I am going to make a bold statement and predict an England win in the T20 final that starts in an hour. I base this on the fact that all 3 ITCC sides lost yesterday. The Boro U11’s lost this morning and The Saints have just blown the Guinness Premiership Semi.. Surely someone is going to win for me this weekend!!
England win ‘The Ashes Lite’
Don’t get me wrong I have loved England winning he ashes, but it wasn’t a classic series. I don’t mean that it wasn’t as good as 2005, that was a once in a generation series. But it was a bit like when we beat them when they hadn’t got the Packer players, they are rebuilding and I think we need to as well.
Massive pluses Stuart Broad and Trott, but by the time we are next defending them in Oz we need new faces and they need some play soon. Rashid needs to be moved in front of Monty for South Africa and we have to deal with the Bell situation. My suggestion is let him go like we did with Ramps and Hick when they couldn’t prove their test credentials. I’m also not convinced about the long term value of Collingwood, but he has got the knoack of proving doubters wrong.
Any suggestions?
Glad I didn’t buy that tent!
Looking back on my post of earlier this summer ‘Carry on Camping’, I didn’t get around to buying that tent and I am glad that I didn’t. The BBQ summer disappeared at the end of June and we have had plenty of wet weather since. Perhaps I would be better off with a caravan or a mobile home. I have a full weekend of cricket this weekend, Saturday I’boro vs Wellingborough in the league. Tomorrow, U11’s play Rushden in the cup in the morning and in the afternoon there is an U15’s District trial. I could do with a rest now.
Great signing for the Steelbacks
As I am pretty quick to criticise Northants when they get something wrong, I have to give credit when they get something right. Signing Ian Harvey is a pretty smart move for the Twenty20 cup this season. He has got a few miles on the clock, but for the 2020 he will be a great asset. He can open the batting and bowl at the death and from what I saw yesterday, still has one of the best slow balls in the game.
I think that this year they have a great chance of progressing past the group stages, but it is time break the quarter final duck this year and see it we can get to Finals Day.
Apologies to Eewee
I must apologise to Eewee for neglecting my blog for nearly a month. I have been so busy at work and with cricket that I haven’t had a chance to sit down for 5 minutes. Eewee is my most loyal blog follower and I feel that I have let him down.
There is lots to talk about, England start the test series against the Windies today, the Hevey Northants League has started and the summer is here. So normal service will resume shortly.
Northants CCC – English Cricket’s answer to the Detroit Lions
Just had a look at the county squad for this season. It looks paper thin. If any of the Kolpaks get injured or David Sales gets locked in Oliver Adams we’re in trouble. I have shelled out on two season tickets again via ITCC, but that is mainly because there is some quality coming down from the first division. How they will fair against Kent and Surrey? I think we need a 3rd division.
Fortune Favours the Brave
Perhaps this should have been pointed out to the England cricket team when they had the chance to make the West Indies follow on, in the 2nd test from Antigua. Hindsight is a 20:20 but enough commentators and also Fred Freeman pointed out the error at the time. Quiet simply, they would be one all now.
Whilst on the subject of being ‘wise after the event’ I would like to say that I didn’t really see a major problem with the ECB tying up with Allen Stanford. Probably because I felt we had to have an alternative to the Indian Premier League.
Congratulations therefore to at least two cricket pundits/journo’s. Firstly Mike Atherton who criticised the ECB for becoming ‘Allen Stanford’s WAG’ four months ago and also Michael Holding who pretty much said he couldn’t be trusted around the time that the contracts were being signed, whilst live on Sky.
I didn’t see that one coming.
January Sales
I have decided to review January 2009. A lot of people have had a miserable January because of redundancy, work stress, money stress etc. They all have my sympathy. Having said that, these are all things that I have lived with for years, as have people in many industries. It is particularly bad for people who have always managed their personal finances well and are now without a regular income.
My story has always been slightly different, I need a certain amount of money and work stress to keep me going; I actually need the pressure that this generates to make me operate at optimum levels, it makes me more creative at work and more motivated. Comfort zones and security are very bad for me, just as well that I never experience either of them for more than a few days. I would make a really bad life coach, my secrets to motivation are: over spend, over borrow and over commit yourself with responsibilities. That way you will always have a reason to drive yourself on to be bigger and better. As I am sure you can imagine, this method is not for everyone.
Back to January, I have enjoyed the following:
- South Africa beating the Ozzies
- Not drinking much
- Guitar lessons on Youtube
- Staying in more
- Avoiding the TV – except My Name is Earl
- Reading – first book for a couple of Years
Of course I have hated the weather, that is because I was born in the wrong country, no bones about it, I hate the cold. Winter has no redeeming features, I want to be warm and in the sun all the time.
Looking forward to 2009
Although there is much gloom and doom being bandied about, I have thought of some things to look forward to in 2009.
- England have good chance of getting the Ashes back
- Less money being thrown around in local cricket, mysterious benefactors may be hanging on to their cash during the coming season
- Hopefully my son Simon will pass his driving test and bring an end to my duties as a taxi driver
- I will be losing weight, I have suffered as the result of a paranormal event which resulted in a large number of my clothes shrinking over the Christmas period. In order to save money I am going to slim down in order to fit in them
- It will be my 20th wedding anniversary in April, the 1st of April to be exact
Please help me if you can think of a few more reasons to be cheerful.
So England are going to India!
I have to take my hat off to the England Cricket Team who have decided to go back to India to play the two test matches to complete the tour.
I have read sports editors and politicians saying that they have to go, so that terror doesn’t win. That’s easy to say, but I am not sure that I would fancy it. The papers have been saying that diplomats and business people are still going to travel to India, the difference is that a business person might be unlucky and get caught in an attack. The cricketers could be targeted due to their high profile.
How safe would you feel standing at third man with your back to the crowd, India hasn’t got a great track record of protecting high profile people i.e. Rajiv Gandhi.
I wonder if the ECB and and the England players would be interested in going to India if it was 2005 when the IPL had not been thought of. If this trend continues it will be interesting to see if the Aussies fancy going to India to play test cricket.