Luke, Warms Up!

Our season hasn’t quite started but we have just finished a two day warm up match against Lancashire.

Having already got some overs in in the desert, we did quite well – getting 349 runs in 90 overs on the first day, Diva making 103*,  Stokes 70* and Benks 57* before retiring.  Anderson, Mahmood and Hogg were all in the Lanks seam attack [of whom only Mahmood took a wicket].   Keedy bowled 21 overs and took 1 for 74, but broke his collarbone while fielding.  We hope it mends soon.

Durham demolished Lanks in just 66 overs for 181.  Evans posted the best figures, 3 for 34 off of 10 overs, removing both openers,  Plunkett picked up 3 wickets and Thorpy 2.

The second XI have also recorded two one day victories against a Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence side.

When England Wrecks your Bowling Attack

And England manages to wreck it without even overbowling it!

Now it’s Plunkett; that’s an England squad bowling injury full house for Durham!

Following on from Mark Davies leaving the England squad with ankle problems and then having an operation on his ankle, and Graham Onions returning home from the squad with back injury; esteemed drinks boy Pudsy has now apparently joined the list.

BBC TMS feed – 0439 – Eng 490-9 (171 overs)
“ And a bit of breaking news on TMS – Liam Plunkett will return home a day early from this tour because of an injury that they want to treat immediately.”

Oh and even more joy – Bunny’s back injury is more serious than at fist thought, and Bob is not looking certain to be fit for the start of the season now either.

Do England treat their pace bowlers well?  What do they do with them?  They have not been flogging the overs out of the Durham ones in matches.    For the amount of time our bowlers have seen on the competitive field this winter this is not been a good return.   Plunkett has seen only one [non EPPs] tour match all winter!

England: keeping our Nigel [the physio] in business!

IPL; New Franchises, UK Football Clubs? What?!

All pre auction hype you would hope.  What is a top football club in Modi speak, given that ITV 4 is a top rated TV channel?  Lalit was hinting that a top Premier League football club was interested in buying an IPL franchise.   Top – in position in the league,  top – in finance terms?  Mr Modi likes lots of money.  From the way he was speaking plenty took it to mean Premiership anyway.

But football clubs don’t buy anything.  They may have links with other clubs – I’m told Arsenal has links with Middlesex, but not financial ones.  So is this meant to be a British based city franchise?  The owners of a certain premiership club may be interested in adding an IPL franchise to their portfolio?  Or an investor based franchise?  Could it mean Manchester City’s Dubai, or Manchester United’s American owners are interested in a Dubai or US based franchises to cash in on expat interest and advertising marketing possibilities?

None of the above I should imagine.   Getting attention is what Modi is excellent at.  Even the MCC were in the running for a bit, could not resist the hype, want to be seen as ‘out there’, got a bit of press attention.

We will find out on March the 8^th *2010.  This will probably be quite dull in comparison to the speculation.

Watching Durham warming up is much more interesting.

*Cricinfo puts it as Sunday

Plunkett Finally gets a Tour Match!

Liam has been with the England limited overs and Test squads all winter.  Today he got his first  tour match.  He scored some runs and took a couple of wickets.  Apart from a couple of matches with the EPPs he has had no proper cricket all winter.  That can’t be good for anyone.

And ….. India Win! So do Tests!

Yet another thrilling match,  with a fantastic home following at Eden Gardens spurring on their team.  India retain the top Ranked Test Team spot.

With 5 for 59 in the last innings and 8 wickets for the match the Terbanator,  Bhajji is back in business. Not to mention the truly daring do from  ‘Man of the Series’ Mr Amla, yet again.

A two match series with two result matches, these tests were scheduled at the last minute as an afterthought.

And the masses are now saying is that all there is – just two Tests – it was just warming up!

5 Tests is where it’s at!