Play up, play up...

[callmemadam]

This afternoon, England lost their last five wickets for five runs. Come on, girls! Personally I blame the radio commentators, who were tempting fate as usual with their talk of 'England's commanding lead' and useful batsmen still to come. Once Flintoff had gone, that was it.

I see that Eric Bedser, of the famous Bedser twins, has died aged 87. He played for Surrey, my team. This is the way they used to look.

Comments

[sloopjonb.livejournal.com]

I remember once (this has nothing to do with the Test, it just came to mind) watching a John Player game on BBC2 one Sunday. I was living in an attic in a friends house in Glossop at the time. "Come down for your tea," says landlord John, sticking his head up my hatch. "Hang on," says I, "it's nearly finished - Somerset need 24 off the last over." John scoffed, observing that while he knew nothing about cricket, he knew this was not going to happen. I shook my head. "Botham's batting," I told him. Needless to add, Somerset won. We shall not look upon the like again.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

We shall not look upon the like again.
Those were the days, eh. People will say the same about Flintoff. And Trescothick on a good day is a very pretty sight.

[sloopjonb.livejournal.com]

I'll tell you the difference between Botham and Flintoff. Botham used to play for Somerset, while the chances of Lancashire getting a game out of Freddie are somewhere between not a lot and no chance. For one brought up on the great Lancashire team of the 1970's, this strikes me as a poor do.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

That's not areally a Botham/Flintoff difference, but the difference between the game then and now. County cricket is not what it was: remember when you couldn't play for Yorkshire unless you were born in the county? Look at Hampshire. An Australian captain and a South African star batsman who is seldom seen at the Rose Bowl because of his England commitments. I'm not saying this is good or bad, just that it's all changed.

[sloopjonb.livejournal.com]

I worry for the future of cricket. Lack of (free) TV exposure, plus erosion of the county game in the way we describe above, is sawing off the branch that Test cricket sits on. Either the county game will wither away and die, or (ghastly thought) there will be nothing but the 20/20 Cup. Either outcome is definitely in the 'bad' category. Oh my Simmons and my Lever long ago!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Eheu! But mark my words: in a few years' time English cricket will be dominated by people of Asian origin and/or from the independent schools where the game is still encouraged. I loved seeing all the little Sikhs at Edgbaston jumping up and down for joy when England did well. Not all gloom, then.

[sloopjonb.livejournal.com]

*nods* ... just as long as they don't all end up like the West Indians, and play nowt but football. Theo Walcott, indeed.