IT IS one of my favourite days of the year next Saturday – t20 finals day and I’m thrilled it’s back at Edgbaston. It ticks all the boxes for me: a good central location that everyone can travel to in a day, a good wicket and a fantastic stadium, with a brilliant atmosphere.
THERE has not been too much in the way of good news for Leicestershire in recent weeks, but confirmation that Angus Robson has signed a new one-year contract could mark a turning point in the Foxes’ fortunes.
SAY WHAT you like about Jade Dernbach but at least the man is consistent.
DUE to an unfortunate printing error, some of the clues for the crossword in today’s The Cricket Paper were the same as last week’s.
TICKETS are now on sale for the inaugural Nordoff Robbins Cricket Day hosted by Lancashire CCC and England bowler James Anderson.
Not that Alex Hales, James Vince, Jason Roy and their Lions colleagues need it spelled out, but England selector Mick Newell sees no point in trying to minimise the size of the prize up for grabs in the current tri-series against their Sri Lanka and New Zealand counterparts.
Team selection is a window into the mind of the skipper, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team selection for the fourth Test told me that he had winning the match his priority.
India will be looking to tie things up when they take to Headingley Stadium to face England in what is the last meeting of the five game test series.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE banished the myth that you don’t win anything with kids long before Sir Alex Ferguson and his team of Manchester United youngsters won the Premier League.
KENT opener Tammy Beaumont has called on her side to complete a dream week by securing their third major trophy on Sunday, following their Royal London One-Day Cup and Women’s Championship double.
BEDFORDSHIRE are without a Championship win since July 2010 but captain Andrew Reynoldson is certain it’s on the way.
If Alastair Cook had written the script for the third Test he would have struggled to include many more positives for his England side without it simply looking like a work of fantasy.
After one Test match off I will be back in action this week – and what a place to return: Old Trafford on home soil. It is of course a place I know well – and I’ll hope to sneak at least one night out if Mrs Lloyd allows me as I live just eight miles away.
WOLLASTON captain Chris Perry insists it’s no coincidence that their third win of the season came in the same match that Northamptonshire youngster Olly Stone made his first start of the year for the club.
JUST A few years ago Amy Jones was prowling the boundaries of England Women’s international games in search of autographs from her favourite players. Now the Warwicks wicketkeeper admits it’s a strange feeling to be playing alongside them.
Matt Prior has always put the team first and that’s what he’s done again by effectively ending his England career. For that he has to be applauded.
Judging by the dead eyes and drawn features on his master’s face in the post-match Press exposure following England’s defeat to India in the second Test at Lord’s, you would not want to have been a cat in the Alastair Cook household when he got home.
I was only nine years old when India won their first Test match at the Home of Cricket. I’d just started taking cricket seriously and even at that tender age I realised that winning a Test match at Lord’s was a serious business.
ANY lingering doubts as to the importance of lower order runs were dispelled once and for all last week at Trent Bridge where England and India reached stalemate largely thanks to the efforts of those not normally renowned for their batting exploits.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S Will Tavare is as surprised as anyone at his prolific run-scoring this season.
It looked desperate for England following a big Indian first innings total coupled with a poor start, but Alistair Cook’s men ultimately managed to secure a draw in the First Test with India at Trent Bridge.
Northants seamer Tim Lamb believes his county had no right to claim their second ever trophy when they beat Essex to win the Benson & Hedges Cup.
The first ever county v county cricket fixtures for deaf cricket takes place this weekend in an event which promises to open up new opportunities for deaf cricket in the UK.
For England pacemen life has improved immeasurably since Angus Fraser ran in, according to one observer “looking like he’d caught his braces on the sightscreen”.
I know I’ve got a cracking job at the best of times but I’m being spoilt this week. I love going to Headingley and after a fabulous Test match I’m back today for what promises to be a cracking t20 Roses match.
