Finally, finally, we've won a four day match at home. First time for two years - and I wasn't even in the country to watch it when that happened! This season is starting to remind me our (Saints') first season in L1. Took a little while to regroup and shake off the effects of relegation, but now we're into a stride and chasing the leading pack down. Blistered feets and sunburnt all over. But I don't care. Love county cricket, love Hampshire.
What will you do if they win another? Seriously, I agree. Love county cricket, well you know how the rest goes. Test cricket is great too, but one always feels shortchanged somehow. At the turnstile usually.
Indeed, although I faith that he'll come good eventually. Unlike Morgan, he's actually showed some real class in county championship cricket. (Morgan got his test chance based solely on what he's done in ODI and T20 cricket, rather than in the county championship, where he's been nothing more than average for Middlesex). There's a whole handful of players, mostly young, who the selectors could have plumped for. Bairstow and Taylor arguably being the best two. Although if you're going to go down the short-term route and pick the man in form, then Nick Compton at Somerset is currently your man.
I'm all for bringing in young players, I was when Cook was brought into the side and that worked out. Disappointingly I've not watched nearly enough country cricket over the last couple of years to know who the in form players are, had a couple of years of membership at Hants were I was able to follow county cricket closely but I'm lacking now!
Oops, bye Prior. Strauss holding the innings together, good in a way because it's great to see him knocking away the criticism.
Have only just come back. We were looking good when I left, but now look like we'll finish on par. Going to be tough on our bowlers in the next innings.
You should try and get back on the horse, it's well worth it. Especially when the weather is like it has been this week. I had such a lovely day at the Rose Bowl yesterday. (And with TMS in one ear, it was even better). Looking forward to listening to today's CB40 game at Taunton. With Trescothick injured, we might actually get close to beating them! Although now that I've mentioned his name, Compton will probably go and smash a 100 against us.
I've been planning on going to the Oval at some point, living quite close to it now, will see how that pans out. My only real link with county cricket is checking the Hampshire scores! Nothing better than seeing Shane Warne at the Rose Bowl, back in the day. Brilliant player. It'd be typical if he did, I'll do my best to listen too but with deadlines looming I may decide against it!
Nothing better than seeing Shane Warne anywhere to be honest. Only Roger Federer sits ahead of him in my list of sporting idols.
MLT, Peyton Manning and then Shane Warne to me. Feel genuinely privileged to have had the opportunity to watch Shane Warne in person regularly for a few years. I have had disagreements with a Lancashire based friend over who is better between Warne and Murali, I don't know if it's my Hampshire bias but I can't look past Warney.
I should add that regardless of whether or not Bairstow ultimately succeeds, over time Ben Stokes will eventually bat at no.6 for us. I'm certain of it. That lad is a serious talent. The closest thing we currently have to Flintoff and Botham. A hard-hitting, crowd-entertaining, all-rounder.
I find that most surprising, St Brendy. Would you still feel like that, if he'd never played for Hampshire? Drugs, continually questioning Umpires decisions, (remember once in a county match before DRS!), losing the Australian vice captaincy because he bombarded a nurse with erotic texts, he later sent a text to his wife by mistake meant for another woman, while he was supposed to be saving his marriage, his list of misdemeanours goes on and on. A most unpleasant fellow in my opinion.
I too see him as one of my favourite sporting idols, but the key word in that is sporting. As a personal icon I can think of far better options but in terms of sports, you don't get much better.
But he cheated both on and off the field, simple as that. His talent as a bowler is virtually unsurpassed, that is true. Wayne Rooney could score 500 goals for England but I would still utterly discard him for his attitude to the game and the disgusting way he carries himself in his personal life. Why is it that, so often, the truly gifted sportsmen are such nincompoops?
I don't know how much of a cheat he is on the field, more of just a dick. It's not like he's a steroid abuser (not that it would do much to help with spin bowling I'd have thought). I suppose you and I have different approaches. I have full respect for Rooney's sporting ability and admire him from that without letting the fact he's a terrible person change that. Though there are limits, for example I can no longer look at Terry in any kind of respectful light and would prefer to see him dropped from the England squad, regardless of sporting ability, I hate the guy. I do prefer a man who is a legend on and off the field though - my earlier example of Peyton Manning, played for my favourite American Football team for years (sadly left recently, but we'll not go into that). Will go down in history as easily one of the best ever on the field, and one of the best ever off it.
It is just the way...but don't let the minority represent the majority. Personally I try to pay as little attention as I can to what sportspeople do off the pitch.
