Cricketers in Adverts

Cricket players in the days of yonder advertised some bizarre things. With player agents probably not as aware of their client's profile as their modern day counterparts, the adverts below seem to have raised a chuckle. Not sure if this is due to the often awful product they are endorsing, or the general retro feel of the not-so-slick marketing departments of the time. Read on below to see how yesterday's cricketers earned some extra corn...

The Away Game Convoy

A trip to another club might happen early in your club career, or it could even be your first match. It normally involves a flustered captain trying to marshal the troops as eleven bedraggled souls enter the car park one by one. That is, if the skipper is lucky. The meet time for an away game is often under or over done by a good hour. Sometimes a 5-mile trip will involve a meet at 11.30am for a 1.30pm start, whereas I have known of clubs travelling the distance of the county and meeting at 12.00pm. In my experience, this ends badly...

Convoy Leader...

Waiting to Bat

You're next in. How people cope with this varies from individual to individual. Some sit there, a sea of serenity, others sit there like a Vietnam veteran on the wire. It is a bizarre aspect of cricket and whether you are a professional or bat in the lower order for your village fourth eleven, the same scenario awaits you. Here we look at the various individuals that every club has...

Waiting to Bat...

Pushing the Boundaries Show - Taunton - 16th April - CANCELLED

It is with regret that due to the Covid-19 virus sweeping the world at present that we have had to pull the plug on our live stage show. We are working on alternative dates with the players and Somerset CCC at present and hoping to rearrange later in the year.

Tickets will be valid for the later event.

I will be in touch ASAP with an alternative date.

Thanks for your loyal support as always and hoping we can get this back on asap.

Dan

Coronavirus - the impact on your cricket club...

These are unprecedented times. I realise that there are things way more important than cricket in this world - the death toll in Italy going over the 2000 mark is desperately sad and cricket isn't even on a par with the loss of human life. However, this is a cricket site and I write on cricket. The pandemic that is sweeping the globe looks like it might send a few cricket clubs to the wall. The ECB will have its promise to invest in grass roots cricket severely tested should the impact of this virus be as debilitating and long lasting as the experts think. Read on for where we see problems lying ahead for amateur sports clubs this summer.

A summer's day...

The Rob Key Interview

Robert Key has one of the finest cricket brains seen in recent history. One of the best county captains of recent years, he is now utilising his knowledge for Sky Cricket and has become one of the best pundits around. It's not just all erudite stuff though - he could play. You don't play for the amount of time that he did, or score a double ton for England without plenty of ability. Here he catches up with us as he discusses Matt Walker's quiz tactics, Min Patel's gambling habits and how Queen Elizabeth II stopped him from having a fag. Read on for an interview with one of the real characters of English cricket of his generation...

Robert Key

Review of the 4th Test in South Africa

A draw would do. England, fresh from going 2-1 up in PE, came to Jo'Burg to clinch the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy. The scene of Allan Donald tearing in and us being 2-4 brings shivers to the spines of every Englishman who remembers the famous Bull Ring - and we're not talking about where Chris Woakes does his shopping near New Street. The Wanderers isn't the team who plays up the road from his house, in Old Gold and Black either. A quick wicket beckoned but in Wood and Archer, we have the ability to fight fire with fire these days. This is a review of the Fourth Test from Johannesburg...

Jo'Burg...

Review of the 3rd Test in South Africa

Many an Englishmen has come across a cape. Many have had the Horn, some remember watching Geoff on the World's Strongest Man, but it was to the Eastern Cape that they ventured on their pilgrimage, to the city of Port Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth may have lost a ginger member of her family from his national duties this week but if England lost Ben Stokes, our ginger talisman, then the country would really have something to worry about. Never mind the Duke of Sussex, our Duke of Cumberland can keep his HRH (Hits Reasonably Hard). With England grabbing their Edward Woodward (the Equaliser) at Cape Town, the series was beautifully poised as they ventured to the Windy City. Would the flag of St. Geroge fly proudly at St. George's Park? Who would go 2-1 up? Or would it be a draw on what is traditionally a flat deck? This is a review of the Test...

St George's Park, PE

Review of the 2nd Test in South Africa

1957. The year of the birth of the cricketing God, David Gower. All things revolve around this date - Bradman's 48 Aussies are now 9BDG and in 63ADG, England won their first Test since the year that our left handed God was born. This was an absolute cracker in Cape Town. The run up to the Test had been all about whether these five day matches should be reduced to four. Jos Buttler had been vocal about it. All I can say is thank Gower, this wasn't. It was a splendid advert for the game and proves that you shouldn't mess around with Mother Cricket. It will bite the administrators on the arse if they mess with the essence of the sport.

Newlands...one of THE venues of world cricket

Ones to watch in 2020

Every year we do this, normally on New Year's Day. Unfortunately two bottles of a rather drinkable Chilean Malbec got the better of me, so it is a few days late. We look at the youngsters who are about to break onto the scene. Sometimes we get it spectacularly right and look like heroes. Very occasionally. Here we look at those who have caught out eye in 2019 and they are our ones to watch in 2020...Read on. Oh and have a wonderful New Year, Stump fans.

Rishi Patel... a star in the East