BUMBLE AT THE TEST
NOW THERE’S A PINT!
CALLING London! If you want to know what a proper pub’s like, go to the Marble Arch, Rochdale Road, Manchester. A haven for real ale drinkers at £3 a pint. It’s the same product that you’re buying for £5.60! No frills with the name — the best one is just called ‘pint’. Does what it says on the
barrel.
LONDON WAITING
BUT thanks to you, dear reader, for writing in and suggesting lots of London hostelries where I’m assured I will finally find that elusive, valuefor-money proper pint with a proper head on it. I can’t wait to get down again next month for the Lord’s Test when I’m going to try them all out — particularly The Falcon in Clapham — and report back.
A GRANDE EFFORT
THERE was some concern about the state of the outfield due to all the rain that has fallen after the staging of two major concerts, by Ariana Grande (right) and then Radiohead. But that was Manchester getting together after the terrorist attacks, so let’s not worry about the outfield.
WELL DONE, LANCS
I’VE spent a decent chunk of my life at Old Trafford and the old ground has never looked better. It’s not recognisable from when I played and coached here. I might be biased but I think it’s terrific, with two new tiers on the old pavilion and a new hotel joining the media centre and players pavilion, and The Point, in overlooking the ground. Well done to the county.
LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES
OH you young lads! Keaton Jennings, Tom Westley and Dawid Malan. They did all the hard work against a quality attack with the ball moving around, got themselves in, were set to cash in but then bang, bang, bang and they were out! Whatever happened to digging in? Make the most of it when the going’s good but learn from your mistakes.
JIMMY BOWLED OVER
JAMES ANDERSON has got his end away at Old Trafford at last! For a current player to have an end named after him is a huge deal and shows what Anderson (left) has achieved. He joins that other great Lancastrian fast bowler, Brian Statham, in being honoured this way and I loved Jimmy’s response when asked if ‘his’ end was his favourite. ‘It is now,’ he said.
MARVELLOUS MAHARAJ
WHAT a terrific delivery from Keshav Maharaj to dismiss Alastair Cook, who looked so well set. The breeze was blowing across the ground, from west to east, which was absolutely perfect for the slow left-armer. The ball drifted in the air on the breeze in its last third of travel, pitched and went straight on without spinning back into Cook.