Be Excellent To Each Other

The Final Word went to birth times/time of day completing 10,000 and reckon Root just edges it, if you want to go to that level.

"edges"

Nice one

I'm more surprised England actually won a test.

Root looks a lot happier now the burden of captiancy is lifted from him. Hopefully it'll be a decent summer, but I'm not holding out too much hope.

Two in a row!

And two amazing ones as well!

I might have been recruited to play for a local team - T20 games on a Wednesday eve - and so might actually be playing again for the first time in ~20 years. Luckily I don't think Batcombe 2nd XI play at a hugely high standard so I might not embarrass myself too much.

The 50 over game that's on now (eng vs Ned) is brutal. England are 430-4 with 5 overs left

Make that 436

It's already the second highest ODI score ever

They got the highest!

What on earth has happened to the England ODI side. They've been awful this summer.

Hold that thought. But yes, Mark Butcher was saying on the Wisden podcast that there's an odd lack of oomph to them at the mo. Maybe just transitional, but it feels like they just need a wallop to the attitude like the test team had (though the latter also benefitted from the pitches and balls in England - lots of county games have seen large run chases in the fourth innings, too).

It just seems like decision making has gone out the window this summer. Sure the games in the Nederlands were good, but coming up against real opposition there's been many brainless mistakes. At least the test team is doing decent for a change.
Also Butcher has been making some great jokes on coms this summer.

Well this first Ashes test certainly has been entertaining.

My limit for cricket is a few hours, so we’re off to The Hundred for the third time this year.

Pain.

It was still bloody entertaining though!

Absolutely amazed that a 317 page report has concluded that cricket is geared towards rich, white, men.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/ ... ark-report

My local team this season managed to win a game when needing 8 runs off the last ball - ran 4 and then a overthrow for 4 as well. I know there has been situations where wides and no balls have ended up with more runs on the last ball ( I've found a 12 needed to win that was got that way ) but I reckon they might have got some kind of record for most runs scored off the final, legal ball of the game to win a match. I'm going to write to TMI the next time it's on to check.

This has everything - commentary before the moment ("He's got to find a way to support Steve Smith..."), denouement, and celebration, all in a few seconds. If you hadn't heard, the bowler was working as a bouncer recently before being talent-spotted by a legend of the game.

https://youtu.be/w3r-dS3rNeo?t=394