The Village Cricketer had the pleasure of  playing alongside Phil Johnson, cricket writer and representative of Elstow Cricket Club, in Monday’s Bloggers’ Ashes match. Phil took a fine catch to remove the Michael Slateresque opening batsman (opener slogged it straight up in the air, Phil ran back 20 yards and held the catch coming over his shoulder).

Elstow must be a good bunch, not only did they get to appear on Cricket AM, they are hosting their own Ashes special event on 25th and 26th July.

Uncle Jrod is captaining Australia (again) and there are still spots in the Aussie team available. Click here for more details.

From left to right: Spectatoro, Suaveo, Kiddo, Wrencho, Tayloro, Gavo, Johnsono and Stowo

You wouldn’t believe how great it is to play a game of crucket. Having not played in quite a while – I’m never available and so never get picked – but I did practice in the nets and I have also been watching a lot of crucket on Sky Sports, so I think I know what to do.
 
So, I got to play against the Cricket with Balls’s Code of Conduct XI. I made sure I got there real early, and went to the local pub for a pint of full-fat Coke (not Pepsi) and a ciabatta. I did ask for a side order of chups, but the owner of the Red Lion looked at me all gone out like I’d just insulted his daughter. I guess I should have asked for “sauteed root vegetables”, but how should I know? I’m just a boy from Waltone, Chesterfield, and let me tell you – that’s a long way from Barnes (153 miles exactly!).
 
Anyways, after lunch I strolled back to the Barnes ground, shook hands with Jrod, and went for a net. It was 31 degrees, which is quite hot. I made sure I warmed up good and proper. The net was some good work, I really tested out my body and got into the groove of bowling full and straight. It was lovely. That excercise means that I’ll probably be able to get into an even tighter pair of jeans from now on.
 
I also had a bat. First with the 2lb7oz ‘The Dogs’ from Stick bats, and then with a Mongoose bat that Jrod had borrowed from Mongoose Crucket.
 
I have to admit it, even for a boy from Waltone, the Mongoose was a bit strange. First up, you are very much aware that your hands are a long way from the blade. Second, it felt like a cross between swinging a great big Big Bertha golf club and a ball and chain. I’ve never swung a ball and chain, but I’d image it would be quite similar. I managed to get some good bat speed out of it, and when you nailed one, it went.
 
We won the toss and batted first. Reason being was that it was a bit hot and we fancies putting our feet up. It was a fun afternoon and we had a small crowd there. I batted at five, after a couple of wuckets, and also after Craigo had retired for making 30 and hitting a lady in her garden down the street with a magnificent drive over wide mid-off (Craigo’s such a talented crucketer, I reckon he could be a Kiwi).
 
Hendo and Stowo also batted really well.
 
I was a bit nervous. The crowd was excited and Alex Scott, the Aussie’s leggie had got the ball to talk a bit. I started by driving Jrod for four through covers – he’s such a talent that Jrod, he even managed to make a face at me when he bowled. I then cut Scott for four through gully (was a bit top edgy) and then slog-swept him over mid-wucket for sux (that was a bit top edgy too, but ‘The Dogs’ from Stick bats has nice big thick edges).
 
Also picked up a few singles, but was bowled trying to nerdle the leggie behind square on the legside.
 
Millo got a bit excited with the Mongoose and blasted 17, and big respect must go to Hortono and Wrencho – who batting at 10 and 11 respectively pushed the score past 200.
 
The Aussies had a few real good crucketers, and Hortono and Wrencho, opening the bowling for the English, had a tough challenge keeping it tight against them. One opener spooned a tough chance to Philo, who snaffled it over his shoulder. Another of the Aussie stars smashed a full toss from Hortono to my left at mid-wucket and I grabbed it.
 
With a couple of the Aussies then going on to retire on 30, we brought on the spinner. Kiddo from The Times looped some up. Some got smashed, others didn’t, and some more good catching meant he had snaffled three and the middle-order had crumbled. Good catches from Craigo, Tayloro and Suaveo helped.
 
I came on to bowl to try and tie up an end and stop getting wuckets, because that would mean the good batsmen would have to come back.
 
I marked out my 17 pace run up. First ball was straight, back of a length, defended. Second ball, right foot, left foot, usual right foot left foot combination. The arm came over and yorked the batsmen middle stump.
 
It was good reward for a flukey delivery, and confirmed my theory that on this deck I needed to bowl cross seam.
 
In came a new batter, Uncle Jrod. I sent square leg to the boundary and made like I was going to bounce him out. Jrod was confused because the keeper was still up to the stumps. Bowled a delivery, straight, just back of a length, and it kicked nicely and moved a mile, nipping between bat and pad, over leg stump, past Stowo and four byes.
 
Suaveo – who really took to occasion, wearing a Jardine style shirt and silk scarf – came on at the other end and snared Jrod, caught on the deep mid-wucket fence off a big full toss. Jrod wasn’t happy, it was possibly a no-ball, but it wasn’t given. I thought about it a while, considered calling him back. After contemplating what Jardine would have done I decided not to.
 
Taking all these wuckets was starting to be a real problem as it meant the Aussie star batsmen would be able to come back in with plenty of time to get the runs they needed.
 
They soon added another 20, so I whipped off the spinners and went to an all seam attack. We need two big wuckets, they needed 30 runs off seven overs.
 
The 23rd over of the innings was defining. The Aussie number 10 pushed a single and I managed to bowl two dot balls against the young opener who was then on 50. Fourth ball I tried the two-fingers-running-across-the-seam slower ball, bowling full and straight at middle-and-leg. The leftie went for the money shot over long on, hit it high and handsome, and Hortono snaffled a catch on the boundary. Game on!
 
Next ball was against the other returning batsman. He’d made a lot of runs earlier gliding the ball behind square on the offside. Decided to bowl it full and straight. It tailed in and clipped the top of leg stump. What a result.
 
A great result for the England and a great result for the boy from Waltone.
 
Written with much admiration and respect for the work of the boy from Petone.

Michael Jackson may have been dominating the news agenda over the past few days, however it is the departure (retirement though, rather than death) of another Michael that is more
 
At his best, Michael Vaughan was a truly dangerous batsman and a genuine crowd thriller, and I count myself very lucky to have been there in person to see him bat at his best. Remember the time at The Oval, when he scored an astonishing 195 against India? I didn’t see that, but I did see the 47* in the second innings, and it was very clear by that stage that the man threatened greatness.
 
The 2002/3 Australia tour is where he really stamped his authority and everything come together. Don’t stop ’til you get enough was his mantra as – with England under the pump all series – he made the nation smile and healed the world by scoring 633 against a fine Canary Yellow bowling attack. He beat it to the boundary on a regular basis, scoring three big hundreds (none of them bad).
 
Ashes 2005 – this time around it wasn’t the bat that talked (although he did make another fine hundred), it was his captaincy. He ran rings around Ponting and led England to a fine series win. Whatever happens he’ll be known as England’s most successful ever captain. Injury has meant that he couldn’t get back to the form of 2002 and 2003. The man in the mirror has said enough is enough, and he has gone too soon.

Its human nature to look at the good times of the past. I can’t help it. Michael Vaughan, batting genius and captain marvellous, I just can’t stop loving the way you make me feel.

From ECB.co.uk:
 
The England team returned to the United Kingdom yesterday after a two-day visit to Flanders Field in Belgium as part of their preparations for the forthcoming npower Ashes against Australia… The team also visited the Tyne Cot cemetery where more than 12,000 Allied soldiers are buried
 
OK, so, I’ve got no problems with England going to Flanders Field for team building, leadership and team ethics purposes, and I can only applaud the fact that they have gone to learn about the sacrifices made by a previous generation.
 
I do, however, get slightly uncomfortable about the trip being used for publicity purposes – being press released, webcast, photoshot and paraded for the media. But then again, having splashed out on sponsorship I suppose npower wouldn’t have been happy without it being used to promote its brand further.
 
Cricket is fantastic, but it is sport. WW1 claimed the lives of millions. The two are poles apart. No problems at all with England’s cricketers paying tribute and learning lessons, but it should have been done behind closed doors.

The Village Cricketer meets Cricket with Balls

A terrific win for The Village Cricketer’s English All Stars. We bowled in the right areas, controlled the controllables and took plenty of positives from the game. What is more, we built some momentum and raised well over £1,000 for the charity.

As with all major sporting occasions, the match has been covered by The Times as well as Cricket with Balls, and any further reports will be linked to here. The full scorecard is below. I’ve also pasted some photos on the Facebook site, so to view (feel free to use on your own blogs) click here.

The Village Cricketer’s English All Stars v The Cricket with Balls Aussie Code of Conduct XI

Played at Barnes Cricket Club on 29th June 2009.

Toss won by The Village Cricketer’s English All Stars, who elected to bat

Innings of England

Batting
Ed Craig retired not out 34
Nigel Henderson bowled Francis 26
Sam Stow caught Doogle bowled Scott 19
Phil Johnson bowled Scott 8
The Village Cricketer bowled Scott 20
Tommy Taylor caught Kernutt bowled Scott 3
Suave stumped Doogle bowled Uncle Jrod 6
Andrew Miller caught Doogle bowled Tim 17
Patrick Kidd not out 10
Jamie Horton bowled Swann 27
Paul Wrench not out 20

Score 202 for 8 from 30 overs

Bowling
Colliver 3 overs – 0 maidens – 26 runs – 0 wickets
Zaneller 3 – 0 – 27 – 0
Stevens 5 – 1 – 29 – 0
Francis 5 – 0 – 33 – 1
Alex Scott 5 – 0 – 25 – 4
Uncle Jrod 3 – 0 – 20 – 1
Tim 2 – 0 – 12 – 1
Ross 2 – 0 – 13 – 0
Darren Swann 2 – 0 – 12 – 1

Innings of Australia

Batting
Kernutt caught Johnson bowled Wrench 0
Ben Doogle caught Horton bowled The Village Cricketer 50
Francis caught The Village Cricketer bowled Horton 14
Akbal bowled The Village Cricketer 30
Colliver caught Craig bowled Kidd 25
Ross caught Taylor bowled Kidd 6
Alex Scott caught Suave bowled Kidd 0
Brent bowled The Village Cricketer 4
Darren Swann not out 25
Uncle Jrod caught Taylor bowled Suave 7
Zanella absent hurt

Score 174 for 9 (all out) from 23.5 overs

Bowling
Jamie Horton 3 overs – 0 maidens – 19 runs – 1 wicket
Paul Wrench 5 – 0 – 42 – 1
Andrew Miller 5 – 0 – 33 – 0
Patrick Kidd 3 – 0 – 25 – 3
The Village Cricketer 3.5 – 1 – 8 – 3
Suave 2 – 0 – 24 – 1
Tommy Taylor 2 – 0 – 16 – 0

Winners

Yes, he certainly does. The other team being the Cricket with Balls Aussie Code of Conduct XI. I’m more excited than you could possibly imagine, its less than 48 hours until The Village Cricketer’s English All Stars take on Jrod’s mob at Barnes CC!

Here. Please read. I am deeply honoured.

Ladies and Gents, we’ve made The Times. Big up to Patrick Kidd, whose slow, non-turning spinners will be terrorising the Cricket with Balls Code of Conduct XI next Monday night.

Sooo, they sacred Urn is as good as ours. With only a week to go until The Village Cricketer’s English All-Stars take on the Cricket With Balls Aussie Code of Conduct XI, news reaches TVC that the Aussies are struggling to field eleven fit men. Injuries, viruses and visa problems have ravaged the Canary representatives, leaving them one or two players should. Any Australians in the London area fancying a game next Monday (3.30pm start at Barnes) should volunteer their services directly to Jrod at cwb@cricketwithballs.com.

T20 is all about talent, raw unadulterated talent. You want players that bat naturally, bowl with flair and field as well as they possibly can.

A team like Pakistan blows hot and cold. When they are cold they are poor and can fall very short. When they are good though, they are very, very good.

Teams like England include plays that are technically correct, but not necessarily the most naturally gifted. That is why Pakistan can come back from being stuffed by India in the warm-ups and stuffed by England in the first round, to breeze through the second stage and beat Sri Lanka at a canter in the final.

You wouldn’t back Shahid Afridi to bat for your life. But you know that on the right day, if the power is with him, he could play anyone off the park.

Fair play to him and congratulations Pakistan. Boom boom Afridi!