Ticket brochure

I say!

Above is a copy of the World Cup ticket brochure, given to me by Frederick at 'The Rec' at St Johns. Unfortunately, its the nearest I will get to the actual World Cup, but it is excellent to be able to watch the proceedings unfold on our plasma screen.

Games are currently being played at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, which has been completed since my pitch inspection there in December. The vista from outside the stadium is shown below.

My predictions as to the way the pitch would play have proved accurate. The heavy rollers did their job. I imagine that the car park looks more complete than it did in December.

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Shocking news!

I say!

Absolutely shocking news about the death of Bob Woolmer. It is understood that Bob was murdered in his hotel room, as reported here. Tragic news, and our prayers go out to his wife Gill, and his sons Dale and Russell.

Cricket has lost a beacon of light, and we all await further developments. As Sir Geoffrey reported, "It seems the good guys, who spend their lives helping others, take the strain in the end".

I would just like to make it absolutely clear that I have never been approached by non-official sources for information about the numerous pitches I have inspected over the years.

I have placed Abdul, and also Armed Response, on double-alert, so that everyone hereabouts feels more secure.

I would like to lift the emotions a little, but feel that snaps are rather out of place on this sad day. However, here is one snap taken a while back on a visit to Mawson's Peak, which at 2745 metres is the highest point on Australian territory (it is situated on Heard Island). It is thought that the signpost, which is surely rather redundant on a mountain, was erected by Rob, just before he departed for Île Plate, NC.

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Official complaint

Well I say!

As predicted in my 'hush hush' pitch inspection reports, delivered some months ago to the ICC and some of which have been discussed hereabouts, some of the World Cup wickets are rather unpredictable.

Today I invited Doviko, Cabbage and Abdul to enjoy the spectacle of watching New Zealand play England on my new plasma TV screen, imported at great expense via the Ishmael Bros, Blantyre. What a wonderful screen it is! When I first started watching cricket on the television, back in the mid-to-late seventies, it was all black and white, and in fact one could not really see the ball at all. Now, what with the wonders of the satellite dish (held up at customs, some time ago, for six months at Beira) and the new plasma, one can not only see the ball, but also see which way it spins out of the bowler's hand. How fortunate we are to sit here in Kalimbuka and watch the lads play, over in the Windies. Cheers, to new technology!

I promised Doviko, Cabbage and Abdul a Green (beer) each, for every Kiwi wicket that fell. Unfortunately, only four fell, as the New Zealanders eventually overtook the England total. At one stage I offered three greens for the next Kiwi wicket, and you should have heard Cabbage cheer for our lads, Anderson in particular! But it was not to be. The Kiwis played well, and deserved to win.

However, to the main point of this post.

When we were in situ for the pitch inspections of the wickets in Antigua, we had a wonderful stay at our residence at Jolly Harbour. No complaints there at all. Then, for the last two days of our stay, we moved to the Sundowner Resort (South east of the island). My, how things changed, as you will see below.

The Sundowner Resort appears very inviting, at first glance (above).

But look at this aspect of our room! Yes, you have guessed. There are no loungers. The Germans have stolen them, and 'reserved them' elsewhere, by placing their towels on them.

And look at the above snap I took. Yes, you have guessed - there is no lifeguard on duty at this pool. If one dived into the water, who is to save one, if one succumbed to cramp?

And look at this snap I took of the bar. Well, I ask you - no tonics on display, for the G&Ts.

The final snap I took outside the back of our room, to show in evidence that the night light had been stolen. Imagine stepping out here in the dark!

Of course, I made my official complaints to the management of the resort. I must say, they were treated with the respect they deserved. I was given not only a full refund, but a chauffeured ride to The Sticky Wicket (St Johns), with a slap-up lunch, as compensation.

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'Stumpy' Staples

I say!

How amiss of me not to have completed some previous threads. I will now make amends by posting a snap taken at the Pitch Inspection Supervisors, Selectors and Umpires Pageant I attended late last year, just before the wedding trip to Antigua.

What a wonderful 'do' the pageant was. We were royally treated to a superb five-course meal in the heart of London. There was much merriment, but the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the speech given by Henry 'Stumpy' Staples, a pitch inspector of hugh repute.

Stumpy can be seen in the snap above, and the reason for his nickname becomes obvious - he was born with three legs.

Stumpy regaled us with tales of some of his most exciting pitch inspections, and also his life-long interest in cricket. Of course, like all of us, he had childhood dreams of opening the batting for England, but these were rathered scuppered by his unusual physique, and his penchant for being given out LBW. We were also told about some rather sad times during his early childhood, when, in circumstances of some poverty and the absence of proper equipment, he had been forced to stand in as the actual stumps (hence his nickname).

What a wonderful evening the pageant was. I cannot wait for the next one.

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Jolly Pitch Inspection

I say!

Here is the pitch inspection for Jolly Harbour. In the first snap, the condition appears fine.

But oh dear! Look at those cracks. My 20 tambala piece almost disappeared. This pitch would not last five days without incident.

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Great Bird

I say!

Surface post can often take quite some time to reach us here in Kalimbuka, and I have only just received the October issue of the John Muir Trust Journal, and with it, the sad news that the great Tom Weir passed away last year at the ripe old age of 92.

For those who don't know, Tom Weir was a writer and broadcaster of the highest calibre. He regularly penned items for The Scots Magazine, and authored 13 books. I will not forget how he would explain, on the television programme Weir's Way, how any youngster could escape the grime of Glasgow by catching a bus and be in the beautiful Scottish hills within half an hour.

Let us also give some thoughts to the circumstances of our neighbours in Zimbabwe during these trying times. Inflation there is well over 1000% and expected to rise to 4000% before the year is out. There are many hungry stomachs, even though Zimbabwe has the potential for being the breadbasket of Africa, and to think that this has been caused largely by human incompetence and greed, rather than drought or physical disaster.

On a lighter note, below are two snaps taken just before Christmas, on Great Bird Island, Antigua.

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