G&C 194
GOOGLIES & CHINAMEN
An Occasional Cricketing Journal
Edition 194
February 2019
Caption Competition
1. Joe Root: When did you start bowling off spin, Roston?
Roston Chase: Yesterday lunchtime.
2. Trevor Bayliss: Royston, you have all sorts of problems with your action and delivery trajectory. You need to spend time with our bowling coaches.
3. Joe Root: I think we overprepared for this match. We were all exhausted after two two-day matches of fifteen a side. For the next series we will just stick to five a side football.
4. Ed Smith: January is always a funny month. Even Pep lost in January.
5. Keaton Jennings: You can’t drop me. I’ve become the specialist short leg fielder.
Nick Compton: So had I.
Adam Lyth: So had I.
Ollie Pope: So had I.
Out & About with the Professor
A couple of days ago, I was looking at a book of “famous last words”. You know the kind of thing: “What an artist dies in me” (Nero), “I think I’ll try one of Bellamy’s pies” (William Pitt) and so on. Literary last lines are rather more, well…literary: “Oh I could prophesy!” (Hotspur) or “When I die put me near something that has loved the light” (Little Nell). My absolute favourite of this sort of thing is the almost certainly fictional last words of the American civil war general who says: “Don’t worry boys, they’re too far away, they will never be able to hit us from that dist…..”
Pondering all this took me back to the last conversation I had with my father, who died more than 25 years’ ago. Those who knew him will not be surprised to read that he was not too poetic but he was to the point. Almost the last words he said to me were: “What can we do about this blasted English opening batting”. I rather suspect that, were he still with us, the remark might be even pointed today.
What was disturbing my father’s last days was the 1993 tour of India where the England team was comprehensively thrashed and the opening batting, not unlike today, contributed a very modest amount. In the three Tests, the first wicket went for successively: 8, 48, 46, 10, 11 and 17. Perhaps it is a little surprising to know that the three players used were the far-from-shabby collection of: Gooch, Stewart and R Smith. Nevertheless, in the final test the two openers recorded scores of: 4, 13, 8, and 10. And, let’s be fair, if you were lying in hospital, that would upset you too.
Continuing the same train of thought, this recent effort in the Caribbean might have seen off dozens of senior citizens around the country. How can they be so bad? How is it possible, for example, for Denly to have played that shot on his debut? I sought answers in comments of two great Yorkshiremen last week. Sir Geoffrey says that the problem is that the county pitches are too good and Michael Vaughan says that they are too poor. Not a lot of help there then. The “rationale” for these points of view – I call it that because, well, you’ve got to call it something – is respectively: pitches too good, don’t get exposed to the ball doing very much; pitches too bad, better play some shots because you won’t be out there long.
Some years’ back I heard Geoff Miller say that a problem for the selectors is that county cricketers don’t any longer come up against top class international bowlers. The days of Wasim, Marshall, etc., playing in county cricket are long gone. So players may make a reputation against lesser bowlers but you can’t know if they will succeed at Test level until you try them out. There may have been something in that, when he said it, but that hardly works now does it? After all, the selectors have pretty much tried them all. Even players, like Denly, who no longer even open.
I have seen both Jennings and Burns play county cricket and they have looked pretty effective but they present a very strange combination at Test level. Many successful opening partnerships have players of contrasting styles (Sutcliffe and Holmes, Atherton and Trescothick, Boycott and Gooch, Boycott and anyone, come to that) or of different statures (Langer and Hayden). Indeed, while much is made of the virtues of a left and right handed combination presenting challenges for the bowler’s line, less is said about the combination of different heights of players, challenging the length. But what to make of these two? Jennings appears to bat with no moving parts while Burns moves about ten times in as many directions before the ball arrives. Jennings, in particular, has a bizarre Test record: 16 Tests and two hundreds but an average of 25 and twice dropped. All very odd. But where to go for an alternative? After the first Tests batting collapse the predictable response was to drop a bowler and after this they will probably drop another one. I think it would be reasonable to look at the two games differently – the Antigua pitch was dreadful and the Windies only got to 300 by a happy combination of playing and missing or edging and being dropped. The first game, however, was woeful.
So were to from here? Perhaps we will get the team right, bat and bowl well and hold all our catches. Then again…
I read that the team is “positive”, “going forward”, and looking to “put the ball in the right areas” and “express themselves” with the bat. Root is “disappointed” but expects to win the next game, and Bayliss reminds us that: “There is a lot of cricket to be played between now and the Ashes” (whatever that is supposed to mean). For me the side that won comfortably at home against India and away in Sri Lanka cannot be, suddenly, useless… but that may constitute famous last words.
This & That
I sat down last week to my first day’s cricket of 2019 and it was the first ODI between South Africa and Pakistan from Port Elizabeth. I have previously complained about the “band in the stand” at this venue and it was similarly irritating on this occasion. Constant indifferent brass band offerings regardless of the state of play. Why do people go to these events? It can’t be to watch the cricket. But then there is the Barmy Army who on evidence from Barbados seem to be principally retired folk who like singing Jerusalem during play. Why do they even let them in?
But back to Port Elizabeth where Hashim Amla decided that 250 would be a good score on a wicket that nobody else could see anything wrong with. He proceeded to have a net for fifty overs and ended up 108 not out in an innings that was much like the old Trott efforts. He batted with debutant Rassee van der Dussen who made an accomplished 92. Pakistan strolled to an easy victory. It reminded me how awful English white ball cricket was in the pre-Morgan era. I have also seen some of the second and third ODIs and there has been plenty of evidence that Hafeez has lost none of his amazingly poor running between the wicket skills and mirth at the WC will be enhanced by his total lack of judgement. This will be a pity because he has become very useful in this format with surprisingly big hitting. The coloured kit in this series has been pointless since both sides are decked out in green. Will there be any change/away strips for the WC?
The England test set up is a disgrace. When will they admit that they get inadequate first-class match practice before the first test of a series? When did they last play a first-class match? When did any of the batsmen last score a first class hundred, or even a first class fifty? It may be easier for the bowlers to go into a match without the necessary preparation, but the batters just delude themselves. I watched some of the first day and most of the rest. They clearly underestimated the progress that West Indies cricket has made. In the first innings they showed a complete lack of skill against some competent test bowling but in the second innings they were bowled out by a part time non-turning off spinner on a flat wicket.
There has been much talk of England having a strong batting line up with Rashid at ten as he has scored ten first class hundreds, but if none of them turn up it is hopeless. Because of the selection, it seems that Curran was picked for his batting at number nine, Stokes had to do a great deal of bowling. He was clearly exhausted by the time he had to bat on day four. If this is to be his ongoing workload with the ball he will need to bat lower in the order. The sad thing is that Foakes is likely to be a scapegoat of other’s inadequacies. Rashid clearly does not have the captain’s confidence and bowls such rinse anyway that he will have to go.
Holder has done a remarkable job in the cauldron that is Wet Indian cricket. He has built a very young team who believe in themselves and clearly enjoy playing under him. Holder is 6’ 8” and incidentally has a 20 year old taller younger brother who mis 6’ 9”.
In the crowd shots Gary Sobers was frequently picked out and I recalled his visit to South Hampstead in the late sixties. It turned out that he had digs in Harlesden adjacent to Harry Collins who brought him up to his local club for an evening visit, probably in cricket week.
Why has everyone started calling them the Windies? I find this almost as irritating as the combined word Brexit. Can it be blamed on social media?
George and I exchanged emails recently on the matter of drunk driving. At some point before the turn of the century it became unacceptable but prior to that it was commonplace and almost acceptable. It was quite normal in the sixties and seventies to accept a lift home from someone who had spent the whole evening in the bar consuming as much if not more than you had. George and I were once given a lift by Jimmy Franklin after a Wednesday match. We both recall him driving very slowly all the way on the wrong side of the road. Despite having heavy bags to carry we asked him to stop and elected to walk the rest of the way. George invited suggestions for drunk driving on a scale where the Pope (JF) was 100.
Duanne Olivier bowled for SA (or should I say the Proteas?) in the 2ndODI and I was amazed to hear that he had bowled out Pakistan in the tests by banging it in. Previously I had seen him bowl full length away swingers at medium pace. But he is a big fella and could be one to watch in the WC. As also is Phelukwayo. I have mentioned him before. He is big , strong and bowls intelligently as well as hitting hard and fielding well. Many are saying that the leg spinners will call the tunes but it will depend on the weather and the wickets. If we get indifferent weather then it will all be seamers and you won’t even need any out and out quicks.
Bad news for Middlesex. The Lions batting has been crap on their latest outing and so Gubbings and Holden will be back in the frame. They will need to score many of this season’s runs if we are to grab one of the three promotion slots. Actually Gubbings is probably next in line to open in the test side, particularly now that everyone has forgotten Hameed.
Anyone remember Ben Duckett? In their latest Lions outing at the Greenfield Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram India A were bundled out for 121 but the Lions batting was indifferent and they scrambled home by one wicket thanks to 70 not out from Duckett himself.
I see Stone is the latest quick to be long term injured. He gets added to the list that has included in recent years: Wood, Onions, Roland-Jones, Finn, Ball and no doubt others, Why is it that when a quick gets into the England squad he gets serious injury? Coaching &/or the fitness regime? On the other hand there is a periodic clamour for left arm quicks but they rarely get picked and quickly go out of favour: Topley, Footitt, Gurney, Willey.
Who will be batting for Australia in this year’s Ashes series? In the current test against Sri Lanka at Canberra they racked up 534 for 5 and there were three centurions: Joe Burns 180, Travis Head 161 and Kurtis Patterson 114 not out. The other three in the top order were Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne. You may well have to familiarise yourself with some new personnel.
Morgan Matters
The GJM plunders the media for his winter pickings
The Ranger’s had a rare FA Cup success beating Championship leaders Leeds 2-1 (Oteh pen and Bidwell the scorers): it is their first trip into round 4 for 6 years (since 2013) and their first 3rd round win without needing a replay for 23 years! They are away to Portsmouth in round 4, but although Pompey are in the division below Rs, this will not be an easy one as they are 5 points clear at the top of the table.
Nothing happening at all at present, so nothing to write about.
17 of the clubs in the Championship are sponsored by betting companies including Rs, who are sponsored by Royal Panda.
Alex Hepburn, an Ozzie-born former Wo (mainly 2s, though he has played limited overs stuff for the firsts) player, is facing a re-trial on rape charges after the jury failed to agree a verdict after 9 hours of deliberations. Ex-Worcestershire players Joe Clarke and Tom Kohler-Cadmore have been axed from the E Lions tour to Ind, which departs today, because of revelations during the trial about a "WhatsApp group" recording sexual conquests. No disciplinary action will be taken until Hepburn's trial has concluded. Clarke and Kohler-Cadmore have been replaced by Tom Moores (Notts) and Will Jacks (Surrey) in the Lions touring party.
Plenty of people are saying that Jofra Archer will be in the Eng limited overs squads this summer.
Dawid Malan has signed a new Middlesex contract until the end of the 2021 season and has been awarded a testimonial this year. He said "there is a sense of energy around the club" which is not always detectable from the Nursery End.
J Harris has extended his contract and will stay at the club until the end of 2021.
Lord's has got permission for 2 new 3-tier stands costing £50m with construction to start this summer... sounds totally disastrous.
E Bamber, N Sowter and R White have all signed new long term (exactly how long has not been divulged) contracts with Middlesex.
After being kicked out of the ICC 3 years ago, the USA has returned to the cricketing fold as its 105th member.
Andy Bull has a column on Stuart Law in today's G. Law is surprisingly upbeat about the state of WI cricket, "they have made massive strides forward", "the level of professionalism has been raised" and "the first team are in a healthy state", but as he was their coach until recently he might not be impartial. He appears to have chosen to work in England because his family live here.
M Wood has been called up to replace Stone.
S Eskinazi, N Gubbins, T Helm and M Holden have all signed new long term contracts with Middlesex. Again, the length of the contracts has not been revealed.
Gordon Hollins is the ECB's first managing director of county cricket.
ICC's Test team of the Year includes not one Englishman but WI captain J Holder is included.
Brisbane: SL 139 (P Cummins 6-23); Oz won by an innings and 40. Perhaps England were wrong to assume they were a decent side because they won in SL?
FA Cup: Rs have named a squad of 27 for the tie at Portsmouth: should be enough, shouldn't it? Rs came away with a 1-1 draw which is quite a good result, I suppose. The goal came from Nahki Wells.
Paul Stirling is captain of Ireland for the upcoming T20 games v Oman and Afghanistan.
Middlesex chuck-out James Franklin is the new head coach at Durham.
In Memoriam Matters
Harry Compton contacted me in January and informed me that Alan May had died in the Torbay Hospital after a short illness with pneumonia complicated by pulmonary lung disease (COPD). I contacted Allen Bruton who was already abreast of this sad news. He sent me this:
Not a great start to 2019 with news coming through that Harry Rose was no longer with us and then on 8th January Alan May departing. Thus we have lost two great characters.
I spoke to Alan shortly before Christmas and realised things were serious when he advised he was reduced to drinking half pints. During our conversation he confirmed that he cherished fond memories of his days with South Hampstead, Old Uffingtonians and S.H. Golfing Society. It was therefore nice to see amongst the memorabilia and photos at his funeral, an SHCC sweater, Uffs. football shirt and a set of golf clubs.
Harold Compton, a lifelong friend and ex SHCC member gave details of Alan’s life from Braintcroft Primary School to entering the family toolmaking business and moves to Beaconsfield, Worcestershire and Devon. It seems Alan was an outstanding young all-round sportsman but family, business, social and golfing activities meant that he departed the football and cricket scene at an early age.
Probably in his mid/late thirties Alan was persuaded back by Ken James to play in Ken’s Fading Stars and Ringers Elevens otherwise known as SHCC Thirds and Old Uffs. Fifths. The problem for Ken was Alan rarely arrived in time for the start of any game. My theory is that there were two interconnected reasons for this. Firstly, his ability to grossly under estimate journey times and secondly a reluctance to leave the pub before the two o’clock closing time. A story told at his funeral by Joan, his wife of fifty-five years, I believe, lends weight to my theory. In their Beaconsfield days Joan was so fed up with Alan arriving late back from the pub to a ruined Sunday lunch, she put his lunch in the liquidiser drove it to the pub and tipped it into a pint glass. Alan downed the mixture and asked for his compliments to be passed to the chef. Probably the most unusual but not the first or last liquid lunch that Alan would enjoy.
Following the funeral and chatting at the Sea Trout Inn it was the unanimous opinion that we had lost a close and generous friend besides an amazing character.
What a pity that Harry Rose’s death seems only to have become known well after the event, depriving his many football and cricketing friends the opportunity to pay their respects. Harry of course had connections with many clubs and it probably has to be admitted that this may have been down to his ability to have the occasional fall out. He held strong opinions and certainly as far as SHCC and Old Uffs. were concerned these were usually delivered via extremely lengthy letters to the respective committees.
I recall a conversation with Harry probably in the mid/late 70’s which seemed to confirm that disagreements were not confined to his sporting activities. He told me that he worked as an estimator I think in building/construction and that there were twelve firms in the London area that could possibly use him in such a role. He had worked for eleven and was currently in the employ of the twelfth. A few months after our conversation he became a betting shop manager.
I asked a good friend of mine, Bob Sims a former captain of East Barnet Old Grammarians FC if he remembered Harry. His response was along the lines that having met him it was impossible to forget the experience and that the word eccentric came nowhere near to doing him justice. There will be countless sports people who remember Harry and for the vast majority their lives will have been brightened for the experience.
As usual I shall be happy to include any readers recollections, stories or tributes to either Alan or Harry in future editions
Ambidextrous Matters, continued
I received the following from Trevor Taylor
Thank you for yet another of your entertaining missives. Having been one such run out victim for either the Incogs or Datchet against OMT as recently as circa 1970, I must correct you. The demon double hander was Graham Prodger not Prosser. An excellent, if duplicitous ,fielder, useful bat and great company post-match in the old bar at Durrants .
Trevor must have slipped onto the Googlies list without my knowing him and so I asked for more details. He replied:
My name is Trevor Taylor, long time cricket lover – I actually saw Bradman make 89 at Lords in 1948 . Played for Incogs, Datchet, Chesham and Bucks Over 50s from early 50s until mid 90s and loved every minute of it. Qualified coach and Thames Valley League umpire. All round little treasure. Yes! I am a wine lover which also gives me great pleasure. I enjoy your articles so you now know that at least someone reads them!
I am sure that other readers will have come across Trevor
Correction Matters
John Williams sent me this
Was not GJM aware that MT's ground is a few minutes walk from Moor Park station - hardly inaccessible. The ambidextrous OMT is Graham Prodger who now lives in Cornwall.
County Lines and Transfer Windows
Peter Lapping sent the following
“To spend all my life raising children to feed bloody lions - not me!” (Mrs Ramsbottom in Albert and the Lion).
There was much consternation and handwringing among the cricket followers in Gloucestershire when, towards the end of the season, it was announced that our two most successful strike bowlers, Norwell and Miles, were joining Warwickshire for the 2019 season. Both are products of the GCCC Academy and both, being in their mid 20’s, are approaching the prime years of their careers. Norwell’s first-class career has seen him take 248 wickets at an average of 26.89 - statistics that are even more impressive when one considers that two of his eight years with the Club were blighted by injury - he was missing throughout 2018. Meanwhile Miles has taken 253 wickets at 26.76.
Both players have been involved since their teens, indeed Miles became involved when he was 13. Many of the Academy’s costs are met by fundraising and, as Miles lived in Swindon, one suspects that much of his travelling and other expenses were met from that source. One can imagine the feelings of those members who braved the elements to sell Christmas trees or who flogged raffle tickets around the ground at Cheltenham as they volunteered to raise money to meet the Academy’s costs.
Gloucestershire prides itself on the work of the Academy with its Talent Pathway which is overseen by ex-player Tim Hancock. Indeed the bulk of the squad have been developed by the Academy and it seems that our first team coaches, Richard Dawson and Ian Harvey (the Australian), are good at bringing them on. Although they only came fifth in 2018’s Division Two, with the exception of one match, they were competitive throughout. This was all the more impressive because their overseas pro disappeared (injured) after 4 matches and towards the end of the season they fielded several teams that were all aged under 30 including one schoolboy. And so one can safely state, that Warwickshire, with their deeper pockets, have snaffled two ripe and ready plums.
What can be done to make the playing field more level.? While no one is blaming the players, the present system is open to abuse: as I understand it, Gloucestershire will only be compensated if Miles and Norwell reach the England teams. Is that what it should be? Apparently the ECB have established a working party to discuss the possibility of compensation for clubs who lose players in this manner. But will that bother the clubs who have lucrative Test Match grounds? Scyld Berry, in the Telegraph, has suggested that the poachers might hesitate if they were docked points for the following season. But how many points would force Warwickshire to nurture their own talent? In addition, when one remembers the ECB’s decision to compensate Glamorgan with £2.5 million for not having a Test Match in 2019, I cannot say that I am confident of wisdom emanating from the ECB.
I appreciate that many G and C readers support Middlesex and might be accusing GCCC of double standards as we acquired the undoubtedly talented Higgins who was the only Gloucestershire player to play in every game across all formats in 2018. Indeed, with the absence of the injured Norwell, Higgins’ 48 wickets at 18.38 were invaluable. But Higgins came because he was not guaranteed first class cricket by Middlesex where, apparently, he was considered to be a white ball specialist.
While one wishes Miles and Norwell every good fortune, albeit through gritted teeth, they should be careful. In the past 10 years the following fast bowlers have left Gloucestershire because other counties tempted them away. In every case their career declined, sometimes embarrassingly rapidly. The fast bowlers are/were: Lewis (Surrey), Kirby (Somerset), Ireland (Middlesex), Hussain (Somerset), Will Gidman (Notts) and Fuller (Middlesex).
Peter also sent these photos of Lord’s. Can anyone date them?
Hedgcock Matters
Murray Hedgcock renews his sparring with the professor
Thanks James – the usual intriguing mix of Googlies material much that is informative or stimulating – not least the question: what was the job description for Nick Compton’s appointment as Middlesex “ambassador”? What indeed.
I too have a query: what happens to all the helmets so readily discarded in first-class cricket when a batsman suffers even a glancing blow? Are they revived by the support staff (whose vast numbers must surely include a kit repairer)? Are they returned to the manufacturer for a wash and brush-up, and sold on e-Bay? Or are they offered as raffle prizes at local club dinners? I think we should be told.
Meanwhile - I am much chuffed to learn that the Professor has come round to my way of thinking in a particular area. He long ago accused me of xenophobia because I proposed that England teams should consist of Englishmen, and not rush to recruit mercenaries. Conceding now that he has lost his old enthusiasm for football, he explains: “Why should I identify in any way with what the commentators call “English” clubs when there are no English players on the pitch, the manager is Italian, and the owner is an eastern European gangster? …. I think to enjoy sport some (even minimal) level of emotional commitment is needed”. Pretty much my point.
And before anyone projects tired sandpaper jibes in my direction, may I say that as a loyal Aussie who has followed big cricket since its resumption immediately after WW2, I was dismayed by the increasingly unsavoury behaviour of those wearing the Baggy Green, and fully supported the suspensions of the guilty trio – believing too that Warner as instigator of the ball-tampering episode should never play for Australia again. This no doubt could lead to restraint-of-trade legal action, assuming that Warner had the brass neck to argue that he should represent his country once more despite his reprehensible actions. So be it.
Having got that off my chest – thanks again.
Googlies Website
All the back editions of Googlies can be found on the G&C website. There are also many photographs most of which have never appeared in Googlies.
www.googliesandchinamen.com
Googlies and Chinamen
is produced by
James Sharp
Broad Lee House
Combs
High Peak
SK23 9XA
[email protected]
An Occasional Cricketing Journal
Edition 194
February 2019
Caption Competition
1. Joe Root: When did you start bowling off spin, Roston?
Roston Chase: Yesterday lunchtime.
2. Trevor Bayliss: Royston, you have all sorts of problems with your action and delivery trajectory. You need to spend time with our bowling coaches.
3. Joe Root: I think we overprepared for this match. We were all exhausted after two two-day matches of fifteen a side. For the next series we will just stick to five a side football.
4. Ed Smith: January is always a funny month. Even Pep lost in January.
5. Keaton Jennings: You can’t drop me. I’ve become the specialist short leg fielder.
Nick Compton: So had I.
Adam Lyth: So had I.
Ollie Pope: So had I.
Out & About with the Professor
A couple of days ago, I was looking at a book of “famous last words”. You know the kind of thing: “What an artist dies in me” (Nero), “I think I’ll try one of Bellamy’s pies” (William Pitt) and so on. Literary last lines are rather more, well…literary: “Oh I could prophesy!” (Hotspur) or “When I die put me near something that has loved the light” (Little Nell). My absolute favourite of this sort of thing is the almost certainly fictional last words of the American civil war general who says: “Don’t worry boys, they’re too far away, they will never be able to hit us from that dist…..”
Pondering all this took me back to the last conversation I had with my father, who died more than 25 years’ ago. Those who knew him will not be surprised to read that he was not too poetic but he was to the point. Almost the last words he said to me were: “What can we do about this blasted English opening batting”. I rather suspect that, were he still with us, the remark might be even pointed today.
What was disturbing my father’s last days was the 1993 tour of India where the England team was comprehensively thrashed and the opening batting, not unlike today, contributed a very modest amount. In the three Tests, the first wicket went for successively: 8, 48, 46, 10, 11 and 17. Perhaps it is a little surprising to know that the three players used were the far-from-shabby collection of: Gooch, Stewart and R Smith. Nevertheless, in the final test the two openers recorded scores of: 4, 13, 8, and 10. And, let’s be fair, if you were lying in hospital, that would upset you too.
Continuing the same train of thought, this recent effort in the Caribbean might have seen off dozens of senior citizens around the country. How can they be so bad? How is it possible, for example, for Denly to have played that shot on his debut? I sought answers in comments of two great Yorkshiremen last week. Sir Geoffrey says that the problem is that the county pitches are too good and Michael Vaughan says that they are too poor. Not a lot of help there then. The “rationale” for these points of view – I call it that because, well, you’ve got to call it something – is respectively: pitches too good, don’t get exposed to the ball doing very much; pitches too bad, better play some shots because you won’t be out there long.
Some years’ back I heard Geoff Miller say that a problem for the selectors is that county cricketers don’t any longer come up against top class international bowlers. The days of Wasim, Marshall, etc., playing in county cricket are long gone. So players may make a reputation against lesser bowlers but you can’t know if they will succeed at Test level until you try them out. There may have been something in that, when he said it, but that hardly works now does it? After all, the selectors have pretty much tried them all. Even players, like Denly, who no longer even open.
I have seen both Jennings and Burns play county cricket and they have looked pretty effective but they present a very strange combination at Test level. Many successful opening partnerships have players of contrasting styles (Sutcliffe and Holmes, Atherton and Trescothick, Boycott and Gooch, Boycott and anyone, come to that) or of different statures (Langer and Hayden). Indeed, while much is made of the virtues of a left and right handed combination presenting challenges for the bowler’s line, less is said about the combination of different heights of players, challenging the length. But what to make of these two? Jennings appears to bat with no moving parts while Burns moves about ten times in as many directions before the ball arrives. Jennings, in particular, has a bizarre Test record: 16 Tests and two hundreds but an average of 25 and twice dropped. All very odd. But where to go for an alternative? After the first Tests batting collapse the predictable response was to drop a bowler and after this they will probably drop another one. I think it would be reasonable to look at the two games differently – the Antigua pitch was dreadful and the Windies only got to 300 by a happy combination of playing and missing or edging and being dropped. The first game, however, was woeful.
So were to from here? Perhaps we will get the team right, bat and bowl well and hold all our catches. Then again…
I read that the team is “positive”, “going forward”, and looking to “put the ball in the right areas” and “express themselves” with the bat. Root is “disappointed” but expects to win the next game, and Bayliss reminds us that: “There is a lot of cricket to be played between now and the Ashes” (whatever that is supposed to mean). For me the side that won comfortably at home against India and away in Sri Lanka cannot be, suddenly, useless… but that may constitute famous last words.
This & That
I sat down last week to my first day’s cricket of 2019 and it was the first ODI between South Africa and Pakistan from Port Elizabeth. I have previously complained about the “band in the stand” at this venue and it was similarly irritating on this occasion. Constant indifferent brass band offerings regardless of the state of play. Why do people go to these events? It can’t be to watch the cricket. But then there is the Barmy Army who on evidence from Barbados seem to be principally retired folk who like singing Jerusalem during play. Why do they even let them in?
But back to Port Elizabeth where Hashim Amla decided that 250 would be a good score on a wicket that nobody else could see anything wrong with. He proceeded to have a net for fifty overs and ended up 108 not out in an innings that was much like the old Trott efforts. He batted with debutant Rassee van der Dussen who made an accomplished 92. Pakistan strolled to an easy victory. It reminded me how awful English white ball cricket was in the pre-Morgan era. I have also seen some of the second and third ODIs and there has been plenty of evidence that Hafeez has lost none of his amazingly poor running between the wicket skills and mirth at the WC will be enhanced by his total lack of judgement. This will be a pity because he has become very useful in this format with surprisingly big hitting. The coloured kit in this series has been pointless since both sides are decked out in green. Will there be any change/away strips for the WC?
The England test set up is a disgrace. When will they admit that they get inadequate first-class match practice before the first test of a series? When did they last play a first-class match? When did any of the batsmen last score a first class hundred, or even a first class fifty? It may be easier for the bowlers to go into a match without the necessary preparation, but the batters just delude themselves. I watched some of the first day and most of the rest. They clearly underestimated the progress that West Indies cricket has made. In the first innings they showed a complete lack of skill against some competent test bowling but in the second innings they were bowled out by a part time non-turning off spinner on a flat wicket.
There has been much talk of England having a strong batting line up with Rashid at ten as he has scored ten first class hundreds, but if none of them turn up it is hopeless. Because of the selection, it seems that Curran was picked for his batting at number nine, Stokes had to do a great deal of bowling. He was clearly exhausted by the time he had to bat on day four. If this is to be his ongoing workload with the ball he will need to bat lower in the order. The sad thing is that Foakes is likely to be a scapegoat of other’s inadequacies. Rashid clearly does not have the captain’s confidence and bowls such rinse anyway that he will have to go.
Holder has done a remarkable job in the cauldron that is Wet Indian cricket. He has built a very young team who believe in themselves and clearly enjoy playing under him. Holder is 6’ 8” and incidentally has a 20 year old taller younger brother who mis 6’ 9”.
In the crowd shots Gary Sobers was frequently picked out and I recalled his visit to South Hampstead in the late sixties. It turned out that he had digs in Harlesden adjacent to Harry Collins who brought him up to his local club for an evening visit, probably in cricket week.
Why has everyone started calling them the Windies? I find this almost as irritating as the combined word Brexit. Can it be blamed on social media?
George and I exchanged emails recently on the matter of drunk driving. At some point before the turn of the century it became unacceptable but prior to that it was commonplace and almost acceptable. It was quite normal in the sixties and seventies to accept a lift home from someone who had spent the whole evening in the bar consuming as much if not more than you had. George and I were once given a lift by Jimmy Franklin after a Wednesday match. We both recall him driving very slowly all the way on the wrong side of the road. Despite having heavy bags to carry we asked him to stop and elected to walk the rest of the way. George invited suggestions for drunk driving on a scale where the Pope (JF) was 100.
Duanne Olivier bowled for SA (or should I say the Proteas?) in the 2ndODI and I was amazed to hear that he had bowled out Pakistan in the tests by banging it in. Previously I had seen him bowl full length away swingers at medium pace. But he is a big fella and could be one to watch in the WC. As also is Phelukwayo. I have mentioned him before. He is big , strong and bowls intelligently as well as hitting hard and fielding well. Many are saying that the leg spinners will call the tunes but it will depend on the weather and the wickets. If we get indifferent weather then it will all be seamers and you won’t even need any out and out quicks.
Bad news for Middlesex. The Lions batting has been crap on their latest outing and so Gubbings and Holden will be back in the frame. They will need to score many of this season’s runs if we are to grab one of the three promotion slots. Actually Gubbings is probably next in line to open in the test side, particularly now that everyone has forgotten Hameed.
Anyone remember Ben Duckett? In their latest Lions outing at the Greenfield Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram India A were bundled out for 121 but the Lions batting was indifferent and they scrambled home by one wicket thanks to 70 not out from Duckett himself.
I see Stone is the latest quick to be long term injured. He gets added to the list that has included in recent years: Wood, Onions, Roland-Jones, Finn, Ball and no doubt others, Why is it that when a quick gets into the England squad he gets serious injury? Coaching &/or the fitness regime? On the other hand there is a periodic clamour for left arm quicks but they rarely get picked and quickly go out of favour: Topley, Footitt, Gurney, Willey.
Who will be batting for Australia in this year’s Ashes series? In the current test against Sri Lanka at Canberra they racked up 534 for 5 and there were three centurions: Joe Burns 180, Travis Head 161 and Kurtis Patterson 114 not out. The other three in the top order were Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne. You may well have to familiarise yourself with some new personnel.
Morgan Matters
The GJM plunders the media for his winter pickings
The Ranger’s had a rare FA Cup success beating Championship leaders Leeds 2-1 (Oteh pen and Bidwell the scorers): it is their first trip into round 4 for 6 years (since 2013) and their first 3rd round win without needing a replay for 23 years! They are away to Portsmouth in round 4, but although Pompey are in the division below Rs, this will not be an easy one as they are 5 points clear at the top of the table.
Nothing happening at all at present, so nothing to write about.
17 of the clubs in the Championship are sponsored by betting companies including Rs, who are sponsored by Royal Panda.
Alex Hepburn, an Ozzie-born former Wo (mainly 2s, though he has played limited overs stuff for the firsts) player, is facing a re-trial on rape charges after the jury failed to agree a verdict after 9 hours of deliberations. Ex-Worcestershire players Joe Clarke and Tom Kohler-Cadmore have been axed from the E Lions tour to Ind, which departs today, because of revelations during the trial about a "WhatsApp group" recording sexual conquests. No disciplinary action will be taken until Hepburn's trial has concluded. Clarke and Kohler-Cadmore have been replaced by Tom Moores (Notts) and Will Jacks (Surrey) in the Lions touring party.
Plenty of people are saying that Jofra Archer will be in the Eng limited overs squads this summer.
Dawid Malan has signed a new Middlesex contract until the end of the 2021 season and has been awarded a testimonial this year. He said "there is a sense of energy around the club" which is not always detectable from the Nursery End.
J Harris has extended his contract and will stay at the club until the end of 2021.
Lord's has got permission for 2 new 3-tier stands costing £50m with construction to start this summer... sounds totally disastrous.
E Bamber, N Sowter and R White have all signed new long term (exactly how long has not been divulged) contracts with Middlesex.
After being kicked out of the ICC 3 years ago, the USA has returned to the cricketing fold as its 105th member.
Andy Bull has a column on Stuart Law in today's G. Law is surprisingly upbeat about the state of WI cricket, "they have made massive strides forward", "the level of professionalism has been raised" and "the first team are in a healthy state", but as he was their coach until recently he might not be impartial. He appears to have chosen to work in England because his family live here.
M Wood has been called up to replace Stone.
S Eskinazi, N Gubbins, T Helm and M Holden have all signed new long term contracts with Middlesex. Again, the length of the contracts has not been revealed.
Gordon Hollins is the ECB's first managing director of county cricket.
ICC's Test team of the Year includes not one Englishman but WI captain J Holder is included.
Brisbane: SL 139 (P Cummins 6-23); Oz won by an innings and 40. Perhaps England were wrong to assume they were a decent side because they won in SL?
FA Cup: Rs have named a squad of 27 for the tie at Portsmouth: should be enough, shouldn't it? Rs came away with a 1-1 draw which is quite a good result, I suppose. The goal came from Nahki Wells.
Paul Stirling is captain of Ireland for the upcoming T20 games v Oman and Afghanistan.
Middlesex chuck-out James Franklin is the new head coach at Durham.
In Memoriam Matters
Harry Compton contacted me in January and informed me that Alan May had died in the Torbay Hospital after a short illness with pneumonia complicated by pulmonary lung disease (COPD). I contacted Allen Bruton who was already abreast of this sad news. He sent me this:
Not a great start to 2019 with news coming through that Harry Rose was no longer with us and then on 8th January Alan May departing. Thus we have lost two great characters.
I spoke to Alan shortly before Christmas and realised things were serious when he advised he was reduced to drinking half pints. During our conversation he confirmed that he cherished fond memories of his days with South Hampstead, Old Uffingtonians and S.H. Golfing Society. It was therefore nice to see amongst the memorabilia and photos at his funeral, an SHCC sweater, Uffs. football shirt and a set of golf clubs.
Harold Compton, a lifelong friend and ex SHCC member gave details of Alan’s life from Braintcroft Primary School to entering the family toolmaking business and moves to Beaconsfield, Worcestershire and Devon. It seems Alan was an outstanding young all-round sportsman but family, business, social and golfing activities meant that he departed the football and cricket scene at an early age.
Probably in his mid/late thirties Alan was persuaded back by Ken James to play in Ken’s Fading Stars and Ringers Elevens otherwise known as SHCC Thirds and Old Uffs. Fifths. The problem for Ken was Alan rarely arrived in time for the start of any game. My theory is that there were two interconnected reasons for this. Firstly, his ability to grossly under estimate journey times and secondly a reluctance to leave the pub before the two o’clock closing time. A story told at his funeral by Joan, his wife of fifty-five years, I believe, lends weight to my theory. In their Beaconsfield days Joan was so fed up with Alan arriving late back from the pub to a ruined Sunday lunch, she put his lunch in the liquidiser drove it to the pub and tipped it into a pint glass. Alan downed the mixture and asked for his compliments to be passed to the chef. Probably the most unusual but not the first or last liquid lunch that Alan would enjoy.
Following the funeral and chatting at the Sea Trout Inn it was the unanimous opinion that we had lost a close and generous friend besides an amazing character.
What a pity that Harry Rose’s death seems only to have become known well after the event, depriving his many football and cricketing friends the opportunity to pay their respects. Harry of course had connections with many clubs and it probably has to be admitted that this may have been down to his ability to have the occasional fall out. He held strong opinions and certainly as far as SHCC and Old Uffs. were concerned these were usually delivered via extremely lengthy letters to the respective committees.
I recall a conversation with Harry probably in the mid/late 70’s which seemed to confirm that disagreements were not confined to his sporting activities. He told me that he worked as an estimator I think in building/construction and that there were twelve firms in the London area that could possibly use him in such a role. He had worked for eleven and was currently in the employ of the twelfth. A few months after our conversation he became a betting shop manager.
I asked a good friend of mine, Bob Sims a former captain of East Barnet Old Grammarians FC if he remembered Harry. His response was along the lines that having met him it was impossible to forget the experience and that the word eccentric came nowhere near to doing him justice. There will be countless sports people who remember Harry and for the vast majority their lives will have been brightened for the experience.
As usual I shall be happy to include any readers recollections, stories or tributes to either Alan or Harry in future editions
Ambidextrous Matters, continued
I received the following from Trevor Taylor
Thank you for yet another of your entertaining missives. Having been one such run out victim for either the Incogs or Datchet against OMT as recently as circa 1970, I must correct you. The demon double hander was Graham Prodger not Prosser. An excellent, if duplicitous ,fielder, useful bat and great company post-match in the old bar at Durrants .
Trevor must have slipped onto the Googlies list without my knowing him and so I asked for more details. He replied:
My name is Trevor Taylor, long time cricket lover – I actually saw Bradman make 89 at Lords in 1948 . Played for Incogs, Datchet, Chesham and Bucks Over 50s from early 50s until mid 90s and loved every minute of it. Qualified coach and Thames Valley League umpire. All round little treasure. Yes! I am a wine lover which also gives me great pleasure. I enjoy your articles so you now know that at least someone reads them!
I am sure that other readers will have come across Trevor
Correction Matters
John Williams sent me this
Was not GJM aware that MT's ground is a few minutes walk from Moor Park station - hardly inaccessible. The ambidextrous OMT is Graham Prodger who now lives in Cornwall.
County Lines and Transfer Windows
Peter Lapping sent the following
“To spend all my life raising children to feed bloody lions - not me!” (Mrs Ramsbottom in Albert and the Lion).
There was much consternation and handwringing among the cricket followers in Gloucestershire when, towards the end of the season, it was announced that our two most successful strike bowlers, Norwell and Miles, were joining Warwickshire for the 2019 season. Both are products of the GCCC Academy and both, being in their mid 20’s, are approaching the prime years of their careers. Norwell’s first-class career has seen him take 248 wickets at an average of 26.89 - statistics that are even more impressive when one considers that two of his eight years with the Club were blighted by injury - he was missing throughout 2018. Meanwhile Miles has taken 253 wickets at 26.76.
Both players have been involved since their teens, indeed Miles became involved when he was 13. Many of the Academy’s costs are met by fundraising and, as Miles lived in Swindon, one suspects that much of his travelling and other expenses were met from that source. One can imagine the feelings of those members who braved the elements to sell Christmas trees or who flogged raffle tickets around the ground at Cheltenham as they volunteered to raise money to meet the Academy’s costs.
Gloucestershire prides itself on the work of the Academy with its Talent Pathway which is overseen by ex-player Tim Hancock. Indeed the bulk of the squad have been developed by the Academy and it seems that our first team coaches, Richard Dawson and Ian Harvey (the Australian), are good at bringing them on. Although they only came fifth in 2018’s Division Two, with the exception of one match, they were competitive throughout. This was all the more impressive because their overseas pro disappeared (injured) after 4 matches and towards the end of the season they fielded several teams that were all aged under 30 including one schoolboy. And so one can safely state, that Warwickshire, with their deeper pockets, have snaffled two ripe and ready plums.
What can be done to make the playing field more level.? While no one is blaming the players, the present system is open to abuse: as I understand it, Gloucestershire will only be compensated if Miles and Norwell reach the England teams. Is that what it should be? Apparently the ECB have established a working party to discuss the possibility of compensation for clubs who lose players in this manner. But will that bother the clubs who have lucrative Test Match grounds? Scyld Berry, in the Telegraph, has suggested that the poachers might hesitate if they were docked points for the following season. But how many points would force Warwickshire to nurture their own talent? In addition, when one remembers the ECB’s decision to compensate Glamorgan with £2.5 million for not having a Test Match in 2019, I cannot say that I am confident of wisdom emanating from the ECB.
I appreciate that many G and C readers support Middlesex and might be accusing GCCC of double standards as we acquired the undoubtedly talented Higgins who was the only Gloucestershire player to play in every game across all formats in 2018. Indeed, with the absence of the injured Norwell, Higgins’ 48 wickets at 18.38 were invaluable. But Higgins came because he was not guaranteed first class cricket by Middlesex where, apparently, he was considered to be a white ball specialist.
While one wishes Miles and Norwell every good fortune, albeit through gritted teeth, they should be careful. In the past 10 years the following fast bowlers have left Gloucestershire because other counties tempted them away. In every case their career declined, sometimes embarrassingly rapidly. The fast bowlers are/were: Lewis (Surrey), Kirby (Somerset), Ireland (Middlesex), Hussain (Somerset), Will Gidman (Notts) and Fuller (Middlesex).
Peter also sent these photos of Lord’s. Can anyone date them?
Hedgcock Matters
Murray Hedgcock renews his sparring with the professor
Thanks James – the usual intriguing mix of Googlies material much that is informative or stimulating – not least the question: what was the job description for Nick Compton’s appointment as Middlesex “ambassador”? What indeed.
I too have a query: what happens to all the helmets so readily discarded in first-class cricket when a batsman suffers even a glancing blow? Are they revived by the support staff (whose vast numbers must surely include a kit repairer)? Are they returned to the manufacturer for a wash and brush-up, and sold on e-Bay? Or are they offered as raffle prizes at local club dinners? I think we should be told.
Meanwhile - I am much chuffed to learn that the Professor has come round to my way of thinking in a particular area. He long ago accused me of xenophobia because I proposed that England teams should consist of Englishmen, and not rush to recruit mercenaries. Conceding now that he has lost his old enthusiasm for football, he explains: “Why should I identify in any way with what the commentators call “English” clubs when there are no English players on the pitch, the manager is Italian, and the owner is an eastern European gangster? …. I think to enjoy sport some (even minimal) level of emotional commitment is needed”. Pretty much my point.
And before anyone projects tired sandpaper jibes in my direction, may I say that as a loyal Aussie who has followed big cricket since its resumption immediately after WW2, I was dismayed by the increasingly unsavoury behaviour of those wearing the Baggy Green, and fully supported the suspensions of the guilty trio – believing too that Warner as instigator of the ball-tampering episode should never play for Australia again. This no doubt could lead to restraint-of-trade legal action, assuming that Warner had the brass neck to argue that he should represent his country once more despite his reprehensible actions. So be it.
Having got that off my chest – thanks again.
Googlies Website
All the back editions of Googlies can be found on the G&C website. There are also many photographs most of which have never appeared in Googlies.
www.googliesandchinamen.com
Googlies and Chinamen
is produced by
James Sharp
Broad Lee House
Combs
High Peak
SK23 9XA
[email protected]
