Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

Monday see’s the release of the 2012 County Cricket fixtures, a day which is eagerly by cricket fans all over the country. I am one who always look forward to the fixtures coming out, as I can then plan my summer around when and where Somerset are playing.

There are always a few fixtures I look out for every season: the first home game, the game on my birthday, what date are the finals (do I dare put that in my diary) etc. There is one fixture in particular I am looking out for this season, Scotland, away, in the CB40 competition.

Edinburgh is a wonderful city and the Grange, where Scotland play their home games, is such a wonderful ground, with an excellent pavilion steeped in history, having visited there a couple of seasons ago.

Along with Steve Easden and Andrew ‘Bungle’ Ebsary, we flew to Edinburgh from Bristol, a bargain and only an hour in the air, getting there a day before the game. We checked in to out hotel, went to put our bags in our room and was astonished by the size of it.

The room was the complete opposite to the one we had in Newquay, it had 13 beds, two TV’s, two washrooms; think of it the size of an assembly room back at school, it was massive. So much so that if I wanted to have a conversation with Steve or Bungle at the other end of the room I had to phone them! At first we thought that we would be sharing with others, a bit like a dormitory, so we had to double check with reception, who assured us the room was all ours!

With the cricket being played the next day, we had all day to discover Edinburgh, its history, cafes and bars! A very fun day indeed.

The next day we made our way down to The Grange where I met up with a friend of mine, Stuart Hurcombe, who moved to Scotland some years ago now, and his boy is a very accomplished cricketer.

Somerset won that day by 37 runs, even though 220-8 didn’t seem a large enough total to defend. However the bowling of Alfonso Thomas and Zander de Bruyn restricted Scotland to 183 all out.

Steve, due to his work at Somerset, knows a few of the cricketers from the club; during the interval he was chatting with the likes of James Hildreth, Peter Trego and Mark Turner. Now you would of thought they would chatting about cricket and the match in progress, but it seems they were talking about what Steve got up to the previous night and what his plans were for that evening! Visiting local hostelries’ so we could chat to the natives was the response.

Scotland – see you in 2012.

The debate about Test cricket rages on over the past week. Peter Oborne wrote a cracking article in the Telegraph on Thursday – Cricket is being destroyed by this indecent obsession with money – was the piece. The crux of the article is that the authorities are looking for short term financial gains instead of looking longer term and safe guarding Test cricket.

Oborne used the South Africa v Australia Test series as an example. Last week cricket lovers were privileged to witness one of the finest Test matches ever played, between two of the oldest Test playing nations at Johannesburg. Having won the first Test, South Africa started favourites, but only managed to score 266 in their first innings.

The match ebbed and flowed from there, and Australia were set 310 to win the game. That final day was compelling viewing, with more twists than an Agatha Christie novel. Australia crawled their was to the victory line, with 18 year old Pat Cummins (one to look out for in the next Ashes series), showing immense nerve and skill to guide the Aussies home.

One all in the series, and guess what, no third, forth or even a fifth Test. Instead, a host of ODI’s and T20 games; which means the lining of pockets of the idiots in charge.  South Africa and Australia are two of the oldest and two of the best Test playing countries and these two nations deserve a five Test series.

When South Africa visit our shores next summer, we effectively have play-off to decide who is the number one Test team in the world, again a five Test series is worthy of this encounter. Instead, thanks to the cricketing authorities, we have a three Test series against the West Indies, then a host of ODI’s against Australia (why? – money); followed by a three Test series against South Africa, then more ODI’s against the Proteas. Graeme Swann could be right in saying get rid of ODI’s, there seems to be too much of it.

The third Teat between India and the West Indies is another testament why Test cricket is so good. With two huge totals in each of their first innings, a draw seemed odds on. However a dramatic first session to the fifth day set up a run chase for India, which they duly obliged and started to hunt down a winning total 243.

The last hour was compelling, with all four results still possible. It ebbed and flowed one way then another. Coming down to the last ball, when two was required to win, India managed a single, the scores were level, and because West Indies didn’t get India all out it was a draw. Great game, compelling last day – I always said that the last couple days of a Test (and a four day game) are the best.

With this in mind David Morgan, the former ECB chairman, has proposed that the County Championship should be reduced by two games, so enabling more T20 games and the 40 over game being increased to a 50 over competition. The only benefit I can see from that is that there will be a much needed increase in revenue for the Counties; however the quality of cricket, sadly, will slowly diminish.

Following on from that, Somerset announced, earlier in the week, record profits for the year ended 30 September 2011. The club saw a 15% increase in turnover to £5.34m, giving an operating profit of £408,000. Somerset attracts a large membership, plus have their marketing heads screwed on right, plus a successful season on the pitch, no wonder they return a profit nearly every year. Other Counties must be jealous of how Somerset are run.

Well, that’s about it for this week. Great to see so many at the funeral of Elsie, and also good to see so many former players from Over Stowey attend. Can’t wait for the old boy’s game next season.

Well, its 10.57, time to blow the froth of a few, to get rid of this rugby hangover from yesterday.

Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

Back in June my Sunday Supplement paid tribute to tea ladies and one in particular, Over Stowey’s Elsie. It is with great sadness that I hear she passed away early on Friday morning.

That article I wrote was in recognition of the fact that Elsie had been doing the teas at Stowey for 50 years, a remarkable achievement in anyone’s book, however things sort of snowballed from there.

Yorkshire Tea recognised the feat by sending Elsie a box of goodies, tea pots, milk hugs, tea bags, tea towels etc; this was followed by articles in the local papers and the parish magazine; then by a radio interview on BBC Radio Somerset. I know Elsie enjoyed her brief brush with fame, fully deserved.

Elsie’s Granddaughter Donna stopped me in the street shortly after her radio interview and thanked me for what I had done for her Nan. “A pleasure,” I replied, “but we should be thanking Elsie.”

Social networks are a great forum for those who wish to express themselves. Former Over Stowey cricketer put it wonderfully: “A beautiful lady, gone, but never forgotten! RIP Elsie.”

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Does anyone remember what they were doing 25 years ago? Well I can’t even remember last night, let alone 25 years ago. ‘Rebellion, death threats, feuds and explosive personalities’ as Wisden described their article in this months’ magazine. 25 years ago saw the end of an era, Somerset’s most successful.

Somerset then had a unique balance of a side, with world-class players mixing it with talented local players and chuck in a few blokes from Oxbridge, Somerset went on to win five one day trophies between 1979 and 1983.

This was followed by a few trophy less seasons, in which Somerset finished bottom of the County Championship in 1985 and next to bottom the following year. Something had to be done.

I can remember Frank Bough announcing on Grandstand in August 1986 some ‘breaking news’, that Somerset will not be renewing the contracts of Viv Richards and Joel Garner. I sat in front of the television in disbelief.

It seems something was done. Peter Roebuck persuaded a weak committee that change was necessary, resulting in the side Somerset had would be broken up.

I can still rattle of the names of the tam who won the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1981 and 82. Peter Denning, Brain Rose, Viv Richards, Peter Roebuck, Ian Botham, Nigel Popplewell, Vic Marks, Dennis Breakwell, Joel Garner, Derek Taylor and Colin Dredge. With Hallam Moseley playing in the 1982 final instead of Breakwell.

The decision not to renew the contracts of Richards and Garner split the County. Views and exchanges were very heated between members and supporters alike. It even split the views of players, Botham especially who said he would quit the club unless the two West Indians were reinstated. I can still remember die-hard supporters in the local pub arguing amongst themselves. “I am never going step foot inside that ground again!” was a very common phrase used in the local bars.

Committee meetings after committee meetings were held all around the County; Roebuck attended one meeting which was even held in the Monmouth Room, at The Castle Hotel, Taunton, where Judge Jeffreys had once presided over the Bloody Assizes, a series of 1685 trials that resulted in 300 hangings following a rebellion against King James II - how apt!

After all these committee meetings, the special meeting was then held at the Showground, Shepton Mallet in November 1986. Botham, along with Brian Rose, Vic Marks and Richards were out of the country on international duty; Garner did attend, along with Roebuck, but neither spoke at the meeting.

Pete Denning did speak in favour of reinstating Richards and Garner, while Nigel Popplewell accused them of lack of commitment. The vote went in favour of the committee and the rest, we can now say, is history.

The following few seasons New Zealand’s Martin Crowe became Somerset’s overseas player, and even though their County Championship performances improved, the County still didn’t win any trophies. It wasn’t until 2001 when Somerset lifted some silverware; winning the C&G Trophy at Lord’s and four years later they won the T20 Cup.

Personally, I was a bit too young in 1986 to understand what was really going on, however then, to see such idols as Richards, Garner and Botham leave the County was devastating. Now some 25 years later, all three have become Somerset Life Members, with a stand named after Botham, and a pair of gates named after Richards and Garner. But somehow I know they will never forgive and forget those days of 1986.

And Somerset still haven’t won the County Championship!

Finally Basil D’Olivera passed away this week, a great cricketer, where the colour of his kin became an international issue rather than his cricketing ability, which led South Africa into the sporting wilderness. He was described by one person as: ‘a flagship for all those who despised apartheid.’

Right, 10.57, hangover cure this morning …. time for a pint.

Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

Waking up this morning and hearing the sad news that the former Somerset captain, Peter Roebuck, has died at the age of 55.

In 335 first-class matches, Roebuck made 17,558 runs at 37.27, with 33 centuries. His playing career was overshadowed to some degree by a bitter and drawn-out feud with other members of the Somerset team, which led to the removal of Joel Garner and Viv Richards from the team and the exit of Ian Botham.

As Roebuck's cricket developed, so too did his writing. It Never Rains, his journal of the 1983 season, established him as one of cricket's most insightful voices even as a young batsman, and he would go on to write numerous other books, including an account of England's Ashes success in Australia in 1986-87.

No doubt that Roebuck played against Graham Dilley during their county days and Dilley’s memorial service was held earlier this week at Worcester Cathedral. What I could see of the pictures from Worcester it was a very packed Cathedral, with cricketing greats such as Botham and Mike Gatting present to pay their respects.

Now on a happier note, how many did Australia score in their second inning against South Africa in the first Test in Cape Town? 47, yes just 47 and that constitutes a recovery as at one stage the Aussies were 21-9.

The barmy second day began with Australia still in their and the games’ first inning; 23 wickets later South Africa were batting in their second and the games’ fourth innings. What I can understand of the reports from Newlands is that the ball swung, seamed, bounced and batting seemed so difficult.

South Africa, chasing 236 to win, won by eight wickets, with Graeme Smith leading South Africa home with an unbeaten hundred, with Hashim Amla also scoring a ton. Man of the Match went to debutant Vernon Philander, who has played cricket for Devon. He took five for 15 in the Aussie second innings and turn this Test completely on its head.

Australia’s second inning score of 47 is their fourth lowest in Test history. Their top three lowest Test scores and the next nine were all against England. Incidentally, we have to go back to 1936, when England got them out for just 58 in Brisbane, that the Aussie top ten of lowest scores was troubled, until South Africa joined the party.

The Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar, achieved another Test match milestone this week as he passed 15,000 Test runs during the match against the West Indies. Only eight batsmen has scored over 10,000 Test runs, but Sachin leads the way, comfortably, by some 2,000 runs. He is an absolute joy to watch at the crease, a player I have watched at Taunton only on a few occasions. He is one of a few players who will empty bars, just to watch him bat. When will he get his 100^th international 100?

With all this exciting Test cricket being played around the world, it still amazes me that the crowds are poor. It only seems to be in England that there are full houses at Test venues. Is One Day and 20/20 cricket killing Test matches? It seems that way, especially as the financial rewards in the shorter format of the game are so vast. Another debate for another time no doubt.

I see that some of the Somerset players have been back in training this week, earlier than when they are due to report back. Walking through the County Ground on Thursday I bumped into the likes of Steve Kirby and it looks like their efforts in 2011 have been rewarded, as the cars in the car park seem to be a lot newer and smarter.

Steve gave his reason on the Somerset website, saying that there is so much pressure from these young pups, I want to make sure that I don’t get left behind when they all get back, because it won’t be long before they start to leap frog the old man!

Pete Trego, just back from Hong Kong where he helped England reach the finals of the six-a-side competition, is now jetting off again, this time flying to Zimbabwe.

It’s non stop for Pete, having played a key role for Somerset as they reached the semi-finals in the Champions League in India before he went to Hong Kong. Pete is playing for Mashonaland Eagles in Harare, the team Nick Compton played for last year, in their domestic T20 competition. Best of luck Pete.

Well, that’s about all from me this week. It has been a hectic and emotional few days, with giving my sister away at her wedding, dressing up in Scottish formal wear and it being Remembrance Sunday. 

It is now 10.57, time to get ready for the two minutes silence, then off for a pint. Now what was under my kilt?

Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

This week’s Sunday Supplement was written before the tragic accident which happened on the M5, just outside Taunton on Friday evening. This has, for me, has just put everything into perspective. My thoughts, along with so many, go to the families who lost loved ones in the most horrific circumstances that evening.

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The game I love is, again, being dragged through the mire this week with the guilty verdicts of three Pakistani cricketers for their parts in a conspiracy to bowl deliberate no-balls in a Test.  Ex-Pakistan captain Salman Butt is jailed for two-and-a-half years, Mohammad Asif for one year and Mohammad Amir for six months.

Along with the three cricketers, the agent Mazhar Majeed, was also found guilty of conspiring to cheat and conspiracy to make corrupt payments and was sentenced for two years and eight months.

A lot has been said and written since they have been found guilty and for the past five days I have been trawling through the column inches to see if I can make any sense in this torrid affair.

What I can make out is this is only the tip of the iceberg, with other cricketers being named. I am sure more allegations and accusations will follow, followed by charges, more court cases and more convictions.

The ICC (another self-governing body, like FIFA and the IOC), hasn’t been strong enough in their actions. Andrew Strauss described the anti-corruption unit of the ICC as a toothless tiger. "The unit hasn't got the resources," said the England Test captain at a charity dinner. "They can't do sting operations like the News of the World, they can't infiltrate these betting networks. I'm hopeful only a minor percentage of cricketers are involved in it but the truth is we really don't know."

Ian Botham has also been critical of the ICC. Sir Ian says the ICC needs to take action to tackle match-fixing in cricket, starting in Pakistan. Former England captain Botham said: "I think the ICC have just sat on their hands and pretended it's not there. Well now they have got to act. It has got to start with Pakistan, who have to sort out their own back yard. Then other sides will follow. You have got to cut the head off the snake if you want to kill it."

Automatic life bans in all forms of cricket comes to mind, give a deterrent, so if caught your career is over and you can never play the game again. Hansie Cronje and Mohammad Azharuddin are two players that come to mind who received this penalty, need more action like this, plus a jail term as well.

But how do you route out the illegal, greedy, backstreet bookmakers who approach players to throw a game or whatever? One thing the ICC could do is to make it easier for players to be whistleblowers, and give them complete amnesty and protection as a result of their actions.

However will this stop them? In fact, if the likes of the ICC and courts give out tougher penalties for anyone being caught, the stakes will inevitably become higher, as the risk and penalties are greater and larger amounts of monies are put under the noses of players – ‘an offer they can’t refuse’ to quote a line from a quality film.

Zulqarnain Haider seems to be a forgotten man in all this. The interview he gave to David Bond about a year ago sent a shiver down my spine. He and his family had received threats from gangsters involved in match fixing. He immediately gave up the game he loved and fled to London in fear of his life. A very brave man indeed and I expect he is still looking over his shoulder now.

Mohammad Amir is probably the only one of the three I have an ounce of sympathy for and it is only an ounce on a very small scale. A young, naive man, coming into a dressing room where corruption seems to be rife, wanting to make an impression and a name for himself; the captain comes up and tells him to ball a no ball at a certain point in the game and there will be a brown envelope in his kit bag if he does. What does he do?

Pakistan cricketers are one of the lowest paid amongst the Test playing nations, so it looks like greed and keeping up with the ‘Jonses’ has helped influence their decision to take the monies. Saying that I hear the players from Sri Lanka haven’t been paid since about March!

We need to bring back the pride factor in playing for your nation, not the money factor. Test cricket is the undermining reason which cricket players are remembered for, it must be the ultimate in any players mind. When looking at a players’ playing statistics, I always look to see if they played any Test matches first, to see what their average is.

Everyone will have their own view on this matter, one last thing I will say on the subject is that during my cricketing career I have never been offered any money to play badly and / or bowl wides at certain times during a game, as I do this anyway! In fact I was in more danger in getting sued under the Trade Description Act by calling myself a cricketer!

In fact I think the powers to be in the West Somerset Cricket League should investigate Rhys Satchell and the number wides he bowled this season, I am led to believe it totalled seven overs worth!

Ok, that’s enough about that; let’s crack on with some more sad news, Charl Willoughby. It was announced earlier in the week that the left arm fast medium bowler is leaving Somerset by mutual consent.

I have good memories of Charl, always a tryer, never gives up and the 2007 season proved this. Along with Andy Caddick, they spearheaded the Somerset attack that went on to claim the Second Division title. Plus I would get a lot of freebies at the end of the season when unused clothing is handed out. A lot of my Somerset gear has the initials CW on it somewhere! I wish Pup well for the future.

With Charl’s departure the need for a quality bowler becomes more apparent now, especially with Murali Kartik having also left the County Ground. Will Brian Rose put his faith in the likes of Lewis Gregory and Gemaal Hussain to take 50 Championship wickets in a season? What I saw of them last season they are not quite the finished article, however Lewis is showing great potential to go further and make it as a First Class cricketer. However I will still feel more comfortable if a quality quick bowler joins Somerset.

Well it’s 10.57, time for a pint!