Members old and new - tell us about yourself...

Joining a new forum can be a little bewildering. Often, you will notice that the existing members may seem a little 'cliquey', continuing long running 'in jokes' from time to time which are of little consequence or understanding to a new member. I know from experience that this can make you feel like a bit of an outsider right from day one, and cause you to lose interest.

The majority of the topics on 606v2 Cricket are very much cricket related, and as such I'd like to think it is an easy place to settle in to and get involved with, but familiarising yourself with fellow contributors may be a useful aid.

I've created this thread (at the request of our resident CorporalHumblebucket) as a place where members both old and new can tell everyone as much as they wish to about themselves, as a means of allowing new members to familiarise themselves with the existing, and likewise to introduce themselves to the 606v2 Cricket regulars.

So, each and every contributor to this section, feel free to tell us a bit about yourself. I'll start...

Location: Birmingham, England.
Age: 24
Occupation: Quantity Surveyor (yawn!)
Interests: Football (Aston Villa fan), cricket, boxing, fishing

County supported: Warwickshire
Favourite cricketers currently playing: Kevin Pietersen, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Dale Steyn
Favourite cricketers now retired: Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Gilchrist
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: Shane Warne taking his 700th Test wicket at the MCG in 2007
Favourite venue: Edgbaston for the carnival atmosphere, MCG for the sheer size and sense of occasion
Venue I'd most like to visit, but haven't: Lord's (ashamedly so), for the history of the place, I need some of that!
What I love most about cricket: Everything about it, it truly is the King of games - the skill, the excitement, the grandeur and history
What I hate most about cricket: Daft delays getting the players back on the field after rain has stopped play, and the general lack of common sense amongst the games administrators at times!
Favourite Test series: Has to be the Ashes, but I do love the England vs South Africa Test series - always provide high entertainment and competitive Tests

Personal cricketing career: 1 year out of the game at the moment, medium pace bowler that wasn't too bad, and a horrific lower order slogger that hit a few fours and the odd six...
Best ground played at: Moseley CC
Bat used: Gray Nicolls Lazer

A little about me on 606v2: I will often be found loitering around the cricket or boxing boards of this site. I was a member of the old BBC 606 forum and decided to make the move over here after the announcement of its closure when I saw that many posters I was familiar with were doing so themselves. Since arriving here, I initially posted as a normal member before being made moderator of the cricket and boxing boards, and then being made an administrator after the other 3,600 members turned down the role. Thankfully, the amount of moderation that I have to actually do on the cricket board is minimal, and as such I can get heavily involved in the high quality debates that crop up on a daily basis. The locals here are friendly enough, but everyone should know that they only need to private message me if they've a problem, and I'll deal with it best I can.

Feel free to add any other information you feel necessary!

Thanks, and to our new members - you are most welcome!

I am mainly a rugby fanatic, but like to frequent the cricket forum on occasion, especially in the off season of rugby and when the Proteas play test cricket.

I am not a big fan of ODI's and T20's.

Sport to me is best in its purest form and test cricket is that for me. ODI's and T20's are really just the light entertainment like a precurser to an epic movie.

I never played cricket at school, in SA most kids played cricket because they weren't good enough to play rugby ( or so we thought when we were kids)

The first time I played a game of cricket was in a social league when I was 24 years old and when the captain asked me what type of bowler I was, I simply just said left arm slow.

My first delivery was a no ball because I didn't even know about the front foot rule.

Anyway, I turned out to be quite decent as a left arm bowler, we used to bowl 5 overs per match ( 40 overs). My average was usually 2/15 or roundabouts.

My batting was pathetic, my best score ever was 10* and my average about 2.5.

I don't know very much about cricket, I know all the laws and how they are interpreted but struggle to understand the nuances of technical batting, hence I enjoy bowling performances more and can probably give a better assessment about bowlers than batsmen.

Statistics is often my way of measuring players as they provide me a platform for deciding whether they have been successful.

I hated it when shane warne bowled because SA batsmen seemed to be mezmerised by him. I loved to watch Donald bowl. Will never forget his spell against Atherton (1998) when Atherton nicked the ball and DRS wasn't available to prove there was a nick. The next two overs of donald to Atherton was some of the best bowling I have ever witnessed.

I admired what Hansie Cronje did for SA cricket, and was very sad when he was outed for match fixing.

but I do believe he was the person that gave SA cricket the belief that they could compete with anyone. For me there is SA cricket before Hansie where we weren't very good and then since Hansie.

Don't like ignorant and arrogant people and believe a sense of humor is a sign of intelligence.

All I expect from sport is level playing fields for everyone and fairness. It is the greatest reality show on earth.

Oh, and I am self employed and live south of Johannesburg.

Name: GG
Age: 18
Where am I: Swansea
Sports played: Golf (used to play football and cricket)
Sports followed: Most sports really (except wrestling )
County supported: Glamorgan
Favourite cricketers currently playing: KP, Darren Bravo, Philander, Morgan
Favourite cricketers now retired: Lara, Warne, McGrath, Ambrose
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: Ashes win in '05
What I love most about cricket: Everything
What I hate most about cricket: Lack of competence within ICC
Personal cricketing career: Quit at 13/14 due to a shoulder injury and to focus on golf. Was a fast medium bowler and an awful batsman.
About 606v2: Mainly on cricket forum on off topic sections though I can be sometimes be found posting on football and golf.

Name: Corporal Humblebucket
Age: Reputedly "Even older than Guildfordbat" - or to be more precise well into the 50s
Little known fact about me: It's all a disguise - I was once a member of the Boys Brigade but couldn't see the point in polishing shoes. I have absolutely no connection with the military - but nevertheless you are all welcome to in the barracks after close of play
Occupation: Civil servant involved in a regulatory role (sometimes on 606v2 referred to as being on patrol or being engaged on top secret military intelligence)
Sports played - minimal - the odd spot of swimming aimed at avoiding getting even less fit .....
Sports followed: cricket & football mainly - but with mild interest in various others
Clubs supported: Surrey & West Ham
Favourite cricketer: Ken Barrington and numerous other Surrey heroes
Favourite current cricketer - anyone from Surrey who shows talent and application - including the Viscount (Tim Linley), Meaker, Jason Roy et al.....
Best innings ever seen: Ramps scoring about 190* in a day at Whitgift against Notts
Dislikes about cricket: pointless ODIs.
Other facts:
* one of an elite group who likes watching county cricket alongside the other man and his mythical dog
* Used to post on the old 606 site, mainly about Surrey
* occasionally been known to write the odd limerick on 606v2

NAME: cricketfan 90 (CF)
Age: 18


i am the skipper of my club side, and have been for one season..im a left arm quick who can bat number 8....i have hit a couple of centuires, but i also have a lot of 5-fers....

im a sports coach and really enjoy my job.

im an essex fan, and also a west ham fan..

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:
.... Little known fact about me: It's all a disguise - I was once a member of the Boys Brigade but couldn't see the point in polishing shoes. I have absolutely no connection with the military ....

Another illusion shattered.

LivingInItaly - if your home is a bedsit above a pizza parlour in Clerkenwell, I don't want to know!

guildfordbat wrote:

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:
.... Little known fact about me: It's all a disguise - I was once a member of the Boys Brigade but couldn't see the point in polishing shoes. I have absolutely no connection with the military ....

Another illusion shattered.

Guildford .... The double bluff worked My new cover story has thrown them off the scent pretty effectively....

Corporal -

More about me next year ....

Wells Cathedral School, eh? I worked on their new cricket pavilion as QS! Nice, isn't it.

It certainly looks so from the plans. It's the school I went to and did my university placement with, invite to go back in the summer to coach as well. I will be trying to keep the invites coming as well as playing for the old boys team, so hopefully will get to play there with the new pavilion.

It's the one thing cricket wise they lack tbh, the pitch is brilliant and use to have Somerset 2nd XI games (moved due to a lack of pavilion as partial factor) and nets are decent enough.

Age: 24 (just)
Occupation: PhD student (we do work you know!)
Sports followed: Cricket obviously, but just about any sport, in more or less descending order Rugby Union, Fencing, Football, Athletics, Tennis, Swimming, Cycling.

Favourite cricketers currently playing: Ponting, Pietersen, Morgan, Steyn. I also really enjoy watching Swann bowl, and Pattinson may soon be added to the list.
Favourite cricketers now retired: Shane Warne, Mark Waugh, Alan Donald (loved his action).
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: Shane Warne taking his 700th Test wicket at the MCG in 2007.
Favourite venue: MCG, I've been only 3 times but my goodness what a cricket ground.
Venue I'd most like to visit, but haven't: would love to go to Eden Gardens when Tendulkar or Shewag get going.
What I love most about cricket: I love the way momentum changes from side to side, and small things like a great bit of fielding or a quickly taken single can make such a huge difference at the end of the game.
What I hate most about cricket: the way the ICC is run (closed shop, short-sighted, and self-serving financially based decisions).
Favourite Test series: Ashes for sheer atmosphere, but the Aus-South Africa series seem to frequently produce amazing matches.

Personal cricketing career: I played in France from the age of 15 until about 20, when I failed to make the senior side (I did however earn 2 caps in 2007 and played for all the age-group sides before then) and then turned to coaching. I now coach the national junior side and the accademy, a fact I am quite proud of. I also sit on the french cricket governing body. I was an opening batsman in the tradition of Boycott, and bowled (very) part-time leg-spin. My best innings was 25 not out indoors against Denmark (who are very handy and won the tournament). My best bowling isn't worth mentioning.
Best ground played at: Fenners (Cambrige uni ground)
Bat used: At the moment some County.

Favourite moment involved in the game (as a fan, player, or other): recently our juniors beat Italy to clinch the 3rd place in the European championship in the last over, chasing down 168 having been 29/5. I was very nearly in tears.

Mike you are only 24?
Your cricket knowledge seems immense even for an old timer and for a 24 year old to have that much knowledge is just incredible.

BTW why did you say just 24?Have you just turned 24?Or are you about to turn 25?

Shanky - Mike forgot to mention he's doing a PhD in the history of cricket!

Age: 45
Occupation: Historian/Freelance Academic Writer
Location: Currently Athenry, Ireland. Originally from Birmingham
Sports Followed: I'll watch just about anything they show, but mainly cricket and football (I have the misfortune of being a Birmingham City supporter)
Club Supported: Warks

Favourite cricketers currently playing: Matthew Hoggard, of course! Ian Bell for his elegance, Dale Steyn for his menance, Jonathan Trott for his stoicism.
Favourite cricketers now retired (who I've actually watched): David Gower, Dennis Amiss, Dermot Reeve, Malcolm Marshall, Derek Underwood, Derek Randall, Viv Richards. This list goes on for a while.

Favourite Cricketers of the Past: S.F. Barnes, Jack Hobbs
Best Cricketing Moment I've Witnessed Live: David Gower's 215 against Australia at Edgbaston, 1985
Favourite Venue: Edgebaston, MCG, Newlands
Venue I'd Most Like to Visit: Eden Gardens
What I Love About Cricket: The history, the tradition, the stories, the characters, everything else
What I dislike about cricket: The modern proliferation of slap and tickle cricket. Don't mind some of it, but it can get boring. Laws/conditions that favour the batsman too much in the modern game
Favourite Test Series: The Ashes, of course, with '81 and '05 being outstanding examples of test cricket.

Personal Cricket Career: Not much of one really (although I'm considering a Martin Crowesque return for Galway County next season ). Played for a few years in Birmingham club cricket as a middle-order batsman who bowled medium pace and leg-spin, but met with little sucess. Always wanted to bat like Hobbs and bowl like Barnes, but it didn't happen. Maybe next year!!

Here I go - a year earlier than I thought would be possible.

Name: GuildfordBat. Please call me 'Guildford'.
Age: 'As old as time itself' according to Fists of Fury. I'm actually well over fifty which is the same thing here!
Occupation: You will have to allow some mystery to prevail. Surrey followers on the old 606 know that I suffered many years of drudgery at the Woking Salt Mines. I'm now self employed, meaning more freedom to follow and watch cricket (hurrah!) although less dosh to do it with.
Immediate Family: husband to the 'long suffering' (her words) Mrs Bat and father of the Bat Girls.

Sporting Interests: First and foremost, cricket. Keen follower of the county game. Supporter and member of Surrey. Followed by football - Coventry City supporter by accident of birth and Woking through resettlement. Enjoy most other sports as well.
Sports played: Was a slow bowler and late middle order bat, played a bit of Surrey league cricket. At my best, good enough to save a game but not to win it. Gave up cricket in my late thirties but bizarrely resumed 5-a-side football in my early forties and still playing today, albeit mainly in goal.

Favourite cricket ground: Woodbridge Road, Guildford. Full of banter and atmosphere for the annual Surrey Championship match.
Cricket ground would most like to visit: Antigua for an England v Windies Test.

What I hate about cricket: Nothing.
Frustrations about cricket: Plenty. Proliferation of meaningless ODIs, bad light stoppages (should only occur if playing is a danger for the batsmen, not an inconvenience), Billy Bowden (a good umpire goes unseen), dreadful scheduling of County Championship fixtures, the imbalance of take and give by the EWCB to the county game and concern as to where it may ultimately lead.

Favourite current cricketers: Jason Roy - magnificent talent. Tim Linley ('the Viscount') - a model professional; triumph of application, determination and sheer hard graft over all the odds.
Favourite past cricketers I saw: Basil D'Oliveira - may we learn from his quiet dignity. Barry Richards - may we respect and not penalise him for his sacrifice. Brett Lee - always played the game the right way.
Favourite cricketer before my Test watching time: Richie Benaud. A perfect combination of wisdom, knowledge, modesty and humour.

Very dodgy claims to sporting fame: 1. My late great uncle was a professional footballer through the 1920s and early '30s. Although in many ways, an early version of the journeyman footballer he played at the top tier of league football in both England and Scotland. He was even signed by Liverpool as their riposte to Everton's prolific goalscorer Dixie Dean. After eighteen months, nine games and one goal that dream was sadly over. However, I remain immensely proud of him.
2. Back to cricket. With my team nine wickets down, I batted out the last over bowled by Ashley Giles to earn my side a draw in a Sunday friendly. Mind you, the future Ashes winner was about fifteen at the time whilst I was almost thirty!

Age: 24
Location: Bordeaux (South of France)
Occupation: PhD student
Sports followed: just about anything, except darts, but if you want specifics then cricket, tennis, rugby (union), football, athletics and sometimes golf, cycling, F1 and swimming.
County supported: Middlesex

Favourite active players: those who make the game exciting, so at the moment Pietersen, Ponting, Morgan, Anderson, Steyn, Swann and Pattinson.
Favourite retired players: Atherton, Wasim Akram, Shane Warne.

Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: Warnie's 700th at the MCG.
Favourite venue: Lords
Venue I'd most like to visit: Eden Gardens
What I love most about cricket: the twists and turns you can witness in a test match.
What I dislike most: the lack of common sense surrounding breaks, the way the ICC is run.
Favourite test series: the Ashes.

My personal cricket career: like Mike I made my way through the French junior ranks but wasn't good enough (or if I'm honest, willing to put in enough hard work on fitness and such) to make the senior side. I now play happily for my local club where I keep wicket (personal best of 4 dismissals in an innings I think) and bat lower middle-order (between 6 and 8 usually). Highlights include a last wicket stand of 34 off 11 balls to win the match against Spain in an indoor champ QF, as well as an important 20 (partnership of 50+ for the sixth wicket, out of a total of 124) in my last "international" match against Italy, a match in which I also took the winning catch (fielding at deep mid-wicket in this case). Bowling: best not mentioned, last over bowled in a match I took 1-13 with about seven wides, have given up since.

Shanky, that's very flattering. I am a cricket "buff" in every sense of the word, I read Wisden and other cricket books religiously, watch as much as my work will allow it, and am obviously actively involved in the game, but also fortunate enough to get opportunities to go to coaching conferences and meet up with some of the very best and pick up on gossip, ideas and wisdom.

guildfordbat wrote: Occupation: You will have to allow some mystery to prevail.

Us military types know what that means....

Location: VT
Age: Aged
Occupation: Long-Term unemployed but my past presence at IBM and ICL has been rumbled on the Golf Board.
Have written weekly PGA Tour blogs on 606 and 606v2 (Notes from the Ballwasher) for almost five yrs.
Interests: Absolutely: Sport too. Teams followed: Portsmouth FC, Hants CC, Montreal Canadiens, NY Yankees, Buffalo Bills, All South Carolina, UVM, and Syracuse college sport, to a greater or lesser extent.


County supported: Hampshire.
Fave players: Shack, Roy Marshall, Butch White, Peter Sainsbury, Barry Richards, Greenidge, Richard Hayward, Steve Wooding. All retired.
Last match attended: Barbados vs Guyana on honeymoon. Draw your own conclusions!

Personal cricketing career: Ickenham CC, Whyteleafe CC. But not within living memory of most current members.
Best ground played at: White's on the IOW.
Fave ground for watching: Portsmouth United Services Ground.
Would like to attend: MCG.

Anything else would be way too much information, but join us at the Ballwasher and snippets will occasionally be revealed.

PS: Love the way the cricket board is run. Fists

PPS: But the golf board has its very excellent moments, despite recent reports to the contrary.

kwinigolfer wrote:
Fave players: Shack, Roy Marshall, Butch White, Peter Sainsbury, Barry Richards, Greenidge, Richard Hayward, Steve Wooding. All retired.

Some mighty names there - but Steve Wooding is a new one on me....

Corporal,
Trust me, he's a legend; in certain parts of Surrey at any rate. Must be in his eighties by now.
Happy New Year at the barracks

Kwini - I am mortified that, as a Surrey supporter, I was not familiar with the name. With your clues I think I have managed to locate some key facts.

He came 6th in the Surrey supporters 2004 Christmas prize draw, winning a £10 voucher.

Sadly, however I believe he died in the winter of 2005/06. The Surrey supporters websiite records the following information:

STEVE WOODING
Sadly, we also have to report the death of Steve Wooding - known affectionately to his fellow Surrey supporters as "Whyteleafe Steve" - who passed away over the winter. When his playing days were at an end Steve became an avid follower of both the Surrey first and second teams; a pastime he combined with being groundsman at Whyteleafe Football Club. Steve was a perceptive watcher of the
game and had an astute eye for who was set to become a top-flight cricketer. He would regale those lucky to be seated near him at The Oval with his recollections of matches from years gone by and had a wit that matched the mischievous expression - like the occasion, in 1992, when launched into an extravagant celebration of Rudi Bryson's first wicket at The Oval, which took the South African until the end of July to collect. Steve will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him.

Corporal. You've really been digging! I've been out of touch for so long I didn't even realise he'd moved onwards and upwards.
Very funny man, loved his sport and the sort of devotee that every club should (and once upon a time did) have.
He would have been very pleased with the ten pound voucher!
Many thanks for that

Hoggy_Bear wrote: Occupation: Historian

Hoggy - and clearly one of impeccable judgement if your choice of Barnes and Hobbs is anything to go by.

Kwinigolfer
Interested to hear you played at Ickenham as I lived there for many years in the 60s and 70s and am now not a million miles away in Hatch End

As for me-
FIRST CRICKET MATCH - Surrey v Notts (the old bank holiday fixture) 1958
FIRST TEST - 1962 Eng v P at The Oval when I saw Eng get 400 on the first day.
BEST TEST - Cross between E v I at Lord's 1990 when I saw all five days (Gooch's 300 and 100, Kapil's sixes, brilliant 100 from Azha) and E v WI at Lord's 1984 which ended with Greenidge's blistering 200 on last afternoon.
BEST DAY'S PLAY IN TEST - Last day (actually the third) E v WI at Lord's in 2000 when Eng scraped home by two wickets. Terrific tension - every run applauded. Like being back at a Test in the 50s and 60s before the drinking and the chanting took over.
PERSONAL PLAY - Turn out on Sundays for Twyford and Ruscombe cricket club in Berkshire. We play on some of the prettiest grounds in the country and I've chalked up 36 seasons (they can't seem to get rid of me)
UNEXPECTED PLEASURE (printable) - Turning up almost by chance at the Sydney cricket ground and seeing Simon Katich make 300 practically in an afternoon (he scored almost 200 between lunch and tea) in a NSW-Queensland match in 07/08.
BEST CRICKET MOMENT - When England's once-in-three-generations overwhelming win over the Aussies was confirmed at Sydney in January 2011.
WORST THING ABOUT CRICKET - The proliferation of meaningless one-dayers (whoops - seems I've repeated the wording of an earlier posting on this, but could not agree more)
BEST THING - The camaraderie of the game

sirfred,
My cricketing in Ickenham was modest in the extreme, lovely cricket around there though.

See you were robbed of two players yesterday and ROBBed of another earlier in the week.

Location: East Hertfordshire now, Yorkshire born and raised
Age: Was in my 30s when the thread started - not any more
Occupation: Engineering Consultant
Sports: Rugby (both codes), cricket and all racket sports

County supported: Yorkshire
Favourite cricketers currently playing: Mitchell Johnson
Favourite cricketers now retired: Warne, Lara
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: Watching Farouk Engineer keeping wicket for the Lords Taverners against our first team in about 1985
Favourite venue: Scarborough (where my Dad once played against Sir Garfield Sobers)
Venue I'd most like to visit, but haven't: MCG

What I love most about cricket: That it is a game you have to think about to fully appreciate
What I hate most about cricket: My lack of ability to bowl anything other than slow, non-turning off-breaks
Favourite Test series: England v Windies

Personal cricketing career: Haven't played regularly since University, but previously played age group and a couple of second XI games for a Bradford League club
Best ground played at: Pudsey St Lawrence - the club of Len Hutton and Herbert Sutcliffe
Bat used: Slazenger (used to have a Slaz 5 Star like Alan Lamb used other than I didn't have 15 extra grips on the handle)

Personal cricketing hilghlights: Taking a running catch off a skyer in my first 2nd team game. Being promoted to open the innings and batting through in an U17 game on the slopiest ground in the world (a ground where you genuinely had to call to 3rd man that the ball was heading his way, as he was half way down the valley)
Personal cricketing lowlights: Going for 24 in one over - recalls the reputed comment to Headley Verity from his captain after going for 32 in an over - you've got him confused; he doesn't know whether to hit you for 4 or 6.
I became a batsman/wicket keeper after that...

Just to add my personal cricketing high/lowlights:

Personal cricketing highlights: Bowling the last over of a T20 game where the opposition needed 8 runs with 3 wickets in hand. The first ball I bowled their last batsman of note, the ball just about clipping the bails at the top of off stump 'the perfect delivery' if you like, so much so that I didn't realise I had bowled him for a moment. The next 4 balls saw them take 2 singles and then the final ball went sailing past the keeper for 4 byes, thankfully to no consequence as we won by a couple of runs. That was nerve racking but exhilarating at the same time, and I was chuffed about it afterwards.

Another is when we were playing a game at Moseley and the opposition keeper was opening for them, a left hander that played some excellent shots in the first 4 overs, getting off to a flyer. I came on first change and 3rd ball to him had him snick an expansive drive to slip, who took a fantastic diving catch - that is my favourite wicket by a long way, as this kid could clearly play and it doesn't get much better than removing a quality batsman.

Add to that a run out where I threw the stumps down from mid-on, a six over the pavilion where all my team mates were sitting off the last ball of a match (I'd like to say it was to win, but unfortunately I needed 38 off the last ball...) and one straight lofted drive I played down the ground for a one bounce four the once, an impressive shot for a batsman as bad as me, and my finest in my awful batting career.

Personal cricketing lowlights: Going in at number 7 and getting out for a golden duck on my debut when I was 18, totally mis-timed a very ill-advised slog which went straight up in the area, giving mid-off an easy catch as he ran in. Got plenty of stick for that!

Bowling 3 overs for 27 on my debut for another side. Had an lbw appeal turned down which I thought was plum, though! Ultimately I hadn't bowled for a good few months, no practice and my lines and lengths were all over the shop. The batsman who took me apart went on to get a ton, which was some consolation, but nevertheless a total waste of the new ball from me.

Dropping a catch in a match that was finely balanced as I ran in from the boundary. Thankfully, we went on to win it.

Lowlights for me, there are a few:

A defeat by Portugal two balls from the end in a quarter final (indoors) no one expected us to win (we were ranked 7 and them 2 after the pool stages). Made even worse by the fact we had their key batsman run out by a meter and a half (no exaggeration) but given not out by an umpire who now sits on the elite European panel, and the fact that I gave away 2 byes as a keeper (I don't usually keep, but our keeper was having a bad tournament; keeping indoors is tough, you don't have much room and one of our guys was simply bowling too fast for me).

A tournament when I arrived as one of our best batsmen, in form, and departed with 9 runs from 4 innings.

Defeat by Italy last year (this time I was a coach) having bowled them out for 155 on a tiny pitch (they had been 137/5) but then collapsing to 29/6 (and recovering somewhat to 95 all out) - had we won that we'd have probably won the tournament I believe.

Location: Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland
Age: 27
Occupation: Student Accountant, Part-qualified Accountant/Finance Admin - Boring I know!
Sports: Football (Liverpool), cricket, F1 and wrestling

County supported: Yorkshire
Favourite cricketers currently playing: Jacques Rudolph and Chris Gayle
Favourite cricketers now retired: Darren Lehmann and Curtley Ambrose
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: 1st day of the 1st Test of the 2005 Ashes.
Favourite venue: MCG
Venue I'd most like to visit, but haven't: MCG
What I love most about cricket: The subtleties of a Test match that can only be understood by those that truely follow the game.
What I hate most about cricket: Rain, Flat pitches
Favourite Test series: Ashes


Personal
cricketing career: None whatsoever, which is a real shame. I'm on the 'wrong side of the fence' in Northern Ireland to have been brought up playing cricket. I'm a complete armchair cricket fan, who will now generally only watch any game England are involved in, hence why I haven't posted on here in a while!

Liver, hope to see you posting during the upcming England and Pakistan series then, mate!

Fell free to get involved with any of the debates on the old timers, even if you don't keep up to date with much modern cricket. The more the merrier

Location: London, England (now). Grew up in Marlborough New Zealand, then spent 12 years studying and working in Christchurch NZ.
Age: 36
Occupation: Data analyst (yawn!)
Sporting Interests: Rugby union, cricket, netball

1st class team supported: Central Districts (I got a trial for them at under 17 level), Canterbury
Favourite cricketers currently playing: Daniel Vettori, Dale Steyn, Malinga
Favourite cricketers now retired: Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Ian Smith, Martin Crowe, Lance Cairns
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: Nathan Astle's "blitz" double hundred vs England at Lancaster Park
Favourite venue: In NZ, Lancaster Park (odds are that after the Christchurch earthquake it'll never be used again ). I've enjoyed watching games at both Lords and the Oval, and playing at Broadhalfpenny Down in 2011 was special.
Venue I'd most like to visit, but haven't: The MCG
What I love most about cricket: getting out and playing, anywhere from a 1st class ground to on the beach with a tennis ball
What I hate most about cricket: Administration at the top level.
Favourite Test series: NZ vs Australia

Personal cricketing career: Played for my school 1st XI in the Gillette Cup (NZ national secondary school comp) final - unfortunately future test batsman Matthew Bell was on the other team and caned us. Out of that I played in a Central Districts U17 trial match as a leg spinner/#7 batsman, but didn't make the top side. A back injury at university put my bowling on the shelf, but I managed a few games in Christchurch senior club cricket as a middle order bat - playing for the same club as Nathan Astle, Craig MacMillen, Michael Papps and a couple of other Canterbury players meant 2nd grade was my lot most of the time. Other claims to fame:
-while batting in a match at school in 4th form a ball from future All Black captain Anton Oliver broke my finger (he was in my form class, and had just made the 1st XI bowling fast left arm)
-I filled in for my Chch club Presidents' grade (aka golden oldies) team and got to face Sir Richard Hadlee in his final club cricket season. And I didn't get out
Best ground played at: Broadhalfpenny Down
Bat used: In NZ, Gray Nicolls Twin-Scoop. Over here I've bought a cheap Slazenger.

A little about me on 606v2: - I'm mostly found down on the Rugby board, but lurk in the cricket section a fair amount too.

Highlights:
There's a couple mentioned above, but one was playing in a 2nd grade match with a brace on a sprained wrist (we were short or players) I hit some valuable death runs (the brace actually seemed to help, I was having a poor season), then defending a total the opposition's star batsman skied one into the leg side. The guy at square leg looked up at it, and said "yours" (he was filling in - and he was 55 years old). The ball swirled a bit in the wind as it came down so I wound up tripping as itreached me, rolling over and coming up with the ball stuck in the injured hand.

Lowlight. Having a team-mate die of a heart attack as we both took our pads off (I'd gotten out, he'd replaced me and gotten out 2nd ball), his last words were "Pete help". And his 7 year old son was watching us play

Wow, that's terrible!

Fists of Fury wrote:Wow, that's terrible!

It certainly wasn't a good day. Our wicket keeper and the opposition captain were both civil defence volunteers, and they kept him going with CPR for a few minutes, but it took 15 minutes for the ambulance to arrive (my then flatmate was an ambulance driver, and he said in that situation there's probably a 5 minute window to get defibrilators onto the patient). Fortunately the wife of one of the opposition was a teacher at Jonno's son's school, so she was able to shepherd him off and keep him distracted. When Nathan Astle heard he gave Jonno's son a complete set of his NZ ODI kit, and at the funeral the team formed an honour guard with bats. Now when the 2 teams meet in the league they play for a trophy named for Jonno too.

Location: Leicestershire, England.
Age: 20
Occupation: Student/Part time burger flipper.
Interests: Football (Manchester United fan), Cricket ('Mon the foxes), Handball, General exercise.

County supported: Leicestershire
Favourite cricketers currently playing: Morne Morkel. Dale Steyn, Tamim Iqbal, James Taylor
Favourite cricketers now retired: Gilchrist, Flintoff, Donald
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: Monty and Jimmy's match saving partnership in 2009.
Favourite venue: Grace Road... I joke, the SCG is one that I always like to watch tests at on the box.
Venue I'd most like to visit, but haven't: The S.C.G or the Gabba.
What I love most about cricket: I love the psychological warfare you see between batsman and bowler, I feel it truly makes the occasion what it is. Some of the best matches I've seen have seen absolute wars between a bowler and a batter.
What I hate most about cricket: The lack of common sense shown by the hierarchy at times.
Favourite Test series: Ashes by a mile!

Personal cricketing career: Played since I was 14ish at various levels, playing at pub league level at the minute quite successfully. An all rounder who can take bowlers to the cleaners but am also pretty decent with ball in hand.
Best ground played at: Hinckley Town CC
Bat used: Puma Atomic.

Highlights - Scoring an unbeaten century on a pitch which required flat out running in ridiculous temperatures.
Also, my first wicket was a pretty special occasion.

Lowlights - My early experiences playing, being in a team full of lads being preened by the county, who as a result got into the side and got to bat and bowl at the expense of regular trainers like myself. Wasn't an environment to be learning the game in.

A little about me on 606v2: Bit of an allrounder, really. I post in cricket, wrestling, football, the off topic sections and usually whatever takes my fancy. I was voted in to be cricket moderator, in which I went toe to toe with our friend Sonic many a time. I was then promoted to Global Moderator, meaning that I look around the board as a whole, whilst still trying to contribute effectively.

Kiwireddevil wrote:

Fists of Fury wrote:Wow, that's terrible!

It certainly wasn't a good day. Our wicket keeper and the opposition captain were both civil defence volunteers, and they kept him going with CPR for a few minutes, but it took 15 minutes for the ambulance to arrive (my then flatmate was an ambulance driver, and he said in that situation there's probably a 5 minute window to get defibrilators onto the patient). Fortunately the wife of one of the opposition was a teacher at Jonno's son's school, so she was able to shepherd him off and keep him distracted. When Nathan Astle heard he gave Jonno's son a complete set of his NZ ODI kit, and at the funeral the team formed an honour guard with bats. Now when the 2 teams meet in the league they play for a trophy named for Jonno too.

That's a nice gesture, but what a sad story.

Just a few highlights and lowlights:

Highlights:

Obviously the unbeaten 123 would be in there, it was for the sunday side and the opposition were short so we called in some of our club players to go on their team which included the first team captain, have to say I enjoyed taking a good few runs off him.

Another would be hitting 50* against my school staff team for my club in a T20 game, which now that I volunteer there gets me some games for the staff team

Thirdly would be a game last season where me and my opening partner had an opening stand of 187 ish, the opposition were mouthing off to us about some stuff that was going on on the pitch that they didn't like, eg our batsman taking a second out after potentially hurting him hamstring and therefore took it upon myself to have some payback by crashing a kid i used to coach 12/13 years old (who shouldnt have been playing as you have to be 14) around the ground. Would have felt bad doing that to a kid usually but he's a damn good bowler for his age and he himself was swearing at us. Went on to make 90 in that match which to date is my highest league score.

The fourth and probably my favourite would be hitting my first chanceless 50 against our rivals in the league while me and the other opener were batting at about 6 or 7 an over together.

Lowlights:

getting out for a golden the first and only chance i've had at opening for the 1st team, the next week i batted at number 10.

3 seasons ago a couldn't buy a run at adult level was going to be dropped in a week or 2 as i was only playing the first game of the season due to lack of numbers, got chucked in at opening as it was something different for me (previously 3,4,5 ish) and hit 43 and it just clicked for me, but the time before that I found horrible being 14/15 and not hitting runs practically being there to field.

Concur with you there Hodge, rubbish feeling isn't it?!

yup its why when i captain the sunday side i make sure all the youngsters either bat in the first 5 or 6 if a batter or get a good 5/6 overs at least if they're a bowler.

Location: Gateshead, England
Age: 17
Occupation: Student
Sports: Football (Newcastle Fan) Cricket, Tennis, Snooker, Darts

County supported: Durham
Favourite cricketers currently playing: Stuart Broad, AB De Villiers, Dale Benkenstein, Ian Bell,
Favourite cricketers now retired: Brian Lara, Adam Gilchrist, Glen McGrath
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: Hat-Trick by Stuart Broad in the India series which changed the whole complexion of the series.
Favourite venue: Lords, simple.
Venue I'd most like to visit, but haven't: Lords, again.
What I love most about cricket: That the game can be changed at any moment
What I hate most about cricket: Lack of technology not being fully used, players going off for light rain.
Favourite Test series: Ashes
Personal cricketing career: Played for my local club on and off for a few years, late middle order batsman, occasional opening bowler.
Best ground played at: None in particular or any that stand out
Bat used: Puma

A little about me on 606v2: Normally around the Cricket section, sometimes the Boxing, Football and gaming section.

Liam

great to see you back liam

Long time no speak Gregers

Cheers CF

Location: Wales/Durham
Age: 18
Occupation: Bum, or student
Interests: Cricket, rugby, darts, snooker... Most sports really!

County supported: Somerset
Favourite cricketers currently playing: Trescothick, James Taylor, Steven Finn
Favourite cricketers now retired: Gilly, Michael Bevan, Simon Jones
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: Slightly depressing that it is only Darren Sammy's fifer at the Old Trafford versus Englnd!
Favourite venue: New Road, out of the ones I have been to.
Venue I'd most like to visit, but haven't: Basin Reserve. Just looks stunning.
What I love most about cricket: Playing it, watching it, just everything about it! I'm not sure anything could happen to stop me loving cricket.
What I hate most about cricket: How bad England are at ODI's... and losing!
Favourite Test series: Ashesssssss!

Personal cricketing career: Played for a few clubs now, but I've settled in Shropshire now. Best described as a hit and miss batsmen, but when I come off (twice as a season max) I get runs very quickly! My bowling style is the exact opposite of my flamboyant batting. Medium pace trundle. Very dull.
Best ground played at: Shrewsbury CC. The ground of the National Champs, and it is fitting for them!
Bat used: Mongoose!

Highlights - Putting on an unbeaten 62 for the last wicket in a game last season off which I scored 56 off them!

Lowlights - Hard to pick. One of the many ducks or dropped catches. Just a struggle to pick which one of the matches where they happened together was the worst...

Location: Middle England
Name: Stella (it is on here)
Age: 39
Occupation - Sales
Sports played: Football, Cricket and Pool. Also running. I now do nothing except sit in front of the TV, moaning at Footballers etc.
Favourite Venue: Lords. Great atmosphere. Also had coaching there, which done me no good.
Venue I'd Like Most To Visit: The SCG. One day, when the kids are old.
Ambition: To run a marathon.
Motivation: My kids.
Famous Cricketers that I've met: NONE

JDizzle wrote:Occupation: Bum, or student

Students do work, honest

Well since I've joined, i might as well do the formal introduction and questionnaire!!

Location: Durham, England (though will probably be moving in a couple of months)
Age: 25
Occupation: PhD Student (in write-up mode!)
Interests: Athletics, cricket, tennis and boxing are the main ones. Everything else slightly less so

County supported: Sussex
Favourite cricketers currently playing: Eng - Ian Bell, Graeme Swann. Non-Eng: Vernon Philander, Daniel Vettori, Fidel Edwards
Favourite cricketers now retired: Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose
Best cricketing moment I've witnessed live: 2006 england v Pakistan 3rd Test. Monty Panesar bowling Younis Khan with a beauty of a ball.
Favourite venue: Headingley - has almost everything a ground should have.
Venue I'd most like to visit, but haven't: Still haven't been to Chester-le-street (shameful i know!). Also Edgbaston.
What I love most about cricket: Impossible to list specifics. Despite some downpoints, the game is still really healthy today.
What I hate most about cricket: The administrators and anyone who does bad scheduling of games (mostly too many games). Also Test series lengths need to be sorted - no 2 test series between major players please!
Favourite Test series: Is still the Ashes. And will be for many a year.

Personal cricketing career: Sadly haven't played for some years, but was formerly a member of Bromley Town and Old Bromelians CC. Leg cutters and leg-spin for bowling (which varied in spin as much as it did in quality!). Usually a tail-end batsman with little power (only ever hit 1 six), but have batted in most positions.
Best ground played at: The Nevill Ground at Tunbridge Wells (one of Kent's outgrounds). Beautiful surroundings, and a brilliant pitch to play on.
Bat used: Salix Whacker
Personal highlights: Being sent in at No.5 on a whim, shared a game-winning partnership of 75, of which i scored 19! Bowling-wise, taking 5 for 7 in a school match (where we successfully defended a total of 46!), and bowling to two Zimbabwe international players in a club match - figures after 2 balls, 0.2-0-10-0 which eventually became 7-0-28-3!
Personal Lowlights: As an U13 player at school, playing 8 matches and scoring ducks in 6 of them was disheartening in the extreme!
Famous cricketers met: Met Brian Luckhurst (England opener in the 1970s) at a junior cricket tournament.