A whinge. The airport bookstore Penninn declined to sell my book “From Lord’s to the Fjords” — a Cool Runnings type of tale about how Iceland started playing an unknown sport for a joke, but became the most popular amateur sports team in the world — because they believe cricket…

Today we learned that Harold Wilson DID have an affair! Which means he knowingly defrauded musicians and artists, including Roy Wood, Trevor Burton and Bev Bevan, of thousands of pounds for publishing a flyer implying that he did. Wilson lied — and even committed perjury.

A pleasure to be a guest on @ruvenglish today, speaking about my book. If you want to hear a potted history of Icelandic Cricket from 911 AD to the present day, squeezed into 19 minutes, have a listen. ruv.is/english/2024-0…

I’m delighted to announce my second book, From Lord’s to the Fjord’s: the Saga of Icelandic Cricket, is now available everywhere and in every format.
📚 Hardback: bit.ly/3IKzBC7
🎧 Audiobook: adbl.co/4ckHGLp
📱eBook: bit.ly/4aijCac

There’s now an ebook of From Lord’s to the Fjords, the saga of ⁦Iceland Cricket⁩. If you want to read the unbelievable story, from beginning to not-quite-end, click here: thenightwatchman.net/buy/from-lords….

I wondered if South Africa might put out a side that fulfils their quota of six non-white players — but no. Eight of their squad of 15 are white, and all but one have made the final team. Zondo and Piedt, despite having Test experience, have missed out, as has Mpongwana. #NZvSA

This must be the worst wicket-taking ball in Test cricket history. Bowler gets credit in the stats.

I’ve been in bed with flu for five days. Head fuzzy. Feel hungover despite having a dry January in 1999 that never stopped. And @thebarmyarmy trumpeter playing E5 over and over and over again is like having hot needles shoved into my ears. #INDvENG

Wouldn’t it be nice if young English spinners were allowed to experience this feeling while bowling in England? It would enliven the Championship if we had an Indian-style pitch here or there. It would also improve English batters’ capabilities against the turning ball.

⚽️

#INDvENG

This seems to be the general pattern. Stage 1: Bazball doesn’t exist. Stage 2: Okay, it does. But it won’t work against us. Stage 3: Okay, it does. We’d better start thinking about our plans, then.

I live in a one-bedroom flat in a Surrey village. I pay more council tax than Buckingham Palace. How about that.

Leus du Plooy is captain of Team Europe in a series of nine T10 matches called the “Weston Shield” (named after himself by ECN’s founder; there is also a women’s competition named after his wife). This would mean du Plooy misses his first Championship game for @middlesex_ccc.

We often hear this point in the “equal pay in tennis” debate. Presumably, therefore, a man winning in straight sets should have his prize money reduced?