his place as a premier right-arm, fast-medium bowler in the England side.

And I make no apologies for the picture - there's just not enough Ian Bell on this site!

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Mediawatch with Bell, Prior and Strauss

It's been a while since I trawled the pages - print and websites - for the presence of our good old England cricketers and their columns but with some time on my hands today, and in possession of a cutting passed to me from a Sunday newspaper, I settled in for the dubious delights of reading what the lads are saying. First up for scrutiny, Andrew Strauss (pictured right with Matt Prior) on Sunday - the Telegraph is not a paper happily received in this house, so it was the first time I'd read Mr Strauss's Test Match Diary and to be honest, I didn't find it overly illuminating. Yes, Andrew told us that he was "unbelievably excited" to be back in the side, that he missed being part of the One-day team but that the break was probably needed. All very much toeing the party-line, or "on-message" as they say these days. That he'd spent time with coach Andy Flower is only to have been expected after a run of such poor form and to learn that "Planning is always essential" before the first Test against India was not an insight I needed to be told. I'd be worried if the team weren't planning! His diary ended after the first three days of the match, and I don't think I'll be rushing to read more from Mr Strauss.

Over at the BBC, St Paul of Collingwood has given way to Matt Prior as the "Cricketer in the media", but sadly nothing much has changed. Prior is as predictable as Colly was - frustrated not to win the Test with only one wicket left to take, thrilled about the new-boy bowling attack, Monty is fab, Vaughany (sic) is fab, KP is fab, the mood in the camp ("the environment in the team") is fab. Everything is just gorgeous - except of course they didn't win. Bit of a bummer that! Just when I thought it was going to get interesting:

"There has also been a bit of talk about the on-field goings-on between the sides of the last Test..."

Mr Prior tailed off and told us it was "just a bit of fun". Damn, would have liked to know the details. So two rather dull incursions into the media and it was left to my own little Belly-Boy to uphold the honour of cricketers with his Guardian column. Sadly, I didn't think it was quite up to his previous high standards, but at least he started from the heart being deeply disappointed at the result against India. Perhaps the downbeat tone of the piece simply reflects how Ian feels and in contrast to the other two articles, there is definitely a feeling that Ian's column is not entirely ghosted. It has engendered an interesting debate on the GU Blog, and personally I'd much rather read a B++ piece from Bell than bother with most of the other guff.

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Mediawatch with Bell and Colly

Another Friday came and went as I trawled the airwaves and web pages for some exciting insights from cricketers in the media. A pretty fruitless activity, and I wished I could turn back the clock just a little and hear again the almost hysterical laughter of Dazz and Tuffers as they ended their broadcast on Thursday. That would have been more entertaining than the everlasting yawn that is Paul Collingwood at the BBC. We all know that the thorn in England's flesh in this current One-day series is Shiv Chanderpaul and if England didn't have "theories as to how we might get him out" it would be more than a tad concerning. Sadly Paul continues "we'll get that bit of luck or a magic ball which gets him out early". Sounds like a good plan, Paul! If Shiv's ankle comes up well, and it's looking good, and he plays today, no doubt Paul will be hoping Harry Potter can hang around Trent Bridge with his wizarding wand.

That was about as good as it got from England's captain this week. We learned that Monty is still a part of England's One-day plans - no explanation of why he'd been left out at Edgbaston. We also discovered that England is still "learning and experimenting and finding out which (sic) are the best players in these certain conditions and situations ... getting the balance right in the side." Predictable rubbish all, really, and disappointing from a man who we know can speak fluently and interestingly on his sport.

No wonder I went to bed on Friday eagerly awaiting a Bell column in today's Guardian only to have my hopes dashed. The Bell-Boy's gone missing, and I for one can't wait for his return.

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The weekend's bright - Bell's back

I wrote a few days ago that I was missing Ian Bell this week - not just the fact that his injury (all well now we believe) kept him out of the Twenty20 side, but also no column in the Guardian. Fortunately, he hasn't been dropped from there, just moved. I wonder if a Saturday column is a promotion? If so, I'd say well-deserved as again he has written something really worth reading. It may seem obvious that one of the factors hindering big performances and wins for the England Twenty20 and One-day side has been a fear of failure, but it's refreshing to read it from a member of the team. Reading between the lines, it would seem that there has been an element of blame-culture in the dressing-room in recent years, and that one of the changes Peter Moores has made is to remove that aspect of the post-match de-brief.

When Ian tells us that Andy Flower (assistant coach) positively encourages players to talk to him or Moores about what their role is if any of them have any uncertaincy, it begs the question: did they not feel free to do this before? Bell's whole column rings of an openness within the set-up, that seems to be paying at least a few dividends already. Not least that we can continue to enjoy the sort of cricketers' media forays that we always hope for when one of them puts pen to paper.

Another nice peice of home-work from the Bell-Boy and I for one, find it encouraging that he should chose Ricky Ponting as a role-model. A winning mind-set, adorned with Allan Border medals, Test average of 59.29, One-day 43.31, and the world's leading batsman to boot - why not aspire to match the best?

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

More Colly, less Bell

I may have missed something this week, but it seems that little Ian Bell has been mostly silent. Perhaps he had to have a lie-down, overwhelmed with emotion from the plaudits thrown at him by The Googly last week. Don't stay away too long, Ian. We look forward keenly to your column these days and need you back.

Fortunately over at the BBC, Paul Collingwood has saved the day for those of us who relish the media forays of our brave cricketing heroes, and I'm pleased to be able to tell you that Paul and the boys are going out there tonight in the Twenty20 match against the West Indies to win. Phew, Paul, for a moment there I wondered whether we had a captain on our hands who actually planned on losing! Now that might sound cruel, but we have warned Paul that more is expected from him than platitudes and cliches. It's all well and good to hear that he is excited about the captaincy, spending a lot of time thinking about it, the attitudes in the dressing-room are "fantastic" and the boys are "raring to go". But please, these are simply what we would expect.

My interest was piqued when Paul said: "It's been an interesting few days with things I've had to do that I've never had to do." I was looking forward to some real insights into taking over a team that has performed extremely poorly in the One-day game, and thought we were in for a treat. Or at the very least some intriguing revelations about unusual demands on England's captains, but sadly no more was forthcoming.

Let's hope the team shows a bit more flair and originality on the pitch, and then perhaps Collingwood will have the confidence to give an interview that tells us something new.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

In the media with Bell and Colly

Not surprisingly the main topics for our men in the media this week have been the One-day captaincy - for Collingwood, and not playing the FP semi for Bell. As far as the latter is concerned, young Ian has written from his heart in the Guardian (and the article appears on the GU blogs). His disappointment at not being picked shows clearly, as does his love for Warwickshire and commitment to the club. The Googly is pleased to see that Mr Bell is continuing to dispense with the usual platitudinous guff that we have seen so much of in cricketers' columns over past years. He also provided a solid and interesting piece at the end of last week on 1st innings batting.  Go to the top of the class, Belly-Boy!

Over at another place, I'm afraid that Paul just hasn't quite found the same sort of groove yet. On the subject of Michael Vaughan's decision to quit as One-day captain, Paul reveals that he is "surprised" (obviously hadn't been reading the same papers and articles as us then), that MV has "world-class talent but captaincy puts stress on your shoulders". In another unexpected exclusive, he tells us that it is "up to the selectors to make the decision" but if offered the captaincy would be "very happy to take it".  Thank you Paul, valuable insights all.

While I'm very happy at the thought of Collingwood becoming captain, I am regretful that KP has now ruled himself out of the hunt, as I won't get another chance to hear Geoff Boycott's dulcet Yorkshire tones declaring that the fans "don't care what colour his hair is, if he has danglers in his ears or round his neck". Strange moment that.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Hampshire and Durham progress to the Friends Provident Trophy final

I don't for one minute imagine he's the kind of man to do so, but if I were Ian Bell I'd be throwing back my strawberry-blond head and roaring with laughter this evening.

After cruelly discarding him from their side, Warwickshire were comprehensively beaten by Hampshire, replete with Kevin Pietersen, in today's Friends Provident Trophy semi-final. No "Bears" batsman managed more than 45 runs, and the side were skittled inside 44 overs for 166 runs.

Liam Plunkett responded admirably to being kicked out of the England camp in favour of the Hog by suddenly turning into Durham old boy Sir Ian Botham, taking 4-15 in dismissing Essex for a miserly 71 runs in just over 22 overs, and then top-scoring with 40 to see his team through to face the "Hawks" at Lord's in mid-August. [Carrie Dunn] [Image: Getty]

BellWatch: Our hero is left out of the Friends Provident semi!

Now, we are not normally angry people here in the Googly Dungeon, however the treatment of our blog mascot by his county has enraged us to such an extent that mimitig has turned the rack another four notches on Mark Nicholas.

Those scurvy knaves Warwickshire have not selected Ian Bell in the team to face Hampshire tomorrow at the Rose Bowl, despite the ECB offering him a lift to Southampton and everything.  Ian has naturally flown in to a temper so fierce that it threatens to raise a tempest over Edgbaston and responded, "I am naturally disappointed not to have been selected."

You tell them Ian!  They'll be shitting themselves after that.

BellWatch - keeping you at the bleeding edge of Ian Bell

Former Radiohead lead singer and moderately performing England batsman Ian Bell is a man close to our hearts here at The Googly, so we feel it is our duty to keep you up to date with what is happening in the world of Bell.  Who says the BBC have all the best seasonal features eh?

Our copper topped hero has once again been putting pen to paper, via a telephone and ghost writer, in his usually banal Guardian column.  But, in a shock that sent vibrations through the structure of Googly Towers, this week he was actually interesting; leading us to conclude that he finally tuned in to what the public want, or more likely that the ghost writer cut him out of the equation altogether.  Either way, his column about fielding at short-leg is a cracker.

Let's hope he doesn't return to the usual garbage about "the lads are really happy/disappointed" and "I'm chuffed/not happy about my century/3" next week. [Lee C] [Image: Getty]