2 quick cricketing stories, one well known, one not.
Eddo Brandes was a 22 stone pig farmer, who played for Zimbabwe. Decent fast bowler, couldn't bat. Glen McGrath couldn't get him out, and said "Eddo, why are you so fat?" Eddo replied:-"Cos every time I fxxk your wife, she gives me a biscuit". Laughter stopped play
My local cricket club growing up was Woodford Wells, in the Essex League. One year they got a young overseas player by the name of Merv Hughes (yes, THE Merv Hughes). In those days, a 25 pint a day man, fast bowler, overweight and couldn't bat. When he was batting, he was getting dog's abuse, particularly from the opposing Captain, and he got hit by the ball many times. Then it's his turn to bowl-I have never seen anything like it in Club cricket. 25 pace run-up, 85-90 mph, even saw a stump go for 4. Anyway, opposing Captain comes out to bat, and he's scared. First ball hit his pads-HUGE appeal from Merv. Umpire said "not out", batsman says "it was close enough for me" and walked off...
2 quick cricketing stories, one well known, one not.
Eddo Brandes was a 22 stone pig farmer, who played for Zimbabwe. Decent fast bowler, couldn't bat. Glen McGrath couldn't get him out, and said "Eddo, why are you so fat?" Eddo replied:-"Cos every time I fxxk your wife, she gives me a biscuit". Laughter stopped play
My local cricket club growing up was Woodford Wells, in the Essex League. One year they got a young overseas player by the name of Merv Hughes (yes, THE Merv Hughes). In those days, a 25 pint a day man, fast bowler, overweight and couldn't bat. When he was batting, he was getting dog's abuse, particularly from the opposing Captain, and he got hit by the ball many times. Then it's his turn to bowl-I have never seen anything like it in Club cricket. 25 pace run-up, 85-90 mph, even saw a stump go for 4. Anyway, opposing Captain comes out to bat, and he's scared. First ball hit his pads-HUGE appeal from Merv. Umpire said "not out", batsman says "it was close enough for me" and walked off...
As we appear to have a cricket fan or two here, anyone watch the Kerry Packer thing on BT Sport last night?
For the younger ones amongst you (though I can't imagine too many kids stray on this Diary) Kerry Packer, when he started World Series Cricket, was widely reviled by the cricket establishment, & it's fair to say he never set out to win any friends.
And yet so many things he introduced have become the basis of modern cricket.
Floodlit cricket, white ball cricket, drop in pitches, pyjamas, TV cameras at both ends of the pitch, slow-motion replays, day-night cricket, & much much more. I'm not sure I like all (or even any) of those things, but it's made cricket into the huge global money-spinner & entertainment medium it is today.
The top players are immensely well-paid these days, too, & so they should be.
The story was told that pre-Packer, the great Dennis Lillee, who can lay claim to be the best, or one of the best, fast bowlers of modern times, was being paid $200 per Test Match, which was less than the guys on the turnstile were earning.
History is best viewed from a distance, & in due course I think Packer - nasty, dreadful man that he was - will be seen as the man who made cricket what it is today.
Here's Kerry with that face that suggests he is wearing a stocking over it. I can barely believe he passed away a long 13 years ago, God bless him.
I played the UKOPS PLO 2 nights ago, my first dabble on Sky Poker in over a year if I'm not mistaken. Oh my, never had such fun, & the other players were so warm, welcoming & kind.
So I'm going in again tonight in the PLO8, which starts in 20 minutes.
At least that means this update will not be intolerably long. In theory.
PLO is a game where we expect the unexpected, & it rarely disappoints.
I was only in the PLO for 30 or 40 minutes - I bust before Late Reg closed despite a Rebuy - but I saw so much action.
I flopped & flush & got schooled by @kimdongun who had flopped....the nuts.
Against @engy, I had the nut flush & he rivered the quads.
engy had Aces full against quad sixes. And so it continued.
Somewhat questionably, I called a raise with J-J-9-6 DS (I like playing gappers & double gappers in PLO) & we got to see a really good 8-10-x flop, so that gave me a nice spot which I exploited.
StayOrGo was to my right, and if I have to have him on my Table, that's exactly where I want him. He got a bit frisky early when it was walked to his SB, & I let it go twice, then stuck it in his eye when he made attempt #3. Told him I had A-Q-Q-6, which was true. Well almost true, I did have the 6. Gotta be done.
He & I were giving it large like two old **** on a table full of good young players, and we both perished, 67th & 68th I think, within minutes of each other.
Then a chap with the Alias of @21 joined the table. Very aggro, but very nice.
He was surprisingly warm & friendly to me & I could not quite figure out why, as I'd never heard of him.
He addressed me as "Tony", & very few people do that. I've been with Sky Poker 13 years, and not a single person in the Leeds Office has ever called me anything but "tikay", which always strikes me as a little odd.
So who was this chap calling me "Tony"?
Well he said the oddest thing.
At which point, dear reader - if anyone has got this far - I must abandon ship on the story as the PLO8 starts in 5 minutes & I need to do my usual pre-game Yoga & meditation. (I'm a Lotus btw).
21 is playing the 10/20 25/50 plo tables lately and is hard work if hes on your left. Good agg player imo who even though playing a lot of tables still owns me
21 is playing the 10/20 25/50 plo tables lately and is hard work if hes on your left. Good agg player imo who even though playing a lot of tables still owns me
Thanks Engy you’re pretty solid yourself. I’ve been tilting a bit too much this week. Stress of playing too many tables!
Comments
Eddo Brandes was a 22 stone pig farmer, who played for Zimbabwe. Decent fast bowler, couldn't bat. Glen McGrath couldn't get him out, and said "Eddo, why are you so fat?" Eddo replied:-"Cos every time I fxxk your wife, she gives me a biscuit". Laughter stopped play
My local cricket club growing up was Woodford Wells, in the Essex League. One year they got a young overseas player by the name of Merv Hughes (yes, THE Merv Hughes). In those days, a 25 pint a day man, fast bowler, overweight and couldn't bat. When he was batting, he was getting dog's abuse, particularly from the opposing Captain, and he got hit by the ball many times.
Then it's his turn to bowl-I have never seen anything like it in Club cricket. 25 pace run-up, 85-90 mph, even saw a stump go for 4. Anyway, opposing Captain comes out to bat, and he's scared. First ball hit his pads-HUGE appeal from Merv. Umpire said "not out", batsman says "it was close enough for me" and walked off...
Marsh: "How's your wife and my kids"?
Botham: "The wife's fine. The kids are retarded".
Very good, very good indeed.
As we appear to have a cricket fan or two here, anyone watch the Kerry Packer thing on BT Sport last night?
For the younger ones amongst you (though I can't imagine too many kids stray on this Diary) Kerry Packer, when he started World Series Cricket, was widely reviled by the cricket establishment, & it's fair to say he never set out to win any friends.
And yet so many things he introduced have become the basis of modern cricket.
Floodlit cricket, white ball cricket, drop in pitches, pyjamas, TV cameras at both ends of the pitch, slow-motion replays, day-night cricket, & much much more. I'm not sure I like all (or even any) of those things, but it's made cricket into the huge global money-spinner & entertainment medium it is today.
The top players are immensely well-paid these days, too, & so they should be.
The story was told that pre-Packer, the great Dennis Lillee, who can lay claim to be the best, or one of the best, fast bowlers of modern times, was being paid $200 per Test Match, which was less than the guys on the turnstile were earning.
History is best viewed from a distance, & in due course I think Packer - nasty, dreadful man that he was - will be seen as the man who made cricket what it is today.
Here's Kerry with that face that suggests he is wearing a stocking over it. I can barely believe he passed away a long 13 years ago, God bless him.
I played the UKOPS PLO 2 nights ago, my first dabble on Sky Poker in over a year if I'm not mistaken. Oh my, never had such fun, & the other players were so warm, welcoming & kind.
So I'm going in again tonight in the PLO8, which starts in 20 minutes.
At least that means this update will not be intolerably long. In theory.
More follows....
I was only in the PLO for 30 or 40 minutes - I bust before Late Reg closed despite a Rebuy - but I saw so much action.
I flopped & flush & got schooled by @kimdongun who had flopped....the nuts.
Against @engy, I had the nut flush & he rivered the quads.
engy had Aces full against quad sixes. And so it continued.
Somewhat questionably, I called a raise with J-J-9-6 DS (I like playing gappers & double gappers in PLO) & we got to see a really good 8-10-x flop, so that gave me a nice spot which I exploited.
My opening table included (apologies to those I forgot) @StayOrGo, @engy, @MikeyW94 @kimdongun, & later, Ambo joined us.
StayOrGo was to my right, and if I have to have him on my Table, that's exactly where I want him. He got a bit frisky early when it was walked to his SB, & I let it go twice, then stuck it in his eye when he made attempt #3. Told him I had A-Q-Q-6, which was true. Well almost true, I did have the 6. Gotta be done.
He & I were giving it large like two old **** on a table full of good young players, and we both perished, 67th & 68th I think, within minutes of each other.
Then a chap with the Alias of @21 joined the table. Very aggro, but very nice.
He was surprisingly warm & friendly to me & I could not quite figure out why, as I'd never heard of him.
He addressed me as "Tony", & very few people do that. I've been with Sky Poker 13 years, and not a single person in the Leeds Office has ever called me anything but "tikay", which always strikes me as a little odd.
So who was this chap calling me "Tony"?
Well he said the oddest thing.
At which point, dear reader - if anyone has got this far - I must abandon ship on the story as the PLO8 starts in 5 minutes & I need to do my usual pre-game Yoga & meditation. (I'm a Lotus btw).
To be continued tomorrow.
* Imagine the Archers Signature Tune*
Dum di dum di dum de da, dum di da di da da....
More like F0LD
GL matey-c u there