Jimmy Grimble
Well-known member
The scoring rate must be so hard to contend with as opposition captain.
New Zealand show their class by running to congratulate Bairstow
Kiwis having a collapse - 164-5 but Blundell & Mitchell together again.
Could be another exciting finish.
I still can't believe what I'm seeing there. I've watched that loads. I'm not sure whether Holding held back after Bill Alley (who was actually an Australian) warned him. I don't know.
It's incredible that no-one was killed back then, especially with the pace of some of the bowlers close to what we see now. I'm surprised head guards didn't appear earlier. It wasn't a case of men being men, it was stupidity.
I do think that players were hit less because they concentrated more. The helmet brings a sense of security.
As for comments about the days of Boycott and Tavare. That was when I was getting into the game as a kid. The first series I listened to was England in India 1981/82. The dullest series ever. Flat wickets, dodgy umpires and terrible over rates. Yet, 12 years old, I would be up at 5.30, before the paper round at ten to seven, listening to this nauseous bore of a series with excitement and anticipation. Brian Johnson describing the static scene of defensive strokes like it was an artistic comedy, and Henry Blofield talking about everything except the match. Bloody marvelous. So my love affair with the game became a marriage.
This all came from a working class introduction to the game. There is no history of cricket in my family. But I was grateful my Mum indulged it, and she wept at seeing my joy of being given a Sussex membership by her in 1982. My best present ever. 40 years ago, crikey.
Rain brings about early finish
NZ 168/5 lead by 137
Brilliant post and very, very similar to me……..got hooked in when I was about 13/14 (1980ish). Working class, dad only started following after I got interested (we were Somerset at the time as lived nearby and with Viv, ITB and Joel playing they were a good watch). Started playing and watching (and listening - away Ashes on TMS under the bedclothes included) seriously around that time. When not at school and there was a home test on I would set my alarm for 10.55am and watch all day……….waking up to a ‘rain - start delayed’ caption was the worst thing EVER.
My obsession affected my school work. According to my English Language report in 1982. The irony being that I have a club blog now with a large readership...
English school report June 1982-
'If Ian had the same interest in this subject as he has in cricket he would make very good progress. He is very careless, lazy, and rarely hands his homework in on time'
Brilliant!
I hated my form tutor. We had a ‘staff v pupils’ match at the end of every term. He did a bit of coaching (he was a maths teacher mainly) and fancied himself a bit. I was already an opening bowler for my village team……absolutely castled him with inswinging yorkers in the first over in both my 4th and 5th years. The second one is still just about the best cricket experience of my life…….full on cartwheeling off stump to a soundtrack of our skipper shouting ‘again’ and pissing himself laughing.
Maybe getting ahead of myself here, but what are the stats/records for successful 4th innings chases in a three-match Test series? How many times has 3/3 been achieved before?
(Apologies in advance for the huge NZ 3rd innings score and subsequent England-esque batting collapse in the 4th... )
England chased down in all three of the New Zealand home matches in 2004. Certainly haven't since. 3/4-0 wins are not very common.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/new-zealand-in-england-test-series-2004-60764/match-results