Cricket Banter

^^ Bluey may well have played his last match for England in any format, I can't see him coming back from this one, he will be 35 in September. Usually you drop him at your peril & he will fight his way back into the side, this time it feels different. The England management are moving on to younger players.
The next ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe & Namibia is in 2027, highly unlikely a 38 year old Bairstow would be considered. Even the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka & India in early 2026 is way off.
I believe that Bairstow with a young family will find this latest dropping easier to take. Arguably one of our best multi-format players, his stats look solid despite being in & out of the Test side & having to adapt to various roles as keeper, non keeper, opener, middle-order batsman. 100 Tests, 107 ODI's & 80 T20I is a lot of high pressure cricket switching from one to another, a quality career.

And there are two new seamers in the squad, Gus Atkinson and Dillon Pennington.
It will be Jimmy Anderson's last test.

Sir Geoffrey Boycott has been diagnosed with a recurrence of throat cancer and will have surgery to remove the cancer in the next few weeks. Bidding him much strength for a strong recovery.

The current England Under 19's XI who are facing Sri Lanka have 3 sons of former England International players, Rocky Flintoff, Archie Vaughan & Jaydn Denly.

So the quarter finals of the T20 Blast to be held back until 4th September with finals day on 15th September and the One Day Cup final on 22nd September. There is a part of me that hopes it absolutely hammers it down through the whole of September just to make the ECB look fucking stupid.

All to make room for the ridiculous fucking gravy train that is 'The Hundred'. A 100 ball format that nobody else plays and is about as much use to the standards of English cricket as an inflatable dartboard. Yeah great.
FFS .

Sir Geoffrey Boycott is back in hospital a few days after throat surgery. He was discharged on Friday but unfortunately has now developed Pneumonia and is on oxygen and being tube fed. Thinking of him and wishing him all the very best. Hang in there good Sir .

Looking at the Test between Zimbabwe & Ireland which has been closely fought. In Ireland's first innings of 250 Peter Moor top scored with 79, extras were the next best contributor with 59 which included 42 byes. That sounds an awful lot, wonder if they decided to dispense with the wicket keeper.

^^ After checking up, the 42 byes is the most in the 137 year history of Test Cricket.

Matthew Mott has stepped down as the coach of the England white ball coach.