Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

The Wisden Cricketer Oct 2006

They're changing the guard at Lord's. Roger Knight, MCC chief executive, is retiring, 60 not out, to be replaced by an unknown from Tasmania. But does it matter ? Who cares ? Could it not be argued that its time for the MCC - on the surface, a 21st century anachronism - to retire itself ?

Well, actually, no. Apart from being a huge private members' club with 18,000 members (and therefore, in theory, its none of our business), the MCC is a much more significant, even dynamic player in cricket than the widely-held perception of it…a perception, alas, encouraged by elderly (they average 58) members in their rather ridiculous blazers and ties hurrying in with their hampers to "bag" a patch of grass for lunch and then falling asleep in front of the pavilion after it.

Just as the Royal and Ancient in golf and the All-England Club in tennis - two other institutions with considerable power, but also with their foibles and failings - are peculiarly British, so is the MCC. But sometimes even peculiarly British things actually work, and it can be argued that all three of these do. As writer and MCC member Stephen Fay puts it, "If it didn't exist, would it have to be invented ? Probably not. But I'm jolly glad it's there."

Yes, the MCC is a private members' club with a waiting list so long that your best chance is to be elected posthumously. Yes, some of the members can be arrogant, reactionary, and a pain in the butt to their office-holders. Just the same, the MCC has a clear public role beyond the confines of its private world and, it can be convincingly argued, performs it better that any other cricket institution could.

So what is this "public sector" role ? It's four-fold:

First, it's the custodian and creative developer of Lord's, the world's greatest cricket ground, elegant, glamorous, with an incomparable atmosphere. Thus it provides what everyone accepts is a 'home' for the game, a magnificent stage for its greatest occasions.

The MCC has invested a lot of money in Lord's - more than £60 million in Roger Knight's time, including building the impressive grandstand and the world-renowned Media Centre, completely renovating the beautiful old pavilion, creating the indoor cricket school, developing a unique library and museum, and re-laying the outfield - and it's done it with members' money, not our's. (A few years back members were asked to vote to substantially increase their subs - some to double their's. Sceptics said it was like turkeys being asked to vote for Christmas; they wouldn't do it. But they did. They may be ageing, but they still care. What swayed them was the idea of investing in Lord's and in developing cricket for another generation.)

Second, it's the custodian of the laws of cricket. Even the power-hungry ICC acknowledges that the maintenance and interpretation of the laws is best done independently and the MCC has performed this crucial role with care over many years. And it's done it with surprisingly little criticism. It has added to the legalistic aspects of this role, a campaign to improve "the spirit of cricket". There was scepticism about this, too, when it was launched, yet the sportsmanship shown throughout the remarkable 2005 Ashes series suggested its message has got home.

Only this summer the former New Zealand test star Martin Crowe, in a trenchant Spirit of Cricket lecture, demonstrated that this event is one of the few regular opportunities for great former players to inject fresh and often controversial thinking into the game. Undoubtedly speakers like Geoff Boycott and Crowe have made these evenings uncomfortable for the ECB and the ICC; by offering them a platform the MCC does the game a service.

Third, it is stimulator of the game - you could almost call it a missionary. It has no equal for the sheer scope of its cricketing activity. It plays over 450 games a year, often going to parts of the world where others haven't the commercial incentive to go, and bringing resources and idealism to the youth game. It's currently investing its own money in an extensive university cricket programme.

Of course, Lord's could be run by, say, Middlesex, and, yes, the laws could be maintained by the ICC, and, yes, encouraging cricket in the universities and in far-flung corners of the kingdom could be done by the ECB, but would they do better. ? Would Middlesex ever achieve the resources or have the imagination to create an internationally award-winning building like the Media Centre ? Would the ICC ever achieve accord within its politicised membership over the laws of the game ? Would the ECB, its resources drained by greedy first class counties, ever put money into promoting cricket at grassroots the way the MCC does ?

Critics quote the D'Olivera affair when they question the MCC's suitability for a 'public' role. There's no doubt that its handling of that was inexcusable, revealing an element of racism. Not for the last time, English cricket administrators capitulated to unacceptable pressures from overseas. Critics also point to the struggle that took place women were admitted to the club. But they ignore the fact that, when asked to vote, the club did admit women. As for the D'Olivera affair, MCC members showed during the Zimbabwe affair in 2004 that today it is the MCC, rather than the ECB, that represents the conscience of English cricket.

The fact is that Lords was always made to look worse by a vocal minority of argumentative and reactionary members (never worse than in 1999 when their vicious protests at having to pay for World Cup tickets made Tony Lewis's presidential year a misery and forced him to suspend the AGM) but today it is run by some high quality people, not only on its committees but within its management. Over the past decade Roger Knight has been a key factor, changing his role from secretary to chief executive and from dictator to leader of a team of executives capable of taking it into the 21st century.

Knight came with real cricketing credentials - 19,588 first class runs, with 31 centuries, and 369 wickets - and that together with his values won the members' trust. It's no coincidence that more change has taken place in Knight's time at Lords than in the club's previous 200 years, much of it made possible by his skill in appearing to the members to be cautious, sceptical of change, and thus representative of their conservative core, while actually helping it to happen with efficiency and minimal controversy. He, and the other key movers and shakers at Lord's, clearly love and respect tradition but aren't inhibited in building upon its principles and values. They've made Lords more welcoming and more fun. And you can't describe as reactionary anyone who commissions a building as futuristic as the media centre.

To see the fourth role of the MCC you have to think of Lords as it was until recently when the ICC absconded for Dubai (what does it say about the administrator of world cricket that it ends up in a Middle Eastern country where cricket is not played - for tax reasons ?). At one end you had the MCC, the gentlemen. At the other end you had the ECB, the tradesmen. And, to one side, suspiciously watching both, you had the ICC, the politicians. Often they were at war, especially the ECB and the MCC. Instead of wandering down the ground to have a coffee together, Roger Knight and the ECB's former chief executive Tim Lamb would write letters to each other.

The tensions between the MCC and the ECB were almost entirely over the staging of tests at Lords. Knight insisted on a staging agreement that became a precursor to one for all test grounds. His position was simple; "Lords is special and it is my responsibility to keep it that way."

The tensions with the ICC were also largely over the ground, including an amusing one over the ICC's ban on people bringing bottles into the ground. There's a tradition of members bringing hampers with bottles of champagne to Lords and if Eshan Mani and Malcolm Speed and co think they're going to stop that they can forget it.

But there's actually been a deeper divide and its been caused by the increased commercialisation of cricket. The ECB is now big business. When the row took place over the Zimbabwe tour it was the vested interest of the test match grounds or would-be test match grounds like Hampshire's and a load of waffle about the Board's "fiduicary duty" that prevailed over what was right. The MCC's committee was reluctantly persuaded to back the ECB because of the threat to England from the ICC, but its members gave it a real thumping over that at the following AGM and its incoming president Tom Graveney, who wears proud medals from the D'Oliveria affair, made it clear in his speech that England should never have gone there. It is difficult to choose who behaved worse over the Zimbabwe affair, the ECB or the ICC, but what became clear is that if commerce and politics were not to steal the soul of cricket, then someone had to be its conscience.

And its arguable that it is this - to be cricket's conscience, an idealistic core for the game - that is not only the fourth but now the outstanding, the unique, the vital role of the MCC.

It is significant that the MCC has set up an international cricket committee with the likes of Atherton and Boycott, Crowe and Waugh, to generate debate and experienced but up-to-date thinking about how the game is actually played.

It is significant that it is the MCC which spearheads the spirit of cricket campaign.

It is significant that it is the MCC that has provided the most impressive spokesman for the game in recent years - with presidents such as Tom Graveney, Ted Dexter, and the late Bob Alexander. You only have to compare these men with the ECB's pragmatic Morgan and the ICC's political Mani, classic representatives of the non cricket-playing, faceless manipulators at the top of the international game, to see what the MCC brings to the game.

The week of the Pakistan test was encouraging. Lord's looked stunning. The Spirit of Cricket lecture stirred up healthy debate. The committee room was full of some of the most famous names in English cricket - together with a new - Australian ! - chief executive. The MCC was in good heart and in good shape. That is good news for English, indeed world cricket.

Roger Knight cannot claim all the credit for the success and the high standing of the MCC some 200 years after it was founded, but one cannot imagine who could have steered the ship and united its cantankerous crew better. His successor Keith Bradshaw has a hard act to follow.

[tikay]

I needed to illustrate a piece I was writing for another Site today, & I thought that a picture would round it off nicely, as pictures say more, & more eloquently, than words ever can.

The piece ended with the notion that I was fence-sitting - not an unusual occurence for me.

So I went to google Images, where the algoritham is a thing of beauty, & simply typed "sitting on the fence".

And there, sitting right near the top of Page 1, was this.

Not exactly appropriate, I decided.

[Kev B]

I needed to illustrate a piece I was writing for another Site today, & I thought that a picture would round it off nicely, as pictures say more, & more eloquently, than words ever can.

The piece ended with the notion that I was fence-sitting - not an unusual occurence for me.

So I went to google Images, where the algoritham is a thing of beauty, & simply typed "sitting on the fence".

And there, sitting right near the top of Page 1, was this.

Not exactly appropriate, I decided.

Excellent TK I'm going to nick that one. BTW bit of a slacker that Des Wilson 

[I KNOW IT]

I've always travelled First Class on Trains. I think it's because I can, I'm not really sure, but I always have. I have no shame about it, I work hard, & it's my treat. I never give a moment's thought to those crammed in "Standard".

On Air-Travel, I've never been able to afford First-Class, or Business class, so I loved the Premium Economy treat.

When we disembarked at Gatters, we - the Upstairs hoity-toity - got let off first. As we descended the stairs, we could see all the "regular" Passengers, who'd been crammed in their tiny seats for 10 hours, with no leg-room, watching us, unable to get off until we'd made our way off. I saw them, & averted my eyes, I felt a bit embarrassed, & wondered how they saw us. It burned itself into my mind.

We then stood in a long queue for Passport control. Even longer for those not "upstairs".....

Next to me in the queue were Annette Oberstad & Steve Davis, so the time went by quickly, chatting about this & that. (Steve is a hero of mine, he conducts himself so well in life).

Suddenly, we heard some kerfuffle behind us.

A Stewardess was leading a man - who I'd been chatting to days earlier - by the arm, "make way, make way". She led him to the front of the queue, & he got whisked through in seconds, & a "powered kart" was waiting for him the other side.

He was a footballer. He retired from playing for Colchester Utd over a year ago, & is currently in talks - allegedly - with Beckenham Town. BIG footballer, then. I looked at him & then realised how those folks looked at me as we descended from the Upper Cabin of the 747.

So many moral dilemmas in life.

Ive just checked out site which gives upgrades at an unbelievable price its called https://www.optiontown.com/ . It deals with Kingfisher Airlines (actually a very good airline) which flies to India, Bangkok & Dubai and SAS the Scandanavian airline. I have to return to the UK for 4 days at the weekend from Goa so I checked how much an upgrade was, remembering at Heathrow when I enquired at the Kingfisher desk they wanted £1500. Well Ive just upgraded online to 1st class (bed) for £220.
Ive just checked SAS fly from London to Las Vegas but I dont know what they are like

[tikay]

Yesterday, in many parts of the MIdlands, & elsewhere possibly, it was the Annual "Flying Ant" day.

Queen Ants suddenly appoear, winged all of a sudden, zillions of them, for just a few hours, mate, job done.

It must be one of nature's quirkiest & neatest tricks. And the birds - Crows especially, but Blackbirds & Thrushes too - have a field day, because flying ants are a gourmet meal to them.

I've seen flying Ant days annually since I was a little boy, & never cease to be fascinated by the box of tricks Nature uses.

The day varies from place to place, based on temperature & humidity.

If you have eyes & ears - & even the teeny-weeniest of brains - it's impossible - ever, ever, ever - to be bored in this life.

[Geo the Sarge]

Yesterday, in many parts of the MIdlands, & elsewhere possibly, it was the Annual "Flying Ant" day.

Queen Ants suddenly appoear, winged all of a sudden, zillions of them, for just a few hours, mate, job done.

It must be one of nature's quirkiest & neatest tricks. And the birds - Crows especially, but Blackbirds & Thrushes too - have a field day, because flying ants are a gourmet meal to them.

I've seen flying Ant days annually since I was a little boy, & never cease to be fascinated by the box of tricks Nature uses.

The day varies from place to place, based on temperature & hunidity.

If you have eyes & ears - & even the teeny-weeniest of brains - it's impossible - ever, ever, ever - to be bored in this life.

Happened here in Edinburgh today, I got covered whilst cycling home from work.

Thought it was just the sudden spurt of decent weather the last couple of days, had no idea this happens each year.

Tks TK

Geo

[tikay]

Yesterday, in many parts of the MIdlands, & elsewhere possibly, it was the Annual "Flying Ant" day.

Queen Ants suddenly appoear, winged all of a sudden, zillions of them, for just a few hours, mate, job done.

It must be one of nature's quirkiest & neatest tricks. And the birds - Crows especially, but Blackbirds & Thrushes too - have a field day, because flying ants are a gourmet meal to them.

I've seen flying Ant days annually since I was a little boy, & never cease to be fascinated by the box of tricks Nature uses.

The day varies from place to place, based on temperature & hunidity.

If you have eyes & ears - & even the teeny-weeniest of brains - it's impossible - ever, ever, ever - to be bored in this life.

Happened here in Edinburgh today, I got covered whilst cycling home from work.

Thought it was just the sudden spurt of decent weather the last couple of days, had no idea this happens each year.

Tks TK

Geo

When you & I were lads Geo, it was almost impossible to research this sort of thing. A visit to the Library was the only option, followed by endless hours flicking through the Indexes of book after book.

Yesterday, seeing it was Flying Ant day around threse parts,, I finally conquered my curiosity by simply typing "flying ants" into google. What a thing of wonder google is. No Banner Ads, either, glory be, on what must be the most valuable piece of advertising Real Estate on earth.

[Colchester Kev]

Yesterday, in many parts of the MIdlands, & elsewhere possibly, it was the Annual "Flying Ant" day.

Queen Ants suddenly appoear, winged all of a sudden, zillions of them, for just a few hours, mate, job done.

It must be one of nature's quirkiest & neatest tricks. And the birds - Crows especially, but Blackbirds & Thrushes too - have a field day, because flying ants are a gourmet meal to them.

I've seen flying Ant days annually since I was a little boy, & never cease to be fascinated by the box of tricks Nature uses.

The day varies from place to place, based on temperature & hunidity.

If you have eyes & ears - & even the teeny-weeniest of brains - it's impossible - ever, ever, ever - to be bored in this life.

Happened here in Edinburgh today, I got covered whilst cycling home from work.

Thought it was just the sudden spurt of decent weather the last couple of days, had no idea this happens each year.

Tks TK

Geo

When you & I were lads Geo, it was almost impossible to research this sort of thing. A visit to the Library was the only option, followed by endless hours flicking through the Indexes of book after book.

Yesterday, seeing it was Flying Ant day around threse parts,, I finally conquered my curiosity by simply typing "flying ants" into google. What a thing of wonder google is. No Banner Ads, either, glory be, on what must be the most valuable piece of advertising Real Estate on earth.

The soles of Frank Brunos boxing boots ?

Your back as you walk out of the poker room before the dinner break ?

[tikay]

Yesterday, in many parts of the MIdlands, & elsewhere possibly, it was the Annual "Flying Ant" day.

Queen Ants suddenly appoear, winged all of a sudden, zillions of them, for just a few hours, mate, job done.

It must be one of nature's quirkiest & neatest tricks. And the birds - Crows especially, but Blackbirds & Thrushes too - have a field day, because flying ants are a gourmet meal to them.

I've seen flying Ant days annually since I was a little boy, & never cease to be fascinated by the box of tricks Nature uses.

The day varies from place to place, based on temperature & hunidity.

If you have eyes & ears - & even the teeny-weeniest of brains - it's impossible - ever, ever, ever - to be bored in this life.

Happened here in Edinburgh today, I got covered whilst cycling home from work.

Thought it was just the sudden spurt of decent weather the last couple of days, had no idea this happens each year.

Tks TK

Geo

When you & I were lads Geo, it was almost impossible to research this sort of thing. A visit to the Library was the only option, followed by endless hours flicking through the Indexes of book after book.

Yesterday, seeing it was Flying Ant day around threse parts,, I finally conquered my curiosity by simply typing "flying ants" into google. What a thing of wonder google is. No Banner Ads, either, glory be, on what must be the most valuable piece of advertising Real Estate on earth.

The soles of Frank Brunos boxing boots ?

Your back as you walk out of the poker room before the dinner break ?

I actually managed that in Saturday's Luton £100 Sidey.

[byronkincaid]

If you have eyes & ears - & even the teeny-weeniest of brains - it's impossible - ever, ever, ever - to be bored in this life.

please tell me how not to be bored when playing online poker, used to absolutely love it now very close to hate it. got eyes and big old ears dunno about the brain tho.

[tikay]

If you have eyes & ears - & even the teeny-weeniest of brains - it's impossible - ever, ever, ever - to be bored in this life.

please tell me how not to be bored when playing online poker, used to absolutely love it now very close to hate it. got eyes and big old ears dunno about the brain tho.

I assume the question is rhetorical - you know the answer to that!

[byronkincaid]

do something else?

[tikay]

do something else?

Well if Online Poker is your job, & you don't enjoy your job, life must be hell. Every beat must sting, every losing day must really hurt, & if you are spending half your waking day doing something you are not enjoying (& a third of it sleeping).......where's the satisfaction in life?

I've always thought that key to happiness & self-comfort was doing a job that you enjoy, & which gives you satisfaction, where, at the end of the day you can say, satisfyingly tired, "yes, today I did a good job, improved things, got paid, & had fun". The key is when you wake up in the morning, & say "YES, it's a work day". If you groan on work mornings, something's not quite right, & you won't do your job as well as you are able.

I know it's not that simple really. But then again, it is......

I hope you re-discover your zest, ping, verve, whatever, for Online Poker, but if you don't, well, time to find a new box of tricks.

Whatever you do, good luck. Being less than fullly satisfied in your job is like insomnia - it's nothing really, but it's terrible, too.

I hope that all comes across as intended, & not patronisingly. It's tough to articulate these things.

[bolt pp]

Is playing 12 tables for rake really "playing poker" for a living?

[tikay]

Is playing 12 tables for rake really "playing poker" for a living?

I'll assume that's addressed to Byron.

But if it earms a good living, & is fun, then yes, why not? But if either answer is "no", then no......