The Wall that Rob & Dad built

That wasn't there this morning...

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Back Home Again

Hattie learning the finer points of C++

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Fun in Park

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ECB warns free-to-air TV ruling threatens Test grounds and counties | Sport | The Observer

ECB warns free-to-air TV ruling threatens Test grounds and counties | Sport | The Observer

But if people can't watch it for free, people will no longer be interested in cricket as a national sport. How much is that worth?

Ten and eleven year-olds won't be clamouring to play it, dads won't be pressured into taking their kids to local grounds, there won't be any fresh talent. How soon until that adds up to £137m?

Bob Crow

Is it just me, or was his reaction to losing in court today completely inappropriate?

Talking about fights and losing the first round, and there being 15, etc., etc.?

It seems to me he is more than keen to have a strike.

But really, who benefits from a strike? If you want a couple of days off, book holiday.

Tch.

TTFN.

MPs Above The Law?

So I see the three MPs & one peer are claiming parliamentary privilege? Isn't that what got them into trouble in the first place?

To BBC or not to BBC?

So, David Mitchell today in the Observer wrote about the BBC and how great it is.
I agree, I think the BBC is worth the licence fee, and I found it quite amusing to read the 350+ comments below the article.
I am disappointed that they are planning to cut 6music, as I was looking forward to that as a treat when analogue is switched off.
If we, as a nation, want quality broadcasting, we'll have to pay for it. Those who accuse the BBC of left-leaning liberal bias are a frightening bunch, but luckily they have their own ghetto in which to lurk (I'm referring to the Biased BBC forum - pop over and have a look, if you fancy a good scare). They watch the BBC, they just don't want to pay for it, and they don't see the need to have any Labour or LibDem representation on BBCQT.
I do think the BBC could cut down a bit - maybe their publishing arm could be trimmed. Who needs CBeebies or Gardeners World magazine?
Having said that, I am gutted that they've pulled the Celebdaq site. I played that daily. Oh well.
If the Tories do get in, and decide to do something, I hope they ask us. And I hope the BBC Trust decides not to can 6music. Who else provides a service like that?


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England Win Second ODI Shocker [Cricket]

So, thanks to bad luck and an upset stomach, I was home yesterday to watch the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh.
It was a pretty dreary affair, Bangla batted first and scored 260, which was a fair score. I missed that innings as I was asleep, catching up on the sleep I missed Monday night, due to spending most of my time on the loo rather than asleep!
So, I joined the action with England in bat. Kieswetter was out second ball a he nicked one to first slip. He'd done the same with the first delivery, they just weren't expecting it. Cook set off steadily and scored 60. Pietersen was out for 18, and Sky made a big fuss about how it was a slow left-arm spinner - again! Colly, who should have steadied the ship, was out for 7, and then Eoin Morgan and Prior were on. They went slowly and matched Bangla's run-rate (5.2), but Prior put on 42 before losing his wicket. Bresnan and Swann fell quickly and the RRR was climbing, and then it got good. Morgan let loose in the last four overs to win the game with a couple of deliveries and two wickets to spare. An excellent innings of 110 not out saved England.

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Miliband the Hair-Splitter

This clip starts at exactly the right point. Miliband allows that Binyam Mohamed was subject to inhumane treatment, but doesn't accept inhumane treatment = torture. Apparently a court is investigating whether Mohamed suffered torture. If he suffered intentional repeated inhumane treatment over two years, what specifically would make that torture, in a way that Miliband would agree?

Coming on top of the 'Campbell on Marr fiasco', things are beginning to smell funny...

TTFN

Alastair Campbell cries (nearly)

I watched this last week and couldn't believe my eyes. I thought it was a mickey-take. This is the guy, after all, who dug a pin into his palm during the Hutton enquiry because he was so angry at being questioned. And now we're supposed to believe he's 'overwhelmed' after six years of stonewalling journos, manipulating news and dictating Labour policy?

That's a bit much to take. Maybe he saw it work for Peter Andre on Sky News and thought he'd try it? I don't know, but it's one of the more bizarre things I've seen recently...

TTFN.

The Church

The Church should just shut up. If they decide they don't want to treat people with equality, they should just zip it and carry on as they always have.
I always thought the Church was based on principles of inclusiveness. Mary Magdelene was a prostitute, wasn't she? And the Apostles were all farmers and fishermen. Didn't Jesus preach love for one's fellow man. And now the established Church is pleading with lawmakers not to have 'the gays' forced on them.
I know things change as you go on, but that's a terrible volte-face.
Perhaps next they can make a case for bringing back witch-hunting and the Inquisition?


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National TV Awards

What a travesty that was. I wasn't concentrating on the show 100%, which was probably for the best.
There were several things hideous about it, and I shall enumerate them here:
1. The venue. It was the O2 arena, if I'm not mistaken. It was too large, and bizarre.
2. The presenter. Dermot O'Leary, as much as I like him, couldn't pull it off. He needed to be 'bigger'.
3. The guests. Jedward. With Vanilla Ice. Normally that would be 'nuff said. But I feel I have to add that I have watched some of Vanilla Ice's recent performances on YouTube, and when he does that song, I get goosebumps. I would go and see Vanilla Ice to hear him perform that song. But now he's compromised himself (even more than he has already, you might say) and my nostalgic regard for The Iceman has turned to ambivalence.
4. The acceptance speeches. With the exception, of course, of Stephen Fry. That bloke off Corrie was excruciating, and D. Tennant was poor.

I played Wolfenstein instead.

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Bill McLaren, a fixture of our national sporting life, passes away aged 86 | Sport | guardian.co.uk

Bill McLaren, a fixture of our national sporting life, passes away aged 86

Sad news. The Six Nations was never the same once he stopped commentating. The man had such a voice, it was like going back to a familiar pub year after year. RIP.

Another Test Series Ends (S.A. vs. ENG)

So, that was another nail-biting series. Drew 1-1 with South Africa, the test side ranked #2 in the world. It was a bit unconvincing - when South Africa won, they whupped our ass. When we won, it was by the skin of our teeth.

Still, we held our own - for the most part - and frustrated Graeme Smith and his cohorts. Not bad for a team ranked #5 and playing more games than anyone else. I'm not surprised Strauss is being rested for Bangladesh.

Still, Cook as captain? I'm not sure that's a good idea, but I don't know the guy. He strikes me as very young, but he's been V-C for a year, so must have the support of the team... Glad to see Carberry is getting a look-in. I hope he acquits himself well, I have high hopes.

I think we have all the elements we need for a world-class team, we just need the pieces to click into place. With Strauss, Colly and KP as batsmen, supported by Prior, Swann & Broad, we should be scoring 400+ in every innings. And with Jimmy, Swann and Broad in attack, we should be taking wickets much more cheaply than we are doing. I'm sure we'll have some good games during the summer, and I'm off for a rest until then (I wish)...

ENG vs. SA Revisited

So, who can we blame for England’s close shave at Newlands? | The Nurdler

Excellent piece from The Nurdler, advising that we can expect more of the same if we are to be world-beaters. I'm off to buy some spare pants...

The Great Escape, Part III

England save yet another thriller | South Africa v England, 3rd Test, Cape Town, 5th day Report | Cricket News | Cricinfo.com

So, England managed to do it again. They batted all day to draw the match, in the same way they did in Cardiff vs AUS and at Centurion vs. SA. in the first match of the series.

England are showing an admirable stickability at the crease, and a refusal to lose. I am pleased that we have now beaten AUS in the Ashes and at worst we are going to draw this series in SA. What we need to do, in my opinion, is turn that refusal to accept defeat into a hunger for victory. Our bowling attack was the best in 2009, with Swann at 2, Broad at 3 and Anderson at 5.

I am firmly of the opinion that we can be top of the tables, with little change. We need our openers to do a better job, play as if they like it, and be confident that the middle order can hold things up if wickets fall quickly.

Pietersen needs to temper his approach and get into a groove where he's regularly getting 40s and 50s. Cook and Bell, although they both play well, need to turn that class into runs more frequently. Although Cook is quietly coming on - I read that he and Strauss have the third highest opening partnership aggregate scores.

So the parts are all there, they just need to click into place. I would like us to have been tested against India this year, but tests against Bangladesh and Pakistan should keep our eye in...

TTFN.

Snow in Worthing

What's happened to my lovely mild Worthing? The snow is coming down hard with no sign of stopping - look at those clouds...

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Unthinkable? England become the world's best cricketers

From the Guardian

I've been thinking that with a run of luck and self-belief, England are on the way to a massive improvement. I don't think it'll be showy, and I don't think it'll be an even run. I think we'll probably suffer massive defeats and set backs, but we could get to mid-2011 and suddenly realise we're within touching distance of being (officially) the best team in the world. We'll look back and think 'how did we get here?', and we'll point to the South Africa ODI victories and the test victories as where we really started to gain momentum. Holding our own against the Aussies in the Ashes (ranked 3rd) and South Africa (ranked 2nd) is a pretty good platform for world domination.

Or could I be reading too much into a few fortunate results? ;-D

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Graeme Swann No3 and Stuart Broad No7 in ICC world rankings

Graeme Swann has plenty to smile about. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad have climbed to their highest ever positions in the ICC player rankings after helping England to beat South Africa by an innings and 98 runs in the second Test in Durban.

The off-spinner Swann took five for 54, including the wicket of Dale Steyn that secured victory at Kingsmead, and is third in the Test rankings behind Steyn and Australia's Mitchell Johnson.

Broad, the hero of the Ashes-clinching victory over Australia at The Oval in the summer, took four for 43 and is ranked seventh. Swann has taken 14 wickets in the current series, Broad nine.

There are no Englishmen in the top 10 of the batting rankings – Kevin Pietersen is 12th.

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship bowling rankings

1 Dale Steyn (South Africa) 823pts

2 Mitchell Johnson (Australia) 809

3 Graeme Swann (England) 756

4 Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) 752

5 Mohammad Asif (Pakistan) 720

6 Harbhajan Singh (India) 712

7 Stuart Broad (England) 697

8 Makhaya Ntini (South Africa) 685

9 Stuart Clark (Australia) 682

10 Shane Bond (New Zealand) 676

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship batting rankings

1 Gautam Gambhir (India) 877pts

2 Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) 836

3 Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) 835

4 Virender Sehwag (India) 804

5 Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) 793

6 Michael Clarke (Australia) 7827

7 Younus Khan (Pakistan) 769

8 Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) 765

9= Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 763

9= Ross Taylor (New Zealand) 763

via guardian.co.uk

Good work Swanny and Broad. Your 2010 resolutions should be to get on the batting top ten lists as well... :-D

Posted via web from Rob Thorley's Posterous Site

Happy New Year

I hope you are all well and saw in the New Year in appropriate style. TW & I were tucked up warmly in bed, and asleep, at least until the barrage of fireworks was released over Worthing.

New Year's resolutions:

• Drink less
• Weigh less
• Watch a test match at Sussex
• Carry out maintenance (on the house, the car, etc.), when it's due
• blog more regularly
• watch less telly

So not too much then...