On the day that it has been reported that the ECB is considering reducing the number of Championship matches from 16 to 12, I though it was about time I finally committed to this blog an idea I’ve been championing for the past three years. Restructuring the schedule and fixtures of county cricket has been…
As the IPL danced on from Chennai to Kolkata, a game of an altogether more sedate pace was being play out to a smattering of supporters in the spring sunshine in the Welsh capital. It was no less engrossing than matters thousands of miles away, however, as Glamorgan were able to wrestle the ascendancy from…
Stumps Day One: Derbyshire 47/2 (Slater 25*) lead Glamorgan, at Cardiff It was a frustratingly truncated day in Cardiff as overnight rain and morning showers had seeped under the covers, to render play in the morning session entirely impossible. When the players did finally make their way onto the field at 2:40 in the afternoon,…
Glamorgan and Derbyshire lock horns on Sunday for the start of their LVCC Division 2 encounter in Cardiff. The visitors arrive in the Welsh capital in the wake a superb victory over Gloucestershire in their last outing. A brutal innings of 227 in just 176 balls from Martin Guptill set Derbyshire on their way for…
Slight cheat today, but here’s the link to my report on day 3 of the Championship match between Glamorgan and Surrey for Deep Extra Cover http://deepextracover.com/2015/04/meschede-ton-saving-grace-for-glamorgan/
No sooner than the Cricket World Cup finished, county cricket has come shivering into the ‘summer’ of 2015. With the advent of new season, much optimism abounds. New signings hope to perform for their new sides, overseas stars arrive on these shores, youngsters dream of making that breakthrough season, but for me, aside from the…
Last week I sent out a tweet with this picture attached…. The picture is a list of all the overseas players who had, at the time, committed to a stint with an English county in the forthcoming season. Many people lauded the superb display of talents and stated how great it was that big name…
Many older generation fans will lament the modern day advancements in a variety of sporting arenas. Whether it is technology entering the game, the wages on offer, or in the case of the Premier League, the histrionics we are subjected to on a weekly basis. One of the bedrock’s of modern sport however, has slipped…
The 2015 English county season is underway, as Yorkshire and the MCC do battle in champion county match in the now familiar surrounds of the UAE. While the match may be happening thousands of miles away, and the only way to keep track is via a live scorecard or the continually excellent commentary of the…
With the selection of the England squads being among the most talked about facets of the game, I thought I would turn my attention to the XI players who failed to gain recognition. I humbly present my Current County Cricket XI who have never represented England. I’ve tried to include all formats of the game…
It’s FA Cup 3rd Round day and football is gearing up for one the most romantic days of the season. The weekend in early January is ingrained in many fans memories as the setting for misty-eyed giant killings and an excuse for the entire footballing community to come together. This year, the day raises new…
So here we go. I’ve set myself the challenge of blogging everyday of 2015 – 365 posts! Some days they may be short and sweet; others long and rambling, but hopefully I can stick with it for the entire 12 months. Obviously, it would make it a lot better for me if people actually read…
Another Season of mediocrity for Sussex Red Ball consistency undermined by surprising limited overs failings How they fared After finishing third in the championship in 2013, Sussex were looking to recapture the title for the first time since 2007. The Hove outfit have been one of the most consistent teams in both red and white…
On Wednesday I made the trip down to Taunton to watch the 3rd day of the Championship match between Somerset and Middlesex. Despite Somerset having little riding on this end of season match, they had run through Middlesex’s top order the previous day to leave the visitors fighting for their Division 1 status. The scene…
It’s 4:30pm on August 17th and England have just completed a turnaround against all odds on a scale akin to the Miracle of Midway. One noticeable factor of the England celebrations, as James Anderson collects his man of the series award, is the wealth of new faces. After India appeared to have conquered their overseas…
It was a day for experienced old heads at Taunton, as Jacques Rudolph’s steady 111 set up a vital victory for Glamorgan. The 95 run success keeps Glamorgan in the running for a top four finish and a quarter-final place in the Royal London One Day Cup despite loosing their previous three matches in this…
It has often been said over the past half -decade or so that the England Test side has been too much of a closed shop. That honest consistently performing county pro’s where never seriously considered for promotion to the national side. All that changed however during a terrible winter for English cricket, as we saw…
Jack Vittles 