Let the real games begin......

Now that the World Cup is over, or at least it will be over after England play Windies today, we have to turn our thoughts to the game that really matters where nobody gets two points for winning a game that doesn't matter.  YES I mean the County Championship and Test Cricket.  Long may they last as the REAL way to play the game.

 

Just ask yourself, today will be match 48 of the World Cup, how many even vaguely exciting finishes have we had - 2? England winning against SriLon despite losing and South Affrica against SriLon.  That's it I believe and how daft is that?

 

Certainly there have been some fun moments during the World Cup. Particularly drinking beer all day with MFJ, while others wimped out.  Or meeting Branson, breaking down in a taxi, a free b eer at Barbados airport, trying to order a sandwich from a place that didn't have any bread or not getting cash from an ATM in a casino. The wonderful people of Antigua with a beautiful stadium that could fall apart if they get a strong gust of wind because of the standards of Chinese engineering.

 

As the World Cup winds down and finishes today, I'd like to thank the Monkey Butlers for being such a fun bunch of chaps. Maybe we can do an England Test in 2007 or see the Aussies in Barbados in 2008 or better still plan for Barbados 2009 and the storming of fortress Barbados by the Barmy Army yet again.

 

To celebrate the first win of the championship season by the mighty men with the six martlets, let's all sing together:

Now is the time for playing
Now let your hearts be gay
List what your captain is saying
While off the field of play
So put your best leg forward, my lads
And time each ball you see
If you sing the old song
Well you can't go wrong
Of Sussex By The Sea

Good Old Sussex by the Sea, Good Old Sussex By the Sea
You can tell them all that we stand or fall
For Sussex by the Sea.

Good Old Sussex By the Sea
Their cricket is a pleasure to see
They will give you a show
For they don't play slow
And useful men are they
So when you go to Sussex
Six Martlets men to see
They will delight you all
With the bat and the ball
In the County Ground by the Sea.

Good Old Sussex by the Sea, Good Old Sussex By the Sea
You can tell them all that we stand or fall
For Sussex by the Sea.