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Month: Aug 2021
The Peculiar Joy of the Veteran
Aug 31, 2021 thelegglance11 Comments
On the day that the peerless Dale Steyn retires, James Anderson carries on. And on. Sure, he's rather good, but for the purposes of this piece I don't care about the detail of his outswinger, or how he sets a batsman up. I care that he's bloody old. He's 39 years old and still running in. Sodding hell say we all. And rightly so too, for the ability to remain at, or near the top of your game at a time when most have forgotten where they hung up their boots several years earlier is worthy of praise in its own right. The skill never wanes, but the demands on the body as it ages, as muscles fibres weaken and joints become less flexible, usually diminishes the overall ability long before now.
We are in an era where sports science when it comes to diet and preparatory exercise appear to allow those prepared to put in the work to extend their careers at the highest level beyond what has been historically the case. Whether it be James Anderson or Roger Federer, it isn't that they carry on, it's that they carry on at, or near the top. Anderson's record is actually getting better by most measures, which is frankly preposterous, while it is only very recently there are clear signs Federer is significantly below his previous level.
And then there's Darren Stevens, who does undermine the sports science and diet hypothesis fairly spectacularly, but it's my piece, so I'm including him anyway. Into his mid forties and providing hope for all middle aged people who wake in the morning to yet another unexplained back spasm or sore foot for no apparent reason. He too seems to have pulled off the impossible of not just playing at an advanced age, but doing so effectively and arguably every bit as much as a decade earlier.
Yet it is not their records that interest me here, it is the response to them. And not just them, they're merely the most visible. Us. The rest of us, our own ageing process in sport and how we handle it. Part of it is to marvel at the continued ability to compete and win, but part of it also is the recognition of our own struggles as we age. It's maybe why the young tend to care far less about such things – a "move over grandad" attitude is normal enough in youth, and in any case by definition they don't much remember players at the start of their careers. That's not to say young people don't recognise the longevity, but they can't possibly fully appreciate how much this must damn hurt, nor how extraordinary it is to see Anderson bowling at 85mph not far shy of his 40th birthday.
It certainly doesn't have to be at the highest level. Every club cricketer will know the player who unaccountably is still in the 1st XI aged 50, surrounded by teens, 20s and 30 somethings. A total liability in the field of course – probably put into gully in the hope that they'll stop something because they can't get out of the way in time. Perhaps counter-intuitively, it tends to be a bowler, a spinner perhaps, who takes two steps and releases the ball, usually with a knowing grin on their face as the youngster at the other end slowly realises this old fart has forgotten more than they know, and that they're about to become his (it usually is a his) 3,000th victim in club cricket. It happens a little less for the batsmen simply because eyes tend to decline in efficacy, and there's nothing more disconcerting than the realisation you can't see the sharpish opening bowler who you used to be able to handle with ease. Note to those aged around 30, the first sign of what's to come is struggling to see the ball in indoor nets.
This state of affairs can last for many years, the magnificently elongated period known as middle age, defined as about a week for those aged 20, and about 40 years for those who have retired. But then we reach the truly special ones, those who turn out in cricket, or football (usually standing in the centre circle, not moving, but spraying 40 yard passes everywhere and impossible to tackle), or any other sport, at a time when all of their contemporaries have long since given up. That they love the game beyond measure is not in dispute, that they love the game to the point they are determined to play at a level that is a shadow of where they were is less common, not least because of a lesser involvement. To have once scored glorious hundreds and now to wander out at number 10 to save the game (it's always to save the game and you know it) is to set sights at a very different level.
Perhaps the pleasure comes from teaching the younger players about the game – certainly that is what the endless and vital volunteers up and down the country do anyway. Perhaps it is just that it is the socialising. But there is a slightly different lesson to be given in this context, which is that the grey haired old bugger who is holding you up a) is someone you can't get out and b) if you can't get him out now, imagine how good he was 40 years ago.
Now clearly, none of this applies to a James Anderson, or a Shivnarine Chanderpaul, or a Graham Gooch, or a Courtney Walsh. But there are some similarities in how we approach this and how we feel about it, it's a matter of familiarity with those who surround us and how we go through life ourself. The admiration for someone maintaining their level as a professional is still related to someone able to take the field alongside the rest despite being half a century older. And it's a very special thing too, but one that can only truly be appreciated from the perspective of someone facing their own passing years. On the cricket field, tutting at the "oof" as an older player bends down and misses the ball in the field attracts a particular horror when years later you become that older player involuntarily expectorating from the shock of a ball drilled at you. Which you still fail to stop.
There are the good parts. The joy of turning around while standing at slip as the 15 year old hares after it, oblivious to the entirely deliberate placing of him at fine leg to perform this valuable service while the chat with the wicketkeeper continues uninterrupted. It is in itself a life lesson for all young players, and notably one they soon learn themselves as they transition from young buck to old lag over the years. It's perhaps unlikely Jimmy Anderson has entirely grasped this, though there must be suspicions that Darren Stevens absolutely has, another strand to the deserved love that comes his way.
They are the reminder that a game can be played by all, appreciated by all, and that the little brats have got a hell of a shock coming to them. That's got to be a good thing, right?
Club Cricket, Jimmy Anderson
Lies, Damn Lies, And The Hundred
Aug 29, 2021 Aug 29, 2021 dannycricket17 Comments
The Hundred has overshadowed essentially the whole of the English summer so far. It was, at least according to a lot of people, either the best or worst thing to happen in the entire history of cricket. I personally found it fairly underwhelming, but I can't say I regularly watch T20 games anyway. The standard didn't seem noticeably higher than the T20 Blast. The coverage was standard global T20 fare, with both the BBC and Sky dragging the standards down with a few dreadful choices in the commentary box. The 'innovations' (The TV graphics, five-ball overs, bowlers in consecutive overs, etc) seemed gimmicky and unnecessary. It was all a bit 'meh'.
It is said that history is written by the victors, but sometimes the victors of a conflict can be decided by who writes the history. To that end, the ECB has posted a list of statistics which attempted to 'prove' the success of their new competition.
A total of 16.1m people watched some of the action on TV alone
57% of viewers had not watched any other live ECB cricket in 2021
The peak number of viewers for finals day were 1.4m for the women's game and 2.4m for the men's game
510,000 tickets were sold and issued in total
55% of ticket buyers had not bought a ticket for cricket in this country before
19% of tickets sold were for children
59% of ticket-buyers were under 45 years old
21% of ticket buyers were women
The total attendance for women's games was 267,000, which is a world record for any women's cricket event
There were 34.3m videos views, plus 264,000 downloads of The Hundred app
More than 28,000 items of merchandise were sold, including 7,000 items of team kit and training-wear
More runs per ball in the men's competition than the IPL, and more in the women's competition than the WBBL
A revenue of roughly £50m, which gives a profit of £10m to re-invest in cricket
A 230% increase in the number of junior fixtures in August 2021 compared to 2017-19
10,000 more adult fixtures being played in club cricket compared to 2019
Over 101,000 children taking part in ECB-run National Programmes this summer
A 900% increase in the number of kids playing in All Stars and Dynamos during The Hundred competition time compared to previous years, thanks to the introduction of Dynamos
All Stars and Dynamos have seen 27,000 girls, 13,000 children from ethnically diverse backgrounds, and over 3,000 disabled children pick up a bat and ball
10,000 kids have had free access to Dynamos cricket thanks to Sky's sponsorship
160 hubs in cities across the country have worked with over 20,000 young people, and 10,000 more have attended cricketing school breakfast clubs set up by the ECB
This is obviously a lot to go through, so I will split it up into three groups: TV viewers, attendances, and participation.
TV Viewers
A total of 16.1 million people watched some part of the action on TV alone. This seems impressive at first, but lacks a lot of context. First, what does "watched some part of the action" mean? The number of people watching a TV programme can be quantified in many different ways, the most common being 'average', 'peak' and 'reach'. A company such as BARB uses a sample group of representative TV viewers (or real-time data from set-top boxes and online viewing) to estimate the number of people watching every TV programme in five-minute segments. The 'average' number of viewers is the mean of every segment for that programme and the 'peak' is the highest number of viewers for any segment in the programme. 'Reach' is the broadest measurement of the three, and essentially includes every single viewer who watched even just one five-minute segment of a TV programme (or, in this case, a series of thirty four TV programmes).
So how does this compare to other recent televised cricket? Well this year's Test series between India and England on Channel 4 had a total 'reach' of over 9 million viewers, despite being between 4am and noon rather than UK prime time television. In 2019, 15.4 million people in the UK watched some part of the Men's World Cup final. That was just one game, with almost no promotion by Channel 4 due to the last-minute nature of the agreement to let them air it.
57% of viewers had not watched any other live ECB cricket in 2021. The key words here are "watched", "live", and "ECB". "Watched" excludes people who listen to Test Match Special, "live" excludes people who watched the highlights on the BBC, and "ECB" excludes people who saw the Test series against India on Channel 4 (which the BCCI was responsible for). This statistic is presented in such a way as to imply that more than half of the TV viewers for The Hundred were new to the sport, or at least disconnected from it, but in fact does nothing of the sort.
The peak number of viewers for finals day were 1.4 million for the women's game and 2.4 million for the men's game. To add context for these figures: The opening games in the competition had peaks of 2.5 million viewers for the men's game and 1.95 million viewers for the women's. This suggests that audiences may have declined over the competition. Also bear in mind that these opening games were held on a Wednesday and Thursday night, whilst the finals were on the weekend when you might expect the number of TV viewers to be higher. If you were to compare these figures to the 2019 Men's World Cup final, that had 8.92 million viewers at the start of the super over.
There were 34.3 million video views, plus 264,000 downloads of The Hundred app. Is this a lot? The ICC said that they had 4.6 billion video views during the 2019 Men's World Cup, for example. I would guess that the number of views would increase with the number of videos you post, and with the number of platforms you posted them on. The number of views for the most popular video they posted would be interesting information, at least for me.
510,000 tickets were sold and issued in total. The first part of this that jumps out at everyone is "and issued". Something like 30-40,000 were given away by the ECB to NHS staff, cricket volunteers and children. I believe that Surrey were the only host county to include free entrance to The Hundred in their membership packages, but neither Surrey nor the ECB have said how many members took up this offer. The broader context of this figure is that the tickets were typically a lot cheaper than they would have been at the same grounds in the T20 Blast and, other than the Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord's, no other first team cricket for cricket fans to watch at the grounds for the length of the competition.
55% of ticket-buyers had not bought a ticket for cricket in this country before. 19% of tickets sold were for children. 59% of ticket-buyers were under 45 years old. 21% of ticket-buyers were women. This is a huge dump of information regarding the demographics of people buying tickets for The Hundred, which appears impressive at first glance. Without knowing what the comparable figures were for the T20 Blast, you could look at these and assume that The Hundred was a huge step towards increasing the diversity of cricket crowds in England. In fact, Surrey have released their T20 Blast sales figures which appear to be very similar to those from The Hundred: 50% of their ticket-buyers were new to them in 2019, 20% of their tickets were for families, 60% of their ticket-buyers were under 45 years old, and 18% of their ticket-buyers were women. Whilst obviously the numbers for The Hundred are across eight grounds rather than just one, there seems to be very little improvement (if any) from the T20 Blast.
The total attendance for women's games was 267,000, which is a world record for any women's cricket event. You know what? I'm just going to give them this. If you were nitpicking, you could say that these figures (taken at the halfway point of the women's games) includes some fans who only turned up early for the men's games so they could get absolutely plastered. But even if that accounted for 30-40% of the official attendance, it would still be a world record.
More than 28,000 items of merchandise were sold, including 7,000 items of team kit and training-wear. This doesn't even sound that impressive. I really wouldn't be surprised if Surrey and Middlesex each sold more than 7,000 of their own kits to fans per year, whilst 'items of merchandise' could mean everything from a £1 bumper sticker to a £10 baseball cap.
More runs per ball in the men's competition than the IPL, and more in the women's competition than the WBBL. This one doesn't really fit in any of the categories, so it might as well go here. The comparison with the IPL and WBBL seems a little odd. My entirely untested view on this is that Indian and Australian grounds typically seem larger than English ones on TV, which therefore makes it easier to hit sixes and have a higher scoring rate in England. Near the halfway point of The Hundred, statistician Ric Finlay said that the scoring rate in the men's Hundred was 143.21 as opposed to 141.64 in the 2021 T20 Blast. It's hardly a huge step forwards, at least in this country.
A revenue of roughly £50 million, which gives a profit of £10 million to re-invest in cricket. These figures have been questioned by a lot of people, as they don't include the costs of the £1.3 million annual payments to each of the eighteen first-class counties (a total of £23.4 million per year). If this were included, The Hundred couldn't be expected to make an annual profit until at least the next TV deal in 2025. One might also be forgiven for being cynical about the ECB's intention to direct this 'surplus' towards grassroots cricket when (for example) the bonuses for ECB executives (£2.1 million) is almost the same as their annual donation for Chance To Shine (£2.5 million).
A 230% increase in the number of junior fixtures in August 2021 compared to 2017-19. 10,000 more adult fixtures being played in club cricket compared to 2019. A 900% increase in the number of kids playing in All Stars and Dynamos during The Hundred competition time. This has been a weird year. In terms of club cricket, the majority of games are typically held before August because that is when most children, and their parents, are away on holiday and therefore unavailable for games or training sessions. This year, there were a lot of restrictions related to COVID-19 until July 19th and a lot of people won't be going away on holiday this summer.
It is also worthwhile to consider what the ECB's source of information for these fixture figures is. It seems likely that it is via PlayCricket, the ECB's website/app for cricket club administration and scoring. It has been mentioned that some club leagues have insisted clubs use PlayCricket more this year than in the past, which may have the effect of clubs posting games on the ECB website (friendlies, intra-squad matches, etc) which they would not have done before. Whether these figures reflect an actual increase in matches or just greater use of PlayCricket is yet to be seen.
Over 101,000 children taking part in ECB-run National Programmes this summer. 10,000 kids had free access to Dynamos cricket thanks to Sky's sponsorship. 160 hubs in cities across the country have worked with over 20,000 young people, and 10,000 more have attended cricketing school breakfast clubs set up by the ECB. The headline figure of 101,000 seems great, until you consider the statistics which follow it. The ECB has launched Dynamos, which targets slightly older kids at clubs which already hold All Stars sessions, as well as the new hubs and breakfast clubs which all presumably are counted as "ECB-run National Programmes". It seems probable that the only like-for-like comparison, the number of children in All Stars cricket, has actually fallen quite sharply. This is unsurprising and unavoidable in a pandemic-affected year, but the figures given seem quite misleading.
All Stars and Dynamos have seen 27,000 girls, 13,000 children from ethnically diverse backgrounds and over 3,000 disabled children pick up a bat and ball. Is this better than previous years, or non-branded junior club cricket sessions? Because the ECB has never consistently released data of participation, and when it does it is cherry-picked to support their decision like the ones above, I have absolutely no idea whether it is good or bad.
? Perhaps the most important figure is the one that the ECB hasn't included: Total participation. The number of senior and/or junior players in England and Wales has fallen in every season from about 2010 onwards. To be clear: I'm not getting this from official figures, because the ECB doesn't release them (unlike, for example, Cricket Australia). However, I do know that if the number of club cricketers had increased in that period then the ECB would have spared no effort or expense in letting everyone know about it, and how they were responsible. There would be press releases, TV interviews, open-top bus parades around St. John's Wood, and so on. Their continued silence just reaffirms that, in spite of everything they've said, club cricket is in decline overall.
That's A Bonus
Part of the ECB's eagerness to extoll the positive effects of The Hundred might be explained by the fact that their executives are apparently due to share a massive £2.1m in "performance-related" bonuses, based on reaching goals from their "Inspiring Generations" strategy document. This has been greeted with almost universal disbelief. Several defences and rationales for why the ECB executives should still receive this money have been offered, but none have been more complete than that by former ECB chairman Colin Graves. In an interview with the Guardian, he said:
"[The executives] have won the men's World Cup [in 2019], the women's World Cup [in 2017], secured the best broadcast deal in the history of the sport [worth £1.1bn], got the Hundred up and running and managed to stage a full summer of international cricket behind closed doors in 2020, despite a global pandemic. English cricket would have gone bust and they saved it."
I must have missed Tom Harrison bowling England to victory in the 2017 women's World Cup, or Sanjay Patel completing the run out at the very end of the 2019 men's World Cup. Whilst such victories are undoubtedly group efforts, requiring the support of a multitude of people behind the scenes, few people outside of a former executive would place the importance of the top brass over that of the players on the field.
If these executives did "save English cricket", it was also them who endangered its life by spending all of the ECB's £70 million reserves (in 2016) on The Hundred (either directly, or using it to bribe counties into supporting a new competition). That £70 million would have been incredibly helpful for an unexpected event like (for example) a one-a-century global pandemic threatened all professional and amateur sport around the world.
If there is one group of people who did save (professional) cricket in England, it's the West Indies and Pakistan teams who toured here in 2020. They came at an uncertain time, into a country with a high rate of infections, and spent almost all of their time here locked in their cricket grounds/hotels. I am sure it was a thoroughly unpleasant experience, for which they received little reward. Had they not come, it seems likely that the ECB would have lost most if not all of the Sky TV deal which it required to keep themselves and the counties afloat financially during the pandemic. If saving English cricket is the criteria for these bonuses, give it to them instead of the executives.
Graves also suggested that the bonus payments are a contractual matter in which no one (including the ECB, its chairman or the executives themselves) have any say over. That is simply not a credible argument after the last eighteen months. The England men's players agreed a substantial cut in their own bonuses last year. Men's county cricketers agreed to several pay cuts, including to their minimum salary. Men's players in The Hundred agreed a 20% pay cut. These were all based on signed contracts, where the players and the PCA would have been entirely within their rights to demand the full amounts due. But they didn't because they were persuaded, quite possibly by the ECB executives, that the game had a much greater need for that money elsewhere and that they could afford to take a financial hit in exchange for safeguarding the game that has given them so much.
The players at least had a choice. The ECB executives sacked 62 members of staff last year to cut costs, and many more at the counties will have lost their jobs too. For them, and the ECB staff members left behind with pay freezes and more work to handle with fewer colleagues, these news reports are about as welcome as a cup of cold vomit. That £2.1 million might well have saved a lot of their jobs, if nothing else. The fact that word of the bonuses was apparently leaked to the press might serve as a warning to Tom Harrison and the other executives, as you would imagine that there are a lot of skeletons in their closets (as well as their email folders and expense accounts) which their underpaid, overworked, and probably very angry underlings could email to friendly journalists.
The idea which Graves raised that the ECB's executives are irreplaceable due to their genius-like intelligence is undercut by one simple fact: They did not see this backlash coming at all. Once it did come, they have not appeared to do anything about it. They have managed to upset the players, their staff (basically everyone in the whole organisation not getting the bonus), and the fans (always the least important group for them). That's not being smart. It's being greedy, and arrogant, and uncaring.
On a personal note, the idea of executive bonuses tied to targets has always baffled me somewhat. I am an employee who has always been very near the lower end of any organisational chart, and the idea of being paid extra for doing your job well has always been a distant dream to me. If I meet the targets set for me, I get to keep my job. If I don't, I would be fired. The idea that I could achieve essentially none of my goals and still receive 80% of my wages sounds like a very nice employment contract to have.
As has been said by many people, the genuinely irreplaceable people in English cricket are the volunteers who run our clubs. The people who give vast amounts of their time and money to make it possible for virtually anyone in the country to play cricket every weekend through the summer. The chairs, coaches, players, groundskeepers, umpires, cooks, bar staff, and everyone else who sacrifices a lot and may well have had a very hard time of it in the past year. They get very little support from the ECB, and almost none personally from Tom Harrison and the other executives. Although £2.1 million might not be much when shared between the thousands of clubs across the country, this would have been a far better use of the money than having an extra wing built on Château Costume Vide.
At this point, I don't expect much to change. The ECB's playbook in such cases is normally to wait out the initial wave of fury and then do what they want anyway. You could see that in The Hundred, and the accusations of racism at Yorkshire, and in multiple other examples. If they cared about what people thought, they wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.
If you have anything to say about the unmitigated gall of the ECB's executives, the Test series, or anything else, post your comments below.
ECB, Tom Harrison
England vs. India, 3rd Test, Day 4 – Hold The Line
Aug 28, 2021 Aug 28, 2021 Sean7 Comments
After what can only be described as a hard fought and gritty day of cricket yesterday, did anyone really believe England would roll over in India in a session this morning? I certainly didn't when I volunteered /told it was my bloody turn to write today's match report despite knowing that I was due to meet a friend for lunch. Still, I thought it would be easy to catch up on things especially as it was a bright sunny day in Headingley. Oh, how I was wrong.
So, I'm in the situation of having to write up the report despite only seeing the first half hour of play and consequently one wicket to fall, that of Pujara who misjudged a seaming delivery from Robinson and was given out LBW on review. From there it was a procession of Indian wickets many of which were casual wafts outside the off stump, which never ends well in English conditions. Naturally the most concerning for India, aside from Pant's dreadful form, is the continued struggles of Virat Kohli who once edged a ball to the slips on a 4th stump line. It is somewhat reminiscent of when Kohli first toured England and whilst no doubt he remains one of the world's premier batsmen, there is obviously a technical flaw in his game as all six of his dismissals have been pretty much the same. I have no doubt he'll be working hard to address it, but fast bowlers from every cricketing nation will all have a keen eye on his form in the rest of the series.
Naturally, the English bowlers couldn't have cared less if they tried. Robinson was once again the pick of the bowlers with a nagging off stump line and length that Josh Hazelwood has earnt his living from. I thought he bowled well yesterday without much luck, so a Michelle was fully deserved. Robinson was ably assisted by Craig Overton, who despite seeming to be the odd one out in most squads, bowled with good control and Moeen who as he often does, bowls some outstanding wicket taking deliveries but can also mix it up with some dross.
The best thing about the Test (no it's not Jarvo) is the sheer turn around in fortunes from the result at Lords. Many, myself included, pretty much wrote England off after the calamitous defeat at Lords, so to go to Headingley and then thrash India by an innings and 76 runs shows how Test cricket is still the greatest format. The ECB's treatment of their Test squad is nothing short of shoddy, but for the players and coaching staff to rally round after the Lord's disaster and to then produce a performance like the one we saw, shows that we should give them some great credit as a squad. Of course, they won't be able to claim any of the £2.1million bonus on offer, that's only available to those who are trying to kill our county game. Plus ca change!
On a final note, now the Headingley Test match is consigned to the books, it must be time for the ECB to grow a backbone and pressure Yorkshire County Cricket Club to release the Azeem Rafiq report. I find it incredulous that no-one from the top echelons has realised the damage this is doing not just to Azeem but to the wider game with rumours and counter rumours abound. My guess is that no-one from Yorkshire will come out looking good from it, hence the delay, but if we're serious about trying to promote equality and eradicate racism from our game, then the release of this report can't come soon enough.
As always, any thoughts on the game are gratefully received below.
England v India – 3rd Test, Day 3 – The World Is Full Of Fools, Who Never Get It Right
Aug 27, 2021 LordCanisLupus24 Comments
"Sack The ECB – Save Test Cricket" Banner on Aircraft Flying Over Headingley
After two days of out of character cricket, normal-ish service was resumed today. England struggled to make the same breakthroughs India did from the second day tea interval, and as they had done on the first day. In truth it made for a compelling (which is probably the cricketing equivalent of football's "intriguing" – aka dull) day's play. The weather matched the mood, the grey skies not seeming as threatening. India batted sensibly and, as I start this report with about an hour's play to go, have set a decent base to eliminate the deficit. With their long tail (and I am really tempting fate) and a long time to go, India will probably need to bat until lunch (or just before) on Sunday to make a game of it.
England started the day in fine shape, and would probably have been very disappointed to add so few this morning. We did have the bizarre sight though of a number 10 on 0 turning down a single to protect a number 11 with a test best of 81! Still, a lead of 354 is a rare pleasure, and like all pessimists, I've found a way England can lose from here (indeed, while I was listening on TMS, they raised the very game I was thinking of – Durban in 2004).
The ball swung early but this time edges weren't induced. A bungled review deprived England of a morning wicket until the last ball before lunch when Overton induced an edge and Bairstow took a fine catch to dismiss Rahul. Rohit Sharma played a watchful role, and I think his slowest 50 in tests, before falling to an LBW appeal upheld by Richard Kettleborough. Ollie Robinson breathed a sigh of relief when on review the ball was ruled to be grazing the leg stump. It was actually nice to hear Deep Dasgupta on the radio saying he had little problem with the decision and it definitely wasn't a howler. He won't go far if he doesn't dive in with a controversial take when the situation presents itself.
Those were the two wickets to fall. Cheteshwar Pujara played an innings the world knows he is capable of, but hasn't shown so far, with a little more fluidity and solidity. He will be looking to move towards a real big one. He is also playing himself a little bit more into form, and so has his compatriot at the other end. To me Virat's bat still doesn't come down as straight as it does in his pomp, and he's maybe not playing quite as late to my untrained eye (and it is), but it won't take much to put that together, and the length of time he spent out there today could be of huge benefit.
England were forced to bowl spin for the last 10 or so overs of the day, and so allowed India to take another 20 or 30 off the lead while looking largely unthreatening – although Root got one to go through the gate and bounce over Virat's stumps. India finished the day on 215 for 2 – Pujara unbeaten on 91, Kohli on 44. England will have something to think about and India will feel a bit better, knowing there is a ton of work to do. England have the new ball to take first thing tomorrow.
And that's about it, really. Sometimes there is no sense in trying to tell you something more than what happened. It is, in its way the essence of test cricket, ebb and flow. Hard work wins games, and getting into great positions allows you to have days like these and still be in it. 139 behind is not as great as it could have been (I wouldn't have bowled spin for 10 overs and let India milk it, but that's a minor criticism).
Of course, there was the aeroplane, and some joker in a cricket costume. Vic Marks and Jonathan Agnew were joking on the radio that Harrison would be looking to see who had put that aeroplane banner up, but that would give credence to the assumption that he cares a jot what people think. I've not seen evidence of that. As the Lightning Seeds sang in the song of the lyric above "A change in style, for a little while, is only make believe". That could apply to England, it could apply to Tom Harrison allowing himself to be interviewed.
A few other quick thoughts to finish off the day. RIP Ted Dexter. While people of my generation will always remember him from the chairman of selector days, when heaven only knows what I would have written about him if the blog was a thing, his career and reputation as a dashing batsman also stood tall. No-one will ever doubt his commitment to the game, and his love of it. The rankings were his brainchild, I do believe, and so I could blame him from Cricviz! But that would be unfair. A life lived well, we can only aim to try to do the same.
I have listened to a lot of TMS in the last couple of days. There are some good parts, some not so. Some good analysis, some absolute nonsense. I suppose that's life. I then get to watch the last hour and a half on TV, and I am sorry, but Bumble's days must be numbered. Mustn't they. As I am wont to say at the moment, "not for me, Clive".
India will continue their graft tomorrow….
"Cause I'll be working long as my two hands are fit to use, I drink a little beer that evening, Sing a little bit of these working man blues" Merle Haggard
Comments on today and tomorrow's action below.
England vs India: 3rd Test, Day Two – Normal Test Cricket
Aug 26, 2021 dannycricket15 Comments
I joined Being Outside Cricket in 2017. This may well be the first time that I've been asked to write the match report for a day where England have batted through the whole day, with just one collapse in the evening session. I am genuinely stumped on what to write.
The day began in a similar vein to the day before, with conditions favouring the bowling team. The ball started swinging and seaming again, and India's attack thoroughly testing England's newest opening partnership. Burns and Hameed did well to survive as long as they did, Hameed taking a blow to the head after ducking into a not-quite bouncer, before both fell in the morning session. Malan impressed at three, scoring at a decent rate (unlike, arguably, his T20I performances) and putting India on the back foot.
Joe Root came in and did what he's done all year: Make Test batting look ridiculously easy. This was his sixth century from eleven Tests in 2021. Where Hameed and Burns struggled and got tied down by Bumrah and Shami, Root seemed like he was facing a bunch of club cricketers. He scored singles at will and hit the bad balls for boundaries. It was only in the last hour, when he looked physically and mentally shattered, that India were able to dismiss him. It's difficult to think of an English batter who has been in such dominant form over this period of time. At the same time, the constant attention he needs on his back during these long innings makes me only too aware of how fragile and fleeting this might be. Particularly considering the usual level of competence that England's medical team usually displays.
Bairstow added a useful 29 runs, but his dismissal led to a flurry of wickets. Buttler, Ali and Root all fell within the space of a few overs. In their defence, they may have been disoriented by coming to the crease with a healthy first innings lead and facing tired, dispirited bowlers. It will have been a long time since they faced such a situation.
This innings from England's top order has been historically good. It began with the first England opening partnership to last 50 overs since 2016, coincidentally when Haseeb Hameed was last in the team. Each of England's top four went on to score at least fifty, which last occurred in 2013. This is by far the most complete batting performance England have managed in recent years. That said, it is important to avoid hyperbole and remain at least somewhat balanced. The pattern in recent years has been for promising batters to come into the side, impress at first before being 'found out' and unable to adapt to bowling attacks targeting their weaknesses. There have been too many false dawns for England's batting, and the past few years have beaten all but the merest sliver of hope out of me.
With a first innings lead of 345, it's hard to see any other result than an England win in this game. Given that the morning sessions have been the best times to bowl in this game so far, an early declaration might give Anderson the best chance to run through the Indian top order for a second time.
Off the field, I am surprised by how little attention the Yorkshire CCC report (or the lack of a report) has been getting. There seemed to be a groundswell of pressure building up to this game, but it has largely been ignored during the game itself. I am conflicted on this, since I definitely prefer watching cricket to hearing about bad stuff happening behind the scenes. I fear that the chances of there being a real positive change in English cricket decreases the longer Yorkshire are able to delay facing their own issues. The ECB and PCA's silence on the matter has been deafening, but also unsurprising. I don't think any progress is likely to be made until pressure from outside, whether fans, the press, or politicians force Yorkshire and the ECB into action, and that isn't happening right now.
Thanks for reading. If you have any comments about the game, or anything else, leave them below.
England vs India: 3rd Test, Day One – Resurrection Joe
Cricket is a bloody weird game. Virat Kohli couldn't win a toss, India's tail-enders were smashing the England bowlers around the park, England (bar the captain) were unable to determine which end of the bat is which, and more of the same was due today. Except it didn't happen. None of it happened. Instead we got a day of total English domination, and an India team in need of a something approaching a sporting miracle to get away with anything other than a defeat. After one day. The usual rules about not tempting fate applied to the eternally pessimistic England fans, but more than anything, as many were quick to note, this was most similar to the opening day of the Melbourne 2010 Test match, with the difference that here India chose to bat.
India's batting hasn't looked that hot in the series so far, but crumbling to 78 all out wasn't on the agenda. Cue lots of complaining from the sub-continent about the pitch, which would have been a fair point had England not coasted past their total in the evening sunshine with all wickets standing. It was cloudy, there was some swing and some seam, but hardly excessive, and by Headingley standards, relatively tame. Though the injured Stuart Broad was quick to point out in the morning that it tends to get better for batting and that choosing to bat was a brave call. There's a fair degree of mind-games in that of course, and it seems unlikely that Root would have sent India in had he called correctly. Cliches always abound in such circumstances, but "a good toss to lose" may well be a reasonable assessment.
In the morning session Anderson operated on that serene higher level that he can sometimes reach, especially at home. There are endless banal superlatives that can be applied to him, but at 39 years old and still able to crank it up to the mid eighties miles per hour (this perhaps is the most remarkable thing about him – his skill won't wane, but his athleticism will) and with all the nous of a 20 year career, he was far above the level of any of his team-mates, and ripped out the heart of the India batting. He's just someone to be enjoyed.
Four down at lunch, India had the chance to recover if they batted well, but if the morning had been about an exceptional Anderson, the afternoon was about some pretty ropey batting. Rishab Pant played a really poor shot, and then four wickets in six balls destroyed the innings entirely, kicked off by a shocker from Rohit Sharma.
Nothing gives a batting order quite so much confidence as knowing you've skittled the opposition for peanuts; nothing makes a bowling attack less incisive than knowing you've barely any runs to defend. Ishant Sharma hardly helped things with a dire first over of no balls, wides and boundaries, and the tone was set. Burns and Hameed batted with confidence and some panache at times, but you could almost see the hope draining out of the Indian team, as fielding errors were made and catches dropped. In the time honoured style of a side in trouble, India tried to get the ball changed, and eventually succeeded, only for Burns to pull it into the stands for a rare six. If ever a metaphor for how bad a day India have had was needed, there it was. Both Burns and Hameed passed fifty, in the case of the latter in particular, a welcome return to Test runs. Few will be anything other than delighted for him.
Oh yes. Over-rate. Again. It's doubtful many of the crowd felt shortchanged by once again falling far short of the required 90 overs, and equally India are hardly going to hurry given the match position. But it's now routine not to bowl the minimum mandated overs and nothing is ever done about it. Today won't matter, hell, it probably won't matter in this match, but it's situation normal these days.
India need to have an exceptional morning tomorrow just to recover the situation to one of being in deep trouble. If they could bowl England out for another hundred or so, then just maybe they could turn it around. But that would still require an exceptional 2nd innings on their part. India might win every remaining day and still lose the game heavily. One day into this match, and England are closing on a win. Final point: The Hundred wasn't the reason for England's capitulation in the 2nd Test, and today doesn't mean that the structure of the domestic game isn't damaging the Test side. It's not that hard to avoid kneejerk reactions, but too hard for some even so.
England, England vs India 2021, India
A Sort Of Preview – Picture It Now, See Just How, The Lies And Deceit Gained A Little More Power
Aug 24, 2021 Aug 24, 2021 LordCanisLupus12 Comments
"The Grabbing Hands, Grab All They Can, All For Themselves, After All" Martin Gore
It seems to me that most sport now seems to exist to relieve the public at large of their money. There does not seem to be that sense of getting things right, striking a balance between the need to fund and the need to maintain the history of where the sport came from. There does not seem to be any real priority in making sport, in totality, for all. It doesn't seek to inspire through context, it doesn't seek to exhilarate through tradition. It doesn't so much as seek context these days, rather than to create it. It looks at the past and turns up its nose. Evolve, change or stagnate.
Tomorrow the third test of what is England's largest money-spinning series will begin in the last week of August – you could even laugh at the fact that this is a Bank Holiday weekend, yet given England's batting form, the chances of two of those three days having cricket is slim, unless, weather. Definitely no chance of Bank Holiday finale action. The circus will be on to the Oval for the non-final test of the summer, because, well, reasons for that too. Can't have a non-working day with test cricket, can we?
There are still two test matches to go, with the series concluding on 14 September. While not quite in Autumn's full blast, we are not far away. That, in itself, is slightly maddening, with five tests crammed into around 6 or so weeks. Sure, in the past, we played India in three test series – indeed in 1986 and 2007 India won those events – but now money means five test series are back for the mightiest financial foe. Let's see how many the World Champion test team gets the next time they come over. Put it this way, when India came over in 2018, total ECB turnover for the year was £172m. In 2019, with an Ashes summer and a World Cup it was £227m. The last year without either, 2017 it was £125m and the year before that, £112m. Sorry New Zealand. Big Three and ICC only matter here. Money talks louder than Maces.
To wail against this is to be shaking a fist at a cloud. It doesn't matter to those up there. It doesn't even matter really to the players. I have sympathy with top players who cite major hardships in long tours, and especially in this climate of bubbles and Covid. I am not fully aware of the financial consequences of this at this stage – views are that players took a pay cut last year – but that has most certainly not been the direction of travel. Players get a lot more than they used to, and the IPL and increasing TV contract values are major contributors. Top test players in this country are very well rewarded, and to a degree, so they should be. But spare me the "short career" cobblers I hear for the justification. They earn more for providing us with the same content, but we have to pay for it. I am not doubting that they all love test cricket, this England team, and they are all trying their hardest. But for some, failure isn't quite the disaster it might have been. For Sibley, being dropped, with the voices heard behind him, is a calamity. For KP, being sacked allowed him to become a T20 gun for hire – not deniable – and while being excluded stung, it wasn't a career, or money-earner, ending decision. Two different talents, two different environment. An even further cry from the days of 2005. The AD of English Cricket.
Let's take my usual trip to the Oval Test back in the day – ended because the fan experience was too expensive, too uncomfortable and I didn't fancy doing an impression of a beer towel. Now if memory serves, my Ashes ticket for the Oval in 2005 was somewhere around £50. I could dig it out, but let's go with that. India used to be considerably less than that – around £35-40 for my seats. Now those prices have, at least, doubled up until now. With inflation bobbing below 3% for all of that 15 year interlude, and sometimes a fair way below that, the cost has increased in real terms. So have the value of TV contracts. Both of these are what we pay for, prices set by the powers that be.
So I'll get my little moan in first with the players. You have sources of income at the very highest level that were only dreams back in the day. Get an IPL contract and it can be very lucrative. Get on the T20 train, and you can accumulate some nice amounts. Be a red-ball star seems too much like hard work, with only the very top getting the really big amounts. Players, with their short careers, aren't going to be human if they don't want to take the shorter route. Why play in tests? The danger is not that they don't see the value and history – clearly players like Kohli, for all his sins, most certainly do – but that the authorities, our authority patently by their actions, don't give the first toss about it. Joe Root still hankers after T20 status, while being England's greatest player in a generation in tests. Why? He's so good at batting they made him captain!
Tomorrow England go into the 3rd Test with half a squad injured, replacements having had little, if any, first class, red-ball cricket since before England had played the Euro 2020/21 Final (and that seems a lifetime ago) and yet they make no statement to tell the world just how they've cocked up this schedule except Covid. How that has meant no red-ball cricket this year, you tell me. If anyone is buying this crap, then don't open your e-mail account, and certainly not that one from a retired General who can't get his money out of his homeland. Harrison hid behind this ludicrous fig-leaf while being marginally threatened in an interview with Atherton – I will come to that when I do a full review of it, soon – as if it explained everything. Covid devastated finances last year, and will affect this years to a lesser degree. There is some sympathy there, even gratitude for some cricket last year But don't push it. Because, as you mentioned back in 2015 old pal, you have serious trust issues with yours truly, your humble scribe, and many others out there. And I really think you need to rebuild that trust with us obsessives before crying in front of us. One might even start to believe there is an ounce of humility in your soul.
And then, Ali Martin dropped the bombshell last night. As part of some cooked-up little earner back in the day, around "six or seven" ECB senior staff are going to share around £2.1m between themselves. It appears to be contractual, so has to be paid. There wasn't a dry eye in the house to hear that Tom Harrison had taken a pay cut to just over half a million quid (double what Downton was paid, for example) from his astronomical £700k which he got in the 2018/19 accounts. Presumably this was a "reward" for getting Sky to bid against themselves and raise the TV cash. Sky get to keep all the crown jewels safely away from the hoi polloi, and ECB get to tell the world that they are saving the game, and women's cricket, and disabled cricket and so on.
(Note – According to the 2018 accounts, the highest paid employee received £604k. In 2019 they received £719k. In 2020 they received £582k. 2021 accounts are not due until 31/10 – they can be earlier – and he is reported, it seems to be receiving a basic salary of £512k). In Harrison's first two years the highest earner was on £341k and £360k. In Paul Downton's last year, that number for the highest earner was £290k – if interested here is a link to it all – https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03251364/filing-history?page=1 ).
Since the high water mark, Harrison has set about county cricket in the same way Liam Gallagher sets about peacemaking with his brother. Making the turkeys vote for Christmas, he and Graves pulled recalcitrant counties into line with bribery and threats. It amazes me, oh well, no it doesn't that the ECB's Articles of Association STILL refer to a new Twenty20 tournament to start in 2020, but we've been down this line before about how the Hundred was a formatting solution in search of a problem. In doing so, and you know the story, the ECB, guided on this sensitive path by a man with all the subtlety of your average road-builder, various representatives when selling this Hundred revolution insulted county fans as "obsessives", mums and children as too thick to understand the game in its current form, and promising family friendly fun for 6 hours while the bars will still open. In doing so he created new teams with no roots, players who came from the system he apparantly wants to marginalise, and also laid waste to a schedule so that the current World 50 over champions don't play it at domestic level, the test team is a sick joke, and all the eggs are in a T20 World Cup basket in alien conditions where a bad half hour can render all planning meaningless.
Since then we have had pundits falling over themselves to call the thing a success, when before the competition, when the ECB were bricking it there was only mention of developing a product, a brand, and the age old scammer's charter of "long-term engagement" and "raising awareness" with undefined results in public that the old con merchants will set later and meet. Most of these, including pundits long-since bereft of credibility, commentators who appeared to binge on ecstasy before screaming at the populace to be awestruck at another hit-and-giggle fest, paid stooges, laughable social media "influencers", tweeters we'll only hear about this time next year, and possibly worst of all, paid "analytical" firms who see this nonsense as a potential entry to flogging their stat-gobbledegook to the IPL.
And boy, there's a post coming about that lot, so I'm keeping my powder dry there. You are supposedly analysing, not acting as the Hundred's PR company. The computer-geek equivalent of the know-nothing asking you "who's winning". No more.
And then, these people in charge are getting their huge salaries, and they are huge, increased. Having sacked the grunts last year. Having alienated a ton of the core support. Having cast any non-believer into the wilderness and told them to ignore the hundred elephants in the room because it is "not for them". Having refused to speak to some of the cricket media, because, and I roughly quote "we have given up hope of being given fair coverage by certain media outlets". They said that to Paul effing Hayward. Hardly a rabble rousing, tabloid lunatic.
These people have crashed and burned, set the fans against each other, claimed that they are the victims of some mad fringe, and then, rewarded themselves with lots of cash to tell them that they were all on the side of right and ability in the end. If I were the new Chairman of the ECB, and having had his experience of consultants and free-loading loudmouths in the procurement arena of the civil service, I wouldn't just fire this lot, I'd put them in a cannon and fire them into space. Following Clarke and Graves isn't just going to grant him a honeymoon period – coming on stage after those two should be the definition of an easy ride – but you wouldn't put it past the head hunted ECB honcho to cock it up. It's what they do.
Because not only have they done all this sterling groundwork, which Borat couldn't have scripted, and thought they have been brilliant and innovative in doing so, they then throw out the implied threat, in that charlatan, mealy-mouthed word of "Retention", that if you don't pay these magnificent specimens what they deserve, they'll leave, and their undoubted skills will travel with them, never to be replaced by mere mortals who might actually be able to conduct an interview that isn't softball and not look like they are confessing to the Great Train Robbery, or not get a quote that they won't deal with you because you are just so beastly to a magazine edited by a buffoon who once appointed himself number 39 in England's most important power figures. I like my CEO at work. He turned around a team that were beaten down by an appalling prior regime. I know him well, get on well with him, he respects me, it would be terrible if he left. But leave he will. They all do. And someone takes their place. That is the way of the world. You aren't paying them to retain them – if the Premier League offered anyone of them a much higher paying role, they'd be gone in a heartbeat. Retention implies a lack of loyalty. A lack of commitment. A lack of long-term thinking. It takes those paying for it, and directly and indirectly, it is us, for mugs. But in the nearly 8 years now since that ill-fated Ashes tour, the ECB have been doing precisely that. We want to retain these people? Can someone give me a good reason why?
At the moment the ECB, the so-called guardian of the game in all its guises, is presiding over a racism case that it seems steadfastly unable, or unwilling, to chivvy along so that the giant ball of poison that it appears to contain can be addressed. Azeem Rafiq is finding out that justice delayed, isn't simply justice denied, but humanity erased, as Yorkshire get set to hold its first test v India since 2007. Danny is following this a lot more closely and may well add more to this when he does the match report on Thursday (currently according to our schedule) but as someone not as clued up, I see an accused prevaricating and kicking things into the longest grass they can, an accuser being held out to dry, and a governing body earning its bonus by hiding behind the couch, when real leadership would be, frankly, kicking Yorkshire CCC's heads in. And they moan that someone might not think the Hundred is being reported on fairly, but stay silent over this horror? That's leadership for you.
Oh, before I forget, to ameliorate some of the more mealy-mouthed in the reporting establishment. Of course a load of people at the ECB do a good job. A lot of them are totally committed, and possibly chronically underpaid and undervalued. Many of them, after last year, are also out of jobs. They deserve our support when necessary, our sympathy when appropriate, We all know who I am talking about. Those at the top who have sold themselves as cricket's saviours, the heroes and heroines dragging us into the 21st century and beyond, engaging new fans as if the decisions of the past were made by some other body to take the sport, lock, stock and live barrels, off "free to air", the single most catastrophic mistake made by the body in causing the current participation malaise. They make themselves sound like Red Adair, but they tap dance around the truth like Lionel Blair (other people with that surname, possibly available), scream nonsense like Ric Flair, and have all the moral fortitude of Yogi Bear (was he a coward? or was that Scooby Doo – well they appear not to have a Scooby*, so that works)?
There's a test match starting tomorrow. You might not know because you were blown away by a tedious couple of Lord's finals. Mark Nicholas marvelled at Liam Livingstone you know. Anyway, your guess at the line-up for England is as good as mine. Haseeb to open with Burns, Malan at three? Pope at six? Sam Curran keeps his place because everyone else has fallen over. Saqib Mahmood to debut? Don't get me on the Mark Wood injury – another winner from the medical marvels. Will Joe Root continue to carry more passengers that the Staten Island Ferry? Are India going to change their team. Will they look for another fight, have another few rows, with the England peace corps? Who knows. It's test cricket, and no-one will be raving about the DJs or other guff.
This has been a rant and a half, and I don't think I've covered half of it. I haven't mentioned how Chris Silverwood must be thanking his lucky stars all this is going on, because otherwise we might be asking questions about him and his new all-powerful role. Or how Thorpe is doing a great job as batting coach. Or Kohli being an utter arse in the last test. Or bad light. Or how Lord's makes People's Monday a great thing and yet still revels in its exclusivity the rest of the time. And that it is treated as a laugh. Or commentary selection. Or how Vaughan appears to be in two Management teams now, so we can double his conflict of interest accusations. Or how BBC promised a new, invigorating approach to the Hundred and gave us Duffers and Torn. Or how Sibley and Crawley have been cast to the wind in favour of magic beans. Or Jos Buttler giving off warning signs. Ben Stokes being out of cricket. The Royal London fighting for survival and being really really good and the charlatans who strangled it want credit for not killing it. The list just bloody goes on.
Oh. I forgot. The Hundred was marvelous for women's cricket. You have to say that. First because it is true. And second because if you don't, you clearly have an agenda.
So enjoy the test match, held at the ground of a club suppressing a potentially devastating report into wrongdoing, governed by a board that rewards its senior staff and wants to keep them because clearly they've not done enough damage yet, and watched by us. The poor punter who no-one actually, really, gives a flying f*ck about unless they really, really need your money. Pay up and shut up. Flick on the TV, Click on approved social media.
"Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was." David Byrne
*For some readers this is even more gibberish than the rest of this. Scooby Doo = Clue. So not a Scooby means Clueless. Also known as being Alicia. As in the star of the film Clueless.
PS – Not even read the Ali Martin piece today about the players being unhappy. How about sacked staff or current employees. Anyone going to tell their story?
Oh, and I did forget. Comments below on the first day's play. On a Wednesday. Just because.
ECB, England vs India 2021, Joe Root, Outside Cricket, Tom HarrisonECB, England v India 2021, Joe Root, Tom Harrison
There's Only Words And Twisted Songs My Dear – The End Of The Second Test
"The past is a candle at great distance; it is too close to let you quit, it is too far to comfort you."
I guess the person who put together that little beauty of a quote couldn't have been at Adelaide Oval in 2006, and probably wasn't one of the paying guests today on "People's Monday" at the second home of English Cricket (accept no pale North London imitations). While the gold standard of last day disasters for an England supporter could be that fateful December day nearly 15 years ago, while following the action today two other magnificent meltdowns entered my mind. Of course there was Day 4 at Headingley in 2014 – a fustercluck of captaincy and frazzled brains that Moeen Ali's fifth day brilliance could not save. The second….well you might wait a little.
According to my Twitter feed, the captaincy, or abject lack of it today, brought back those harrowing memories of 2014 for me. Even a tweet from a member of my favourite band you have never heard of…
Game gone. Awful tactics, awful mentality. Lost it with whatever pathetic thing transpired with Bumrah. Now we're bowling at tailenders with a spinner and medium pace left-hander. These batsmen couldn't have asked for anything better. #bbccricket
— John 'Trafik' Elliott (@JohnTrafik) August 16, 2021
If there was anyone even close to being a shoe-in for the top 5 who was even a semi-competent strategist, Root would be done for as captain. But there isn't, so he's safe. Stupendous batsmen, below average captain. #bbccricket
By the way, None But The Brave remains an amazing album.
No, I was actually reminded more of a June day in 1989. England were playing Australia in the first test of that series, at Headingley, the location that had scars for all Aussies, or so they said. I was a mere teenager, actually working in a temp job as a ward clerk in a private hospital in Stepney. Many was the time during the day I would sneak into one of the patients private rooms to bring them a cup of tea or something, and then sit with one sports mad fellow who had the cricket on. The chiefs in charge soon realised that the tea didn't take that long (they were really pissed off I sat in and watched the Derby) and I couldn't pay so much time. However, that day started without an apparent threat. A flat pitch, 1260 runs for 20 wickets on the board, England needing to bat out time. Except, from nowhere, they didn't. It was scarcely believable. How the hell had we lost on that deck? To the worst Australian team to leave those shores?
I wasn't invited back when my two week period expired at London Independent. I wasn't overly depressed. The stories I could tell…..
"No matter how much suffering you went through, you never wanted to let go of those memories"
So said a supposedly wise person, and they were right. Adelaide and Headingley, both 1989 and 2014, as well as other utter disasters mean that the Cardiffs and Cape Towns, Kandys and Centurions mean so much more. There are the abject failures and the heroic escapes. Test cricket provides you with the full spectrum of possibilities, and the game never ceases to surprise. Just yesterday test cricket reminded you of its taut brilliance with the last wicket win by the West Indies, and the massive efforts of Pakistan to grab that win. Snippy Hundred "agitators" made their points, and were brushed off, in the manner that Michael Jordan might brush off a lippy scoring guard back in the day. Test cricket stretches the nerves for hours on end. All England fans knew this could go sideways, no matter how much they had to chase. That the chase was largely academic….
Foresight is not about predicting the future, it's about minimising surprise.
The cliche was writ. All four results were possible today. I thought only two were, and, despite the runs India had, it included them winning and us winning. A draw only came into play if it rained (and a band missed London). When the day started the thinking was "if England get Pant early, then it is really on for England". If Pant made runs, then England might find two tricky sessions to bat. The hosts were on top. And they got Pant early, nicking off to Ollie Robinson, soon to be followed by Ishant Sharma.
Then, with the game in the palm of their hand, England appeared to want to settle scores, rather than settle the score. Suddenly we had a bumper barrage, and two reported bunnies hopped around and then whacked it around. From 209 for 8 all the way up to 298 for 8. A half-century for Mohammed Shami, and a test best for Jasprit Bumrah, and an odd declaration two overs after lunch, and England were facing a nominal target of 272. It was nominal, despite the usual bores saying that we should look for England to go for it. They claim to be cricket writers of some repute. No names.
Anyway, those sorts must have felt like lemons when England lost both their openers for ducks, which was the first time this has happened to England at home. Burns getting a weird one to hit to cover, Sibley nicking off as you always might as an opener, but which happens far too frequently. Hameed and Root dug in, with the former avoiding a king pair. His 45 ball stay was promising but not enough, when he was pinned in front LBW – I confess I was not watching live, and only saw the review, and said "I hope that's a not out review and not an England one". Bairstow was nailed on in front before tea, and four down (although bizarrely that was given not out).
Four down at tea, all hopes really rested on Root. That did not last long, with Bumrah getting an edge, and Kohli pouching the catch. Kohli dropped Buttler soon after, and as Jos batted for 96 balls that looked more expensive as the day wore on. Buttler and Ali then saw off a few overs, but Moeen was playing and missing more and more in between some solid defensive work. It just looked inevitable that he was going to nick off, and so he did after nearly 16 overs without a wicket. Sam Curran survived as many balls in this test as a dead man, which incidentally, might be the role he plays in the next test after a chastening game. Ollie Robinson played a sensible knock, but all he was doing, along with Buttler was raising hope. Over to John Cleese in Clockwise
it's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand.
Chris and I exchanged WhatsApps – the hope kills you, defending a draw is just amazing cricket etc., and then it happened. The breakthrough. Robinson pinned in front by Bumrah. Buttler followed shortly after nicking off, and Siraj applied the coup de grace by bowling Anderson to bowl England out for 120 and give India a famous win.
India bowled magnificently, they were feisty, perhaps a little too feisty for some tastes. In this attack, which can leave out Ashwin, they have no easy outlet to relax against. All four seamers played their part. The atmosphere of people's Monday, with many fans of the visitors in attendance, was a bit boisterous as well. It speaks volumes for the stuffiness of Lord's, as with Wimbledon, that to admit the plebs at something approaching an acceptable entrance fee and not to be booked months in advance for a fee that would make moneylenders blush, is something to be celebrated. You might even have seen someone quoted in the Daily Mail (without his permission) about it today!
I am watching the interview with Joe Root, and fair play for him to say his captaincy let them down. There is no doubt that he had a terrible morning, and he has owned it, but for heaven's sake, without his 180 England would have been dead and buried. People might ask "aren't you angry" and the answer is absolutely no. Not with this team. They aren't leaving the best players out through spite. The captain doesn't hide behind a media shield and let people say he's still "learning the job". The bowlers are, Anderson apart, young and upcoming, or with real promise at times. This isn't a team that I don't like. I don't think it is the best team England have, by some long shot, but I am not angry with players that are up against the best or second best team in the world.
No. I am angry at the ECB. I am angry at the Hundred being the only cricket anyone can play who wants international aspirations at red ball cricket. I am angry at the ECB. I am angry at a head of English cricket who has let the game get into such a god-awful mess. I am angry at the ECB. I am angry at a coach who seems not to care overly about the primacy of the test game when there is a T20 international tournament coming up. I am angry at the ECB.
The Head of the ECB, or whatever Harrison has called himself, had the temerity to show up for an interview during this test. He blamed covid, he blamed the schedule and he blamed pretty much everything except himself. I'll go through that nonsense in due course. What we have now, six years after he went out on the balcony and supported Strauss and his trust covenants, is an absolutely disgusting mess. England's test team looks bereft. Root gave about the limpest "we could come back" speech in his post-match interviews, and knows that he has one hand tied behind his back. His governing body, who love the word trust, should never be trusted. This decline has been telegraphed. John Wooden, a famous college basketball coach said "failure isn't fatal, but failure to change might be". If we carry on treating test cricket like this, then we can only expect to fail more. This doesn't feel like 2014. This India team isn't that lot. It's driven. Unless Kohli gives this up, and that isn't going to happen, the rest of the series does not bode well.
Comments below.
England v India: 2nd Test, Day Four – Slow Down
At the beginning of play today, the match was finely poised with all three results possible. By stumps, the odds of either team winning seemed virtually unchanged. And yet, in spite of this, it was a great day of Test cricket with tension and drama throughout. I complain a lot about various aspects of the sport, but games like this remind me why I love it.
The day began with all eyes on Anderson, England fans hoping that he could break through India's top order in the morning. Instead, it was Mark Wood who knocked out both Indian openers. Virat Kohli followed soon after, reaching far outside off the edge a wide delivery from Sam Curran to England's keeper. Kohli has struggled overseas in recent years, averaging just 21.36 outside India in the six Tests he's played since 2020. India have a wealth of batting depth, and I don't get the sense that he is quite as well loved in India as Tendulkar was near the end of his Test career, perhaps Dhoni as well. Whilst he'll certainly see out this tour, I could see him be encouraged to 'retire' from Test cricket if his form doesn't improve in the next year or so. Joe Root had a dip in form himself before a resurgent 2021, but England don't have any young batters seriously pressuring him for a place in the side like India.
England were rampant at this point, looking to take a few more cheap wickets and finish off the match today. Instead, an obdurate batting display from Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane kept the hosts at bay as the two Indian batters were in for almost half the day and dragged the game back to something approaching parity.
Something which genuinely annoys me is when people, and this includes a large portion of the media, insist that batting strike rate is of any real importance in Test cricket. Aside from a few, fairly rare situations (a challenging run chase on day five, for example), it really doesn't matter how quickly you score your runs. Every Test team in the world would prefer a batter with a batting average of 60 and a strike rate of 30 to one with an average of 30 and a strike rate of 60. And yet, despite this, there is a constant narrative that slow-scoring batters are putting pressure on their teammates. I think Rohit Sharma trying to hook a bouncer for six but instead toe-ending it to Moeen Ali or Virat Kohli reaching two feet outside off stump and edging the ball to Buttler probably put more significantly pressure on India than Cheteshwar Pujara playing cautiously.
I like aggressive batting as much as the next person, but I often appreciate innings like those from Pujara and Rahane today even more. Partly I enjoy the growing frustration of the fielding team as they throw everything into trying to finagle a wicket, but also because this is something which is unique to Test cricket. A match in The Hundred has 200 deliveries, Pujara and Rahane's partnership lasted 297. There was tension and drama throughout, unlike most white ball matches where I usually only bother to watch the end of the second innings. Those looking to replace Test cricket with a three-hour music concert interspersed with some cricket are cutting off their nose to spite their face.
As the day reached its conclusion, England finally managed to take a few more wickets. In particular, Moeen Ali drew two edges from Rahane and Jadeja. Whilst I'm happy both for England taking wickets generally and Moeen doing well in particular, the English batters might not particularly look forward to the prospect of facing Ravindra Jadeja on a pitch which seems conducive to spin and has had the odd ball stay low. Any target over 200 could be very tricky indeed.
One thing which potentially makes England's route to victory even more difficult are the overs lost in the game so far. After managing 90 overs on the day one, neither team has achieved this rather fundamental aspect of cricket in the following three days. Today finished 8 overs short, although England might have managed five or six more had bad light not intervened. The fielding teams on Friday and Saturday had no such excuse, when 13 overs went unbowled. Altogether, we have seen 21 overs less overs than we should have done with the only day which actually delivered the allotted deliveries being the one where it rained several times! Apart from cheating paying customers out of extra cricket, those 21 overs might make a huge difference in terms of whether either team can force a result tomorrow.
India's captain made something of a spectacle of himself in the last few overs, seemingly gesticulating to the umpires that the game should be halted due to bad light whilst England were bowling their spinners. Trying to shorten the day's play is rarely going to endear you to the paying public such as ourselves, and is at best gamesmanship. Kohli might be said to have a very Australian approach to fair play in cricket: That something can only be wrong if the opposition are doing it.
Thanks for reading my post. If you have any comments, please leave them below.
England vs India 2021, Virat Kohli
England v India: 2nd Test, Day Three – It's All Too Beautiful
Aug 14, 2021 thelegglance9 Comments
Today might have been England's best day of Test cricket in a fair while – not in the sense that they were entirely dominant, because (Root apart), it was a workmanlike performance rather than flaying the bowling to all parts. But in terms of the application and intent, it was as impressive as it was unlikely in the minds of many. Perhaps an indication came from the woefully out of touch Jos Buttler. He only scored 23, and it was a quite exceptionally ugly 23 too, but he fought to stay there, scratched around for an hour, added 50 with his captain, and above all made a contribution. Given England have all too often fallen in a heap when placed under any kind of pressure, this is worthy of note, and in this particular game situation also deserving of some praise. Questions around selection or worth in terms of a place are separate to this, it showed a determination that has often been lacking in the England batting and was most welcome.
Bairstow had earlier looked a million dollars in making 57, before rather peculiarly struggling badly against the short ball, and then falling face first into the most obvious of traps. It was annoying, given how telegraphed the plan was, but it was also odd to see; he had terrible difficulties with the short ball when he first arrived in international cricket, but since then (and he did get bombarded in his early matches, so had to learn quickly) he's looked in little difficulty. Indeed, his technical issues were around anything but the bouncer. Still, he made a score, looked the part, and supported the peerless Root impeccably.
Moeen Ali too scored runs, again not a match defining number, but again enough to allow Root to score freely at the other end and to contribute to a partnership. Moeen's batting weaknesses are well known, and his dismissal with an edge to the slips entirely predictable, but the aesthetics of his batting also means that few players evoke such a desire from the watching public to see him do well. He did enough today in the match context, which answers nothing about the wider questions, but in terms of today, it was fine. It just would have been nice to have more of it.
And then there's Root himself. If there's one thing that unites us all on this blog it's the descent into greatesteveritis that afflicts the media on a daily basis, and most certainly not just for cricket. Root isn't a greatest ever anything, and the likely forthcoming articles and polls asking whether he is can be guaranteed to rile everyone, but at this point in his career, with a Test average hovering around that 50 mark, we can start to place him in some context in the more recent England era. And when we do so, what can we say? We can certainly say he's worthy of being talked about in the last 30 or 40 years with Cook, Pietersen, Gower, Boycott and Gooch, and has a better Test average than any of them for what that's worth. Beyond that, it's subjective, not least because comparing bowling and batting is reliant on the function of the two – or to put it another way, a great bowling era would look identical if it was instead a poor batting era. Players can only exist in their own environment, and Root has become one of England's best in a long time. Perhaps it could be argued that it's even more so given that a fair chunk of his career has been spent in a pretty poor England batting side. He's carrying the batting in a way few have needed to in quite some years in England colours. We can, at the least, start thinking about where we place him in the England recent pantheon now he's past 9,000 Test runs with more to come.
Today he was majestic. Other players hit the ball harder, further and more often, but Root's manipulation of the field and speed of scoring is impressive generally, but when he's in the kind of form he currently is, it gives the impression of a player in total control not just of himself, but of the opposition too. He must be driving an otherwise vastly superior Indian batting order up the wall.
As for the match situation, we have a game on. England have a first innings lead, albeit a modest one, and while it's true that a fourth innings chase is the hardest way to win, the Lord's pitch tends not to deteriorate too much, indeed it often gets slower, lower and harder on which to take wickets. One ball in the afternoon session scuttled along the ground, so we will have to see if that's an indication of what is to come.
The third innings brings with it its own pressure with each wicket taken adding to it, a position England have highlighted on all too many occasions. But with the weather set fair, a result seems distinctly possible, and more to the point, England have a chance of coming out on top. Most people would have taken that given the rather low expectations from this series. England may well be accused of being a one man team in the batting, and it's not an unreasonable jibe. But when that one batsman is playing as well as this, it evens up the contest no end. The captain is very much leading from the front. The last ball of the day provided the conclusion that a terrific day of cricket really deserved, with Anderson dismissed (notably upset with himself too) and England bowled out. It really is now over to the Indian batsmen and the England bowlers.


This catalogue describes the personal and philosophical papers of G.E. Moore held at the Cambridge University Library. The papers are accessible for consultation and may be copied, at the Library's discretion, for the purposes of research and private study.


I know, this is kind of cheating. But I really was wondering — what kinds of topics would you like to see me write about? Is there anything I haven't talked about related to books, comics, genre fiction or blogging that you'd like to see me write about? Right now my list of prompts is empty, and my brain is totally blank.
Love the hammock! Someone furry looks very comfy on that! For me, I just like any book, film and TV related discussion post as I can usually find something to say on those! Bitching about stuff that annoys you in real life works for me too!
I usually find discussion about bookish topics—writing, reading, collecting, accessing, displaying, lending, treatment—arises naturally or spontaneously out of a chance thought, event or coincidence rather than being planned for or being a regular feature post. But then that's me, I'm naturally chaotic but then narrowly focused as the mood takes me! I'm sure something will turn up, a bee under a bonnet or an extraneous anniversary that'll germinate and flower into a discussion post, you'll see!


Take Route 95 North to Portland, watching for signs to the Boothbay Harbor Region Coastal Route via Exit 52 (formerly Exit 9) Take Exit 52 to Route 295 North toward Freeport & Yarmouth. Take either Exit 28 (formerly Exit 22) and travel North through Brunswick to Route 1, or Exit 31 and travel North through Topsham - following signs to the Route 1 connector. Follow Route 1 North through Bath (over the Kennebec River bridge), and into the town of Wiscasset. After the Sheepscot River Bridge, you will see signs for the Boothbay Harbor Region. Take a right turn onto Route 27 South, and follow about 10 miles toward Boothbay Harbor. At Boothbay Center, you will see a gazebo in the field across from the Boothbay Town Office. Stay to the left, and head down the hill just for a short distance. We are on the left side of the road, just after the blue and gold/leaf, "Welcome to Boothbay Harbor" sign.


Discussion in 'Leon Mk3' started by Harber96, Nov 9, 2018.
But I would like to upgrade the bulbs in my front fogs to either an 'Ultra White' bulb, or LED's however I would like to see if anyone has done this already to see the results.
There are a couple of threads with instructions, photos and experiences.
The colour difference is deliberate, in that warm light penetrates fog more effectively, hence suiting their intended purpose.
stepdey, Big Col, Walone and 1 other person like this.
Why would you have your fog lights on all the time, dazzling other road users?
Interesting though that Seat now fit LEDs to the front fogs.
I think it was more about cost saving than any 'warm glow' on previous models.
Threads here with pics and details of bulbs etc.


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marathi movies on hotstar
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It is a great meaningful film that many of you haven't watched. 2018 Bollywood comedy-drama film 'Badhaai Ho' depicts the story of Nakul's (Ayushmann Khurrana) family, where her mother (Neena Gupta) gets pregnant. The film draws power not just from its rustic story, but also from its edgy writing (courtesy, Jabbar Patel, Vijay Tendulkar) and dialogue delivery. Given no choice, she is being forced to join the training schools for 'Sparrows' and eventually sent to a CIA officer in the hope of identifying the mole. Raja Harishchandra (1913) which is hailed as India's first full length feature, was a Marathi film directed by Dhundhiraj Govind Phalke. When Nakul discovers the shocking news, unhappy and ashamed of his family, he slowly started embracing the moment with his family. Another superhero film from the Marvel Studios is based on the Marvel comic character 'Doctor Strange.' Benedict Cumberbatch has gained his popularity by playing the comic character, Dr. It is an entertaining family-drama film. Both the actor Chadwick and Michael B. Jordan, as Erik Killmonger has performed stunningly. It follows two youngsters Aditya (Dulquer Salman) and Tara (Nithya Menen), who are exploring a living-relationship. It is a thrill-historical film and really appreciate the work of cinematography. Or can Barnum restore his museum? Questioning, while providing subtle answers, the film is a wholesome treat to watch. Here's a look at the best Marathi movies on Hotstar, across genres, streaming right now: Adapted from a novel of the same name by Milind Bokil, this romantic-drama claimed two National Awards; the Silver Lotus for the Best Feature Film in Marathi category and the National Film Award for Best Screenplay. It is a slice-of-life and rather relatable piece of cinema; YZ takes the viewers on a journey of exploring the modern themes of loneliness, love and acceptance. Some of the finest Marathi films in the history of cinema, these are essential viewing. Well received by audiences and critics alike, it is a must watch for anyone keen to venture into Marathi cinema. Ayushmann Khurrana delivers yet another one of the best films of his career. He is losing his confidence, girls are rejecting his marriage proposals, and he hates himself when he looks at the mirror. It shows all the Knitty-gritty of the incident with minute details and created a suspense moment. Behind every patriotic story of his film, there remains a solid suspense-thriller that successfully holds the audience's attention together. The film earned a nomination for the Golden Berlin Bear at the festival, and was critically well received. The biographical movie of M.S. Ashwiny Iyer's directorial film 'Panga' is a beautiful and touching story that many of you can connect with. The story begins with Frank (Chris Evans), who loves living a simple life, working as a freelance boat mechanic in Florida. Yorgos Lanthimos's The Favourite is an absolutely stunning film that you could enjoy watching. Writer-director Neeraj Pandey creates a film that invokes a patriotic sentiment in us through his story. It is based on a true story where he robbed over $10 million in funds. The camera work is one aspect of the film that deserves appreciation. It also earned several awards in the realms of script writing, cinematography, direction etc. Strange. This is a highly recommended film to watch. He has missed out on the sweet pleasures of life while being busy tending to his family. But as a viewer, I have enjoyed this movie thoroughly. Champak Bansal, who has a small sweet shop in Udaipur and his daughter Tarika (Radhika Madan), wants to fulfill her dream to study in aboard. It centers on the lives of a couple which is forced by circumstance, to repeatedly move in search of sustainable business ventures. So, in this blog post, I will hardly mention any Disney movies. The film is loaded with beautiful songs, romance, light humor, visuals, and a solid narrative. The film is extraordinary only because of the commendable performance of Rami Malek as the lead singer of the 'Queen.'. It tells the entire life story of M.S Dhoni's, a boy from Ranchi from a simple family aspires to play for cricket for India. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. While not perfect but an entertaining superhero film to watch, that is crowd-pleasing. Marvel's superhero film 'Black Panther' is revolutionary. So, the storyline of the film is exceptionally woven. Please your feedback will be much appreciated and share this with your friends. Can he get justice? Can he fight for a poor's fate? A heartfelt and emotional love story about two teenage cancer strugglers that will make you cry. Directed by Sujay Dahake, the film peeps into the life of a school boy, tracing his love for his classmate. The tragicomedy revolves around three female stars and their intrigue lust for power and security. Of course, the book does mention and explains a lot about his life, but 'The Imitation Game' has shown us Alan Turing's work patterns and his ability to think what a normal human brain cannot. In India, Hotstar is way more popular and have more subscriptions than the rest of the OTT platforms. Samna boasts brilliant performances from Mohan Agashe, Nilu Phule, Shriram Lagoo, Smita Patil and Vilas Rakate. I know, this is a very long content, but also the list includes all the best movies on Hotstar. Ridley Scott's The Martian is a space saga about survival. Instead, it is Gajraj Rao, Neena Gupta, and Surekha Sikri that have shined through their natural performances. 'Angrezi Medium' tells the story of a father-daughter's sweet relationship. The film has maintained a beautiful balance with the context and culture of the society. Your turn? In the era of OTT, Marathi cinema, too, has made its space across all streaming platforms. These are the 10 best Marathi movies on Hotstar that should make it to your watchlist. Without sounding preachy, the writer infuses the story with several metaphors and comedic elements. Stream it today and tell me, did you not like it? Harking back to the nostalgia of school days and a sweet adolescence filled with naivete, the film is set in the turbulent era of Emergency. Even you could connect with the characters and their situations in life that you might have faced too. Watching Baby is a close shot experience. The romantic drama stars Shivani Rangole, Mrinal Kulkarni, Siddharth Menon, Indraneil Sengupta and Spruha Joshi in pivotal roles. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. He is one of the most prominent Indian cricket players who has achieved greatness and class in Test, ODI, and T20 as captain of the Indian Cricket team. The New York City Ballet company is prepping for Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, in which they need a ballerina to play the innocent and fragile White Swan and a Black Swan played by Lily (Mila Kunis). Both Deepika Padukone as Malti and Vikrant Massey as Amol delivered compelling performances. Black Swan is a highly recommended film, much underrated but extremely appreciable for Natalie Portman's acting skill. Still, some reports say the case isn't clear. Or like we are watching a live show on the television screen. It's a cultural footprint that grapples complicated issues like race and identity. 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The epic film has assembled all the Avenger superheroes to fight the powerful Thanos and save the universe. His young niece Mary (Mckenna Grace), has a tremendously intelligent mind, loves living with Frank. It is a biopic on Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life for the safety of the other passengers on Pan Am Flight 73 when it got hijacked on 5th September 1986. The rescue mission sequences are shot in a very gripping manner. According to Google Users, 87% of people liked the film; the film is based on the real-life 1952 United States Coast Guard sea rescue mission of the. There are a few such amazing space-science movies too like Gravity, Interstellar, Life, and Passengers that come right now in my mind. 107 Years Of Indian Cinema: 100 Best Indian Movies, Lapachhapi (2017) – Finally an Indian Horror Film That Thwarts Genre Tropes, Marathi Cinema: Best Films Of The 21st Century: Part 1, Man's Search For Meaning: The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust, The Trader's Code: THIS BOOK COULD BE WORTH A FORTUNE TO YOU (Traders Code 2020), And Then There Were None: The classic murder mystery from the Queen of Crime (Agatha Christie Collection), God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita: Royal Science of God-Realization, The Haunting Of Hill House (2018): Among Netflix's Best Originals, All 7 Bong Joon Ho Movies, Ranked: 'Parasite' To 'Mother', 17 Best Indian Thrillers On Amazon Prime: Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Amazon Prime Video: Complete List Of Bollywood Movies, TV Shows, 36 Best Movies On Amazon Prime India (November 2020), Mirzapur Season 2 (2020) Review: Triumph Of Cinematic Art, 15 Tamil Movies On Hotstar Worth Watching, 18 Feel-Good Bollywood Movies To Make Your Day. Each streaming platform has specialties. All Rights Reserved. Movies like Maqbool can never be remake ever. Being one of the finest and ever-proliferating regional film industries in India, the Marathi industry is coveted as the birthplace of cinema. Neerja starring Sonam Kapoor in the lead is a very touching and inspiring movie on Hotstar. The film is extraordinary because of the innocence and sheer simplicity of Stanley's childhood. Barnum, who, after losing his job as a clerk at a shipping company, takes a loan from the bank to set up Barnum's American Museum. Although the IMDB rating of Titanic is only 7.8, this is one of the most loved and popular films across the world. As their concerns lie in the shallow aspect of winning even in the space of a divine festival, we are forced to look within, into the hustle-bustle of our day-to-day lives.
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marathi movies on hotstar was last modified: November 3rd, 2020 by

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


So this is the headboard I had my heart set on for a client project, an attic guest bedroom, I'm working on.
Isn't she lovely? Well, it's affordable too. And so textured and interesting that it would make a great focal point for the bedroom wall. The problem is, the headboard is tall (why I chose it!). And wide (also great!). But it's absolutely too large to fit up and around the tight turns of the small attic stairs to the third-floor bedroom. So, what's our alternative?
I love your inspiration ideas.
We got rid of our headboard and footboard, but I wanted some sort of focal point above the bed. I went out and bought a couple yards of damask fabric and a large art canvas, then simply stretched the fabric over and stapled in the back. I hung it over the bed and added a wall candle sconce on either side. It's quick and easy, plus you can create a bunch of them for different looks throughout the year.
That would look awesome in my room. We need to talk!
I like the last inspiration pic (Sherry Hart) - the barn type doors look more substantial than the shutters. You could also do a folding screen. Great ideas!
Darn! I was torn at first on your alternative options, but after those last two inspiration photos I think I would go with doors. Any chance you could try a diy version of your initial headboard idea? It would be a lot to take on but might be do-able?
If you like this look...get a piece of thin plywood and glue jute rope or if you like the thinner look use the jute string (comes in various sizes) You could mix the different sizes. Use a larger cording around the edges...Affix it to the wall and BINGO!
Casey, I have not been here for a while because I am a busy summer Mom. But don't think that I have forgotten you!
The west elm headboard is indeed fabulous. But I can't wait to see what you pick up at the local salvage yard. I know I am going to want the same!
Can't wait to see what you come up with! Good luck!
I have been DIYing myself recently. Using Rope like a piece of molding on my dining room ceiling then painting...looks like rope molding at a fraction of the cost! LOVE IT!
Joanne, another brilliant idea. I love it! Send pics!
Hi Karen, they are definitely one and the same. I use these for my own home and regularly for client projects too! They are the best I've found! So affordable and easy to install. Good luck!
Casey ~ THANK YOU THANK YOU - such a sweetheart for getting back with me :-) I will be ordering some.
Thank you for sharing your amazing blog.