BUMBLE AT THE TEST
BAIRSTOW’S AT HOME E
THIS inexperienced Sri Lanka side worked out Headingley pretty quickly — pitch it up! They bowled perfectly in these conditions to reduce England to 83 3 for five but then got it wrong against Jonny Bairstow (right). This the wrong place for short-pitched bowling. Bairstow passed 500 runs in four innings on this ground this
season. He’s very much at home here.
GOT TO SPIN IT TO WIN IT
I MIGHT be a bit stubborn but I would have batted first here even though it was very difficult for England during much of the day. This Headingley pitch is ultra-dry. It may be a bit green — if the sun comes out it will soon change colour — but there’s no moisture and, with wear and tear, a spinner is going to have a big say in this Test.
TOPPLING THE TEST
WE first saw this ‘super series’ points system in the women’s Ashes and I can’t see the harm in giving it a go this summer. It’s so ingrained in England that Test cricket is king so it will be fascinating to see if crowning an overall winner at the end of a tour changes that. I suspect Tests will still be the big thing.
STILL READY TO BUMBLE!
LOVELY England awards dinner before the Test here in Leeds where the ECB decided to give me a lifetime achievement award. It was very nice of them but I can’t help thinking that when you get an award like that someone is trying to pension you off. Well, I’m still here. Let me say I’m still up for it! I’m still coming to the party!
TAPPING UP THE CULTURE
OUT and about in Leeds and that’s always an adventure. Near the train station is a cracker of a pub called the Baht’ ap. As the name suggests they only serve Yorkshire beers. Nowt else. But it’s a much improved venue. There’s a roof on it now. There used to be a massive hole in it with a bucket underneath and you couldn’t go in unless you were covered in tattoos.
SWEEP STAKES ARE HIGH
ALEX HALES was like a racehorse and looked better for his outing in South Africa. Hales (right) was very vulnerable outside off stump in his first Test series but he played with great discipline here, until he started to itch to get after Rangana Herath. He’s got to be careful sweeping across the line. Herath has snared 297 victims in Test cricket and counting.
AN INSTANT SUCCESS!
WE’VE moved hotels from our previous Harrogate base for Headingley Tests to Leeds city centre and, as a creature of habit, it has thrown me. Not least one of those newfangled coffee machines that I found in my room. I read the instructions and also looked at Google but I’m still none the wiser on how to use it. Popped out to Lidl to get my own. You can’t beat a bit of instant!