It’s Going to be Ok!

So sense prevailed.  No one saw any advantages in a reduced program of first class cricket, preferring the more obvious trimming back of limited overs matches, which have proliferated recently.

Championship division one stays as a 9 team concern and the Championship stays as the fantastic 16 match per season event that we know and love.

Would have been mad, having just produced an away Ashes winning England team, also presumably Counties would have risked a lower income from reduced memberships which include Championship matches but not T20.

The ECB have listened…. I’m nervous – this is a new thing, surely that can’t last can it?

But while they are at it….. Summer [and weekend] Championship cricket …..Please?????

Wow! Captain Colly’s T20 Ninjas Win the Cup!

This time the momentum of such a sharply tuned team proved unstoppable, and England, captained by Collinwood beat a fine Australian side with overs to spare.

England won the T20 world title, and have looked every part a world beating team throughout the tournament.  Now that really is quite something.  We even managed to have a paternity leave and still romp home.  Well done the Lads.  And Captain Fantastic?  …Just a bit!

Captain Colly’s T20 Ninjas Make it to the World Cup Final!

Yes!!!!!!!!! Somehow it was always known that Colly would be the man to captain a no nonsense England side that would actually make it to a World final.  It was just written that he would; and you just knew all that grittyness would get there one day….he just needed a team of like-minded henchmen.  It has taken time and not a few false starts, and even a spot of IPL madness for some of the team members, but they have made it.

A novelty certainly, and really rather nice.  Bring on Sunday and the final!

And yes, I have always thought of Mike Yardy as a bit of a limited overs bowling ninja… I know this is not a widely held belief ….

Colly strutting his IPL stuff

Yes, it’s nice to see Paul Collingwood doing well in the crazy world of the IPL, and it’s really nice to see him doing it on TV too.  Sixes are ten a penny in this form of the game – but there is something particularly nice when the bloke who is hitting them is Colly.  So top scoring for the Delhi Daredevils; 75 not out – nice, or as they said on the IPL strap line – pure magic.

Collingwood; 100 ODI Catches

Always known as an outstanding fielder, Colly took his 100^th ODI catch today, Mahmudallah off of Swanns bowling. He also contributed to England’s win by top scoring with 75 runs.

This winter in ODI’s he’s passed the 100 wickets milestone.  He also has over 4500 runs on the clock.  A truly outstanding English all-rounder.

The Hit Wicket

Benks has done this one in style.  Here is a picture of Dale having scored 181, so he can bat!  Hit wickets are a very silly way to get out.   Unfortunately they are just not common enough.  Dale contrived to destroy his stumps by somehow managing to throw his bat at them.  I wish I’d seen it, it was reported as being hilarious.  He was doing well up until that point in the run chase in the Warriors v Dolphins, MTN40 final.  His team the Dolphins lost.

Of course this is also an excuse to put up a picture of Thorpy.  Here he makes a right pigs ear of negotiating a Mohammad Sami bouncer – just before he was out hit wicket.

A Swashbuckling Century

Yep, I know, England batsman in runs shock!  This is in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.

Ben scored a 100 runs off 87 balls (4x6s, 6x4s) and contributed 2  well timed wickets for 43,  in a group toping win against India.   He was man of the match and It’s nice to see him top scoring in a competitive situation and under some pressure.  Here are the video highlights. The England U19 squad now go onto play the West Indies in the quarter finals on the 23^rd.

Ben Stokes – a First Contract

Ben has just signed his first professional contract for 2 years with Durham.

Above Ben is delivering the ball that will bowl Mark Ramprakash; his first first team wicket and one of my favorite moments of the season.   Taking 2-22, after making 11 not out on this first-team début, he contributed to a 60 run win.      [Friends provident trophy match at the Oval, May 2009]

Not long back from touring Bangladesh with the England Under-19 squad, he will travel to New Zealand next month when England Under-19 begin their ICC World Cup campaign.

Collingwood: a big day, a class act!

Centurion,  South Africa – Colly gets his 171st one day international cap – an England record.

He celebrates this by inspiring the team to a 7 wicket victory with overs to spare, in their match today against South Africa.  With a stunning catch of de Villiers off of Anderson, the wickets of Amla and Albie Morkel 2@ 24   and 105 runs [his fourth century scored abroad],  he wins the Man of the Match award.

He also becomes England’s 2^nd highest ODI run scorer.