Midweek musings

Earlier tonight, thankful for the help she has given me in the last couple of weeks with typing up this blog, I told my daughter that when anything happened to me she could carry it on for me.

The look on her face told of her feelings all too clearly. Read into that as you will, but suffice to say that the blog may take on a more literary bent at that point, perhaps dedicated to romantic poets, or may lean towards some of the early gods of British rock...

For the time being (and hopefully for some time to come) it shall remain dedicated to the cricketing fortunes of God's own county. Truth be told there's not much to tell at present, though impressive progress is being made on the building work at the 3AAA County Ground. I would expect nothing less, given the involvement of Sir John Gains in the Supervisory Board.

A man involved in some of the biggest and most prestigious building projects of the past thirty years will treat such a job as a light, but pleasant aperitif. I would say that we are lucky to have him, but there's no luck involved in approaching the best people and getting them involved. It is simply professionalism, something that we are becoming better known for these days.

In cricket terms, the players are working hard. There has been plenty of footage on the club site and their Twitter feed and the training seems both challenging and innovative. I can't say I have seen people carrying barrels over sets of stumps before, but would hazard a guess at it improving the 'core' of players and their sense of balance too.

It is good to see Tom Poynton back with a bat in his hands, as much as it is to listen to Shiv Thakor waxing lyrical about the training methods and how much he is enjoying it. If this lad hits his best form next summer we will be in for a treat, because he is a terrific cricketer. I fully expect him to become a genuine all-rounder in the next few years, rather than a batsman who bowls a bit, which he is at present.

That's it for now... more from me (or Rachel...)  over the weekend. Thanks for the nice comments and mails about the start of the Walter Goodyear series. I hope that you all enjoy it as it continues.