Just hold your nerve

Lancashire have had an amazing season in the LV County Championship. An unusually pleasant (in weather terms) start to the summer meant that unlike in previous years, Lancashire have registered a mere two draws in their campaign. Only four losses and nine victories put them on a par with Warwickshire at the head of the table, separated only by three points. So it all comes down to the last fixture of the season. In many ways this is a good thing, but you could argue that Chapple's men should have sealed it earlier in the season. Now it's simply a matter of who holds their nerve next week. Batting and bowling points have never been so crucial, oh yes, and a win is fairly important too. Let's hope Kerrigan can continue his form following a match haul of 12 (with 9 for 51 in the second innings).

On a personal level, I feel I am being called to hold my nerve at present. I have been expecting correspondence from my sending diocese to inform me of the parish in which they think I should serve my title (4 years of assistant curacy working with an experienced Priest). I was told that I should know by the end of the first week in September, and it's now the 10th, and I'm still waiting. Now I know that there are a million possible reasons why I haven't heard anything, and I'm trying to see the bigger picture, but it's hard! I just have to hold my nerve for a little longer, and I'm sure it will all be fine. the frustrating thing is that I know it will be hard to get up to Lancashire for a visit in termtime, so I wanted to try and get that done now. The more days pass, the less likely it is that this will be possible... Hold your nerve... it will all be fine.

More news from the coast

It seems to have been some time since my last post, and as LittleLanky is fast asleep beside me and DrLanky is downstairs marking some OU coursework, I have a rare opportunity to blog.

The last few weeks have been busy in my placement. Since the Petertide ordinations and our mad dash to Lancashire, I have been worked hard in the parish. Funerals (and related visits), Weddings (plus rehearsals), Fabric committee meetings, extraordinary PCCs, sermons... plus the usual involvement in Sunday services - reading, deaconing, serving... you get the idea.

After six weeks in Sheringham it's starting to feel like we've done this particular experience now. I have a week and a half left on placement, and we've begun to psychologically adjust to going back to Cambridge. It's been good to be here, but we now want to go home.

Placements like this one are meant to do many things for the ordinands. Learning new things, having new experiences, seeing the reality of parish ministry etc. But the single biggest thing it's done for me is to point out that I really want to get into a curacy, and get on with ministry. I'm happy to embark upon a second year at theological college, and this blog will all too soon be overtaken by academic concerns, but my experience of parish life in Sheringham has got me excited about getting on with this priesthood malarkey. That's probably a good 'learning outcome'!

We should start to get the first clues about where I might be going for a curacy at some point in August. I seem to spend many of my rare idle moments impatiently speculating about where the bishops might want to put me. When that part of the process starts, I expect I will have to be quite tight-lipped until things are confirmed, so whilst I might have some news soon, I won't be able to post anything here for some time. The truth is, I just want to know! Patience is a virtue I haven't quite cracked.

On the positive side, test cricket returns tomorrow. The prospect of a climb to the top of the world test rankings, and a scrap with former England mastermind, Duncan Fletcher, are enough to get me skipping with excitement! Shame I have a funeral tomorrow afternoon, which given the distance from here to the crematorium will occupy me all afternoon. And we can't get Channel 5 here. Do they have an online catchup service?

A quick brain-dump!

Apologies for the lack of blog activity of late. BTh exams start on Monday 30th (I have 5 papers in 4 days), so you can imagine that now is a time for strategic revision and a fair amount of panic! The resounding advice from revision seminars is to "answer the question". Fair point, and one I could have guessed before the seminars. The point the lecturers seem to miss is that for most of us, if we don't answer the question, it's not because we choose to ignore it; we genuinely can't answer the question properly with the revision we've done.

Anyway, enough moaning. Some reasons to be cheerful:

Blackburn Rovers are safe from relegation following a fantastic last day to the Premiership season. Blackpool looked like they might scrape a shock result against Man Utd, but alas, the seasiders are heading back down.

Lancashire are riding high in the cricket after a great LV result against Yorkshire, which came down to a Twenty20 style conclusion. They followed this with a rare performance in the Pro40 competition, which again, came down to the last over. For the time being, they are top in the LV County Championship. long may it continue. I wonder how much of this early promise is due to a drier than usual start to the season? Rain has often been the excuse for failure in recent years.

I've ordered a cassock. Boy, what a palaver! How many pleats Sir, would you like cuffs sir, and piping? How many buttons sir, Oooh, suits you sir! Anyway, hopefully it will arrive in time for my placement in Sheringham, which kicks off after exams are done.

There's a beer festival on Jesus Green this week! It would be better if it were next Friday, but beggars can't be choosers. There's a rumour of a Saturday visit - that might make a nice diversion from revision (hopefully not too large a diversion).

I think that's enough for now. I really need to get back to revising.

Come on Lancashire!

I know we're only 2 games into the season, but what a start from Lancashire. An innings victory wrapped up inside 3 days at Aigburth against title hopefuls Somerset must be the cause of a few pints in Liverpool tonight!

Having said that, Lancashire have had good starts before. Lets hope they can keep it up this time.

Obituaries in brief

RIP Pete Postlethwaite - An absolute giant of the British acting world has died. He had a presence on screen that was unmistakable, along with a wonderfully expressive voice. I suppose the role that stands out most in my mind is Danny from Brassed Off; a classic role in a classic film.

RIP HMV - DrLanky and I wandered past the Cambridge branch of HMV just the other day, and we wondered who actually buys stuff from there anymore. We certainly don't, when we can usually buy the same products much cheaper on-line. Anyway, it seems that the recession has bitten the cute little dog in the behind, and they are set to close a number of stores. This is a sad sign of the times, and I wonder how long it will be before the company is forced to fold its entire high street operation (remember Woolworths?).

RIP Australian cricket - for now anyway! I've been very impressed by the manner in which the England team have attacked the latest Ashes series. I just hope they don't take their eye of the ball when they resume today to finish the job. I do have something to say about some comments recently made by KP, but I'll save them for another post.

RIP Liverpool FC - After a complete hammering from Blackburn Rovers last night, this must surely be the end for Roy Hodgson.

RIP Paul Collingwood - no he's not dead, but he's retiring from Test cricket - a bold and commendable decision. Rather than try to play himself back into form with the bat, he's accepted that now might be the time to move on and to make way for someone else. What a mature point of view! And what a player. I think we can safely call him the most remarkable fielder of his generation, raking some of the most ridiculous catches you've ever seen. He's also been there when it counts with bat and ball. Thanks for the memories Colly. Google 'collingwood catch' and see some glorious fielding.

And finally, RIP Gerry Rafferty - I can't say I know more than two of his songs, but they are both crackers! From what I've read since his death, it seems that he struggled with the fame brought through his musical talent, and that's a real shame. At least with a musician, a powerful legacy is left for us to remember.

Tuesday roundup

As yesterday was a Bank Holiday, my semi-frequent Monday roundup didn't happen. Here's a Tuesday roundup instead.

KP Skipped - I worked hard for a crisp related pun there, and I think I got away with it. It turns out that the out of form Kevin Pietersen has been dropped for the upcoming Twenty20 games against Pakistan. I applaud the guts of the England selectors in leaving him out, but I can't help feeling that his downfall was brought about by his disastrous spell as England captain. Since then, he just hasn't seemed like the player he used to be. I expect the selectors had something to do with his ill-judged promotion, so they probably need to take a share of the responsibility for his current state. Announcing the news on Twitter in conjunction with an expletive probably wasn't the best move though KP.

Lies and corruption - Having posted recently about the higher moral standards in cricket (compared to other sports), I am very disappointed to see the revelations about the Pakistan cricket team. It's not the first time the sport has been rocked by a betting scandal, and I would think that the explosion of online spot-betting has made life very difficult for the ICC's anti-corruption people. It's such a shame that the Pakistan team seem to have so many problems at the moment, and I hope they return to their position as a top test team soon.


Looking forward - Matthew McMurray has broken a 2 month blogging gap with a catch-up post, and his post makes me look forward to my own training. He recounts some of the events from his current placement, and I find myself itching to get stuck in! 

Speaking in tongues - This week, the Chaplaincy has hosted an exchange trip. We are linked with chaplaincies at the Universities of Oulu (Finland) and Braunschweig (Germany). Each summer, a group of students visits one of the three countries, enabling them to experience church in another culture and life in another place. A few years ago we went to the Finnish leg of the exchange, and it was fantastic! This week we have a bunch of Finns and Germans with us, and on Sunday they joined us for worship. In the service there was one of those special moments. When we say the Lord's Prayer at Chaplaincy, we often encourage people to use their own language or version of the prayer, but usually you can hear a very dominant lead from the English-speakers. On Sunday, though, there was a definite feeling that we are an international church! The sound of the different languages together was one of those moments when it felt like we were doing it right for a change. All were welcome, and all languages were welcome. We shared together, and our collective experience was broadened. Tonight is the farewell party for the visitors, so we sheall drop in to say farewell.

15 days

Thursday roundup

I know my custom of late has been to post a Monday roundup, but on Monday I didn't have anything of interest to warrant it. Today, however, I'm bursting with interesting thoughts.

A night at the opera - Until Monday I had never been to an opera, so when the opportunity presented itself I was keen to explore. Heritage Opera were touring with a performance of Puccini's Madame Butterfly, and a number of folk from the postgrad group went along for a bit of 'culture'. Like many, I have been put off opera for a number of reasons: language, musical style, class association... Despite my prejudices, I really enjoyed it (the subtitles helped). The production was hardly lavish, with much evidence of Gaffer tape and improvised props, but I was impressed by the way in which the cast coped with the very limited performance area. The venue was Lancaster Castle, in an actual Court room - Shire Hall. The 'stage' was assembled over the desks where the clerks would sit in a court case (I think), and due to the imposing nature of the Gillow furniture, the space they had was sparse. In the end, the success of the performance hinged on the skill and talent of the performers, and I was blown away by the quality of the singing! I know Madame Butterfly is not hardcore opera, but I do feel like my prejudices have been successfully challenged by my night at the opera.

The ban is ended - Not that a hosepipe ban has made a lot of difference to folk during a very wet August in Lancashire. When the rain comes down like it has recently, there is certainly no need to water the garden. Anyway, it's good that the stocks are back up to normal levels.

The end of a winning run? - Matt Prior and Stuart Broad came to the rescue yesterday to avoid an embarassing collapse at the Oval. England have now gone a long time without suffering a Test defeat, and I did think we were going to see an end to this run until Prior came to the crease. What we need now are favourable seam bowling conditions and a repeat of the recent successes of the fast bowling attack. Either that or Swann will have to work some magic towards the end of the match. This is the kind of situation England need to come through if they are to have any hope of retaining the Ashes in Australia.

Changing times, changing Church? - Bosco Peters posts about a wedding he went to where the rite included promises between one of the spouses and the child of the other spouse. This made me think that we really need to look at our rites and liturgies in light of the situations we actually encounter in the Church, rather than naively clinging to an ill-remembered image of how it used to be. It makes perfect sense to me to add something like this to a marriage ceremony where one or other party already has children; it reinforces the value and importance of 'the family' in the Church and wider society, and it reassures people that the Church is not blind to the changes in society.

What do you get when you cross a drunken Swann with a trapped cat?

An amusing court case?

I know drink driving is no laughing matter, but in this case I do confess to a small titter. It appears that England spin bowler Graeme Swann was on his way to Asda to obtain screwdrivers to free his cat when he was stopped by the police. It seems he was over the alcohol limit at the time. 

Police interest was sparked not by his wayward driving, but by the presence of his flashy car in an area where there had been recent burglary incidents. From what I've read, the cat was fine in the end. 

29 days to go - contract on the house sorted out today.

Top of the charts (well nearly)

If you look carefully you'll see something quite unique in this screenshot from the ICC's player ranking page. No less than 3 England bowlers in the world top ten for Test cricket. A good summer with the ball (so far) has helped Swann, Anderson and Broad (sounds like a firm of solicitors) to boost their ratings considerably.

Conversely, a low scoring summer by modern standards means that most of our batsmen have remained static in the charts except for new boy Trott and the in-form Matt Prior.

Looking forward to the Ashes, only one Aussie bowler makes the Test top ten, but there are two of their batsmen in there. I can imagine that Swann may continue his run of form down-under, but I predict that Anderson and maybe Broad might struggle with the conditions. Perhaps it will be time for Finn to make his mark with that extra height.

Monday roundup

Cathedral goes green - I saw this story on the BBC news site. Congratulations to the congreration of Bradford Cathedral for acheiving this accreditation from the Eco-congregations organisation. This is the first I have heard about this ecumenical organisation. I think I will read some more.


Temper temper - One of the things I like about cricket is that, compared with some other sports, it is a civislised affair. There are many reasons for this, and I think one of them is that players get fined for incidents that, in other sports, would be seen as very minor. I think this 'sets the bar' for the players in terms of acceptable behaviour at a high level. Of course, the other thing that makes cricket the most civilised sport is that they stop for tea.

Good old Catholic tat - I missed this one last week from the Church Mouse. It seems that Mouse is somewhat underwhelmed by the range of 'tat' on offer to commemorate the visit of the Pope to the UK. Since visiting Malta a couple of years ago, my eyes have been opened to a whole realm of 'Catholic Tat' (it's a recognised proper noun phrase in the Lanky household), and I'm actually quite excited by the tat potential of a Papal visit. My favourite bits of Catholic Tat are the snow globes (depicting scenes where it never snows) and glow in the dark statues of Mary, just in case you feel you need a ghostly, luminous apparition when you wake up in the night. Unlike Mouse, I will be actively seeking a bit of Papal tat for the Lanky household.

Well done Pakistan - It was beginning to look like the current test series between England and Pakistan would be something of a whitewash. Whilst it is satisfying to see your own team in a dominant position, it's disappointing to see the opposition buckling so easily. It was good, then, to see a defiant lower order batting performance from Pakistan yesterday. England will face stern tests in unfavourable conditions when they go to Australia later in the year, and it's good that they are made to work a little harder than they have done of late.

The death of British film-making? - In an unlikely show of support for the UK film industry, Clint Eastwood has written to George Osborne about the proposed 'axing' of the UK Film Council. I know times are hard - we're even reassessing the merits of 'milk-snatching' - but I think it is a bit shortsighted to start hacking so brutally at some of our major cultural organisations. Without the UKFC, a large number of recent UK films would not have been shot, and our cultural life would be weaker for it.

Farewell Freddie

One final thing for this week is that Michael Vaughan has cast doubt over the chances of Freddie Flintoff returning to the England camp following his injuiry and subsequent surgery. I have to say, I'm surprised that this isn't already the assumed position. I'm not doubting Flintoff's commitment or application to his rehabilitation, but when you look at the way the current England team is performing, I can't see why they would consider bringing him into the side (and I can't think who they'd leave out).

The reality is that Flintoff's peak passed a long time ago. I don't doubt that he was influential at various points during the last Ashes tour, but he hasn't managed to sustain high level performances for long enough to be a serious contender for even the shorter forms of the game, where we seem to be excelling at the moment.

So I agree with Vaughan. I think it's goodbye to Freddie as an England player, but 'welcome back' to Flintoff as  Lancashire player (when he isn't playing in the IPL).

Monday roundup

Rev. is 'rather good' - According to the Guardian, the AB of C thinks the programme is 'rather good'. This is one of several issues on which the Archbishop agrees with me. I do hope that the people at the Beeb who hold the purse-strings will find a bit of funding to continue the show for another season - hopefully more.

An Englishman in Wisconsin - Some of you Lancaster types will know the identity of this serial blogger. He's started blogging again, and his British perspective on American culture is already evident. One for the blog list.

James Anderson does it again - After a robust performance against the Australians, Pakistan looked set to provide stern competition for a buoyant England side. In reality, a low scoring game and favourable swing conditions allowed Jimmy Anderson to produce stunning bowling figures of 11 for 71. Quite rightly, and modestly, he praised the slip fielders for their reliable hands. Anderson's stock has soared in the ICC rankings, and he now sits at his highest ever place in the test bowlers' rankings.

TV licence under fire - Rev. may not get a second season if the licence fee gets scrapped, as suggested by the Adam Smith Institute. I'm a fan of the Beeb, and I think the licence fee has given us the best broadcasting network in the world. I know the independents feel hard done to, but I look at the output from the various channels, and it's the BBC that gets my vote every time; I hardly ever watch ITV and Five (though C4 is quite good sometimes). It's the same with radio - no commercial operator would run Radio 3 or Radio 4, but where would we be without them?

Flying Bishops? - Thinking Anglicans and the Church Mouse report this story about a letter from 15 Anglo-Catholic Bishops. I'm not sure it says anything new or moves the argument along any. An interestng aside is that I recognise a number of signatories as current or former Blackburn Diocese clergy (there may be more who I don't recognise):  

Rt Revd Nicholas Reade, Bishop of Blackburn
Rt Revd Martyn Jarrett, Bishop of Beverley (formerly Bishop of Burnley)
Rt Revd John Goddard, Bishop of Burnley
Rt Revd Mark Sowerby, Bishop of Horsham (formerly at a parish in Accrington and Chaplain to my High School when I was a student)
Rt Revd Robert Ladds (formerly at a parish in Preston before consecration as the Bishop of Whitby - now retired)

Hmmm, not sure what this says about my home diocese! 5 out of 15 is a significant proportion.

Moving on - I'm not the only one going to theological college in a few weeks. Jante has received her bundle of information from Cuddesdon, and is counting down the days. I have returned my batch of forms to Westcott, and am waiting for the final removal quote to arrive.

44 days - must start packing!

The greatest bowler of all time?

Muttiah Muralitharan has reached the landmark of 800 test wickets in his final test match for Sri Lanka. This led me to ask a philosophical question about greatness: is greatness proportional to a quantum of success (like a number of wickets)?

As a cricket fan with a Sky Sports subscription (until September) I have watched the bowling of Murali on the TV many times. His action is unconventional, and has been subject to controversey and dispute over the years. His 'bent' arm makes his delivery look quite unique, and he has confused a great many batsmen (800 of them). This wicket-taking acheivement far outstrips his nearest rival (Shane Warne, 708 wickets), but I have to say that Shane Warne is the bowler I always preferred to watch.

One of the difficulties of equating greatness to a quantum of success is that the quantum under discussion is accrued over time. So someone with an extremely long career may end up with more wickets than someone with a shorter career. So why don't we look at the averages then? Well maybe that would be better than looking at the career total for wickets taken, but does that number adequately quantify the greatness of the bowler? Probably not.

It was Warne, not Murali, who dispatched Mike Gatting with 'the ball of the century', but is one ball enough to confer greatness? 

I suppose, in the end, greatness is in the eye of the beholder. What's beyond doubt is that many international batsmen will face the Sri Lankans with a little less anxiety than before.

Reasons to be cheerful

I know that some Anglicans will be feeling a bit glum following the news from Synod, so I thought I would post about a few reasons to be cheerful from the news:

1. I know it was only against Bangladesh, but England produced a stunning batting display yesterday to seal the series win. Given the embarassing defeat on the weekend, it was good to see Strauss hitting the ball into the Edgbaston building site with great frequency. This was probably one of the finest batting displays by an England captain in recent years.
2. It's taken months, but it looks like BP have managed to make some progress on halting the oil tragedy in the Mexican Gulf. It seems to have taken a ridiculous amount of time to get to this stage, but at least there's an end in sight.
3. The best team in the world cup actually managed to win it! Despite the ugly tactics and technique displayed by the Dutch, then Spaniards' dedication to playing good football eventually shone through. Howard Webb had a hard match to referee, and I think he struck a good balance between keeping the game moving and dealing out some justice. Holland should have been down to 9 or 10 men by the end of the first half, so they have no right to complain about the referee's decisions!
4. A planned cull of badgers in Wales has been halted. I am still known to some people as 'Mr Badger' (following an innocent adoption of a call-sign at a Chaplaincy Carol Service many moons ago), and I have an affinity for the furry little critters! I must also add that when I last checked, the scientific evidence did not support the hatred which is shown towards my monochrome kin. Leave us alone! We're not giving TB to your cattle.
5. Hayley Matthews, currently at Lancaster Priory (who have a new website), has been appointed as Chaplain to Media City. This is the new development in Salford which will house a massive new BBC development. Well done Hayley!
6. This wonderful story about a milkman in Lancashire made me proud of my East Lancs roots. I'm not always so proud when I see stories of the BNP gaining ground in elections, but this is the kind of story that lifts the soul. This white, working class man from a depressed former mill town has challenged stereotypes by becoming fluent in Gujarati so he can communicate more effectively with his Asian customers.

64 days

The many joys of a British summer

England are through the group stages of the world cup and set to take on the old enemy this weekend. Shock exits for Italy and France have shaken the tournament up a bit after its slow start! Live streaming footage available from ITV and the good old Beeb mean that those with a desktop PC at work (and no bandwidth or IP restrictions) are able to watch and work (I learnt I could actually multitask during England's last game).

Wimbledon is off to a flyer! Warm and dry weather mean no lost time so far, and the most epic of matches concluded yesterday to give us all a reminder that, for all the training and precision of the serve-volley game, it's still possible for a surprise to turn up occasionally.

The England cricket team have beaten the other old enemy, Australia, twice in three days! And it was in the 50 over format of the game; one which we are meant to be bad at (though opinion seems to be turning).

Add all this to the hospipe-ban-weather, and the rare site of yellow-brown lawns in Lancaster, and it makes me realise why I love the summer. The only way to top it off would be if a farner came to me and asked me to help with hay-making. That would bring back some very happy childhood memories of Salesis Farm.

Keep your eyes on Kerrigan

Although he's already 21 (geriatric by England team standards), Lancashire's Simon Kerrigan is still a player to watch in my opinion (I've mentioned him before). Monty has fallen by the wayside and Swann, though brilliant, will not last forever. So who is in the wings to carry on the rejuvenated spin attack for England?
Kerrigan's recent performances for Lancashire make me think that he may end up wearing an England shirt (at least a Lions variant) before too long. From what I have read, it seems that he has the special skill of being able to turn a game with a short passage of inspired bowling. I suppose that if he wants to compete for an England cap, he will need to work hard on his batting and fielding. By ousting Monty as England's number 1 spin option, Swann has shown that spin alone is no longer sufficient! I'm sure Peter Moores will be working on this with Kerrigan already.

Sporty post

First of all, I need to offer congratulations to the Seasiders. Blackpool have made it through the play-offs to gain a place in the Premiership next season. Of course, they follow fellow Lancastrian team Burnley, who have just dropped back out of the top flight. there was some discussion in the office today about the lasting benefits of promotion, especially if the team comes back down in the following season like Burnley. I think it's a good thing that a bit of the money from the top of the game finds its way down to the second level, even if it's by way of parachute payments for relegated sides. Burnley have improved their stadium and their training facilities, and this will hopefully make them a better Championship side next season.

Anyway, well done again to Blackpool. I look forward to seeing Premiership football on the Fylde coast.

Then there's the cricket. I neglected to post anything at all about England's T20 victory in the West Indies. This was because life was in one of its busy phases here in LankyLand. I felt, however, that I should belatedly offer my congratulations to a very classy England side who finally showed that we have the talent for the shorter forms of the game. The crucial thing, as always, is good selection. Many bold and brave decisions were made by the selectors, and these were backed up with a renewed approach to fitness and fielding drills, leading to some impressive catches and run-outs. Then there's the batting. It was great to see some power hitters who aren't called KP or Freddie. For too long now, England have relied on the same 2 batsmen to club the bowlers out of the ground. Now it seems we have a team full. 
114 days

Lanky, Lanky, Lanky, Lanky, Lancashire!

t's been a very busy week, and I'm very glad it's nearing an end. This week at work has been budgets week; we've been working out our aspirations for 2010/11 in fine detail, and for a £20m expenditure budget, that's a lot of detail! Needless to say, I'm frazzled!

Amongst the chaos of spreadsheets and calculators, I have had a little time to keep track of Lancashire's progress against Essex. James Anderson seems to have proved that the rest has done him good. I'm glad he wasn't involved in the IPL - I think fast bowlers work too hard to play cricket all the time. His return of 6 for 44 in the first innings and 2 for 14 so far in the second bodes well for the English summer, and vindicates his decision to forego the glitz and glamour of the IPL.

The domestic season for Lancashire has got off to a flying start: 

When I heard the new about Gary Keedy's injury, I was a bit anxious about the Lancashire spin attack. Keedy's one of those unsung veterans of English cricket, and I thought Lancashire might miss him badly. Then I hear about Kerrigan, the new talent from Preston! On debut against Warwickshire he took a total of 7 wickets including 5 for 43 in the second innings. I can guarantee, we will hear more about the latest Prestonian cricketing talent!

The other thing that excites me about Lancashire's prospects is the naming of this season's overseas players. Simon Katich and Shiv Chanderpaul are set to wing their respective ways to Old Trafford for part of the season, and given last year's failaings with the bat, it's good to see this kind of name appearing in the Lancashire squad list.

Cricket Conundrum

I posted earlier in the year about the proposal to bring the Ashes into the 'Crown Jewels' of British sporting events. This would mean the tournament would be covered on terrestrial television once more. In my earlier post I sounded a note of caution based on the level of income currently enjoyed by the ECB from television revenue. I saw this article today on the BBC website which details the ECB's reservations on the matter. I'm sure everyone connected with this matter shares my dilemma: I'd love to see the Ashes on terrestrial TV again, but the Sky money has made a massive difference to the game. How do you choose between a massive amount of income and a massive increase in the armchair following of the game?


Here's one answer: when the government decides to make a sporting event one of the 'crown jewels', it should fund the shortfall between what Sky and the BBC can pay for the rights. Murdoch would hate it, but the viewing public and the ECB would love it.

A cricket post

There's been a lot of comment about the England team's decision to rest key players (including the captain) during their tour of Bangladesh, and I'd like to add my insignificant vote of confidence to their decision. We've only just got through the ODIs, but I think it's possible to identify some benefits of this strategy already:

1. Cook has been able to get valuable experience of captaincy. He is clearly the nation's captain in waiting, and as such he should benefit from more than the odd fill-in game. England players don't get the opportunity to captain their county sides, so the vast majority of the contracted players have never captained a team since their school days. Why do we expect them to pick it up immediately following their appointment to the job?
2. Other players have been given the chance to prove themselves on the international scene. This has to be good for them and for the selectors.

One final thing I noticed on the scorecard from Chittagong is that KP has finally been allowed to turn his arm over a bit. This is something I would have liked to have seen over the summer when he was really scratching around for a contribution with the bat, and even in the field. I thought it might have helped if he'd felt a bit more involved in the game by bowling a few overs; he may even have taken the odd wicket like he did today.

All in all, I think England's approach to Bangladesh has been sensible. Let's hope the benefits roll forward to the coming summer.