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Let your next career move come to you.

Bail swapping

I loved his explanation. ‘I dunno, I just thought of it the other day and decided to do it’ then he chuckled. 
 

but this is why he was a dead cert on the big occasion. It says ‘I run this and you can’t predict this’. It says ‘I am in your head - Am I? Yea I am.’ It says ‘I am enjoying myself - are you?’ It is the law of marginal gains fully understood. I think he is being modest. 
 

It’s gamesmanship. The Aussies have dominated the English heads for two decades. Now we are in theirs. Warner, Smith, Labuschagne and Carey have all succumbed this series.
 

I love a bit of gamesmanship. A chap I used to play with would keep wicket and say things like ‘right lads, watch the big drive, this chap has a hands together grip’ or ‘ooh aggressive stance’ and the batter would quietly spread his hands, step back into the crease and reset then play a half defensive swish and be all bottom handy, lobbing it up to the bowler or mid off or chunking an edge. We just knew it was coming. That is not cheating. 

Yup but then he’s admitting it got through. 
 

There was a chap - teenage pain in the arse who used to play for our club. On summer we had a game of Dads v Over 16 children. Nick, the lad, is at first slip and is non stop chatter. His father is umpiring. I am in bat. After an over of spin in which I hit 6,6, 4, dot, dot, 1, he shouted ‘nearly had him there’ and claimed my sixes (sweeps) were top edges. It was annoying me so at the end of the over I just walked away to the other end and he then tried to run me out, long after over was called. His Dad sent him off. He said ‘you cant send me off it isn’t football’ so his dad said ‘just shut up or fu ck off’. I started laughing. I was facing at the other end and still laughing. I spooned a catch to the little shit.  He won that. 

Well having spent 2 hours in the nets five times a week for the last two months, against a goodish bowler, as well as being a complete physical wreck with overdeveloped shoulders and obliques, I can confirm that if the technique is there then the only thing that makes you play a shit shot is a break in concentration. One easy trigger is getting cross and trying to teach the bowler a lesson. 

I don't like gamesmanship. The minute you start saying some gamesmanship is ok, you get into ridiculous arguments about not crossing some imaginary "line" which is different for everybody.

In steve waugh's case, anything went. in michael clarke's case you end up telling batsman to prepare for a broken arm. 

people who indulge in gamesmanship are also, usually, the people who will claim a catch that wasn't clean. steve waugh again....

not liking gamesmanship is incoherent

all these competitive sports and games r not just skill, they r mental battles. broad’s hold over warner - that is a mental thing

do u make players play in masks?

do u ban crowds?

do u ban commentary on the game afterwards?

u complain about imaginary lines, but by drawing a line between gamesmanship and woteva it is u class as not gamesmanship is drawing an imaginary line

Yes but nobody got under Waugh’s skin because he was consistently winning throughout his career 

this Aussie team was tetchy because they knew they were going to lose. From Headingley onwards they’ve been ground into the dirt

if they played another 2 tests (or 3, or 5) England would win them all.

It happens in all sports.  I used to play centre back for a hockey team and had a few run ins with the opposition.  One game we had a short corner and cocky guy on the other side who'd been mouthing off all game was just slow enough striking the ball that it gave me not just enough time to charge down his shot but to "accidentally" run straight through him.   

It's not, Marsh.  Politely noting that the batsman's timing is getting worse the longer he is out there makes it much more likely he will slog it up in the air

The ‘mind the windows’ stuff is fine at village level, just banter

you hear some pretty horrible stuff though, particularly when you play at the coastal clubs. Some bloke was chirping away at one of our guys about how much he enjoyed sh@gging his mum last night etc.

we’d been at his mum’s funeral about 2 weeks earlier…

He did well not to charge the mound 

I think the code of honour dictates that you drop the bat and remove your helmet before piling in

On the one hand you still have body armour, on the other you have the turning circle of a WW1-era dreadnought 

Apropos psychology.

I was a 'late order' batsman.

Quite often a silly mid would appear as I got to the wicket. The first thing I did was practise a few full blooded shots straight down his throat with my eyes lasered on him. Been out all manner of ways but never caught at silly mid.

The first thing I did was practise a few full blooded shots straight down his throat with my eyes lasered on him.

As a long time close in fielder I would absolutely have loved this and would have pretended to catch each of your shadow shots prodders.

Botham recalls a story of Brian Close getting hit so hard he had blood seeping upwards through the laces of his boots before the lunch. Latterly the last player I recall doing it with no protection was Ponting

A chap in my Lancs U-15 team took a ball in the knackers. Split his scrotum. Blood stain slowly spreading in the groin area of his whites as he gingerly walked back to the pavilion. Not the way he would have wanted to remember probably the only time he (and definately the only time I) played at Old Trafford.

Oh bless your little cotton socks for saying I'm thuggy. Whatever gets you through the night little man. I hope evil Mr Sunak doesn't invade your dreams again. 

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