Phew! What a scorcher!

[Ash]

Is, I believe, the correct and official nomenclature.

[PSRB]

Is, I believe, the correct and official nomenclature.

27c according to the car at 8.30am, of course the weekend is going to be **** though

[IUFG]

Is, I believe, the correct and official nomenclature.

I played golf yesterday afternoon.
A mistake, in hindsight. Fúcking scorchio in 'stanglia :-(

My calves are red fúcking raw today.

[Pokster]

I played golf yesterday afternoon.
A mistake, in hindsight. Fúcking scorchio in 'stanglia :-(

My calves are red fúcking raw today.

Took the day off a couple of days ago , went to the seaside and smothered myself in sun cream...missed the tops of my feet :-(

[IUFG]

Took the day off a couple of days ago , went to the seaside and smothered myself in sun cream...missed the tops of my feet :-(

Ooooh, nice piece of burnt, thin skin rubbing on your shoes...

[Burney]

Is, I believe, the correct and official nomenclature.

The cricket could be interesting today. If England bat decently, I think some of these Irish players might actually die of heatstroke. :hehe:

[PSRB]

The cricket could be interesting today. If England bat decently, I think some of these Irish players might actually die of heatstroke. :hehe:

Jack Leach to open against the Aussies

[Luis Anaconda]

The cricket could be interesting today. If England bat decently, I think some of these Irish players might actually die of heatstroke. :hehe:
Not ideal for Stirlo - a throwback to when cricketers could be more rotund. And a ginger to boot

[PSRB]

Not ideal for Stirlo - a throwback to when cricketers could be more rotund. And a ginger to boot

Awful shot from Burns :rolleyes:

[Burney]

Awful shot from Burns :rolleyes:

Leach is playing as if to the manner born. I wonder who the last speccy four-eyes to open the batting for England was?

[Luis Anaconda]

Awful shot from Burns :rolleyes:

Leach is doing a good job marshalling the tail and keeping them off strike

[Luis Anaconda]

Leach is playing as if to the manner born. I wonder who the last speccy four-eyes to open the batting for England was?

Only four-eyes I can recall was David Steele - but he was middle order I think (can remember hearing off him not quite old enough to have seen him play). Tavare may have worn glasses - didn't stop him not playing his shots though. Wouldn't mind one of his kind today tbh

[Burney]

Only four-eyes I can recall was David Steele - but he was middle order I think (can remember hearing off him not quite old enough to have seen him play). Tavare may have worn glasses - didn't stop him not playing his shots though. Wouldn't mind one of his kind today tbh

I know Sir Geoffrey wore specs for his early tests - before he discovered contacts.

[Burney]

Leach is doing a good job marshalling the tail and keeping them off strike

:hehe: We'll see if my fellow Old Whitgiftian Roy can do a slightly better impression of a test match batsman today.

[Luis Anaconda]

I know Sir Geoffrey wore specs for his early tests - before he discovered contacts.

Yes - I can remember pictures of that

[Luis Anaconda]

:hehe: We'll see if my fellow Old Whitgiftian Roy can do a slightly better impression of a test match batsman today.

Seems only to be scoring in boundaries

[Burney]

Seems only to be scoring in boundaries

He just goes far too hard at the ball. He's playing miles in front of his front pad. If I didn't know he'd grown up playing his cricket in this country, I'd assume he was an Aussie or a Saffer.

[Luis Anaconda]

He just goes far too hard at the ball. He's playing miles in front of his front pad. If I didn't know he'd grown up playing his cricket in this country, I'd assume he was an Aussie or a Saffer.

Well he was a saffer til he was 12 - and will be again when he gets out. Also plays at the Oval - might have something to do with it

[Burney]

Well he was a saffer til he was 12 - and will be again when he gets out. Also plays at the Oval - might have something to do with it

I think he came here when he was 10, to be fair. You're right about the Oval, though. Also, the main wicket at Whitgift was always a road as well. Gorgeous to bat on, it was. And a nice short boundary to the bank. Had some very pleasant knocks on there. :cloud9:

[Luis Anaconda]

I think he came here when he was 10, to be fair. You're right about the Oval, though. Also, the main wicket at Whitgift was always a road as well. Gorgeous to bat on, it was. And a nice short boundary to the bank. Had some very pleasant knocks on there. :cloud9:

Yeah - you're right. He was 10, Stokes was 12. Roy does have some lovely shots though, by no means just a basher. If Thorpe can get his head/hands right he can be good

[Burney]

Yeah - you're right. He was 10, Stokes was 12. Roy does have some lovely shots though, by no means just a basher. If Thorpe can get his head/hands right he can be good

Agreed. And if anyone can show him, it's Thorpe. He played beautifully late. I still maintain he's one of the most underrated English batsmen of my lifetime - largely because he was always playing in shít sides where he was the only world-class bat. I know it was the right decisions to pick Pietersen in 2005, but it was still a very shoddy end for Thorpe.

[Luis Anaconda]

Agreed. And if anyone can show him, it's Thorpe. He played beautifully late. I still maintain he's one of the most underrated English batsmen of my lifetime - largely because he was always playing in shít sides where he was the only world-class bat. I know it was the right decisions to pick Pietersen in 2005, but it was still a very shoddy end for Thorpe.

Absolutely - odd that such a quiet bloke had much of his career overshadowed by his private life. I was at the Oval when he and Trescothick took a fairly decent SA attack to pieces. So clinical

[PSRB]

Agreed. And if anyone can show him, it's Thorpe. He played beautifully late. I still maintain he's one of the most underrated English batsmen of my lifetime - largely because he was always playing in shít sides where he was the only world-class bat. I know it was the right decisions to pick Pietersen in 2005, but it was still a very shoddy end for Thorpe.

Bowled him in the nets at Farnham, he was a bit miffed

[Luis Anaconda]

Bowled him in the nets at Farnham, he was a bit miffed

:hehe: poor nets obviously. I remember being in the bar at Quo Vadis (the places we'd go to when we were young!) and got chatting to these Kiwi girls one of whom claimed to be the girl that Thorpe smuggled into his room in NZ. Hardly worth risking your marriage for, let alone your England place (and yes that is the right order of importance)

[Burney]

Absolutely - odd that such a quiet bloke had much of his career overshadowed by his private life. I was at the Oval when he and Trescothick took a fairly decent SA attack to pieces. So clinical

:nod: From what I read, his relationship with his wife was always pretty rocky - not helped by him constantly touring, presumably. It's hard to see him as a ladies' man, but it's often the quiet ones, I suppose.

[Ash]

Only four-eyes I can recall was David Steele - but he was middle order I think (can remember hearing off him not quite old enough to have seen him play).

I remember him. :old: ISTR a local butcher offering him a year's supply of meat after one of his heroic innings.

Also had a Spinal Tap moment at Lord's getting lost in the pavilion coming out to bat on debut against the Aussies.

[Luis Anaconda]

I remember him. :old: ISTR a local butcher offering him a year's supply of meat after one of his heroic innings.

Also had a Spinal Tap moment at Lord's getting lost in the pavilion coming out to bat on debut against the Aussies.

That would be the one - the most unlikely winner of BBC Sports Personality of the Year ever

[Luis Anaconda]

:nod: From what I read, his relationship with his wife was always pretty rocky - not helped by him constantly touring, presumably. It's hard to see him as a ladies' man, but it's often the quiet ones, I suppose.

:nod: His marriage only ended after she played away from home I seem to recall

[PSRB]

Agreed. And if anyone can show him, it's Thorpe. He played beautifully late. I still maintain he's one of the most underrated English batsmen of my lifetime - largely because he was always playing in shít sides where he was the only world-class bat. I know it was the right decisions to pick Pietersen in 2005, but it was still a very shoddy end for Thorpe.

Roy at 3 for the Ashes? Might as well sack off the openers

[Luis Anaconda]

:nod: From what I read, his relationship with his wife was always pretty rocky - not helped by him constantly touring, presumably. It's hard to see him as a ladies' man, but it's often the quiet ones, I suppose.

Did you see much of Stone yesterday? Haven't seen him at all but sounds quite promising with the obvious caveat of the opposition

[Burney]

Did you see much of Stone yesterday? Haven't seen him at all but sounds quite promising with the obvious caveat of the opposition

He's sharp. Not in the Archer or Wood pace range, but lively and 90-ish. Bowls a very good bouncer.

[Luis Anaconda]

He's sharp. Not in the Archer or Wood pace range, but lively and 90-ish. Bowls a very good bouncer.

Just watched the ball to bowl Balbirnie (don't try saying that out loud) yesterday. Decent. Looks a bit like the love child of Broad and Plunkett though

[Ash]

Roy at 3 for the Ashes? Might as well sack off the openers

Send the bowlers in first to try and block the new ball imo. None our our 'batsmen' seem to able to survive it often.

[Luis Anaconda]

Send the bowlers in first to try and block the new ball imo. None our our 'batsmen' seem to able to survive it often.

:hehe: Leach has just reached our first innings score

[Ash]

Aaaaand ... collapse.

[Burney]

Aaaaand ... collapse.

Inevitable without the solidity of Leach to underpin the innings imo.

[Tony C]

Cleaned up.

Went back in on Ireland a couple hours back at 25/1

Just cashed out at 9/2.

[Burney]

Cleaned up.

Went back in on Ireland a couple hours back at 25/1

Just cashed out at 9/2.

Anything under 150 is gettable. Anything more and Ireland are Finnish.

[Luis Anaconda]

Anything under 150 is gettable. Anything more and Ireland are Finnish.
Confident about that? Is there a bit of cloud about?

[Burney]

Confident about that? Is there a bit of cloud about?

I make England solid favourites, I'm afraid. Ireland struggled to get to 207 in the first innings. I don't see life being any easier for them in this.

I'd like to be wrong. They deserve to win for having made a game of it, but I fear England will be too strong for them.