I said to the doctor: “People keep taking the mick out of me because I think I’m a cricket ball.” The doctor said: “How’s that?“ I said: “Don’t you start.”
This is a flipping tough choice, went for Malcolm Marshall in the end but we have been spoilt at Hants with our overseas players... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52489280
It's a very niche point, but watching back thus 05 Edgbaston test, I'm really struck by the number of no-balls (in comparison to the modern day). My guess is that it is more because of the umpires actually bothering to call them back then, rather than relying on the technology to do it for them. But it might be that there actually are fewer no-balls these days, with bowlers being more accustomed to avoid bowling them in any form of cricket, due to the damage a free hit can do in limited overs (especially t20).
I am convinced it's umpires not watching for them any more, with technology rescuing batters if a no-ball was bowled when a wicket falls
Fans smoking in the stand. That's something else which really stands out, 15 years later. Maybe in another 15 years, I'll be looking back at Headingly and saying that just about the fans themselves.
Easy to forget that Harmy only took two wickets in that match (he bowled far better than that) - and yet they are two of the famous wickets in English test cricket history.
Cricinfo are reporting that the ECB's current plans are to commence domestic cricket in August, possible running into October. No 50 over cricket. T20 to take place, with Finals Day at Edgbaston. But possibly with a reduced number of group games - currently unclear. "Championship" cricket to take place, but in the form of three groups of six. Play each other once, with the highest two scoring group winners then taking each on at Lords in the final. Technically the groups are being described as North, South and West. But given that we're in the West group and Northants are in the South, I'd take those names with a pinch of salt!
Is the UK due a bad August? It happened in 1977 when the Middlesex v Somerset semi was postponed for three consecutive days, rescheduled for the following and was eventually decided over a 15 over per side game on a Friday afternoon. This was the birth of T15!!
I notice Surrey want to stage cricket in front of a reduced capacity crowd of 6,000 at the Oval. Yeah, I can't see anything going wrong with that.