PLAY ABANDONED FOR THE DAY!
But we should – should – have enough time to get things finished tomorrow. And, of course, we’ll be here with you. Ta-ra.
“Lovely words about the OBO,” says stalwart Pete Salmon. “I sometimes have to remind myself that the players aren’t just doing this to generate content for our community... Just wanted to say I love that Eddie Hemmings now runs the village shop in West Butterwick, Lincolnshire. Is there a word for being perfect for a job for once one retires from cricket? If so, it should also cover Ewen Chatfield who, according to Wikipedia, ‘worked in a chip shop, was a courier and drove a van for a dairy. He also mowed lawns, and in 2009 was working as a taxi driver in Wellington.’ Utterly Ewen.”
“Just thought I’d add my two bits,” says Neil Ashby, “after reading ‘Is there any publication other than the OBO that can secure such a widespread readership, reviewing a sporting event that’s not actually happening?’ Well I’m sitting in ball soup at 41C (106F) in Dos Hermanas (two sisters, aka Four Tits), near Seville, Spain, awaiting a gap in the clouds in Manchester....”
“If we are making comparisons between the 2005 Ashes and modern cricket then there’s one argument that deserves significant consideration,” says Tom van der Gucht. “Which cricket show has the better theme tune? The classic calypso beat of Soul Limbo by Booker T and the MG’s from the BBC, or Mambo Number 5 for Channel 4? I can’t remember any of the turgid dirge pumped out by Channel 5 over the last few years, or Sky for that matter, so this is really just a considerations of the heavyweights from two different cricketing epochs. A bit like Muhammed Ali fighting Mike Tyson...”
This isn’t close as far as I’m concerned, because ultimately it’s hard to divorce nostalgia from reality, and Soul Limbo means more than cricket to me - it means summer, freedom and youth. Mambo Number 5, on the other hand, means the Slammer Bar in Ios, so swings and roundabouts.
“Some years ago, I was in Kingston, a university town in southern Ontario that is also John A MacDonald’s home town,” says Alan Trench. “Between the town proper and the Queen’s University campus lies a field known as the ‘Cricket Field’. I very nearly twisted my ankle several times walking across it, it was so rough and pitted. The grass was so long you could have lost a ball without trouble, perhaps even the stumps. Fat chance of playing cricket on that.
Fine as the weather may be in southern Ontario at this time of year, my experience is that summer starts late there. I was there in early June one year, and it was as cold, wet and windy as a nasty Easter in north Wales. I might add that my Canadian friends’ lack of interest in cricket knows no bounds.”
“E-excuse me, uh, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the action on this piano.”
Out in the middle, the umpires have a look. There’s just been a substantial shower, and should play look possible, we’re two hours away after that decision is taken.
“I notice you’ve received a missive from my friend Forthy, currently residing in Melbourne, and another from a reader in Toronto,” says Richard Morris. “Is there any publication other than the OBO that can secure such a widespread readership, reviewing a sporting event that’s not actually happening? I doubt the Americans could summon up global interest in updates on a baseball match not taking place. Sadly I can’t add much to the international interest. I’m sitting in a car park in Keswick.”
I can’t speak for what other sports in other countries might do, but I can absolutely speak for what the OBO means to me, so I’m going to. As far as I know, there is nothing quite like it: a community of like-minded but extremely different people, who get together for days, nights and months, to enjoy being alive, together. It enriched my life as a reader – it still does – and it is my honour to serve it as a writer. Whenever you think you’ve read it all, something comes in to remind you that you’ve read nothing at all, and if you want to know anything about anything, or discuss everything about everything, you can come here. For that, of course, we thank the great Rob Smyth – and all of you.
Updated
“Geoff Wignall is doing Tony Greig a disservice,” says Steve Hudson. “He started out as a brisk fast-medium seamer, although he eased up to medium pace towards the end of his career. You have to class him as a quickie if you’re going to include Fraser, who was about the same pace. Although Gus never took two tenfers bowling off-spin like Grieg did.”
Are we really calling Gus a quick? I don’t know; I know this isn’t a fashionable thing to say, but I can see both sides.
“I was there at the third Test at Edgbaston in 1990,” recalls James Debens, “when Fast Eddie Hemmings danced his beautiful ballet around the stunned Kiwis, leaving every single man, woman and child frankly AGOG as his off-spin snaffled up six wickets for 58 - ‘cast your dancing spell my way; I promise to go under it’. Fast Eddie had spent almost all of the 1980s as patient bridesmaid to John Emburey, and this was his princess moment, moustache bristling like a boot brush, his Cpt. Mainwaring physique a blur of activity. He was clapped out at the end, and he was clapped off.
I can go only on what I’ve seen, but my friends had attended more than a dozen Tests between the ten of them. Hemmings produced something for the ages, the best bowling performance of any Englishman, and I’ll stand on James Anderson’s LED-lit dressing table and proclaim it so. The fact that Fast Eddie now runs a village store in Lincs, blowing the dust off penny chews miles away from the adulation and applause, just makes that Edgbaston day oh-so much more delicious.”
“Bridesmaid to John Emburey”, etch that onto my headstone right now – along with “The fucking fucker’s fucking fucked.”
“I think I’ve detected the flaw in Tanya’s logic,” emails Chris Howell. “Simon Jones’ last three Test innings as a bowler resulted in five-wicket hauls against one of the greatest top 7s ever to bat in test cricket, while competing with Harmison, Hoggard and Flintoff for wickets. However good we hope Wood/ Archer may become, they aren’t yet at that level.”
Well I don’t think we can judge anyone on three innings, and conditions were extremely favourable, but I agree that Jones was very good.
“If we are comparing the current attack to the 2005 vintage,” says Chris Howell, “then surely we are comparing what the 2005 vintage did in 2005 with how the current team are now, not 2007 Harmison with notional 2022 Archer when he’ll be a superstar?”
I agree with this, though Archer is a superstar right now.
“Greetings from Toronto!” exclaims Mary Vaux. “Ever the optimists, despite the forecast, we set the alarm for 6.00am again today. Truth to tell we were back in the land of nod about 20 seconds after seeing the word rain !A little off topic but if only Test Cricket could be played here. Glorious summer in southern Ontario this year. Barely under 30C in weeks, the hibiscus is blooming and the ground is hard. Definitely more Caribbean than Northern Hemisphere! The first PM of Canada, Macdonald wanted to make it the country’s national sport. What happened?!”
Ah man, I’m there. I am so, so there.
Back in the middle, they’re not even trying to mop up. They think there’s one more band of rain, then we might get some clarity.
“Another way of comparing the 2005 and current vintage is how likely is it that on any given day they will produce close to their best?” says Andrew Moore. “I pick the current crop all day long. Jimmy and Broad have been bowling sub-30 average consistently for a decade, Woakes at home is hugely effective and Archer has made a decent enough start and will be a superstar. Harmison, as terrifying as he briefly was in 2004, wasn’t actually that great in 2005 apart from the Lord’s test and sharply declined from 2006. Flintoff’s peak as a bowler lasted around the same time and Jones unfortunately couldn’t be relied upon to make it onto the field. Hoggard was really the only truly dependable bowler of the lot.”
I think that’s harsh on Flintoff, and we can’t just forget what Harmison did pre-05. I hate myself for saying this, but if you told me I could have one England bowler from all those I’ve seen in the 36 years I’ve suffered them, then I don’t have to think very hard before telling you I’m taking Graeme Swann.
“I note from Faisal Ali’s email to Tanya that the Midlands are now part of the North and that Tony Greig was a fast bowler,” storms Geoff Wignall. “You learn something new daily. As for Jimmy Anderson being ‘obviously’ England’s greatest ever bowler, well yes – in the sense that Courtney Walsh was ‘obviously’ greater than Malcolm Marshall. For mine, I’m still refusing to look beyond seven wickets per test at 16.49 and a strike rate of a wicket every seven overs: SF Barnes of course (variously described as medium, medium fast and fast medium; which would also fit Botham).”
It’s hard to speak authoritatively about those you didn’t see, but yes, it’s not all about the numbers. They’re important – likewise longevity – but highest level at their best is also significant.
And while we’re here, ARC Fraser was born in Lanky, but let’s be real: he’s from Gayton High school in Arrer (same as MR Ramprakash).
This is what I did during the 2005 Ashes....
“I went to the local Irish bar in Helsinki with my then-underage son to watch the final day,” says Adrian Goldman. “We had trouble finding a place that would let us in … but the Irish bar allowed us in.”
This sounds like the beginning of a story, not the actual story. We’re waiting...
It’s raining , raining in my heart in Manchester. I don’t think we’re going to see any krikkit today, but you never know.
My old fella introduced me to Buddy Holly. What were you introduced to that you wanted to dislike on account of its provenance but could not?
“I joined the advertising agency I worked for at the end of February 1987,” brags Ian Forth. “Over eighteen years later I left to emigrate to Australia in July 2005. In all the time I was there England did not win one Ashes series. Before that period, in the late 70s and for most of the 80s, beating the old foe didn’t excite that much interest, as it was achieved on a very regular basis. By contrast, I can remember the brouhaha over defeating the West Indies for the first time in eighteen years in 1990 - not in a series, mind you, in a single test.”
This is tangential, but not entirely.
Allow me to explain. Obviously James Anderson is England’s greatest male bowler, but if you were allowed to roll up one man to take around the world with you, would it be him?
Here’s the thing with Flintoff: his average, strike rate and wickets aren’t the best, but his best was the best. From when he got good until he stopped being good, he troubled every single batsman he faced, stock bowler and strike bowler in one. We compare him with Ben Stokes partly because he was an all-rounder and partly because he had the kind of competitive charisma that allowed him to refocus a game and make it entirely about him. But as bowlers, there is no comparison, just as there is no comparison as batsmen. Stokes is a late-era Botham, somehow able to personality wickets, but Flintoff is early-era Botham and more, working over the greats, forcing dismissals at the other end and generally terrifying to face. This is not to denigrate the brilliance of SP, MJ and SJ – they were a team – but if you ask the Aussies who they least enjoyed facing, you would find a uniformity of answer.
Updated
Thanks Tanya and word em up everybody else. I’m afraid I have to begin by being extremely definitive: the correct answer is Andrew Flintoff.
I noted from the talk of England’s finest quick bowlers that the majority were born in the north, writes Faisal Ali :
Larwood, Trueman, Anderson, Tyson, Broad, Willis, Barnes, Statham, Hoggard, Gough, Harmison, Flintoff, Fraser, Voce, Bowes, Wood, Old, Hendrick.
Slim pickings in the south:
Snow, Tate, Bedser, Dilley Finn
Am I missing any other notables (not sure which category Simon Jones would fit in)? Does seem strange to have such an imbalance. In fact you could argue a better crop of English fast bowlers can be found among those born overseas:
[Gubby] Allen, Archer, Malcom, De Freitas, Lewis, Greig, Stokes
Faisal thank you! I’m sure that won’t provoke any emails....anyway, that’s me done. Thank you so much for the entertainment, sorry I couldn’t use all the messages. Here’s Daniel Harris to take you through your paces and hopefully usher in some cricket. Bye!
There is no doubt in Oliver Smiddy’s mind. No doubt at all.
“No question, that 2005 quartet was superior to the current group (although the stats may say otherwise). There was an unquestionable malice in Harmison but he had some great variations. Jones was absolutely lethal, particularly when the ball started reversing. Hoggard was a workhorse with great control and reliable swing. And then Flintoff was capable of unplayable spells and had the same knack Stokes has for picking up a big wicket. Then if you factor in the quality of the opposition… I just don’t think Broad, Andersen, Archer and Stokes would have fared as well against that great Aussie side.”
Surely it is closer than “no question”? If Stokes is equal-ish to Flintoff; Jones to Archer/Wood; when they’re both on a roll, Harmison to Broad, that leaves Anderson squaring off with Hoggard....
Updated
On the matter of 2005, do give this some minutes of your day: it is a lovely read by my OBO colleague Adam Collins.
My own memories of 2005 are slightly hazy as I had a one year old and was pregnant with my second, but I do remember walking around Manchester pushing a pram and hearing the cricket on what seemed like every television and radio I passed.
Those 2005 wickets are bringing back happy memories for Ali Robertson, “I really loved the pace quartet in 2005. Flintoff and Harmison could rack the no-holds aggression up full but for my money Jones’s snake-hipped athleticism always carried the greatest menace. He had a stiletto dagger instead of the cudgel they carried. I’d have been terrified to face him. (Hoggard carried a comedy inflatable policeman’s truncheon, with an iron rod concealed inside.)“
But would you swap it for peak Broad-Anderson-Archer-Woakes/Wood? No comedy inflatable truncheon though, tis true.
An email arrives entitled TWO GREAT WICKETS
“Good morning from southwestern Ontario,” writes AM..
“The mention of Simon Jones made me wistful. This is an absolutely perfect ball.”
Steve Harmison to the same victim.
Thank you! Just make sure you keep the volume up for the Jones wicket until 19 seconds, when Richie Benaud starts speaking - what a master of commentary he was.
Further cricket crowd pilot schemes announced
After a successful experiment at The Oval yesterday, and a similar thing planned for Edgbaston tomorrow, phase two of the pilot scheme has been announced.
Both Edgbaston and The Oval will be allowed to admit up to 2,500 spectators per day for the first two days of their first matches of the Bob Willis Trophy on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August. Surrey will play Middlesex while Warwickshire face Northamptonshire.
That’s not a bad Championship crowd in normal circumstances!
The sun is on the way it seems, but slowly.
“Thanks for hanging on in there.” It’s a pleasure William Hargreaves.
We’re in Dublin and had overnight rain that I think then headed in your direction. It’s been breezy but dry since, so hoping you get this.
Can’t help feeling for the Windies at this stage. At one point they seemed to have one hand on the trophy (for perpetuity).
@tjaldred rain stopped in Isle of Man about 12 30. Sun now shining. We normally send on to you with 4-6 hour delay, which is probably not much use for today.
— Paul Speller (@Norbertsdad) July 27, 2020
I love the random geographical spread of OBO readers. Two messages ping in with Norwegian theme:
“Up here in Norway, writes Bob O’Hara, “the jokes are all about Bergen being rained on (the Manchester of the North I guess). It’s gotten so bad they’re installing a 3km long rain shelter for cyclists, under the guise of a cycle path.
While Vic Lanser has a joke.
Visitor to Bergen on the Norwegian coast:“Does it ever stop raining here?”
Resident child: “I don’t know; I’m only seven.”
A couple of pleas for Frank Tyson’s greatness arrived during the lunch interval, from John Cox, and Kandukuru Nagarjun “Typhoon Tyson surely belongs right at the centre of your debate on the great English quicks? 76 Test wickets at 18, with an SR of 45.
And since the West Indies are visiting, here’s a Calypso in honour of him winning an Ashes in Australia almost all by himself.
It’s a sad day when your lunch is essentially the same as you were eating 30 years ago at school - humous sandwich and a nectarine - but that’s the way the cookie (didn’t) crumble.
It is definitely brightening up a little here, though David Hindle brings bad news, “According to the BBC, there is essentially zero chance of play today.
Perhaps more significant though is a forecast of lunchtime rain
tomorrow. England would need to wrap things up very quickly, assuming
they get the test started on time on Tuesday, and the ICC-imposed, test
match deathwish of “light meters” don’t also destroy the game. They
will, however, achieve their aim eventually. 2xT20 innings per side
spread over the morning and afternoon will be the new
“sensible/efficient” Test format. Or maybe more radical reformers will
demand 2x100 (balls) per side?
There is hope David. This was Virat Kohli in January: “I think the intent will not be right then because then you will speak of three-day tests, I mean where do you end? Then you will speak of test cricket disappearing. I don’t endorse that at all.
A last email before lunch from John Swan.“These lists of greatest players always make my thoughts turn to the might-have-beens. The one that really breaks my heart in this category is Simon Jones. He battled back once from a freakish injury, performed absolutely brilliantly in the Greatest Seriestm and then tried valiantly to battle back from injury a second time. If he had stayed fit (I know, if my aunty had a etc)…”
I know -what a mental hurdle to leap and get on with the rest of your life. Time for a quick sandwich and a stretch, back (hopefully) with better news.
Weather update: still raining.
“Hi Tanya,” Hello Neil Blackshaw in France!
“I thought I would contribute a rain adage from Cumbria, formerly known as Cumberland. Criffel, the Scottish mountain lies across the Solway. ‘If you can see Criffel’ the saying goes, ‘it’s going to rain; If you cant see Criffel, its raining already.’ Such is the Lake District.
It’s 30 C here and the sky cloudless - Brexit probably has something to do with it.”
Nooooooo! Manchester voted Remain, can you send some Mediterranean sunshine our way poste haste? Just a little pick-me-up, you know how it is.
Over to you Paul Stubbs.“I remember so many days at Old Trafford as a child with my dad who would optimistically point to the distant sky and say ‘I am sure the clouds over there are a bit lighter’.”
I can’t even do that, though apparently the rain is due to relent in an hour or so. The ground-staff then reckon on an hour and a half/two hours to get the ground fit to play.
More on England's ODI squad
Updated
There’s big love; then there’s Broad Love.
Here’s some context for Broad’s amazing 499 wickets,” types Gareth Owen. “If you take Kemar Roach’s 201 wickets, and add Ishant Sharma’s entire Test career - you’re still one short of Broad’s 499.
I like this new OBO maths. If you’d prefer Broad = Underwood plus Snow.
While James Austin proposes a new shibboleth. “Can I be sacrilegious enough to suggest that Broad is actually a better bowler, and greater player, than Anderson? While Jimmy is brilliant, of course, he’s a relatively one dimensional bowler and as such has been able to bowl in his style throughout his career. By comparison Broad has been used in a range of roles - from swinging it full (as presently) to bowling dry and as an enforcer in the early 10’s. This affected his average pretty badly - but allowed other members of the attack to prosper. Add that to his occasional devastating spells, his success over the past 4 years and his batting (bad as that has occasionally been recently) and you have a greater cricketer.
“Notably Broad has 4 years to catch up on Jimmy and has a better average abroad (and against the Aussies/SA/India who have been the powerhouses of this era generally). If he carries on bowling as he has been for the past few years for another 4 years he’ll overhaul Jimmy and drop his average to the 25 range...”
“Oh, Tanya,” despairs Phil Sawyer, “ I thought we were friends. And then you go and forget Harold Larwood. Probably the one we’d still call the greatest if he hadn’t been treated so shockingly.”
and there’s more...
“Surely Harold Larwood gets on that list?” pleads Nick Lewis. “Not to mention Bill’s Voce and Bowes. The only chaps to ever give old Don the yips. Also, Alec Bedser, whom Bumble told us the other day has taken more test wickets at OLd Trafford than any other English bowler.”
I should have known not to trust the data. In my attempt at thoroughness I looked at England’s top Test wicket-takers, but only went down as far as 100 wickets. Larwood in 21 Tests, took 78 wickets at 28. Voce, 27 Tests, 98 wickets at 27; Bowes, 68 wickets at 22 in 15 Tests. Bedser, I simply missed out - 236 wickets at 24 in 51.
England's squad for the ODI series v Ireland
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Sam Billings (Kent), Tom Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Joe Denly (Kent), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Reece Topley (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire), David Willey (Yorkshire)
Reserves: Richard Gleeson (Lancashire), Lewis Gregory (Somerset), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)
Four big names missing - Archer, Root, Buttler, Stokes - because they’re in the Test bubble. Interesting mix of old and young and particularly pleased to see David Willey back, he had to live with the disappointment of being left out of the World Cup squad at the final hurdle last year.
Updated
The cameras flash briefly back to Old Trafford where the covers are still on and some kind of Super-Sopper is parked on the outfield. Perhaps the worst of the rain has passed.
“Christian Cummins’ comments about the rain reminded me of an occasion when my sister and I took our grandsons to the local park’s paddling pool on a nice hot summers’ day,” writes Jane Milton. “After a couple of hours black clouds were gathering in the distance and getting closer. Eventually a few rolls of thunder told us it was time to get the boys out of the water. As we got back to the car the heavens opened and a full scale summer thunderstorm ensued. My 4 year old grandson asked “why do they organise thunder storms during the day when they could do them at night”. I had to agree it wasn’t very considerate. Meanwhile back to cricket and hoping to see the brilliant Stuart Broad get his 500th test wicket shortly.”
To counter that sweet innocence, Richard McConnell writes from a safe distance (Glasgow.)
All this rain chat reminds me of a great joke: Why does it always rain in Manchester? Because they deserve it.
Thought Monica Lewinsky’s joke was good earlier this week? Andrew Thomas, take a bow.
I note from yesterday that Jimmy Anderson is quoted as saying he doesn’t like bowling from his eponymous end. He should be grateful for the tribute, it is an honour unlikely to be awarded to Ian Bell.
A quibble arrives from Geoff Wignall:
As several of the fast bowlers you listed weren’t particularly quick, surely SF Barnes should qualify for consideration - in which case the discussion should be over.
Smethwick’s finest? You’re right - I’ve googled him and it says medium to fast-medium. Put him in the mix. (189 wickets in 27 Tests)
Need to know more? Try this.
Updated
Sky have given up on meandering rain chat and resorted to a documentary of England’s tour of West Indies in 1990; but have OBO readers given up? Hell no!
Paul Roome is looking into his crystal ball. “Seeing as Jimmy didnt really make the big step up until he was around 32 (since when he has been out of this world) and Broady started firing on all cylinders around the same time in his career (arguably England’s best bowler since 2018, the year he turned 32), what do you think the chances are of us looking back in 2025 at 5 years of bowling figures in the low 20s and reassessing SB as the equal of JA?”
Honestly? The chances must be pretty high. Broad is so determined (see his interview after being left out at the Rose Bowl), so professional, so fit and with a body that seems relatively immune to injury, and constantly striving to improve his craft. A lesson to all of us really.
Meanwhile Nick gets in touch from Northumberland, “where if anything it’s even wetter than Manchester.”
I don’t wish to be rude about your son‘s maths, but surely 500 wickets would make Stuart Broad the *fourth* greatest fast bowler of all time? Unless, perhaps, your son doesn’t really consider Courtney Walsh or Glenn McGrath to be fast bowlers? I think it was Ian Botham who said “Dennis Lillee is only a medium-pacer now just before the start of the 1981 Ashes series in which Lillee took his wicket five times.
Ah, yes. I *wonder if I can now use that to make him do some work in the holidays?
*no
I knew someone would be number crunching. Romeo gets there first:
“On Nasser Hussain’s comment, I just had a look and by my calculations
(which could be wrong), Anderson had taken about 40 fewer wickets than
Broad has when he was the same age Broad is now, so in theory Broad
could go past him. Of course Jimmy’s longevity is one of the most
special things about him.”
How do you think Jimmy would take it if he was put out to pasture but Broad was allowed another Ashes tour? A couple of days ago Broad claimed they both had another four years in them.
Updated
John Burton has been mulling over Nasser Hussain’s comments: “If it wasn’t for Jimmy Anderson, Broad would be England’s greatest ever fast bowler.”
”It would be interesting to watch the reaction of Trueman if he were still in the commentary box ... but from a safe distance!”
In the mix? Anderson (589) and Broad, followed by Botham, Willis, Trueman. Statham, Hoggard, Caddick, Gough, Harmison, Flintoff, Snow, Fraser, Stokes, Old, DeFrietas, Dilley, Cork, Malcolm, Finn, Arnold, Lohmann, Woakes (101).
Incidentally, just down the road from Old Trafford, the sun is out...
Wow! So far £637, 204 has been raised for the Ruth Strauss foundation during this Test. If you still want to donate, you can do so here. Sky have been showing a moving segment on Ruth, the family and the foundation. Andrew Strauss is such an impressive man.
From Vienna, Christian Cummins, asks the question:
I do understand why it has to rain up north. How else would that appealing green and mossy countryside be maintained? What would the sheep drink? But why couldn’t you organize that live-giving moisture to come during the many months when there was no cricket? It seems like poor planning and a lack of co-ordination; and I fear you are going to have a long shift.
Christian, for SIX WEEKS during the spring lockdown there was no rain. It was like living in southern France. No slugs turned up in the kitchen, we had breakfast outside. It was wonderful. But we were only allowed to leave the house once a day. Then lockdown lifted, cricket started to appear on the horizon and.... it started raining.
Sky are reporting from the ground where the rain is hammering/bucketing/sheeting down on the covers. Michael Holding muses that the West Indies started the Test with the wrong attitude, that all they had to do was draw the Test match to take the Wisden Trophy back to the Caribbean.
Then they move on to Stuart Broad. Holding, “He has bene able to adjust his game. For the first few years, 33 percent of his wickets were bowled or lbw, averaging 27, now 59 percent, averaging 21, he is bowling fuller.”
And Nasser Hussain: “If it wasn’t for Jimmy Anderson, he would be England’s greatest ever fast bowler.” I could live with that.
Updated
Quite the elite club for Jason Holder and Imran Khan.
Imran Khan and now Jason Holder are the only players to do the all-rounder's double (1000+ runs & 100+ wickets) as CAPTAIN in both Tests and ODIs! https://t.co/qTq9ShrLq4
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) July 27, 2020
An email arrives unperturbed by the weather.
Morning Tanya
Morning Andy Bradshaw!
Looking at the forecast, it’ll dry up at about lunchtime for a couple of hours, but there won’t be any play because they’ll be having the lunch break. Because cricket
Because cricket. Because Test cricket to be fair - T20 operates at more of a trot.
Updated
From a drier area of the country, a lovely piece by Tumaini Carayol on watching cricket at The Oval yesterday.
Spare a thought for the West Indies players who will soon have to leave this island paradise and head home to the Caribbean... ☔️ pic.twitter.com/M3N3SF3LfG
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) July 27, 2020
Preamble
Good morning from Manchester where weather is dark, wet, grey and miserable. The pavements are puddle-wet, the sodden buddleia bows low, hoods are zipped, velcroed, pulled tight. In short, play will not be starting on time.
Which is a shame for England, surely only a session or two from regaining the Wisden Trophy, and who from a stolid start yesterday afternoon thumped to an unassailable lead of 398 before West Indies slumped to 10 for 2 as the evening slipped away. For West Indies, temporary relief, and a glimmer of a chance of holding on for a draw.
Should the clouds part, all eyes will turn to Stuart Broad, who is one wicket away from the magic 500 where he will join the elite club of Courtney Walsh, James Anderson, Muttiah Muralitharan, Anil Kumble, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. Does, my son asked me as I typed out this list over breakfast, that make Broad the third best fast bowler of all time?
While we wait, two legends from the vintage vault:
Viv Richards to face his first ball from Imran Khan....1977
— Rob Moody (@robelinda2) July 27, 2020
Enjoy some insanely rare old gold. pic.twitter.com/47x2sTALU5
Updated
