Question What is making you happy today?

[delr]

Kenny Dalglish sitting in the stands at old Trafford laughing his head off

 

[OldBlueLady]

Amazing crackling tonight on our roast pork

 

[RHB]

Their country may be in turmoil but this must have cheered the Afghan team up no end. I wonder who first introduced cricket to their Country?

Afghanistan 190-4 (20 overs): Zadran 59 (34), Gurbaz 46 (37)

Scotland 60 (10.2 overs): Mujeeb 5-20, Rashid 4-9

Afghanistan won by 130 runs

 

[londonblue]

Their country may be in turmoil but this must have cheered the Afghan team up no end. I wonder who first introduced cricket to their Country?

Afghanistan 190-4 (20 overs): Zadran 59 (34), Gurbaz 46 (37)

Scotland 60 (10.2 overs): Mujeeb 5-20, Rashid 4-9

Afghanistan won by 130 runs

I watched the highlights of the Scotland innings last night with my son who actually knows a thing or two about cricket - see my next post.

Either the Afghan bowling was very good or the batting for woeful. I'd go for something in the middle.

 

[londonblue]

My son. He struggled to get into his club cricket 11 last season because of a combination of things. Firstly their division in the league had 3 teams pull out, leaving just 3 teams. That meant they had far fewer games to prove themselves. Almost every time he was picked the game was rained off so he didn't really get a chance.

When he was picked he was usually put in at number 11 and didn't get to bowl. When it came to fielding he was usually stuck out on the boundary and only fielded the ball about 4-5 times in the match. With match fees of around £10 it worked out about £2.00-£2.50 per touch.

He was very despondent, but kept working during his one-on-one lessons he was having with a coach. It turns out the coach has taken over the running of the whole youth set up at the club and was very unimpressed with how this age group was run: basically it was the same players picked each week regardless of how well they played because they all went to the same school and the parents were friends.

This coach also nominated my son for county trials as a wicket keeper/batsman. My son didn't think he was good enough which was not surprising after last season. Anyway, after the trials (which lasted 4 weeks) they've asked back for winter training. Basically he made it.

What a way to stick two fingers up to the people who wouldn't pick him or give him a fair chance.

 

[Grayson]

My son. He struggled to get into his club cricket 11 last season because of a combination of things. Firstly their division in the league had 3 teams pull out, leaving just 3 teams. That meant they had far fewer games to prove themselves. Almost every time he was picked the game was rained off so he didn't really get a chance.

When he was picked he was usually put in at number 11 and didn't get to bowl. When it came to fielding he was usually stuck out on the boundary and only fielded the ball about 4-5 times in the match. With match fees of around £10 it worked out about £2.00-£2.50 per touch.

He was very despondent, but kept working during his one-on-one lessons he was having with a coach. It turns out the coach has taken over the running of the whole youth set up at the club and was very unimpressed with how this age group was run: basically it was the same players picked each week regardless of how well they played because they all went to the same school and the parents were friends.

This coach also nominated my son for county trials as a wicket keeper/batsman. My son didn't think he was good enough which was not surprising after last season. Anyway, after the trials (which lasted 4 weeks) they've asked back for winter training. Basically he made it.

What a way to stick two fingers up to the people who wouldn't pick him.

Great ending, well done him. I cannot believe fully grown men coaching kids cricket teams still have kids turn up without getting to bat or bowl.

I stopped playing when I was 16-17 because there was no effective transition into men's cricket and I lost interest in spending Saturdays bowling 4 overs, batting in the tail, whilst the 60 year old captain put himself to bowl loopy pies and open the batting. Going to work on weekends was far better use of my time.

Only 2 years prior to that, I had Essex trials. I was the only non-private school and the only South Essex kid there. Cricket really is a sport that fails the majority of kids if they don't fit the 'right' profile. This was only 15 years ago. I hope that is changing today. Good luck to your son.

 

[londonblue]

Great ending, well done him. I cannot believe fully grown men coaching kids cricket teams still have kids turn up without getting to bat or bowl.

I stopped playing when I was 16-17 because there was no effective transition into men's cricket and I lost interest in spending Saturdays bowling 4 overs, batting in the tail, whilst the 60 year old captain put himself to bowl loopy pies and open the batting. Going to work on weekends was far better use of my time.

Only 2 years prior to that, I had Essex trials. I was the only non-private school and the only South Essex kid there. Cricket really is a sport that fails the majority of kids if they don't fit the 'right' profile. This was only 15 years ago. I hope that is changing today. Good luck to your son.

I think you're right. The school I was referring to is also private. However, it has to be said that 2 or 3 of them are very very good cricketers.

One of the real issues is that cricket allows players to play up, i.e. play in older age groups. My son's U14 team had a number of U12s playing because they are very good. The people that ran the team (husband and wife) allowed that even though they had too many players already. They also had appropriately aged kids that were far too good for the team, but refused to allow them to play up an age or even two. Basically they were putting their results ahead of the players' progression, and the other age groups' success.

They also used to say the same thing after a match. They would apologise to the players that didn't get to bat or bowl and promised they would be at the top of the order and get to bowl in the next match. Then they didn't pick those players so they were empty promises.

As Rob Key said on Sky Sports, the first job of a coach is to make the kids want to turn up again next week. They simply aren't doing that.

The coach that nominated my son for county trials knows all this as I have made a point of telling him. He has also asked me to take over running the team next season. I would love to, but I simply don't have the time because the kids' cricket season is basically very intense between April and July with a lot of mid-week evening games. Because of work I'm not able to commit.

In the last match of the season (a friendly against an area side) my son kept wicket for 35 overs and then asked to bat low down the order because he took a knock to the side of his knee and wanted to let it recover before batting (he was originally set to bat at 3 or 4).

Anyway, he played really well and scored 21. He was out taking a risky 2nd run on the last ball of the match, which was the right thing to do. The coach that wouldn't pick him for proper matches came over to me afterwards and said he played really well, and asked me if that was the best he's ever batted. I replied that it wasn't even close, and 2 seasons ago he had to retire when he scored over 25 runs (which is the rule in kids cricket). I made it very clear the issue was that he hadn't been given a chance to prove that during the season.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Saw Espanyol get a decent point last night against a useful Athletic Bilbao side.You can't beat live football.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Amazing crackling tonight on our roast pork

Probably in the minority, but i prefer mine soft & chewy!.

 

[RHB]

Lose a piece of a filling in my tooth last night. Rang the dentist this morning and I have an appointment for 2.30pm today. That makes me happy for a quick fix, but filling cost is now £65 on the NHS, not so happy at that.

 

[JAL]

Lose a piece of a filling in my tooth last night. Rang the dentist this morning and I have an appointment for 2.30pm today. That makes me happy for a quick fix, but filling cost is now £65 on the NHS, not so happy at that.

I would just be glad you managed to get an appointment almost straight away, someone I work with had to wait 2-3 weeks to get his tooth sorted, living with the pain for that long!

 

[RHB]

I would just be glad you managed to get an appointment almost straight away, someone I work with had to wait 2-3 weeks to get his tooth sorted, living with the pain for that long!

Temporary filling duly applied, back on 11 November for a proper replacement filling. Certainly can't complain about the time scales.

 

[ESG]

Lose a piece of a filling in my tooth last night. Rang the dentist this morning and I have an appointment for 2.30pm today. That makes me happy for a quick fix, but filling cost is now £65 on the NHS, not so happy at that.

Tooth hurty.......Chinese dentist then?

 

[RHB]

Tooth hurty.......Chinese dentist then?

Hungarian actually, and I offered her that line as I sat in the chair and got that 'silly old sod' look for my trouble.

 

[londonblue]

My eldest son plays right back for Borehamwood Knights and we received a whatsapp on the team group last night from one of the coaches saying that he is currently also coaching a group of Afghanistan refugees but they have no kit. He's therefore asked if any of us have any football kit we could donate. I replied that I have an unhealthy number of Southend United shirts I can donate.

He suggested he hand then out after the game on Saturday - he doesn't want them all supporting Southend! I pointed out that if we leave it until after the game and they realise how **** Southend are they won't want them!

My son is desperately hoping we win as about 3-4 of his teammates support Boreham Wood and will be there on Saturday. He won't be able to face them on Sunday otherwise!

 

[Mad Cyril]

A firm that ghosted me after nine rounds of interviews last year has got back in touch - the manager admitted I would have been offered the role but funding was cut.

Thinking about whether the time is right to go permie again.

 

[londonblue]

A firm that ghosted me after nine rounds of interviews last year has got back in touch - the manager admitted I would have been offered the role but funding was cut.

Thinking about whether the time is right to go permie again.

It's a hard one isn't it? My contract has been extended until the end of April. I've also been told there's years of work on various IT projects they want to do. Whether or not they'll extend again I have no idea, but I'd love it if they do. Apart from the fact that I prefer contracting, they're a really good bunch and I'm loving this project.

If they don't then I'll have the same quandary.

 

[Mad Cyril]

It's a hard one isn't it? My contract has been extended until the end of April. I've also been told there's years of work on various IT projects they want to do. Whether or not they'll extend again I have no idea, but I'd love it if they do. Apart from the fact that I prefer contracting, they're a really good bunch and I'm loving this project.

If they don't then I'll have the same quandary.

There are a few positives with the role

1. Really interesting work.
2. Canary Wharf location
3. Salary almost at my contracting rate.

The downside is that day rates for my main skill are going through the roof at the moment so maybe I should ride that wave for a while if I can.

 

[londonblue]

There are a few positives with the role

1. Really interesting work.
2. Canary Wharf location
3. Salary almost at my contracting rate.

The downside is that day rates for my main skill are going through the roof at the moment so maybe I should ride that wave for a while if I can.

Personally I'd ride the wave for as long as you can find contracts. I thought banking had pretty much forced all contractors in-house?

 

[Mad Cyril]

Personally I'd ride the wave for as long as you can find contracts. I thought banking had pretty much forced all contractors in-house?

Not in house but inside IR35.

As such the government takes 46% of everything I earn.