Been watching some of the European Championship mixed sports event.. Do have some very good talent coming through - some already have competed well on the World stage like Adam Peaty. I accept this is a level down (in some cases) but still gives that mini-Olympic feel and bodes well for the future. Lottery money being spent well...
Fingers' crossed - we may just have a bona fide world class women's sprinter. And what a cracking personality as well This whole tournament has been an absolute joy. Well done Berlin and Glasgow.
The UK has to be very pleased with the results from the European Championships. Like many other countries we can see how multi-cultural Europe has become. I suppose that there will be some who cannot rejoice in it.
Well I did see some sneering at our sprinters but most of them are English born anyway. And we had some fine performances generally elsewhere. Also a win in the cricket too! Did anyone see the poor Israeli athlete in the 500m thinking she'd won a medal but the race still had a lap to run! She was in bits on the track.
I am not happy at all about the lack of credit and publicity for Zarnell Hughes and Shara Proctor. He is from Turks and Caicos and she's from Anguilla. They are British citizens by birth - not like those using parents to play for GB or a constituent part such as some cricketers etc. It was pretty awful watching that poor girl running for Israel. I'm not sure we need to watch their grief for quite as long as the cameramen seem to think.
Our friend Martin Samuel has a right bee in his bonnet about such matters - well more so in the athletics than any other sport. Some cricketers don't even use parents as an excuse! Apparently we haven't fielded a full team of players born in England since the mid 00s although think its only 1-2 now days.
Ben Stokes found not guilty - as were the other 2 defendants. Should he walk back into the test team or have to earn his place back given the performances of Woakes at Lord's ?
If anyone else had the recent scores Malan and Morgan have got while playing for Middlesex, they would probably end up in the 2nd XI.
Good day at the Ageas Bowl yesterday...proper test cricket. Nice to see Moeen back to form and a good contest between bat and ball. Could go either way this one. Beer now at £5 a pint now...feels a lot to an old git who remembers it being one shilling and ten pence in old money!
With Rashid, Broad and Anderson to come I think we are now hot favourites. Even if we get out before the end they would have a very unconfortable few overs to survive. Lead of 153 as I type. Even that might be enough but 47 more and bob's your uncle Unless .......
Well we are still batting. Lead of 233 overnight. It will be hard for India to get 240 tomorrow and if Curran can get singles when he needs them it could be more. Broad could easily get 20. Don't want the series going to the Oval. Barmy army, Barmy army, Barmy army,
I noticed that on the back of his bat, Curran has the Great Ormond Street logo. I can't find anything to see that it is a charity backed by Surrey, so maybe he has a relation being treated there. I assume he would need the OK from the umpires and match referee to have that.