BBC Ashes blog round-up

The BBC are absolutly correct in drawing attention to the cricket blogs around and the hours of “work” you guys put in. Blogs have added even more to the enjoyment of cricket (for me anyway and I suppose for you guys too or you would´n´t be reading this). The C.O.U. gets 100´s of comments on a good day and this is nothing compared to some Indian ones, one i saw, sight screen I think, got over 400 comments for a not very important one-dayer against NZ.
Obviously the best way to be watching this Ashes series is the be at the grounds themselves and maybe sitting between Boycott and Richie and chatting about the state of the game. However of the millions following the series a tiny percentage have this privledge. Mortals have to put up with TV, radio and newspapers and “experts” giving their opinions.
Blogs clearly have a niche or they wouldn´t exist. The very fact that the people giving their opinions on blogs do so for pure, undiluted love of the game and not for any other motive adds to their genuine nature, as does the international and live nature of the ongoing comments during the game. Even seeing the views written down as opposed to slured out by a mate in the pub seems to increase their validity. Maybe you are all pissed out off your heads when writting, you just can´t tell.
From a personal point of view I live in a provincial town in Spain, a total cricketing wilderness, no cricket on TV, newspapers etc even my 2 English friends here hate cricket, they don´t even like football for gods sake. Listening to TMS and reading newspapers online saves my life because I truely love cricket, but having nobody to talk to about how great this Ashes series is drives me mad. When I mention it they think I am completly mad, one friend said “that´s like English bullfighting isn´t it?”
Anyway all you bloggers out there keep it up because you are stopping this poor, isolated cricket fan going mad.

I dont get featured in these stuff

Just to echo what Chris and Mark said. I’ve spent most of my life since 1990 in countries where my link with cricket was covered only by the back pages of the Guardian Weekly and the occasional report on Sports Roundup on the World Service.

The Internet has allowed the passion I had for cricket in my youth to resurface. I’ve even researched on the net and found out there’s a league here in Washington DC (very subcontinental membership). I’m going to find a team to play with next Summer.

Love the blogs. Noone here I can discuss the cricket with. My Japanese wife’s education in cricket is coming along,but clearly has still some way to go. On Sunday, as I was on my knees, fingers knotted together, interspersed with bouts of frantic pacing up and down, she inquired what the situation was.

15 runs to go, three wickets left, I muttered.

She looked puzzled. “Easy, ja nai?”, putting her hands together. “pyoo, pyoo…” she said putting her hands together, and making swishing motions in the air. I fear the Edgbaston highlights DVD gave a rather misleading impression of how easy it is to score boundaries.

There’s no word for “Shane Warne” in Japanese.