Two Winters and One Summer of English Cricket and Continued Adventures

[AMRN]

wow!   eat what you like in Barbados, but you gotta be careful in Cardiff!!!

[Logie66]

This week saw the end of my sabbatical and a return to work after 12 weeks of leisure.  I did manage to fit in another week in Barbados to top up the tan and to chill out some more before going back to work.  Didn"t venture very far from the Hotel beach and enjoyed a holiday of breakfast, sun bed on beach, dinner and bed  

Landed back in the UK early on Monday morning and returned to work Tuesday.

It was a strange feeling, I was actually looking forward to returning to work, after 12 weeks of not seeing anyone from work, I was actually looking forward to seeing everyone, probably will feel different next week lol  

It was also a strange feeling seeing England playing the West Indies once more, but not in the sunshine and without me in the ground this time !!

After a solid day one, what a day two of the test !!

Congratulations to Bopara and Swann for their efforts with the bat, and the England bowling attack for putting the Windies back in the hutch for only 152   and this time with a fit compliment of bowlers the follow-on enforced, should be an easy win with three days to go as long as the weather stays good !!!

Everyone can bat on a road, but it"s a lot more difficult on an English green top in May, bouncing and seaming about, eh Ramnaresh !!!!!!  

[duke3016]

Having reached 99-2 in reply to England"s 377, the West Indies were blown away by a combination of Onions and Graeme Swann to collapse to 152 all out. Five wickets fell in 14 balls after tea awsome.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo  I am talking cricket --- kill me now

[Logie66]

Priceless - Duke the Cricket reporter - Love it  

You have been converted !!!!

[APAT]

Priceless - Duke the Cricket reporter - Love it  

You have been perverted!!!!

FYP Don  

[Logie66]

When you look at life, you always review situations and say why does it always seem to happen to one of the good guys.  I"ve been saying this to myself over the last week and a bit as events of the weekend of the 9th May brought this home.

In the late Eighties, I was a member of a strong Cricket team in Suffolk and one of my team mates was a left arm spinner who was a great team member and player.  He was a guy who played the game competitively, had a great knowledge and passion for cricket, but played the game the right way with a smile on his face, he truly was a gentleman on the field and one of the good guys of it !

Sadly the weekend of the 9th he was taken, playing the game he loved, cricket !

So I have vowed to uphold the traditions of my colleague and ensure that I take this principle with me whenever I"m playing poker as I no longer grace the Cricket field. I will  be competitive, play with a passion but always play with a smile on my face and be considered one of the good guys.

RIP Slim, a true gentleman of the game.

[duke3016]

Sad -- RIP

[Logie66]

Now we"re moving on to the business end of the Summer, a stroll in the chilly park at Chester-le-Street and suddenly the mind games are starting as the Ashes series gets closer.

The Aussies are starting to get vocal, this can only be a good thing, they have seen us turn up do a job against the Windies, a side that looked like it didn"t want to be here to be fair, and want to try and knock a little confidence out of us before we even get started.

Strauss is the target, the Aussies are going after him Ponting says.

Onions, don"t expect him to play in the Ashes, reverse psychology perhaps, please pick him we like the look of him.

Symonds, time to welcome him back to the fold, are we supposed to be scared of him or something.

Phillip Hughes, the new Aussie opener, thanks for letting him get used to the English conditions, this is the one of the key points here. No other Country would allow this, but our stupid counties are only thinking of personal gain.  Absolutely stupid, the ECB should lay down the law and sort this out for future years !

Things are only going to get hotter and more entertaining and it is going to be an interesting series, we do have a chance even if all of the past players are writing off our chances. 

New players, virgin tourists, it"s going to be fun..........

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSkNIUT1-Bo[/youtube]

[Swinebag]

Great stuff Don

The aussies can target strauss all they like....he is a different player to the one that averaged 24 down under last time.

I agree with Goughie that flintoff is key, though I do think we can win without him....just not as easily

i think Hughes has a few technical issues that our bowlers can exploit (either that or he"s the next Bradman and we are screwed!!)

Expect Prior and Broad to get the worst of the sledging

[nosey-p]

Got my tickets for Headingly day 2, cannot wait, a few beers in the sunshine and some Aussie bashing, bring it on

What do you think of no Symonds?  

[Mikeyboy9361]

Good do for us! He"s a top player, and a great guy to have a beer with!!!

[KarmaDope]

Got my tickets for Headingly day 2, cannot wait, a few beers in the sunshine and some Aussie bashing, bring it on

What do you think of no Symonds?  

An unexpected bonus, I was sure he"d be back especially as he seems to do well against us.  Aussies have missed a trick there.

I still expect to see him at some point though, probably when they"re 2-0 down after the first 2 tests!

[Logie66]

Got my tickets for Headingly day 2, cannot wait, a few beers in the sunshine and some Aussie bashing, bring it on

What do you think of no Symonds?  

He may still appear in the squad yet, Shane Watson has to pass a fitness test, Ponting seems to want him so any doubts around Watson and Symonds will be in I reckon.

[Logie66]

A great start to the summer of cricket  

A humiliating defeat inflicted by the Dutch, the cricket team will be more famous than the spoof character Goldmember now !!

For entertainment 20/20 is superb, quick, lots of action and pulls the crowds in.  It"s also a format that gives every team a chance to win, even the non-test playing countries.  The Netherlands were great, England may have underestimated them as well and didn"t expect them to bat as well as they did. A fuuly deserved victory and hats off to them !!

So it"s a great start for the competition, not so for England, but cricket is the winner in my eyes.

[Logie66]

Well what a difference a couple of days make.  England survive the poor weather forecast and deliver a great all round team display against Pakistan, it helped slightly that Pakistan didn"t really bother to turn up  

The convincing victory also delivered England through to the Super Eights, who"d have thought that !!

Later we will have the joy of supporting Sri Lanka as Australia play them in a must win match to continue in the competition. Now that would be a great shame if they didn"t make it