Cricket

Five years ago I was at Arundel as the guest of Ivan Conway. In walking around the ground – one of the delights of  a day at the Castle ground – we saw an awning under which were  the Durham Players. There was Mark Stoneman, Scott Borthwick, Graham Onions, no longer there, all of whom [...]

One of the many reasons I dislike the Hundred concept is its assumption that cricket is a metropolitan game. As far as back as Hambledon, the first ever cricket club, to matches on the village green and the gloriously picturesque ground at Arundel cricket is at its best in a rural setting. The [...]

I did not really enjoy the 50 over game I watched yesterday at Hove for reasons unconnected with the cricket. On arrival in my resplendently colourful Players Club blazer the jobsworth refused me entry after production of my membership cards. I needed  a paper ticket. This is the problem – [...]

Last night I attended a dinner at the museum in the cricket ground at Hove. I much prefer the intimacy and atmosphere of such a dinner to the rather formulaic lunches in large hotel banqueting suites which seem to go on forever. The original guest of honour was Darren Lehmann but more than one [...]

Weather was forecast so broiling you would need head cover but we got grey clouds. These reflected a dull day’s play where Pakistan amassed enough of a lead to be confident of victory. Young Dom Bess bowled tidily enough at just over 3 an over but never took his first Test wicket. It might ward [...]

We are now in a cycle of county one day games for the Royal London trophy. Purists are concerned for the future of red ball cricket but if the ECB go ahead with the Hundred then it’s more likely that the ODI format would be squeezed. Sussex under Ted Dexter were early winners of the first one day [...]