Off topic, but following last night’s entertaining and well informed discussion, a new thread is needed with so many cricket fans on ‘ere. We have a lot to look forward to in 2025. Not just the County Championship, but huge Test series against India at home, and then the Ashes away. Personally I have no interest in the Hundred, or much in T20.
I will be going to a lot of Kent games in the Summer. Kent seem to be in the same situation as Charlton are. When you think what Kent were with players like Cowdrey, Knott, Asif, Denness etc Now the only standout player is Crawley and his form has fallen off a cliff.
"Bazball" will be tested to the limit in the coming year. I must admit I liked to follow tours when they included matches against the counties, or states in Oz.
England are playing Zimbabwe in a one off Test match at Trent Bridge, as a “warm up” for the India series It will be an innings victory within 2.5 days. The usual suspects will use this Test to tuck in and massage their averages, and will then be guaranteed 10 Tests v the Indians & the Aussies. I am thinking about Crawley and Pope in particular. Bookmark this post
It’s a beautiful game. It represents the best of this country. Tradition, leather on willow, lovely County grounds. There is nothing more thrilling that a closely fought Test match.
You cannot beat a glorious day, decent weather, having a beer with a few sandwiches. Read the paper, and generally relax.
...all while watching a local cricket match. Perhaps while listening occasionally to commentary from a far-away test match on the radio. There is no finer way to spend a Summer day in England. The only thing that even comes close is a day spent fishing. Cricket on a village green was the very pinnacle of our civilisation. A perfect day in an ideal life. Representing everything that was best and fairest of ourselves. I'm grateful that during my childhood years I had the chance to experience a few of those days. Sadly, they feel more remote a page in history to me now than the 1930's football matches I read about in the newspaper archives. Cricket, even more than football, has been adulterated by relentless commercialisation, Americanisation and phoney sensationalism which poisons every kind of modern sport and has done for fifty years. A process which has increased exponentially since the Millennium. Nothing is sacred anymore in the pursuit of cheap, instant thrills. Blatant cheating Routine disrespect of opponents Exploitation of rules that were never meant for players acting in bad faith Showbiz stunts Formats that bear no relation to the original game, and only do harm to it Mega money offers turning players' heads technology removing any sense of faith in the mystery of the game Endless statistics Garish colours Miniature cameras everywhere Glowing bails with lights inside them, for pity's sake. I could go on forever. The most quintessentially English of sports. The fairest and most friendly form of competition ever invented. Ruined.
Oh dear. I hope my bitter epitaph for English Cricket hasn't killed the thread, That's what the big money owners of 20/20 and the Hundred want to do of course - kill all earlier forms of cricket. All so they can make more of this Within a generation all the players will care about is lining their bank accounts. Glad I won't be alive to see it.
The last cricket match I was at was at Leavenheath, where a group of us were supporting The Hare and Hounds because it was my mate's pub. I spite of our loud vocal support they lost because, batting second, one of our openers hung around too long practising his forward defensive stroke. about 35 years ago, very enjoyable afternoon.
