GOOGLIES & CHINAMEN
An Occasional Cricketing Journal
Edition 154
October 2015
2015 matters
I asked a selection of Googlies readers for anecdotes or comments on the season
Allen Bruton was first to reply
This seems like an invitation for grumpy old men to get a few things off their chest, an opportunity difficult to resist. I shall however restrict myself to just a couple.
Contrast the above with my Trent Bridge experience when a decision to make a cup of tea caused me to miss the dismissals of the first three Aussies. Answering a call of nature which inevitably quickly follows a drink resulted in another dismissal being missed. In the days of Trevor Bailey, Slasher Mackay, Geoffrey Boycott I was safe in the knowledge that I could make tea, a sandwich or even nod off for a while and not miss anything. In fact booking tickets for the fifth day was a reasonable bet. Time to remove the excitement from test cricket if the interest of our generation is to be retained and certainly time to stop using the phrase ‘the longer form of the game’.
Jeff Coleman sent this
Middlesex 2’s had a successful season winning the Twenty20 completion and getting to the final of the Second Eleven Championship after winning the southern group.
A Twenty20 second place to Kent in the southern group led to finals day at Arundel and a semi against Lancashire. Lancs having won the toss and batted were restricted to 148-4 with Max Holden being the most economical bowler with 1-19 off his 4 overs of spin. Middlesex won with by 4 wickets with one ball to spare mainly due to 67 from Ryan Higgins. The final was against Kent. Kent won the toss and batted. A score of 115 never looked enough with good figures for Ravi Patel 1-10 off 4 and Harry Podmore 3-18 off 2.4. So it proved with victory being gained in the 18th over with Higgins again top scoring with 33. Podmore and Nathan Sowter were the leading MCCC wicket takers in the competition with 14 apiece.
The side was not as successful in the 50 over competition finishing 5th of 10 at the group stage. A dysfunctional set up with only 6 of the 9 teams being played leads to that strange situation of maybe not playing any of the weaker sides. I am not suggesting this was so for MCCC this year but shows the stupidity of such an arrangement. Although not progressing to the semi final stage there were some standout performances. Steven Eskanazi averaged 93, Neil Dexter 75 and Cameron Steel 68. In the Gloucestershire match Dexter scored 147 off 71 balls including six 6’s in an over. Whilst I am sorry to see him leave to join Leicestershire as he is the best medium pace all-rounder we have, I am pleased that he has managed to secure a three year deal which, I assume, was not forthcoming at Lord’s.
The southern group of the SEC was won quite comfortably with 6 wins from 9 matches and a margin of 24 points over second placed Somerset. This led to a final at Radlett against Notts. They brought the experience of Luke Fletcher, Paul Franks and Will Gidman. With injuries to a few of the MCCC players and subsequent first eleven call ups that experience was not matched. Having been put in it was only a superb innings from Eskinazi, 126 out of 254, that kept MCCC in the game at the end of the first day and led to his call up to make his first class debut at Lord’s that same week. Excellent bowling from Podmore restricted the Notts lead on first innings to 77. At close on the second day in the second innings Eskinazi was 13no in a score of 25-1 when he was withdrawn to go to Lord’s. He was replaced by Anshuman Rath, who after some discussion with the umpires and the opposition was allowed to bat. Unfortunately he scored only 5 and many at the ground believed that had Eskinazi batted on we could have set a much stronger target. As it was Higgins top scored with 63 in a total of 264. This left a victory target of only 188 with well over a day left in the match. Having had Notts 14-2 and 106-4 we lived in hope but the experience of Gidman proved too much as his 94no took them to a well deserved 4 wicket win. The best batting performances over the season were Eskinazi with 687 at 43 and Paul Stirling with 640 at 160, more of that below. Amongst the bowlers Podmore 42 wickets at 18, Gurgit Sandhu 23 at 22 and Sowter 21 at 20 were the pick.
The standout match statistically was the encounter with Glamorgan at Radlett in early June. Glamorgan batted first and made 371 with ex-MCCC youth player Will Vanderspar scoring 151. Then the fun started. That total was made insignificant by the Irish boys Sterling and Andy Balbirnie. They put 388 for the second wicket with 254 for Stirling and 205 for Balbirnie in a total of 697-8dec off only 118 overs, the highest innings score in SEC history. Glamorgan then batted out the match on the third and final day with 339-6, of which another ex-MCCC youth player, Jamie Kettleborough, scored 120. So, a match total of 1407 runs and an inevitable draw. I cannot confirm it but it is believed that the match total is another SEC record.
This is a very good group of young cricketers including many who still qualify to play under 19 and even under 17 cricket. It is hoped that MCCC is able to continue to develop them and bring them through before a number decide to ply their trade elsewhere in the hunt for regular first eleven cricket. The side is ably coached and managed by Richard Johnson and credit is also due to Head of Youth Cricket Alan Coleman and Rory Coutts.
Something happened this season that I have not encountered in many years watching cricket at county or club level. A fit and healthy 27 year old playing for his county second eleven at Merchant Taylor’s berated a pensioner for not stopping the ball as it crossed the boundary. In my defence the ball was about 15 yards to my right and travelling fast enough to reach the square on the adjoining pitch. Anyone who remembers my fielding would know that even in my prime it would have been touch and go. At his third berate I must admit that I suggested he speed off back whence he came.''
George sent this
We all know it’s been an extraordinary summer with a whole series of one sided games.
But it’s been thrilling - particularly given the dire run up in the West Indies.
I think there is little doubt that the positive and good-spirited cricket against New Zealand teed up England for the Ashes quite nicely.
Even at that early stage wise commentators were saying that if England play this adventurously, there may be some highs, but there will be terrible lows too: that of course came to pass when there were tests in London. I can remember at least once trying to summon the ghosts of John Edrich, David Steele and Ken Barrington.
Three points:
I have just received this... they must be bloody desperate! The width of my Gunn & Moore isn't as thick as the edge of David Warner's bat!
“Apologies for short notice. MCC West Midlands are one short due to a late cry off for the Regional T20 on Thursday 13/8. If we win, we play at Lords, main ground. It is an early start. If available, please let me know asap.”
I replied
You must say yes, even if its just a set up! Full report required....
Steve replied
Not a set up. Apparently I'm still on the players list! Now I'm pissed off because nobody has asked me to play in twenty years! Have I been black-balled? Has my kit been sub-standard? Are my bat edges really not thick enough for limited overs cricket? I am writing to the Secretary to ask for a full explanation and removing my name forthwith!
Steve Wright sent this
Almost 50 years ago I joined Shepherds Bush Cricket Club and I think that it is probably the single best decision I have ever made (please don't tell my wife this!). I met people then that I am friendly with to this day and enjoyed cricket and life in London club cricket and have memories that will stay with me forever.
At that time the most anticipated fixtures were the local derbies against Ealing, Brentham and South Hampstead. Of course there were plenty of other fixtures with a bit of extra "bite" but none that quite matched these . In the bar after the match there were players that I would always want to chat with over a pint,--Bob Fisher, John Lindley at Ealing, Len Stubbs and Don Wallis (who we had something of a love/hate relationship with) at South Hampstead and Brian Reid and David Bloomfield at Brentham.
The penultimate round of Middlesex League fixtures in Division 2 paired Shepherds Bush with Brentham. If the Bush won then they were almost certain of promotion but for Brentham stuck at the bottom of the league defeat meant relegation to Division 3.The Bush bowled Brentham out for 90 and won by 10 wickets. Watching the match were Brian Reid and David Bloomfield who despair for the future of cricket at Brentham.
My cricket at The Bush was played partly before the league structure was introduced and then when it was there was no promotion or relegation. The Bush now has evolved into a club where the members come from a far more privileged social group than the lads I played with but would itself almost certainly not have survived were it not for the efforts of David Perrin after it was ejected from its old ground.
I think of the players Brentham have had. Horace and Mike Brearley, Graham Barlow, Ian Gould, Roger Kingdom, Messrs Reid and Bloomfield and plenty more besides.
It's been a good year for southern clubs in national competitions. Ealing won the T20 and Blackheath the 50 over competition. Both of these sides won their finals comfortably but it's odd that neither Ealing nor Blackheath won their "domestic" leagues. Both these clubs concentrate on cup competitions and field full strength sides which is a rarity these days. How many readers of Googlies have heard about the quarter final clash that Ealing had against Sawbridgeworth in the T20? Clash is the right word as the conduct of Sawbridgeworth led to the Hertfordshire League meting out swingeing bans on both the club and several of its players when news of what happened filtered back to them. These bans were later rescinded because Hertfordshire acted so quickly that they failed to adopt proper procedures regarding appeals.
My reason for raising this is because the ECB have become alarmed at the increasing number of disciplinary offences which are now being reported and have asked the Club Cricket Conference to assist in putting together panels to deal with these.
Why is player conduct such a problem and an increasing problem at that? Every club has the odd player with a short fuse which sometimes the opposition try to exploit but I don't think that I have ever played in a match where a player (under current rules) would have been reported. OK, increasingly players are paid to play but does that make a difference?
As an umpire (retired !) I always believed that talking to the players throughout the game helped defuse any tensions that may arise and most of my old colleagues would say the same. But something is going badly wrong somewhere. Any ideas why?
Douglas Miller sent this
We have had a marvellous summer with two excellent Test series, the Ashes matches in particular remarkable for their unpredictability and drama. The cricket in general has been enhanced by exceptionally good umpiring with a very low proportion of reviewed decisions leading to a reversal of the on-field umpire’s original call and the officials’ management of the matches helping to maintain a good spirit between the two sides.
However, in one respect I find the cricket world – players, spectators and more casual followers as well as umpires – dismayed by the prevalence of uncalled no balls. I know many senior umpires have been scandalised by the practice of the world’s top officials apparently not bothering to watch the bowler’s feet. That no balls have been allowed to pass uncalled is apparent from televised samples of a run of deliveries and by seeing the third umpire so regularly consulted in the case of a dismissal – even, on occasions, when the foot was nowhere near going over the line. Moreover, watching some of the umpires in action confirms that there is no evidence of eyes being adjusted as the ball is delivered.
Word is that the umpires were working to instructions – they were told to concentrate on the business end and only worry about no balls if they might become an issue when a wicket is taken. This helps to make sense of what has been happening, but if it is true it is scandalous. Who has the right to adjust the Laws of the game and the match regulations in this way? Up and down the land at all levels of cricket recreational umpires are doing their best to keep an eye on bowlers’ feet and adjust their eyes to adjudicate on matters at other end. It isn’t always easy, though I firmly believe it is not as difficult as some media pundits like to imagine, though I do acknowledge that most of us are not used to bowling around 90 mph.
One acknowledges that top fast bowlers, like long jumpers, often try to get as close to the line as they legally can. Moreover, television shows how tight to the line bowlers can go with many of their deliveries, and one can accept that an umpire is right to call only when he is certain that the bowler has overstepped. But none of this accounts for the casual attitude adopted this summer.
Let us consider some of the implications of this negligent umpiring. Firstly, a no ball is worth one run to the batting side, no more and no less than the single run that might be at stake when a piece of boundary fielding is subjected to protracted replays – and the evidence suggests that as many as 15 or 20 no balls may sometimes have been missed in a single session. Not only has the batting side lost runs (and perhaps the occasional free hit if the call is heard in good time) but strikers have faced balls delivered from just a few inches closer than they should have been. Now had an offending bowler been called with any regularity, the odds are that he would have chosen to adjust his run up by perhaps a foot. Given that the batsman is just under 60 feet from the bowler at the time of delivery, this means a ball sent down at 88mph becomes the equivalent of one bowled at almost 90. A small increase it is true, but one that can still provoke comment, the typical difference between Broad and Wood, for instance.
The unfairness to the batting side was certainly balanced during the series on those occasions when the bowler was denied a wicket. If memory serves, this was a fate suffered among England’s bowlers by Wood, Stokes and Finn. Whilst it is a valid comment that an overstepping bowler has only himself to blame, he is still entitled to know that he has transgressed at times other than when he thinks he has just taken a wicket. It is, in any case, common practice at all levels of the game for a bowler gradually to loosen up and marginally increase his stride, especially if his adrenalin increases – much as golfers can hit the ball too far as the tension mounts. I have even heard a bowler say he stretches further towards the line until he is called, then he moves his marker back.
There is talk of perhaps delegating the watching of no balls to the second on-field official, leaving the camera to look after everything that would customarily fall within the remit of the umpire at the striker’s end. This is fine for the miniscule proportion of the world’s cricket where cameras and extra officials are provided, but it has nothing to do with the typical Saturday afternoon in leagues around the country. No, the calling of no balls will remain the responsibility of the bowler’s end umpire, just as it has always been – and, certainly while it remains their duty to perform the same task, the ICC’s Elite Panel should be setting a better example for the rest of us.
The Professor
I think it has been a rather topsy-turvy cricket season - or so it has appeared to me. For me it began in April in Antigua and ended at Headingley in September - but nothing in between was very predictable. In Antigua England drew a game they really should have won, unable to bowl out 8 and 9 on the last day. Anderson was brilliant in the second innings at Grenada (having bowled very poorly in the first) and we somehow contrived to lose the final Test in Barbados. Before all that, of course, England had lost to Bangladesh and thus exited the World Cup, which even retrospective wisdom would have doubted. Then came the New Zealand visit and one of the great Test matches at Lord's followed by a rapid reversal at Headingley. And so it went on. Who would have dreamt that we would beat NZ in the ODIs let alone the T20. World records of highest aggregates and highest number of boundaries, etc., might all have been expected...but not by England.
Add to that the Ashes which no one...no one... would have predicted, domestic wins for Lancs and Gloucestershire - both from Div 2 and even a second Championship for Yorkshire with half the side taken by England and, as I say, a little counter-intuitive...but all the better for that.
In the end Yorkshire had the Championship won with three games to spare after thrashing Somerset by an innings at Headingley. I couldn’t get to the next two away games but the final match against Sussex had all the smugness of a coronation second time around. Indeed it was hard for the Yorkshire supporters not to feel smug and, in truth, none of them tried very hard. Two consecutive Championships and this time with as many as six players taken by England is, well, something to be smug about. The success was built, I think, on a largely settled seam attack, some important contributions from young cricketers and a major role played by Bresnan.
I always thought that Sidebottom was a good signing (although he apparently used up all the transfer money for that year) as was Brooks (and as will be Willey). The ever-willing Paterson made up a very handy attack. Brooks sometimes got an enormous amount of movement off the seam – against Somerset, for example, only Hildreth in the middle order had any idea of how to play him. Sussex never looked like batting out the final day of the season and it was the same seam attck that did the work.
Former Test players often do very little when they come back to their counties at the end of their careers. I recall watching Michael Vaughan on a freezing cold day at Scarborough shortly before he retired and it wasn’t even necessary to say that his heart wasn’t in it. Not so Bresnan however. Perhaps he hasn’t been a big enough star or played that many international matches…or perhaps he’s just a different kind of bloke. Whatever the reason he has made a huge contribution to Yorkshire’s season in all three departments. If you add in the “boys”, some excellent innings from Bairstow and Gale and, what is so difficult to assess, the contribution of the coach Gillespie, well, it all looks very good…for now.
A couple of thoughts from me
Its time Middlesex announced formally that they don’t take one day cricket seriously and slashed admission prices for this form of the game. It’s OK to use this format to try out younger players but the public need to be aware of this policy and shouldn’t be charged full fare to watch it. It’s also inappropriate to excuse their selection by saying that they adopt a pool policy. Many of those selected would not play first team cricket elsewhere. Someone is only a valid pool player if they can be reasonably expected to hold their own in the first team.
I think that T20 is a problem over here. The weather has rarely been kind to it and above all else it needs good weather. A shorter competition based on city franchises is probably the answer. The 50 over competition can take place alongside it as few counties would be providing many players to the cities and that would free up time for Championship cricket. If they really need to reduce the number of matches they can go to three divisions, supplemented if necessary by Minor Counties. If the established counties don’t want relegation from the third division then relegation can apply only to the minor counties in that league.
Middlesex Matters
The Great Jack Morgan updates us on the Championship Runners Up
Steve Eskinazi replaced Ollie Rayner in the Middlesex team for the Championship match against Yorkshire starting at Lord’s on 9th September. Even allowing for the disgracefully green wicket, it seemed odd to leave out the first choice spinner in favour of the second team wicket keeper, especially as it meant only three front line bowlers were selected. Although I was in my seat well before play started, there was no announcement regarding the toss while I was present, but the pitch was so green that it was obvious that Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale would have invited Middlesex to bat first. This move paid immediate dividends as ex-England left arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom reduced the home team to 0 for 3 in the first over of the match. Sam Robson, Neil Dexter and John Simpson all looked as if they were in decent form, but none could do better than Simpson’s 28 as Middlesex were all out for 106 in 30 overs. Sidebottom was the star performer with figures of 12-5-18-5 and he was ably assisted by another ex-England man Tim Bresnan with 4 for 30. With Middlesex not gaining any batting points and Nottinghamshire collecting only one, it was confirmed that Yorkshire were the deserving winners of the Championship for the second consecutive year.
Alex Lees, one of a quartet of left handers at the top of the Yorkshire order, played a determined innings of 39 and when he was joined by skipper Gale, 78 runs came quickly for the third wicket, but no one else could stay with Gale for very long and when he finally departed for a superb 98 off 110 balls with 18 fours, six wickets had gone for 198. Nine wickets were down for 221 when Jack Brooks was joined by last man Sidebottom and another stand of 78 developed for the last wicket before Sidebottom fell for 28 with the score on 299, leaving Brooks unbeaten on a splendid 50* off 69 balls with 10 fours. Neil Dexter, on his last appearance at Lord's before he joins Leicestershire, returned the best figures of 3 for 24 and 3 wickets were also picked up by Tim Murtagh (for 81) and Toby Roland-Jones (for 93).
Robson (53 from 76 balls with 9 fours) batted well at the start of the Middlesex second innings and shared an opening stand of 87 for the first wicket with Paul Stirling (34), but 3 wickets fell quickly and soon half of the side were out with only 143 on the board, still 50 short of wiping out the first innings deficit. However, Nick Compton was playing better than he had done all season and now he was joined by James Franklin in an important stand of 150 for the sixth wicket before the latter fell for an admirable 63 off 111 balls with 10 fours. Simpson now joined Compton in another fine stand of 87 for the seventh wicket before Compton departed for an exemplary 149 off 261 balls with 20 fours, his best innings for Middx for several years. Simpson went on to reach 47 off 166 balls with 6 fours and a six, but Jimmy Harris was already well settled and now he was joined by Roland-Jones in a wonderful stand for the ninth wicket. Toby has always been a useful batsman (way above the normal standard of no 10s) and here he displayed his full range of shots in a marvellous innings of 103*, his maiden first class hundred, off 122 balls with 18 fours and a six. Harris was less spectacular, but played his full part in an exceptional unbroken partnership of 146 and finished on 67* off 176 balls with 11 fours.
Franklin waited until just before play was due to start on day 4 before informing the visitors he was declaring at the overnight score of 573 for 8, setting them 381 to win in 96 overs, a rate of just under 4 per over. Two wickets fell with the score on 28, but Lees was batting well and when Gale joined him 64 runs were added for the third wicket and there was no sign of the carnage which followed after lunch. Lees made an outstanding 62 off 129 balls with 8 fours, but when he departed with the score on 106, wickets fell in an avalanche and it was that man Roland-Jones who was the cause of the trouble. Toby took 5 wickets in quick succession and finished with the magnificent figures of 21-10-27-5, while Harris helped him out (as he had with the bat) with 3 for 37 as the visitors plunged to 134 all out and Middlesex had won by 246 runs. Keeper Simpson took six fine catches in the match.
It was Yorkshire's first defeat of the season and only their second in two years. Middlesex took 19 points and Yorkshire 5. Of course, there have been many great victories over the years, but it is hard to remember anything that compares to this one: to win by 246 having been bowled out for 106 by the Champions just after lunch on day one, is truly exceptional. I am not in the habit of handing out man of the match awards, but I have no hesitation in nominating Toby Roland-Jones for this one.
M Selvey was at Worcester to see Middlesex collapse to the bowling of Shannon Gabriel (5-31) and were all out for 98 with 6 ducks: pathetic and only Simmo escapes criticism for 27*. Worcester (already relegated, don't forget) then made it look easy by racking up 431-5 dec, T Fell (I have mentioned him before) 171 and T (Coca) Kohler-Cadmore 130*. Dexter's bowling figures of 3-51 look quite respectable, but Murtagh's 1-128 certainly do not: he has not been quite at his best in recent weeks, losing both pace and accuracy. Then further humiliation followed as the lads collapsed to 205 a/o, Simmo (50*) played the only innings above 25 and he and Murts added 66 for the last wicket, otherwise it was pathetic. Worcester won by an innings and 128. They do not deserve to be runners up. In a way I am glad that this disaster occurred because otherwise it would have looked as if everything in the garden was rosy, when it is clearly not. They are actually runners up by 7 points, but it is a very flattering situation for a side that is capable of being hammered by the bottom team.
Grace Matters
Peter Lapping sent me this
Few G and C readers need any introduction to WG Grace. For those who do, a biography by Richard Tomlinson, “Amazing Grace: the man who was WG”, will be published this month. However some readers may not have realised that October 23rd marks the centenary of WG’s death. How are we, in Gloucestershire, his home county, going to celebrate the occasion?
Obviously, winning the Royal London One-Day Cup was a good start but, in fact, preparations have been going on for some time. The Bristol County Ground boasts Grace Gates and a Grace Banqueting Room in its New Pavilion. It would be interesting to know whether Gloucestershire’s gates pre-dated those at Lords. Perhaps a G and C reader might help here. There is also a Grace Society which consists of those members who have pledged to remember GCCC in their will. However the one thing that GCCC did not possess was an effigy of the great man.
It was because of this that I recently commissioned a statuette of Grace. While there is a bust of Grace in the Harris Garden at Lord’s and, from memory, a fairly rough wood carving of him in the Committee Dining Room there, effigies of Grace are surprisingly thin on the ground. GCCC are planning a sumptuous dinner which will be held in The Grace Room on October 23rd. This will feature the menu of the private dinner held for Grace on the publication of his book “Cricket” in 1891 and I am determined that Grace will be there. WG, a noted trencherman, should enjoy the occasion.
As a result, a 23 inch statuette has been carved out of a single block of Gloucestershire lime by Simon Cooper, who works from his home in the Slad Valley near Stroud. Simon and his wife, Julia, who is a guilder, are well known for their picture frames - Simon carves them and Julia guilds them. For example, they have recently completed a huge frame for the new painting, commemorating the bi-centenary of the Battle of Waterloo, which will hang in Apsley House. Their clients are many and varied with Barry Humphries being prominent amongst them. However Simon does not do portraiture and the Grace carving was a huge challenge. We chose lime because he says it is relatively easy to carve “rather like cold butter”. Our research consisted of pictures from the internet but, as we could not find a rear view image, we surmised that Grace, despite the bushy beard, was a short back and sides man. Indeed Simon was grateful for that beard because it masked possibly intricate facial features. However the fascinating feature about Simon’s talent is that once he had completed his research and started working, the hands took over and WG simply emerged from that block of wood. We chose the stance that Grace took as he faced the bowling. It is a lovely piece and I am thrilled with it. Before I picked it up, a dealer visited Simon and he suggested that we had a limited edition of ten bronzes made from a mould of the carving. These will not be cheap and, once the GCCC Heritage Committee who are setting up a museum at Bristol, have finished with their organisation of The Grace Dinner, this will be explored seriously. If this is a success, who knows where we will stop? Jessop’s crouch? Wally’s and Tom’s cover drives? Jack’s hat? The mind boggles.
Sad News
I heard from Bill Groombridege that Dick Crawshay died recently. He was a captain of cricket at SCD and later he emigrated to Australia. He was a correspondent of Googlies in the early days and will be missed by his family and friends.
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An Occasional Cricketing Journal
Edition 154
October 2015
2015 matters
I asked a selection of Googlies readers for anecdotes or comments on the season
Allen Bruton was first to reply
This seems like an invitation for grumpy old men to get a few things off their chest, an opportunity difficult to resist. I shall however restrict myself to just a couple.
- It seems impossible to view any game of cricket on SKY TV without being informed that a record has been broken. Unfortunately this tends to be along the lines of an 8th. Wicket, 39 run partnership for Derbyshire v Leicestershire between two left handed batsmen in a one day game played at Chesterfield on a Wednesday. It hardly rivals Jim Laker’s 19 wickets in a test match.
- Why can’t all test matches be like the recent Women’s Ashes played at Canterbury. This was the diet I was brought up on. A rain affected match lasting into the final day with a very real prospect of a draw, average scoring rate 2.33 runs per over (note I avoid the use of strike rate), all observed in respectful near monastic silence by a soberly dressed audience. Proper test cricket.
Contrast the above with my Trent Bridge experience when a decision to make a cup of tea caused me to miss the dismissals of the first three Aussies. Answering a call of nature which inevitably quickly follows a drink resulted in another dismissal being missed. In the days of Trevor Bailey, Slasher Mackay, Geoffrey Boycott I was safe in the knowledge that I could make tea, a sandwich or even nod off for a while and not miss anything. In fact booking tickets for the fifth day was a reasonable bet. Time to remove the excitement from test cricket if the interest of our generation is to be retained and certainly time to stop using the phrase ‘the longer form of the game’.
Jeff Coleman sent this
Middlesex 2’s had a successful season winning the Twenty20 completion and getting to the final of the Second Eleven Championship after winning the southern group.
A Twenty20 second place to Kent in the southern group led to finals day at Arundel and a semi against Lancashire. Lancs having won the toss and batted were restricted to 148-4 with Max Holden being the most economical bowler with 1-19 off his 4 overs of spin. Middlesex won with by 4 wickets with one ball to spare mainly due to 67 from Ryan Higgins. The final was against Kent. Kent won the toss and batted. A score of 115 never looked enough with good figures for Ravi Patel 1-10 off 4 and Harry Podmore 3-18 off 2.4. So it proved with victory being gained in the 18th over with Higgins again top scoring with 33. Podmore and Nathan Sowter were the leading MCCC wicket takers in the competition with 14 apiece.
The side was not as successful in the 50 over competition finishing 5th of 10 at the group stage. A dysfunctional set up with only 6 of the 9 teams being played leads to that strange situation of maybe not playing any of the weaker sides. I am not suggesting this was so for MCCC this year but shows the stupidity of such an arrangement. Although not progressing to the semi final stage there were some standout performances. Steven Eskanazi averaged 93, Neil Dexter 75 and Cameron Steel 68. In the Gloucestershire match Dexter scored 147 off 71 balls including six 6’s in an over. Whilst I am sorry to see him leave to join Leicestershire as he is the best medium pace all-rounder we have, I am pleased that he has managed to secure a three year deal which, I assume, was not forthcoming at Lord’s.
The southern group of the SEC was won quite comfortably with 6 wins from 9 matches and a margin of 24 points over second placed Somerset. This led to a final at Radlett against Notts. They brought the experience of Luke Fletcher, Paul Franks and Will Gidman. With injuries to a few of the MCCC players and subsequent first eleven call ups that experience was not matched. Having been put in it was only a superb innings from Eskinazi, 126 out of 254, that kept MCCC in the game at the end of the first day and led to his call up to make his first class debut at Lord’s that same week. Excellent bowling from Podmore restricted the Notts lead on first innings to 77. At close on the second day in the second innings Eskinazi was 13no in a score of 25-1 when he was withdrawn to go to Lord’s. He was replaced by Anshuman Rath, who after some discussion with the umpires and the opposition was allowed to bat. Unfortunately he scored only 5 and many at the ground believed that had Eskinazi batted on we could have set a much stronger target. As it was Higgins top scored with 63 in a total of 264. This left a victory target of only 188 with well over a day left in the match. Having had Notts 14-2 and 106-4 we lived in hope but the experience of Gidman proved too much as his 94no took them to a well deserved 4 wicket win. The best batting performances over the season were Eskinazi with 687 at 43 and Paul Stirling with 640 at 160, more of that below. Amongst the bowlers Podmore 42 wickets at 18, Gurgit Sandhu 23 at 22 and Sowter 21 at 20 were the pick.
The standout match statistically was the encounter with Glamorgan at Radlett in early June. Glamorgan batted first and made 371 with ex-MCCC youth player Will Vanderspar scoring 151. Then the fun started. That total was made insignificant by the Irish boys Sterling and Andy Balbirnie. They put 388 for the second wicket with 254 for Stirling and 205 for Balbirnie in a total of 697-8dec off only 118 overs, the highest innings score in SEC history. Glamorgan then batted out the match on the third and final day with 339-6, of which another ex-MCCC youth player, Jamie Kettleborough, scored 120. So, a match total of 1407 runs and an inevitable draw. I cannot confirm it but it is believed that the match total is another SEC record.
This is a very good group of young cricketers including many who still qualify to play under 19 and even under 17 cricket. It is hoped that MCCC is able to continue to develop them and bring them through before a number decide to ply their trade elsewhere in the hunt for regular first eleven cricket. The side is ably coached and managed by Richard Johnson and credit is also due to Head of Youth Cricket Alan Coleman and Rory Coutts.
Something happened this season that I have not encountered in many years watching cricket at county or club level. A fit and healthy 27 year old playing for his county second eleven at Merchant Taylor’s berated a pensioner for not stopping the ball as it crossed the boundary. In my defence the ball was about 15 yards to my right and travelling fast enough to reach the square on the adjoining pitch. Anyone who remembers my fielding would know that even in my prime it would have been touch and go. At his third berate I must admit that I suggested he speed off back whence he came.''
George sent this
We all know it’s been an extraordinary summer with a whole series of one sided games.
But it’s been thrilling - particularly given the dire run up in the West Indies.
I think there is little doubt that the positive and good-spirited cricket against New Zealand teed up England for the Ashes quite nicely.
Even at that early stage wise commentators were saying that if England play this adventurously, there may be some highs, but there will be terrible lows too: that of course came to pass when there were tests in London. I can remember at least once trying to summon the ghosts of John Edrich, David Steele and Ken Barrington.
Three points:
- England have now seen off the KP debate finally. Even the press don’t mention him now
- Out of interest, I had a look at England’s run rate over the series and compared it with the 2005 Ashes. As I did the computation I was expecting it to be up about half a run an over compared with 2005. Actually it was 3.74 this year and 3.84 in 2005.
- I think we will know a lot more about this team by March.
I have just received this... they must be bloody desperate! The width of my Gunn & Moore isn't as thick as the edge of David Warner's bat!
“Apologies for short notice. MCC West Midlands are one short due to a late cry off for the Regional T20 on Thursday 13/8. If we win, we play at Lords, main ground. It is an early start. If available, please let me know asap.”
I replied
You must say yes, even if its just a set up! Full report required....
Steve replied
Not a set up. Apparently I'm still on the players list! Now I'm pissed off because nobody has asked me to play in twenty years! Have I been black-balled? Has my kit been sub-standard? Are my bat edges really not thick enough for limited overs cricket? I am writing to the Secretary to ask for a full explanation and removing my name forthwith!
Steve Wright sent this
Almost 50 years ago I joined Shepherds Bush Cricket Club and I think that it is probably the single best decision I have ever made (please don't tell my wife this!). I met people then that I am friendly with to this day and enjoyed cricket and life in London club cricket and have memories that will stay with me forever.
At that time the most anticipated fixtures were the local derbies against Ealing, Brentham and South Hampstead. Of course there were plenty of other fixtures with a bit of extra "bite" but none that quite matched these . In the bar after the match there were players that I would always want to chat with over a pint,--Bob Fisher, John Lindley at Ealing, Len Stubbs and Don Wallis (who we had something of a love/hate relationship with) at South Hampstead and Brian Reid and David Bloomfield at Brentham.
The penultimate round of Middlesex League fixtures in Division 2 paired Shepherds Bush with Brentham. If the Bush won then they were almost certain of promotion but for Brentham stuck at the bottom of the league defeat meant relegation to Division 3.The Bush bowled Brentham out for 90 and won by 10 wickets. Watching the match were Brian Reid and David Bloomfield who despair for the future of cricket at Brentham.
My cricket at The Bush was played partly before the league structure was introduced and then when it was there was no promotion or relegation. The Bush now has evolved into a club where the members come from a far more privileged social group than the lads I played with but would itself almost certainly not have survived were it not for the efforts of David Perrin after it was ejected from its old ground.
I think of the players Brentham have had. Horace and Mike Brearley, Graham Barlow, Ian Gould, Roger Kingdom, Messrs Reid and Bloomfield and plenty more besides.
It's been a good year for southern clubs in national competitions. Ealing won the T20 and Blackheath the 50 over competition. Both of these sides won their finals comfortably but it's odd that neither Ealing nor Blackheath won their "domestic" leagues. Both these clubs concentrate on cup competitions and field full strength sides which is a rarity these days. How many readers of Googlies have heard about the quarter final clash that Ealing had against Sawbridgeworth in the T20? Clash is the right word as the conduct of Sawbridgeworth led to the Hertfordshire League meting out swingeing bans on both the club and several of its players when news of what happened filtered back to them. These bans were later rescinded because Hertfordshire acted so quickly that they failed to adopt proper procedures regarding appeals.
My reason for raising this is because the ECB have become alarmed at the increasing number of disciplinary offences which are now being reported and have asked the Club Cricket Conference to assist in putting together panels to deal with these.
Why is player conduct such a problem and an increasing problem at that? Every club has the odd player with a short fuse which sometimes the opposition try to exploit but I don't think that I have ever played in a match where a player (under current rules) would have been reported. OK, increasingly players are paid to play but does that make a difference?
As an umpire (retired !) I always believed that talking to the players throughout the game helped defuse any tensions that may arise and most of my old colleagues would say the same. But something is going badly wrong somewhere. Any ideas why?
Douglas Miller sent this
We have had a marvellous summer with two excellent Test series, the Ashes matches in particular remarkable for their unpredictability and drama. The cricket in general has been enhanced by exceptionally good umpiring with a very low proportion of reviewed decisions leading to a reversal of the on-field umpire’s original call and the officials’ management of the matches helping to maintain a good spirit between the two sides.
However, in one respect I find the cricket world – players, spectators and more casual followers as well as umpires – dismayed by the prevalence of uncalled no balls. I know many senior umpires have been scandalised by the practice of the world’s top officials apparently not bothering to watch the bowler’s feet. That no balls have been allowed to pass uncalled is apparent from televised samples of a run of deliveries and by seeing the third umpire so regularly consulted in the case of a dismissal – even, on occasions, when the foot was nowhere near going over the line. Moreover, watching some of the umpires in action confirms that there is no evidence of eyes being adjusted as the ball is delivered.
Word is that the umpires were working to instructions – they were told to concentrate on the business end and only worry about no balls if they might become an issue when a wicket is taken. This helps to make sense of what has been happening, but if it is true it is scandalous. Who has the right to adjust the Laws of the game and the match regulations in this way? Up and down the land at all levels of cricket recreational umpires are doing their best to keep an eye on bowlers’ feet and adjust their eyes to adjudicate on matters at other end. It isn’t always easy, though I firmly believe it is not as difficult as some media pundits like to imagine, though I do acknowledge that most of us are not used to bowling around 90 mph.
One acknowledges that top fast bowlers, like long jumpers, often try to get as close to the line as they legally can. Moreover, television shows how tight to the line bowlers can go with many of their deliveries, and one can accept that an umpire is right to call only when he is certain that the bowler has overstepped. But none of this accounts for the casual attitude adopted this summer.
Let us consider some of the implications of this negligent umpiring. Firstly, a no ball is worth one run to the batting side, no more and no less than the single run that might be at stake when a piece of boundary fielding is subjected to protracted replays – and the evidence suggests that as many as 15 or 20 no balls may sometimes have been missed in a single session. Not only has the batting side lost runs (and perhaps the occasional free hit if the call is heard in good time) but strikers have faced balls delivered from just a few inches closer than they should have been. Now had an offending bowler been called with any regularity, the odds are that he would have chosen to adjust his run up by perhaps a foot. Given that the batsman is just under 60 feet from the bowler at the time of delivery, this means a ball sent down at 88mph becomes the equivalent of one bowled at almost 90. A small increase it is true, but one that can still provoke comment, the typical difference between Broad and Wood, for instance.
The unfairness to the batting side was certainly balanced during the series on those occasions when the bowler was denied a wicket. If memory serves, this was a fate suffered among England’s bowlers by Wood, Stokes and Finn. Whilst it is a valid comment that an overstepping bowler has only himself to blame, he is still entitled to know that he has transgressed at times other than when he thinks he has just taken a wicket. It is, in any case, common practice at all levels of the game for a bowler gradually to loosen up and marginally increase his stride, especially if his adrenalin increases – much as golfers can hit the ball too far as the tension mounts. I have even heard a bowler say he stretches further towards the line until he is called, then he moves his marker back.
There is talk of perhaps delegating the watching of no balls to the second on-field official, leaving the camera to look after everything that would customarily fall within the remit of the umpire at the striker’s end. This is fine for the miniscule proportion of the world’s cricket where cameras and extra officials are provided, but it has nothing to do with the typical Saturday afternoon in leagues around the country. No, the calling of no balls will remain the responsibility of the bowler’s end umpire, just as it has always been – and, certainly while it remains their duty to perform the same task, the ICC’s Elite Panel should be setting a better example for the rest of us.
The Professor
I think it has been a rather topsy-turvy cricket season - or so it has appeared to me. For me it began in April in Antigua and ended at Headingley in September - but nothing in between was very predictable. In Antigua England drew a game they really should have won, unable to bowl out 8 and 9 on the last day. Anderson was brilliant in the second innings at Grenada (having bowled very poorly in the first) and we somehow contrived to lose the final Test in Barbados. Before all that, of course, England had lost to Bangladesh and thus exited the World Cup, which even retrospective wisdom would have doubted. Then came the New Zealand visit and one of the great Test matches at Lord's followed by a rapid reversal at Headingley. And so it went on. Who would have dreamt that we would beat NZ in the ODIs let alone the T20. World records of highest aggregates and highest number of boundaries, etc., might all have been expected...but not by England.
Add to that the Ashes which no one...no one... would have predicted, domestic wins for Lancs and Gloucestershire - both from Div 2 and even a second Championship for Yorkshire with half the side taken by England and, as I say, a little counter-intuitive...but all the better for that.
In the end Yorkshire had the Championship won with three games to spare after thrashing Somerset by an innings at Headingley. I couldn’t get to the next two away games but the final match against Sussex had all the smugness of a coronation second time around. Indeed it was hard for the Yorkshire supporters not to feel smug and, in truth, none of them tried very hard. Two consecutive Championships and this time with as many as six players taken by England is, well, something to be smug about. The success was built, I think, on a largely settled seam attack, some important contributions from young cricketers and a major role played by Bresnan.
I always thought that Sidebottom was a good signing (although he apparently used up all the transfer money for that year) as was Brooks (and as will be Willey). The ever-willing Paterson made up a very handy attack. Brooks sometimes got an enormous amount of movement off the seam – against Somerset, for example, only Hildreth in the middle order had any idea of how to play him. Sussex never looked like batting out the final day of the season and it was the same seam attck that did the work.
Former Test players often do very little when they come back to their counties at the end of their careers. I recall watching Michael Vaughan on a freezing cold day at Scarborough shortly before he retired and it wasn’t even necessary to say that his heart wasn’t in it. Not so Bresnan however. Perhaps he hasn’t been a big enough star or played that many international matches…or perhaps he’s just a different kind of bloke. Whatever the reason he has made a huge contribution to Yorkshire’s season in all three departments. If you add in the “boys”, some excellent innings from Bairstow and Gale and, what is so difficult to assess, the contribution of the coach Gillespie, well, it all looks very good…for now.
A couple of thoughts from me
Its time Middlesex announced formally that they don’t take one day cricket seriously and slashed admission prices for this form of the game. It’s OK to use this format to try out younger players but the public need to be aware of this policy and shouldn’t be charged full fare to watch it. It’s also inappropriate to excuse their selection by saying that they adopt a pool policy. Many of those selected would not play first team cricket elsewhere. Someone is only a valid pool player if they can be reasonably expected to hold their own in the first team.
I think that T20 is a problem over here. The weather has rarely been kind to it and above all else it needs good weather. A shorter competition based on city franchises is probably the answer. The 50 over competition can take place alongside it as few counties would be providing many players to the cities and that would free up time for Championship cricket. If they really need to reduce the number of matches they can go to three divisions, supplemented if necessary by Minor Counties. If the established counties don’t want relegation from the third division then relegation can apply only to the minor counties in that league.
Middlesex Matters
The Great Jack Morgan updates us on the Championship Runners Up
Steve Eskinazi replaced Ollie Rayner in the Middlesex team for the Championship match against Yorkshire starting at Lord’s on 9th September. Even allowing for the disgracefully green wicket, it seemed odd to leave out the first choice spinner in favour of the second team wicket keeper, especially as it meant only three front line bowlers were selected. Although I was in my seat well before play started, there was no announcement regarding the toss while I was present, but the pitch was so green that it was obvious that Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale would have invited Middlesex to bat first. This move paid immediate dividends as ex-England left arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom reduced the home team to 0 for 3 in the first over of the match. Sam Robson, Neil Dexter and John Simpson all looked as if they were in decent form, but none could do better than Simpson’s 28 as Middlesex were all out for 106 in 30 overs. Sidebottom was the star performer with figures of 12-5-18-5 and he was ably assisted by another ex-England man Tim Bresnan with 4 for 30. With Middlesex not gaining any batting points and Nottinghamshire collecting only one, it was confirmed that Yorkshire were the deserving winners of the Championship for the second consecutive year.
Alex Lees, one of a quartet of left handers at the top of the Yorkshire order, played a determined innings of 39 and when he was joined by skipper Gale, 78 runs came quickly for the third wicket, but no one else could stay with Gale for very long and when he finally departed for a superb 98 off 110 balls with 18 fours, six wickets had gone for 198. Nine wickets were down for 221 when Jack Brooks was joined by last man Sidebottom and another stand of 78 developed for the last wicket before Sidebottom fell for 28 with the score on 299, leaving Brooks unbeaten on a splendid 50* off 69 balls with 10 fours. Neil Dexter, on his last appearance at Lord's before he joins Leicestershire, returned the best figures of 3 for 24 and 3 wickets were also picked up by Tim Murtagh (for 81) and Toby Roland-Jones (for 93).
Robson (53 from 76 balls with 9 fours) batted well at the start of the Middlesex second innings and shared an opening stand of 87 for the first wicket with Paul Stirling (34), but 3 wickets fell quickly and soon half of the side were out with only 143 on the board, still 50 short of wiping out the first innings deficit. However, Nick Compton was playing better than he had done all season and now he was joined by James Franklin in an important stand of 150 for the sixth wicket before the latter fell for an admirable 63 off 111 balls with 10 fours. Simpson now joined Compton in another fine stand of 87 for the seventh wicket before Compton departed for an exemplary 149 off 261 balls with 20 fours, his best innings for Middx for several years. Simpson went on to reach 47 off 166 balls with 6 fours and a six, but Jimmy Harris was already well settled and now he was joined by Roland-Jones in a wonderful stand for the ninth wicket. Toby has always been a useful batsman (way above the normal standard of no 10s) and here he displayed his full range of shots in a marvellous innings of 103*, his maiden first class hundred, off 122 balls with 18 fours and a six. Harris was less spectacular, but played his full part in an exceptional unbroken partnership of 146 and finished on 67* off 176 balls with 11 fours.
Franklin waited until just before play was due to start on day 4 before informing the visitors he was declaring at the overnight score of 573 for 8, setting them 381 to win in 96 overs, a rate of just under 4 per over. Two wickets fell with the score on 28, but Lees was batting well and when Gale joined him 64 runs were added for the third wicket and there was no sign of the carnage which followed after lunch. Lees made an outstanding 62 off 129 balls with 8 fours, but when he departed with the score on 106, wickets fell in an avalanche and it was that man Roland-Jones who was the cause of the trouble. Toby took 5 wickets in quick succession and finished with the magnificent figures of 21-10-27-5, while Harris helped him out (as he had with the bat) with 3 for 37 as the visitors plunged to 134 all out and Middlesex had won by 246 runs. Keeper Simpson took six fine catches in the match.
It was Yorkshire's first defeat of the season and only their second in two years. Middlesex took 19 points and Yorkshire 5. Of course, there have been many great victories over the years, but it is hard to remember anything that compares to this one: to win by 246 having been bowled out for 106 by the Champions just after lunch on day one, is truly exceptional. I am not in the habit of handing out man of the match awards, but I have no hesitation in nominating Toby Roland-Jones for this one.
M Selvey was at Worcester to see Middlesex collapse to the bowling of Shannon Gabriel (5-31) and were all out for 98 with 6 ducks: pathetic and only Simmo escapes criticism for 27*. Worcester (already relegated, don't forget) then made it look easy by racking up 431-5 dec, T Fell (I have mentioned him before) 171 and T (Coca) Kohler-Cadmore 130*. Dexter's bowling figures of 3-51 look quite respectable, but Murtagh's 1-128 certainly do not: he has not been quite at his best in recent weeks, losing both pace and accuracy. Then further humiliation followed as the lads collapsed to 205 a/o, Simmo (50*) played the only innings above 25 and he and Murts added 66 for the last wicket, otherwise it was pathetic. Worcester won by an innings and 128. They do not deserve to be runners up. In a way I am glad that this disaster occurred because otherwise it would have looked as if everything in the garden was rosy, when it is clearly not. They are actually runners up by 7 points, but it is a very flattering situation for a side that is capable of being hammered by the bottom team.
Grace Matters
Peter Lapping sent me this
Few G and C readers need any introduction to WG Grace. For those who do, a biography by Richard Tomlinson, “Amazing Grace: the man who was WG”, will be published this month. However some readers may not have realised that October 23rd marks the centenary of WG’s death. How are we, in Gloucestershire, his home county, going to celebrate the occasion?
Obviously, winning the Royal London One-Day Cup was a good start but, in fact, preparations have been going on for some time. The Bristol County Ground boasts Grace Gates and a Grace Banqueting Room in its New Pavilion. It would be interesting to know whether Gloucestershire’s gates pre-dated those at Lords. Perhaps a G and C reader might help here. There is also a Grace Society which consists of those members who have pledged to remember GCCC in their will. However the one thing that GCCC did not possess was an effigy of the great man.
It was because of this that I recently commissioned a statuette of Grace. While there is a bust of Grace in the Harris Garden at Lord’s and, from memory, a fairly rough wood carving of him in the Committee Dining Room there, effigies of Grace are surprisingly thin on the ground. GCCC are planning a sumptuous dinner which will be held in The Grace Room on October 23rd. This will feature the menu of the private dinner held for Grace on the publication of his book “Cricket” in 1891 and I am determined that Grace will be there. WG, a noted trencherman, should enjoy the occasion.
As a result, a 23 inch statuette has been carved out of a single block of Gloucestershire lime by Simon Cooper, who works from his home in the Slad Valley near Stroud. Simon and his wife, Julia, who is a guilder, are well known for their picture frames - Simon carves them and Julia guilds them. For example, they have recently completed a huge frame for the new painting, commemorating the bi-centenary of the Battle of Waterloo, which will hang in Apsley House. Their clients are many and varied with Barry Humphries being prominent amongst them. However Simon does not do portraiture and the Grace carving was a huge challenge. We chose lime because he says it is relatively easy to carve “rather like cold butter”. Our research consisted of pictures from the internet but, as we could not find a rear view image, we surmised that Grace, despite the bushy beard, was a short back and sides man. Indeed Simon was grateful for that beard because it masked possibly intricate facial features. However the fascinating feature about Simon’s talent is that once he had completed his research and started working, the hands took over and WG simply emerged from that block of wood. We chose the stance that Grace took as he faced the bowling. It is a lovely piece and I am thrilled with it. Before I picked it up, a dealer visited Simon and he suggested that we had a limited edition of ten bronzes made from a mould of the carving. These will not be cheap and, once the GCCC Heritage Committee who are setting up a museum at Bristol, have finished with their organisation of The Grace Dinner, this will be explored seriously. If this is a success, who knows where we will stop? Jessop’s crouch? Wally’s and Tom’s cover drives? Jack’s hat? The mind boggles.
Sad News
I heard from Bill Groombridege that Dick Crawshay died recently. He was a captain of cricket at SCD and later he emigrated to Australia. He was a correspondent of Googlies in the early days and will be missed by his family and friends.
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