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As a good English girl, I'm totally broken up by Scotchland going out of the Euros; such a terrible thing to happen - and so, so unexpected! Please join with me in grieving for this totally horrendous outcoming! And on a similarly disastrous level - have you noticed how a cloud went in front of the sun earlier today? How dare they let this happen??? Holly (awaiting a suspension...) XXX
I couldn't give two hoots about football (sorry) ... I'm a cricket and rugby girl 🙂
I feel hesitant about raising this on a site where UK girls are outnumbered 5:1 by US girls, but did you follow the World Cup T20 Cricket match between England and the USA today?
It very much went England's way (including Buttler hitting five sixes in one over, and Jordan taking four wickets in five balls), but we'd better watch out in future 🙁
The USA shook things up on the way to the Super 8s, and I think they're going to be a force to be reckoned with down the line.
Now, where's that USA women's cricket team?
Ellie x
@ellyd22 I feel bad that we don’t know anything about cricket in the USA…it’s so popular in the rest of the world…🥴
@chanel
I think that's just very sloppy Chanel 😉 Cricket in America dates back to the 18th century!
The popularity of cricket in the USA appears to have diminished as a result of the Civil War and the fact that it's quicker for an army on the move to set up to play baseball than it is to prepare a cricket pitch - and to play a game.
The best thing about cricket is the tea break, if you ask me! 😉
very @caroline2k
"The best thing about cricket is the tea break, if you ask me!"
In the dim and very distant past, UK laws meant pubs were closed in the afternoon. But there were exceptions. if you could find a free local cricket match, with luck, there would be a beer tent set up 😉
@emmat "Dim and distant past"... what?!!!
I remember very well having to wait for the pub to open. How old do I feel now?! Thank you very much Emma! 😜😁
@emmat Most of us had a pretty good idea where to go even if not to the cricket... I remember the first day of all day drinking (though only barely, for obvious reasons!) but Leicestershire County Cricket Club was quite definitely a long time favourite... again for obvious reasons!!! Holly XXX
@chanel
Yes ... and the rules are so easy to understand.
Especially the Duckworth Lewis method.
The names of the fielding positions are particularly wonderful, leading to commentary like this:
'Mike Gatting is at the crease. He's got two short legs and one behind.'
That's still one of my all-time favourites 🙂
There's also this from a commentary by Trevor Bailey: 'the first day, Logie decided to chance his arm and it came off'.
@ellyd22 Also when Botham knocked the bails off as 'he couldn't quite get his leg over'.
There's a very good Richie Benaud quote as well, but I can't include it here without violating site guidelines 🙂
I don't take much encouragement 🙂
In the full expectation that a fellow staff member will unapprove it, here it is:
'He’s usually a good puller but he couldn’t get it up that time'
@ellyd22 we could start a thread on cricket funnies as so many, probably cos of its radio commentary.
Different sport, athletics, but my favourite by David Coleman.
'And there goes Juantorena down the back straight, opening his legs and showing his class'
He couldn't lose after that!
@ellyd22 Duckworth Lewis... if any of the ladies out there on the wrong side of the Atlantic need that explaining, let me know - and ensure you have about 15 hours available, seeing as you won't have a chance otherwise... Holly XXX
Topically, and very sadly, Frank Duckworth (one of the two statisticians who devised the Duckworth-Lewis method back in 1992) died yesterday 🙁
I was following the over-by-over (OBO) Guardian coverage of the international women's match between England and New Zealand this afternoon when a reader wrote in with this comment:
“I see that Frank Duckworth has died,” notes Bill Hargreaves, “aged 84 (or 95 had rain/overs permitted).”
@ellyd22 I didn’t know that he’d passed but as a cricket fan I love that humour! Wonderful!
@ellyd22 I hadn't picked up on the passing of Frank Duckworth - and not matter how much I (and surely everyone else!) had a problem with the Duckworth - Lewis method (no mention of Tony Lewis, seeing as I am VERY pro Welsh!) I can only express complete sorrrow at his passing. And if rain had intervened, could you understand the way his passing could have worked? Even the West Indies got that one wrong!!! All in all though: RIP Frank; you really will be missed... Holly XXX
@chanel Not just popular in the real world - one of the three best sports there could ever be [football - REAL football, not that Wrong-Side-Of-The-Atlantic version] and [Greatest Ever!] Grand Prix motorcycle racing being the others...) USA did really, really well in the recent T20 World Cup - plus the oldest continually contested sporting event in the world is USA v Canada at cricket! I'm sure you (despite Alan Stamford...) will eventually see the light... though Test Match status ? Not sure that will be coming... Holly XXX
@hottestwitch Football just doesn’t stand a chance over here with most Americans focused on watching baseball, American football, hockey, etc…besides- who would ever want to watch Americans play football??🙂
@chanel hey Chanel, hope this will help:
You have two sides, one out in the field and one in.
Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out.
When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out.
Sometimes you get men still in and not out.
When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.
There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out.
When both sides have been in and all the men have got out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!
@chrisfp99 I’ve got it!! 😂 my goodness! Thank you for the explanation Chrissie
As far as I can tell the T20 Cricket World Cup is only available in the US on something called Willow TV. That's a shame, since the USA's win over the mighty Pakistan on 6th June was thrilling to watch and one of the shock results of the tournament.
@ellyd22 Hi Ellie, So I read. As was said about non coverage of the T20 on any major tv. network.
Alice
@ellyd22 You are correct! It was fantastic... but remind me about how England v USA went? I'm sure we are all au fait with that... and Afghanistan are in - and Australia OUT! Just how BRILLIANT is that!!! (Sorry to any Aussie girls out there - remember, I'm English!!!) Holly XXX
@chanel
England went on to get absolutely demolished by India, but we're keeping quiet about that 🙂
@ellyd22 Ouch! Sorry to hear it…I checked some results but don’t understand the scoring…
@chanel Oooohhh!!! Let me know if you want to know how to fill in a scorebook - and please mke sure you have something in the way of a fortnight available... To quote an old (and daft?) bit of doggerel..."The team that goes in and their players are in until someone is out and then someone else comes in. They are in till they are all out and then the other team comes in until they are all out..." All I can say is - watch as much cricket as you can - and you will end up LOVING it!!! Holly XXX
Filling in a cricket score book was my favourite bit of the game. I love it.
Many years ago some of my Sunday League football mates started a cricket team, mainly to pass the summer away.
We weren’t exactly very good. We always had to put the opposition in to bat first just to make the game last a while. This was back in the days when pubs opened at 7pm on a Sunday.
It was remarkable the number of times we were all out at about 10 minutes to 7
@lucyb112 10 to 7? We always made it till 3 to 7... now, guess how many minutes away from the pub our home ground was... I can now only remember 90% of the scoring regulations... runs for no-balls, how to record no balls... in fact, a hell of a lot of laws & regulations on no-balls and wides... plus I never did quite get totally u these about LBW... (Please can everyone remember - Cricket has no rules - only Laws and "Regulations".) Cricket... mmmmm... Holly (usually at Long Leg - for obvious reasons....) XXX
@lucyb112 Lucy, I captained a team for ten years that had some good bowlers but very little batting so I always tried to talk the oppo captain into batting first xx.
We were the same, batting second was essential for us.
It wouldn’t be such a problem nowadays of course 🍺
@ellyd22 Errrmm... India? Cricket? Don't understand those terms... till the next Test Match...
@ellyd22 There are some US gals who follow both football and cricket (yours truly, for one!). In fact, I'm watching the SA vs WI match as I type this. (Well, waiting for the rain to stop it can restart. So many matches have been interrupted by rain during this WC!).
I don't care about either Scotland or England (sorry, UK gals!). I'm a huge C. Ronaldo fan so I root for Portugal. I think Germany might take this one again, but football is so unpredictable, especially during these one-off games!
@sonal Hiya, Sonal; last year I went to Madeira - CR's birthplace... and they pointed out to me the exact house! Mind - Lionel Messi is a far, far better player - and (from the viewpoint of a Leicester City fan) so is Jamie Vardy! Holly XXX
@hottestwitch I wouldn't get into a debate between Leo and Cristiano. I'm just happy that I've been lucky enough to witness two GOATs. I wasn't around to watch Pele and Maradona play, but these two more than make up for it. :-).
I'll assume Vardy's name being spoken in the same sentence as the two GOATs is in jest and not to be taken seriously. While he had great potential, I think his decision to stay with Leicester instead of moving to a "bigger" club stunted his growth, albeit being a PL winner.
@sonal I did get to see Pele when he played for the (now defunct) New York Cosmos. I saw a game up at Yankee Staduim, and Pele scored a goal on his world-famous scissor kick.
@ellyd22 Well I just do believe I'll be quite chuffed to start up a baseball conversation then, shan't I?! 🤨
@ellyd22 Except for that we made it better - as evidenced that it's played globally. Not sure I know of too many international Rounders leagues. 🤔 😝
You're right of course 🙂
I'd forgotten that baseball has a World Series, played between teams from the USA and teams from the rest of the ... *checks notes* ... oh ... um ... the rest of the USA.
Sorry, couldn't resist 🙂
And before everyone from the other side of the pond piles in, yes I DO know about the World Baseball Classic.
I was only teasing about the Rounders (although I'd point out that IS now featured in the Commonwealth Games and my school has, over the years, contributed several players to the England Women's team).
My nephew, despite being as English as they come and living in Somerset, is hugely into baseball ... and he says it's VERY exciting 🙂
I have to say he's never shown the same level of passion about rounders.
Until last year he played in a local league at Taunton, I think for the Taunton Pistols. And no, I've no idea why they're called that.
@ellyd22 I think the Taunton Cider Apples would have been more appropriate - and believe me, that is a compliment... Just a shame that he can't see that Rounders is far more interesting than baseball could ever be...
@hottestwitch I’ve never seen a rounders match but I do enjoy baseball immensely. It’s very laid back, watch a little, drink some beer, watch a little…chat with your friend next to you…drink some beer…what could be more fun?
@hottestwitch Stoolball is even more fun. I played in a league for a couple of years
@ellyd22 Football? That's the game where they play the super one in a round dish where 1/3 of the people are there to see the game, 1/3 to see the multi-million dollar advertisements, and 1/3 to see someone sew some garments together very rapidly. Many years ago they had a wardrobe malfunction at halftime and that's when they really could have used the person to quickly fix the garment.
I know a little bit about Cricket, by Jimminy. They are a company that sells prepaid wireless. Must be for all the ladies who hate that metal in their bras.
As for the world cup, I don't give a hoot about what picture is on my coffee mug. I don't need to see a picture of the world on my coffee cup, a plain color works fine.
The USA has been done with the Super 8's a long time ago. They went to mini VHS tapes long ago, and then moved away to digital recording.
Wait, are we talking about the same thing? Never mind!
* To those outside the USA, I'm doing an Emily Litella impression. Emily Litella was a character played by Gilda Radner in the early years of Saturday Night Live giving an opinion on the news segment, often based on a misheard phrase (such as supporting violins on television - misheard of violence) until she was corrected, and ended her segment by saying Never mind!
@denimwear As a further explanation, the "sew some garments together very rapidly" was a reference to Taylor Swift, whose current boyfriend was playing in the game. She flew in from her Eras tour in Tokyo just to be there for the game. A lot of people tuned in just to see her, and the cameras did show her many times during the game. Many sports fans complained.
The "wardrobe malfunction" was an incident at the halftime show in 2004 when Janet Jackson's breast was exposed and broadcast to many millions of households.
Indeed. It's all so much clearer now 🙂
Although I still don't understand all of this hype about a 'superb owl'.
I mean, just how special can it be?
@ellyd22 for a while the game was so uncompetitive it was dubbed the “super bore”….
@ellyd22 I'd much rather spend four hours looking at a superb owl than have to sit through that snorefest that they have on the wrong side of the Atlantic every year...
*Ellie feels that she should issue Holly with a health warning at this point, and gently remind her that US members - many of whom are VERY passionate about their baseball - outnumber UK members by around 5:1*
Holly ... do you have some sort of safe house that you can retreat to if things turn ugly?
Ellie (and her Superb Owl) x
@ellyd22 Thanks for the warning - but I've never experienced anything less than love and humour from the lovely ladies out there on the other side of the Atlantic - I doubt that I'm going to have to go into Witness Protection!... But please remember that the worst game of Cricket I've ever seen was still three times as good as the best game of baseball there has ever been... And as an Leicestershire fan, I've seen some real stinkers of Cricket matches... Finally; Owls are absolutely fantastic creatures - who can't love them?
@ellyd22 England in the semis! If this were footy, we'd be losing on pens to the Germans... Incidentally, you'll probably be aware that the oldest continually contested sporting contest in the world is... (drum roll) Canada v USA at cricket! I'd always suspected that there was some civilisation in North America - and the existence of cricket over there just proves it! Good on both of them - especially the US folk for finally starting to embrace the worlds equal second greatest sport (level with footy but quite a bit behind motorcycle racing...) And yes - where is that US Women's cricket team? I've no doubt there must be one, but they need to step up a few notches and get themseves into the next World Cup - the last one in New Zealand was brilliant... but we won't talk about the result in the final... B****ig Australians - they take so much fun out of it... Holly XXX
@ellyd22 Note that the Cricket tournament is being played in a county (Nassau County, NY) where Transwomen are prohibited by law from participating in organized sports at county facilities. Still being fought but the county executive (Bruce Blakeman) is a complete transphobe.
@lauren114 Prohibited by law? I thought this was the 21st century, not the 17th...
@ellyd22 You UK girls want to stir up a can of worms? O.K, how's this! Can anyone in their right mind explain the craziest Commonwealth Sport in the World- Australian Rules FOOTBALL! What the hell is that! I have a Kiwi NZ friend down under who ventured next store to Aussie Land and went to a match with a mate; He turned his head just as an important play was made that totally screwed up his head and turned to his friend and said ... " What the hell just happened?'
Don't even both try OMG!. They did a 15-minute segment on our American 60 minutes and I still didn't understand the game or the rules (which btw there are none)
@meghan47 Actually, I quite enjoy Aussie rules - but also cannot understand any of the rules... and I rather suspect that you are right in thinking there aren't any! See if you can look up Jim and Phil Krakouer; first saw them in the 1980s when watching an interesting (if slightly boring) game on the telly; they came on as subs and within 5 seconds the violence level had increased 1,000%! Not claiming they did anything outside the (non-existant?) rules, but the tempo raised beyond belief and no-one on the pitch got a seconds rest! Almost made me a fan of Aussie Rules...
Ellie, must've missed this post. I'm not much of a football fan (just hate the players' behaviour) but of course we're suddenly all fans as of yesterday. I'm very much a rugby and cricket girl (watching the test as I type, unfortunately not in a nice dress). Played rugby as a youngster and have played cricket all my life up until a couple of years ago. Captained for ten years. I love to watch the women's rugby and cricket.
Hugs, Chrissie xx.
of course we're suddenly all fans as of yesterday
Nope ... still not.
However, like you I'm currently enjoying watching England hammer the West Indies at Lord's 🙂
It's Rugby and Cricket for me too.
Ellie x
The dilemma for me is that I’ve always loved football, but like you, I can stand the players behaviour these days.
Luckily, I follow a team from the lower leagues where it’s not as bad.
My main sport these days is cycling. When you see someone crash in the Tour de France, they usually get straight up, body covered in road rash, and the only tantrum is if the bike’s bent and they can’t get straight back on and catch up with everyone else.
@lucyb112 Lucy, my local team Bromley made it into the football league this year. Yay! I used to support them as a youngster xx.
Ooh, Holly, do be careful "People who live in glass houses ... ", and England have still to play.
I'm not a great footie fan, but enjoy it at this level because it can often showcase ( any ) sport at it's best ( or not !!!).
I just wish we had a proper National Anthem to sing instead of a dirge.
Emma xxx
@emmat I'm more than aware of England's fragility... and would be more than surprised if we progressed more than one round out of the group stage. Despite what all the media are saying, we really aren't that good at all! Now - you mention a National Anthem being a dirge - sorry, but you have to be more specific - "Flower Of Scotland" or "God Save The King"? Frankly, they are the two worst songs I've had to suffer through for many a year... If you want a decent National Anthem, try "A Soldiers Song", "Risen From Ruins" or Государственный гимн СССР - they knock our awful versions into a cocked hat; Frankly, "Land Of My Fathers" is nearly as good - but that's almost as unlikely to be heard at another footy tournament as is "Flower Of Scotland"... Holly XXX
I just wish we had a proper National Anthem to sing instead of a dirge.
I think we should just put some suitable words to the 'Archers' theme 🙂
Hah, ha ! Are you thinking of Billy Connolly's excellent sketch, Ellie ?
(search "Billy Connolly National Anthem You tube")
@ellyd22 Didn't Billy Connolly advocate that some years ago. Dah Dah Dah de Dah de Dah....
@ellyd22 I thought the lyrics were "Rumty, tumty, tumty tum, puddly, puddly pom!" (A cinch to recognise for anyone who say Lenny Henry on Tiswas in the late 70's...)
@hottestwitch I can sense the sincerity oozing from your pores as you pour out your heartfelt anguish Holly 😁
But lets face it, England haven't really been brilliant so far and my partner's home team - France - are just as lamentable! So, as far as my interest in 'Soccerball' goes, we should perhaps consider that thing about those living in glass houses playing with footballs... 🤔😼
@caroline2k Glad you picked up on the sincerity - I've spent years learning how to fake that! Once Mbappe is back, Rance will pick up - he's more than jut a brilliant player himself, he inspires the rest of the team. Oh - and France will go further in this tournament than England - I'd be willing to bet 5p on that... Holly XXX
As a proud and pragmatic Scot, the result comes as no surprise to me. I reserve my support for those more deserving such as my sisters here.
With regard to your heartfelt and sincere comments, Holly, I simply refer to my earlier name suggestion.
Allie smiles benignly at Holly's customary attempt to wind up the Scottish girls. We've heard it all before 😊
@alexina O.K: it's all a bit old hat from me, I suppose, but give me a break - I've been an England fan all my life and there's only the dim and distant memory of 1966 to keep me going - and no real hope for the foreseeable future... And I've just noted that Angela mentions the Scotch wearing skirts... I think you'll find that more than half the English do as well (pretty much all the women and a lot, lot more of the men than most folk recognise!) Holly XXX
In my younger days I naively assumed that the Scots would support us English in a tournament if they weren’t there and vice versa, so I always tried to support them, particularly after I married my Scottish wife.
How stupid was I?
In 2001 I was in Glasgow for a family wedding on the day of some qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup.
Scotland were playing Croatia in the afternoon in a must win match and England were away to Germany in the evening.
Before the wedding I watched a bit of TV and they interviewed some Scot’s fans on the way to Hampden for their game. When asked what their preferred result was, to a man/woman and child they all said “England losing”, not even a mention of their own match.
Needless to say I was quite pleased when they drew with Croatia and failed to qualify, and my day got even better in the evening after England’s fifth goal went in against the Germans!!!!
Can’t see that happening again any time soon
@lucyb112 Aaaahhh... I remember the day well; I was at Lords watching my beloved Leicestershire County Cricket Club badly blow their chance in the Cheltenham & Gloucester final... If any non-LCCC fans out there want a good laugh, google "worst over ever" and please try to find some sympathy for Scott Boswell - it almost destroyed him. And if there are any other LCCC fans out there - I apologise for reminding you of one of the most traumatic experiences you have ever had...
Holly,
I gather that, as of today, the sale of Spanish flags has gone through the roof north of the border 😂 😂
They’ll also be putting the Dutch ones up on eBay that they bought last week
No suspension as they are very out and proud to wear skirts....
I'm not bothered. I used to support Scotland if England got knocked out early and they were still in a competition (I know, doesn't often happen), but after seeing a groups of Scots a few years ago wearing ABE shirts, I no longer do it. ABE means 'Anyone But England'. Tough on anyone though, who loses in the last 20 seconds, as they did.
PS With apologies top our American friends, who probably have no idea what we are talking about.
Scotland are also allowed their own anthem while England have to have the U.K. anthem of God Save the King. Scotland also being part of the U.K.
The Scottish 'anthem' (Flower of Scotland) is REALLY hard to sing though!
I did my first degree in Scotland, and unless the Scottish team were playing England I used to go to Murrayfield to support them.
There was a group of five girls I used to go everywhere with (yep, I was an 'honorary girl', even at Uni) and they tried to give me lessons in singing the damn thing properly ... but the breaks in the tune are just really weird!
Ellie x
@ellyd22 There is a knack to singing 'Flower of Scotland'. It comes in two parts, One - You have to be a Scot. Two - You have to have had a good few 'Wee drams' , then it's a breeze. Of course wearing a skirt and a few drams could suffice.
As for the National anthem there is a trend to use 'Jerusalem' for English teams to show patriotism.
I can show support to Scotland as my gran was a Scot so can wear a tartan skirt with pride to my cultural heritage.
@ab123 Unfortunately, you are correct about "Jerusalem": it may be a pretty good song, but it's not the English National Anthem! The usual opinion now is that the "dark satanic mills" Blake was writing about was a metaphor for the suppression of female sexuality... And NO - "Land Of Hope And Glory" is not our National Anthem either! Apparently, Edward Elgar was furious when he was informed about the lyrics that had been put to his tune: "wider still and wider, shall thy bounds be set"??? I'd hope everyone here viewed the age of Empire as merely a shameful part of human history. All in all, if you want to wear a tartan skirt, Angela, then you go for it! I'll still wear a skirt, but I don't think tartan will be involved... Holly XXX
@ellyd22 so, what you have to know is Flower of Scotland is sung in English. Hen Wlad fy Nhadau is Welsh and sung in Welsh. So much for Scottish “independence “?
@shannaxdress Ignoring that the song was only composed in the 1960's (this still being just another point in those interminable dark ages before the Internet was invented, after all), I'd imagine that's so that the sassenachs can actually realise that it's about the the English being defeated 🙂 Can you truly be the winner if the loser doesn't know they've lost? 😀 I bet that song has extra significance at a certain Six Nations match!
@finallyfiona Apparently, every Celtic language has a word similar to "Sassenach" - and they are all derived from the term "Saxon"! Leipzig may be a very beautiful city but I'd prefer not to be reminded of my cultural relation to that country that far too often end up beating us at footy...
The Scottish 'anthem' (Flower of Scotland) is REALLY hard to sing though!
Ah, but had you consumed the statutory half bottle of whisky and eight pints of lager? That way you only have to repeat the occasional line slightly out of time with the majority just before bursting into tears and declaring undying love for whoever happens to be standing next to you.
Allie x
Ah, but had you consumed the statutory half bottle of whisky and eight pints of lager?
I now see where I've been going wrong.
I've never got beyond half a bottle of whisky and seven pints of lager.
I feel like such a lightweight 🙁
Don't beat yourself up about it, Ellie. It's a little known fact that there was only ever one family who knew, and could accurately sing the song in its entirety and cadence, and they were all hung in 1807 for cannibalism.
@ellyd22 Yes, musically the whole thing is in a relatively simple time signature (6/8) but the lengths of the phrases and particularly the final note in each one are all over the place!
I had to learn the Welsh national anthem (in Welsh, of course!) for the encore of a play I was once in - the first verse that normally gets sung, anyway. But I'm proud to say I can still remember it!
Fun fact, the Welsh, the UK, the Austrian and the US national anthems are all rather unusual in being in 3/4 (waltz) time. Many others derive from marching songs and are in 4/4.
Waltzing to 'God Save the Queen' (or 'King' as it now is) would be an especially depressing experience 🙁
Additionally, we always have to sing it at school prizegiving ceremonies. If everyone in the hall started waltzing with each other instead of standing to attention I don't think it would go down very well with the headteacher.
@ellyd22 Alright, Fiona and Ellie, I caught up to you two. As you know , as a descendant of the cradle of civilized society. I am sympathetic as to the quaint sporting events you follow. A nod to Caty, Australian rules, and rugby are sports of gentleman playing a ruffians game. Only the Irish would have a game,( hurling I believe it’s called) where opponents with no pads, can beat each other with a club.
I submit for your consideration, American College football. I say this as opposed to professional as the rules make for more strategy in the game. The amount of time going into preparation for a game is staggering. As an example, part of a playbook I saw had 87 pages devoted to the “ cover two defense”. This is one defensive formation, there are dozens. This is only the schemes for half of the defense in a passing situation. I have been a student of the game for 65 years, going back to the “Chinese Bandits”, ( you die hard yank fans know them), and I marvel at the new wrinkles put in every year. Given, it is violent, but, it is truly a very cerebral game of coaching much of the time. Ok, your turn .
@annaredhead I’ll have to look at videos. Do they beat each other with clubs also?
Hi, Lorraine.
As an example, part of a playbook I saw had 87 pages devoted to the “ cover two defense”. This is one defensive formation, there are dozens.
I took up golf 4 years ago and watched YouTube videos, read books, the works. I now set up a flipchart, containing the 37 essential things to know, at every tee so that I can make sure that I'm following the advice to the letter.
I'm currently looking to join a club further afield as I've been banned from all the local courses.
Allie x
@alexina were you banned for delaying play while reading thru the flip chart with each shot?
@ellyd22 When told to sing the National Anthem at school I always got into trouble for singing the Soviet National Anthem... well - they didn't say which one to sing, did they? Well - actually, after about the fifth time they did start specifying "God Save The Queen" - so I just lip synched it...... Vive La Republique!
See, so abysmal is my knowledge of music theory, that I don't even know if you're being serious!
I thought that I was actually doing quite well with the bass playing until I tried playing along with a guitarist and was asked to play in the key of F sharp minor or diminished or some other gibberish! So I decided instead to do my best Pete Townsend/Jimi Hendrix impression. The toasted marshmallows were delicious though 👏
@alexina Oh dear, I hope you deactivated the smoke alarms first or you'd have got Glastonbury!
Yes, totally serious, and if you were at all in the same vein, a little theory might be a lot of help to your playing, honey. I'm no teacher, but if I can answer any questions to help your understanding, feel free to PM me 🙂
Thanks for your kind offer, Fiona and, when I'm running out of "Things that give me a headache" I'll be sure to take you up on it 🙄
@alexina Actually, I was being serious!I've aways been anti-monarchist (not sure if I can mention being very Socialist... I guess I'll find out if I get barred!) and the Soviet National Anthem (same tune as the current Russian version) is one of the best around... certainly better than the dirge that we have... I've got nothing whatsoever against being British - I'm actually very proud of the fact and very glad to have been born here - I just think we could do so much better than we have been doing... Two other things; 1) you could NEVER do a decent impression of the immortal James Marshall Hendrix - NO ONE could! Jimi ranks up there with Leonardo da Vinci, Wolfgang Mozart, Mike Hailwood, Donald Bradman, Pele and Muhammad Ali; true genius does not occur very often. 2) Marshmallows... mmmmm.... stop tempting me! I've managed to get down to 15 stone 1lb (211lb/96 kg for those not familiar with this traditional system of avoirdupois.) If I were to start on the marshmallows, I wouldn't stop within 96 hours... Holly XXX
@denimwear I know - just why can't we have a decent National Anthem ourselves (by the way - Flower Of Scotland is almost as dreary as God Save The... well, it shouldn't be "King" but that's the way it is.) And no - I don't want "Land Of Hope And Glory" - apparently, Edward Elgar was furious when someone put those imperialistic lyrics to his music!) What would I have as a new National Anthem (merely English National Anthem within about 25 years)? Good question... not so sure about "Jerusalem" but maybe look a little further... maybe John Lennon's "Imagine"? Or perhaps... well, what would you reckon? Holly XXX
@hottestwitch We should absolutely right the wrong regarding Elgar, ditch the inconstant and fanboy/girly lyrics, and opt for an instrumental National Anthem, that truly describes the spirit of this nation. I seem to remember reading that it wouldn't be the only one, but I don't remember whose the other one/s is/are. But for us it could only be one thing - "Nimrod". Elgar got it right all along 🙂
EDIT - just looked them up: Bosnia/Herzegovina, San Marino, Kosovo and of course, Spain. Remember hearing that one one the F1 coverage occasionally, actually quite a lot when Fernando Alonso was winning things in a major way some years ago.
@hottestwitch for the national anthem of your country, what could be more British than the opening of Monty Python. I am not a great fan of the poem set to music for th USof A. A better one would be the Stars and Stripes forever. My favorite for a country is the Canadian national anthem. For telling a story, waltzing Matilda. For getting the blood up, the Russian national anthem.
ah come on you lot watch a real.... game. Aussie Rules footy. No padding, no "off side rule". fast scoring, (hullo soccer) four quarters of fast "real action". No "scrumming about" no interminable "mid field conferences" about what happens next. No padding either(Hi ya Gridiron).
OK not big outside OZ, cos no one thought they had enough sense to have a playing field big enough. 18 per side on the field at once with "4 reserves"
I went to high school gridiron game some 8 years ago. The only thing I understood was seniors got in for nix.
"Carna Bombers". (trans Come on the Essendon Bombers, my team equal top on premierships at 16, (FA Cup./ Super Bowl to you "furriners".) Back to back "flags" 84/85 and I was right in it with fundraising for the side. Wonderful memories.
Caty.
PS to other Aussie CDH'ers "Come off the bench" and give me a good lace out stab pass on this one.
Looks like you'll have to put up with a Pom coming to your rescue Caty. I spent 6 months travelling around Oz in the early nineties. I never got to an actual match, but Aussie rules are so different from other rules that it's great to watch. I also ( very vaguely) remember enjoying a silly film whose plot centred on a Aussie rules team's tribulations over a season - was it called "The Club"?
Emma xxx
Oh don’t start on football!
I’m proudly English🏴(with Irish ☘️ heritage some generations back) & I spend a lot of time in Wales 🏴(a place which I love dearly) - unusually I’m happy to shout for any of the home nations even Scotland 🏴 🤭 I’d rather they were still in the competition than out….
Guess I’m pretty mixed up😵💫💕
@joannaberry I'm a mix of all 4 nationalities and so happy to cheer on all the home nations teams but will support England against any of the others. I have thought that Scotland have been awful and England not much better.
@annaredhead - yes I have to agree, Scotland don’t have any firepower up front. England are just England…..wonderfully talented players just not playing at their best. My SO & I enjoy watching the games together and I’ll be honest I like being a neutral. Currently I’m watching Sky News and thinking I’d love the summer dress the presenter is wearing🤭💕
maybe that says something about where I’m at with it all 🤣
@joannaberry you can add to that another Scottish goalkeeper with a mistake in him.
I'm glad to know it's not just me that gets dress envy when watching telly.
@annaredhead - definitely not! I don’t usually watch Sky news, so I don’t even know who the lovely girl on the T.V is, I’d love that dress though🤭💕
@joannaberry Must admit I also get envious; there's a lady who does the business news on BBC early in the morning called Sally Bundock. Twenty years ago she was totally stunning - even now she is abolutely gorgeous and I can never resist seeing what dress she is wearing. While I tend to go in for slightly shorter styles than her, she still gives me most of my inspirations... Holly XXX
@hottestwitch - newsreaders & weather girls nearly always give me outfit envy 💕
Lucy verasamy who does the itv weather is a beautiful woman & looks amazing in whatever she chooses to wear…..
@annaredhead No idea how England got through last night - we were DREADFUL... yet again! In fact, we've been so bad all tournament that it makes me wonder if fate has decided that we're finally going to win it!
@hottestwitch If you can play poorly and win, you've got a chance. The goals were both good, the rest of it looked like an end of season mid-table league game when the players are just thinking about next season's move. I like Southgate though, he keeps us in games and Toney was a good sub on.
Hello Holly,
sorry about your team losing in the euro tournament, football is huge though out the world, except here US.
It fascinates me how people get so obsessed over a match, every time that I have been to England, it a lot of fun for me.
I like the premier league, in particular Arsenal, as you know they came so close this year but not close enough, have to wait another year, reason I like sports in general, real drama, real fun, very entertaining.
Best luck next time.
🦗🏏
Cricket: "the little four-door sedan is powered by a 70-horsepower, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, mated to an automatic transmission.
The car was produced by Britain’s Rootes Group, which became a subsidiary of Chrysler Corporation beginning in 1967. Known as the Hillman Avenger in the UK, it was imported to the U.S. and Canada—and rebadged as a Plymouth Cricket—so that Chrysler could compete in the subcompact market against the Ford Pinto and Chevy Vega. Chrysler claimed that “To know a Cricket is to love a Cricket,” but the final North American sales figures for 1971 told a completely different story: Pinto, 352,402; Vega, 274,699; Cricket, 27,682."
After you hear Advance Australia Fair being played at the end of the Cricket, it’s off to the Olympics. We should do well in the swimming, after all if you can’t swim in oz a croc will get ya. (Or a shark)
xx Asteena 🤣
@asteena ... or you could just stay on dry land; mind, then the funnelweb spiders will get you... There is one sure way of surviving though - emigrate to New Zealand!
@asteena ... or you could just stay on dry land; mind, then the funnelweb spiders will get you... There is one sure way of surviving though - emigrate to New Zealand!
Wow, it's a nice surprise seeing a football fan here. For the Scotland match, I thought it should be a penalty for Armstrong.
It's unfortunate for Varga to be knocked down unconscious. The broadcast didn't show much about the scene leading up to the incident so I didn't see how he got injured.
My grandad used to go to watch baseball at a local park in South London. It was continued after the war.
I am not a sporty type and if I watch England play it is from behind a sofa as it is like a horror story.
We played shinty and rounders at school and if you didn't get battered and bruised you weren't in the game.
I don't understand U.S. footbal. A group of players come on make a play, high five and go off replaced by another group who do the same. Four quarters should equal one dollar but in this game it equals millions. What a great investment plan.
Now English cricket is more about the commentary than the game. One famous line was
'The batsmans Holding, the bowlers Willey'...
Welcome to Worcester where you’ve just missed seeing Barry Richards hitting one of Basil D’Oliveira’s balls clean out of the ground.
@ab123 a work colleague of mine was a keen cricketer. He managed to get a net session at a county side that had a couple of England test bowlers. He commented that the fast bowlers didn't seem as fast as he thought they would be. He then realised it was a huge mistake making the comment when he got several deliveries at full pace.....
@annaredhead I got to face a bowling machine once - not quite the same as a proper bowler, but not too bad. 76 mph was fine - plenty of time to decide what to do. 78 mph and the ball was past me before I could even see where it was going... Remember that in a Test Match, 80mph is considered only as "fast medium" - and Shoaib Akhtar and Jeff Thomson have both been over 100 mph...
@hottestwitch I was utterly useless with a bat. I was pretty good at catching a ball in general so made for a decent fielder, could bowl a bit, but made a natural number 12 with a bat. I played more stoolball than cricket and used to regularly take wickets at stoolball
Ladies, I had no idea how many of us UK girls love their cricket. It has been a driving force of my life. I played for most of my life, up until a couple of years ago. Captained my side for ten years and built so many friendships not only in my club but with opposition teams too. Perhaps we could form a Crossdressers XI. We would of course wear the dainty skirts the ladies had to wear back in the day. I can offer some solid late order batting and medium pace swing.
Hugs, Chrissie xx.
Hi Chrissie,
I like the proposal for forming a crossdresser cricket XI. I would like to submit my cricket CV in the hope of gaining a place on your team. In particular I would like to focus on my most recent cricket success; this was the culmination and my final participation in the game.
Please picture, if you will, a fiercely contested game between 2 teams on a typical summer English evening (grey, slight damp drizzle in the air). I was bowling and ran at an increasing pace towards the wicket. As I swung my arm to bowl I slipped in the damp grass and fell flat on my face. The ball however executed a perfect parabola (mathematical term which means “what goes up must come down”) and indeed it did come down, landing right on top of the bails. Result: bowler in the mud, batsman out (as you know, cricket is basically a game of many in’s and out’s). Despite the undoubted success of this technique which combines the dual benefits of pinpoint accuracy and opposition distraction, I do not generally recommend it.
This outstanding performance would have been reported more widely in the national press, but unfortunately at the time (1966) an alternative event was “all over” the front pages.
Meanwhile, could you clarify a couple of points:
- Are high heels allowed; if you complete a run in high heels could it count double?
- Is it true that team members that come from the area between Watford Gap and Middlesborough have been asked not to address other team members as “duck” in order to avoid confusion for the score keepers?
Hopefully, Rebecca
PS - Has anyone seen my Owzthat! game? I haven't seen it since the late 60's. It was a lot of fun when it was pouring with rain.
PPS - Has anyone ever played Podex? (also known as Puddocks and Puddex). It is a sort of weird combination of cricket and rounders.
@fembecky "Owzthat" was a great game! Everyone had a set at one time or another, but managed to lose one of the pieces - mind, they could easily be substituted with a pencil, a small cut on the back end of it and all the options scrawled on in biro... In the early 1970s, my team beat the West Indies by an innings and 357 runs - and I got a double century!!! My one and only claim to fame!!! Holly XXX
@hottestwitch I've just looked it up on Amazon - you can still buy it (£8.99, but I bet it just cost a couple of bob back in the sixties).
@fembecky Aye up, me duck!!! As a loyal Leicestershire fan and therefore a true Midlander, I have to point out the origin of the term "duck", in both versions. "Duck" in the cricketing term relates to a duck egg - bearing a slight resemblence to the figure "0". (Incidentally, in tennis, the term "love" is a corruption of "l'ouef" - an egg, that being 0-0 - strange how that crossed from the worlds greatest sport to one that hardly warrants the term...) To a Midlander, "Me Duck" comes from the Old Norse (remember - we came under the Danelaw back in the day) originally being something like "Mar Dook", merely meaning "Hello" or "Good Day". Mind; having been a Leicestershire fan all my life, I've seen far, far too many ducks... Holly XXX (P.S. Just realised what all this must sound like to the ladies over there on the other side of the Atlantic... all I can say is that you lost a lot by not wanting to be British...)
@hottestwitch I grew up in the Danelaw area - not far from where the Pilgrim Fathers set out. Duck was a term I frequently heard in my youth (not just when I was playing cricket at school).
Incidentally I grew up in the same town as Derek Randall. He was just a few months younger than me and he would have been a year behind me in school but I cannot recall whether he was at the same school as me or not.
And thanks for the etymology of ducks, loves etc 😀 .
Rebecca xxx
@chrisfp99 Chrissie; I might be able to get us a very decent ground at very cheap rates - I'm probably not good enough to be much more than tea lady (and assistant scorer?) but I certainly know how to mash a decent cuppa and I make a fantastic cheese and onion sandwich!!! Only real problem; what name do we give ourselves? Shortskirt Wanderers? Marylebone High Heels? Holly XXX
I remember in the 70s there was a short lived sitcom starring Diana Dors who ran a garments company and also managed the local men’s (well it would be men’s in the 70s wouldn’t it) Rugby League team.
The team were rubbish and always bottom of the league, and she re-named them ‘ The Frilly Things’.
We could maybe try that for a name 🙂
@chrisfp99 ooh !! Mixing both my loves - Dressing up and playing cricket !!
Well..am from india - so dont even get me started on cricket 😀 😀 !!
During my college days..a good couple of decades ago, i remember I used to dress up at home and just for time pass would just hold my bat and shadow practise and do some wall catches.
I love watching the women's cricket too . Elysse perry from aus is my absolute fav and off late lauren bell from england has caught my eye
@jennykumari Jenny, please don't mention the world cup semi-final. Yes, Lauren Bell is really pretty isn't she? xx.
