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Yorkshire 251 all out
v Sussex 248 all out
Yorkshire 298-9
close on Day 3

LV County Championship Div 1
at Headingley

Thursday 24 September 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

Theatre Reviews

There, you didn't expect that did you? I went down to the East Stand Nets at Lunch to see a play. The Last Match by Colin Philpott & Kit Monkman. Good. I could easily see that working in a normal theatre studio. It uses cricket as the back drop. But, it's not about cricket.

But, what a great hook. Hitler, the fascist bastard, invaded Poland at close on day 2. (Three day cricket in those days). Of the last game of the season. Why couldn't the one balled twat just wait for a declaration.

And, you could fill many theatres with Hedley Verity stories. In this one, I'll paraphrase. Apologies to the Verity family. I mean this in commemoration. And in humbleness.

Verity has done 7 for 9 off 6 overs. Yeah & that's 6 EIGHT BALL OVERS. 1939 was the only year EIGHT BALL OVERS were used in the Champo. Ball-Sup, the Blog that educates.

Yorkshire have cleaned up by 9 wickets. There is, sadly, no record of which Real Ales were supped. Season over. Yorkshire win the title. Hedley becomes Captain Verity & dies from wounds received in action. Much of the play takes place around Verity's bed in the Field Hospital. A nice anti-establishment message in there as well. Poignant & clear, but not over sentimental.

I'll give it 4 stars. Great, great (& true) story pushes it up.

So, while we're on sport based plays. I went to see The Red Lion in the Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre in early August. Set in & around a lower league football team's dressing room. Written by Patrick Marber. Featuring Daniel Mays & Peter Wright. Peter more famous to my generation as one of the Coppers from Early Doors on the tele. Anyway. I enjoyed it. But, usual thing for me. Too many twisty turny things. Spoiler alert. Ends up with a fella (deliberately) electrocuting himself in the communal bath with an electric iron. Thankfully, offstage.

Over-dramatic at that point. A good story, well told. Then. Oooohhh. We need more twists & a dramatic ending. Essentially, a story about relationships & morals between men & across generations.

I'll give it 3 stars. Good story well told. But all a bit too much.

So, here's a story I don't like. Hamlet. I understand the story & all that. I just don't find it all that interesting. I went to see Cumberbatch in it at The Barbican in late August. I'm giving it 2 stars tops. A boring story, not very well told. Some fencing, no cricket.

Some great set pieces from The 'Batch. And Redchurch Brewery bottles in the Bar, could just push it to 3 stars.

Best thing I've seen recently. By. A. Distance. Daniel Kitson, Polyphony in Edinburgh. Kitson & a collection of iPod Shuffles handed to random audience members. Spellbinding & hilarious. All the ingredients. 5 stars.

The Beer

Leeds Brewery Tap. That's better. Got it all going on. Four of their own on cask. Four guests. Many keg lines. Helpful staff. I've done...

Roosters, Honey & Simcoe on cask at 4.3%. Intriguing. It works well. It has that sort of background woody sweetness you associate with honey. But, the sharpness & citrus style of the hop cuts through that. Lovely laced head.

211/429