Richardson Sucessfully Steps in

With ’99 consecutive matches Phil’ out of the team, a surprise Championship début for Richo. Coming in when we were a nail biting 134 for 6.  Totally battered and not looking at any batting points.  Michael got to 50 off of 55 balls and went  on to make a respectable and ship steadying 67.

If that is any glimpse of his potential perhaps we might be playing two wicketkeepers in the team before too long?

Mustard Misses Out on a Century!

That’s a Century of continuous County Championship matches!  Phil has missed his first four day match since becoming a first team regular in 2005.  In these days of Player burnout and injuries, 99 matches on the trot is quite something!  Well done Colonel!

He is out of the Yorkshire match with an inflamed toe, so we hope Cap’n Mustard will be back for the next match.

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?????

Major Changes! Colonel Mustard now Captain!

It surprised us all, but Phil is now Captain.  So, all the very best to him, and good luck!

The Durham Super Kings?

Up early and listening to the Test match on the radio.  Test Match Special has just had a lunchtime report on the progress of this years IPL and its impact in India, part of it mentioning that representatives from Durham have been speaking with the Chennai Supper Kings IPL franchise.

That’s the team in violent yellow with Matty Hayden, his mongoose, Albie Morkle and Dohni.

Presumably it is purely a fact finding mission and I know yellow is one of Durham’s colours but a whole strip is not a good look!  It’s a bit of extra IPL interest that I wasn’t anticipating anyway!

The IPL Reaches for the Infinite

So no football teams then, as was suspected.  Modi finally got around to announcing the two new franchises for the IPL.  They will be based at  The southern city of Kochi and Pune near Mumbai.

Next season onwards the IPL will feature 10 teams – which means a total of 94 games, up from the current 60, in a home-and-away format.  There will be no escaping the IPL; it is going to be truly never ending!  Let’s hope climate change does not alter India’s monsoon season or it will be all year round soon.  But perhaps that is where the USA will come to the fore in Modi’s future cunning plans?