A look at the events of day three at the MCG and a mention of the miseries of Melbourne Stars. Also a huge photo gallery.
This post is largely devoted to the events of day three of the Australia v India test match at the MCG.
A BAD START
India had reached 164-5 at the end of day two, in reply to Australia’s first innings 474 (see here for more details). Pant and Jadeja had advanced that score to 191 when Pant fell to a truly awful dismissal, walking straight into very obvious trap set by Australia. That brought Nitish Kumar Reddy to the crease. The youngster is in his fourth test match and had made useful but not major batting contributions in all of the first three. With 84 still needed to avoid the follow-on things were looking grim for India, and when Jadeja departed at 221 it still looked bad for them…
THE GREAT REVIVAL
Washington Sundar now joined Reddy, and India enjoyed their best period of the match. The pair put on 127 together for the eighth wicket, in the process removing follow-on considerations from the equation. Sundar contributed exactly 50 of those, and Reddy was approaching a greater milestone. He was on 99 when Jasprit Bumrah was ninth out, but Siraj, a genuine tailender, rose to the occasion and held out for long enough for the landmark to be achieved. The weather also made its presence felt, eventually halting play a little early, with India 358-9, Reddy 105 not out. Australia lead by 116 with two days to play. Scott Boland, who knows this ground better than anyone else involved in the test match, reckons that Australia need to give themselves four sessions to get India out a second time. If they cannot do that India will go Sydney needing only a draw to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
MELBOURNE STARS MISERY
Readers of this blog may recall that the Melbourne Stars women finished WBBL10 holding the wooden spoon. The 14th edition of the men’s BBL is now well underway, and Melbourne Stars defeat at the hands of Sydney Thunder today means that they have started the tournament with five losses in a row, which even with the qualification rules being over generous almost certainly means that they will not feature beyond the league stage.
A look back at yesterday and today’s BBL games and a large photo gallery.
Yesterday Brisbane Heat took on Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, and today saw Melbourne Renegades face Perth Scorchers. This post looks back at both matches.
A LAST BALL THRILLER
The fortunes of war swayed hither and thither in this game, and there were periods when each side appeared to be heading for an easy win. It ended up being a day of triumph for Nathan McSweeney of the Brisbane Heat, recently dropped from the Australian test side after three matches in which he achieved basically nothing. Bashing the ball around in a T20, even one of high standard, is a rather different exercise to fronting up to Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball in his hand in a test match, and McSweeney made the most of being in a less intimidating setting. He scored 78 not out off 49 balls, backed by another former test player, Matt Renshaw, who scored 54 off 27 balls. Nevertheless, in spite of the heroics of these two, it took Brisbane Heat until the final possible ball to secure the win, and they were seven down. Strikers efforts had a touch of Rome and Avignon 700 years ago about them – Ollie Pope scored 34 and held a catch, while his namesake Lloyd took 2-17, – but even with two Popes on side simultaneously they were unable to win in the end. Scorecard here.
A GAME OF FOUR QUARTERS
After 10 overs Perth Scorchers, having lost the bat flip and been put in, were 48–4 and seemingly already beaten. They rallied to post 143-8, a total that still looked inadequate but at least wasn’t downright risible. Cooper Connolly scored 66 for the Scorchers, and Canadian international Matthew Spoors managed 29. Other than those two only extras with exactly 10 reached double figures. Tom Rogers was the pick of the bowlers, with 3-22 from his four overs.
Melbourne Renegades made a racing start to the chase, though they lost wickets along the way. Jacob Bethell and Laurie Evans seemed to have settled things with a 50 partnership, but Bethell fell to the fourth ball of the tenth over to make it 96-4, at which point drinks were taken. With a mere 48 needed from 10.2 overs Renegades should not have been in the slightest hint of trouble, but they played some brainless cricket in the second half of their innings. They were eight down and had only one over remaining when they finally sealed. Will Sutherland, a member of the ‘not even the best in the family’ club (outranked in his case by sister Annabel, whose many achievements include a test match double century against South Africa), saw the Renegades home to a not entirely well deserved win with 15 not out in the closing stages. Scorecard here.
An account of yesterday’s ODi between the South Africa and England women’s teams and a photo gallery.
At 8AM UK time yesterday morning the second One Day International in the current multi-format series between the South Africa and England women’s teams took place at Durban. This post looks back at that match.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN INNINGS
England won the toss and put South Africa in to bat. Protea skipper Laura Wolvaardt confirmed that she would have put England had she won the toss.
Kate Cross replaced Lauren Bell for England, and her metronomic accuracy proved an excellent counterpoint to the pace and fire of Lauren Filer with whom she shared the new ball. England soon had two early wickets, Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus each having their stumps rearranged by Filer. From 14-2 the proteas appeared to have launched a very effective recovery when Wolvaardt and the up-and-coming Annerie Dercksen took the total into the 70s without further loss. However now came the period that effectively settled the match. Spinners Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone tore out the middle order in an extraordinary period in which 72-2 and on the road to recovery became 76-7 and definitively doomed. Dean took four of the wickets with her off spin, including performing the hat trick (her victims for this achievement were Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk and Sinalo Jafta, none of whom would be considered not to be a front line batter), while Ecclestone, for once subordinate in destruction, nevertheless claimed the prize scalp of Wolvaardt, clean bowled for 35. Chloe Tryon did her best to save something from the wreckage, scoring an impressive 45 before Ecclestone had her caught by Tammy Beaumont. That was 127-9, and the last pair of Khaka and Hlubi boosted the total by a further eight before Hlubi was bowled by Ecclestone to end the innings. Dean had 4-45 from her full 10 overs, Ecclestone 3-27 from 7.3 overs and Filer who had added Nonkuloleko Mlaba, clean bowled, to her two opening scalps had 3-32 from six overs, all three bowled.
THE ENGLAND REPLY
To have any chance of defending such a small total South Africa needed early wickets, and the England opening pair of Tammy Beaumont, playing her 100th successive ODI, and Maia Bouchier ensured that no early wickets fell. By the end of the 10 over opening power play England were 57-0. 12 more runs came before Bouchier was dismissed, and although Beaumont and Knight followed quickly at 80 and 82, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt-Hodge took England to the brink of victory. Just seven further runs were needed when Sciver-Brunt was LBW to de Klerk. New batter Amy Jones struck her first and third balls for fours to give England victory by six wickets with 26 OVERS to spare. The ODI segment of the series is thus level at 1-1 with one more match to come. Charlie Dean was named player of the match.
PHOTOGRAPHY
My usual sign off…
New shoes bought today – so far, so good – I have done my afternoon walk in them (I bought them near the end of my morning walk).
Sharing a large quantity of photographs taken in the last two days in and around King’s Lynn.
I did two walks during the daytime yesterday, visited my sister and nephew for supper in the evening. I have also done a very long walk this morning, taking full advantage of weather that was genuinely pleasant by December standards – it started to rain lightly near the end of the walk, but I got over two hours worth of dry weather before the rain came.
These excursions provided me with a very large photo gallery – once I had finished the editing process there were 150 pictures there. As well as pretty much all the regular bird sightings I managed to get pictures of a dunnock and a common sandpiper (the latter was near the mouth of the Nar this morning).
This afternoon has been unyieldingly grim, and this being December even at 4PM the such daylight as there was is already beginning to fade.
Enjoy a bumper gallery (and don’t forget to click to view pictures at larger size)…
Sunday morning pics…The dunnock. In size and build it is not dissimilar to a sparrow, but the colouring is very different.Sunday afternoon pictures…This new building……was inspired by this much older one opposite it.Sunday night pics.I got a picture of the train fully lit up at the third attempt.Todays pictures start here.The official start of King’s Lynn coming in from the southeast of the town.In olden times this was the southern edge of the town.A stretch of the Nar – this river has its source near the town of East Dereham, close to the centre of Norfolk.Two cormorants with wings outstretched simultaneously.Lapwings in triangular formation at the waters edge (the far side of the Great Ouse from me).The common sandpiper, which features in five images in total.The feature image.
A look back at the Melbourne derby in the Big Bash League, and a bumper crop of photos.
This morning UK time saw the Melbourne Derby in the Big Bash League. The Renegades were already eliminated from the tournament, while Stars knew that if they won both their remaining matches they would progress to the final. It was also Aaron Finch’s final game as a professional cricketer, since that worthy had decided that a Melbourne derby was a fitter stage for his last bow than an entirely meaningless game in Sydney, which is where Renegades’ campaign will finish.
THE STARS INNINGS
Stars never really got going at any stage, with only Glenn Maxwell, 20 off 10 balls, ever looking truly in command. Beau Webster took 34 balls to score 29, which is never acceptable in a T20, Hilton Cartwright was less unimpressive, but 38 off 30 is no great shakes in T20. Opening batter Thomas Rogers managed 23 off 17. Kane Richardson (right arm fast) managed 2-17, Akeal Hosein (left arm orthodox spin) 2-18. Stars had managed 137-8, which looked inadequate.
THE RENEGADES RESPONSE
Aaron Finch ended a long and distinguished professional career with a highlu unimpressive duck, but Shaun Marsh, another oldster, and Jake Fraser-McGurk had an excellent stand for the second wicket. They were still together at the halfway stage, and had moved their side into control. They took the Power Surge for overs 11 and 12, the earliest point at which it can be taken, with a view to killing the game there and then. Those two overs yielded 19 runs but also three wickets, those of Fraser-McGurk, Jordan Cox and Will Sutherland. However, they were well ahead of the required rate, and after Sutherland was out the experienced Jonathan Wells joined Shaun Marsh, and these two veterans never looked in any hint of trouble, as Renegades coasted home with six wickets and 2.4 overs to spare. This means that Stars are no longer in control of their own destiny – if Adelaide Strikers win their final group match they will qualify and Stars will be eliminated.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off. Today was by January standards quite pleasant – dry, and the odd hint of sun poking through, and yielded a bumper crop of photos, including a grey heron, a large group of lapwings, cormorants in two very different locations, starlings, blackbirds and five squirrels (they were close enough together that there are two pictures featuring all five)…
A cormorant on the far side of the Great OuseThe heronCormorants on the structure I call “Cormorant Platform”Lapwingscloser views of lapwingsThe squirrelsA cormorant swimming in the Gaywood river.
A look back at last night’s ODI series decider between West Indies and England, an all time XI with given names beginning with O as its theme and a photo gallery.
Last night saw the deciding ODI of the series between West Indies and England. That and an all time XI of players where the main focus is having a given name beginning with O form the bulk of today’s post.
WEST INDIES V ENGLAND DECIDER
As you will see it is more than usually appropriate that the heading of this section of the blog is in maroon, the colour of the West Indies.
Rain delayed the start significantly, and the by the time of the toss the match was reduced to 43 overs per side instead of 50. West Indies won the toss and put England into bat. Matthew Forde made an international debut in place of Oshane Thomas for West Indies and Matt Potts replaced Brydon Carse for England.
Ford bowled outstandingly with the new ball and was rewarded with three very quick wickets. Alzarri Joseph then struck twice, though he only got officially credited for one – a brilliant piece of fielding off his own bowling that in conjunction with a hesitation between the batters led to a run out was the one for which he got no credit, a terrible shot that led to a first ball duck for skipper Buttler was the one that he did get credit for. At that point England were reeling at 49-5. Liam Livingstone and Ben Duckett then shared a big partnership, and it looked like England’s early collapse might not be terminal.
England’s spinners bowled well, and the West Indies looked like failing in the chase on several occasions. Then, at the crucial moment, with the run rate definitely looking challenging for WI, and on a pitch on which extra pace had been at best a dubious asset (Forde, so successful for WI, is a medium pacer, and WI’s next best bowlers were their own spinners Motie and Cariah) Buttler entrusted Atkinson with an over. Atkinson immediately started trying for yorkers, and served up two delicious full tosses which both went for sixes. In total this over yielded 24 runs, and the result was no longer in doubt. WI duly won by four wickets and took the series.
There have been signs of promise from England this series, with Jacks and Salt looking like a decent opening pair, Jacks bowling well yesterday, Livingstone faring decently as an all rounder and Duckett’s innings yesterday, but there are also obvious problems, the biggest of them being Buttler’s inadequacy as skipper. West Indies bowl better than they bat (which as anyone familiar with my blog knows is the way round I would prefer things if I had to have a side that was stronger in one department than the other), with Forde a hugely promising new comer, Alzarri Joseph and Oshane Thomas both good pacers and Cariah and Motie good spinners. The batting is a trifle too dependent on Shai Hope for comfort, but they did the job yesterday without him making a huge score.
ORCHESTRATING AN ALL TIME XI
Today pick an all time XI with the theme being players whose given names begin with the letter O. I have had to resort to a couple of cheat picks to complete the XI, but nine of my players do indeed have given names beginning with O.
THE XI IN BATTING ORDER
Octavius Radcliffe (England, right handed opening batter, occasional off spinner). A west country based amateur of the late 19th century (born and died in Wiltshire, turned out for both Gloucestershire and Somerset, the former of which helped get him a place on the 1891-2 Ashes tour, skippered by WG Grace), and his record compares reasonably with those of a similar vintage.
Felix Organ (Hampshire, right handed opening batter, off spinner). One of my ‘cheat picks’, and picked more on potential than actual achievement. He does have a name beginning with O, but not his given name.
Ollie Pope (England, right handed batter, occasional wicket keeper). An excellent FC record and a respectable test record which he is well capable of improving. Number three has been his best position for England.
Owais Shah (England, right handed batter, occasional off spinner). In common with many an English player of vintage he has a good domestic record while having done little of note at international level.
O’Neill Gordon ‘Collie’ Smith (West Indies, right handed batter, occasional off spinner). He was killed in a car crash while in the process of establishing himself. He had done enough to earn his place in this XI.
Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan, right handed batter, right arm medium fast bowler). My second ‘cheat pick’, he has shown himself to be a fine player, and I expect him to improve further.
+Oliver George Robinson (Kent, Durham, Wicket keeper, right handed batter). For me he should second choice for England men’s test wicket keeper right now behind Ben Stokes. He has recently moved from Kent to Durham, and the move north has not adversely affected his batting average, proof positive that he is genuinely skilled in that department, not merely a beneficiary of southern climes and pitches.
Omar Henry (South Africa, left arm orthodox spinner, left handed batter). The first non-white cricketer ever picked for an official South Africa XI, though that came too late in his career to for him to really benefit, 443 Fc wickets at 25.17 and 4,566 FC runs at 27.34 with five centuries and an HS of 125 show him to have been a fine cricketer when in his prime.
Oliver Edward Robinson (England, right arm fast medium bowler, right handed batter). When fully fit he is a formidable bowler. It is the necessity of that caveat that is problematic.
Odean Brown (West Indies, leg spinner, right handed batter). Yet to play international cricket, but 255 FC wickets at 23.00 is a respectable record.
Olly Stone (England, right arm fast bowler, right handed batter). Has been plagued by injuries, but when fit he is a devastating bowler.
I cannot pretend that this is a great XI, but it has a functional opening pair, a respectable 3,4,5, a hugely promising all rounder at six, a class keeper/ batter and four decent front line bowlers, though two of those would be injury worries.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Most of these are players who would merit consideration for a limited overs XI but not for a long form one. There are three exceptions: Ossie Wheatley and Oliver Hannon-Dalby established fine records bowling right arm fast medium at county level, and if worried about having both OE Robinson and Stone in the XI one of these two could replace OE Robinson, though it must be noted of Wheatley that he was a genuine liability except when actually bowling. Aussie Women’s leg spinner of the 1990s Olivia Magno was also a genuine candidate for the slot I gave to Odean Brown. Oliver Rayner, an off spin bowling all rounder, had to be overlooked due to the number of front line batters in this XI who could bowl off spin if needed. Four West Indians would in the mix if not on the team sheet if I were selecting with limited overs in mind: Obed McCoy (left arm seamer), Odean Smith (right arm seam bowling all rounder), Omari Banks (off spinner who could bat) and Oshane Thomas (right arm fast bowler, excellent in limited overs, but has an awful record in long form matches).
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
“Red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning” – not really needed in an English December, but accurate.A pair of Canada Geese in the Great Ouse (six pictures total)Lapwings enjoying the exposed mudflat at a bend in the Great Ouse (several pictures)Four Lynx buses parked up at Lynn InterchangeAn Excel Bus awaiting passengers.
An all time XI of players whose given names begin with B with a lot of honourable mentions, a look at plans for the creation of a new library/ community hub in King’s Lynn and a large photo gallery.
Today I look at cricketers whose given names begin with B. My XI is I believe a very good one and quite a few fine players had to miss out.
THE XI IN BATTING ORDER
Bert Sutcliffe (New Zealand, left handed opening batter, occasional off spinner). The Kiwi left hander, scorer of the two highest first class innings ever played by anyone from that country (385 and 355) and successful at test level as well deserves his place here.
Barry Richards (South Africa, right handed opening batter, occasional off spinner). He played in what turned out to be the last series of South Africa’s first incarnation as a test nation, and in four matches scored 508 runs at 72.57 with two centuries. Normally I would not read much into such a small sample size, but pretty much everyone who saw him bat and has expressed an opinion on the matter reckons that he was good enough to have maintained that average over a long test career had he been given the chance (among them Don Bradman, who officially consigned South Africa to exile from the international arena) and that domestic cricket was just too easy for him to keep him properly motivated.
Brian Lara (West Indies, left handed batter). The holder of the world first class and test record individual innings (501* and 400*), also scorer of 688 runs in a series in which he, a left hander, had to contend with Muralidaran on pitches made to measure for the off spinner.
Babar Azam (Pakistan, right handed batter). One of the finest of contemporary batters.
Basil D’Oliveira (England, right handed batter, right arm medium pacer). In spite of the fact that due to the circumstances of his birth (born in South Africa and possessed of dark skin) the opportunity to play international cricket arrived far later than it should have done, and at an age when many are thinking about the impending end of their careers he established a fine test record.
+Ben Foakes (England, wicket keeper, right handed batter). This slot was one of the first to be filled in this XI.
*Ben Stokes (England, left handed batter, right arm fast medium bowler, captain). I have named him as captain of this XI due to his success with the England test team, and placed him at number seven because I think he is well suited to batting in that position in a strong line up, which this is.
Bart King (Philadelphians, right arm fast bowler, right handed batter). over 400 wickets in 65 first class appearances at just 15 runs a piece, and a batting average of 20 as well. In the last of his four visits to England with Philadelphian touring sides he topped the first class bowling averages for the season, claiming 87 wickets at 11 each.
Brian Statham (England, right arm fast bowler, right handed batter). For England, where he was generally number two bowler to either Tyson or Trueman, and had to take the end they did not want he took 252 wickets at 24 a piece. For Lancashire, when he had the choice of ends, he claimed wickets at just 18 a piece.
Bishan Singh Bedi (India, left arm orthodox spinner, right handed batter, vice captain). I don’t always name a vice-captain in these XIs, but although there are several other former skippers in this XI I feel that while Stokes has to be skipper, Bedi stands far enough clear of the rest to warrant being named vice-captain. 266 test wickets at 28.71 each earn him his place in this XI.
Bhagwath Chandrasekhar (India, leg spinner, right handed batter). Whereas Bedi was a classic left arm orthodox spinner and was simply better at doing what such bowlers do than most other such this guy was an absolute one of a kind bowler. The pair were regular team mates through their careers, and I reckon they would do even better in this side than they did in actual life.
This side has a powerful batting line up – a very strong top four, and arguably four all rounders, with King’s batting and bowling averages being the right way round. The bowling, with Statham and King opening the attack, Stokes and D’Oliveira available as back up seam options, two superb specialist spinners, and the opening batters able to bowl fill-in off spin if needed is both strong and superbly varied. This side will take a lot of beating.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Before I get into the actual honourable mentions there are two things to be cleared up to set the scene.
BILL/ WILLIAM AND BOB/ ROBERT
Bill and Billy are nearly always diminutive forms of William, and would therefore belong under the letter W in my classification. The two main exceptions I can think of are Billy Stanlake and Billy Taylor, both of whom were actually given the name Billy. Neither have records that would enable them to dislodge any of my choices, though Stanlake would enter the reckoning were I thinking in limited overs terms. Similarly, Bob and Bobby are generally diminutives of Robert and would be filed under R. NB while it is a diminutive Ben escapes this because it is short for either Benjamin or Benedict, which begin with the same letter.
I will go through the actual honourable mentions in batting order. Belinda Clark of Australia was closest to dislodging either of my chosen openers, though not massively close. Brendon Kuruppu, scorer of Sri Lanka’s first ever test double century did little outside of that one huge innings, while two Bens, Compton and Charlesworth, have yet to be given the opportunity to show their mettle at the highest level. Barry Wood would have merited serious consideration for a limited overs XI – his list A record was outstanding, and in that format his medium pace was often very valuable as well. Brad Hodge like so many of his generation missed out on international recognition due to the sheer strength of Australian sides in that era. Basil Fitzherbert Butcher had a fine test record, but not good enough to dislodge any of my chosen batters. There have been many quality keepers whose given names begin with B: Ben Barnett, Brian Taber, Brad Haddin, Budhi Kunderan and Brendon McCullum being five who deserve a mention, with the last named obviously getting a coaching gig. Brian Close had a fine record for Yorkshire and later for Somerset, where he taught a county unused to winning how to do so, but his England record does not stack up. Another Yorkshire Brian, Sellers, could only have been considered had I been struggling for a skipper, and I wasn’t. Brian McMillan had a fine record for South Africa, but not good enough IMO to dislodge D’Oliveira. Bruce Taylor of New Zealand was a decent all rounder, but not good enough to dislodge Stokes or King. Ben Hollioake’s untimely death in a car accident prevented him from qualifying. Brett Lee had a respectable record as a fast bowler, but he was somewhat expensive. Bruce Reid might well have had a place had he been able to keep himself in one piece for any length of time, but his actual record does not qualify him for selection. Ben Hilfenhaus was a useful fast-medium bowler, but in the 2010-11 Ashes when confronted with a strong batting line up he looked decidedly unthreatening. Brydon Carse is genuinely quick, but is also very erratic and hence always likely to be expensive. The almost anagrammatical Brian Brain fell too far short of the necessary class for me to accommodate him. Brian Langford and Bruce Yardley were fine off spinners, but with Bert Sutcliffe and Barry Richards both part time offies I preferred the Indian duo of Bedi and Chandrasekhar as my specialist spinners.
KING’S LYNN LIBRARY
King’s Lynn Library will be moving from its current premises to the site of what used to be the King’s Lynn branch of Argos. The current premises are a listed building and therefore have to be preserved, and it is an essential part of the plan that whatever the current premises become it will be something that is fully accessible to the public (so no flats, no private business premises etc.). The new building will be constructed using environmentally friendly materials, with the ground floor featuring stone, and the upper floors and the roof featuring bricks and tiles, the latter made from recycled materials (I have seen samples of such materials at the library, and was favourably impressed). There is an initial consultation taking place which has two days to run (click here). If this scheme is carried out properly the new library/ community hub could become a modern landmark fully in keeping with Lynn’s history as a medieval town, as well as serving its purpose as library and community hub. Also a vibrant new establishment in place of the shell of the old Argos cannot fail to be an improvement.
How the new building in New Conduit Street might look.Floor plans (two pics)Bricks made fron recycled materials.Tiles made from recycled materials.Our current library, a listed building.
A brief look back at yesterday’s cricket and a huge photo gallery, including the first lapwings of 2023.
Yesterday was Subcontinent day in the Womens T20 World Cup. In the first match of the day India were pitted against Pakistan, while in the second Bangladesh took on Sri Lanka.
INDIA V PAKISTAN
Pakistan looked to have done pretty well when they tallied 149 from their 20 overs. The experienced Bismah Maroof scored 68* off 55 balls, while Ayesha Naseem made an aggressive 43* off 25 balls. India were second best for 16 of their allotted 20 overs, but a combination of poor Pakistani bowling and some good batting by them in overs 17,18 and 19 saw them turn things round and win with a whole over to spare.
BANGLADESH V SRI LANKA
Bangladesh made a not terribly impressive 126 from their 20 overs. However, when teenager Marufa Akhter took 3-0 in her first eight balls as an international bowler Sri Lanka were 25-3 and looking shaky. The fourth wicket pair stopped the rot, and upped their tempo once the immediate danger of a collapse had past. In the end, like India earlier in the day they had a whole over to spare when the winning boundary was hit. The unbroken 4th wicket stand was worth 104* and both players had topped 50.
PHOTOGRAPHS
I have a huge gallery to share with you, including the first decent pictures I have managed to get of lapwings in 2023 – this morning at the point where the Nar flows into the Great Ouse.
A post noting a new West Indies men’s test record opening partnership and looking at what this might mean for West Indies going forward. Also walk details and of a course a photo gallery.
In today’s post I look a story developing in Zimbabwe, and what it might mean for West Indies Men’s test team.
A NATIONAL RECORD OPENING STAND
Zimbabwe are not the most threatening of opponents, but as against that West Indies had to contend with regular interruptions due to the weather and the fact that overhead conditions when play was possible during the first two days certainly favoured the bowlers. Remarkably, the opening pairing of Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul were still together for the start of the third day’s play. With the score on 296 Brathwaite was dropped, and he then hit the next ball for four to bring up WI’s first ever 300 run opening stand in test cricket (also beating the previous national record of 298 by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes in the process). The stand had reached 336 by the time Brathwaite was dismissed. England’s all time record opening stand was also achieved in southern Africa – Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook putting up 359 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg during the 1948-9 tour of South Africa. Tagenarine Chanderpaul was still there on 207* when West Indies declared at 447-6, while Brathwaite had scored 182. Zimbabwe ended the day 114-3 in reply. They can only hope to save the match, while West Indies need 17 wickets in the last two days to win it (and also for Zimbabwe’s first innings to end up at 247 or less – with so little time left WI cannot hope to win if they have to bat a second time unless it is in pursuit of a very small total, with Zimbabwe having just avoided an innings defeat).
WEST INDIES OPENING WOES
In their entire history West Indies have had two authentically great opening partnerships, Greenidge and Haynes already referred to, and the earlier combination of Allan Rae and Jeffrey Stollmeyer. Conrad Hunte, an excellent test match opener in the late 1950s and early 1960s, never had a truly reliable opening partner, and neither did Chris Gayle in the 2000s. A side who can get away to a strong start when batting have a much better chance than one that regularly loses early wickets, and while finding a reliable opening pair has been far from the only problem West Indies have had since the end of their golden era in the early 1990s it will be big news not just for them, but for cricket as a whole, if this pair prove to be the real deal (Brathwaite already has a substantial test record, but Tagenarine Chanderpaul has only played a few matches, though he has made a stellar start to his test career).
PHOTOGRAPHS
Most of the photographs in today’s gallery come from two walks, with a few in between them. Yesterday I was invited to an early supper at a flat on Purfleet Quay. By the direct route this a walk of 15-20 minutes, but I had decided to go a long way round on the way there and take the quick route home due to the fact that the latter walk would be entirely in the dark. Thus I headed by way of the two ponds near me, the stretch of the Gaywood near Kettlewell Lane, across Littleport Street, past Highgate Methodist Chapel, across another section of the Gaywood, along the only section of main road I followed during the walk down past the station to the entrance to The Walks. I headed onto St John’a Walk, then took the footpath past the Red Mount Chapel and turned onto Broad Walk, emerging onto London Road, which I crossed onto the top of Millfleet, then passing through Hillington Square and inter alia All Saints Church, the oldest in King’s Lynn. Then it was down to the river by various side roads, a quick check in at the location where the Nar joins the Great Ouse, then round the dike that overlooks old Boal Quay, and on to the Great Ouse which I followed as far as the point where the Purfleet joins it, and having crossed the bridge I then headed up Purfleet Quay to the flat.
The second walk was today, and I started by walking along Columbia Way until it meets Bawsey Drain, along which I headed towards town. I departed from Bawsey Drain via the last bridge across it before one reaches town, headed by a combination of minor roads and footpaths through to Loke Road near Loke Road Recreation Ground, from which I followed a path which leads to the Kettlewell Lane river section, and then I looped round by way of Morrison’s, before passing the Kettlewell Lane river section a second time, heading past the two ponds and thus back to my back door.
Thoughts on two important election developments and England’s T20 series victory. Also plenty of photographs.
INTRODUCTION
The main body of this post is inspired by two developments that have occurred today. There is also some other stuff later.
TWO MAJOR ELECTION DEVELOPMENTS
It has been announced today that the Brexit Party will not be standing in any Tory held seats, a development that leads to me to suspect that if the election goes as planned for Johnson and cronies there will soon be a Lord Farage of Dot-on-the-Map (he does not plan to stand as a candidate for his party, being 0 for 7 in that area, and he does nothing without having his price).
The other big development is that The Greens have stood aside in Chingford & Wood Green to give Faiza Shaheen a clear run at Iain Duncan Smith. I am firmly of the opinion that a degree of reciprocation is called for. My immediate suggestions in that regard are:
1)Stand aside in Brighton Pavilion so that Caroline Lucas has a clearer run at retaining her seat.
2)Stand aside on the Isle of Wight, so that Vix Lowthion is in a straight fight with the Tories there.
Also, the grubby Farage/ Johnson stitch up really does make this The Rest vs The Hard Right, so everyone who does not want Johnson running riot in the commons backed by Farage in the Lords must be prepared to vote for whoever can give them a non-Tory. In my own constituency I have a very obvious and appealing choice – Jo Rust and Labour. Elsewhere in the mainland I would vote Labour, Green, SNP, Plaid Cymru or Liberal Democrat according who could defeat the Tories in that area. In NI things are different, but there is even one seat there where my vote might be dictated by necessity – unappealing as voting for Unionist of any stamp would be to me I would were I in her constituency vote for Lady Hermon to reduce the chances of those Tory stooges the DUP taking it.
Following on from that last paragraph, this necessity of tailoring one’s vote to fit the circumstances in one’s area is why I devoutly hope that GE2019 will be the last to be held using the outmoded FPTP method. Proponents of this thoroughly discredited method for running elections say that it delivers stable majority governments. Well, in appropriate language for the season: Oh No It Doesn’t – since Labour’s last majority in 2005 only Cameron in 2015 has had an outright majority, and that was very slender – and if GE2019 produces an outright majority for anyone I will be very surprised. Also, after the five years of the coalition we are now looking at a third GE in less than five years – some stability! For another interesting take on this election visit Miles King’s latest post on A New Nature Blog by clicking here.
Finally, before moving on to other matters, it will surprise no one to read that I consider a head to head debate between Johnson and Corbyn unrepresentative of the current state of British politics – I would also include the Lib Dems (presumably Swinson), Plaid, SNP (Sturgeon or if it must a Westminster figure either Joanna Cherry or Mhairi Black), The Greens (I would reckon that Sian Berry would be their best spokesperson) and possibly even representatives from Northern Ireland.
ENGLAND WIN T20 LEG OF NZ TOUR
For the second time this year England and New Zealand could only be split by a Super Over, and for the second time this year England emerged with the spoils, although this time they won the Super Over outright, rather than further tie-splitting being needed. Rain delayed the start of the fifth and final match of the T20 series, and reduced to an 11 overs per side contest. With three balls left England needing 147 to win had 134 and it looked like New Zealand were snatching it at the death, but Chris Jordan, who has had a fine series, hit those last three balls for 12 to level the match and bring about the Super Over. England batted first in the Super Over and Bairstow and Morgancombined to rack up 17 of Trent Boult’s over. Jordan, who would have been England’s third batter had they lost a wicket (one is allowed to lose one wicket, but two ends one’s batting effort) then prepared to bowl the deciding over, while New Zealand sent Guptill and Seifert in to bat (De Grandhomme waiting in the wings). Jordan’s second delivery was called wide, somewhat harshly, but thereafter a combination of good bowling from him and a little too much cleverness on the part of Seifert worked in England’s favour. Seifert’s dismissal left 10 needed off two balls, with Guptill on strike (the batters having crossed before the catch to dismiss Seifert was taken). Guptill was held to a single, and Jordan just had to bowl a legal delivery to win it for England. He did so, and De Grandhomme was unable to score off it, meaning that England had won the Super Over by a comparatively enormous margin of nine runs. The red ball stuff starts tonight GB time with day 1 of a two day practice match, and then there is one proper first class match before the two test matches end the tour.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
A large gathering of….
…lapwings
Two flying cormorants
And completing the set of cormorant pics this one is swimming.
aspiblog 