Something's up at the ARG, St. John's...

I am sure that the WIndies are throwing this match.

No matter what happens now, even if my mood lifts - I am seeing the logical conclusion
of PayTV as enacted through Caribbean cricket.

Less than 10% of the paying customers are 'locals', ie Antiguans.

The great majority of the crowd are Brits.

This is about SkyTV hegemony, and all kinds of
skullduggery. The event will carry on regardless.

The Eng-ur-land have claimed the ARG. Great TV,
but is it cricket?

Welcome to neo-colonialism, C21 style.

It all comes down to the money... ?

It a££ ¢ome$ down to the mon€¥

lyrics from the hip-hop track by Terminator X (and featuring Whodini)

It all comes down to the money
Whether it`s rainy or snowy or sunny
Funny, but it all comes down to the money
I`m in it
I`m in it for the cash
I`m in it for the cash

all rights (and apologies) to Terminator X

¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£

¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£

I wish that the players - the England XI (and the coach!) would man up and tell us straight that money was the deal with Stanford. The West Indies players (sorry, Stanford Superstars) are usually more honest about this sort of thing - perhaps because the region historically - and collectively - has lacked the English embarrassment regarding monetary matters.

In any case, it looks as though even the lucre-loving E(W)CB are having second thoughts about this 'tournament'...

...the ingrates

I said I wouldn’t, but...

...here I am watching the Middlesex team vs England in Antigua (thanks to my favourite informal webcaster).

Tonight’s stream is great picture wise, but it keeps starting and stopping. Irritating.

But it’s nice to see a little ‘colour’ in the crowd for a change.

And many of the people look as I do.

But they’re not cold.

As I am.

SSSSHHHHH!!!!! (Jonathan Agnew has been censored)

For your delectation and delight - here is Jonathan Agnew and what he said (apparently) about the retroactive award of a draw to Pakistan earlier this week (viz-a-viz the controversial Test v England at the Oval in 2006):

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said the move would open up “an absolutely enormous can of worms”.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “The Pakistanis were accused of ball tampering and they did not come out to play.

“The umpires went into their room and said ‘You must come out to continue the game’, they did not and, under the laws of any sport, if you refuse to play, you lose the game.”

“Match abandoned, they’re saying, as a draw, - well, abandoned on what grounds? It wasn’t the weather, it wasn’t anything else, it was that Pakistan wouldn’t come out to play for whatever reason.

“That game has now been classified as a draw, so if you’re losing, you sit in the dressing room, don’t come out and you can get away with a draw.”

I'm preserving this - because I heard him say it (3rd July 2008 - PM-ish), but all traces of this part of the interview was removed from the Beeb website - perhaps because it caused offence. Whatever. I'm one of those that believe that the umpire is the final authority - at least at the crease.

There are a few things that I wish I could change retroactively: - a) if I were prettier I would have the ... I can't believe that I've come to terms with not being attractive!!!

The ump's word is law. Full stop. (even if he is sh*te)