After the T20 series we begin our ODI’s in Hamilton & Tauranga

After the T20 series we begin our ODI's in Hamilton & Tauranga

There has been a lot said by Trevor Bayliss on 20/20 Cricket about abolishing it. Every season the ICC must have the most unenviable task of organising competitions and since the inception of T20 their task has become a lot harder. With T20 competitions every few months lasting approximately 4-8 weeks you start to wonder. With the new competition starting in England appropriately in 2020, you do start to worry about test cricket and how to fit all other forms of Cricket into the calendar. I would just like to see the leagues in each country and a World Cup, every 4 years and scrap other menial competitions that have no relevance. Having just travelled from Australia to New Zealand and attended the final in Auckland overall, the matches were not greatly supported like they are in the Big Bash – I am sure this will run and run until hopefully the cricket purists win?

I have some breaking news for you……… Matthew Hoggard MBE will be part of the team joining myself and Richard for the ODI’s in Sri Lanka this October. Hoggy played in 67 tests and took 248 wickets, his last test was against New Zealand in 2008. As we have quite a few of you who tour with us from Yorkshire & Leicestershire I’m sure you will be delighted by the news and sure you will want to hear his stories…. he will be a great addition to the team adding fun and laughter throughout the ODI tour. I will tell you a short story……..

Sara sat next to him at a function a couple of years ago and at the end of the evening he signed a menu for me which read ‘’ To the greatest ever Chelsea supporter you silly Ba*&^$£”  Best wishes Matthew Hoggard……..He owes me a beer I think!

Back to Hamilton for the ODI, great advertisement for the game it was a real seesaw, in the end we were 30 runs short and our death bowling was not as good as we have been but in Tauranga we won the toss and put NZ in. From the first ball to the last shot it was an outstanding performance from the England ODI Team.

With both bat & ball combined, excellent fielding and some great catches and a man of the match performance from Ben Stokes it was great to see him back and playing so well. Now the series is nicely poised at 1-1 as we head for Wellington at the weekend.