Couch To 1k

Lancashire 566 for 9 declared 

v Yorkshire 53 for 2 

County Championship Division 1 

Close on Day Two 

Friday 13 May 2022 

Played at Headingley 

I am afraid this Blog is going to drift into sentiment & nostalgia. Please accept my apologies. That is because this is the One Thousandth Blog I have published since the debut in July 2014. At times, it got very lazy. One Blog covering two, three, four or more games. As my "other creative writing projects" expanded, some Blogs weren't even about a game or a beer!!!

For long periods, the Blog got formulaic - went to this, drank that. And, I know that on many, many occasions it looks like I'm searching for any controversy or pivot point upon which to start a ruck. My excuse is - there are only so many different ways to say the same thing a thousand times.

I'm now going to get a bit evangelical. I'm a statistician by academic training & career path. So, I've amazed myself by just how much I've enjoyed trying to write creatively. It has led me down avenues I never thought possible - quotes of mine lifted for newspapers, chapters in other people's books, the truly marvellous Dem Blades football fanzine & a great new writing project called The Pinch.

Hell. I even got my name in Wisden. (I entered their annual writing competition, didn't win, but got listed in the also rans - still counts, mate). But, mainly, I've just enjoyed writing it for the sake of writing it. If you ever feel like doing some writing, even for yourself, particularly for yourself, DO IT.

I often claim "it's just my diary". I write it as my head says it to the page. That's why there's so much fucking swearing in it!!!

But, I'm not a fucking mug (there, swearing again). It's a conceit. Look at Me, Me, Me. With all me travel & different games & counting this, that and the other and shit. Sorry. Indulge me. 

You have just been informed by the Carrier Bag Firm.

As it's The Roses game. Let's continue the Nostalgia Tip. I was at an amazing game at Bramall Lane in August 1969. As always with Carrier Bag Firm stories, I remember it differently to how it actually happened. But, I've now checked the #FACTS.

It was three day Championship cricket in those days. All based on time. No minimum overs. Just a minimum of (I think) 20 overs in the final hour on Day 3. But, the Captains knew the deal. They'd have a good idea of how many overs would be available in the game. Let's call it 310 overs. Give or take.

The Lankies batted first and made 171 all out in 88 overs. Bowler Peter Lever top scored with 57. Chris Old took 5 for 34.

Yorkshire replied with 290 for 8 declared. A lead of 119. Geoff Boycott top scored with 80. And John Hampshire got to 62. The aforementioned Peter Lever took 5 for 61. Yorkshire's innings took another 101 overs out of the game. Jack Bond the Lancashire Captain would have calculated maybe 120 overs left in the game, trailing by 119. The scoring rate to date in the game had been around 2.4 an over.

Today, I put it to the Carrier Bag Firm in the North East Lower. What would you have done if you'd been Bond? Trail by 119, maybe 120 overs left. The consensus was - try to bat out those overs for a Draw. Or at least bat it deep so that Yorkshire didn't have a chase. Which is essentially what Lancashire tried.

Nought for one. Ten for two. They were looking down the barrel. But a big third wicket stand took it to 150 for 3. At least Yorkshire would have to bat again. 150 for 4, 157 for 5, 159 for 6, 159 for 7. A lead of just 40. In real time, when I was eleven, I couldn't fathom why The Red Rose had been blocking & taking an age to get to 160, hardly playing a shot. But, now, unfathomably to an eleven year old, they were trying to cart it on the John Street Terrace, on to The Shoreham, and into the BLLT.

At that stage, with seven gone already, runs had become more important than overs consumed. 160 for 8, 167 for 9, 183 all out. Farokh Engineer a magnificent 96 & Clive Lloyd a battling 50. The Umpires got the abacus out. Yorkshire would chase 65 in 19 overs.

Remember, there was no T20 in those days. The Gillette Cup had been introduced in 1963, and had become a 60 overs a side one day County Cricket Competition. The 40 overs John Player League was actually introduced the same year (1969) as this Roses Game. Big scores in a few overs was a thing of the future in 1969.

But, 65 off 19 it was. At 59 for 3, needing just 6 to win, Yorkshire looked well set. But, were running out of balls to score off. They scrabbled it to 64 for 3, one to win.

But, fucking hell, wickets 4 & 5 went on the same score. Including Engineer stumping Chris Old standing up to fast bowler Ken Higgs. Here we go…

Richard Hutton coming to the crease for Yorkshire. Wickets aren't important now. One ball left (Higgs). One to win. An almighty heave. The ball off the edge, which edge I don't know. Let's say Top Edge. Held by Harry Pilling in a slip (ish) position. Ridic. Three wickets going on 64, with the scores level. DRAWN MATCH WITH SCORES LEVEL. (If you batted fourth in one of those games in those days, as Yorkshire did, you got some extra points).

Not going to be like that in 2022 I fear. Lancashire just batted on & on today. Keaton Jennings eventually run out in a kerfuffle for 238. Vilas eventually hauled them in with 9 gone. 566.

Lyth left one and was LBW to Bailey for 10. Malan gone for 23 before the close. All fairly dismal.

Elusive Brewing (Wokingham), Skyline Drive, American Pale Ale on Cask at 4.5%

Interesting balance. It's quite dry & earthy at first. But, there's a growing bitterness that fills in after that.

You can find ALL my previous Blogs at

www.ball-sup.blogspot.com

As this is a Celebratory, Milestone Blog, would you please consider subscribing (free) to have my Blog delivered to your email inbox (via Substack). Thank you.

You can find me on Social Media

Twitter @ball_sup 

Untappd ball_sup 

Stats 

I have now Blogged from 1,108 games in 2,824 days 

YCCC, A New Low

Lancashire 288 for 3 

v Yorkshire 

County Championship Division 1 

Close on Day One 

Thursday 12 May 2022 

Played at Headingley 

Yorkshire County Cricket Club. A NEW LOW. Look I'll take all the shit that can be thrown at me about - does it really matter - can't you enjoy yourself without drinking beer - there's far more important things that need doing. Understood. But, I Blog about Cricket & Beer.

If you're providing "catering". And if that includes selling beer. Then, that's low hanging fruit. That should be so easy to get right. County Cricket Clubs which have an inclusive, you can enjoy yourself here, this is your place - feel, will succeed in attracting & retaining fans & Members. And, I'm not talking about the unsustainable competitive beer drinking that surrounds International & T20 cricket. I'm talking about normal, jolly, couple of pints, hail fellow well met, what you having, can I get you one, adult drinking.

So. The Headingley Long Room. Decent sized bar front. Few Cask handpulls. Few Keg fonts. Designer Gins, etc behind the bar. Rows of your Red Wines. And ranks of your Whites & Fizz in the fridge. Glasses of every shape and size. Pints. Halves. Tumblers. Wine stems. The lot. All waiting to be brimmed with booze. A bright, cavernous room, bedecked with Memorabilia, tables & comfy chairs. Even Sofas FFS. How can you fuck it up from there?

If you ask for a Pint of Preferred, to sit down & drink inside the room. All those lovely glass vessels are ignored, rejected, indeed verboten. They can only serve your beer in PAPER CUPS. And, this is nothing to do with safety, or no glass outside, or eco friendly. They have always (previously) served you a beer (or anything else) in a glass at Yorkshire 4 Day games on your adult say so that you're going to drink it inside. But, for … reasons … they have now decided to downgrade the experience to PAPER CUPS. 

Yeah. Yeah. I know. Grand scheme and all that. But, that's a bizarre thing to do. Plastic eco if you have to. Although glass, washed is perfectly sustainable. But PAPER CUPS. I give up.

I gave up as far as…

Arcadia

Headingley Central, Otley Rd, Headingley, Leeds LS6 2UE

If you persevere with my Blogs throughout the cricket season, you're going to hear a LOT about Arcadia. And I make no excuses. I want to say "there's been some changes". But, what with the Pandemic an' all that, it's difficult to know the difference between normal & new normal. Nominally, it's still Table Service. But, with a load of Cricket Carrier Baggers all turning up in a three minute window, that's blown out of the water. As people naturally just order at the bar.

The blackboard listing the beers has gone. To be replaced by out of sync beer lists on each table. Which take a lot more maintenance when a new 'un comes on, than just using a damp cloth & chalk.

But, they serve in GLASS. And the beer range is always good.

Pentrich Brewing Co, (Derbyshire), Crooked Paths, Hazy Session Pale on Cask at 4.2%

Hopped with Simcoe, Mosaic and Idaho 7. A lot going on there. Bitter grapefruit. Quite soft & downy to taste. Lot of citrus all over it. The finish wasn't powerful, but man, lasted forever. I was still licking it around as I got back to my seat in the ground.

Right. Disappointing day on the green for the Yorkies. It started nicely. The Lancastrianites were twelve for two off 11 miserly overs. Both going to Jordan Thompson. But, that was it. Croft went for 104 after the New Ball had been taken. Jennings striding up the stairs at Close, 150 Not Out. 

At times, we had the scoring under control. And, a number of, admittedly difficult, chances went down. Patto did 21 overs for 38. Rauf 19 for 62. Loten got carted. But, for long periods, I felt little was being tried. Reconciled to the fate. Quiet in the field. Few Red Bulls, in PAPER CUPS, needed methinks.

You can find ALL my previous Blogs at

www.ball-sup.blogspot.com

And, you can now also subscribe to have my Blog delivered (free) to your email inbox (via Substack)

You can find me on Social Media

Twitter @ball_sup 

Untappd ball_sup 

Stats 

I have now Blogged from 1,107 games in 2,823 days 

Welcome To October

Lancashire 78 all out 

v Warwickshire 518 all out 

Lancashire 171 for 6 

Close on Day 3 

Bob Willis Trophy Final 

Thursday 30 September 2021.

Played at Lord's 

That'll be the last day of County Cricket I'll be attending in 2021. Thought I'd fucking get it in before October. I'd missed all the action on the earlier days. Lanky gone double quick. After being 12 for 6 at one bit. The Bears piling it on. 133 for 1. 243 for 2. 340 for 3. 425 for 5. Lanky batting in October. The Bears batting in July.

Will Rhodes was eighth gone at 469. He'd made 156 in six an' half hours. Lancashire were at least making a better fist of it on Day Three. Wrapping it up and putting some partnerships together. But late wickets have left it horror show. Four left, 269 to make Warwickshire bat again.

We'll never really know the impact of winning that Toss & putting Lancashire in. The first morning looks awful in the scorebook. But then Warks have made loads. What I will absolutely guarantee is that we shouldn't be playing 4 or 5 day cricket this time of year.

By all means shoehorn Tests, ODIs, the T20 Blast and The Hundred into the height of Summer. Meaning that one County Competition has to be the Best Of The Rest. This year, that was the County 50 Overs. But, we just have to have four day cricket in June, July & August. I saw a very interesting idea floated on CricInfo. Play TWO County 3 or 4 day competitions every season. Firstly, a Pushed To The Margins (but at least you've got your players from The Hundred) County Championship in April May & September (as now). AND a Best Of The Rest Strength In Depth 3 or 4 day competition during the height of Summer when The Hundred is on. Outgrounds where necessary. Take cricket to the people. Re-energise. Boutique Cricket.

The Lord's Pavilion is, at the best of times, a bewildering warren of doors, corridors & staircases. Overlain with incomprehensible rules about where you're allowed to go with a beer. But, the Covid bubble caper has raised it to a whole new level. Screens effectively create new corridors for the players. And half of the Long Room is velvet roped off. I didn't dare ask whether I might use one of those seats.

"But, have they taken care of business Phil?"

I hear you ask.

"Yes, Sister"

The Long Room Bar, The Bowlers Bar, and The Members Bar are all up & fully functioning. Just don't ask me to tell you how to fucking get to them.

The cask offering was Marston's Pedigree & Ringwood Razor Back.

But, as it was our last day at Lord's for a while, the Carrier Bag Firm naturally went #CRICKETCANS.

Electric Bear Brewing Co, Shimmer Down, pale ale at 4.1%

Polly's Brew Co, Moonwrecker, pale ale at 5%

Both of those were superb. I'll give the award to the Polly's. Lots of Orange Juice in the smell. But the taste gets into tobacco bitterness very quickly.

But, the Shimmer Down was deffo the Best Of The Rest.

Twitter @ball_sup 

www.twitter.com/ball_sup 

Untappd ball_sup 

Stats

I have now Blogged from 1,007 games in 2,599 days 

It's A Death Trap

Lancashire 411 for 2 

v Yorkshire 

County Championship 

Close on Day Three 

Tuesday 13 July 2021 

Played at Headingley 

Parental Advisory I'm afraid.

Bit of swearing in this one.

Turn back now if you prefer.

Because. That was a Fucking Farce. Rain yesterday meant a delayed start at noon today. Lunch at 1:10pm. At roughly 2:20pm, Yorkshire Young 'Un Dom Leech slipped, fell, and collided with the Western Terrace wall down at the fine/square leg boundary. Looked horrible. Teammates rushed over. Lanky physio made it over there. Yorkie physio in attendance. St John's Ambulance. Stretcher.

Eventually poor old Dom was carried away. Umpires Gould & Llong immediately called everyone else off & declared an early Tea at roughly 2:40. 

Now. From the time we arrived in the ground, until the delayed start, the Super Sopper Blotter had been concentrating on the "never sees the Sun" strip in front of the football stand. The drain for emptying the Blotter is right where Dom slipped. There's a mad, green, patched in, relaid bit of turf on the bowler's run ups at the Football Stand end. So. Gould & Llong come out & look at a completely different bit. Square on the opposite side to the Leech tumble. Then they have a look at the bowler's run ups at the Football Stand end. They don't have a fucking look anywhere near where Dom slipped. Then the crowd are told fuck all. Then the fuck allery continues. And play is abandoned at half four.

Recap. It's not rained all day. It's been sunny. The pitch was declared fit to play from Noon. There was two hours of play. And two hours later, the ground was declared unfit.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Can you hear me? The drainage at your ground is fucked. The Essex game the other year. The four days of the Second XI this year. Fucked.

Now, the Carrier Bag Firm understand that you have The Hundred coming up. And a Test Match against India. And, you really, really don't want to tell the ECB that your drainage is fucked. But, we can all see. It's fucked. Sometimes, as many as 12 people read this Blog. They also now know that your drainage is fucked.

It's bad enough deciding whether to travel from Sheffield based on Metrological Issues (weather forecast). But, now, we also have to take Geology into account. Ridic.

The announcement on the scoreboard said it all…..

Naturally, we offed to The Arcadia to discuss this farce.

Duration Brewing, Bet The Farm, Continental Pale on Keg at 4.5%

Kirkstall Brewery, Kirkstall Pale Ale on Cask at 4%

We, the Carrier Bag Firm can do that. But spare a thought for the Yorkshire Civilians. They had to sit through all that unfolding shit. My advice to them remains - do not blame the umpires for anything other than comms failures, they didn't fuck the drainage.

The title of this Blog - It's A Death Trap - is the property of one of the CBF who shouted it at the players as they made their way across the ever soddening outfield. The very same outfield whose drainage is fucked.

Twitter @ball_sup 

www.twitter.com/ball_sup 

Untappd ball_sup 

Stats

I have now Blogged from 971 games in 2,520 days 

First Fiercers

Yorkshire 158 all out 

v Lancashire 509 for 9 declared 

Yorkshire 271 all out

Lancashire win by an Innings & 79 Runs 

County Championship 

Sunday 30 May 2021 

Played at Old Trafford 

Tight as arseholes at the end. Yorkshire only needed to bat another 6.4 overs to get out of Dodge with a Draw. That would have been a Draw celebrated as if it were a Win. But, Lancashire celebrated the actual Win. Which is always the best way I feel. Give or take a minute or two between friends, six Yorkshire batsmen were at it for 100 minutes or more. George Hill batted for one hour 39, faced 91 balls for his 18 & was fifth gone at 151. Dom Bess batted for two & a half hours for his 46.

But, the helicopter view remains - we batted twice and only got within 80 runs of what they got batting once. Hammered.

Because Yorkshire took the game deep, we had to juggle the Drinking Diary. Starting the final session with a pitch perfect pint of Joseph Holt, Two Hoots on Cask at 4.2% from the Old Trafford Pavilion bar. Lovely that. More bitterness than I expected running all the way through it. Clean & consistent. No off tones at all. I got a big whack of peach in the second mouthful.

The Carrier Bag Firm once went to a big lock up near Aberdeen Airport to visit the Brewery of the emerging Fierce Beer. They didn't have the right paperwork to sell from the Brewery Door. So, to showcase their beers, they were pouring FOR FREE. That'll push buttons. So, when they were Crowdfunding to get a bar sorted in Aberdeen, the CBF chipped in to help level the floor in the khazis. And look at us now!

Thomas St is Bang Central of Manchester's Northern Quarter. And Man. On Bank Holiday Sunday, with many mancs recently unlocked, Thomas St was mental. Drinkers being turned away from full bar after full pub. Pavements heaving. And Fierce Beer now DO have the paperwork to sell beer, in (former Marble Beers) 57 Thomas St. 

Fifteen Taps. One fella came in. Was seated. And when presented with the Fifteen Tap list.

"I'll have the one which is most like San Miguel"

Well then. That won't be this one I had;

Fierce Beer, Lots Of Nelson, Imperial Sour IPA on Keg at 8.5%.

That smelled D. Vine. Deep and rich & bitter. So, the taste surprises you. It's not pucker up, whack it on your chips, sour. But, slowly, the thick white grape underpinning comes in. I was looking for more bitterness to round it all off. 

The other two not San Migs I had were;

Fierce Beer, Hop Squad, IPA on Keg at 6%.

Fierce Beer, Hazy IPA on Keg at 5%.

Partly, and a little disappointingly for us First Fiercers, those two emphasise how far Fierce have come to Thomas St. Just pretty safe, not a lot going on, "core" hop beers. Nice enough. But, don't fire up yer taste buds.

Stats

I have now Blogged from 945 games in 2,476 days 

Is Lancashire In England?

Yorkshire 158 all out 

v Lancashire 509 for 9 declared 

Yorkshire 85 for 2 

County Championship 

Close on Day Three 

Saturday 29 May 2021 

Played at Old Trafford 

I'd expected Maths. But not Geography. A classic cricket scene unfolding on the socially distanced row in front of us. Young Lad. Dad. And Grandpa. A few inquisitive questions from the Young 'Un. Grandpa in particular using cricket to help the Lad learn things & understand the world. Like generations before him. Like me.

"How many runs does Bohannon need to get to a Hundred?"

(Alright you old get, no need to take the piss)

"Add up how many Overs since Yorkshire have taken a Wicket"

(I swear he's doing this on fucking purpose)

Now, I've got two Degrees in Applied Statistics, but maybe the Lad won't become as mathematically minded. He seemed to bore quickly & wanted to shift the subject.

"Grandpa. Is Lancashire in England?"

Boooooom. Good Lad. Let's get at it.

Covid Regs mean we can't sit, linger, let alone mooch aimlessly in the Old Trafford Pavilion. There's a One Way System. Break left for Coffee & Carbs. Break right for Alcohol Delivery Systems. But, it's certainly a good break. Three on Cask.

Robinsons, Dizzy Blonde at 3.8%

Joseph Holt, Two Hoots at 4.2%

JW Lees, MPA (Manchester Pale Ale) at 3.7%

We've yet to visit Beer Desert Headingley this season. But, it would come as no surprise to find the Azeem Rafiq Enquiry Dragging On Yorkies have No Cask On & have been hammered 3-0 by the Lankies in those stakes.

I sometimes think a "pitch mentality" creeps into cricketers. Lancashire find that Yorkshire aren't really getting at them with the ball. Barely any ooohhhs, let alone actual appeals to the Umpire. So, they convince themselves there's nowt in the pitch. Flat. So, they worry ahead about what it'll be like when they bowl. So everything becomes over cautious. But, I suppose when you've had 'em at 21 for 6 in the first dig, the one thing you have got is time.

The Carrier Bag Firm concluded Vilas would probably wave 'em in once Bohannon got his century and Danny Lamb got his fifty. But, as always. Wrong. And Lancashire wrung it out a bit more.

And. Then. Here's the game. Right now. In front of us. Yorkshire an implausible 350 behind. To make Lancashire bat again. One Hundred and Forty Three overs to survive for the Draw. I'd stick to Geography on those numbers, Mate.

But. What have you got? Can the openers take us through the New Ball. Can they even get to Tea? How many down at the Close would be applaudable?

Well. Lyth & Kohler-Cadmore were doing OK. The CBF were counting down. Twenty more overs. Inside the last ten now. You can see two not outs overnight. Come back tomorrow. Oh dear. Lyth played an aggressive shot behind square off Parkinson. Which was held low down by Wells. At least we know Lyth has been practising his Petulant Walk Off routine in Lockdown. The Sky cameras are here. I counted eight Fucks before he got to the boundary. Punching his bat. Banging his hat. Seen it all before.

Kohler-Cadmore went sixish overs later. The cry went up. "Oh Lanky, Lanky". FFS.

In the context, two gone in 47, on Day 3 was a decent effort. But, do the Maths, not the Geography.

The beer destination was The Hillary Step in Whalley Range. Long & thin place, with tables on the forecourt. We were met at the door as is the increasing norm. The only available tables, and there were many of them, were inside. Of course Mate, that's what we've come for.

A Grumble. Hottest day for a bit. Sun's out. We found the Cask beer a bit on the warm side. Cellar needs some love & care.

Still, a great welcome. Quick & efficient service. Dark & cool(er) inside. Great beer range. Five on Cask. Seven Pukka Keg. I criticised the Keg list at first for being a bit Big Boy Brewery safe. But, when I had a better look, it was actually decent.

Anyway, I went;

SQUAWK Brewing, Crex on Cask at a handy 4.5%. A nice cask IPA. Floral hops up top. Slightly hazy. Pleasant easy drinking, even for that abv. A bit of drying grass. And some bitterness in the end game to hold it all together.

Stats

I have now Blogged from 944 games in 2,475 days 

the deliberate lower case arms

Yorkshire 158 all out 

v Lancashire 350 for 6 

County Championship 

Close on Day Two 

Friday 28 May 2021 

Played at Old Trafford 

And. So. Twenty months after I last sat in a County Cricket ground. We're back. With the same old shit. Yorkshire two hundred ish behind on first innings. One of the Carrier Bag Firm was moaning that, on her first day back at cricket, the play had been boring. I sort of disagree. Because I thought the Lancashireistrians played that perfectly. And, there's enjoyment to be had in watching a team know what they want to do. And fucking doing it. 95 for one overnight. Only 64 behind. Whatever it takes. Bat long. Look to bat just once.

They got to 246 before both Jennings & Wells went in the 84th & 85th. At that stage, I thought they might come out through the New Ball with just one gone. At times, it was difficult to tell whether Yorkshire were exerting real pressure, or whether Lancs were just being ultra cautious in building a platform.

At one bit, maybe a dozen overs, Bess seemed to be close to one an over parity. But, he got some straight down the ground hammer later on.

Fairly straightforward set up at Old Trafford. Despite Covid restrictions, quite a decent few in. The whole experience emphasising how the DNA of County Cricket is compatible with Covid Protocols. Big ground for us to rattle around in, minding our own bubbles. Stewarding very polite. Punters occasionally exasperated by seemingly petty stuff, but seeing the bigger picture, apologising and (for eg) shifting up as you're not allowed to sit on an aisle.

Settled in at cask (deliberate lower case c) on Liverpool Road. Bit of a Sensory Shock. Noisy city centre pub on a Friday. No drama. Few ales. I'll start holding court. Then mine will the only voice in town. Let's get at it.

Nice beer range. Three guest cask & three guest keg. Backed up by an unusual core. Including, Palax Lager from Cervecera Artesana Riojana in Spain at 4.9%. I've never even heard of it. But, I absolutely loved it. Tasted honey sweet. Smelt of freshly cut flowers. A bit of hazy unfiltered gunge. The gentle sugar shone through it. 

Beers were going on & off the blackboard all night.

I'll give a shout to;

SQUAWK Brewing (letters deliberately capitalised - there's a theme here), Pavo at a moreish 3.8%.

That was banging. Quite thin in the mouth. But, that's OK at that abv. Just spot on for sessioning. Maybe needed to be half a teaspoon sweeter. But, lots of hop loveliness.

Stats

I have now Blogged from 943 games in 2,474 days 

One Can Man

Middlesex 265 all out
Lancashire 427 all out
Middlesex 200 all out
Lancashire 39 for 3
Lancashire win by 7 wickets

County Championship Division 2
Sunday 14 April 2019
Played at Lord's

2018/19 Football Season Brewery Visits - 103

Twitter @ball_sup
www.twitter.com/ball_sup
Untappd ball_sup

I got singled out at the baggage check entering Lord's. One can of Diet Coke. One can of White Monster. And one Can'O'Beer were closely scrutinised. “Any alcohol?”. “Yes, this 'un”. To be fair to the security lady, maybe she hadn't come across Left Handed Giant Brewery's vaguely Sci-Fi branding before. I quizzed her why she was specifically asking about alcohol. Fair enough. She just wanted me to know that the guidelines were now two cans, not four, and she didn't want me to get caught long in the future. I giggled & explained my four can games were over. Strictly a One Can Man nowadays (hostage to fortune).

So, let's deal with it;

Left Handed Giant, Sonny Boy from said tin at 6.9%. Bought from Real Ale Maida Vale. A great IPA. Deep & resinous right from the go. The later bitterness mingling in with some tropical fruits. Lovely at that abv, which suited it well.

That game was set up well overnight. Middlesex were 94 behind. But, only two down. They took that to 116. Before losing Nightwatchman Harris AND Sam Robson (for 63) at that score. Five AND Six (Eoin Morgan) both went at 146. Simpson & last man Murtagh both went at 200. Both to Glenn Maxwell, who has ended up with five for 40. One of his victims, a former (and who knows) future England Test Player shuffled through The Long Room and said “Out to Maxwell, that's rubbish”.

That left the Lankies to make 39, with no time pressure. That 427 has made all the difference.

Stats
I have now Blogged from 794 games in 1,699 days

Buttler Rooted

Yorkshire 192 all out
v Lancashire 109 all out
Yorkshire 239 all out
Lancashire 194 for 6
close on Day 2

County Championship Division One
Played at Old Trafford

Monday 23 July 2018

Twitter @ball_sup
www.twitter.com/ball_sup
Untappd ball_sup

Well, that has moved on. Towards the end of a long day, Lancashire just looked like they were gathering again. They were 190 for 5. (Although I’m thinking that is nee 6, what with Livingstone’s broken thumb). Crucially, Buttler was still there. Ticking along nicely on 59. He’d put on 80 with Bailey. Two overs left in the Day. Root replaced Brooks. Bowled 4 dots to Buttler & then had him caught by Williamson off the fifth ball.  To be honest. It looked tall order for Lancashire from a long way out. Although Lyth, Root & Williamson had gone cheaply to 21 for 3, Bairstow did a Bairstow with Harry Brook. They put on another 133 before Brook went for 55. He should be pissed off - there was a ton there methinks. Ballance went at 170 for 6. But, the tail got it to 239. A neat 45 from Patto. See what happens from here.

Oh & Josh Poysden went for for 37 off 7. Seemed to be a lot of full bungers & drag downs. To me….

I was initially disappointed at perusing the board in The Piccadilly Tap. It looked a bit safe. Beavertown, Fourpure, for eg. Still. Persevere. I was only having the one.

Comrade Games, Moor Beer Co. on keg at 6%. Delish. A simple enough beer. Served nice & chilled. Very refreshing. The hops kicked in, The bitterness grew. The finish lingered. That’ll do.

688/1434

Chapeau, then some

Yorkshire 192 all out
v Lancashire 109 all out
close on Day 1

County Championship Division One
Played at Old Trafford

Sunday 22 July 2018

Twitter @ball_sup
www.twitter.com/ball_sup
Untappd ball_sup

One. Yes. Division One. One. Yes. Day One. Crazy

What was that? Slightly moody pitch with some variable bounce? Batsmen forgetting how to play 4 day red ball? Bowlers doing bits? One. One of those?

Chapeau. Jordan Clark has done the Hat Trick. Root, lbw to make it 59 for 2. Williamson, lbw. And, in the ooohhh fuck, where's me pads role, Jonny Bairstow, fending one to Buttler in the slips. I mean FFS. These are the Big Lads. Everyone clamouring. Ooohhh. The Big Bad ECB won't let 'em play (plus other governing bodies). Don't whine back at me “of course we care about Yorkshire”. Make some fucking runs when you get a jumper then. ie TOMORROW.

Clark also follow through parried one on to the non-striker's stumps to run out Bresnan for nought. And, he's ended up with 5 for 58. (And 15 off 16 with the bat).

Patto has done two in three. Hameed, bowled, shouldering arms, at 55 for 2. I'm hearing that is his fourth consecutive dismissal leaving it. And, then Vilas lbw.

Finally, proving the come in clumps theory. Ben Coad has done three in an over. All with the Lankys on 92. Still a ton behind. Davies, two balls later Bailey, two balls later Onions.

Here's a thing. Smaller breweries. In pubs. Sort of brew pubs. Having a go at keg beers to get amongst it. Hhhmmm. The IPAs are all a bit shit aren't they. Safe. Too sweet. Underhopped. Out of kilter. Prove me wrong.

Here's two that didn't.

Bootleg Brewing Co American IPA on keg at 4.5% (Horse & Jockey, Chorlton)
Gas Works Brew House, Mist on keg at 4.2%. That one, described as New England IPA, tasting & looking more like John Smith's, was a complete piss take.

685/1433

The Minor Roses

Yorkshire 296-9
beat Lancashire 217 all out
by 79 runs

Royal London One Day Cup, North Group

Played at Headingley

Monday 1 May 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

Time And Tide, Calista IPA from a tin at 6.1%. Can conditioned. Lovely beer. Somewhat idiosyncratic. But, not the worse for that. Feels mainly hop forward. A lot after that is coming off the yeast. Some orange. A little barley sugar. Before it kicks back to hop bitterness.

Early days. But, YCCC look like they’re getting a plan together. An unchanged side, still with the Big Lads in. The two spinners & Matthew Fisher. Rafiq has done 4 for 47. Rashid has done 2 for 34 from 10 - that is just fantastic. Bresnan has gone for 3.66 an over from 6. The rate crept up & up. The D/L par was in the far distance. Wickets kept coming

When things are going for you, they go. On a number of occasions in both this match & at Trent Bridge, catches went absolutely die straight to the fielder. My head says it must be a skill. To position the fielder exactly where he needs to be. More of the same please. This of course is one of the Minor Roses Matches. Barely promoted in comparison to the T20 shindig. The Western Terrace wasn’t even open. Shows how the game is. But, in the circumstances, a healthy crowd were in.

A 143 stand between Handscomb & Ballance has set the Yorkshire innings up very well. Handscomb 86 off 78. Ballance 85 off 77. But, in a sense, they’ve come up short. 262 for 4 in the 42nd. Has become 296 for 9 off the 50. None of Willey, Rashid, Plunkett, Rafiq or Fisher got to double figures.

473/986

Disciplined bowling

Yorkshire 313-6
v Lancashire 256-6

2 Day Friendly
Played at ICC Cricket Academy, Dubai

Tuesday 15 March 2016

Dry Day

Twitter @ball_sup

It was a make your own rules up, play any number of fellas you like, bunfight. Declare your own result. I'm old school. I'm calling it a Yorkshire Winning Draw.

Yorkshire used 11 Bowlers in today's innings. I have to say, for great swathes of today it seemed very competitive. A good workout. For a lot of the day, Yorkshire were superbly disciplined.

Patto Patto’d it. 10 overs for 15 runs with 5 maidens. Will Rhodes Patto’d it. 9 overs for 14 runs with 4 maidens.

Carver & Leaning got some humpty. But, Carver got 20 overs under his belt. And, two confidence building wickets. Caught at Slip & a Stumping (as I recall).

I don't think Yorkshire got ill disciplined. Just that wickets proved hard to come by & the Lankies got after the slower bowlers.
We scored at 3.51 per over. But, we held them to 2.84. Although they lost some wickets to the slog. We took six. They took three.

I'm loving all that.

289/602

Dubai Drink

Yorkshire 313-6
v Lancashire
close on Day 1

2 Day Friendly
Played at ICC Cricket Academy, Dubai

Monday 14 March 2016

Twitter @ball_sup

What a great place that is to watch cricket. My first time at the ICC Academy. Although I've passed it loads of times to watch games up the road at the Dubai International Stadium. As an aside, I reckon that is the 35th different ground I've seen Yorkshire play on.

I even had a nice Beer at the end of it all. Right. The downsides. This is Dubai Calling. The downside will be Construction and/or Construction Traffic. There she blows. Constant flow of what we'd call Cement Mixers behind the hedge on one side of the ground.

But, you get used to it. The hedge hides the worst. And, to cap it all, it's a nice hedge. Small trees provide the backdrop and shade for the rest of the ground. The nets behind the trees at one end. Grass & all weather football pitches behind the trees at the other.

Back-to-Back Ovals. The 3rd/4th Place play off for the ICC World Cup for the deaf was on the other. I saw the winning run. Which was actually off a dropped catch. India beat South Africa.

So, the two storey players rooms/pavilion is also a neat, modern back-to-back affair.

Yorkshire played on a very large Oval. Ropes and then a low, in need of a lick of paint, once White “picket fence”. No stands. One low mound. Some benches at the far end. The Ball_Sups took camping chairs.

Lovely green outfield.

I've no idea who owns what. I saw facilities for Cricket, Rugby, Football  (including enormous indoor area, big enough for two pitches), Athletics, Netball, Swimming, Martial Arts, Steroid addled Gym Bunnies. All coming off a central spine of buildings.

Said spine also housing Cafes & Kickers Sports Bar. Enormous indoor & outdoor area. TV screens showing live sport. Very modern. One side overlooks the outdoor football academy. One side the indoor football pitches. Damn. No view of the cricket square nor oval. Can't have everything.

I decided to have a go at a bottle of Franziskaner Weissbier. And lovely it was.

Late arrival last night. Confusion over start times. Body clock. We missed the start. And Lyth’s wicket. So, I've seen 2 pukka dismissals. One of those off the last ball of the day. And, three Retired Outs.

288/600

Power Hitting & Drinking

Yorkshire Vikings 159-5 beat Lancashire Lighting 138-7

Sussex Sharks 164-4 beat MCC 146-9

Yorkshire Vikings 176-4 beat Sussex Sharks 102 all out

Emirates T20 Tournament - Winners Yorkshire Vikings

The Sevens, Dubai

Friday 20 March 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

My first time at this particular venue & "tournament". Although I've been to both International T20 & Test Matches up the road at Dubai Sports City.

First bit of "silverware" this season for the White Rose. Actually, an insanely large coffee pot. Good luck to whoever has to get that on the plane home & through Customs.

In all 3 matches, the side batting first won. T20 passes by in the blink of an eye doesn't it? My concentration not helped by others participating in the three hour swill at the Premium Buffet With Alcohol. Some serious Power Drinking out there.

What I thought I noticed was that Yorkshire were able to restrict boundaries conceded. That is a good skill to have. In the final, Hodd & Leaning put on 99 to recover from 77-4 (after being 16-3). And then England's Adil Rashid bagged a four for.

Sussex had previously won this tournament four times in a row. Obviously, it's a phoney war. But, "winning is a habit".

There's some intriguing match ups out here. Notably the Openers. Encumbent Alastair Cook. Recent discards Compton & Carberry. New pick Adam Lyth. And widely tipped Alex Lees. All of whom now move on to the four day game in Abu Dhabi. Mouthwatering.

I'm not normally one for stalking players. But, the opportunity to shake hands with & wish well to Nepali Cricket Captain Paras Khadka who was sat behind me was too good to miss. Great that MCC picked him.

OK. So, Friday is the religious day off, weekend in these parts. Expats tell me it is not what it was. But, Friday "all you can eat & drink" buffets are a thing out here. Lots of hotels & restaurants putting out ever more elaborate spreads to outdo each other.

Today, being Friday, for around 70 quid, you could get into the ground and have a 1230 until 1530, 3 hour run at a barbecue & the bar. Read that again, and the bar. Some Troopers were even buying booze for cash money BEFORE open season. And then again after the freebie shutters had gone down.

I've served my time on Power Drinking. And I knew there'd be Industrial International Lager only. (Amstel, Budweiser & Heineken as it turned out). So, I declined. Casualties and Atrocities aplenty. Fisticuffs towards the end of the final.

And now, a bit of KP T20 opinion.

Here's what I can't remember. Retired. Dropped. Sacked. Did Kevin Pietersen retire from International T20? Or was that part of his general, get your P45, sacking?

Because, here's what I don't get. If there is a lifeline back for him. Based on form. As "suggested" by Colin Graves. He surely doesn't have to go anywhere, or play for anyone, to demonstrate his T20 form. That's out there for anyone & everyone to see. He's out there playing in Big Bash & the Circuit.

Test cricket, yes. The Ashes, yes. He needs to play some/lots of First Class Cricket to put himself in the frame for those. But T20 (dare I include ODI). If Graves is wiping the slate clean, the Selectors could just pick him (or not).

102/241