Q. Do two silly faces and some cack handed Picasa tweaking add up to a sweet picture of a charming couple?

Each of the first three balls I faced was nasty, brutish and short and from each one I gave a chance. Takeley smelt blood and moved in for the kill. I felt that sitting back and trying to play my way into the game wasn't a viable plan, since I was out of form and struggling against the bowling. So I backed away and swung the bat. I had all the good fortune in the world, was dropped at least three times and reached my ton in the 21st over. Better to be lucky than good... 

One week after the delights of Warborough - a dilapidated hut in Raynes Park and a terror track. The A3 is just behind the trees. 22* continued the recovery. 

2005 or 1932? 

The wicket at Warborough and Shillingford CC. My recovery began here... 

12 June 2005

Warborough and Shillingford CC - one of the most beautiful grounds in England.

"yeah, not playing, that'll get you out of the funk"

The wise words of Fred Titmus.

However since standing down from Theydon for a couple of weeks:

12 June vs Warborough and Shillingford - 57 out of 131.

19 June vs Priory - 22*, chasing 68.

25 June vs Takeley - 102 in 21 overs on my return to the 1st XI at Theydon.

I merely mention this in passing, Allan, that's all...

This wasn't in the plan...

Dropped from the 1s at Theydon tonight and rightly so. My form has gone and it's only fortunate that they don't know how bad it has been Sundays too. I hung up on the Secretary out of frustration with myself, though he didn't help by mentioning how many cheap runs he has been scoring on Sundays. Like to see him open the batting for the 1s on a greentop against Alex Kiff et al.

Wrote a rather melodramatic letter asking not to be considered for selection for the foreseeable. I know my motivation has dried up as the trot has gone on which has worsened things.

My mother, who shares my anti-talent for being photographed smiling. Strange considering that she has passable teeth whilst mine fit the American stereotype of British dentistry - medieval grotesque.

Perhaps for the first time in my life I'm aware that she's changed from the mother figure of my childhood and is now older, that much further on down the line. Or maybe just still hungover from some 60th birthday party the night before...

Another bucolic English rural scene - the cricket pavilion with families gathered around and about. Not sure why the flag is at half-mast. Penywern are 20-1 chasing 204. I am the 1, having made a quickfire 15 before succumbing to a rash shot.

Waldron CC, East Sussex. The Penywern Taverners trying and failing to chase 200+. Rob Price and Tom Quinnen holding the fort but the dam was about to burst. The original camphone photo shows much more detail but I can't be bothered to fiddle with the Blogger settings.

An experiment with the Panorama function on the Sony Ericsson K750i - three photos stitched together. Two darker bands show where I guessed (with the aid of the cam) where to start the next photo.

Live action shots from beyond the boundary are a bit much even for my camphone. Rickling Ramblers CC skipper Ian Fairall bowls to Peter Gooch of Theydon Bois CC. TB 225-9 bt Rickling 138 all out.  

Note to Macca - one of these might lend currency to the odd post-match 'Woofing' spree...

Shiny thing. Oooooooh. 

Neil "Bad Beat" Channing setting off for a $25k odyssey at the WSOP. Shown here displaying current lack of bracelet (that gold chain is his watch). Run, don't walk, to www.betusa.com/channing.php for the skinny.

Posing in Battersea one fine summer morning. 

Meet Dougal. There is a tennis ball balanced on top of the camera which is holding his attention nicely. This good internet malarkey. How did anyone know what dogs and babies looked like before 1993?

ICC Champions Trophy

I would respectfully suggest that the 10-1 offered by William Hill on New Zealand winning the ICC Trophy is a very fair bet. NZ face Australia in their group and if they won that a likely semi against England but this is reflected in the price. No easy task then but they are capable of winning both those games - the team is a good group of experienced one-day players with stars like Vettori, Cairns and Jacob Oram who have all recovered from injury. Although Stephen Fleming's captaincy during the recent Test series against England was underwhelming he was hamstrung by injuries and some very poor bowling. In the ODI sphere he is shrewd and NZ played well during the Nat West Series against England and the West Indies.

Received wisdom is that the white ball will move around a good deal for the first hour and a half of these games (which start at 10.15) because of the heavy dew which normally hasn't evaporated by that point. I'd also add that spin will be more of a factor as well - English wickets have been cultivated for five months now and are normally more worn and dusty by this point in the season. Not only are NZ's bowlers experienced in these conditions (which are broadly comparable with those in NZ) but their batsmen know how to cope with seam and swing movement as well.

A bit of luck with the toss and that 10-1 could look very big - no layers are offering more than that on Betfair and backers would have to pay commission on their winning. As value bets go they're right up there.

Warm front

We've had a heatwave in South-East England which was welcome relief. My own personal cold streak might be over - I'm concentrating more on thinking about what I'm doing and being more mentally resilient. It might work. Still skint but something might be on the horizon... And Librettist, one of the tips from below, has just won the Class C McKeever St Lawrence Stakes at Doncaster, bypassing his Group race engagements. I didn't back him because the prices this morning were 5/4 and shorter, though I alerted Miros to the 13/8 on Betfair last night and he had a right touch. Librettist made all, quickened well enough from the front and to judge from the way he saw out the 7f trip he would have no trouble with 1m, though 1m 2f might be the limit on pedigree. I was told he had improved 10 lbs at home from his debut win. Just as with winning at poker there is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from being correct. Or lucky. Long way to go!