WG RumblePants

This has been a challenging painting but I’m pleased to finish it today, when @ashwinravi99 has already taken two superb wickets. I don’t suppose it’s realistic to expect him to see it, but it would be lovely if he does at some stage, so any retweets very gratefully received.

Given that @zeroduckspod are taking on @Final_Word_Pod on 18 August at the closest thing we have to a beautiful 1920s cricket ground - the phenomenal @wormsleycricket - I thought I’d give them all the full #cricketincravats treatment.

#cricketincravats

Today’s beautiful cricket ground is the home of Walsden Cricket & Bowling Club in Lancashire

Possibly the most thumbed through Wisden in the history of all Widens. But who did it belong to and who were the men who read it? An uncle of mine got to hold it when he befriended its owner at Canterbury. Wish I had.

Why did Brydon Carse become briefly unplayable at Lord's? As the fourth evening drew to a close, the setting sun caused a glare off the sightscreen that made the ball difficult to pick out of Carse's hand. Sid Monga breaks it down 👉 bit.ly/4lHfxTb

Charlotte Edwards still has a lot of work to do doesn’t she? The honeymoon period didn’t last long. Credit to 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 for getting pretty close to 🇮🇳’s score but they still seem some way below 🇮🇳 and 🇦🇺 at the moment. India were sharper and just on it this summer.

With 22 wickets falling in the Somerset v Durham game today, the ECB is going to be really confused about who to dock the most points.

My brother from another bearded mother.

If, like me, you’re keen to support A Day for Thorpey at the Oval during the 5th Test and @MindCharity, one way you can do so is to get yourself a classic Graham Thorpe headband. It’s only £5. It’s not much really, is it, given what he gave the game? shop.mind.org.uk/products/thorp…

The “Rehan Ahmed to replace Zak Crawley” movement seems to have unofficially begun. I’m just here for the ride.

Only one player has scored more County Championship hundreds than Rehan Ahmed in 2025. The 20-year-old also averaged more than 40 with the bat in the Blast…

The needle has already started before a ball’s been bowled Seems we’re going to get LOTS of needle this week. We’ll be seeing the needle, hearing about the needle and everyone will be posting about the needle We’re going to be pretty needled by the word needle by Sunday 🪡💉🪡

England seeing the "Spirit of Cricket" being cited against them.

m.youtube.com/playlist?list=… @WG_RumblePants @AnnieChave

@WG_RumblePants has been showing us a series of beautiful cricket grounds I’m going to show you every ground I umpire at in 2025. Today I’m at Lechlade CC FIR Glos O60’s v Wiltshire.

Today’s beautiful cricket ground is High Farndale in Yorkshire

Neither England nor Surrey prepared to risk Gus Atkinson this week following hamstring issue, so he’s playing for Surrey 2s to get ready for 5th Test. Mark Wood won’t be fit for that, and Josh Tongue to play final 2 days for Notts v Hants to get overs telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2025/0…

Do yourself a favour. This wonderful gentleman - @nimishdubey - improves my timeline with good-hearted, meaningful cricket content on a daily basis. He is a cricket polymath, historian and bon viveur. I’m very lucky indeed to have followed him.

And as the Doc @WG_RumblePants asked for reading, and his wish is me command, here we go with Michael Parkinson on the one and only Brian Close - a cricketer I adore and admire. Written beautifully.

Just to follow up on my participation post from yesterday, how may overs = the perfect length of a game of Saturday club cricket? Which option would make you play more?