The Monitor Lizard

I first fell in love with Graeme Smith when he caused Nasser Hussain to resign the England test captaincy in 2003.  I don’t have anything against Mr Hussain, I think he’s a great cricket commentator and taught Ian Bell how to run people out.

But it was my first experience of “The Smith Factor”.  The factor continued throughout that tour, the double centuries at Edgbaston and Lords were remarkable, and I found myself full of lust for the South African, and his voice.

He was Kevin Pietersen before Kevin Pietersen was Kevin Pietersen, only without the wacky hair and outrageous shots.  He was cocky and loud in those early years of international captaincy, pissing off just about everyone he played against.

And then he grew up, he matured, possibly even mellowed.  He learned his trade in the view of the public and the press, who were and probably still are expecting something they could run with over a couple of days in the papers.  He didn’t air his dirty laundry in public *looks towards the man mentioned three times in the last paragraph* and he soon began to gain respect from the peers who had previously criticised him for his methods.

His 154* at Edgbaston last summer showed this, it was an exceptional piece of batting, a true match winning performance, which he also helped to do at the WACA just before Christmas.  He’s also managed draw a test match series in India, a place most teams expect to go and lose, and broken a few world records for batting partnerships.

His changing has made him my hero.  The Australians hated him when South African last hit their shores in 2005/06, on the final day of the Sydney test match just played he got a standing ovation when he went out to bat at number 11 with a broken hand and dicky (technical term) elbow.  He scored three runs and got out with 10 balls left in the day, but that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.

He proved how dedicated to the game he is, he proved how mature he has become in the five and a half years he’s been South African captain for, and he’s shown that he’ll do anything for his team, the team he puts all his faith in every time he leads them out on the field.

Graeme Smith really epitomises the term “the spirit of cricket”, and I didn’t expect to be saying that five years ago.

My Father and other working class heroes by Gary Imlach

Gary Imlach is the guy who used to do the American Football on Channel4 back in the day when it was super-popular. His dad was Stewart Imlach who won the cup with Nottingham Forest in the 50s. If you look at the antics of modern footy players and despare then this book is a telling snapshot of how bad players had it back in the days of the maximum wages when the club basically owned the players.

It’s a brilliant, heartfelt, poigniant tribute to Stewart and the players of his generation by his son. It’s definitely my favourate sports book.

This made me chuckle. The Norwegians (I think) have a saying “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes“. Well one of our clients at work is one of the biggest chain of running shops in the country and January is always a hugely busy time for them.

It seems this year that there is a massive increase in the amount of running tights and thermal running gear they are shifting. Not my cup of tea personally (then again I am too lazy to go out running) but it just goes to show you that people’s new years resolutions aren’t just going out of the window ’cause the temperatures are dropping.

Hope people are being careful though, I’ve know of at least one person who has broken their wrists after slipping on ice (they are currently decked out in a funky pink cast) and yesterday the brakes on my car were a purely fictional concept as I got home from work (The main road on our estate is in the shadow of some tall trees all day).

What is the point in this

Kevin Pietersen has left his position as England captain in the wake of the row between him and coach Peter Moores.

BBC Sport understands Moores will also leave his post, although it is unclear whether they have quit or been sacked.

The England and Wales Cricket Board held an emergency meeting on Tuesday evening where it is believed an initial decision to sack the duo was approved.

But further meetings have since been taking place on Wednesday with a view to resolving the escalating crisis.

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said he had been told by an ECB spokesman that Pietersen and Moores had not tendered their resignations. 

It’s just ludicrousness, if indeed that is a word. I just don’t get it. Why just implode like that over the omission of a batsman who’s clearly out of form. Loyalty is one thing but Vaughan was just not firing on all cylinders yet so why would he justify a place….and why make it a resigning matter….and why does everyone then have to go?!?!?!

Argh!!!!!

And the Ashes are coming up? Strauss as captain? *gulp*