Sellsy's Cricketing Thoughts

Monday 20^th April

Matthew Hoggard England’s best ever bowler, well that is one is certainly up for debate.

The BBC Sport website came up with this little gem over the weekend, giving a breakdown on why Hoggy is England’s No.1, ok, I am good at maths and I can see the BBC’s reasoning behind why he is rated number one, but surely it goes on your average surely?

Hoggy, who played the same amount of Test matches as Fred Trueman, 67, and took 248 Test wickets at an average of 30, whereas Fiery claimed 307 scalps at an average of 21.57, surely these figures speak for themselves.

But if you want to just go on averages we have the likes of George Lohmann who claimed 112 wickets, averaging 10.75 in his 18 Tests. This was in the late 1800’s where there was only Australia and South Africa to play Test Cricket against. And then it took an entirety to travel to such places to represent your country, but still a great return.

Then there is Billy Barnes, again in the same era as Lohmann, who only claimed 51 wickets at an average of 15.54 in his 21 Test matches for England.

We mustn’t forget the great Sydney Barnes who played his Test cricket in the early 1900’s, right up until the outbreak of WW1. In his 27 Test appearance for England he claimed an astonishing 189 wickets at an average of only 16.43. Once he claimed 17 wickets in a match, this is only bettered by the great Jim Laker who took 19 Aussie wickets. Most cricketers and students of the game belonging to the period in which Barnes played were agreed that he was the bowler of the century.

Enough said about this BBC Sport study, it has Stuart Broad as third for crying out loud, you can’t tell me Broad is better than the likes of Ian Botham, Alec Bedser, Jim Laker, Derek Underwood, Brain Statham as well as Trueman, Barnes et al. Not a very good piece of work done there by the BBC, I would think it may have had a lot of comments, the majority of it very negative.

Test cricket has changed and developed more over the years, especially over the past two decades. I think there is no way you can pick the greatest English Test bowler; everyone with any cricket knowledge will have their own thoughts and ideas in what the criteria should be.

For me I wish I could of watched Sydney Barnes bowl, from what I read and understand he was virtually unplayable.

Right, that’s it for a couple of weeks, on my jolly holidays – going on a cider tour of southern England, then straight in to the Over Stowey 2015 West Somerset League Division Five campaign.

Sellsy's Cricketing Thoughts

Monday 13^th April

The County Cricket season is now up and running, and with that in mind I am already thinking of those long summer days and evenings.

Somerset are already in action, playing against Durham in a four day County Championship match at Taunton. As of yet I am yet to see a ball being bowled, but plans are afoot to watch some quality cricket during the week ahead.

So what are Somerset’s chances of silverware during the 2015 campaign? Well according to most experts – none. No surprises there then, these so called experts aren’t worth the column inches given to them. I always look at the bookies to see what the odds are, they are generally near the mark (have you ever seen a poor bookie?). Guess what, Somerset odd are quite long, especially for the County Championship, the Holy Grail amongst the majority of the Somerset faithful.

So who will win the County Championship? Yorkshire are favourites to retain their title, a title they emphatically won last year - they didn’t beat Somerset though did they. However, I am pretty sure half their 1^st XI starting line-up will be on England duty throughout the summer, therefore weakening their chances.

Nottinghamshire look like the team to fear / beat. Shrewd signings, with the likes of Will Gidman and Brendan Taylor; quality overseas bowlers, namely Vernon Philander and Ben Hilfanhaus; plus if James Taylor can avoid being selected for England, Nottinghamshire do look very strong indeed.

Warwickshire will push both Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire close, but I think it will be between those two counties. That leaves Durham, Hampshire, Middlesex, Sussex, Worcestershire and the mighty Somerset all fighting for positions and not wanting to finish 8^th or 9^th.

Somerset are in a transition period which is a bit of an understatement, losing a hatful of players over the winter. However, Matthew Maynard has already been out and got some good replacements, the likes of Tom Cooper and Jim Allenby. However me thinks the batting is still lacking one quality batsman. Young Tom Abell looks like a ready-made top order batsman, who made a handful of appearances towards the end of last season; I do hope he gets selected very soon. If Somerset finished 7^th I will be happy, and I will be even happier if they get to quarter-final (especially a home one), and what then?

Regulars would of noticed that I haven’t been talking about my annual Somerset bet I place. Well put it like this, I think William Hill has had enough money of me over the past few seasons, so I will leave it for 12 months.

Right, time to go and watch a bit of cricket and enjoy a drop of Thatchers or two!

Sellsy's Cricketing Thoughts

Monday 30^th March

Australia wins the World Cup – so what? Does anyone here in England care?

The only thing which has really annoyed me that I owe my Cricket Correspondent in Australia a pint when he is next back in the UK, just hope I am on my honeymoon when he is back. Not that I have any sour grapes whatsoever!

I would love to talk about what is good about cricket – Over Stowey and Somerset – however the England problem does not go away, and is always whirling in my mind. The problem is that England’s best batsman is making himself available to play international cricket again, but the hierarchy does not want to select him. What the hell is going on?

Over the next 12 months England are playing: West Indies, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia for The Ashes and lastly South Africa. Can anyone tell me where any type of victory is going to come from? I believe Ireland will do England as well this summer, unless it decides to rain in Dublin which will save English blushes.

The new ECB Chairman, Colin Graves, has set down his marker saying that there will be “some enquiries” if England don’t beat “mediocre” West Indies. Wow, what a statement, what bigger incentive there is for the West Indies to go out and give England a right hammering. Remember Tony Greig and the “grovelling” incident, plus David Gower saying they’ll be “quaking” in their boots. What happened, well let’s just say England failed to win a Test match.

I am with Jonathan Agnew, I fear for England this year, I can see Test series victories for the West Indies, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa; as for the ODI’s and T20’s I can’t see England even getting close.

It seems that the England selectors have a different point of view to Colin Graves about Kevin Pietersen. Paul Downton and James Whittaker saying that KP will never play for Engalnd again; whereas Graves saying that if KP hits runs in County Cricket he will be considered for selection. Go on KP, hit a ton of runs and give those selectors a headache.

Alas, I don’t think KP will get selected for England as long as Peter Moores is Head Coach – remember the fall out in the West Indies all those years back? So Surrey will no doubt benefit from having KP all summer. But what will happen to Moores when England get a right thumping against all sides this year?

I want England to succeed and win every time they go onto the field. But I feel so negative about things at the moment, and somewhat jealous looking at Australia, I can’t see how things are going to get better as long as we have crap selectors who pick mediocre players, an awful coaching team with a rudderless Head Coach and an ECB Chairman who likes the sound of his own voice.

I have no answers, and it is easy to be negative about things when things are going wrong. But surely KP should be back wearing an England shirt this summer, surely?

Sellsy's Cricketing Thoughts - Fred Ham Tribute

Monday 23^rd March

On hearing the sad news of the sudden passing away of Fred Ham, my thoughts, as many others, were for his family at such a tragic time.

My thoughts then tuned to his exploits on the cricketing field, and someone who inspired me to get heavily involved in the game I now love. As a youngster I would cycle up to Over Stowey to watch cricket, do the scoreboard and get some cake at the tea interval.

Fred, naturally, would be playing. Opening the bowling in tandem with Roger Shepherd, the most formidable pair of opening bowlers in the West Somerset League and then batting at his favourite / usual spot at number 11. One Saturday the side was short, I being an enthusiastic young 14 year old, played that day, and almost immediately upset Fred. Fred was moved up the order to bat at number 10 to accommodate myself at 11; I can still hear the surprise and disbelief in his voice today as he questioned the decision with the then Stowey captain.

Fred’s bowling style was always one for debate, not the action when he bowled, no one really questioned that, but it was his run-up. Standing up straight at the top of his run-up, the a small crouch as he began, a few hops and skips as he would start to run in a bit sideways, as he approached his delivery stride his run up would then sought of stutter to almost stopping, then in to his delivery stride sending the ball down at some pace to the awaiting batsman. Colleagues and opposing players would pass comment, saying he doesn’t need that run-up, but hey it worked, Fred was used to it, so why change it.

As for appealing for a wicket, especially for LBW's, Fred’s appeal could be heard all around Stowey, both Over and Nether Stowey. Fred was from a breed of fast bowlers that if it struck the pad it was out, as he would always bowl straight at the wickets. I think his appeal got him a lot more wickets as the umpire would nervously raise a finger to give the batsman out from the strength of the appeal.

Fred would always remind me the day he took all ten wickets in an innings. He would say five became six, then seven, then the eight, Roger hadn't taken any and before he knew it he had taken nine wickets. He took that ninth wicket on the last delivery of the over, and with his formidable opening partner, Roger, bowling the next over, Fred had six agonising balls to wait before he could begin his next over, and hopefully claim his 10^th scalp, a wait that felt like an eternity.

Roger’s over was unsuccessful, thankfully for Fred. So there he was, at the top of his mark, six balls to claim a wonderful achievement. He found the edge during that over, and it was Roger who snapped up the catch, and Fred, as he often told me, thought Roger was more excited than he was. A fantastic achievement, and not done at Over Stowey since.

After Fred hung up his boots, I often bumped into him in The George Hotel, where sometimes he would reminisce about his playing days amongst other things, like telling the odd joke or two.

Tonight, at skittles, I will raise a glass to you Fred – R.I.P.

Sellsy's Cricketing Thoughts

Monday 16^th March

So Freddie Flintoff wins the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity.... Get Me Out Of Here! The relevance? The only English cricketer to win anything in Australia this winter. Ok, clutching at straws a bit there, I expect the Aussies are having a good laugh at us though. Even my Australian Cricket Correspondent wanted to know what was going on as he had to explain to a load of Aussies why England was so bad.

Anyway, the tournament progresses to the last eight, with the first Quarter-Final being played on Wednesday, lose and you are on your way home, or in Australia’s case, lose and you’ll be deported, something they are used to I suppose!

Who’s going to win, anyone apart from the Aussies. So come on Pakistan, you’ve hit some form now, smash them all round Adelaide and do the cricketing world a massive favour.

Enough of that World Cup thing, let’s go onto something closer to my heart, Cider, whoops, I mean Somerset. New signings in Tom Cooper (just like that) and Jim Allenby has helped boost the batting somewhat, but I am sure there will be another batsman signing a Somerset contract soon.

Combine these two players with the likes of Marcus Trescothick, James Hildreth and Tom Abell the batting line-up doesn’t look that bad, The stiffest competition will be in the bowling department, with the likes of the Overton Twins, Lewis Gregory, Pete Trego, Tim Groenewald, Alfonso Tomas and Josh Davey for the seamers; then we have George Dockrell, Max Waller, Jack Leach and Abdur Rehman competing for places in the spin department.

The biggest concern for me is the wicketkeeper position. I have no doubt Alex Barrow will keep well, with James Regan keeping him on his toes if he fails. But they are no Craig Kieswetter. We shall see.

Another exciting thing which is happening at the County Ground is the building of the new stand, which is replacing the Old Pavilion. I must admit when the bulldozers went in to smash down the Old Pavilion I was somewhat sentimental in my thoughts. However, this new development looks impressive, and it doesn’t take away the character the County Ground has. I wonder who will be the first batsman to clear it with a six?

Would you believe the new County Championship starts in four weeks time, when Somerset host Durham. Even more unbelievable is that Somerset play Glamorgan in a friendly a week from today, my god it will be cold, how many jumpers?

Right, time for skittles and a drop of Thatchers for me I think and we have only two games left.

Sellsy's Cricketing Thoughts

Monday 9^th March

England are out of the World Cup. Sounds familiar, sounds like most sports England participate in, so where do we start?

I am sure everyone with some cricketing brain will have an opinion, the pencils have most definitely been sharpened amongst the press and no doubt people like me will give a two-penneth worth.

Defeat to Bangladesh is hugely embarrassing, especially as the game was held outside of Chittagong. I will say well played Bangladesh, but the writing was on the wall long before England took to the field in Adelaide. England’s shortcomings for the World Cup were their own making. So in no particular order here we go:

1. Kevin Pietersen

2. The captaincy issue

3. No belief in Tredwell

4. Not knowing their best side

5. Picking utter rubbish in the squad and leaving good players out

6. Bowling long hops which “my Gran could hit that with a stick off rhubarb”

7. Too many wides

8. Ravi Bopara

9. The Coaches

There are also other factors which England had no control over, like the Kookaburra ball being used. I could go on, but it would be boring. I for one had belief in England, but as the competition went on it turned into the same old story.

There is only one English winner out of this debacle, former one day captain, Alastair Cook. The said person the English hierarchy disposed off in favour of Eoin Morgan. I am pretty sure Cook would off hit more runs the Morgan, 90 runs in five innings, just not good enough.

So where do we go from here, well for me no more early mornings and bleary eyes at work. One thing for sure is that the England selectors, captain and coaching staff need a bit of a wake-up call, if not some sackings, that includes you David Saker.

While listening to the commentary this morning an Aussie journalist asked the question to Aggers about the lack of support from the Barmy Army. Aggers hit the nail on the head saying that they would rather go to the West Indies in April than trudge all around Australia and New Zealand. I am sure he is right, how much did they spend for the utter rubbish, I suppose at least they had good weather.

As I said this could get boring, so I am not going to dwell on things, but I may drive up to Heathrow and give the players and staff a homecoming they deserve, I am sure I have some rotten tomatoes somewhere.

Well, enough of that, it is time for skittles and a Thatchers or two.

Next week, back to more important things, Over Stowey and Somerset to name just two.

Sellsy's Cricketing Thoughts

Monday 2^nd March

Rory Hamilton-Brown announces his retirement from cricket – shame!

Geoffrey Boycott saying he is not criticising England on TMS, well, for me, it sounds like that you are criticising Geoffrey. He did say one good thing during England’s defeat against Sri Lanka: “Remember 1992 when Pakistan scraped through to knock-out stages and they went on to won it.”

Reading my blog from last week Geoffrey?

And it seems the local papers have been reading my blog from last week. I mentioned about Somerset’s Josh Davey being third in the leading wicket takers table and low and behold the next thing I see was a headline saying the same thing. Plagiarism!

Back to the serious business, two more wins and England will qualify for the knock-out stages of the world cup, providing there are no freak results or rain effected matches. Simples!!!!

Over the past week there have been two corkers of games to watch. Firstly New Zealand beating fierce rivals Australia by one wicket. At one point I thought Mitchell Starc would win it by himself for the Aussies, oh well, shame!

But the one for me was Afghanistan beating Scotland again by one wicket with only a few balls to spare. A game of poor quality but great excitement as the game ebbed and flowed one way then another. Scotland was millimetres away from winning as they narrowly missed a run out, next ball, four, and Afghanistan won.

Cue mass celebrations and hysteria in Kabul. I hear there were several people wounded by gun shots from AK47’s. Oh how the Afghans celebrate. A bit different here in England, I forgot how to celebrate an England win.

A long wait for England’s next game. Between now and then there will be a lot said, written discussed etc. Even driving in to work today there was the Kevin Pietersen debate going on. I still think Ben Stokes and Luke Wright should’ve been picked. But what do I know, who cares what I know, but what I do know is what I know and nobody knows that.

Confused? Well, it is time for skittles and a Thatchers or two!