Column 23 - keeping up with winter tours

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 72 021013

Column 22 - The end.

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 71 250913

That is one crazy headline, huh?! Mellow Fruitfulness!

Column 21 - Health and Safety

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 70 180913

Column 20 - Lies, damn lies, and statistics

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 69 110913

Column 19 - DRS lunacy

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 68 040913

Column 18 - Going up?

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 67 280813

Column 17 - What is the point?

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 66 210813

When I saw this bit of research in the papers, clearly it was a bit of a gift. I sat on it for a bit - it's not time sensitive, I'll bank it. Then Soph had one of her ‘what is the point’ rants, and I thought, right. I’ve got facts here. I’ll show her. Of course when I did show her she said ‘Yes very good.’ And continued on her way. So it could be successfully argued that it failed to convince the sceptic. If I'm honest I didn’t really think it would. But I still think the point stands.

Column 16 - Ashes hype

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 65 140813

Having last week got very wrapped up in the village game, this week playing makes no appearance at all, the first time a column makes no mention of my cricket and concentrates solely on being a fan.

Column 15 - Thrashing or nailbiter?

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 64 070813

This was an interesting one, as I had to file (submit, hand in; think homework) at lunch on the fifth day of the third Test at Old Trafford, when Australia were on top with England yet again 30-3, so all three results were still possible, and at that time it wasn’t raining. I had written different set-ups for win lose or draw, but in the end went for a general one, where the point stands whatever the result. Which is actually probably better.

When I started doing this column, the idea was to make it like the book but vaguely or sporadically topical. I always intended to use what happens in my cricket to draw parallels and distinctions with what’s happening in pro cricket, or just to highlight general cricketing truths that are true across the board. The only caveat the editors gave me was don’t do match reports. People in Sheffield and Somerset don’t care about the minutiae of Hampshire Regional Division Two West, unless it makes a wider point about the game in general. They were right, of course. This is the closest I’ve got to a match report. I think I got away with it. I won’t get this close again. But it was a hell of a game. The last paragraph ties it all up and allows the indulgence. Just. Close one.

Column 14 - Injuries and holidays

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 63 310713

Column 13 - The 'village' Test match

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 62 240713

This is my first swear in The Cricket Paper. I couldn't avoid the phrase "Shit gets wickets." I filed it as s***, suggested $h!t as an alternative possibility, but also said that if the house style allowed them to print the word in full, then so much the better. They went with the asterisks, and fair enough. The meaning of the phrase is not diminished.

Also, in paragraph 2, I referred to Ian Ronald, without his surname. I often refer to him like that, in a sort of ubergeeky yes-I-know-Ian-Bell's-middle-name sort of way that I probably shouldn't be proud of, but can't help finding quite funny. Clearly, probably quite sensibly, they added the 'Bell', presumably thinking I'd just forgotten to type it. Well, you would, wouldn't you?

Column 12 - Playing the Aussies

Printed in The Cricket Paper, issue 61 170713

Column11 - Confidence

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 60, 100713

Column10 - The Roman Column

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 59, 030713

Column9 - A celebration of diversity

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 58, 260613

Column8 - Cheating is cheating

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 57, 190613

Column7 - Out for a stroll

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 56, 120613

Note: The subediting throughout has been very minimal - just the odd comma here and there. But, while I did finish last week's column with that very same one word paragraph, this time I didn't. I suspect it was still there in the layout from last week, and was either left in by mistake, or was deemed just too convenient to fill that final line. Anyway. Whatever the reason, I didn't write it.

Column6 - perfect cricket weather

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 55, 050613

Note: Picture by Joel, taken on the Wednesday in question. The caption says last summer, but it really wasn't.

Column5 - More wickets than runs

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 54, 290513

Note: We were away camping Sunday and Monday, so although I'd had the idea for it before the match and done the research into both mine and Hollies' figures, I wrote and filed it Saturday night / Sunday morning somewhat worse for wear after Clive's birthday in the pub. It's my favourite so far.

Column4 - Lord's, beer and ties

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 53, 220513

Column3 - LBW off Graham

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 52, 150513

Column2 - The Village Cup

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 51, 080513

Column1 - It's here at last

Printed in The Cricket Paper issue 50, 010513