Tag: cricket

Sunday’s Sporting Successes

After a superb Sunday lunch at my aunt’s place (parents away) I returned to catch up with the cricket, and got the last rites of the match as India’s response to a 338 run deficit on first innings was to be all out 94, demonstrating all the backbone of a jellyfish. What made things even worse for India than the abysmal score was the way in which some of those wickets were lost. One of the last few that I heard was a run out, which in a situation like that is absolutely crazy. 

India looked like a side who had mentally checked out. They had nearly been all out for under a hundred in the first innings (a catch went down when they were 95-9), and in the second they were much worse, because the conditions were better for batting.

Later that night I watched the last session of the European Athletics Championship on iplayer (I refuse to get a TV license, being quite happy to watch stuff at a time of my choosing once it is available). GB had been locked in battle with France at the top of the medals table, but by the time Mo Farah had won his expected gold in the 5000 metres, Greg Rutherford had won the long jump, the men’s 4×400 relay team and both 4X100 relay teams had also taken gold, and GB were convincingly top of the medals table. 

As usual I have a selection of pictures for you…

?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????

England in Command

After just two days of the fifth and final test match against India, England appear nailed on for a 3-1 series win, and a second straight innings victory. Joe Root is on the brink of another ton, and India look like they have already conceded. India very rarely play five match test series these days, and it is starting to show. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who dominated the first two matches is now hardly able to raise a gallop, now bowling at a gentle medium pace and without menace. 

Congratulations to the Indian women for winning their one off test against England. The outcome was more or less settled when England were put out for 92 on the first day although in the end it took some good batting from Mithali Raj to see India over the line (perhaps she could replace one of the men in their currently ineffectual top order?!)

As usual I have some photos for you…

Wader prepares to fly Birds congregate by the Great Ouse ?????????? Taking the long view ??????????
?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????

Swimming Tern
This little beauty was in the Nar Outfall, just where it joins the Ouse

?????????? Boats and Bridge

Butterfly
White butterfly.

Rabbits

fruit tree
This heavily laden fruit tree grows in the less than salubrious environment of the Hardwick Industrial Estate

?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? Magpies Wading Birds

A hectic end to a hectic work week

No further progress on the database front today, but lots of imaging, and resolving queries (for the last hour, after the new images had gone off to ATG Media).

The lots I imaged today covered a very wide range and left me spoilt for choice as to what to include.

I notice that India, needing a win in the final test at The Oval to square the series are currently 125-9 (albeit having been put in, unlike in the previous test, when  they chose to bat first and did not do a whole lot better). I also note, encouragingly for England, that it has been Woakes and Jordan who have done most of the damage (or been the principle beneficiaries of poor Indian batting?) rather than the much more established Broad and Anderson.

Now for those pictures…

?????????? Roman Jars Coins (344) ?????????? Coins

Coins
some very

More coins ?????????? 359 - Stamps Ornate sword Sword inscription ?????????? ?????????? 751 751a 762 - Railwayana/ Toys ?????????? 763 - watch

764 - watch
This watch has its original box as well.

Medals - 521 745 - Ephemera 748 - Ephemera 348 - coins 348a - coins

A Norfolk Sunday

Sunday lunch at East Rudham, a spot of imaging (37 magic books, of which some of the better pictures feature in this blog) and finally home to check and edit the pics (left the cable here, so could not do it at Rudham). The weather although pretty unpleasant at times was not as apocalyptic as we had been led to believe.

I managed to catch the last rites of the Somerset v Sussex 50 overs a side game once I had got back. Sussex were always in command, and reached the target easily. 

Now for those pics…

Dominatricks
Dreadful puns are a common feature of magic book titles!

?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????

Swimming gull
Rough conditions did not deter the gulls.
Four swimming gulls
To get as many as four swimming gulls in a shot is something of a rarity.

Spectacular Victory for England

Yesterday England found the best way to avoid being hampered by the possible intervention of hurricane Bertha by wrapping things up very early. Not even a freak injury to Stuart Broad could prevent England from settling the matter. For the second time in the match India’s top order failed abjectly, and although I did not witness the events of the first two days being busy working, some of the dismissals suggested a team who had lost all semblance of fight. 

Moeen Ali, who is not even a regular bowler for his county, took (or was handed) four cheap wickets. The only triumph to go India’s way on this day was the Brian Johnston Champagne Moment, which went to Pankaj Singh who ended a very long wait for his first test wicket – only two bowlers with test wickets to their name had conceded more runs before getting their first. 

Perhaps the biggest single gainer on the day was new wicket-keeper Jos Buttler who after making a swashbuckling 85 in his first test now showed that he could adapt to different circumstances by making a much more restrained 70. 

As usual I have some fine photographs from in and around King’s Lynn to share…

Baker Lane Bird between two whirlpools ?????????? ?????????? ??????????

Bus station changes
Long overdue changes to the bus station

?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????

Gulls
Two gulls look on while a third takes wing

Three Gulls

While two gulls like their rooftop perch, a third flies off.
While two gulls like their rooftop perch, a third flies off.

??????????

Rose within a pentagon
This rose within a pentagon appears just outside the main door to King’s Lynn library.

Wimbledon and other stuff

First up, before I get to the main meat of this post, a considered retrospective on the conclusion of the first test. While I give Moeen Ali full credit for his maiden test century and for taking England to within the proverbial hairs breadth (two possible balls remaining in the match when Anderson was finally out) of escaping from a match that they really surrendered in the second and third sessions of the penultimate day, I consider the final result to have been what England deserved.

Wimbledon is under way, and I spent an enjoyable afternoon yesterday listening to the play. Andy Murray looked every inch the defending champion in winning his second round match with only two games going against him, and there were several other good matches. Alhtough I am normally studious in avoiding any mention of the f-game in this blog, I could not avoid hearing about Luis Suarez’s latest (alleged) felony yesterday. My only comment is: if he is guilty, then given the nature of the offence and his previous record, there can be only one punishment: A worldwide lifetime ban from the sport that made him a rich, spoilt brat.

The Great Auction facebook page continues to gain new likes.

As usual I have some fine pictures for you…

?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????

Stepping into a real life Downton Abbey scenario and imaging (and a bit more cricket)

First up this morning was a meeting at Raynham Hall to discuss progress on the Great Centenary Charity Auction. Unfortunately our gracious host Lord Townshend was not able to participate owing to a mishap involving an overflowing bath and damage to a ceiling. In a stately home that dates back to the time of Queen Anne such matters are cause for extra angst as there are fewer people capable of performing the necessary repairs.

We have a rather spectacular lot no 12 in our July auction, which to remind you all takes place at the hall as a dress rehearsal for the Great Centenary Auction in September. We have a wooden aeroplane propeller dating from 1935, and with two inscriptions on its centrepiece. The full photo gallery I assembled is included in the added media. Although I have included a link to it, the website for the Great Centenary Auction is going to be out of action tomorrow and Thursday while it is redesigned. Our facebook and twitter pages are very much still up and running though, and visitors, follows and/ or likes would be most welcome.

The final day of the test match is going less ignominiously for England than I feared (ie it is still going on), but the damage was all done yesterday, first by poor tactics in the field and then by a disgraceful effort with the bat. If England do somehow wriggle free of the noose Sri Lanka can count themselves victims of an injustice.

Now for the promised photos…

The propeller mentioned in the text.
The propeller mentioned in the text.

?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????

Of the three montages I created I like this one best, so will be using it on facebook and twitter (and in a specialist press release I shall craft on Thursday)
Of the three montages I created I like this one best, so will be using it on facebook and twitter (and in a specialist press release I shall craft on Thursday)
I have also included the full gallery for this coin lot (This image, the closed cigar box and a half dozen particular curious coins that I scanned at 400 DPI
I have also included the full gallery for this coin lot (This image, the closed cigar box and a half dozen particular curious coins that I scanned at 400 DPI

?????????? 349b ?????????? 801c

Test Match woes and more

With the parents back from their latest sojourn abroad I had Sunday lunch in East Rudham, and picked up some good rural photographs. Also in the added media you will see a pic that has gone out on the Great Auction facebook and twitter pages.

England in the course of approximately half a day threw away a test match they seemed to have in the bag. When Sri Lanka lost their seventh second innings wicket they were still under 200 to the good, and one would have backed England to make a successful chase. It was at that point that the wheels began to come off, as Alastair Cook went for the “strategy” of feeding the established batsman (Angelo Mathews) singles so as to attack the tailender. I have never been greatly enamoured of such a practice, believing that it is better to encourage your bowlers to look for wickets whoever is on strike, and the moment I became absolutely 100% dead set against it was in Australia in 2009 when I saw Mohammed Yousuf gift the home side a test match that Pakistan should have strolled by doing the same things. On that occasion Mike Hussey and Peter Siddle batted for more than a session together, and instead of a token run chase at the end Pakistan faced a target of 176 and collapsed, Yousuf compounding his failure as captain by surrendering his wicket to an awful shot at a critical time. On this occasion, Mathews destroyed England with a magnificent 160, Herath the tailender made 48 (actually with no pressure being applied to the senior partner, there ends up being less pressure on the junior), and Sri Lanka’s lead mushroomed to 350, more than enough to defend in the fourth innings a match at most test match venues. Cook then compounded has failings as captain by falling cheaply to initiate a collapse that ended in the last over of the day when night-watchman Plunkett was inexcusably caught at cover playing a loose drive to leave England right in the cart at 57-5 needing a mere 293 more for victory. The only worse response to a mini session at the end of a penultimate day that I can remember from England was in Trinidad in 1994, when chasing 194 for victory they were 40-8 at the close, and there were mitigating factors in the combined form of Ambrose, Walsh and murky light on that occasion. For more details about a defeat from the jaws of victory such as even England (all-time masters of this dubious art) have seldom engineered check out cricinfo.

Now for some photos…

The Dereham War Memorial, taken through the upstairs front window of an X1 bus.
The Dereham War Memorial, taken through the upstairs front window of an X1 bus.

DSCN0606

These roses grow outside my parents house
These roses grow outside my parents house
Norfolk's stupidest and most irritating avian resident - the collared dove.
Norfolk’s stupidest and most irritating avian resident – the collared dove.

DSCN0629 DSCN0643 DSCN0645 DSCN0652 DSCN0657 DSCN0659 DSCN0669

Cricket, Imaging Auction Lots and a bit more

Another day, another collection of splendid pictures.

I notice that England are going well in the first test match of the summer, having bounced back from a decidedly shaky 120-4 to 575-9d – and that after being put into bat. Joe Root with 200 not out played the big innings around which others, notably Prior (86), Moeen Ali (48), Broad (47) and Plunkett (39) could chip in. Tomorrow I will actually be able to listen the play, and it promises to be an interesting day.

At James and Sons I have been imaging lots for the July sale (PR drive coming soon), and have some interesting pictures from that. I also have some non-work pictures for you. I was also given r3esponsibility for safely storing three pieces of Chester silver which will be lots 1-3 at that sale.

If you should chance to visit www.facebook.com/GreatAuction you will see one picture that I have posted today, and there is another scheduled for this evening. Also of course do not forget www.twitter.com/great_auction and of course extra detail, including ideas for donations, and how you could make such donations can be seen at www.greatcharity.org

Now for the pictures…

??????????

I decided to include the whole gallery for this Daguerrotype from the US Civil War
I decided to include the whole gallery for this Daguerrotype from the US Civil War

?????????? ?????????? ?????????? 166 177 ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????

A summer saturday

The shopping is done, the washing is on the line, and I am now in shorts and t shirt, having set up the “outside office” as it is such a beautiful day. I got some very fine pictures while walking to and from the Hardwick Estate to do my shopping. I will soon by tuning into some cricket commentaries on the net (although the spoiled brat millionaires have finished their season in the f-game, there is lower division playoff action which in the minds of those who control scheduling at the BBC trumps T20 cricket).

I will conclude the very brief text portion of this post with what is going to become my equivalent of  “delenda est Carthago”: If you have not already liked www.facebook.com/GreatAuction please do so.

To think that some local government numpty thought that this land could be built on! Note that this is just an ordinary high tide, not a storm surge.
To think that some local government numpty thought that this land could be built on! Note that this is just an ordinary high tide, not a storm surge.
With the fine weather, boats are once again making use of the jetty
With the fine weather, boats are once again making use of the jetty
The Outside Office at my humble abode.
The Outside Office at my humble abode.
One for the botanists to puzzle over - these flowers grow just outside Hardings Pits.
One for the botanists to puzzle over – these flowers grow just outside Hardings Pits.
The Purfleet on a summer's day.
The Purfleet on a summer’s day.