England v South Africa – T20 – Sophia Gardens
Having been at the horror show that was the 3rd ODI between these 2 teams at Lords I was hoping for a very different performance from the home team. Captain Eoin Morgan had said before the 3 match series started that all in the squad would get a game, that meant that several of the usual ‘big’ names were missing, […]
Essex v Lancashire – 2018
3 days and 3 sets of photos – that means lots, with a few wickets captured if you look closely! Essex’s defence of the title started with a ‘wet weekend’ literally when not a ball was bowled at Headingley. Lancashire across the Pennines played Nottinghamshire, losing heavily after being bowled out for 158 and and 73, Notts needed 10 runs […]
A Saracens Weekend!
The start of the cricket season meant I was due to travel to Leeds to watch Essex play at Headingley, the atrocious weather meant I cancelled my plans leaving me free to spend the weekend at Allianz Park. SARACENS STORM V BATH UNITED I write this as a time when there’s a good deal of angst amongst Saracens supporters after […]
Pakistan Day – Pakistan Zindabad
23rd March is a very big day in the history of Pakistan. The Lahore or Pakistan Resolution as it became known was drafted by the 25 members of the Working Committee of the All-India Muslim League. The resolution asked for more Muslim autonomy within British India but most took it as a call for a separate Muslim State. Here’s an […]
Cheating in Sport
Guest Blogger Jez Denton with a few thoughts on the events in South Africa Cheating happens in cricket, there I said it. It might be called gaining an advantage, bending the rules, being a little bit too clever. But it’s there. It’s unavoidable. The pressure to win is great and advantages, whether fair or otherwise, will be sought. And […]
A Love for Test Cricket –
Since England lost the Ashes a host of players have come out to express their concern over the health of test cricket. If your hoping to read an article on why this is, or isn’t the case then it may be worth stopping now. I’m going to avoid discussing the dangerous road the ECB have started us on in pushing […]
A Problem Like Eddie’s
Guest Blogger Jez Denton with a few thoughts Regardless of whether England ruin Ireland’s Grand Slam ambitions on the weekend or not, it is fair to say that this Six Nations campaign has been a disappointing one for Eddie Jones, England Rugby, its players and supporters. Much of this is down to two factors; one that England are victims of […]
Essex CCC – The tale of a Championship Winning Summer – August – September
There was no county cricket in July of 2017, but Essex travelled to Scarborough in early August to restart their push to win Division 1, August Yorkshire v Essex – Star Men – Ryan ten Doeschate, Mohammad Amir, Jamie Porter – Essex won by 8 wickets I was at Old Trafford watching England play South Africa for day 1 of […]
Saracens v Leicester Tigers – With a bit of an England rant too!
I have photos to share and a little to say about both the Saracens match and the England match, so here I go. (Photos to follow – WordPress isn’t co-operating) I set off to Allianz Park with 2 England losses to contemplate, Scotland had run amok at Murrayfield on Saturday, with England seemingly forgetting one key element of play when […]
Essex CCC – The tale of a Championship Winning Summer – April to June
It’s time to look back on the wonderful summer of 2017 for my County, Essex. I wasn’t at every match, international cricket and this year the Champions Trophy interrupted my County Cricket, but where I was there I’ll include some photos in what is probably going to be a virtual novel. April Essex v Lancashire – Star Man – Dan […]
England v Wales
A tight game of rugby in grotty conditions
Italy v England – Vene Vidi Vici
A week in Rome with no laptop means I ‘m writing this after round 2 of the 2018 6 Nations tournament. As usual I have photos to share and a few thoughts on the game. (lots more photos to follow when WordPress starts working properly again) This was my second visit to Rome to watch the match, this time it […]
Rugby > Football? Time to take stock?
I’m on a train from Clermont to Paris having had a very convivial weekend with friends watching my team Saracens in the Champions Cup. I feel the need to put fingers to keyboard after reading about some of the goings on at Welford Road in particular this weekend. Events that are taking place more and more at rugby matches. I […]
Dan Norcross – from the sofa to the TMS box
It struck me that as one of the new boys on the popular BBC test Match Special fans might like to know more about Dan Norcross. the man behind the dulcet tones. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know him a bit after meeting him at a benefit lunch for Darren Stevens last year, he’s delightful company! We arranged […]
England v Argentina
Much has been written and many moans have been had about this first Autumn International match for England. They faced Argentina, a team no longer considered an Autumn whipping boy. Eddie Jones had said that he wouldn’t use the players who featured in the Lions tour and he kept his word as far as 2 of them were concerned Owen […]
Saracens v Harlequins
Autumn International time is nearly here which means club rugby switches over to the Anglo Welsh Cup, before I focus on the match I went to here’s an explanation of the competition from the Premiership Rugby site – Each team in pool 1 shall play each team in pool 4 once and each team in pool 2 shall play each […]
Barbarians v All Blacks
At last I’ve been at 2 matches over a weekend in daylight hours! That means I have some photos to share, my camera is a bit rubbish with late kick offs. So, more Phlog than Blog is what this will be, in fact it may be something of a rant. I hadn’t intended to go to this match, but I […]
