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MCC go pink
By Will 3 months ago, 6 Comments »
You’ve got to hand it to MCC. For so long they were the stuffy uncle of cricket: custodians of the laws of a noble sport, and with the detached arrogance to match such an honour. Their image has changed irrevocably in the past 15 years - just look at Lord’s for proof. It combines the old with the new like no other ground in the country (if not the world), and continues to break new ground. They’re now looking to utilise the tunnels beneath the nursery which once housed trains on the old tube line.
And today they unveiled a new pink ball as a potential replacement for the grubby white one which becomes so discoloured in ODIs. Yes, pink. It’s not as garish as it sounds and, on such a gloomy day at Lord’s, it was certainly luminous against the lush green turf. I’m not convinced it was any more visible than the old white one, but it appears MCC’s task is to find one more durable, not necessarily more visible.
Anyway. The chap tasked with all this is Dr Anthony Bull, a bioengineer from Imperial College, who was good enough to spare me and a couple of other reporters the time at Lord’s to explain a few things. More interesting than all the pink balls (honk honk, etc) was his opinion of the future potential of bat technology. He is convinced that within the current constraints of ICC regulations, the current bats can be improved so that a ball will travel a further 20% than they do at the moment.
That is quite some revelation and the impact on the game could be extraordinary. Mis-hits could go for six, or flashing nicks for six. Where on earth would this leave the poor bowler? Such a super-bat would give batsmen yet another unfair advantage over their opponents, and increase expectation on television suits to finish games even sooner than they currently do. Boundaries have been steadily creeping in from the fence in the past ten years - an absolute and unrecorded farce if you ask me - for that very reason: to get “result” games in order to lure bigger audiences to TV.
Anyway, we’re some way off ever seeing this super bat. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts. Would you be in favour of such a technological advance, or does it belittle the already hapless bowler to a mere support act?
More on Dr Bull and the pink balls at Cricinfo.
6 Comments »Another season
By Will 3 months ago, 3 Comments »
Hands up all those who are really very excited that the new season is here? Come on. I can still see a few lingering losers at the back. OK, so it’s only the curtain-raiser - MCC versus the champions, Sussex - but it’s the beginning of another monstrous season, and it signals the end of what has felt like an interminably arduous winter.
I say “only” the MCC, but tomorrow’s game has so much going for it. Sussex will doubtless be bounding out of the Long Room to defend their title, and MCC are comprised of a mixture of the tried and tested and the young and hopeful. Ed Joyce is captain and one of four with international experience - Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah and James Foster are the other three - but, most intriugingly of all, it’s the inclusion of a couple of young bucks which really tickles our interest.
We know all about Adil Rashid, a precociously talented legspinning allrounder; rather less is known about Steven Finn, the Middlesex fast bowler who towers above nearly everyone in the county game at 6ft 8in. I had a decent chat with him the other day - he’s a thoughtful, serious young cricketer and has a very clear idea of his path to the top. Have a read at Cricinfo tomorrow.
All to play for, then, if not in the immediate sense - this match is first-class but counts for little else - then certainly for the future. Charge your Thermos flasks and head to Lord’s.
3 Comments »A-Z of MCC cricket in 2008
By Will 3 months ago, 3 Comments »
A press release landed today from the MCC who have scratched their collective brains and come up with an A-Z of MCC cricket this season. Worth sharing I thought.
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The 2008 English cricket season begins at Lord’s with the MCC v County Champion match. MCC is pleased to bring you a comprehensive A – Z guide of its cricket activities this season:
A is for Arundel: the venue for MCC’s fixture against the New Zealanders on Sunday 27th April.
B is for Balls: MCC will provide 1,000 new cricket balls to all its opposition this season, be it an international, first-class, amateur Club or School side. This is an investment of £10,000 on balls alone.
C is for Cowdrey Lecture: Inspired by the late Colin Cowdrey, the MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture has become an important part in the cricketing calendar, allowing as it does a platform to discuss the issues surrounding the game today.
Previous speakers have included Richie Benaud, Sunil Gavaskar and Christopher Martin-Jenkins.
D is for Dressing Rooms: the only place to see the full honours boards at Lord’s. The Home Dressing Room is Number 1 within the famous Pavilion, while the Visitors will use Dressing Room 5.
- More about the Honours Boards and how you can see them on an Official Tour of Lord’s
Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart wearing their MCC ties
E is for Egg and Bacon: the affectionate name given to MCC Member’s ties.
MCC has 2,500 Playing Members who will turn out for the Club in fixtures in the UK and abroad, making it the biggest cricket-playing Club in the world.
(more…)
Now come on, chaps. Behave
By Will 3 months ago, No Comments; be the first!
I had to raise a smile when the MCC* made a statement today to say that Lalit Modi, the commissioner and chairman of the Indian Premier League, had agreed to abide by the MCC’s Spirit of Cricket. It was endearingly headmasterly; young Lalit, you and your tournament frighten us witless. By all means take over the world, but please do so in an orderly manner.
* (yes, it’s just “MCC”, but I prefer “the MCC”)
No Comments »MCC ‘more human, not so aloof and distant’
By Will last year, mid-December, 2 Comments »
Mike Atherton meets Mike Brearley, the former England captain who was named as MCC’s new president in May. In a wide-ranging piece, Brearley looks ahead to the future - and Atherton is convinced the MCC could not be in safer hands:
“The appointment of Keith Bradshaw [the Tasmanian chief executive of the MCC] could not have happened 20 years ago. He’s very forward-thinking and keen to keep Lord’s and the MCC relevant. In short, the MCC has become, I think, more obviously human, not so aloof and distant.”
Read the full piece at the Sunday Telegraph.
2 Comments »Notes from the pavilion for October 22nd
By Will last year, at the end of October, No Comments; be the first!
Links of note from the past 24 hours:
- Gatting’s MCC beat Cyprus…just - Mike’s actually getting <i>rounder</i>
- ‘We will have to play well to come out on top’ - So <i>that’s</i> how you win, John
- Why cricket? - New Zealand cricket | NZHistory - Some interesting notes on the history of New Zealand cricket, while doing a “brief history” of England and NZ for Cricinfo. ‘I tell the boys in summertime to play at cricket and play well, that those who are the best cricketers most likely will be the bes
Lord’s moves out of the Dark Ages
By Jonathan Liew last year, mid-September, No Comments; be the first!
In the beginning was Lord’s. And all around was a formless void, swathed in darkness. And the MCC said: “Let there be light,†and light appeared. And 5,000 fans saw that the light was good, even though it was only temporary. And the local residents didn’t kick up too much of a fuss. And thus Lord’s took a bold step into the 21st century.
From the distinct lack of glitz on display on Monday night, It’s immediately clear that night cricket at Lord’s will never enjoy the same raucous atmosphere it does at The Oval. But then again, nor should it. The long overdue experiment will hopefully transform the Lord’s experience into something more thrilling and inclusive whilst retaining its respectful eloquence. Day-night games at Lord’s will feel rather like a garden party to which the whole family is invited. There really is no reason why floodlights should automatically be synonymous with furry mascots and Gwen Stefani.
No Comments »Photos from MCC v Sussex, Lord’s
By Will last year, mid-April, 4 Comments »
Some cracking photos from Peter Meade of MCC v Sussex.
Matthew Hoggard in typical unrestrained, relaxed, un-mediary pose:
Steve Harmison. Pensive as ever.
And finally…
ICC presidency: handle cricket with care
By Scott 2 years ago, mid-August, No Comments; be the first!
There’s plenty of ways to measure the health of cricket. How many people are paying to get in, of course. Television ratings, column inches, blog posts are another.
But there is a more intangible way of measuring the health of cricket, and that is in the emotional commitment of those same spectators to the game. One of the most delightful images to come out of the Headingley Test was actually a row of spectators, all dressed up in Superman outfits, with Monty Panesar style beards and turbans.
Of course, getting dressed up to go to the cricket is a long standing Headingley tradition. You can see a Batman & Robin duo in the photo, and a couple of Homer Simpsons, as well.
But in identifying with a particular player, these fans in the Super Monty Panesar outfits are making a statement- they are big fans of the guy, and really enjoy his efforts for England, to the point where they are willing to make an effort to show the world.
It is also a symbol, I think, that the emotional commitment between England’s cricket team, and its fans, is in robust good health. It has in fact been in good health for a long time. Even in the darkest days of England’s cricket in the 1990’s, the fans cared, and the England team have always responded to that. They were not always able to respond with runs and wickets, especially in Australia, but all three England captains Down Under made it pretty plain that they really got a kick out of the support that they got.
No Comments »One pint too far for greedy ICC
By Will 2 years ago, mid-May, 2 Comments »
What, in England anyway, is most associated with watching cricket? Fun? Most certainly, it’s great fun. Good food? Nah. Picnic eggs and £10 heart-attack burgers are the best you can hope for. No, so it’s perhaps why most people have always enjoyed a drink or three “at the cricket”. But the ICC are trying, and have already partially succeeded in, outlawing booze from the game.
To be accurate, they’re banning people from bringing their own alcohol into grounds. It’s already happened in the Caribbean, and smacks of commercialised greed (i.e. forcing people to pay over the odds for drinks inside the ground). It’s beer tax.
So long considered the stuffy great-uncle of cricket, Lord’s continues to be the groundbreakers. They’re the only ground to refuse the ICC’s ruling, and good on them. I spoke to them last week and fed the info to my boss who has written it all up here.
For some time, however, there was a threat that the ICC were about to poop the party. They were thinking of imposing their worldwide ruling that no-one would be allowed to bring glass or tin containers into grounds. Members spluttered and the MCC, still a private club, took a stand. Allowing women in the pavilion is one thing, but barring wine and champagne was a bridge too far. The result is that, for this year at least, there will be no ban on people bringing in bottles to go with their lunches.
[...]
Sadly, at all other venues in England - and around the world - we are likely to see a repetition of spectators having alcohol and soft drinks removed by overzealous security guards and then queuing to buy the very same product, only with a large mark-up.
Thoughts?
2 Comments »Bletchley Park and MCC
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of May, No Comments; be the first!
Terry Mitchell emailed a press release from the Bletchley Park Post Office who, with MCC, are commemorating various matches in the form of artistic stamps and prints:
No Comments »Cricket fans will be able to collect some unique memorabilia during the 2006
season. Britain’s secret little post office at Bletchley Park and the MCC
Museum at Lord’s have teamed up to commemorate major matches through a
combination of exclusive artwork and postage stamps. The first of these little
pieces of cricketing art and history will be issued for the England v Sri Lanka
nPower Test on 11th May 2006.There will be five in the series featuring a different view of Lord’s Cricket
Ground by Karen Neale, MCC Young Artist 2005. A Royal Mail “Ashes†stamp
will be added to the hand prepared envelope and specially cancelled for match
day with an exclusive MCC postmark. Each will be a strictly limited edition
adding to collectability and future value. These “commemorative coversâ€
will be issued for the test and one day matches at Lord’s between England and
Sri Lanka, England and Pakistan plus the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy Final.The covers are available from Bletchley Park Post Office, The Mansion,
Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB, UK. Tel: 01908 631797 Website
www.bletchleycovers.com
Price is £10 each plus £1.50 post and packing.
Mark Ealham goes beserk
By Will 2 years ago, mid-April, 5 Comments »
At work today, we weren’t sure if the scorecard was faulty/wrong or whether Mark Ealham had, actually, hit a blistering century. It looks like it did happen though:
Nottinghamshire 2nd innings R M B 4 6 DJ Bicknell b Bresnan 0 2 4 0 0 *JER Gallian c Cook b Panesar 171 0 230 27 1 RJ Warren c Davies b Bresnan 4 14 10 1 0 DJ Hussey b Bopara 19 37 23 4 0 WR Smith c Clarke b Footitt 39 0 15 5 0 +CMW Read not out 110 0 156 14 2 MA Ealham not out 112 0 53 11 8 Extras (b 2, lb 7, w 3, nb 4) 16
Total (5 wickets declared, 93.4 overs) 471
53 balls for 112!
5 Comments »MCC v Notts, Lord’s, 1st day
By Will 2 years ago, mid-April, 6 Comments »
A great day today. Not only did I get into Lord’s for free thanks to my golden ticket (otherwise known as a media pass) but my boss got me into the pavillion and took me on a guided tour. What a place! What a bloody place. It was like a hotel or, as one of the stewards put it, “a lovely old museum” which was spot on. There are many bars (5, Martin?), many plush and comfortable seats and countless stunning paintings, most of which are original and many date back well into the 1800s.
The long room was particularly amazing. The name rather gives away its essence, for it is a rather long room - and, apparently, packed on match days. The whole place was like a village, a cricket-fan’s slice of heaven, with a slightly different and invariably better view of the play from whichever room/floor you happen to be in.
At the very top is another bar, and on the terracotta-coloured brickwork on the outside are the engravings of player’s names. Rain has stopped play since the game’s inception, but it’s nevertheless magical to see written proof of a player’s boredom, stretching back to the 1800s. Priceless. Let’s hope they remain there for ever.
Before the pavillion I was introduced to the media centre. The lift heaved us to the top and, when the doors opened, my initial reaction was “Shit. I’m in a Big Brother house” which does a huge disservice to the centre’s architect! The design is ultra-modern and incredibly well-planned. All emphasis is on the ground, on the playing area, and the view is astonishing. The roof’s curve naturally dip down onto the glass, and so does your focus; you can’t get away from the view. It’s massive, and “there” - quite brilliant. Lots of blue everywhere too. And free coffee!
I didn’t watch any of the game from the media centre - play didn’t begin until 2pm - but on first glance, it felt…detached, somehow, from the game. The view is so clear, so uninterrupted, you could almost be watching a TV. I imagine I might prefer sitting in the stands for much of a day’s play, or perching somewhere, instead of spending the whole day in the media centre despite its’ many obvious benefits. Oh, it’s all bloody wicked.
Photos are here. More tomorrow.
6 Comments »I say, is that willow metal?
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of March, 4 Comments »
This has been rumbling on for nearly a year and has finally reached a conclusion. The end of the graphite bat is nigh. I first mentioned this back in April last year yet it’s taken that long for the authorities to remove their thumbs from……well, it’s sorted now. In actual fact, Kookaburra have withdrawn the bat themselves “voluntarily”. More at Cricinfo, of course.
Ricky Ponting is the bat’s most high-profile user. Given his extraordinary form in the past year or two, it’ll be interesting to see if a change in bat brings a change of luck…I doubt it, somehow.
4 Comments »Restless natives at MCC
By Scott 3 years ago, at the start of December, No Comments; be the first!
The egg’n'bacon crowd are not a happy bunch of campers, and Donald Trelford has penned a rebel’s manifesto.
I often wondered why the MCC gave up running British cricket, and it turns out they were forced to do so by the government of the day, in the interests of openness and transparency. Surveying England’s cricket fortunes since 1968, you would have to suggest it was a bad move even before the ECB sold out the British cricket fan for the Sky shilling.
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