Nellie

He's off to a cracking start. Lost 8-1 to King. Klaasen didn't look too bad, drew 7-7 with Terry Jenkins.

According to Nasser Hussain, Daryl Harper ballsed up the referral by Sarwan. He said the ICC have stated he gave the decision based upon being a standing umpire (i.e. giving the benefit of doubt to the batsman), when he should have only corrected the decision if there it was an obvious mistake. If it's 50/50, then he should always go with the decision that the standing umpire gave originally. I would rather not have the process used as I feel it undermines the standing umpires somewhat; if it is used though, the umpires need to be bloody certain what their remit is to avoid mistakes like today.

Sky Sports News mentioned this in the morning. Everton are trying to move to a new stadium in Kirkby. Apparently the residents of Kirkby have a reputation in Liverpool of putting a pair of socks on their hands when thieving, to avoid leaving fingerprints. They were also chanting 'sock robbers' at Everton, but it's ok because the arrogant bastards got done in the end by a twice deflected goal (which we didn't get to see).

Fairly unsurprisingly, Cork didn't make the cut so will be available for us at the start of the season. Only English players are Pietersen, Flintoff, Collingwood, Shah, Bopara, Wright and Patel.

He was on loan at Sheffield for three months and is currently on loan at Swansea until the end of the season. Neither are short term loans and he played for us this season as well. :smt102 Anyway, I think we're agreed that it's unlikely that Saganowski will leave, which is a good thing in my opinion.

You can if you're on loan though, as Nathan Dyer (playing for his third club this season indicates). I think the problem comes from loans abroad. Technically the player signs on a fixed term permanent deal, which counts as a change of club, before reverting back to the parent club afterwards. This would mean that although Saga can't be loaned abroad, as it would count as a third club, he could be loaned out in England. Chances are though, if the club wanted to loan him, they wouldn't have played him themselves thereby closing the abroad avenue. Thankfully.

Only hard luck in as much as any one of three of four underperforming batsmen could be dropped. Quick check through last years averages: Pothas - 53.50 Benham - 28.76 Crawley - 27.73 Ervine - 27.95 Adams - 17.16 Carberry - 28.60 Lumb - 32.72 Dimi - 30.59 Brown - 40.86 It's a wonder that we finished so high in both competitions, although worryingly, with some consistent batting we might have been in with a shout of winning. Would agree with your line up, although Adams would be in only because there really isn't anyone else. It's a shame Michael Brown has gone as it leaves our top order looking like it needs some steadying, but if Crawley and Carberry both find form early on we might have a good season.

He disappointed me a little with his "I've cut the beer before games down from ten or eleven, to three or four." shenanigans. I thought that's what real darts was about. Helathy lifestyle indeed, at least he's maintained his darting physique. Not sure Hankey would be too successful in the PDC. The only player I think might cut it, is Gary Anderson and he's developing a habit of being pap at major tournaments.

This really frustrates me. In local football if any of the players swear directly at the ref, you can rest assured that they'll be off as quickly as the red card can be produced (you can pretty much commit GBH on the pitch and that won't, but that's a different matter). However, despite it being one of the laws, Rooney seems to get away with swearing directly at officials without receiving the obligatory red card. It's not open to interpretation, he should be sent off. He also gets away with showing open dissent all the way through games. It's very difficult trying to explain to children playing the game that they shouldn't behave like this, when they all see it happen week after week in the Premier League. Respect the Ref, my arse. The referees need to start clamping down on it in the top leagues, or it won't ever filter down.

I think it's been obvious for a long while that they don't get on, although this situation seems to have intensified it. I've always thought it was more to do with their personalities clashing. I know it's difficult to tell, but Freddie seems a fairly laid back player, who is driven by the team doing well. He's also very sporting for an International cricketer, for example the 2005 Ashes. Pietersen seems to be more personally motivated, although obviously if he does well, so does the team. He is very single minded; choosing to uproot and come to England/delivering an ultimatum to the ECB. Whatever the cause, if they can't keep it professional, then it needs sorting ASAP. Still can't see how Struass can captain when he's not in 66% of the teams.

If you readily admit you've not seen enough of him to comment, why have you? "He's not all that"? He's nineteen ffs, give him a chance. Whenever I've seen him play he has looked pretty lively, he's got a reasonable record of scoring goals and he's from Southampton. I don't really see why he shouldn't be given a chance. Also, most Bournemouth fans I know have a very high opinion of McGoldrick from when he was there on loan, so judging on a loan period may not be very accurate.

I think the role of the head coach in international cricket is negligible. Andy Flower deals with what little coaching the batsmen need, and Otis Gibson does the same with the bowling. As far as I see it, the head coach's only functions are to man-manage and help out with occasional tactics (as he's not on the field, it's difficult to impact on the game). This a very similar way to Bagpuss' football coaching technique, and much as I dislike him he's done fairly well (obviously excluding us. ****). Moores is clearly not up to this and, although replacing Fletcher was always going to be difficult, he needed go. Pietersen and Flintoff are our two world class players and, within reason, all should be done to keep them as happy as possible. I can't help but feel that England need KP more than KP needs England. After all, he could clearly make enough money playing in the IPL even if it didn't afford him the respect of Wisden. Some of the old crusties at the ECB need to pull their heads out of their arses and realise that Flintoff and KP are the only two players guaranteed to play all forms of cricket, and Freddie's already been blacklisted for the Fredalogate. Strauss is being suggested, ffs. He doesn't make the fifty or twenty over squads and it's only a year since he was one innings away from being dropped from the tests too.

I agree with you fully, he was very naive to jump like that but it still didn't hit his arm and Riley was close enough not to **** that up. You can't give a free kick for someone trying to handball. No, you are very wrong, feel free to have a look at the link below from the FIFA website (I've put the relevant text in bold to make it easy for you). Maybe you'd care to explain what he should have done with his shoulder? It's not like he could move it, is it. http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/federation/81/42/36/lotg_en.pdf "A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following three offences: • holds an opponent • spits at an opponent • handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)"

Dear oh dear, learn the fecking rules. It has to be deliberate, or it isn't an infringement of the rules. If the ball had hit him on the arm, fine; it shouldn't have been up there and Riley would have been right to award a penalty. As it was though, it hit him on the back of the shoulder. How on earth can that ever be deliberate? It was never a penalty and I reiterate, Riley is a ****.

Er, think you'd best have another look. That's clearly hit him on the shoulder. Ffs, Riley is a ****.

No, no it's not a fact. Please do not state something which is wrong as FACT, as it just shows you up as a mong. Most historians agree that Jesus was a real person, was tried for sedition and was executed by the Romans. It is worth remembering that he is also regarded to have existed by Islam, as well as Christianity. Whether he was the Son of God, a prophet or a Galilean fisherman with delusions of grandeur is an entirely separate issue.

FFS, you don't even have the knowledge to start an argument properly. If you did, you would know that there is more accusation for the Bible being anti-semitic than demonising Pilate. Had you ever bothered to look at the New Testament, you would know that very little blame is assigned to Pontius Pilate. Jesus was tried by a Jewish judicial body, who did not have the authority to execute him, so was taken to Pilate with the charge of sedition against Rome. As it was passover and Pilate doesn't seem to have been convinced, he offered to let go one of the prisoners. The Jewish crowd elected that Barrabas, an insurrectionary and murderer, should be released instead. In the Gospel of Matthew (Biblical propaganda), Pilate then washes his hands before the crowd and says "I am innocent of this man's blood; you will see." You also need to find definitions for freedom fighter and terrorist as Jesus, whoever he may or may not have been, doesn't fit into either. Why don't you toddle off back to the main board and your Rupert Lowe threads?

Oh be fair Billy, most of the laughing was being done by us. Still makes me giggle to think of people checking it before the unveiling. "Yep, that's a fitting tribute to Ted. I always thought he bore an uncanny resemblance to Jimmy Krankie." Whatever happened to the umpteen page thread? Did it get lost somewhere in the transition between servers?

Chris Hoy should win, but I suspect that he will be sharing his votes with the other Olympians, so Hamilton will win. It is a strong lineup this year and I'd be happy if any of them won, excluding Hamilton, Murray or Ohuruogu. Can't believe she has made it to the shortlist after taking the British Olympic Association to the Court of Arbitration fo Sport.

Because Moores is a tit. The senior batsmen are so suspect, we are playing players who can bat as well as bowl, rather than bowlers per se. There is no need, not with Broad and Flintoff in the side. He selects players who are massively out of form, Anderson, Collingwood, Prior to name but a few and then compounds it by selecting too many players who do a bit of everything, yet still not taking Mascarenhas. Dimi's subtle changes of pace would have been very effective on the subcontinent, especially with him having already sampled the conditions. Collingwood isn't bowling, so is in as a specialist batsman. Currently he isn't good enough to warrant it. Prior hasn't scored runs for ages, so he is in as a specialist keeper. He isn't good enough, we may as well try Mustard or go back to Read/Foster. Anderson has one good ODI game in about ten. Samit Patel, is he an average batsman who can bowl a bit, or an average bowler who can bat a bit? You are right, we have no players who can capitalise on the opening powerplay. I would play Mustard to open the batting with Bell. Bell is a very orthodox batsman, while Mustard is a bit of a flailer. It's a combination that seems to work for other teams. With Pietersen in at three, there should be someone capable of taking advantage of the powerplays. At least we can't lose the series 7-0

Quite right with the first bit. However, I disagree that it was both of their faults. Only Carson could see the whole situation, ball and striker, so he should have dealt with it. Terry was blind to the attacker, and if Carson hadn't come out, it would have been dispatched to touch.

Only you could try to turn it into a plus to have a player sent off, just to suit your viewpoint. I despair, I really do.

Well done Ravi Bopara, possibly the worst runner between the wickets in Englands history. We're getting spanked and Bopara calls Pietersen through for a ridiculous single. Bingo, our one player showing any resilience is back in the pavilion. Can't imagine he'll be playing many more games, thankfully.

Not that it really makes any difference to the point you are making, but I feel I should point out that 500p / 365 days is 1.37 pence per day. You never know, the 0.64 ppd might make all the difference to some people.

From the Pearce signs thread: Doesn't really sound like there's anything more sinister, than the fact he's injured.