What a depressing morning so, as we move ever closer to Armageddon, let's remember one of history's lighter moments, and BeefyBotham trying and failing to get his leg over

Delighted to see this reorganisation of the women's game on county lines, but is there still not going to be any red ball cricket?

Some interesting things are reviewed on CricketWeb this weekend.We have Rosenwater on a stamp collector, and on the Noblest Roman, and then an excellent autobiography from an unfamiliar name from New Zealand's 1958 tour to England, and a splendid booklet from SomersetCricketMuseum

A famous partnership, and still the fourth highest tenth wicket stand in First Class cricket - the great Frank Woolley was 22 at the time, and was still scoring more than 1500 runs for Kent 29 years later - I'm struck by how flimsy those old pads appear to be

Three great men of Somerset Cricket 🏆 all-rounder Arthur Wellard, smiter of mighty sixes, opening batsman Harold Gimblett, of the fairytale debut century and another all-rounder, Bill Andrews, he with 'the hand that bowled Bradman'

On the right is Joyce Clothier, an NZ opening bat and 'keeper who produced a 5.5 hour rearguard action in the 2nd Test against England in 1954 at Worcester - her partner here is Joan Hatcher, who wasn't playing so the pic is from a different game - anyone recognise the venue?

It's a sobering thought that this meeting between an 18 year old Derek Underwood and 43 year old Keith Miller took place in my lifetime, albeit only just

On the subject of great left arm spinners and Headingley 1968 here's one who might even be greater than 'Deadly', Wilfred Rhodes, in his 91st year and totally blind with his daughter accompanying him into the ground - he took a few wickets in his time, 4,204 of them in new money

Deadly with the bat, returning to the pavilion during the Headingley Ashes Test in 1968 after David Brown's dismissal had left him unbeaten on 45 - it remained his top score in Tests and, at the time, I seem to recall was the highest Test score by an England number 11?

He needed two runs off the last ball of the 1985 Nat West final to win the match for Notts but, sadly for him, all Derek Randall could do was clip Derek Pringle to midwicket, a catch that Paul Prichard safely held on to

Alan Knott and 'Deadly' Derek Underwood were a lethal combination back in the day, and here they've just snared themselves a big cat, in fact they've gone one better, as this victim was the Supercat!

The Gnome, aka Keith Fletcher - a decent batsman and a skipper who made Essex a power in the land - not popular to the east of the Pennines though

'The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there' is a well known quote, and the same applies to the future CricketWeb Ben Bloom Pitch Publishing 📚 Sports Books cricketweb.net/books/batting-…

This one is an excellent appreciation of a fine New Zealand cricketer of the 1960s and 1970s CricketWeb cricketweb.net/books/richard-…

Rosenwater on the world's finest cricket library CricketWeb cricketweb.net/books/speech/

Rosenwater on a famous day at Southend CricketWeb cricketweb.net/books/721-2/

One of the greatest ever spin bowlers this is Hedley Verity, aged 34, in the nets in his last season, 1939 - his remarkable record tells you all you need to know - in an era when many major batting records were set Verity took, in less than a decade, 1,956 wickets at 14.90

At 19 Neil Harvey is applauded back into the pavilion by the Headingley faithful after being dismissed for 112 in the fourth Test in 1948, the look on his face being because although Australia went on to win by getting 404-3 on the last day at this point England were doing well

There were 800 Test wickets to come (well 795 really) but when this was taken Murali was a 19 year old whippersnapper who was yet to make his Test debut - if I might be so bold an autobiography/biography is long overdue -any idea if one is being worked on Nicholas Brookes?

I wonder what Benjamin Franklin would have said about Liz Truss and Boris Johnson and the problems allegedly caused by young Dilyn - have to say he sounds like a splendid little chap to me - what do you reckon Fox Terrier Wallace (and Gus the Border)?