Line and Length - Times Online - WBLG

An average birthday

There is a wonderful letter from a Paul Barton in Toowoomba, Australia, in the latest issue of The Wisden Cricketer magazine that is worth repeating here:

"There will be plenty of celebration regarding Don Bradman's 100th birthday on August 27, 2008. Has there been any thought as to when he would have turned 99.94? This would be on August 5 (using 99.94 rounded) or August 6 (using his un-rounded average of 99.94285714286 etc)."

Congratulations, Mr Barton, on such a supreme act of geekery. You will find many admirers on this website.

Incidentally, yours truly wrote this month's cover story in TWC about the various innovations in batting before Pietersen and his switch-hits. You may find it worth a read on their website. Or even buy the magazine.

The Line & Length Monday XI

Morning all. I'm back down south, away from the wind and rain of the Open, and have conjured up 11 questions to tickle your brain cells over lunch. Answers on Wednesday.

Question 1 James Anderson has been dismissed in the Test after doing a manful job as nightwatchman for England, literally laying his body on the line in the face of some aggressive South Africa bowling to keep his wicket intact for more than an hour and three quarters. He also made his highest score in Test cricket (34) in the process. What was his previous best? A: 17; B: 23; C: 28

Question 2 Anderson never seemed to get out in the early days of his Test career, meaning that his average kept on growing despite scoring few runs. At its peak, what was his batting average for England? A: 35; B: 43; C: 48

Question 3 If England are to save this match, they will probably have to bat for more than 150 overs. When was the last time they did that in their second innings? A: 1998; B: 2002; C: 2004

Question 4 In 1939, a timeless Test, England made 654 for five against South Africa in Durban in their second innings before the match was finally abandoned as a draw. How many balls did they face? A: 1,578; B: 1,744; C: 1,801

Question 5 Darren Pattinson was one of the more left-field England selections of recent years, with only 40 first-class wickets to his name in 11 matches. How many of those were of former or present Test cricketers? A: three; B: ten; C: eighteen

Question 6 After being overlooked for the Headingley Test, Matthew Hoggard fears that his England career may be over, leaving him on 248 Test wickets. How many Englishmen have taken more? A: Five; B: Seven; C: Nine

Question 7 Sri Lanka and India are about to begin a three-Test series. In their 26 previous Tests, how many have Sri Lanka won? A: three; B: seven; C: ten

Question 8 Who is the leading run-scorer in Tests between Sri Lanka and India? A: Sachin Tendulkar; B: Aravinda de Silva; C: Mohammad Azharuddin

Question 9 And who is the leading wicket-taker? A: Anil Kumble; B: Muttiah Muralitharan; C: Kapil Dev

Question 10 Matt Prior put further pressure on Tim Ambrose with a brutal 137 off 123 balls for Sussex in the Pro40 against Somerset yesterday. It is early days in the competition and Prior is the only centurion so far, but who has made the second best score with 99 not out? A: Marcus Trescothick; B: Ryan ten Doeschate; C: David Sales

Question 11 Which county captain was named man of the match in the 1984 B&H Trophy final, held on this day, despite making a duck, not bowling and holding only one catch? A: John Abrahams; B: Clive Rice; C: David Bairstow

Watch out for Wakefield

There is a tenuous link between the Open golf and cricket that may be of interest. Sitting in fourth place at the moment at Royal Birkdale is Simon Wakefield, a little-known Englishman who has played very steady golf and could be a shock winner in the Ben Curtis/Todd Hamilton mould. Wakefield's uncle, I learn, is Bob Taylor, the former England wicketkeeper.

Mind you, if Wakefield, the world No 252, wins it would say something about the other golfers who had a chance with Tiger Woods being absent. Could Wakefield be the Darren Pattinson of the links?

The Line & Length Monday XI - answers

As England battle to find a way through the South Africa defences, here is almost as stern a test: our weekly cricket quiz. Click on the link below for the answers

Question 1 South Africa almost batted throughout Sunday without losing a wicket before Graeme Smith was out near the close. Only once has a side not lost a wicket in a whole day's play in England, when was it? A: 1948; B: 1989; C: 2001

Question 2 Smith and Neil McKenzie failed to bat through an entire day on Sunday but they have shared a day-long unbroken partnership in the past. Who was it against? A: Bangladesh; B: India; C: Zimbabwe

Question 3 Who holds the record for the biggest opening Test partnership in England? A: Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor (Aus); B: Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith (SA); C: Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe (Eng)

Question 4 And a final question about opening partnerships, there have been 31 occasions in Tests when the England opening pair did not score a run. Which of these famous opening batsmen does not appear in the list? A: Geoffrey Boycott; B: John Edrich; C: Marcus Trescothick

Question 5 In the 180 or so overs that were possible for South Africa's bowlers in two rain-affected warm-up matches before the first Test, who got the most bowling under his belt? A: Makhaya Ntini; B: Morne Morkel; C: Paul Harris

Question 6 After whom is the trophy that England and South Africa are competing for named? A: Nelson Mandela; B: Basil D'Oliveira; C: Graeme Pollock

Question 7 Surrey failed to beat Nottinghamshire in the County Championship today, meaning they are still without a win. Who is the other winless side in the tournament? Who? A: Gloucestershire; B: Hampshire; C: Glamorgan

Question 8 Probably not on many people's radar, but who is presently winning the English second XI championship? A: Kent; B: Durham; C: Essex

Question 9 Happy 32nd birthday to Geraint Jones, the former England wicketkeeper. In what profession did Jones train before deciding to become a professional cricketer? A: Dentistry; B: Law; C: Pharmaceutics

Question 10 How many wickets did Hedley Verity take for Yorkshire against Essex in one day, exactly 75 years ago? A: Ten; B: 14; C: 17

Question 11 The Open Championship starts at Royal Birkdale this week, so on a golf theme which former England captain has won the annual President's Putter tournament (for Oxford and Cambridge golfers) in Rye on three occasions? A: Tony Lewis; B: Ted Dexter; C: Mike Brearley

Return of the Shield

Never let it be said that Australians don't eventually learn from their mistakes (apart from when they made Crocodile Dundee 3). Second only to the ridiculous decision (later recanted) to kill off Harold Bishop in Neighbours, the worst mistake ever made by an Australian was when someone agreed to rebrand the Sheffield Shield as the Pura Cup nine years ago, ending more than 100 years of first-class history to placate a milky sponsor.

The fans hated the new name, the players hated it (Paul Reiffel said it felt like treason to put his face to an advert for it) and while Pura may have increased their recognition factor, most people still referred to the tournament as the Sheffield Shield.

Well now the dark days are over, the competition has a new sponsor, Weet-bix, and the name has been restored. Australian first-class cricketers will once again compete for the Sheffield Shield (not even the Weet-bix Sheffield Shield) and everything is right with the world.

Incidentally, why do the Aussies call the breakfast cereal Weet-bix and we call it Weetabix? Did a letter go missing in the post at some point?

According to The Australian, the shield itself was dismantled into 150 pieces after Pura took over and it has been painstakingly restored. It is now kept in a see-through case to prevent damage. The Shield dates back to 1891-92 when Lord Sheffield was in Australia to promote the English team led by WG Grace. At the end of the tour, his nibs donated pound £150 to the New South Wales Cricket Association to promote inter-colonial cricket. By a 6-5 vote, the states decided to put the money towards an annual trophy.

Line & Length's Monday XI: answers

Here are the answers to this week's quiz. How did you do? Click the link below to see.

Question 1 If England field the same XI against South Africa on Thursday as they had in the previous Test against New Zealand, it will be a record sixth time in a row that a national Test team has used the same side. Which nation holds the record for the most unchanged one-day international sides? A: Australia; B: Pakistan; C: Sri Lanka

Question 2 By using the same XI in three Tests against New Zealand this summer, England became the 22nd country to field an unchanged side for a three-Test series. How many times has a side been unchanged throughout a five-Test series? A: Twice; B: Three times; C: Five times

Question 3 And who was the last side to use only 11 players in a five-Test series? A: Australia in 2001; B: West Indies in 1991; C: South Africa in 2004

Question 4 Australia have just beaten West Indies 5-0 in a one-day series, only the second time they have swept a five-match series. Who did they beat on the previous occasion? A: England; B: West Indies; C: New Zealand

Question 5 West Indies scored five half-centuries in the five matches. Who, with 92 runs, made their highest score? A: Chris Gayle; B: Shiv Chanderpaul; C: Ramnaresh Sarwan

Question 6 In the Asia Cup final on Sunday, Sanath Jayasuriya helped Sri Lanka to a commanding score with an innings of 125. How many ODI hundreds has he now made? A: 27; B: 30; C: 32

Question 7 Ajantha Mendis, playing only his eighth ODI, then ripped open the India batting with his unique blend of spinners, flippers and googlies. What were his astounding bowling figures? A: Four for seven; B: Five for ten; C: Six for 13

Question 8 Whose undistinguised reign as England captain ended with him making a pair at Lord's? A: David Gower; B: Tony Greig; C: Ian Botham

Question 9 What was unusual about Gubby Allen's opening over for England against Australia in the Old Trafford Test on this day in 1934? A: It lasted 13 balls; B: He took three wickets; C: He didn't complete it after twisting an ankle

Question 10 Who will contest the final of the Friends Provident Trophy after winning their semi-finals at the weekend? A: Essex and Durham; B: Kent and Yorkshire; C: Essex and Kent

Question 11 Who is the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket this season? A: Tim Murtagh; B: James Anderson; C: Saqlain Mushtaq

A glimpse of the future

Apologies for the lack of posts in the past couple of days but I've been busy at Henley in my other job as the paper's rowing correspondent. It's wet out there, which doesn't bother rowers but it does muck up cricket a bit so it is sad to note that the first day of England Under-19's three-day match with Bangladesh A was completely washed out today.

I know, I know, big deal. Who cares about teenagers playing Bangladesh's second team? But such matches are important for both sides in identifying future Test cricketers. Bangladesh are still some way from being a competitive Test nation and can do with as many matches as they can get against relatively testing opposition.

There are some good young players in this Bangladesh A side who have had a taste of international cricket, Shakib Al Hasan, Rajin Saleh and Mushfiqur Rahim being the most promising, and this mini-tour, which includes games with five counties and the South Africans at Worcester on June 25, is an important springboard. It will get next to no coverage in the British media, but if you have a spare day and live near one of the venues where they are playing, it would be worth having a look. Bangladesh tour England in 2010 and some of these players could be the lynchpins of their side within two years. Always worth knowing the enemy early on.

As for England Under-19, some of their players may also be on the fringes of international selection by 2010. Billy Godleman, the Middlesex opening batsman, is the most exciting prospect but James Taylor, of Leicestershire, is another fine opener and James Harris, up there with Steven Finn, who was in the Under-19s last year, is a future England fast bowler. Tom Westley, the Essex all-rounder, captains the side and Ben Brown is one of many good wicketkeepers nurtured by Sussex.

England are starting to unearth some fine young players with regularity. Joe Denly, Adil Rashid, Steven Davies and Finn are recent graduates of the side to be touted as England internationals of the near future, while it was only a year or two ago that Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara were at this standard and look how far they have come.

ICC take action on comfort

I've been harsh when they've been stupid, so it is only fair that praise is given when praise is due and that the ICC earns plaudits for its decision in Dubai.

No, not Zimbabwe, although well done on that. I'm talking about the new 'tough on comfort breaks' policy. A little-remarked decision made yesterday was to amend a clause in the playing conditions for matches saying that substitute fielders can only be allowed for injury, illness or "other wholly acceptable reasons". The clause goes on to say that this "should not include what is commonly referred to as a comfort break".

Quite right. They only have to field for two hours at a time and if the players are suddenly caught short then they can always slip off for an over - which is more than umpires can do - but why should their side not be penalised? Naturally the main target of this is not players heading for the loo but players, especially fast bowlers, slipping off for a rub down and a rest after bowling a spell. England seem to be bigger culprits at this than most nations. I'm glad the ICC has seen sense.

Who is June's hero of the month?

After being a day late with June's pillock, I'm a day late with the monthly Hero poll. Usual rules, who has most impressed you in the past few weeks. If I missed any obvious ones let me know.

James Anderson For his career-best bowling figures of seven for 43 at Trent Bridge against New Zealand, including taking the first six wickets to fall, the best figures by anyone this year. When he is on form, Anderson is one of the best medium-fast bowlers around, shame it happens so rarely.

Ravi Bopara Going back to the start of the month and Bopara, who was nominated as one of last month's pillocks, returned to form by making 201 not out off 138 balls as Essex won their Friends Provident quarter-final, the eighth highest score in one-day cricket.

Jane McGrath Not a cricketer but an ever-present on the cricket circuit and certainly the cricketing world mourned when they learnt that the wife of Glenn McGrath had lost her battle with cancer.

Graham Napier For rising from obscurity to smite 152 runs in a Twenty20 match against Sussex, hitting  a world record 16 sixes. And yes I am being indulgent by including two Essex players.

Kevin Pietersen For his two switch-hit sixes against Scott Styris at Durham in his first home one-day hundred. The rest of the series may have been frustrating for him, but those two strokes brought the competition to life.

Kumar Sangakkara For scoring three hundreds in his past four one-day international innings in the Asia Cup - even if he got a duck in the other innings of that stretch against the UAE

Opinion Polls & Market Research

The Line and Length Monday XI - Answers

Here are the answers to our weekly Monday cricket quiz. Click below for them.

Question 1 Before Saturday's one-day international, what was Kevin Pietersen's assessment of his captaincy experience? A: "Zilch"; B: "The odd game of playground cricket at school"; C: "I never captained my school side but everyone knew I was running it"

Question 2 England and New Zealand have finally finished their marathon home-and-away series that began back in February. On how many days did they face each other in international cricket? A: 40; B: 41; C: 43

Question 3 Over the two one-day series between England and New Zealand in 2008, who has scored the most runs? A: Paul Collingwood; B: Scott Styris; C: Brendon McCullum

Question 4 And who has taken the most wickets in all forms of international cricket between New Zealand and England this year? A: James Anderson; B: Ryan Sidebottom; C: Daniel Vettori

Question 5 How many runs did England's Test and official one-day captains make between them in two county innings yesterday? A: None; B: Five; C: Seventeen

Question 6 Mark Ramprakash made 48 yesterday for Surrey. How many days, including today, has he been stuck on 99 first-class hundreds? A: 49; B: 52; C: 61

Question 7 Who is the British Culture Secretary who instructed the ECB to cut ties with Zimbabwe last week? A: Tessa Jowell; B: James Purnell; C: Andy Burnham

Question 8 Ricky Ponting has just played his 300th one-day international (he's now up to 301), how many of them has he won? A: 199; B: 216; C: 239

Question 9 Which international coach prompted a walk-out by journalists at a press conference this week after telling them he wouldn't answer any stupid questions? A: Peter Moores; B: John Dyson; C: Geoff Lawson

Question 10 Sanath Jayasuriya (yes, he is still going) celebrated his birthday today by making a one-day hundred off 55 balls. How old is he? A: 39; B: 40; C: 41

Question 11 Peter Pollock also has a birthday today. What is his relationship to Shaun? A: Father; B: Uncle; C: Second cousin

Women make a splash

The England women's team launched their summer today by playing a match on the top deck of a return SeaFrance ferry from Dover to Calais. Presumably they were playing special rules of "six and out". Wouldn't want to have to go and get the ball back, anyway.

The team will play two one-day internationals against West Indies on July 11 and 12 at Loughborough University, followed by two NatWest Series matches against South Africa and India as well as four NatWest international Twenty20s against the same opponents from August 6. More from the ECB

Wisden Cricketer online

The Wisden Cricketer is a super magazine that is kind enough to employ me from time to time, so being a sycophantic lickspittle of a toady I thought it worth giving their new website a plug. Here it is.

They have a blog, too, which King Cricket is contributing to as well as men from the Wisden Cricketer stable. Go and admire the competition but make sure you keep on coming back here.

Who was June's Pillock of the Month?

Yes, a day late, many apologies (blame there being only 30 days in June) but here are the nominations for the Pillock of the Month poll, acknowledging the fools, knaves and hapless failures of the game in the past few weeks. Hero of the Month to follow later.

Tim Ambrose Poor Tim. Called up for the England one-day side after a reasonable start to his Test career and he had a shocker. Five innings, ten runs, only one not out, and a hideous dropped catch at Lord's.

Peter Chingoka For his outrageous, if predictable, suggestion that it was racist of the ICC to want to discuss whether Zimbabwe is a fit nation to remain at cricket's top table. Other countries have worse conditions, the Zimbabwe Cricket head said, and no one is complaining about them.

Paul Collingwood His apology after the fourth ODI against New Zealand only partly made up for his ungallant decision to uphold an appeal for run out against Grant Elliott after the Kiwi had been barged to the ground by Ryan Sidebottom, even though the umpires asked if he was sure.

Everyone involved in the farce at Edgbaston But primarily England, whose slowness to bowl their overs and reluctance to play six more balls in the rain led to the match being abandoned.

Dale Steyn The South African may get marks for honesty when he said that in the IPL "you only had to work hard if you felt like it", but after his side came second-bottom it was possibly unwise.

The St Vincent crowd Who threw bottles and rubbish on to the outfield near the end of a one-day international between West Indies and Australia after Darren Sammy was, correctly, given out. Shades of John Snow and the Sydney crowd in 1971, and it is louts like that who cause the ICC to over-react and ban the rest of us from bringing drinks into grounds.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Abberton follow Purleigh's lead

Continuing a series of reports on unusual happenings in club cricket - and following hard on the heels of Purleigh making 499 last week - news reaches me of the exploits of Abberton this weekend against Gosfield. The village side, who play in division 1 of the PDQ North Essex League, made 438 for two in 45 overs, a pittance compared with Purleigh's effort, but then bowled out the opposition for only 27, giving Abberton a 411-run winning margin.

The star man with the bat was Steve Snell, a New Zealand import and as far as I can ascertain no relation of the Steve Snell who scored his maiden first-class hundred for Gloucestershire last month. Snell was out for 272 after hitting 14 sixes and 31 fours.

As ever, I'd be delighted to hear of any other fine club cricket feats. They don't even have to come from Essex clubs.

UPDATE: Another one for the record books, I hear that London County Cricket Club’s Development XI beat Cambridge University in a three-day match at the end of last week, scoring 468 for seven to win by three wickets after being bowled out for 168 in the first innings. Nick Compton, grandson of, made 132 and Ross Chadwick 127 to help London home with eight overs to spare. It is believed to be the biggest fourth-innings run-chase since Cambridge made 507 to beat MCC in 1896.

Runs, at last

Form is temporary, lack of class is permanent. Which is why I am not getting remotely carried away by my innings yesterday. Having written a few weeks ago about how hopeless I am at cricket, after making a three-ball duck, I approached my second innings of the summer yesterday with a fair degree of pessimism. However, for some reason I started to score a few runs, even hitting three balls to the boundary.

It was the annual Times over-40s v under-40s match and my eventual score of 26 was the fourth-best by the youngsters, who were bowled out for 259. I was knackered by the end of it, though (actually, I was knackered after about four balls). All that running around on a hot day isn't suited to a man of my build and fitness. Especially as I was wearing a woolly jumper (it seemed bad luck to remove it after I started to score). Eventually I was run out, calling for a suicidal single and, just to make sure that I would be out, jumping over the crease as the ball came in. I don't think I have ever been as relieved to be out in my life.

That 26 was my highest score since making 30 opening the batting for the Colchester Royal Grammar School Old Boys XI v the school seconds in 1996. Hopefully it won't be another 12 years before I have a similar innings. And at least it means that my average this season is about double Andrew Flintoff's.

The Line & Length Monday XI: answers

Here are the answers to Monday's quiz, click the link at the bottom to reveal them.

Question 1 Tim Southee shattered England's hopes of a 2-0 lead in the one-day series when he took four for 38 at Bristol on Saturday. How many ODIs has Southee now played? A: 3; B: 5; C: 7

Question 2 Grant Elliott made a crucial half-century in that one-day win in his first ODI innings for New Zealand (he didn't bat in his previous ODI three days earlier). Yet the Johannesburg-born all-rounder's rise into the New Zealand national side has been a long time coming. He made his Test debut in March against England, one day after which birthday? A: his 28th; B: his 29th; C: his 30th

Question 3 Middlesex's winning run came to an end on Friday when they lost a Twenty20 to Kent that was reduced to eight overs a side. How many consecutive matches in all competitions had they won to that point? A: 8; B: 9; C: 10

Question 4 West Indies beat Australia in a Twenty20 game this week that was reduced to 11 overs a side. Australia made 97 for three, but how many runs did Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey make between them? A: none; B: 24; C: 53

Question 5 Graeme Hick broke Graham Gooch's record of 1,195 matches in senior cricket when he played in the Twenty20 Cup against Somerset last week but that includes limited-overs matches. Who, with 1,110, holds the record for the most first-class matches ever played? A: WG Grace; B: Jack Hobbs; C: Wilfred Rhodes

Question 6 What is the biggest partnership for any wicket in Twenty20 cricket so far, made by Justin Langer and Cameron White for Somerset in 2006? A: 148; B: 155; C: 186

Question 7 Who got into trouble for saying this about the Indian Premier League last week: "You only had to work hard if you felt like it, which is probably why we finished second-last"? A: Jacques Kallis; B: Dale Steyn; C: Mark Boucher

Question 8 After which great Australia and New South Wales batsman has the new grandstand at the Sydney Cricket Ground been named? A: Steve Waugh; B: Victor Trumper; C: Mark Taylor

Question 9 The Asia Cup begins on Tuesday, the ninth time it has been held. Who has won it the most times? A: India; B: Pakistan; C Sri Lanka

Question 10 Like Grant Elliott (see question 2), Alec Bedser also made a late entry to international cricket, 62 years ago this week, although his delay was due to war. In his first Test innings, at the age of 27, Bedser took seven for 49 as England beat India. How many seven-fors in total would he go on to take over his 51-Test career? A: 2; B: 3; C: 5

Question 11 Twelve years ago yesterday, Sourav Ganguly made 131 in his debut Test, at Lord's against England. Who was the home side's top scorer in their first-innings score of 344? A: Graham Thorpe; B: Jack Russell; C: Mike Atherton

Purleigh go berserk

It's not often that division 7 of the T Rippon Mid-Essex Cricket League grasps the attention of the national media (nor indeed the premier division of the league) but the following interesting scoreline from Saturday's matches was pointed out to me by a colleague on the racing desk who plays in the league:

Purleigh (499 for five, 45 ovs) beat Herongate Seconds (247 for nine, 45 ovs) by 252 runs.

The destroyers-in-chief were the openers, Christian Freeguard and Steve Rynn, who made 180 and 108 apiece, with Nigel Hinton at No 3 making 93, Josh Taylor 59 and the rest chipping in. There were also quite a few extras.

Ironically Mark Rynn, the Purleigh captain, says that it was only an act of kindness that stopped his side reaching 500. "I was umpiring and we had 380 on the board after 20-odd overs, so I tried to be kind to the opposition by signalling that Nigel had run one short," he said. "It was only at the end of the innings I found out we were one short of making 500. We had three people check the scores but it only added up to 499."

Purleigh surpassed the league record of 478, made on the same tiny ground, but no one tried a Pietersen-style switch hit for six. "There were a few mis-hits for six and Christian cleared the houses at the far end," Rynn said. "Oddly, we were put in and if I'd won the toss we'd have bowled first."

Rynn, a middle order batsman who describes himself as "a nurdler, not a big hitter", felt that the total was defendable enough to risk giving himself a first bowl in six years. "I took two wickets in one over and decided to take myself off after that," he said.

He might be kicking himself after his side failed to bowl out Herongate and so missed out on full bonus points. Under the league rules, he could have declared Purleigh's innings and used any unwanted overs to bowl at the opposition.

Anyone else have good club record-beating stories? If so, send them in.

Jane McGrath RIP

Line & Length is saddened to learn of the death of Jane McGrath, wife of Glenn, from complications after surgery last night. She had been battling breast cancer and a brain tumour for a decade. With such things on his mind, it is hard to know how Glenn McGrath could even get out of bed of a morning, let alone prove himself time and again as one of the most outstanding bowlers of his generation.

I never knew his wife and barely knew Glenn, although I met him a couple of times on the 2005 Ashes tour. He always seemed gentle, good-humoured, one of the decent guys in life.

With a couple of exceptions - he skipped Australia's tour of South Africa in 2006 to look after her and there was that famous flare-up with Ramnaresh Sarwan - he never showed any sign of letting his worry get to him on the field. He was a true professional. Our thoughts are with him and his two children.

For those who want to know more about the McGrath Foundation, click here, and I thought this interview with the couple in 2004 was quite revealing.

The golden boy

As I have mentioned on this blog recently (and as you can see from looking at the Times Online bowling masterclasses), I am possibly the most hopeless batsman there has ever been. Or so I thought.

Andrew Flintoff made his latest comeback from injury yesterday in a Twenty20 match and was out first ball, leg-before to Tim Bresnan, to continue a humbling run with the bat this season. He also has 23 runs from four first-class innings, three of which were ducks, and 45 runs from three one-day innings, 27 of them against Scotland.

His past three innings have lasted seven balls in total and his last first-class fifty was in May 2007. You have to go back to that wonderful innings at Trent Bridge against Australia in 2005 to find his last hundred in any form of the game and he has played 109 innings in all cricket since then.

All of which raises the question: if and when he returns to the England set-up, where should he bat? He is patently not good enough to bat at No 6 any more. Should Ambrose move up to 6, with Flintoff at 7? But surely Stuart Broad, if he doesn't lose his place to Flintoff on bowling grounds, is a better batsman. A lower middle order of Ambrose at 6, Broad at 7, Flintoff at 8 and Sidebottom at 9 (with Anderson and Panesar following) would be OK, but everyone appears to be batting a place too high.

Ambrose 7, Broad 8, Flintoff 9 and Sidebottom 10 suddenly looks very strong, but then questions are raised about Flintoff's ability to bowl the 20 overs in a day that he would need as part of a three-man pace group. Someone is needed at No 6 who can be trusted to bowl up to ten overs. Collingwood's shoulder won't really allow it - and in any case I still don't think he deserves his place any more on batting grounds in Test cricket - while Bopara has not quite got the zing with the ball even if his batting has been awesome this season. I wonder whether Luke Wright is the answer?

Watch me get hit

Part 2 of Matthew Hoggard's exercise in torture bowling masterclass is now online here. This is the one where he shows how to bowl an inswinger or, as I prefer to remember it, the one where he bruises my left thigh. Listen out for the glee as he claims a flesh wound.

I did get to cut him away eventually - the ball was astoundingly dropped by a virtual Kevin Pietersen at gully and sped for four. Fast outfield in the nets at Headingley.

Hick sets longevity record

A small but important record was achieved when Graeme Hick strode out at Worcester for Worcestershire's Twenty20 match with Somerset this evening. It marked his 1,196th match in senior cricket, taking him past Graham Gooch's aggregate. As Hick said when this was pointed out to him, "It's not the sort of record you go out to set."

But it is important nonetheless as it gives us a chance to reflect on Hick's often brilliant but occasionally frustratingly wasteful career. The impressive thing is that he is still worth his place in the Worcestershire side on merit. Gooch, sad though it is for me to admit, was on the way down when he ended his county career halfway through a season.

But Hick is averaging 37 in four championship matches, having missed a couple of weeks with an elbow injury, and had 106 runs in two completed Twenty20 innings going into tonight's game, where he made 63. If this is to be his final season (it's one year at a time at this stage of his career) then at least he is not fading away.

The Line & Length Monday XI: answers

Here are the answers to this week's Monday quiz (click below for them). And give yourself double points (or indeed double pints) if you were one of those who spotted the odd "deliberate error".

Question 1: Kevin Pietersen's 110 on Sunday was his sixth hundred in one-day internationals. How many of them have been made in England? A: 1; B: 3; C: 5

Question 2: Pietersen now averages more than 50 in one-day internationals, one of only three men in the history of the game to do so. Who, with an average of just over 40, is England's second-best one-day batsmen? A: Graeme Hick; B: Neil Fairbrother; C: Nick Knight

Question 3: England and New Zealand are remarkably well-matched in one-day cricket. After the first international on Sunday, what is the overall score? A: 30-30; B: 31-29 to England; C: 31-29 to New Zealand

Question 4: Jim Allenby became the first man to take four wickets in four balls in Twenty20 cricket, but how many Twenty20 wickets in total has the all-rounder taken in four years for Leicestershire? A: 15; B: 20; C: 25

Question 5: And how many times has a bowler taken four in four in List A one-day matches? A: Never; B: Twice; C: Three times

Question 6: Beau Casson, the chinaman bowler, has made his Test debut for Australia this week. What is his nickname? A: Peep; B: Buzz; C: Casino

Question 7: Pakistan beat India in the final of the Kitply Cup on Saturday, making 315 for three batting first. What is the record one-day team score between the countries? A: 356 for nine; B: 344 for eight; C: 330 for eight

Question 8: Which three English counties don't have any players connected to the Indian Cricket League? A: Kent, Middlesex and Somerset; B: Essex, Somerset and Middlesex; C: Essex, Middlesex and Durham

Question 9: Who has scored the only hundred so far (to Sunday) of this year's Twenty20 Cup? A: Justin Kemp; B: Greg Smith; C: Dwayne Smith

Question 10: Which cricketer captained England for the first time on this day in 1977? A: Geoff Boycott; B: Keith Fletcher; C: Mike Brearley

Question 11: What notable bowling feat did Arthur Gilligan, the England captain, achieve against South Africa on this day in 1924? A: He took his second hat-trick of the match; B: He had the figures of 10-10-0-0; C: He took six wickets for seven runs in 39 balls

Click below for answers

Monty the Street Fighter

I experienced one of those rare things earlier today, an interesting interview with Monty Panesar.

Monty is a lovely chap and an excellent bowler but as I have found in the past (here and here) he can be one of the dullest people to interview. Usually it is a string of ECB-ised cliches that reveal less than a government minister on Question Time.

In fact, his love of the banal became so widespread that before one England press conference a journalist wrote the following on a piece of paper and slipped it in front of Monty's microphone before he came in: "Make sure you mention: 'take positives', 'bowl good areas' and 'focused on the next game'."

Yet at the Brit Oval today he was in chatty mood when the admirable Andrew Miller, from Cricinfo, and I collared him for 20 minutes. He talked about the IPL - "they've not approached me but I'd be interested" - the removal of Old Trafford from the Test rota, which he is disappointed with, and whether winning the Ashes is more important than a million dollars for a Twenty20 game (answer: yes). Most of these will be covered in tomorrow's Times.

But the most fascinating insight, which I couldn't fit into my newspaper piece, was about computer games. Monty was promoting International Cricket Captain 2008, so naturally I asked him about his favourite computer games. This is what he said:

"In my younger days I enjoyed Street Fighter. I was Dhalsim. And I liked Mortal Combat, too. Once you are away from school you want to get to the arcades and be the No 1 fighter."

Suddenly, the reason for all those elaborate leaps and kicks that he makes after taking a wicket becomes clear. He is echoing childhood memories of kicking Ken and Ryu's hide.

As Andrew Miller immediately recalled from his days spent frittering pater's shillings in his prep school's gaming room, Dhalsim is a pacifist who fights to raise money for his village. Wikipedia also reveals that "Dhalsim's significant role is to make Cammy White self-aware". I presume they mean Cameron White?

Target practice for Hoggy

When  I wrote recently about why I hate playing cricket, I forgot to mention the biggest reason. The ball is so blooming hard.

I mean, whose idea was that? It stings when you try to catch it and when it hits you on the body - or smacks in the kisser if you are Daniel Flynn - then it can do nasty damage. At the moment, my right foot is a purple-turning-yellow mess of bruises after I tried to make a return catch with my ankle when playing on Saturday. Yes, I am a wimp.

Which is why there was a large lump in my throat yesterday morning when I rocked up at Headingley to be used as target practice for Matthew Hoggard. We were there to film a video masterclass for Times Online, the first part of which should go online in the next day or so. Hoggy shows how to bowl his full bag of tricks (the outswinger, inswinger, off cutter and so on) and after explaining what he is about to do, he then pelts down four or five balls at this talentless batsman from 22 yards away. And I was protected only with pads, gloves and a box. No helmet, no thigh pad or arm guard, no Kevlar vest.

It was a bit of a mismatch: man with 248 Test wickets bowling against mouse who has a highest score of 30 in his post-school career. Survival was the prime motivation and, reader, I am proud to say that of the 30 or so balls that Hoggard bowled at me, not one hit the stumps.

Two hit me, though. As the first, I think from his inswinger, clobbered into my thigh, protected only by the effects of a greed for cheddar, the Yorkshire and England bowler gleefully shouted: "That were flesh that hit." You can just make out the word Duke on the bruise this morning.

I started thinking back about everything I had ever written about Hoggard. I think I've always been kind. I like Hoggy, the stout yeoman, solid packhorse, masterful swing bowler that he is. He's never been a pillock of the month or the butt of some cheap joke. I want him back in the England team. Maybe he had read what I have written about Steve Harmison or Paul Collingwood and was sticking up for his mate.

The next strike, from what was meant to be a leg cutter but pitched on a yorker length, caught me straight on the right ankle, below where the pad ended - and more or less exactly on my bottled return-catch bruise from Saturday. I imagine the yelp was picked up on the stump microphone.

I soldiered on stoically, even when Hoggy said that his next delivery would be the cross-seam short-pitched ball, which in his words (and said with too much of a smile) "makes the ball fly up at your nose". I took a square leg guard and made a half-hearted attempt to cut at the ball from a distance.

But at least he didn't hit my stumps. There was one clear nick behind (I walked, naturally) and a few that were edged squarer - you wouldn't believe it, but they were all dropped by a virtual Kevin Pietersen in the slip-gully region - but the wicket remained unbreached. I even managed to lay the full face of the bat on half a dozen balls - though I bet the camera was pointing at him for those ones. "Four through extra cover," I boasted after my best strike. "Barely off the square," Hoggy replied.

It was a baptisim by fire, but in a way it reassured me after the failure of Saturday. Sure, a decent club bowler who sends the ball down at 65mph at middle stump might be able to get me out nine times out of ten, but an England cricketer bowling 15mph faster was unable to break the defences. Either that or Hoggy is nowhere near ready for a recall to Test colours.

The Line & Length Monday XI quiz - plus answers

You've been agonising over our first Line & Length weekly quiz for two days, so below are the answers. If you got them all right, give yourself a pat on the back and allow a slightly smug expression to cross your face.

Question 1: Who was England's leading bowler in terms of wickets during this summer's Test series against New Zealand? A: Jimmy Anderson; B: Ryan Sidebottom; C; Monty Panesar

Question 2: How many Test matches in their history have New Zealand won in England? A: 2; B: 4; C: 6

Question 3: Who is the leading run-scorer in Test matches so far this year? A: Graeme Smith; B: Andrew Strauss; C: Virender Sehwag

Question 4: Who is the leading run-scorer in Test matches so far this century? A: Matthew Hayden; B: Ricky Ponting; C; Sachin Tendulkar

Question 5: Who has taken the most one-day wickets in county cricket this season? A: Stephen Harmison; B: Tim Bresnan; C: Yasir Arafat

Question 6: Jimmy Anderson's seven for 43 against New Zealand this weekend was the third best innings analysis in England this season, who has the best? A: Shane Bond; B: James Tomlinson; C: Mark Davies

Question 7: Which bowler's autobiography is titled My Turn To Spin? A: Shaun Udal; B: Monty Panesar; C: Robert Croft

Question 8: How many one-day internationals have Bangladesh won against the eight big Test-playing countries (not including Zimbabwe)? A: 4; B: 5; C: 6

Question 9: Geoffrey Boycott made his highest Test score on this day in 1967 and was promptly dropped for batting too slowly. What was the score? A: 207*; B; 246*; c: 281*

Question 10: Staying with Boycott, in 1977 Boycs scored his 100th first-class hundred in a Test match against Australia. Who is the only other man to reach 100 centuries in a Test? A: Don Bradman; B: Zaheer Abbas; C: Viv Richards

Question 11: Finally, what event stunned the cricketing world on this day 25 years ago? A: Ian Botham hit 30 runs off one over; B: Geoff Boycott scored 50 before lunch; C: Zimbabwe beat Australia in a World Cup ODI

If you need a bit of a clue, you might find some of the answers here in our Times Archive

Click below for the answers.

Misery of a failed cricketer

I think I hate cricket.

Well obviously not watching cricket. Give me a live game, a good pint and a comfy seat and I'll be very happy for a few hours. Heck, I'd be happy watching a repeat on television, even a one-day international between Bangladesh and New Zealand. But I think I hate playing cricket.

This realisation came to me on Saturday night as I contemplated a game that I had just competed in. Actually, "competed" is too strong a word. I've never been all that good at playing cricket anyway. Saturday just crystallised my inability.

The raw statistics are that when bowling I couldn't find a length and conceded 30 runs in three overs, when batting I lasted three balls before being bowled by one that was straight and fast (apparently I was backing away so far that I should have taken guard at gully). I dropped a catch in the second over of the day, too, although that was compensated for an over later by a rare highlight, diving (oh yes) to stop the ball and recovering to run out the same batsman I had dropped.

I also kept score impeccably once I was out. But that didn't stop me feeling utterly miserable for the next day. Like an ageing ladies' man, I had plenty of desire but couldn't perform.

On the plus side, the game between my Kirby Strollers charity XI and Big Hammer Cricket Club was played for a good cause, the first of two charity matches that I am organising this summer in the grounds of stately homes. We raised a fair bit of money, the two teams got on well and, like Kirby's debut game last summer, it came down to the final over of a timed game before our last wicket fell. My ragtag team of whoever I can rustle up at short notice may not be good at winning games but we are pretty useful at nearly drawing them.

Yet that doesn't soothe the abject misery I felt on Saturday night. Yes, it is only a game and I should simply accept that I can't play it. But as a cricket-lover and especially as a cricket writer, it is difficult to handle. Most of my colleagues in the Times cricket stable were useful cricketers. CMJ played second XI for Surrey; Geoff Dean was, I think, on the fringes of Somerset selection when he was younger; Matt Pryor was in the Middlesex colts; Mike Atherton played a bit as well. Most of our sub-editors are good club-standard cricketers.

Does the lack of playing ability mean that I can't appreciate fully the game and its nuances when it comes to writing about it? Some of my readers may say it does. Perhaps I am simply in the position of the music critic who cannot hold a note or the civil engineer who pays someone else to build him a shed. What I write is based on love and enthusiasm and the experience of watching from the sidelines, rather than duty and time spent in the middle. As a result, my own failure makes me appreciate all the more the superb skills of so many cricketers who I have watched and enjoyed. Perhaps those who can do it appreciate it less.

Some professional cricketers scoff at professional writers who haven't played at their level. That is their prerogative. But how many of them actually write the columns and autobiographies that they are paid good money for? Oh well, I'd happily help a Test cricketer to write. If only he could show me how to hit the ball off the square.

Apologies for absence

Sorry for a shortage of posts but I've been covering Middlesex v Essex at Lord's for the past few days (see main cricket page for reports) and have been handicapped by a malfunctioning laptop. My power socket got broken in Lucerne last weekend and needed resoldering but the repairs company have not been busting a gut to sort it out. Having finally been given it back on Friday afternoon, it now appears that the power pack is also broken.

Fortunately, I can send emails via my mobile phone, meaning that I've been filing copy from Lord's by a sort of text-messaging (well, it wasn't so long ago reporters used to dictate their words on the telephone). Unfortunately, the blogging software doesn't seem to work on the phone - and my wife wouldn't lend me her laptop in case I left it somewhere - so I've not been able to let you know my views on England's Test win or my first game of the season yesterday. They will follow tomorrow.

Tonight's TV watching

For readers in Britain there are a couple of interesting programmes on BBC Four tonight that would be well worth watching (overseas readers may be able to watch them over the BBC iPlayer thingummy on the internet). At 10pm there is a repeat of the brilliant The Basil D'Oliveira Conspiracy, which I cannot recommend too highly. Peter Oborne's book, based on the documentary, is one of my favourite cricket reads. Both convey the tragedy and excitement of the events building up to 1968 and the start of the Apartheid boycott.

And before that we have a new documentary from the same film-makers. The Captain and the Bookmaker tells the sad story of Hansie Cronje, his rise and fall, and features one of the last interviews ever given by the late Bob Woolmer. Both promise to be fascinating and there's nothing else on tonight so you really ought to give them a look.

May's Hero of the Month

Vijay Mallya is nudging ahead in May's Pillock of the Month poll, but who will play Superman to his Lex Luthor? Here, with apologies for them being a day late, are the nominations for our monthly Hero Poll. Last month, Shiv Chanderpaul won the nod from more than 40 per cent of you, with votes coming in from Tel Aviv, Trondheim and Reno, Nevada.

Mahaboob Alam for his one-man demolition act for Nepal against Mozambique in the World Cricket League Division 5. Alam, a left-armer, took all ten wickets for 12 runs as Mozambique were dismissed for 19, chasing 239. If only Alam had done better in other matches: he took only nine more in seven matches. Still, earns his place in history as the only man to take a ten-for in an associate or affiliate ICC match.

Monty Panesar. He'll have to find a new favourite track after the ECB foolishly decided to take Old Trafford off the rota for a few years. Panesar's final appearance (for now) brought his tally of wickets in Manchester to 31 in six innings. His six for 37 against New Zealand gave England a sniff of a chance. I still rate Andrew Strauss more highly for taking that chance, though.

Andrew Strauss. Playing for his place just two months ago, Strauss is now the reassuring rock at the top of England's order that he was three years ago. Since his 177 at Napier, he has made 63, 60 and 106 in three Test innings in May. England's run-chase of almost 300 at Old Trafford was based on Strauss's hundred. Many wouldn't have fancied our chances if Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood had to come out with more than 100 still needed. Has scored almost 200 more runs in 2008 than the next best Englishman.

Andrew Symonds. Ricky Ponting may have been a more obvious choice from the Australia team, with his 158 at Jamaica in the first Test and the 65 in the first innings at Antigua that took him past 10,000 Test runs. So may Stuart Clark, whose eight wickets got him the man of the match award in Kingston. But I nominate Symonds as the real saviour. His 70 not out in the first innings helped Australia past 400 and then, with his side 18 for five, Symonds made another 70-odd to give them just enough of a lead. Also took a brilliant catch at short cover to start the rot in West Indies run-chase.

Sohail Tanvir. There has to be one representative of the IPL and while Shaun Marsh made a strong claim to be the best-value player in the tournament, Tanvir finished on the winning side and did as much as any Warne or Watson to secure the title. Maybe he should chance his first name to Shane? 22 wickets at an average of 12 and a decent economy rate earned him his place in this list.

Ross Taylor. Had a reasonably good, if brief, time in the IPL but came to England looking as if fast-run singles and risky cuts were the requirement in Test cricket. After a poor Test at Lord's, he refound his game at Old Trafford with a brilliant 150, a landmark he reached again in New Zealand's tour match in Northampton at the weekend. If only the Kiwis had four more like him.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

May's pillock of the month

The county season is in full swing so it's time to reveal the nominations for our monthly Pillock of the Month competition. Harbhajan Singh set a record for this last month, earning more than two thirds of your nominations for slapping Sreesanth. Who will follow him this month and earn his ticket for the end-of-year Pillocks' Hall of Shame? The options this month are:

Ravi Bopara for letting it be known he had been approached by the Indian Premier League. Sorry Rav, but much as I'm a fan it was a bit big-headed to go on about how you turned the IPL down. Given your modest record in a limited international career so far (which I'm convinced will improve) you were hardly going to be attracting big bucks - you're no Kevin Pietersen - and it smacked a bit too much of a cry for attention. Let your batting for Essex do the talking for you.

The England batsmen and umpires in the first Test at Lord's, for being paranoid about playing in iffish light and thus denying the paying spectators half a day's cricket on both the Thursday and the Friday and perhaps preventing a result. Top-level cricketers who have already made a fifty partnership with little trouble should not be so keen to walk off when it gets gloomy and umpires should consider the fans first.

Health & Safety bureaucrats who have demanded a public inquiry over the Brit Oval's planned expansion. Some 2,000 extra seats and a hotel are in jeopardy because the Health & Safety Executive has suddenly noticed the large green gas-holders behind the Oval and is worried that they may explode during a Test match. Never mind that the gas-holders have been there for more than 100 years without going pop. Surrey point out, not without justification, that there are a few active gas-holders near the London 2012 site in the East End, too, and no one is saying we should stop building for the Olympics.

Vijay Mallya, owner of the Bangalore IPL franchise, for turning on his team. Apparently, Bangalore's embarrassing failure in the IPL was all Rahul Dravid's fault for selecting the wrong team and Mallya never wanted the players he was saddled with. He wasn't saying that after Bangalore won their second match of the tournament against Mumbai, of course. Mallya, who made his money from selling alcohol, said he had more of a clue about Twenty20 cricket than Dravid, for all his Test caps. In which case, if he had doubts, why make Dravid captain and why not take more of a role in selection instead of whinging about it? Mind you, Mallya has behaved no worse than any stroppy sports team owner. Just ask Avram Grant.

New Zealand for emulating their rugby union brothers and choking when victory was in their grasp at Old Trafford. Effectively 205 without loss in their second innings, they proceeded to fall apart in the face of Monty Panesar's spin, setting England less than 300 for an unlikely win and then made no impact with their bowling. It should be Daniel Vettori, not Michael Vaughan, who holds a 1-0 lead this series.

The Pigeons at the Oval. One of their number was hit by a hard late cut from Matt Nicholson last week and killed. According to witnesses at the ground, the poor stiff birdie was then set upon by his so-called friends, proving that pigeons will eat anything, even each other. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan rescued the bird's dignity by carrying his mangled carrion to the boundary. I understand that the Times correspondent's description of the cannibalism was cut so as not to offend that noted naturalist Simon Barnes.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Semi serious

A prestigious cricket competition got down to its business end this afternoon with the semi-final stage to decide who would move on to greater glory this weekend. Yes, it was the last four of the ICC World Cricket League Division 5 and Afghanistan and Jersey won bragging rights by beating Nepal and the USA.

Not only do the Afghans and the Jerseyites get to play tomorrow for the prestigious Div 5 title, but they also both earn promotion to Division 4, where they will play Hong Kong, Fiji, Italy and Tanzania in October in the second stage of qualifying for the 2011 World Cup. England had better send scouts (or girl guides, I'm not sexist) to check on the form of their possible opponents.

Much as I'd have loved to have seen a US vs Afghanistan final (what a political hoot that would be), the Americans were well beaten by Jersey. Chasing 221 to win, they were bowled out in the 39th over for 136. Meanwhile, Afghanistan were already celebrating their victory over Nepal, the strong favourites in this event. Having been dismissed for just 142, Afghanistan's bowlers then did the job on Nepal, bowling them out for 105.

In the semi-finals of another competition a few time zones away, Rajasthan Royals qualified for Sunday's big pow-wow by destroying Delhi Daredevils. Shane Watson hit a fifty in next to no time as the Royals reached 192 and then Watson picked up three wickets with his bowling to send the Daredevils spiralling towards 87 all out. So well done to Rajasthan, but did they get a nice cream tea afterwards to celebrate as Jersey no doubt did?

The changing face of cricket

The ECB is meeting tomorrow to discuss changes to the domestic structure of the game in England. Such changes will come in from 2010, after the more important business of the Ashes and World Twenty20 next summer. Among the ideas floating around is a return to three-day first-class cricket, three conferences of equal status rather than two divisions of the championship and a rethink of the 40-over competition.

I have affection for what used to be called just the Sunday League, not least because Essex have won it five times. This is the 40th year of the competition, which has had 13 different names and has fluctuated from 40 overs to 50, 45 and back to 40 again. I like it best how it is now, although I am intrigued by one proposal to make it a game with two 20-over innings.

Nigel is not impressed with such tinkering but he is even less reactionary than I am. I will, however, repeat the concerned comment I left on his blog about the marketing of Pro40 this year. "It's Twenty20's big brother," the posters say, as if the competition is incapable of having an identity of its own. No doubt if the idea of splitting it into quarters goes through, the marketing men will again link it back to the newest competition: "Like Twenty20, only twice the fun!", they'll say.

If Pro40 is Twenty20's big brother, what does that make Test cricket? Twenty20's venerable and geriatric great-uncle, who sits in the corner grumbling and smelling faintly of wee, but who for some reason most of us love dearly? And will Tests soon be marketed as "Like Twenty20, only slower!"?

Welcome the new boys - UPDATED

The cricket blogosphere is spreading faster than the outfielders when Kevin Pietersen gets that look in his eye. Welcome a few new entrants to the gang who are worth a visit: Nigel Henderson is well-known to long-time readers of Line and Length after he sent regular postcards of despair from Australia during the last Ashes series, which were collated in his book, If It Was Raining Palaces... His blog, Reverse Sweep, is taking its first faltering steps in the world and will be well worth a regular read.

Also, as reminded in these comments, there is the Last of the Summer Whine blog by Len the Yorkshire kitman. Well-written and fun, if rather too focused on Yorkshire for some tastes, it is on my favourites list and should be on yours. Slightly disingenuous to trumpet "brought to you by the Corridor of Uncertainty website" on the banner, when "a CofU website" would be more accurate. It may link to a Yorkshire messageboard of that name, but most of us who have been around the blogosphere for a few years (not to mention Google) regard Will's Corridor blog, which had to drop the "of Uncertainty" bit because of legal pressure from some twit, as the original CofU.

Outside the Line and Well Pitched are two other blogs that have come to my attention recently, and Terry Jenner also has a blog. The self-acclaimed Spin Doctor was responsible for developing the young Shane Warne into the wicket-taking beast he became and is trying to do the same for young Englishmen. He's not posted much so far but it is worth keeping tabs on.

Jenner is arguably more famous for being the Australia batsman who inadvisably placed his head in the way of a bouncer from John Snow in 1971, which led to the England bowler being barracked by the Sydney crowd, who then chucked beer cans at him and grabbed his shirt while he fielded, with a very silly hat, on the boundary. Ah, those were the days when cricket really was a man's game... Not like the over-protected jessies we have today. Watch and enjoy.

I particularly admired the quote at the time from the SCG's curator, Athol Watkins, who said: "That crowd must have been mad. Half of the cans they threw were still full."