The “Great Umpire” spares the WIndies further humiliation.

The outfield at Headingley is waterlogged, and there will not be any cricket played there today.

Remembering the kerfuffle at the Sir Viv Richards (North Sound) Ground earlier on this year - I cannot but raise a wry smile at the hand that the E(W)CB have been dealt. The WIBC were rightly condemned for their incompetence concerning the state of that pitch and outfield, back in mid-February. No such tongue lashing for the E(W)CB over this washout at Headingley - yet.

Even though £600,000 has already been spent on a drainage system that, erm...

...doesn’t.

If I were the chairman at Headingley, I’d ask for my money back!

(and don’t blame the groundstaff, either!)

See. What did I tell you?

Dear Reader:

Re. my post on May 12, 2009:


link one: story here

link two: Guardian interview

link three: the Telegraph continues...

link four: Tell the truth - shame the devil (and destroy your reputation)

link five: story here - Mr Strauss the old-school $~!+ stirrer, too nosey for his own good...

Upshot: Mr Gayle needs a press officer /minder - fast!!!

I’m angry.

Does this two-test ‘series’ matter at all to anyone apart from the ‘TV people’ (as JAgnew so succinctly put it the other day) ? Never have I seen a more disinterested captain that Chris Gayle recently. When he was at Sabina Park a few short months ago, he was full of intent and purpose.

His team pulled off an astonishing innings victory over a psychologically bloated, complacent England. They went wild in JA. Now look at him. He sounds drained, monotonous, with an ‘anywhere but here’ look about him. The team appears to be following suit at times - with the notable exception of Mr Fidel Edwards.

I don’t care what happens at Chester-le-Street, to be honest. This whole show is about pleasing the satellite broadcasters, not cricket. Mr Gayle’s increasingly languid posture would be justified if that were the case. The WIndies were third choice for this slot behind Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Bad news. No IPL payout in sunny South Africa. Sad.

But as they are here, they should at least try. If the WIndies must lose, at least put up a fight. As a team. If only to shut up ‘Basher’ Boycott and his increasingly snide remarks about ‘children’ (so to speak).

Please...