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County seconds, very good Blunkett, the best I got was being out LBW to Matt Bulbeck former Somerset player after three balls which I didn’t see any of them at youth club level, the second ball went for four but i didn’t see it just stuck my bat out and caught an edge.
Robert Key in my opinion has a great chance of top run scorer in division two as I don’t see him getting called up for England duty even if he does deserve his chance. Stan James are the only firm to offer any odds so far and i think he is 14’s but if you wanted to you could go each way at a quarter the odds five places.
Personally I cant see Jones getting an England call up whatever form he is in but I’m no expert.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Impressed with that, Blunkett. Yorkshire Premier League is pretty tough, I imagine. You can probably put us right when we talk rubbish about players!
Another imponderable is the new England coach. He may want Jones back, he may want Key, he may like Hoggard. At the moment, all we have to go on with the pecking order is who went on the Lions tour to New Zealand – Denly and Key, along with some more unlikely candidates such as Trott.
I agree though that Key is probably not going to get the nod short of an injury pile-up. Assuming the new coach has an international perspective and no particular loyalty to the county game, they will probably be looking at either proven international players or youngsters with potential, which rules out Key. And playing in the second division should be a touch easier for him. 14-1 sounds tempting, but, as Blunkett says, I’m not entirely sure what a good price would be, given the enormous number of runners in these particular contests! Finding someone who is consistent or coming to their peak and unlikely to get national selection seems a sensibile policy. Not a market I usually play in, but I’m intrigued now so may do a little digging.
The other thing to bear in mind is that if the Ashes turns into a disaster, we could go into a 90s style selection panic, in which case even those towards the bottom of the pecking order get a chance.
Thanks Roland, I find Twenty20 to be an excellent betting medium, with some strange prices offered. The IPL last year was a fine example. Whether it is because there aren’t enough good cricket odds compilers out there (presumably they can’t simply follow the exchanges as happens in horse racing) or cricket is just innately tricky for bookies to get a handle on, I don’t know.
There was a thread on another forum (Punters Paradise perhaps?) which concluded, after a lengthy and pretty exhaustive survey that cricket, along with one or two of the American sports, was one of the best sports to bet on. I’d agree with that.
Edit: Just seen that Mark Davies is available at 25-1 to be Div One top bowler. He was on the Lions tour, but is far enough down the pecking order not to be an imminent selection. Top of the averages last year with 2 of the top 5 best bowling figures. Got to be worth a look.
Mark Davies had a great season last year and he has got a good bowling pitch at Durham which suits the quicks, I agree with you that we dont know who the new England coach might have in mind and if Harmison drops out of the set up then he to will take a lot of wickets for Durham aswell.
Im going to wait and see if any other firms offer 8’s about Tahir as I think he is capable with a full season of getting near 100 wickets. Just checked again and Key is 16’s not 14’s like I put yesterday.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I’ve had a bit of the 16’s this morning, I think its pretty decent value.
I can’t see Hoggard getting another sniff at international level – at the back end of last season, he had completely ‘gone’. I watched Yorkshire play a fair few times in August and September, and he was basically bowling throw downs.
The point about the new coach is very important imo. Flower is as good as gone at the end of this tour, but, there are no outstanding candidates to replace him – unless we look overseas.
I think I’ve missed the boat with Tahir as Stan James have cut him from 6’s to 10/3
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
10/3 doesn’t appeal in the slightest. He could be the next Mushtaq Ahmed, but we don’t know for sure and I probably wouldn’t take those odds about Mushy either.
That is a real shame about Hoggard. I thought he was treated a little roughly by England, but it sounds as though he’s lost it.
As for the coach, the priority is to find someone experienced who knows the international game and has the clout to lay down the law a little.
Good innings by Strauss the other day, too. Wonder how much longer the experts will keep telling us that he can’t play one day cricket?
Three matches along at once after a few days off.
West Indies v England 5th ODI
Ed Hawkins makes a good point in his latest Betfair article about trying to second guess what the effect of the ongoing player dispute might be. Safer to stick to the facts. Unfortunately for me, I am left with no bet here. My ratings tell me England are slightly overpriced at Evens but not sufficiently to warrant a bet. Once again I was taken with Lendl Simmons (Getzippy pointed out in another thread that he is being overpriced by the bookies) and Dwayne Bravo, but I am in a cautious mood and am trying to restrict myself to stand-out prices in the top player markets, so I resisted the 6-1 and 9-1 available for those two respectively.
South Africa v Australia 1st ODI
I was really looking forward to this clash of the Titans (well, mini-Titans anyway) but now I’m sick of the sight of them. But I rate South Africa as the second best one day team in the world right now, with Australia as the third. I’ve backed the home side, with Smith and Kallis available and on the back of a 2-0 T20 victory at 1.95 on Betfair, which I am very happy with.
Player match-ups isn’t something I’ve bothered which much as every time I’ve looked, the liquidity has been, well not very liquid. But I was taken with the Gibbs v De Villiers market, in which De Villiers has been priced up at 1.95 to score more runs. Even if he’s off the booze, Gibbs is not what he used to be, De Villiers is a player on the up and I think is a sound bet at those odds.
New Zealand v India Third Test
Great innings by Gambhir at Napier, but not so great if you’d backed New Zealand. I have to be honest and say that I underestimated how flat the wicket would be and am in danger of doing so again. Basin Reserve should be green and windy. It is likely to be gusty, but apparently the pitch is browner and drier than anything you could find in Chennai. What is going on with these New Zealand groundsmen? Anyway, though the odds aren’t so tempting this time round, I’m plunging in on the Black Caps again at 9-2 with Boylesports because my ratings say I should and I lack the strength to resist the lure of the numbers.
I think the value with Lendl Simmons has evaporated, Andrew – he’s 13/2 with Boylesports best price.
I’m limping to Corals larter to enjoy Aintree so I’ll be putting my cricket bet on there for the final ODI.
I was thinking maybe KP could top scroe as he’s very due – 7/2 with Tote, but only a mean 11/4 with Corals.
So I’m going to give Bopara one more chance at 9/2 and go with Sarwan at 7/2.
Re the NZ V India Test – I always back Ros Taylor as I think he is by far the best batsman in their side. I know he had a bad patch and was then unlucky to be beaten by Ryder when he scored 150 odd and Ryder 200 odd.
At 9/2 I think Taylor is a nice price.
Good luck all!
Oh, and I do play cricket for a jolly club:
http://nbwcricket.googlepages.com/
We play in and around London and eat a lot of cakes and drink a lot of tea and booze.
If anyone ever fancies a game, just pm me
. Esp Blunkett!Cheers,
Zip
I can see i’ll be taking a lot of stick around this place over the summer!
Gits.
If you visit cricketarchive.com and do a search for R Barlow, i’m there as playing for Scarborough and Sheffield Collegiate and as RJ Barlow for Derby 2nds and the like. However, nothing bits a lovely cake and a cup of tea.
I think Pieterson will be sticking two fingers up at the rest of the squad/management/press/nation and have had nibble at 3’s with the independent bookie up the road.
I’ve stuck him in a double with Gayle who they have priced up at 7/2.
Not sure what this pitch is like in SA, but over the course of the series the lack of a quality spinner for the Aussies will make a big difference in this format. i’m also not keen on M Clarke opening for them, the balance of the whole team doesn’t quite seem right.
SA’s ODI bowling atack seems to have great strength in depth and balance. Botha, Steyn, the Morkel brothers, Ntini, Kallis and JP Dumminy. Plus the two guys they brought in on debut for the Tw20 (both rather rotund tubbers,
read your article Andrew) of which Yusuf Abdulla for me seems to have something special about him.
As such i’m taking a punt on a 5-0 win for SA at 12-1 and will like wise be backing SA to win today. I’m sure i’ll soon know my fate.I’m content to just watch the England match but if 11/10 becomes available before the start that becomes a bet for me and if they win it’s a cert that Andy Flower will become full time coach.
good luck.
Arse-biscuits.
South Africa squashed, India recovering nicely and De Villiers out for 2. Sometimes I don’t like betting very much. Well done to all who backed KP and very nearly well done to Bopara backers.
Next England coach – hmmm. Well the mood music is starting to lean towards Flower and he’ll get bonus points for a) doing the job without the proper authority and at short notice and b) getting on very well with Strauss. I’d rather Flower than Giles, but everyone else on the shortlist is superior. Wright would be good but I’d settle for Ford, Whatmore, Arthur, Dyson or let’s be honest, I’d have Fletcher back like a shot.
Blunkett, if you’re playing this year, I think you should regularly update us on your progress – actually we could probably follow your progress and offer constructive criticism from an inexpert point of view – and of course, congratulations when you score a few. Same for Getzippy and indeed anyone else who might be wielding bat or ball this summer. I prefer to wield a gin and tonic from the comfort of a deckchair, myself, which I long ago established was my proper position at a cricket ground.
Roland, clearly you have too much time on your hands to be reading that trash. I suggest something more intellectually improving, such as the Daily Sport.
Funnily enough, the Daily Sport is the "official read" of the club I play for.
Shame we couldn’t have a Racing Forum X! – maybe we could play the Racing Post?
Andrew, you could wicket-keep in a deckchair?
Well done to those that wagered KP.
I backed Amlah to top score for SA and he walked after feathering one…..the oppo didn’t really appeal..it was no times for sportsmanship!:shock:
If you backed Gayle it was pretty rum, typical follow-up to his amazing bludgeoning the other day.
Oh, and well done Freddie Flintoff, superb hat-trick.
Zip
Oh, and well done Freddie Flintoff, superb hat-trick.
Zip
You can’t keep a good man down!
Flintoff’s body is shot to pieces.
Ankles, knees, back and shoulders must ache like buggery but he’s still our best bowler by a country mile.I almost wince every time Freddie bowls, lest he damage himself further. He needs a rest. He shouldn’t play in the IPL, nor for Lancashire and ideally not for England until the Ashes. Unlike Harmison, he doesn’t need much cricket.
If we could somehow arrive at the start of the Ashes with both Flintoff and Simon Jones in one piece (and Pietersen in the right frame of mind) we might stand half a chance.
Just read sky text and it reports Imran Tahir will be out for three months after breaking his jaw.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
The Imran Tahir injury has spurred me into action, before a couple of prices disappear as the market reacts.
Division One
Top Batsman
A quick once over of the market leaders, and the two most appealing names are the Somerset pair of Trescothick and Langer. Both scoring well over a thousand runs last season, and, playing on a belter of a pitch with smaller than average boundaries, both are likely to score heavily again. However, at the prices, i’m in favour of Langer.
Of the outsiders, i’ll take a chance on a young Yorkshireman by the name of Adam Lyth. In his first full(ish) season, scored 645 runs, and ended up opening the batting. A left hander of maximum potential, he could easily top a thousand with a good run in the side.
1pt Justin Langer @ 12/1.
0.5pt e/w Adam Lyth @ 80/1.Top Bowler.
In the top bowler market, i’m placing a lot of faith in seam this season. Tahir is now 9/1 joint with Pattinson, but i’ll be hoping for big things from Chris Tremlett and James Tomlinson. Tremlett has been an excellent bowler for the last three or four season, but has been severely dogged bu injuries, whereas Tomlinson made great strides in only his third season of county cricket. As likely new ball partners at Hampshire, they benefit from bowling on the sack of shite that is The Rose Bowl, so i’m hopeful that one, if not both will top 80 wickets. Elsewhere, Graham Onions is another improving quickie at Durham, and there should be plenty of ‘caught Mustard, bowled Onions’ dismissals to chuckle at. At a mammoth price, Deon Kruis could be worth a little dabble – if he recaptures the form of two years ago.
2pt James Tomlinson @ 25/1
1pt Chris Tremlett @ 25/1
1pt Graham Onions @ 33/1
0.5pt e/w Deon Kruis @ 66/1Top Yorkshire Bat
Looking at the market for this, Jacques Rudolph really should be odds on. With only Anthony McGrath as real competition (who’s runs are inversely proportionate to his waistline), Rudolph is a shoe in. Despite tipping up Adam Lyth as a dark horse for the Championship runscorer, Rudolph will probably have this in the bag by early August.
5pt Rudolph @ 2/1.
Division Two
Top Batsman
My two selections are based purely on avoidance of England call ups. I imagine that the England horse has already bolted for Rob Key, and the Kent skipper should score mountains of runs if Div Two. Hoepfully, the likes of Vaughan, Bell and Shah will do enough for Team England to deny Key a sniff. I also think that Ravi Bopara is probably a little bit of value as well. Unlikely to play in the test matches, I should get a decent run for my money despite him playing in the ODI’s. Hopefully, he’ll fail in the first ODI’ against the Windies, and score heaps of runs for Essex.
2pt Rob Key @ 16/1
0.5pt e/w Ravi Bopara @ 50/1.Top bowler.
I’m relatively confident with these two selections. The first is Tim Murtagh. A really consistent performer, and with a new lease of life since joining Middlesex the year before last, Murtagh took 64 wickets last season. I’m hoping that he will share top bowler honours with Amjad Khan, who should really come on for his winter experience, and has the pace to worry most of the county pro’s.
2pt Tim Murtagh
1pt e/w Amjad Khan.
. Esp Blunkett!
read your article Andrew) of which Yusuf Abdulla for me seems to have something special about him. 
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