Today we have a guest article by Kevin Galvin, an Irish writer with the Evening Echo and Irish Examiner. He talks about Ireland’s development as a team and their pursuit of test status. It must be incredibly frustrating to be an Ireland supporter right now. Had India got behind the idea of two divisions in test cricket, then Ireland would have been included in the second division. Instead the Irish are banging their heads against a wall all over again. I guess India think protecting the...
The Friday Fried Egg
Yessssss welcome back to the fried world of breakfast. I’m Max Walker. Give me my job back. Graeeeeeme Labrooy. No wonder they call me tangles. Apologies to those of you who haven’t heard the brilliant 12th Man tapes. The above was a tribute to former Aussie seamer and cult commentator Max Walker – or rather Billy Birmingham’s hilarious impression of him – who died at the relatively tender age of 67 this week. Not being Australian I didn’t know too much about the real Max, but his prominence in...
ECB Should Not Punish Durham
I am not a Durham supporter. I’ve never even been to Riverside. But I’m still appalled that the ECB might penalise the county – probably with a points deduction that could relegate them – for needing financial support at the end of the season. Why do I think this? Because Durham’s problems are partly the ECB’s fault. The ECB feel obliged to punish Durham because they’ve had to reschedule their staging fee (just shy of one million quid) for the third test against Sri Lanka earlier this...
Middlesex: Better Than Sex?
What a climax. Take away the curious half hour of declaration bowling and Friday was championship cricket at its best. It proved, as if we didn’t already know, that first-class cricket is still the best form of the game. You don’t need city based teams, you don’t need players wearing pyjamas, and you certainly don’t need another effing T20 tournament when you’ve got a product as good as the county championship. If only the ECB would take note. Their apparently lack of faith in the county game...
City Based T20: A Not So Cunning Plan
Thinking is a dangerous thing – especially if you’re an ECB suit or a middle-aged cricket blogger. However, the ECB’s warning to counties that they must accept radical changes to the domestic game or face years of decline has got the grey matter churning. I mean, who the hell are the ECB to tell individual counties, who are only too aware of the problems facing cricket, that they need to ‘accept change … or else’?! I have an open mind when it comes to this franchise, I mean city-based...
The Tuesday Tiramisu
Apologies to all trifle fans. I’m in a tiramisu kind of mood today. Besides, there’s nothing trifling about the great game of cricket – particularly if you’re on of the teams chasing a county championship title or fighting relegation. Good luck to all the teams involved. Talking of the final round of championship matches, can anyone explain why the test squads were announced before the domestic season finished? I know there’s a short turn around before the Bangladesh tour begins but does a week...
