England cricket team: Fun and flawed

It's a shame really that, once again, the England cricket team have ended a series in a limp defeat in a dead rubber. Just as with the last Ashes test at the Oval last summer, Alistair Cook's men put up a lacklustre show in Centurion and took a little of the shine off what was a superb series win against the number one ranked test team in their own back yard.

He might have his hands on the trophy but Cooky says team must go to the next level #SAvsENG https://t.co/OTT8fprlhU pic.twitter.com/OTMS3jiXXd

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 26, 2016

In some respects you could make two very different cases for the state of the nation's cricket team. On the one hand there are question marks over the technique of Alex Hales - the umpteenth opener to be tried - over the suitability of Nick Compton at 3, James Taylor at 5, the wicket keeping ability of Jonny Bairstow and his rival Jos Buttler and the fitness of bowlers Steven Finn, Mark Wood and, to a lesser extent Jimmy Anderson.

Then there's the infamous batting collapses. The website Holding Willey reckons there were an incredible 11 in 15 tests from April 2015 in the West Indies.

Yet, on the other hand, there are great positives. Cook, the captain, is England's record run scorer of all time, Joe Root is constantly vying with Kane Williamson and Steven Smith for the crown of the world's best batsman, Stuart Broad IS the world's best ranked bowler and Jimmy Anderson is England record wicket taker, with the 7th most victims in test history for any team. Ben Stokes, Bairstow and Moeen Ali also epitomise an exciting attack lower order and embody the new style of Trevor Bayliss, Paul Farbrace and Andrew Strauss.

Then there's the individual moments of brilliance in the past year alone. Broad's Ashes 8-15 at Trent Bridge was one of the best spells in test history and his 6-17 at Johannesburg wasn't far off either.

Stuart Broad: people have been walking past me doing that face | @James_Riach http://t.co/9bjli0Emcr (Photo: Rex) pic.twitter.com/jexFNvfkGu

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) August 17, 2015

Joe Root hit two Ashes hundreds and Cook racked up an incredible 263 in the UAE at the end of 2015 in a marathon innings that was the third longest stay at the crease in test history. It was the complete opposite of Ben Stokes' scintillating double hundred in Cape Town, 198-ball 258 that must rank as one of the most exciting knocks ever from an English batsman.

The Ashes win and victory over South Africa were both against the odds and the 2-0 defeat against Pakistan hardly reflected the balance of an even battle in the UAE.

So, which is true? Are England a side riddled with selection issues, injury doubts and worrying dips in form? Or are they a side full of great individual talent that has played some breathtaking - and successful - cricket that we should all be proud of.

The answer is that both are true and that, in my view, is part of the attraction of this current line up. Yes they are flawed but you can rarely argue that they are dull. They're never too far from either a collapse or some match-winning brilliance, a trait that means it's captivating to watch (if a little nervy). It's precisely because a collapse or a Broad spell could be just around the corner that makes this unpredictable side an exciting prospect. Some of the negatives, too, come from the fact that the team strives to play attacking cricket, hardly something to be too critical of.

We should all be proud of what the side has achieved and the manner in which it has gone about its cricket. In truth this team has not had the praise it has deserved.

We also need to accept that when the going is good this side can be truly great but, when the going is bad, things can quickly go pear-shaped. Don't relax, don't get complacent and, importantly, don't take your eyes off them. They may be flawed but they're ruddy fun too.

No hit Sherlock

I was left confused by Sherlock on New Year's Day. Not so much by the plot - although that was a stretch given January 1 booze levels - but by whether or not I enjoyed or endured it. (Spoilers below btw).

"Dr John Watson, meet Mr Sherlock Holmes." Here's the #Sherlock special https://t.co/jyPjk5qB9j pic.twitter.com/80B2jJlxcj

— BBC iPlayer (@BBCiPlayer) January 2, 2016

The BBC's lesser spotted flagship show returned to our screens with an episode that appeared to be an adventure that plunged this modern update back into the Conan Doyle era. Except it wasn't, not really.

I'll admit now that I am a fan of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss' series. It's well cast - with Benedict Cumberbatch nailing the obnoxiously clever and mercurial sleuth - and smartly put together. I like the fact that we get it in short sharp bursts - partly out of necessity of the schedules of the actors/showrunner - and the fact that, in an era of repeats, remakes and revamps this is fresh, intellectual and challenging. But I still don't think the Abominable Bride hit the mark.

The problem with this episode is that mid way in it tried to pick up plot strands from a two-year-old series finale in order to set up another series that won't air for at least a year. Just typing that out sounds a little ridiculous and such a premise is surely doomed to fail? How can they possibly expect casual viewers to keep up or even care?

Is this even what the fans want? If coming up with a 'bridge' episode was intended to satisfy the die hards I feel it was misjudged. Fans were happy enough to lap up the return of Holmes and Watson and putting the duo back into the era of the original books was enough of a crowd pleaser to be going on with. A standalone adventure in this context would've been a real treat. It would've been fine to leave it open to the viewer to determine whether the whole thing was in a drug addled Sherlock's 'Mind Palace' in my view and the non-regulars would've been able to pick it up even with minimal prior knowledge.

The episode itself contained some nice ideas - and the murder committed by an already-dead woman was an intriguing mystery. I just felt it would've been nicer if this were given more prominence, if the show were more centred on 'abominable bride' at its heart, with the character stuff in the background, instead of the other way around. The resolution was, in the end, a little telegraphed and felt a little underwhelming given that we were clearly supposed to be concerned with 'something else'.

I think in the past I've read that the writers consider this to be a 'show about a detective' rather than a 'detective show' but who watching - diehard fan or not - doesn't at least want to see a little bit of skilled sleuthery (if that's even a word)? A little bit more of Sherlock 'being Sherlock' might've been nice.

Moriarty's apparent return at the end of the last series seemed a little bit of a shame to me. Lars Mikkelsen's portrayal of Charles Augustus Magnussen deserved praise as a creepy and memorable villain, yet his devilishness and the events of the episode were wilfully undermined by the final twist. It ensured the show was trending on social media I suppose, is that what these moments are for ultimately?

If the point of this was to introduce the idea that Moriarty might be dead but that a group could be using his name and legacy for their own gains. then it probably could've done this in a way that didn't alienate as many people. I don't want to moan about Sherlock, it retains the potential to be better than most shows when it gets things right - but I just wish it could've pieced together the constituent parts of the episode into a clearer and more enjoyable picture.

It's a long old wait unto the next slice of action from 221B Baker Street, we'll probably have forgotten this by then anyway, right?

13 tweets that perfectly sum up the reaction to last night's #Sherlock special https://t.co/cp1DIoy1Ex pic.twitter.com/9Y9hRXJiz1

— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) January 2, 2016

10 things almost as overrated and underwhelming as New Year's Eve

Going out for New Year’s Eve is overrated isn’t it? A surprising number of people seem to know this deep down and yet so many of us feel the need to drag ourselves out, pay over the odds to get in somewhere distinctly underwhelming that’ll be free on any other day.

Staying in, maybe with a few friends, is what a lot of us would rather do, so why embrace something so utterly pointless and underwhelming as watching our clocks all night in an overpriced and overhyped environment with people too drunk to know what year it is anyway?

With 2016 about to begin, here’s ten other things that I think are almost as naff as New Year’s Eve…

1. Halloween. I’ve always felt it was a bit naff but it’s even worse than ever now. Most people’s outfits aren’t remotely ‘spooky’ and it’s largely just an excuse for adults with more money than sense to pretend they’re kids again.

2. Black Friday. How many people here celebrate Thanksgiving? No? In which case, why get caught up in the day after, which is traditionally where electrical retailers woo in not-at-work shoppers to spend on bargains.

 3. The X Factor. Has anyone even heard the winner’s song? Time for a break Simon.

4. The Apprentice. Since Old Sugar isn’t even looking for an apprentice any more isn’t it about time this was brought to an end? People who show a flair for selling spuds in round one get to the final ahead of those who might actually have an entrepreneurial idea that is worth investing in. Pointless.

5. Formula One. Rich kids squabbling over which has the fastest car? Not for me.

6. Adele’s new song. Yep, there you go, I’ve said it. I like Adele, she’s a great character and I’m pleased with the success she’s had. But that song? Yawn. I wouldn’t fancy paying over the odds to see a concert full of that fare.

7. Sports Personality of the Year. I love the BBC – and we should all fight to keep it – but this is Auntie at her worst. A silly backslapping charade.

8. The Honours System. Another year, another round of uproar at ill-deserved gongs handed out to vaguely famous people for ‘doing their job’ or mates of whoever is in power. The worst thing is that this discredits the worthy efforts of the folk who get the ‘lesser’ awards for community work that really does deserve an honour.

9. Superhero films. Haven’t we reached fatigue with these superhero franchises? How many more Batman tales are there to tell? How about some new characters and storylines? Just a thought.

10. US TV dramas. Don’t get me wrong. There are some cracking shows from the US but too many people start with the assumption that because it’s from America and on Netflix it’s instantly better than a British programme. If Sherlock or Luther were American they’d probably be hyped beyond recognition, and spun out over a too-many-episode series to boot. The Americans are good at big budget, but we are good at tight, well-written drama too. It’s time for some love for our shows too.

Ok, that’s enough grumpiness for now. I’m sure that’s upset plenty of people! The point is that plenty of things are, when you strip away the hype, just a little bit naff aren’t they?

 It’d be nice if we approached life by forming our own opinions, rather than liking things because we’re told to and they’re popular. I appreciate that other people do like the ten above but it’s fine not to go with the flow. It’d be boring if we all agreed and it is boring when people like things because it’s the done thing.

I know that some people think the things I like – football, cricket, politics, history – are naff but I’m fine with people not agreeing with me.

So, Happy New Year, and here’s the end of bandwagons. Cheers.

Mumford and Sons gig was a musical feast

Sometimes the best things in life are unexpected aren't they? That was certainly the case when I saw Mumford and Sons' tour-opening gig at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham. It was thanks to a good friend and a stroke of luck that I went on Saturday night and fortunately those circumstances resulted in a cracking feast of music.

You can't help but admire anyone with a musical flair and there's no denying that Mumford and Sons have got that in spades. This was a two hour guitar, piano, banjo, horn, drum and double bass frenzy. Visually stunning and musically rich.

This was a band on the top of its game, three albums - and plenty of awards - in to their career, they were confident, consummate and looked to be having fun. We certainly were in the crowd even if the praise for Jamie Vardy nearly backfired in Nottingham.

I'm not sure how the band's change of style for the latest album has gone down among hardcore fans, with the synonymous banjo sidelined for the electric guitar. I reckon they've  managed to stay clear of slipping into a generic sound and the new songs blended in seamlessly, adding variety to a gig that still delivered old favourites such as The Cave and Little Lion Man. The only slight disappointment was the lack of Winter Winds from Sigh No More but you cant have them all can you?

Singles Believe, Ditmas and The Wolf were gratefully lapped up while I'm a fan of Tompkins Square Park. Cold Arms, meanwhile, was part of an intimate one-microphone two-song set with Timshel that brought proceedings right in front of us.

A brief diversion into Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) was entertaining and made use of the talents of up-and-coming support star Jack Garratt.

This might not have been a planned date in the diary but it was certainly a memorable one. Here's to more pleasant surprises...

Starsailor's superb show delivered the goods

It's an odd thing being a fan isn't it? You spend all of your time looking forward to seeing your favourite football team, TV show or band and following their fortunes. Yet, when push comes to shove, there's a moment of doubt. That moment when worry sets in.

You'd have been forgiven for a pang of worry coming to Starsailor's greatest hits tour, could they still nail that back catalogue?

Yet, barely seconds in to the gig at The Waterfront in Norwich any fan worry clearly dissipated. James Walsh strode onto the stage and powered out Poor Misguided Fool, one of seven tracks from debut album Love Is Here to be performed in a true treat of a show.

Really loving our UK tour so far! pic.twitter.com/1wwn07zBit

— Starsailor Official (@Starsailorband) October 5, 2015

A good gig often encourages me to appreciate a good song even more - and that was certainly the case with the hideously underrated Way To Fall, tweaked a little here to add an effective bit of audience interaction. Lullaby, Fever, Alcoholic all formed part of a set that should remind casual fans just how good Love Is Here really was.

The band's other three albums also contributed to a generous set list - which also featured the new track Give Up The Ghost, a welcome new addition to the fold.

Walsh kept the banter to a minimum, with the odd bit of natural charm thrown in as he paused to take on water in the sweltering atmosphere of this intimate venue. For the most, though, he let his voice do the talking. None of the power of the record had waned and he left you hoping that the band has even more to offer.

There was certainly no better way to bring the curtain down that with Good Souls, the track that gave its name to this greatest hits tour.

Great memories, great tracks and a great performance - you couldn't ask for more.

From now on, it's all Jeremy Corbyn's fault

Rejoice nation, rejoice. For we have a new scapegoat on which to heap all of our misery. We have Jeremy Corbyn.

"Corbyn snubs Queen and Country" - Jeremy Corbyn dominating today's papers. http://t.co/3cF6YoKovI Pic @suttonnick pic.twitter.com/2ojDILYrqW

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) September 16, 2015

This is a man who failed to recognise that the Second World War was fought and won so that we now have the freedom to force people to sing songs that they don't agree with.

The new Labour leader shall, it seems, be forever pre-fixed by the term 'hard left' in the same way that 'so called' is added to Islamic State. We disagree with them both so much that we don't really think they deserve to have a name. As a result we act as though not talking about them properly might make them just go away so we don't have to deal with them.

This, let us not forget, is a man who fails to dress properly. By not doing his top button up he, clearly, might as well be wearing Bermuda shorts and walking around bare chested as public events. As one man rightly put it on the news - if he can't dress himself properly then why should we listen to him on the way the nation dresses? Indeed. And we haven't even touched on his taste in socks.

It'd be preposterous to have a politics where people didn't dress like the elite wouldn't it? If politicians don't all dress, talk and think the same then what excuse will we all have for not getting off our backsides to vote every five years?

Jeremy Corbyn has won the #LabourLeadership contest: http://t.co/SoyYobeOiL pic.twitter.com/Vhrs5TH1w9

— HuffPost UK (@HuffPostUK) September 12, 2015

This is a man whose victory was clearly a sham because it was only based on winning a large majority of the party he's leading. It's not like the Prime Minister was elected leader of his party in a vote where the entire turnout was less than the amount Corbyn polled, having finishing second to David Davis in the first round. That definitely didn't happen.

He can't possibly be legitimate because he forced an attention-seeking weasel - who no-one has ever heard of - to resign during his acceptance speech. That too was followed by the resignation of several other people who just led their party to defeat. They must know better surely?

He even asked for questions from the public to put to the Prime Minister at PMQs, as if the people who vote really deserve to have their opinions and suggestions aired in the Commons. Crazy.

Most frightening of all is the fact that this man, who can't dress, sing or ask questions properly, is, at the same time - and in a position that is in no way contradicTory - ruddy bloody dangerous.

Don't believe me? The Prime Minister said so himself.

The Labour Party is now a threat to our national security, our economic security and your family's security.

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) September 13, 2015

Yep, he's coming for your families folks. It's your duty to hate him and blame him for everything.

----------------

In all seriousness I don't yet know what I think of Jeremy Corbyn. Bizarrely, I actually believe in giving someone a fair hearing and have been left unsettled by the hysteria so far.

He might be old (another stick to beat him with) but he has fresh ideas and a fresh team, let's at least hear their policies and see what they try to do before shooting them down in flames.

He might turn out to be a disaster, as many predict, but if we never let someone who sounds or looks different have a chance then we're pretty sad and intolerant as a nation.

10 thoughts on the Labour leadership race

What a joy the Ashes has been this summer. Not least because it has been a welcome break from the General Election politics binge. Still, the fallout from the ballot box battering continues for the Labour Party and, with the contest to find a new leader STILL not over, here's ten musings on the race to replace Ed Miliband...

Why The Labour Leadership Race Is Now Wide Open http://t.co/vYXT50nkOA pic.twitter.com/jSzjee9fWr

— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 7, 2015

1. Why the hell is it taking so long? 

Yes, I know the party said it wanted to have a full debate about the future after the election night disaster but this is ridiculous. We are still more than a month away from the winner being announced. It'll be 128 days since the election by the time it comes out. The message sent the to electorate is that they don't know what they're doing. I know Parliament is off for its usual lengthy summer off but, given that the candidates have been known for some time, couldn't this have all been wrapped up by now?

2. Why so nasty?

Maybe the inordinate amount of time take has led the contest to becoming so bitter? It certainly has looked more fiercely and angrily fought than the election itself, even if this has largely been from the respective 'camps' rather than the contenders themselves. The criticism of Liz Kendall for being 'childless' was shameful. Whatever you think of her that was poor and, again, gave the electorate more reason to see the party as being out of touch.

3. Any ideas?

It's not enough for the other candidates to shout and bellow at Jeremy Corbyn for being 'unelectable'. How about explaining which of his ideas and policies won't work - since there are legitimate debates on this front - and countering them with different suggestions? Too much of the talk from the other camps has been about throwing negatives at Corbyn's door while trying to avoid promising bold policies that can't be defended in an election manifesto. 

4. Can Corbyn win?

I never actually thought Jeremy Corbyn would come remotely close to winning but the veteran MP finds himself in front. I still get the impression he might be overtaken but his rise has been a surprise. Perhaps it shouldn't be though. Having someone like him on the ticket was always likely to show the others up for spouting too many soundbites. He represents genuine change in a way that none of the others have come close to doing and he hasn't been afraid to throw up some bold ideas. As things stand Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham seem to be mopping up supporters with similar outlooks. You feel that one of them will have to surge ahead to knock Corbyn out of the race.

5. Clause 4 mistake

Corbyn did make a big mistake when hinting that he wouldn't be against a return to 'Clause Four' in this weekend's Independent on Sunday. Yes, he actually referred to coming up with something new in the same spirit but bringing it up by name simply gave ammunition to others of a return to the past. Labour should look for a snappier more modern way of defining itself - but not in the form of the cheesy soundbites attached to the leadership campaigns or retreading the steps of the past.

6. Heir to Blair

Labour has a huge hang up about Tony Blair but surely it's about time it dropped it. I know many of the party's members can't look past Iraq (and granted that's a massive issue) but the failure to accept and celebrate any of the positives from his era paved the way for their opponents to paint the entire time in a bad light. Labour has to admit Blair was an electoral success and learn why.

7. Image matters

One of the lessons to come from the Blair era is the importance of having someone who looks and sounds like a leader. In many respects it's sad that the public cares about image so much. Having strong ideas and convictions ought to come first before the ability to 'sound good on the telly' but they don't. Take a look at the last Parliament. Even when Labour was ahead - during the days of fuel crises and the unravelling budget of caravans and pasties etc - David Cameron was way ahead of Ed Miliband when it came to asking the public who would make the best PM. It's an odd thing that we elect parties and MPs yet focus most of our attention on a presidential style contest between one or two combatants. Until that changes, Labour needs a leader with wide appeal.

8. The wrong contest?

It's easy to forget that Ed Miliband deserved to win the last Labour leadership election. Yes he gained the support of the unions but, actually, he did perform well in the contender debates. The trouble was that it came down to a student debating contest that wasn't necessarily helpful for the role of leader of the opposition.

9. Voting system

It might have seemed like a nice idea, but will inviting people to pay £3 to become eligible to vote backfire? The talk of a joint infiltration of Telegraph readers and the far left - not normally bedfellows - seems to have be overblown but it does seem that if Corbyn wins he'll have to shake this tag off just as Miliband did the 'in the unions' pocket' jibe.

10. Taking on Boris

Theresa May and George Osborne may have their eyes on the Conservative Party leadership but surely the stage is set for Boris Johnson to be the leader by the time the next election comes around? Labour will need a strong candidate to take him on. I can't help thinking that old BoJo might struggle against a formidable female...