But I'm chipper after the best Finals Day yet and finding the best chippy in Whitby...
Friday 29 August 2014 12:43, UK
One-day cricket is what rocks India’s boat and they came alive at Cardiff, as I knew they would.
I wasn’t at the game (I’m back in the commentary box at Trent Bridge tomorrow) but by all accounts England had a really poor day.
After winning the toss, they would have expected to get more out of that 10.30am pitch but nothing went right and eventually India’s spinners took control.
Unlike so many I’m going to reserve judgement on England until the end of this series to give them a chance to come back.
I’m keeping my powder dry except to say that the selection was poor. You cannot have a bowler in your team who consistently bowls wides. That’s ridiculous.
That’s a nightmare for a coach – it’s ‘tear your hair out’ and ‘start kicking chairs’ time.
Earlier this week I tweeted that given time Chris Wood, of Hampshire, could become the Nathan Bracken that Australia had. I think he’s very worthy of consideration but I’ve not heard his name mentioned so far. From what I’ve seen, he looks a damn fine cricketer.
Dynamic
I also retweeted Tom Moody as a note to the selectors, who said ‘England do not seem to be a dynamic team’.
The selectors should start with the word ‘dynamic’ and then pick XI players. Going into a World Cup, you need a team that has the capacity more often than not, to score 300-plus in a 50-over game because that’s what the best of the rest are doing.
In that light, there was no way that the selectors couldn’t pick Alex Hales.
England got crucified on Twitter after their defeat but yet again people are comparing Test cricket to one-day internationals when they are absolutely nothing like each other!
Get it into your heads – Test match cricket is the yardstick of how a cricketer is judged. If it was by one-day ability, we’d never stop talking about Neil Fairbrother or Michael Bevan!
Nobody has ever mentioned to me my epic 116no against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 1974 and even I’ve forgotten it! [Strike-rate 72.95 – Ed.]
Best
I had a fine afternoon in Whitby this week, sampling the fish ‘n’ chips.
There were loads of places to try so I drew up a shortlist and went to Trenchers, Magpie’s Cafe and Quayside and Russells looks to be very good - but the winner, as recommended by the locals, was Mister Chips on Church Street.
Before that I was at Finals Day, which I thought was the best yet. I had Lancashire and Warwickshire down to reach the final and that’s how it turned out.
The quality of the players throughout the day – the power and the skill - was exceptional. The lads, such as Jason Roy, who were looking to deliver did and there were some star turns too, not least from Laurie Evans in the final.
Varun Chopra was so impressive as player and captain; Boyd Rankin was the one bowler who hit the pitch hard.
Warwickshire are a very, very well run club – they are well organised and well coached. Dougie Brown has taken over from Ashley Giles and it has taken him a year to get into the job but they are going great guns now.
Jim Troughton is a very, very impressive young fella. He’s club captain but is going to retire because of an injury. I hope he has an involvement in the game in the future.
I’ve spent time with him and I think he’d make a very good commentator, especially being so close to the county game.
Lively
As usual one of the highlights was the mascot race, which this year included Adam Hollioake nailing Michael Vaughan, who was running as an impostor in the race, dressed as a squirrel!
Adam said to me before the race ‘I’m going to take him out like you’ve never seen’ and I thought he was joking! It turned out he wasn’t and I absolutely thought Hollioake had hurt him.
Adam is a cage fighter and as fit as a fiddle, whereas Vaughan has had every part of him operated on. I thought he’d never, ever get up. It would have done for me – you’d never have seen me again with my dodgy knees, my Achilles and my back.
The day kicked off in lively fashion with a performance from the ‘Strolling Bones’. It must have gone well because, although it was a bad line, I’ve had a booking from some farm down in Somerset for 2015…
Watch the third one-day international between England and India on Sky Sports 2 from 10am on Saturday.
