The Great Cricket World Cup Swindle

I fancied buying a ticket for one of the London matches in next year's World Cup. Having attended my first World Cup match at Lord's for the Prudential World Cup in 1979, it would be nice to see a game forty years later. Or so I thought? Today, I looked into buying a couple of tickets for England v South Africa at the Oval. What I found horrified me. The Cricket World Cup has become just like any other major event here in the UK and it is you and me, the average fan who is being ripped off. I realised that without admin fees or delivery charges, a pair of tickets would set me back £450. Ticketing for anything within the entertainment industry, cricket included, needs looking at. And fast.

Cricket Utopia

I saw a tweet in the week where someone was trying to argue the point that the streaming of games, as most counties now do on their website, is affecting the amount of people that go through the gates. For me, it is the opposite. The counties do a great job, it enhances interest in the sport and it is the way forward. Cricket and television should work side by side and here is what would happen in the ideal world; my county cricket utopia...

Peter West and chums...

Social Media

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat. These are just a handful of sites that sports teams are using these days to interact with the fans. A link between clubs and their communities has now gone from the odd hospital visit at Christmas time, to a full on integration with the fans, showing everything from the inner sanctum of the dressing room to what is in a player's kit bag. But is it a good thing? And have now fans taken it too far showing a disregard for the player, due to their accessibility?

Worcestershire...success

Review of the 5th Test v India

So it was the farewell match for The Chef. South London, the home of the Richardsons, the gangsters and not Richie of the West Indies and his family, turned out to witness not only an adios but a thrilling Test match. It may have been a dead rubber but it was a fantastic game of proper old fashioned, Test match cricket. Credit to India for their part in a wonderful series, played the right way - hard but fair. This was Test cricket at its very best...

The Oval

Farewell, Chef....

So it's the end of an era then? Alastair, not Alistair or Alisdair as I have seen written recently, Cook this week announced that this Test at the Oval would be his last for England. Just as he dispatched a leg stump half volley, or nailed a short, wide one through point, his timing was perfect. He leaves us as our country's highest run scorer, our record Test capped player and a place in the heart of all cricket fans. We'll still see him, playing for his beloved Essex, where he came through club cricket at Maldon CC but we won't see him as an ever present Three Lions wearing legend, serving his country by dodging the bullets of the quicks, like a modern day Nelson. As Lord Nelson said, "England expects that every man will do his duty". Cook has certainly done his...

The Chef

Schedulefreude

County members are revolting. There, I've said it. I'm not talking about that 'oh so eligible' overweight bachelor, perennially in the same seat, who sprays peanuts and other remnants of his packed lunch at you as he discusses the merits of his county, although he is indeed, fairly revolting. I'm talking about county members who are giving up their memberships. And in droves. The scheduling of the ECB has got under the skin of many cricket fans up and down the country and people are starting to vote with their wallet. The game in the UK is on a knife edge.

The oldest festival in cricket at Cheltenham...but for how long?

Review of the 3rd Test v India

So the series is alive. India bounced back here after their appalling display at Lord’s and it was left for England to lament by the Trent. An intriguing Test match which just about went into the fifth day, was on offer for those in the East Midlands but India showed character and heart at this famous old venue. This was a review of the Third Test Match between England and India from Trent Bridge…

Trent Bridge

Review of the 2nd Test v India

A good game is a quick game, so the saying goes. This was a wham, bam, thank you ma’am. It was a quickie, after the foreplay of rain washing out the first day. This one was over before St John’s Wood resident, Vanessa Feltz had even warmed up her vocal chords. England steam rollered the shocking Indian batting as they took a 2-0 lead in the series. It makes a series win for the visitors as likely as Thomas Markle being invited for Christmas dinner at Sandringham this year. This was a review of the Lord’s Test...

HQ

Review of 1st Test England v India

So the main course of the summer was brought to the table. The waiting staff of Ben Stokes, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Sam Curran served up a treat here as a small crowd of Brummies feasted on an absolute brilliant, engaging Test match. Forget the Aussie one day series, forget the endless mistakes made by the ECB, forget the scheduling, this was one to behold, as often matches where the ball has dominance over the bat. As for the Hundred? A Virat Kohli hundred is the only thing I'm interested in talking about on here. After the fast food burgers served up by T20 cricket, it was good to dine on the lobster thermidor of the five day cuisine. This is a review of the brilliant first Test...

Edgbaston...up there with my favourite Test grounds

Review of England v Pakistan 1st Test

So this was England's homecoming after the nightmare in the southern hemisphere. This was Pakistan in May, a time when we are traditionally strong. This was green pitches and time for Jimmy to show what he can do on pitches that do a little. It was a time for Trevor Baseless to show that England aren't the shambles that they were Down Under against a young, inexperienced Pakistan side. What we got served up was the same old crap that we have had for two years. Actually, no...we're getting worse. This was the review of the Lord's Test.

Lord's...