Voll Blau

Well yeah, but at least there's a logical pathway to getting someone into following a county in all formats. Get them hooked on the short stuff and long term, over the course of a lifetime even, it builds that loyalty. I've got quite a few mates who now follow all of our games from having taken them to Friday night T20s 10-15years ago. Playing some Championship cricket in the summer holidays also wouldn't hurt. A day at Grace Road used to be an annual tradition for me and my grandad. There just isn't that same logical pathway with the hundred. People turn up and then forget about cricket for 11 months of the year. There's no attempt to build that same loyalty.

It's a bit of a myth, that. Those same crowds would be watching county white-ball games if given the same prime scheduling, exposure and marketing budgets.

Felt we played like defending champions today. So pleasing to see every batter contribute and the weird scenario at the end was a good test for our bowlers and fielders under pressure. Feel for Sam Evans though. Helped to win the final for us and you just wonder where his next game's coming from, despite doing nothing wrong.

Need Trevaskis to shine today, I think. We've batted well but this deck's making it so easy against the seamers.

Decent crowd in for a Wednesday.

Signage has gone up at Charnwood's new micropub in Barrow, The Fox Cub. Had a nice Sunchaser at the revamped Soar Bridge Inn the other week. I'd not been in before but it didn't appear to have been too gutted by an Everard's makeover.

Swindells on The Cricketer's podcast. Enjoyed Liam Dawson's comments about our support.

Or instead of another tournament that runs concurrently to it...

Post-cricket Wainwright Gold at the Coach & Horses, Kibworth. Pleased to see it doing well after being closed for a bit.

All very "village coffee shop and overpriced lunch menu" vibes (which you'd expect with the school over the road, I guess), but the beer was excellent considering.

Neesham with us...

Our lot sound in good voice.

A Clod Hopper pale ale at The Boot in Repton. Really well poured, presumably their home brew. Now on a Loch Ness Saazi Ness lager with Leicestershire on one screen and the Test highlights on another. Perfect.

He's not even a frustrating player now. Feels likes he's making a living off the back of his fielding in the Cup final.

Pleased to see a proper Test match this time. Pleased for the West Indies and exactly the kind of day our post-Jimmy attack needed to test themselves if they're actually going to learn in time to make a fist of the Ashes next year.

Insane toss decision from Brathwaite.

Rate the kid but way too soon to be thinking along those lines. He's not proved himself for us in the Championship yet.

Only if it makes four days. Expect a very flat deck on Thursday!

Cricket club has constantly won CAMRA awards, great place for a pint in the sun.

Abingdon Street? Place has changed since I lived there 10 years ago - used to have to head out to The Thatched House in Poulton for a really good ale.

That the micropub on Topping Street? Brew Room nearby is decent too. Made it the base for my Stag a couple of years ago.

And we've won one series on the Caribbean since 1968...

Really disappointing. On paper, two of the best names you could pick for this.

Gotta do Münster! Great atmosphere and big pals with Bochum.

Lads who normally love interesting election results "for the meltdown" a bit quiet again on social media for the second time this week...