Key events
Here’s a goodie from Julie Smith that concerns kids (a subject close to my heart as I’m doing my best to turn my boys in Boks and Proteas fans):
Afternoon Daniel. My son supports the Republic of Ireland football team. He was born in London and the only connection he has to Ireland is his great grandmother who was half Irish. He says it is because they seem to play for the fun of it (don’t tell Roy Keane) and there is none of the angst you get with the England team.
Is there a greater responsibility we hold as parents than making sure our children support the right team? I’m not sure that there is.
Well that’s a shame, ain’t it?
Still, we’ve got some more chat around our topic of the afternoon. While we wait for Ali and co to file their reports from a wet Lord’s, let’s keep the discourse rolling:
Vijay Srao:
I was watching Italia 90 in the USA, supporting England in a student bar,, everyone was supporting Germany ,they all threw popcorn and drinks at me when England lost, there was one other person from England there but he was supporting Brazil ,wearing a Brazil kit throughout the tournament. Everybody wanted England to lose.
Alistair Connor:
Hi Dan. A Kiwi, living in France for nigh on forty years. No doubts about who I’m backing in the current match… but in cricket, and only in cricket, England is my second team. And that’s down to the OBO, so here’s to us!
My French born daughters are shocked that I instinctively support France against the All Blacks… but the ABs against all other comers, obvs… I will support the other team against any Aussie side, and that includes Satan’s XI or XV.
Play has been abandoned for the day
That’s it folks!
They’ve finally called it. Disappointment for all concerned, most of all those fans who stuck it out and must now make a soggy and weary trudge back to the train station.
We’ll keep the blog alive and kicking until reports filter our way.
What’s been revealed from our chat this afternoon is that no one can tell you what being a sports fan means.
Support who you want to support. It’s all so weird and subjective and arbitrary.
Case in point, here’s Derek Rogers who has a muddle relationship with sport:
Hello Daniel. I am a Welshman living in Canada. In rugby of course we hate the English. In football Wales are usually also rans so I have to support England. But for cricket it has to be good old England. Come on you Bluejays – baseball of course. And it’s the Habs (Montreal), not poor old Toronto in hockey. I’m also a duel Brit/Welsh Canadian.
No word yet on when/if we’ll get going again today.
They should just call it, IMO.
Til then, Tim Sanders reminds me that Scotland and England will meet on the cricket field in two weeks in the Women’s T20 World Cup in Headingley.
He also adds:
It’s also pertinent that this summer is twentieth anniversary of England’s greatest national sense-of-humour failure, when Andy Murray responded to an interviewer’s banter about Scotland’s absence from the 2006 football World Cup. It was absolutely fair and right of him to reply that he would be supporting whoever was playing England.
Those aforementioned men in coats are out in the middle.
So are several ground staff who are sharing jokes and looking pretty jolly.
While they get on with their business, here are a couple more readers on our conversation of the afternoon.
First, Roger Moore (I’m assuming that one):
I always support England teams, even from New Brunswick, Canada. However, whether it be soccer or football, I do not support the high hopes and awful rhetoric. “Too much talk, not enough ball.” And you can do a Fiery Fred with that one!!!
All that pre-Ashes talk, followed by a disastrous tour, complete with losing a test in two days? Yes, I support England. But I have every right to be sad and / or angry when the team is not competitive, is ill-prepared, and doesn’t seem to care.
Thank heavens for the Guardian and TMS. I would not be happy if I were paying big bucks to travel and watch certain games.
Now, Adam Roberts, who starts the mail with ‘morning’, so I’m guessing he’s somewhere sunnier:
Born in Africa to Welsh parents but raised in England, this has always been tricky.
It’s always been England cricket (even though I’ve lived over half my life in the West Indies), and I split my time between Wales and England for football. But ALWAYS Welsh rugby and I loathe England rugby with a passion.
While that inspection takes place, here’s Tim Sanders from Leeds:
Hello Daniel. Growing up as an Essex supporter, the remarkable Keith Boyce was my favourite cricketer. He was player of the series for West Indies in England in 1973, and I certainly wasn’t sorry to see him on the winning side. Watching his compatriots chase down 322-5 at Headingley in 2017, the old feeling was still there.
At Rugby Union, I’ve always had a soft spot for Scotland and still support them over England. That’s something to do with childhood holidays in the Highlands, and an old university friend who was the most likeable rugby player you could ever wish to meet.
I suspect that the nature of the old English establishment has something to do with both those allegiances.
I feel you. Growing up in Johannesburg, I’d watch Ken Rutherford open the batting and captain on occasion. It’s why New Zealand is my second favourite cricket side, though I’d never support the All Blacks.
Nicholas Butt is far more punchy in his email:
Support Ingerlund???? Not on my life, whatever is left of it.
The entire circus and the dire ingerlund supporters do it for me.
Anyone BUT ingerlund
There’ll be an inspection at 5:15.
That’s about five minutes from now. Men in coats will walk around, holding out a light meter while looking very serious.
I’ll be back once I get word of their report.
And now from John Starbuck who rightly points out that England doesn’t host every sport:
“I can think of plenty of sports we don’t host as world leaders: table tennis, rounders, baseball, crown green bowling, basketball, swimming, cycling, hockey (ball and animal carcass versions) and all the winter sports, except maybe figure skating on occasion. The idea is tuned towards the inheritance of empire and popularising them via colonies. Mind you, there was a knock-on effect for cricket and Afghanistan, though sadly the women’s team are still struggling. Darts could be one of them but personally I couldn’t care less. Snooker is still the world championship in England but it won’t be long before China take that.”
I mean, you’re right, John. But can’t we all agree that all the best sports are found on this soggy island?
Here’s Simon McMahon, who, in case you couldn’t guess from the surname, is writing in from north of the border:
“Hi Dan. I’m as Scottish as they come, and have a fairly simple relationship with English sports teams. I’m firmly in the ABE camp when it comes to football and rugby (though Southgate’s England were hard to dislike).
“Cricket, however, well that’s different. I’ve followed the England Test team since the 80’s, and would need longer than I’ve got to explain the complexities of it all and what they mean to me, but I’m pretty sure watching and listening to Jack Bannister / Ray Illingworth / Peter West sitting on a rooftop pavilion while Middlesex played Lancashire in the John Player League in 1983 has something to do with it…”
I wonder, though, who you support when England and Scotland meet on the cricket pitch?
Grant in Bordeux weighs in:
“After the question earlier, I’m an Englishman living in Bordeaux, I’m an UBB season ticket holder. I support France in rugby, England in cricket and neither in Football”
How lucky are you to watch that Bordeaux team week in and week out! Also, who do you support in football?
Rain, rain, rain.
Sky has cut back to the cricket. Or at least where the cricket would be if it wasn’t still bucketing down.
They’re running through some frankly dull chats with Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
Oooh, here’s a question.
If England lose this series (and it’ll have to be 2-1 at this rate), do you think Baz and Ben will get the chop?
I was speaking with a Guardian colleague of mine yesterday and he reckons a loss in this series will result in a swinging axe from the ECB.
I wasn’t so sure. What do you reckon?
Peter Holmes has written in to keep the chat alive:
Here’s a slightly different question: are there any readers who are English born and bred who don’t support England?
I mean, I know someone born in Leeds who supports Arsenal, and someone born in Birmingham who supports Man Utd, so the accident of birth does not necessarily dictate your loyalty in football.
Not sure why it would be the determining factor in cricket, or more of a factor when it comes to national teams than club teams.
I know of South African rugby fans who support the New Zealand All Blacks. But that is mostly driven by the memory of apartheid and how the Springboks were coopted by a racist regime.
I’d love to know the answer to Peter’s question about England.
“Thanks for the thoughtful and fair response! The thing you’ve missed of course is that everyone has a long way to go before they hate England sports teams as much as their apparent supporters do.”
That’s from William Vignoles, picking up on the conversation around patriotism and sport.
Couldn’t agree more, Will. I don’t think English sports fans know how lucky they are.
This country hosts every major sport in the world. Your national teams not only play in World Cups, but are among the favourites for just about every one. There’s Formula 1, the British Open, Wimbledon, Olympics, Commonwealth Games. It’s the centre of the world.
It’s a mess in the Naylor house:
“My Anglo-Swedish kids seem to pick and choose which country to support and occasionally veer towards Norway in Scandinavian solidarity,” says father, Gary. “The exception is Eurovision, obvs.”
Funny enough, I’d quite like England to win the football WC (as South Africa obviously won’t). It’s just the rugby and cricket sides that bring out the worst in me.
‘Are we the baddies?’ asks William Vignoles.
Re the question about supporting England – thanks to growing up in showbiz north London I went to school with a fair few people of South African descent, and bar one or two the rule seemed to be support England against anyone but South Africa (for the parents as well as my friends). Granted many were the kids of people who had got out as quickly as they could in Apartheid years so a particular sample, but the same is true of my friends with roots in the subcontinent. The Aussies were the ones least likely to support England teams in any situation (except maybe against South Africa in rugby or India in cricket).
Cheers for your sterling efforts to keep up morale!
Well, sort of. If I can get serious for a second, there is ill-will towards England for their role in the creation of the ‘Big Three’ in cricket. But now that there is a Big One, this has softened.
There’s also an element of jealousy. It’s a cricket travesty that the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen won’t play over 100 Tests. Ditto [insert your favourite player from teams beyond England, India and Australia].
I imagine there’s also real world issues at play (colonialism, empire, global economics) though that doesn’t factor in with me.
It’s also just a bit of craic. It’s great having what they call a ‘heel’ in wrestling. Keeps things interesting.
Yup. Raining again.
More grim news from our man out in Ealing.
Neil Parkes says it’s raining again, and that it’s heading towards Lord’s.
Oh well.
This is an excellent question from Julian Menz.
One I feel best-placed to answer.
Hi Dan….
I can’t help wondering how long a Saffa/Kiwi/Aussie has to live in Earl’s Court (yes, it’s spread now) before they would ever support England? And yes, parent’s passports etc are allowed.
And just btw, I was too late to the ”off-drive” debate, but I’ll stick with Graeme Pollock….
I have a running joke (said with tongue firmly in cheek) that the only time I’ll ever allow my sons to support England in cricket or rugby is if they play for them.
I wonder if English fans truly grasp how much fun it is hating (in the way one can ‘hate’ a sports team) their sides. Mike Marqusee said it best in ‘Anyone But England’.
So, to address the question, I genuinely think the answer is ‘never’.
Gary Naylor, one of cricket’s gems and a regular on these pages, has written in and shared a piece he wrote a while back.
In it he shows some love for the G’s OBO. Of course I’m going to share it.
It’s stopped raining for a little bit.
That’s allowed some ground staff to get their brooms out and sweep off some excess water from the covers.
Love this from Peter McLeod (and not because I’m a baldie myself):
Your idea of a bald XI brought to mind an email into the OBO that for some reason has stuck in my head for what must be about 15 years.
I think the OBO writer at the time was Rob Smyth (true of many of the classic OBOs I think we’d all agree), and the match was taking place sometime during Peak England, i.e. that era when the team won the Ashes in Australia and briefly became the top-ranked team in the world.
Anyway, it was apropos of certain players being suited to certain match situations, and it contained the most extraordinary description of Matt Prior. I’ve just been googling to try to find the exact quotation but without any luck, so you’ll have to do with my recollection of it, which goes something like this:
“… At 300/5, Matt Prior walking to the middle, chest puffed out, arms windmilling, chin jutting like an Easter Island statue, getting ready to make some meaty, manly runs.”
For no particular reason, other than it being a rainy Saturday afternoon over there in London, a belated commendation both to the author of the email and to Rob Smyth’s response, which went along the lines of “he could write the book on 21st-century man-love.”
Tea taken at 3:40 (still raining)
If things clear up we’ll get a three-hour evening session. Plus 30 minutes to make up the overs, light permitting of course.
Word from the ground is that it’s a ‘mizzle’.
Neil Parkes in Ealing has some weather news:
“Rain is dwindling now. Still pretty grey though.”
Yeah, but can we trust it Neil? Could be snowing by the time I hit send on this post.
Daniel Gallan
Cheers James. Hello everyone.
Seems I picked a good day to stay at home rather than mission to Lord’s. Where I am, about five miles north east of Lord’s, it’s not raining, but anyone who has been gaslit by the London weather this week will know that what I just shared will mean nothing. One minute it’s sunshine, the next it’s lashing down.
Anyway, I’ll be with you til the end, come what may. I can see on my TV that the covers are still on and there is no sign of anything changing imminently.
Drop me a line if you fancy. Perhaps you can let me know what you do during rain delays at the ground? Do you lose your will power and eat everything in your cooler box? Do you get stuck into the beers? Do you meander around the ground, maybe taking in the artefacts on show in the museum?
Me? I love having best XI debates with my mates. Best Bald XI; Best left-handed XI; best XI you’d want to go to a music festival with, etc.
James Wallace
“I feel for the Kiwi’s plight. Getting dragged on and off the pitch like a yoyo on amphetamines stops the batters being able to find their rhythm. It’ll be a pyrrhic victory. Best to postpone play til the morrow.”
You may well get your wish Aaron Davies. Still raining at Lord’s. I’m going to hand over to Daniel Gallan who will bring you soggy updates for the next few hours. Thanks for your company, goodbye.
The rain has really set in I’m afraid and the whole square is now being covered up.
Rain/bad light stop play – New Zealand 55-5
There’s a light rain in the air but the umpire’s seem to be twitchy about the light. Yep, they are taking them off. The rain is heavier now and the tarpaulin covers are being dragged on to supplement the hover cover. This might be a slightly longer delay I’m afraid.
21st over: New Zealand 55-5 (Conway 19, Blundell 2) Josh Tongue really does look horrible to face. He charges in and whangs the ball into the wicket back of a length, the ball spitting and jagging off the surface. Blundell drop and runs into the off side like a man who is particularly keen to get off strike.
20th over: New Zealand 54-5 (Conway 19, Blundell 1) Tom Blundell joins Conway in the middle of a gloomy Lord’s. Robinson has his dander well and truly up, every ball brings an oooh and an aaaah from the crowd and even from a few grizzled hacks in the press box.
Blundell shuffles across and nudges a single to the leg side, he’s off the mark.
WICKET! Daryl Mitchell lbw b Robinson 0 (New Zealand 54-5)
Jamie Smith is stood up the stumps to Robinson. The mind wanders back to the Ashes series just go… GONE! Robinson pins Mitchell in front and the umpire raises the finger. This looks out on first look but Mitchell sends it upstairs. Clipping leg! The batter has to go but it wasn’t as clear cut as it looked in real time, New Zealand retain their review as it is Umpire’s call. Every cloud… England well on top, they might wrap this up today if they get enough play between rain squalls.
19th over: New Zealand 53-4 (Conway 19, Mitchell 0) The crowd coo as they see the Robinson wicket delivery replayed on the big screen. Josh Tongue hustles in from the Pavilion End, back of a length and sharp bounce to Conway who he has hopping on the crease. Brilliant over from Tongue, hostile and accurate, Conway does well to survive. A maiden.
WICKET! Rachin Ravindra b Robinson 8 (New Zealand 53-4)
Robinson resumes from the Nursery End, Ravindra plays with soft hands to guide down past gully for a couple. He’s beaten next delivery by a a ball outside off that seems to shoot through a bit low. I think you are just happy if those aren’t straight. Loud groans around Lord’s as Ravindra plays and misses at the next ball. Robinson strays onto the pads and is clipped away for another couple. One ball left in the over…
BOWLED HIM! That is a peach from Ollie Robinson, 81mph and nipping just enough up the slope to beat the forward defence and knock the off bail out of it’s groove. England get their first wicket of the day and Rachin Ravindra’s miserable match is over.
18th over: New Zealand 53-4 (Conway 19)
Good news! The rain has passed over for now and the hover comes off to a loud cheer. Back come the players.
17th over: New Zealand 49-3 (Conway 19, Ravindra 4) Time for Josh Tongue. He starts over the wicket with three slips in place. Shot! Ravindra gets off the mark with a handsome drive through cover off a full ball. Tongue draws his length back a bit and there’s just a leg bye off the rest of the over.
Bad news, it is raining again. Argh!
16th over: New Zealand 44-3 (Conway 19, Ravindra 0) A maiden from Atkinson to Conway. Ben Stokes has a short leg in position, it’s newbie Emilio Gay under the lid at Boot Hill.
Nasser Hussain has been talking about lunch fiasco on Sky:
“The sunniest part of the day, everybody was having lunch. When the weather was good, we were eating and then when the weather’s bad we’re trying to play cricket. That can’t make sense.”
15th over: New Zealand 44-3 (Conway 19, Ravindra 0) Ollie Robinson probing away under lights, these are very tricky batting conditions. Conway is squared up but manages to squirt a single into the off side.
Play Resumes (for now)
14th over: New Zealand 43-3 (Conway 18, Ravindra 0) Devon Conway flashes at the the very first ball back off Gus Atkinson, it is in the air but flies in the gap past gully for four. Conway is a dangerous player if he gets in, New Zealand just need a couple of their batters to get a decent score – the target is 210 runs, partnerships are crucial.
It might be one of those afternoons folks. Here come the players again after the squally shower has passed. The clouds behind the Pavilion don’t look too promising but we might get a bit more play in here in a moment or two.
Rain Stops Play – New Zealand 37-3
Sure enough the rain arrives and the players scuttle from the pitch. Boos ring around Lord’s. You understand the frustration from the crowd, they’ve just spent an hour looking at an empty pitch with clear skies and pockets of blue above. The players were taking lunch during that time.
I don’t think many of them will share this sentiment from Andy Bowles:
“Imagine you’d spent the morning lovingly preparing lunch for 22 people, carefully timed so as to be ready at 12:30. If they suddenly announced that they were going outside to play with a bat and ball, leaving the food to spoil, wouldn’t you be fairly annoyed? I think the Lord’s catering staff are entitled to as much consideration as anyone else.”
I’m afraid I can’t get on board with this either, this is international sport not a village fête… but each to their own.
13th over: New Zealand 37-3 (Conway 13, Ravindra 0) Ollie Robinson from the Pavilion End. He looks dangerous immediately, jagging one back to Conway off the pitch. New Zealand then get their first run with a Conway glide pas point. Ooooft! That’s a vicious ball! Angled in to Ravindra and moving late, the batter drawn into the shot and lucky not to take the edge. The clouds are building up over the back of Lord’s, we might not be on for much longer here….
12th over: New Zealand 36-3 (Conway 12, Ravindra 0) Atkinson steams in to bowl the first ball of the day and the final one of his over after pocketing O’Rourke with a beautiful delivery in the last act of yesterday’s play. It’s a good ball, on a length, pulling Ravindra forward to defend. The crowd applaud with relief as much as anything, they’ve seen some cricket at last!
Here come the players! The crowd cheer as the hover cover is sent on its way and Ben Stokes leads out his men. Jerusalem blurts out across the tannoy (brand name). Gus Atkinson has the ball in hand from the Nursery End. Rachin Ravindra is on strike. Watery sunshine and a light breeze. Let’s play!
The good news is it isn’t raining at Lord’s, yet. So there is still hope of cricket breaking out at 1pm. Stay tuned!
I just bumped into the mighty Jeremy Coney in the lunch queue – roast lamb and a truly massive mushroom are the main meal options, if you’re asking. Oh, you weren’t.
Some eeejit spoke to Coney this week about that first famous New Zealand Test victory on English soil forty years ago. To say he was on good form would be putting it lightly.
“Before we judge them for having lunch, can we see what’s on the menu?” asks Ed Smyth. “I’d understand keeping a crowd waiting for something like a really good lasagna.”
Now, this might be TMI but yesterday afternoon in the Lord’s media centre I had a really bad case of what can only be described as smoked trout reflux. What do you mean I’ve lost touch with my roots?
Brian Draper is having “A spiritual moment. An epiphany.”
“In my late teens, I journeyed, wide-eyed with excitement, from rural Kent to watch Middlesex play an Australia XI. My first time at the Home of Cricket. The skies were bruised, however, and the covers never came off. A day of wandering and wondering if play would ever start. My sole memory is of watching the moustachioed David Boon face a few balls in the nets. Upon finishing, I asked him for his autograph. He said, “No.” I realise I’m still carrying this. Today, I let it go.”
I’m in bits over here, Bri.
“Loving the OBO on a rainy morning as always, but currently sitting at Lord’s bewildered at the sight of cricket hating itself and its fans yet again.”
James Murray is not amused at Lord’s right now.
”The covers are finally off, the sun is shining, the satellites tell us more rain is coming and yet there will be no play for another hour while an early lunch is taken. Meanwhile, 30,000 paying fans sit and twiddle their thumbs/drown their sorrows. A truly laughable decision.”
Hmmm, it is bright sunshine at Lord’s now, the stumps are in position and the crease lines are being given a fresh lick. However, it’s just been announced that the players are taking an early lunch and IF no further rain we will have play at 1pm. Why couldn’t they delay lunch and get out there right now whilst there is a sunny gap in the weather I hear you ask. It is a good question.
“I expect this was known to everyone apart from me until today, but here goes: I was today years old when I found out Russell Crowe is a cousin of Martin and Jeff. What a family!” writes Suhmit Rahman
“I saw a clip of Russell trying to explain cricket to Joe Rogan. We know about lots of cricketing families but are there other examples of top class cricketers who are close family with people at the top of other parts of the entertainment world? I’m guessing Zak Crawley and Hugh Grant share some genes.”
I don’t think Foxy and Elton are related but my mind goes immediately to this:
“There’s been loads of chat – rightly – about this Lord’s pitch and how it’s not up to the mark” emails Guy Hornsby.
“I’d agree that we should expect a better strip, and I don’t think it’s that different in match outcome then the MCG (where I was present for Day 1). I think it’s the variable bounce that’s worse. But arguably both sides have bowled better and batted better (way better) than Melbourne too.
It’ll be a big loss for Lords’ coffers, but then they’ve got three Tests this summer, which is disgraceful really. Either the ECB wants cricket to be for all, or they don’t. But let’s not pretend that two men’s and one women’s Test out of seven is anything but completely unequal.”
The weather is teasing us at Lord’s, a heavy cloak of drizzle relenting into watery sunshine and then back again.
Gregg Bee is in provocative mood it seems:
“While the suits are twiddling their thumbs at HQ today, maybe someone can get that WACA practice match booked for November 2029? No time like the present!”
Gregg…
Thanks to Peter Haining for overseas TMS link furnishing:
Of course India have called up The Six Hitting Kid:
There is a milling of groundstaff at Lord’s, for a moment it looked like they were taking the outer covers off but they’ve actually just paused for a moment to see if the rain stays away. We won’t have any play for a while but things are looking a bit more promising than the radar suggested this morning. Keep the faith!
Can I just stop you… the sun has come out at Lord’s!
It’s mizzling at Lord’s currently. A few minutes ago I spied Emilio Gay signing autographs and posing for selfies with a group of fans as he headed to have a net in the indoor school. He spoke really well after play last night and Andy Bull wrote a lovely piece about his fifty.
Preamble
James Wallace
Was there anything more soul-sappingly disappointing as a child than flicking on the television on a Saturday morning fully expecting to luxuriate in a day of Test cricket watching only to be met with the sight of gun metal skies, drizzle and full covers stretched across the outfield. Urgh.
Welcome to the third day of the first Test from Lord’s. I’m afraid to say that it is a wet one, folks. The good news is that the weather is much better tomorrow and so we should see a result in this match but today’s prospects are gloomier, with a high percentage chance of rain through most of the day.
The match has progressed at a rapid rate due to skilful bowling on both sides in helpful conditions on a pitch that contains the dual threat of unexpected lift off a length and also scudding ankle height balls that are nigh on impossible to keep out.
Just ask Jacob Bethell, he was done by an absolute worm burner courtesy of Matt Henry. It’s fair to say young Jacob got a good/bad one. Test Match Special’s Andy Zaltzman confirming as much by revealing (somehow) that of all the balls bowled in Test cricket in England in the past 20 years that have pitched between nine and ten metres from the stumps – NONE had bounced LESS than Henry’s ball to shoot out Bethell. It was only the 96th over of the match.
Still, the batting on display hasn’t been vintage, Harry Brook and Kyle Jamieson’s biffing in the first innings resulted in vital contributions for each side and Test debutant Emilio Gay played nicely and showed resilience in scoring his a maiden half century yesterday.
England are on top having pocketed three wickets before the close yesterday but New Zealand are only one decent partnership away from making things interesting, they need 218 more with Devon Conway and Ravindra Ravindra at the crease and Darly Mitchell, Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips still to come.
Fingers crossed we see some action on day three. I’ll keep you informed on any updates as we get them, in the meantime, please do get in touch with your rainy day thoughts and theories. I reckon we’ll need them to keep this OBO afloat.