STEVIE B

......This is a holiday thread, maybe start a shopping/grocery topic.

To be honest, we must be promoted this season, then I'd be fairly happy with a season of mid-table mediocrity in The Championship, as in no dramas, out of the spotlight completely for a change. I really can't think of many seasons in the last 20/25, when there hasn't been nail biting, shredded nerves & emotions.

We never do anything quickly..............other than the demise from where we were 10 years ago.

That's a great post. I had no idea about Atkinson's mother. I've often thought, we can be very quick to judge, or form an opinion of someone, without knowing the full facts. Most of us have been through some form of trauma. It can have a massive impact, sometimes subconsciously.

This is probably very true. Alarm bells with the hierarchy should have been ringing when during his post match interview Stokes said 'l won't be really happy until l get to share a beer with the boys'. Maybe it was a nothing reaction, that in isolation would have not mattered a jot, unfortunately with his & the teams recent past, it was at best not the best thing to say. As you rightly say he & possibly one or two others need a bit of help. Stokes has had a brilliant career & it would be such a shame if this type of thing overshadows his cricketing skills.

I do love a collar. I also like the simplicity, very retro.

If this was an isolated incident (the curfew was still in place too, l believe), then fair enough, unfortunately it isn't. This is a time to keep halo's firmly intact.

Exactly. Given what has happened in the recent past, this is a total embarrassment for the ECB, Key, McCullum etc. If there was ever a time to be squeaky clean, this is it. No way Stokes remains as Captain.

I was in the same quiz team as his wife, Carly, a few years back now. She echoed this. She said he spent 6 weeks of nobody really conversing with him, before & during the WC. Although very proud to be in the squad, he found it very difficult too.

Maybe the media outlets don't help. Then again, the players should try to ignore the hype/critical view points. Probably hard to l guess. Plenty of foreign manager's have been very surprised by how everything is so magnified. I think you're correct though, by the way.

Agree with that. The Oval wicket will be totally different. It's very flat, lots of runs scored there recently. Robinson's test will come when he's into his 3rd/4th spell on a road, bowling at 79/80mph.

It's plainly obvious JV prefers to do his talking on a football pitch. This type of tv limelight is not for him, he goes along with it, but isn't that comfortable, or at ease with it at all. If it was purely down to him, he'd probably have nothing to do with it. I guess his wife, agent & the tv companies have convinced him it's easy money to add to your pension pot.

Nassar Hussain was very scathing of the wicket & whole square in general. It needs digging up & relaying......at a cost of £12m ! Apparently, they have the money, but unless threatened with being left out of holding Test Matches, they won’t do too much. I imagine this game will make it impossible for something drastic not to happen.

Both sides have bowled very well, in bowler friendly conditions tbf. Both sides would've bowled first.

Harborough Town have just signed one. Silvio Bello, right back apparently.

Excellent from Robinson.

I think they'll miss Hickey. Ben Stephens didn't have his best season & was on the bench a fair bit.

Feyenoord showing interest according to BBC Sport, apparently.

I've done a couple of these recently & both times came up with a France v Argentina final. We lose to Brazil in the Quarters.

I'm not sure how his season has been tbf. Last season he was the mutt's nuts.

I think England will reign in the Bazball ethos again. It was never a long term fix.

Awful shot by Budinger. 14-2

Essex all out 293. Leics with a lead of 40.

Some player's were assaulted apparently.