It's a conspiracy I tell you

[chickenfeet]

I really think the cricket powers-that-be must hate spin bowlers. The LBW rule discriminates against them, covered pitches have greatly reduced their potency and now we see the effects of the elimination of real wicket keepers who have mostly been replaced by plonkers with gloves. It must be bad enough to have to bowl on a dead flat track without having Butterfingers Jones behind the sticks.

This is the ground where Hedley Verity dismissed Don Bradman twice in a day. O tempora, O mores!

ETA: Jones has just caught Tharanga off Panesar...typical bloodymindedness.

Comments

[atpotch.livejournal.com]

I agree, of course, although I was at Lord's today and I'm genuinely excited about Monty Panesar. He was getting (a little, but some) turn on a reasonably even pitch, and more excitingly was repeatedly pitching it on a dime. His two wickets was arguably scant reward, and it was incomprehensible that the otherwise impressive substitute captain Flintoff didn't bowl him til the second innings and only after the part-timer Collingwood.

TCH

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Yes I was listening to TMS and I had the impression that he was a classic SLA in the mould of Bedi or Vettori rather than the sort who fires it into the footmarks from over the wicket like the Wheeliebin. I had the privilege to see Bedi bowl but not, of course and alas, Verity, though I have read Cardus' marvellous descriptions of him in the 1934 series.