Glasses Made Of Glass

Worcestershire 389 all out 

v Yorkshire 262 for 6 declared 

Worcestershire 232 for 2 declared 

Yorkshire 363 for 4 

Yorkshire Win by 6 Wickets 

County Championship Division Two 

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday 26/27/28 September 2023 

(I didn't go on Day 4) 

Played at Headingley 

"End of the domestic cricket season weren't it Phil? Been a right rollercoaster for Yorkshire ain't it? The racism thing. The sackings thing. The points deduction thing. The £25 million hole in the finances thing."

"There was even an Emergency General Meeting on the Thursday weren't there? Rule changes to allow yet another fucking Chairperson I heard."

"How's it hanging Phil? What news from soon to be sold off Headingley?"

Well. I am going to take the current temperature of the club via my preferred optic. Rejoice. Re fucking joice. At this, the last game of the season, they were serving beer, in The Long Room, in real glass glasses, made of glass. If you were taking a beer outside, you could have it in a normal for sports stadium clear plastic glass. Those fucking paper cups are (currently) confined to history. Along with Chairpersons Various.

The. Future. Is. Bright. 

I feel we've reclaimed part of the Club via San Miguel branded chalices. Next item on the agenda. Fix those wonky table legs!!!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make that CON … trived finish on Day 4. I get it. I'm not particularly against it. I'd happily lose the Social Media posts claiming "positive cricket" "inventive cricket". Invent a way of scoring 450 double sharpish and invent a way to take 20 wickets. That's inventive cricket. But, I do get it.

The Pears were allowed to score 232 off just 30.1 Overs at a BazBallish 7.7 runs per over. Non Bowlers Finlay Bean and James Wharton sacrificed by going for over 100 each, at more than 10 an over.

Still. Chasing 360 odd. At nearly five an' half an over is not to be sniffed at. A big stand between Wharton and Masood broke the back of the chase.

Earlier in the week. During Real Cricket. Worcestershire had seized the batting points they needed for promotion to Division One. Despite being 67 for 4 off less than 20 overs.

Captain Brett D'Oliveira (yes, relation) fell just before the required 300 and second bonus point. Gone for 103. Dom Bess the pick with 3 for 55 off 21. He also clubbed 48 off 50 to get Yorkshire to the deficit declaration.

So. Glass back in The Long Room. A win, even if CON … trived. And, good things come in threes. Because…

News of the demise of The Arcadia has been grossly exaggerated. Sure, it's had a more populist rejig. Pizzas. Sky TV. Two for One Cocktails - terms and conditions apply. Prosecco deals - more of those pesky T&C's. But there were still SIX Cask Ales on. And a plausible range of Craft Keg. And, returning to The Glass Theme, I had three beers, ALL served in the correct branded glassware. That in itself is not a bad optic for the health of a boozer.

Rooster's Brewing Co. (Harrogate), California Common on Cask at 4.2%

Aiming to replicate those old skool beers coming out of San Fran. It was more bitter than I was expecting. The flavour developed well. After the bitter hit, it was fruity and floral. Lovely.

Hawkshead Brewery (Cumbria), Windermere Pale on Cask at 3.4%

Dominated by that Citra Hop. Just a perfect - there's rain about - cricket beer. Quaffable abv. Full of flavour. I returned to it many times during the week.

Vocation Brewery (Hebden Bridge), Crush Hour, Pale Ale on Keg at 4.6%

Gentle haze. Gentle juice. Lovely. Crushed it.

Right. You lot. In The Long Room. In The Arcadia. Get those glasses made of glass, the branded ones, the generic ones, GLEAMING. Back next season.

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Stats 

I have now Blogged from 1,315 games in 3,327 days 

The Ball Suppy's 2019

Worcestershire 293-7
v Yorkshire 143 all out (33 overs)
Worcestershire win by 150 runs
Royal London One Day Cup
Saturday 4 May 2019
Played at New Road Worcester

Stoke City 2 v Sheffield United 2
The Championship
Sunday 5 May 2019

SUFC 2018/19 Game 88
2018/19 Football Season Brewery Visits - 103

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What is the one thing I’d change about Chris Wilder if I had the chance? Good question mate. Primarily, I’d like him to connect with the local Sheffield & South Yorkshire community more. And, not have his head in the clouds, continually influenced by so-called trendy European ideas. Some of us just aren’t interested in the same thing as he is. He’s championing ownership by a big Japanese Multinational Corporation. A Corporation which is a million miles away from the traditional values of South Yorkshire. Big. Faceless. Bland. Pretending to be something it isn’t. Personally, I thought Chris was better than that.

Being a Blade is a broad base. All my Brothers & Sisters are encouraged & welcome to support the Club in the way that best suits them. I’m sure there are niche Sheffield United Blogs which cater for everyone’s tastes. But, we’re Sheffield United. We’re a Drinkers Club. This is a Beer Blog. What the fuck is Wilder doing pictured with fake Italian Beer Brand Peroni? Owned by a Japanese Corporation? Owned by Asahi? When there are many Sheffield & SoYo Brewers staring into a hot Mash Tun trying to make a living. He needs to up his beer game. FFS, Consultancy Services are available you know (waves…..).

Peroni? Industrial factory made sugar water. Cordial with some water & turps in. Oversweet alcohol delivery system. Really? Come on Pal - get a few bottles or tins of glorious Sheffield brewed beer in the pictures.

What a season. For this Drinkers Club. It’s the Annual Awards. It’s time for The 2019 BALL SUPPY’S…… Let’s get at it …....

Beer In The Ground - 2019
No Fucking Contender.
A reminder, this was last awarded in 2017, in League 1, at MK Dons for the bottles of Concrete Cow Brewing, Pail Ale in the Home End. If the Premier League really is the Promised Land (note - it’s not). Then promise me there’ll be some decent, quasi-independent bottled, keg or (perish the thought) cask ale in a ground somewhere down the track.

Away Pub Of The Year - 2019
Bronze - Brentford away, Tuesday, 27 November 2018. The Blades won 3-2.
The Mawson Arms/Fox & Hounds. Haa. Got you. That is not a joint award. That is a pub which actually has two names. A somewhat difficult award to make. It’s a Fuller’s pub. The famous Fuller’s Griffin Brewery is just around the corner. And, would you believe it. AFTER the Carrier Bag Firm visit. Fuller’s was sold to fucking Peroni owning Asahi. Anyway. The old Licencing Laws ruled that Beer could not be sold on the same premises as Wines & Spirits. The story is either those were the real rules, or it was a misunderstanding that those were the rules. Matters not. Because, in a classic manoeuvre, the Brewery/Owners just gave the pub two names. The authorities OK'd Ale in The Mawson Arms & OK'd Wine in the Fox and Hounds. Without understanding they were one and the same pub. Brilliant.

Silver - Swansea away, Saturday, 19 January 2019. The Blades lost 1-0
The Pilot Of Mumbles. Swansea is definitely NOT a shithole. You really don’t want to go home. The Mumbles around Swansea Bay is home to the fairly traditional Pilot. It’s got it’s own Brewery around the back. Very welcoming, and the setting is superb. With views out across the bay. I had Pilot Gold, on cask at 4.4%. Which was just excellent. The balance of flavours was spot on. There was a good deal of bitterness - which I liked. But, it just seemed a perfect recipe. I defy anyone to not like that beer. (nb, I'm not a Mug, I know many won't, including “God” Wilder).

GOLD - Millwall Under 23s away, Monday, 15 April 2019. The Young Blades drew 0-0
The Star & Garter, Bromley

Look. I know that will be a controversial choice. Like giving the Best Picture Oscar to something with subtitles. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon & Roma both got ten nominations, but didn’t win best flick. I know most people won’t have had the opportunity to go to the Millwall Academy for that game. But, I’m not giving the Star & Garter the Gold Medal to prove I’m Bigger Blade. It was just such a superb pub that I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the mirror to trim my bushy eyebrows if I didn’t give it to them. If you’ve got a problem, just pretend The Star & Garter has failed a drug test, and The Pilot Of Mumbles has moved up to Gold.

The main bit of the horseshoe bar directly faces the door & the street. Honestly, if you look in and walk past, don't call yourself a drinker. It's fucking hypnotic. Eye watering. Seven on cask. Thirteen dreamy kegs. The Outstanding Beer Of That Day went to;

DEYA Brewing Co, Steady Rolling Man, Pale on keg at 5.2%.
A nice bit of fruit juice up top. Then the Hop Bombs start. I couldn't put it down. (On the table, it went down my neck quick enough).

New Category (1)
In mid-2018, I entered an International Beer Geek Competition (run by a major independent Brewery & Bar Chain) to see who had visited most Breweries. I got a nomination & an invite to the award ceremony. But, I didn’t win. My exact words as the name of the winner was announced were - “I’ll do 100 Breweries next year, if anyone beats that, they can fucking have the award if the need it that bad”. So, on my SUFC travels this season, I have visited a lot of Breweries. A lot. What can I say? Visit a Brewery. Drink some of their Beer. Watch The Blades. Get A Life…..

Away Brewery Of The Year - 2019
GOLD - Aston Villa away, Friday, 8 February 2019. The Blades drew 3-3.

Dig Brew Co. Digbeth, Birmingham Come at me. But, I really enjoyed that game. Yes, we should have got it over the line. But, still, mesmerising at times. So, OK, it was a little bit of a sorrower drowner in Dig Brew. But, also a bit celebratory as well. And, I ain’t apologising for that. Unfortunately, it’s not over near Villa Park. But, otherwise it’s very accessible, you can just schlep over to Digbeth from the centre of Birmingham. We went late on Friday. It's fair to say, drink had been taken, a lot, by a lot. One lady got wind of the fact we were Beer Tourists. So, she brought the Dig Brew brewer over to meet us. Look, I've been around the block & seen the sights. But, the brewer was well inside the top ten most pissed people I've ever seen. So, I have very little information to impart from our brief exchange. The best one I had was;

Dig Brew Co., El Topo, American IPA on keg at 5.8%. A superb, back to basics, straight down the line Californian style IPA. Everything right about that.

New Category (2) My Wife is very supportive of my Blogging. And, some of The Carrier Bag Firm give the pretence that they read & enjoy this Blog. Thanks. But, reliably, I only know of one fellow Blade who actually reads every Blog. I know this, because if I’m a day or two late publishing, he fucking texts me & gives me the hurry up. He is instrumental in making sure I get to an away Pub on the days I really can’t be all that bothered. So…..

The John Calvert Door-To-Door Award for The Sportsman Supporters Coach Pub Of The Year 2019
GOLD - Wigan Athletic away, Tuesday, 1 January 2019. The Blades won 3-0.
The Bobbin, Leigh A fairly large single room micropub. Very welcoming. Intriguingly, maybe because it was January, after a heavy December, they had two lower abv Pales on. The best was the 3.8%, Blackedge Brewing Company, Hop Pale Ale on cask. The Hop bitterness was running all the way through it, with a little citrus cutting in. Excellent.

Stats
I have now Blogged from 802 games in 1,720 days

From Pillans to post

Yorkshire 216 all out
and 170 all out Following On
lost to
Worcestershire 572 for 7 declared by an Innings and 168 runs

County Championship Division One

Saturday/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday 19/20/21/22 August 2018

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What Yorkshire need is a Recruitment & Retention Strategy for forthcoming seasons. And, they need to explain that to Members & fans. Communicate FFS. Leg Spinner Josh Poysden (who had trialled in previous games), was a permanent signing before this one. Seamer Mathew Pillan was signed in the days after this debacle. Tim Bresnan signed a contract extension a few weeks ago. New Zealander Jeet Raval has been signed for the last four Champos.

Lees has gone to another County. We see Carver & Rafiq every now & then. Plunkett has signed for Surrey. Andrew Hodd has retired. Elected Chairman Steve Denison has had to resign. There are rumours about Jack Brooks not staying with the County. Ballance begat Patterson begat Willey at the Toss. Wasn’t Bresnan Vice Captain at some point?

Now, benignly, as I write, that does look like the bones of a strategy. Decide which players you’re going to stick with. If you’re not sticking, get rid. Recruit to fill the holes. But, in real time. No. It looks like LURCHING from pillar to post. (The pun would/should have been from Pillan to post). The Management need to tell us whether we’re lurching or whether we’ve got a strategy. If you have a strategy & it’s a piss poor strategy. Or, if you have a strategy & it’s a good ‘un, but you’re shit at implementing it. Both of those are better than having no strategy. I’m broadly OK with having a strategy, but not quite being up to it. What is the strategy?

There were a lot of murmurs around Josh Poysden at North Marine Road. 25 Overs. Only one Maiden. Leaked 128 runs. OK - he got three wickets out of the seven to fall. But, Yorkshire only took the second wicket in the 109th Over. Poysden’s first wicket was in the 132nd over - to take the score to 525 for 5. If they’ve brought him in for an immediate impact. To wrench control. And hoover the tail. That has not gone well. If they’ve done some detailed scouting & analysis. If they feel he’s one for the season after next. After a necessary season of development. If, that’s the strategy. Then say so. Otherwise, you’re hanging him out to dry.

I’ll hear the excuses. The injuries. The situation with Captain Ballance. (Although of course, we never heard that). The unforeseen circumstances around Rashid & Red Ball. The loss of form. The beating the bat. The if we’d held on to a few chances. The luck of the draw on Umpiring Decisions. Some weather about. They had the best batting conditions. I’ll hear them. Trot. Them. Out. But, let me hear where we’re going & how we plan to do it. I’m a big boy……

We dug in in the first dig. But, you dig in. Some storm is weathered. And, you still end up at 63 for 4 in the 23rd. Dillon Pennington has got 4 for 53 in the first & 2 for 27 in the second. In the second innings. Facing a mammoth mountain. Moeen Ali blew away Yorkshire with 6 for 49 & 7 Maidens in 23 Overs. There were, naturally, self inflicted elements. Including Brook chipping a catch just before Tea on Day 3 - to put it at 40 for 2 in the rearguard.

You see that bush? Don’t beat around it. For long periods, Worcestershire looked like they'd never lose another wicket. For most periods, Yorkshire looked like they were going to lose a lot, quickly.

We were also left a little disappointed by the “Beer Scene”. The Stumble Inn & Scholars have been staples. But, we didn’t do those this year. The Angel is getting frayed at the edges & the beer range was limited and safe. The newly renamed The Yorkshire Tap had Black Sheep & the back of many other pumpclips. The Rivelyn Hotel, theoretically an outlet for Scarborough Brewery had NONE ON. The Highlander was uninspiring. Our fault. Should have stuck to the strategy. But, questions. Scarborough. August. Festival Week. Come on. Why not put a few beers on?

The Outstanding Beer Of The Trip - was actually in Wetherspoons, The Lord Roseberry. Oakham, American Red Rye on cask at 4.2%. Great beer. I was hoping for a little more red fruit off the rye if I'm honest. But, it's complex & balanced. A lot to like.

702/1464

Pears 6 YCCC 1

Worcestershire 342 all out
beat Yorkshire 291 all out
by 51 runs

Royal London One Day Cup, North Group

Played at New Road, Worcester

Friday 5 May 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

In Ground Beer

A superb offering from Worcestershire in The Tom Graveney Lounge in The Graeme Hick Pavilion. Industrial brewers Greene King are the Pouring Partners. But, they’ve managed FOUR from that core range on cask;
Greene King IPA
Morland, Old Speckled Hen
Morland, Old Hoppy Hen
Ruddles, Best

One from the far reaches of the Greene King stable;
Belhaven, Wembley 67 - yeah, that’s right, a beer commemorating Scotland’s win at Wembley in 1967. The first team to beat the newly crowned 1966 World Cup Winners. And hence become World Champions themselves under The Golden Helmet Method.

And, one from what I can only assume is a true GUEST;
Saltaire, Sir Titus

It just makes you think how poxy the beer offering is at Temple Black Sheep, Headingley - truly pathetic. No. To be fair. Headingley does have two cask options. Black Sheep On. Black Sheep Off.

Great Pub In Worcester

The Firefly, 54 Lowesmoor. First time for me. A superb find - based on beer range & friendliness of Bar Wallah. Comfortable & well appointed as well. Hit after Hit of pukka keg. Tiny Rebel, Magic Rock, Mad Hatter, Thornbridge, Dry & Bitter (Denmark), Boulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City). Normal Beers from your Urquell, Kozel, Vedett, Liefmanns. We’re in Worcester. So, & your Ciders.

Five on cask. Oakham, Moorhouses, Howling Hops, their own, and…..

Wylam, Jakehead IPA on Cask at (yes, you heard it) 6.3%. Sometimes, I feel stand aside Wild Beer Madness. Jakehead has got to be one of the best beers I've ever tasted. The smell. Deep and rich. What does it even smell of. Except gorgeousness. Brown in the glass. Glorious deep hoppy bitterness. Some delicious abv burn. Look - when I see that, I’m having it. Cask or Keg. If you want variety, other Bloggers are available.

I finished with Boulevard Brewing Co., Single Wide IPA on keg at 6.5%.

Neat MicroPub Up Past The Cricket Ground

The Bull Baiters Inn, 22 St Johns. Standard shopfront, one room affair. One guy running it today. He could have cheered himself up a bit. He didn’t like my joke about giving out free beer when one of the casks went off. He’d put free crisps, snacks & nibbles out on the bar. But, made lots of snidey comments AFTER people had taken them from the bar. There were initially four on cask, two off, but one of those came on between snidey comments.

Beers from Three Shires, Green Duck, Bespoke Brewing Co. One of the Three Shires was badged as the pub’s own. And, natch, your Ciders.

I had that Three Shires badged as the Pub’s, ?PA Why PA on cask at 4.4%.
And, Green Duck, Wonderland, Noble German Pale on cask at 4.1%.

The Cricket

Yorkshire got hammered there. It’s the new game isn’t it. You bat into the 47th over. You get just South of 300. But, you’re hammered by 50 runs. Worcestershire were better all round. They batted aggressively. They fielded with energy. And, they bowled so that Yorkshire never looked like getting near. All after being inserted. Intriguing. I’d love to know whether they have batted to a plan. Or, developed one in situ. The most noticeable thing was the Worcester batsmen coming down the track to the seamers. Did they have a good sense of the pace of the track? Did they judge it quickly? Is it simpler than that? Is it just to put the Yorkshire bowlers off their length? Anyway. It looked effective.

To be very negative. Yorkshire seemed to bowl one of two balls. Absolutely in the slot length. Or leg side wide. 15 of them. Both Mitchell & Kohler-Cadmore were right at it. The latter did 118 off 119. Fisher, Rafiq, Patto & Waite all went for 60 or more. Bresnan for 54 off his 9. Once Yorkshire were 133-4, the DLS started getting away from them. And, to be honest, they never really looked in the chase.

475/990

Top Sledging

Yorkshire 430 all out
v Worcestershire 280 all out
and 306 all out following on
Yorkshire 157-3, win by 7 wickets
at Scarborough

Wednesday 22 July 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

In a way, that was both closer and not as close as it looks. The threat of rain meant that Yorkshire needed to take wickets and crack on with the bat on Day 4. It was close, as the rain threatened at any moment. But, it was at a canter, as it never materialised.

No panic, but another fail from the top order. And, it’s Bairstow who has got them out of trouble.  Some top quality sledging from the Worcestershire boys. Gale was run out for 4 off 3 balls. He was the non-striker, with Lees batting. Maybe Lees called him & sent him back, but he could basically have kissed Lees he got that far down. And he was run out by a country mile. He shouted, he huffed, he puffed, he looked back, he waved his bat maniacally. The guys in the Rooms pulled the sash windows down, he was let in & the door closed behind him. Minutes later he was out in Training Gear & slippers, out round the back of the Pavilion “having a moment”. That’s left ‘em 44-3.

He. Was. Not. Happy.

The Sledges I could hear (to Lees) included;

Lets send him back for a chat with Galey.

Look, Galey is still waiting for him.

That was relentless from Yorkshire. I’ve blogged before about them always finding a way & hands going up. But, it’s beginning to annoy me now. We need Plan A cricket as well. It seems we’re always 40-3 & then someone rescues us. That someone is Bairstow.

This relentless way that Yorkshire pursue things stands them in good stead. That and a deep squad. If your star rescuer is taken by England, there is a chance the guy you bring in will have been released by England. Hence Bairstow out, Ballance back. I'm not sure how much chopping and changing England will end up with. You'd expect Root to play both tests and T20/ODI for the season. Barstow likewise. Although he'd be T20/ODI squad rather than fixture. You'd expect Rashid to be T20/ODI squad. And to be frequently Test squad. But rarely picked. And hence then released. I firmly doubt Lyth will play White Ball cricket for England. Plunkett, don’t know what’s going on. He’s not firing. I’m thinking he won’t be in the White Ball squad.

So, for me….

We’ve seen the last of Root & now Bairstow until “at least” Hampshire at Southampton & Sussex at HQ. And, realistically, they won’t play those.
Ballance & Plunkett, we’ll have for the rest of the season.
Lyth, we’ll have for the last 4 Championship games. (Although the ECB may rest him for the first one or two).
Rashid, will be in squads & released. He’ll miss some YCCC 50 over stuff. But he’ll be available in the Championship until the last four. (Mirror image of Lyth).

I’m already thinking the arrangement we have with Andrew Hodd makes him the hero of the hour.

Scarborough Beer Wrap

Nice set up in the Pavilion. Local beer. One cask & two craft keg. The only one I tried was Rudgate Viking Bitter on cask at 3.8%. Some fruity bitterness comes through in the finish. Nicely balanced. Just background malty sweetness. Good cricket beer that. Sensible abv. Refreshing on the palate. Would be nice on a sunny, Summer day. But, we were on Weather Watch today.

Did Not Bat
Rudgate Jorvik Premium Blonde on keg at 4.6%
Wold Top Anglers Reward on keg at 4%

My Pub of the trip was The Stumble Inn. And Scholars is great in a does what it says on the tin way. I had a silly in The North Riding Hotel. But, it was busy and I’ll cut them slack. It’s still (should be) a good place. Indeed, their Eldorado Plus on cask at 4.5% was Outstanding Beer of the Trip.

170/365

Scholars ......

Yorkshire 430 all out
v Worcestershire 280 all out
and 221-6 following on
close on Day 3
at Scarborough

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

Game within a game there. Worcestershire were reduced to 242 for 9. Eight shy of a Bonus Point. 39 shy of the follow on. Enter cameo Saeed Ajmal. He's going to hit his way there. With 7 fours in 37 off 30. That's put the score bang on 150 behind.

Gale goes to Bresnan. He bowls Ajmal with his third ball. They miss avoiding the follow on by one run. Gale sticks 'em back in. IMHO that makes it much much easier to get the win.

But, bowling twice on the bounce, in Division 1, rumours of weather. Rarely easy. But, now it's snaffle the wickets. Chase the runs. Make sure the covers don't leak.

Test Squad announcement today. Ballance out, no room for Plunkett, Rashid picked & available as second spinner. Big news.
Weight-of-runs Bairstow in. Effectively for Ballance. We'll see little of him for the rest of the season. But, having Ballance back helps (us) tremendously. He needs calm words with a good look in his eyes. Go well fellas.

Why fight it? Across the road to the North Riding Hotel. Seven cask 3 pukka keg. I chose North Riding Eldorado Plus on cask at 4.5%. Bit of biscuit, icing sugar on the lips. Bitterness grows & stays. Fills the roof of your mouth. But not in any way overpowering. Lasts and lasts. Granny Smiths on the nose. Great beer.

I asked the lady Bar Person whether I could have a taste of Fallen Brewing, Odyssey. To be told I could buy a Third. I was a bit surprised at that. It put me off having another drink.

Anyway. Different days. Plenty of pubs to go at nowadays. I decamped to Scholars Bar. Seven on cask from Yorkshire breweries.

I went Helmsley, Yorkshire Legend on cask at 3.8%. Refreshing. The malt is in there. Some bittering. But, to be honest, there is not a lot going on. Bizarre sometimes. That is just a lovely pint. Not superb, just a nice inoffensive pint.

If the weather intervenes tomorrow, Yorkshire will have to take their chances.

169/364

Stop Start Day

Yorkshire 430 all out
v Worcestershire 195-6
close on Day 2
at Scarborough

Monday 20 July 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

Rivelyn Hotel, Crown Crescent. I was recommended this place when I was in Ilkeston. I had understood the advice to be it's a Scarborough Brewery outlet. And lo it came to pass. It's a pukka hotel, with rooms to stay in and all that. You can access the Bar off the street. Worst I can say is "it looks like a hotel bar".

Three Scarborough Brewery handpulls.

Scarborough Brewery, Citra on cask 4.2%. As blonde as can be. The big fella opposite me (you know, the Pub Etiquette Master playing YouTube with the sound up), has a Fosters on. Mine pales his into insignificance.

Great lacing down the glass. Citrus, without being discernibly Lemon or Grapefruit. Not sharp though. Very pleasant, moreish even. The hop hit isn't particularly intense. The hops are in there for flavour, not bitterness.

A bit soulless. Not many in, so the atmosphere is "improved" by piped in AOR music. Which at least drowns matey's YouTube out for a bit.  But, let us not be overly critical. It's relatively quiet & we're here for the Beer.

Scarborough Brewery, Falling Foss on cask 4%. Well, the danger here is we're in identikit blonde territory. But, fair play, that's bang packed with flavour. Refreshing, easy drinking (but fatter in the mouth than the Citra). Borders on pineapple, even apple sweetness.

A bit disrupted by rain & bad light. But some proper hard-at-you cricket out there. Worcestershire set their stall out. Dry up the runs, frustrate. Wickets, they come. Nothing dries up the runs better than wickets. Virtuous circle.

And, they've made a dent in the avoid the follow on mini target. Pessimist. Not easy for Yorkshire from here. If we skittle 'em. Hard Yakka for the bowlers to go again. Maybe a bit of weather around.

If we have to bat third, big job on Day 4. But, this is what we (ie they) do.

168/363

In Praise of Keg

Yorkshire 357-5
v Worcestershire
close on Day 1
at Scarborough

Sunday 19 July 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

New place for me, The Stumble Inn. Proper MicroPub. 5 handpulls. List of ciders & perries. No discernible lager or cooking cider. Discount with a CAMRA card. Single room, muck in on the tables & chairs. I love an argument. Didn't expect one in here mind. My friend had partaken of a Wold Top KEG beer at Scarborough Cricket. He liked it. I was holding court. If a small outlet bar doesn't have the throughput to justify putting multiple casks on, craft keg is a viable alternative. They can serve something other than John Smiths, Carling & Guinness. They lose less money. Us punters have a close second to cask, tasty alternative.

Some fella in the bar not having that. How could it be any good without sediment? My argument that I had had a lovely pork pie with no sediment didn't win him over.

There wasn't even a definition of Craft Beer other than size of brewery, which he felt the Americans favoured as a definition. My confident assertion that sounded like a great definition didn't win him over.

In England, we live on a postage stamp with a sensible climate. That means we can easily ship ingredients to brewery, and finished product to pub. The distances & temperatures involved don't require refrigeration. Real, cask Ale makes perfect sense in England. But less so in say Australia. But matey is essentially a flat earther.

I'm proud to have a CAMRA Membership Card & a BrewDog Equity Card in my wallet. I'll put Salt AND Vinegar on me chips. So called undefined Craft Keg is a sensible choice for low throughput sports clubs outlets. Bring your own sediment....

I went, Otley, 05 Hop Angeles 4.8%. Darkish amber, leaning red. Zing & refreshing to smell. Hops dominate at first, but not as you get more into it.

Loch Lomond, Kessog 5.2%. Nice mix of malty bitterness first up. Hints of red fruit. Nice & rich. Settles in, and then a nice, powerful, but mainly background bitterness.  Some liquorice.

What else must Jonny Bairstow do to convince the selecters he is worth a place in the Test Squad? Not fail & get found out the first time he had a go. That'll always help. He is at the top of his game at the moment.

167/362

Born in Sheffield

Yorkshire
Worcestershire 191-6
beat Yorkshire 117 all out (17 overs)
by 74 runs

T20 played at Headingley
Tuesday 14 July 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

No beer today. Roughly, that is as comprehensive as it gets in a must win game. To lose. I actually thought Yorkshire looked a bit better at one point. There seemed to be a bit more energy in the field. They kept the runs conceded at a respectable rate. Then, the wheels came off. You are looking for one man to come off in T20. And that has happened with knobs on for Worcestershire. Take a bow, Ross Whiteley born in SHEFFIELD, Yorkshire, England. 91 off 35, with 11 sixes, striking at 260.

Gale has to make bowling changes, make field placings, set bowling strategies. The bowlers have to take wickets & restrict runs. But, Ross has taken it out of their hands a bit.

Bresnan 111 T20 games, Maxwell 134 T20 games and Ryan Gibson, in his first T20 game have shared the fifth bowler slot. To back up Fisher, in his 11th T20 game, Rhodes in his 6th & Carver in his first. Now, for me, they can chuck the kids in, protect the Championship Rolls Royce bowlers & dispense with the wage drain Overseas. But, they’re between stools.

I’ll hear injuries, I’ll hear England call ups. But, that is not a recruitment, selection policy that will work.

And the batting. Here’s my tip. You’ve spent your entire cricketing education “playing straight”. When you’re struggling for form & the team is losing. Go back to the core. Play the shot hard & well. Do not rely on some manufactured shot over the keeper’s head, that you’ve done 8 times in the nets and 3 in a match situation. Nothing wrong with that shot when you’re in nick & the team is doing well, it’s the accelerator. But, time & place.

When wickets are tumbling, and you’re running out of games, you’re gonna look a Mug when you get out to a manufactured shot. You’re even gonna look a Mug when you play it, miss it, and it hits the keeper’s gloves. Mug.

In real time, I thought Maxwell had just checked his first ball drive to Long Off. I’ve seen it on the tele now. Maybe he just tries a controlled loft. But anyway. it’s his first ball & he’s out. Wasn’t as ugly as it looked. But, that’s the point. It looked ugly.

164/357

Patto 5-11, Boom

Worcestershire 311 all out v
Yorkshire 307 all out
Worcestershire 100 all out
Yorkshire 105-0
Yorkshire win by 10 wickets

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

What a mental day of cricket. You do get these days. They've happened before, they'll happen again. Not anything you can put your finger on. But, realistically, the newly promoted Worcester team, Members & Supporters can all have today's Welcome To Big Boys Cricket award. Pretty close to the prestigious Rabbit In The Headlights award in fact.

Parity overnight. Yorkshire a bowler short. Four drinks waiters in Antigua, how come Moeen Ali can play, Yawn. A great, great, irresistible performance. Sidebottom & Bresnan limped to the Bonus Point. But conceded a small lead.

Boom.

21-4, Brooks with three of those. Patterson cleans up with 5 for 11 off 7.3. Will Rhodes gets in the game with a superb catch to get rid of Senanayake. Lees & Rhodes knock 'em off in 17 overs. Boom indeed.

I'm too pessimistic to judge what that might mean for the season. It might be the Swallow, it might be the Summer. It's an opening 22 point win is what it is. But, I can make lists. Gale, Lyth, Rashid, Bairstow, Plunkett, Boom.

Lovely lunch in the New Road Restaurant on the top floor of the new building behind the bowlers arm. Pouring Partner fodder only (natch). Because it was a hot day, I firmly & happily enjoyed the Old Golden Hen on keg at 4.1%. Refreshing surprise. I also had Old Speckled Hen on cask at 4.5%.

120/266

Welcome To Big Boys Cricket

Worcestershire 311 all out v
Yorkshire 298-9
close on Day 2

Monday 13 April 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

Twisting & turning days cricket. Essentially fuelled by two bad things. Firstly, some problems at the top of the order for Yorkshire. Secondly, some sort of muscle injury to Sidebottom while batting.

I'm a big fan of Division One cricket. Teams coming hard at you in every session. It's not a destroyer of reputations, but it can dent them hard. So, I've got TWO Welcome To Big Boys Cricket awards to dish out today. Either end of the spectrum.

Cheteshwar Pujara, 27 Tests for India. Averages 47 in Tests. 6 Test tons. 1st game for Yorkshire. Caught Tom Fell bowled Gareth Andrew for a Duck off six. Welcome To Big Boys Cricket. Go well fella.

Will Rhodes, 3rd First Class match, 1st Championship game. Caught Daryl Mitchell bowled Charlie Morris for a Duck off five. Welcome To Big Boys Cricket. Go well kid.

That had Yorkshire 3-2 before the end of the third. Great fightback century stand between Lees & Pyrah. Looked like deliberate, premeditated, calculated risk, attack your way out of the problem to me. Or Big Boys Cricket as we know it.

But then another wobble to 186-6. A Brooks/Bresnan stand of 81 got Yorkshire to within 37 runs. Sidebottom pulled up lame while scampering a run, limped off (slowly, gingerly), and Karl Carver was out at 293. Agonisingly short of the 300 bonus point. But, only 18 behind.

Enter Ryan Big Boy Sidebottom. With Will Rhodes as his runner. Him & Bresnan still there at the end, 13 behind, 2 short of the point. Bresnan 78 off 95. Outstanding.

I'll need ear plugs for Day 3. Lyth, Rashid, Bairstow, Plunkett all "glorified drinks waiters" in Antigua, Gale banned, Sidebottom lame. Does the ECB conspiracy against YCCC know no bounds? I won't be asking Bird.

Obviously, 2 days gone, 2 days left, essentially parity, both teams well in this. Biggest Boys win from here.

St George's, Lazy Days on cask at 4.1% in The Wheatsheaf Inn
Kinver, Millennium Brew 1000 on cask at 4.7% in The Plough.

119/265

The Cardinal's Hat

Worcestershire 264-8 v
Yorkshire
close on Day 1

Sunday 12 April 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

Beer in the Ground

My first time at New Road, Worcester. I sat in the Graeme Hick Pavilion. Deep midwicket, Cow Corner. Eight rows high. Windows at the back, sliding doors lead into the lounge/bar.

Intriguing beer set up. Advertising hoardings around the ground suggest Old Speckled Hen are the Pouring Partners. That's Greene King in old money.

So, the bar has Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen & Ruddles Best all present on duty. Old Hoppy Hen. See what they've done there? Then Belhaven Golden Bay. Think.... Ah, aren't Belhaven part of the Greene King stable.

And finally. Mauldons Bronze Adder. But, even that isn't a full, true, untied Guest. It's actually a collaboration with Greene King. So, there you have it Greene King or nowt.

But, way of the world. And salute to Worcestershire. If you must have a Pouring Partner. And if it must be an industrial brewer. Then dig deep into their range to provide interesting beers for the punters.

The bar had that busy, clubby feel, which we don't get in the East Stand Long Room.

I settled on the Belhaven Golden Bay at 3.8%. Nice and refreshing, nothing outstanding. The sweetness was too syrup for my taste, but it was pleasant enough.

The Pub

The Cardinal's Hat, 31 Friar St, Worcester WR1 2NA. Old building in the historic quarter. Great time to visit, early Sunday evening, nice buzz but not too busy. A handful of handpulls. Few kegs. Multi room affair. Mixture of chairs, tables and high stools. Good first impression.

The Beer

Three Tuns, Cleric's Cure on cask at 5%. The pump clip has it as IPA. Absolutely excellent beer. Rich without being too intense. Sweetness in the background, just lingering around. Bitterness comes in early, but gently. It just feels in perfect balance. Lots going on, but gentle and not overpowering. I kept having to take a swig to check what I was tasting. Disappointed to get to the end. Hands down Outstanding Beer of the Day.

Ambleside, Best Bitter on cask at 4.1%. Pleasant, but not quite enough nutty, malty sweetness for my taste in a best bitter.

The Cricket

Chopping and changing. Good day's play. Yorkshire had them in trouble at 11-2. But a great recovery lead by Moeen Ali & Tom Fell kept Worcestershire in it. Even at 171-5, I felt Yorkshire might roll them over for 250. In the end, a couple of drops/half chances have cost Yorkshire. Will Rhodes shelled a tough un (Moeen), fielding in the Yorkshire Wall off Patterson. And Hodd dropped Fell. Other side of coin, two great slip catches from Leaning (high & travelling) and Bresnan (low at third).

I thought Sidebottom was off-the-money. A bit ponderous in his run up. Patterson was very economical at one point. Just the role he needs to cement. But, Brooks wasn't far behind and ended with 3 for 38.

118/264