Tag: cygnets

Upcoming Auction

A look back at the auction that happened at James and Sons earlier this week and a look ahead to the July auction. Also a bumper photo ga;llery.

Although James and Sons, for whom I work, have just had one auction, there is another ready to go, almost a month before it actually happens. This post looks back at the auction that happened this week and forward to the next one.

THIS WEEKS AUCTION

There were 427 lots under the hammer at the auction that happened this Wednesday. It was overall successful. The headline lot, a lifetime collection of real photographic postcards of Swaffham (Swaffham is a market town, more or less forming the right angle of a right angle triangle of which the three corners are King’s Lynn, Fakenham and Swaffham – the hypoteneuse of this triangle is the King’s Lynn-Fakenham side, which measures 22 miles or about 35 kilometres, so it was an item of local interest) housed in an album and all in splendid condition. This sold for £850. I got lucky with lot 611, a set of postcards made from black and white photographs of birds, missing one card, but still in its British Museum (Natural History) wallet and with the accompanying mini-guide to the cards. The designation of the museum in this lot indicates its age – it is a long time since the Natural History Museum was affiliated to the British Museum. Below are my pictures of the lot since acquiring it…

The lot laid out in full display.
The wallet/ envelope
Individual images of the cards in ascending number order.
Details of the missing card from the guide (two images)
The item in its assigned place in the cabinet of curiosities.

THE NEXT AUCTION

We have two auctions in late July. On Tuesday the 23rd a collection of sporting memorabilia will be going under the hammer, but I have hardly had anything to do with that sale. On Wednesday the 24th over 500 lots of collectors models, mostly trains, but some buses and lorries as well, will be going under the hammer. Imaging for this auction has been my focus for a while (the job is by no means complete, but many more have been imaged than not. The printed catalogue for this auction arrived at our premises this week, and it is already viewable on both our online platforms – links below.

This is from lot 600. My preferred platform for bidding and following the progress of auctions is easyliveauction. The train lots start at lot 501.
….the other online platform we use is the-saleroom.com. This image is part of the gallery for lot 603 (almost all of these items are still in their original boxes).As before, the train lots start in the 50os.

PHOTOGRAPHS

I have a bumper gallery of my regular photos to end with…

Yesterday’s Florida Quadrangular

A look back at the non-events in Florida yesterday and a thankfully eventful Vitality Blast game between Surrey and Gloucestershire. Also a large photo gallery.

In this post I look back at events of yesterday (as well the Florida situation I will be mentioning a domestic T20 that most definitely did see some action).

INSPECTION AFTER INSPECTION

Lauderhill, Florida was hit by rain in the run up to the USA v Ireland match that was due to take place yesterday. By the time the match should have started the rain had stopped, but the outfield was thoroughly soaked, and the question was whether a match would take place at all. The players had to be on the field by 2:16PM local time (7:16PM UK time) for there to be time for a five overs per side match to take place. The situation around this match was that USA needed either a win or a wash out to secure qualification for the next stage of the competition and in the process eliminate both Ireland and Pakistan. A series of inspections, first at half hourly intervals and then with a gap of an hour took place with the outfield simply not dry enough for play to happed. Finally an inspection was called for 6:15PM UK time, which was going to be ‘do or die’. The umpires were in prolonged discussion as to whether they could get the match on after all when more rain came, and that ended any possibility of proceedings starting. Thus the USA are in the Super Eights, Ireland and Pakistan are out, and in qualifying for the Super Eights the USA have also ensured that they will be at the next T20 world cup as of right, which also means their region will have an extra slot, which is big news for Bermuda. Do either Ireland or Pakistan have any cause for grievance? Not for my money – USA beat Pakistan, having already beaten Canada, and acquitted themselves honourably against India, and there was to put mildly no certainty that Ireland would have won the match had it taken place – they had already lost to Canada, and had contributed very little to the tournament. Today India and Canada are supposed to be playing at the same venue, and although things are looking more hopeful than yesterday there has as yet been no sign of play. At 6PM UK time an important match gets underway – England v Namibia at North Sound, where the sun is shining, with England needing to win and then needing Australia to beat Scotland (that one starts at 1:30AM tomorrow UK time). Official confirmation that today’s game at Lauderhill has gone down the plughole without a ball bowled.

HONOURS EVEN IN LONDON

At 6:30PM yesterday Vitality Blast match between Surrey and Gloucestershire got underway. This match did go over the full course. Gloucestershire started superbly, then lost wickets, then got away again in the closing stages. They scored 170-6 from their 20 overs, a respectable but by no means invincible total.

Surrey also started well with the bat. At various stages each side looked favourites. The final over started with Surrey needing seven to win, which made them favourites. David Payne, Gloucestershire’s best bowler, had the ball for that crucial over. He bowled a very fine over, and although Surrey levelled the scores off the penultimate ball, the final delivery was excellent, and Jordan Clark could only hit straight back at Payne, resulting in a run out. Surrey ended on 170-9, and since unlike some T20 competitions the Vitality Blast allows ties in group matches the points were shared.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

I received an item of post with some old stamps used, and decided that a couple were worth keeping including this one.
A well chosen birthday card, which I have decided to preserve.
An egret in Bawsey drain – photographed today.
Larvae (three images)
Another larva of something else, which I managed to get closer to than the others.

The World T20 Cup Latest

A look at developments in the T20 World Cup, including the eliminations of Sri Lanka and new Zealand, a revival in England’s fortunes and the situation currently unfolding in Florida. Also a large photo gallery.

This post looks at recent developments in the men’s T20 World Cup. I am typing it while waiting on developments in Florida (of which more later).

SRI LANKA AND NEW ZEALAND ELIMINATED

Sri Lanka became the first full member nation to be eliminated from the tournament, after a washed out match left them too far adrift to qualify. New Zealand’s elimination was confirmed in the small hours of this morning UK time when Afghanistan beat Papua New Guinea comfortably, a result which left Afghanistan and the West Indies both with three wins out of three, making the match between Afghanistan and West Indies a contest for who wins the group outright, with both sides certain of qualification.

ENGLAND THROW THEMSELVES A LIFELINE

Last night England played Oman in a match which they not only had to win, they had to win it by a very big margin due to net run rate being a factor. Had England been permitted to invent a result for this game to suit themselves they would not have dared to come up with what actually happened – they bowled Oman out for 48, Rashid taking 4-11 and Mark Wood and Jofra Archer each snaring three victims, and then blasted their way to the target in a preposterous 3.1 overs. This means that net run rate is effectively no longer a factor – if England beat Namibia and Australia beat Scotland then England will qualify for the super eights,

AN ODD QUADRANGULAR IN FLORIDA

I call this one a quadrangular because there are four factors, three present at the Lauderhill ground (unlike the pop-up stadium at Nassau County, New York this is an authentic cricket ground) and one watching nervously on the outcome. The Lauderhill ground is situated close enough to Fort Lauderdale railway station for the railway to be useful for visiting journalists. The three participants who are present are respectively The USA cricket team, the Ireland cricket team and some decidedly grim local weather. The fourth participant in the drama, watching from afar, and desperately hoping that the weather will allow some cricket as a washout would mean elimination for them are the Pakistan cricket team. It hosed down in Florida earlier today, though Lauderhill was less badly hit than some parts of the state. At the moment it is dry, and the sun has even been spotted, but the ground is not yet dry enough for play to proceed, although there is an inspection due in 22 minutes time if the weather hold. Ireland need a match to happen, as like Pakistan they hanging on by their fingernails, while a washout would guarantee the USA qualification, so they will be the least bothered of the three teams waiting on developments.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

An interesting bug that I spotted today.

Rain Alters Schedules

An explanation of the effect that the weather has had on today’s cricket schedules and a quick look back at yesterdays T20I between the England and Pakistan men’s teams.

The second ODI between the England and Pakistan women’s teams should be in full swing at the moment, but the weather has intervened in no uncertain terms and the radio people have delivered their verdict on the likelihood of their being any resumption of play by switching over to the IPL final between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Kolkata Knight Riders. Yesterday the England and Pakistan men’s sides contested a T20I and I will look back at that. While I have been typing this post and then preparing it for publication news has come through that the match in Taunton has been abandoned.

A COMFORTABLE WIN

For much of their innings England looked set to score over 200 from their 20 overs, but a poor last five overs prevented that. They ended with 183 to defend, an innings built around a blistering 84 from Jos Buttler. Moeen Ali bowled four of the first nine overs of the Pakistan reply, and collected 2-26, a splendid effort, especially given that the second of those wickets was that of Babar Azam, Pakistan’s best batter. Pakistan never got on terms with the target, and the final margin was 23 runs. Jofra Archer returned to action, and was very impressive and indubitably fully fit for action. If there is a problem with this England line up it is that the only front line batter who bats left handed is Moeen Ali, which means that England either have to send six successive right handers to the crease, or promote him up the order to break the sequence.

PHOTOGRAPHS

It has not been the best weather for photography recently, but I do have a gallery to share…

England Women Complete Series Sweep Over Pakistan Women

An account of England Women’s victory over Pakistan Women earlier today, a victory which gave them a 3-0 series sweep. Also a photo gallery.

While Surrey were pushing for victory over Worcestershire – duly completed a few minutes ago – my attention was elsewhere for a period in the middle of the day – the third and final T20I between the England and Pakistan women’s teams got underway at 1:00PM. This post looks back at that match.

THE ENGLAND INNINGS

England again found themselves batting first. They started slowly but accelerated well, initially through Danni Wyatt, who was lucky on 12, when Muneeba Ali failed to hold on to a catch behind the stumps, and punished Pakistan heavily for the lapse, ultimately scoring 87 off 49 balls. Amy Jones scored some quick runs late on, and the innings had a farcical ending when there was almost a run out when the batters came back two on the final ball, and then an actual run out when they took on a third to celebrate the reprieve. England were 176 all out to the last scheduled ball of their innings.

THE PAKISTAN REPLY

Pakistan started solidly, though a bit slowly, the openers passing 50 together. However, they both fell in the space of a few balls and two more wickets fell quickly as 60-0 became 73-4. The fifth wicket pair batted well up to a point, but were always falling further and further behind the required rate. Eventually 39 were needed off the last over, and with Sophie Ecclestone to bowl it there could only be one outcome. The final margin was 34 runs, and England had won the series 3-0. Wyatt was Player of the Match for her scintillating innings, and Amy Jones was Player of the Series.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

Swan parents with cygnets (eught images).
A floating moorhen nest.