The photo is from a year earlier in September 2005; the day England won the Ashes at the Oval, with thanks to Charley “The Gent” Malloy (also pictured, as are Uncail Marcas, Me and Daisy) – Jeff is the big fella in red.
I am reminded of this day from September 2006 almost exactly 13 years later (on 5 September 2019), as King Cricket described the wind as being the most important element of a day’s Ashes cricket at Old Trafford.
I took Jeff to a day of county cricket at Lord’s, between Middlesex and Nottinghamshire. I wrote the day up comprehensively for MTWD back then – click here.
The most noteworthy thing that happened that day (other than Nottinghamshire batting Middlesex out of the game), was a stray plastic bag that blew from the Upper Compton onto the pitch to temporarily hold up proceedings.
Unfortunately, that rogue plastic bag was ours. I report the matter in considerable detail about half way through the afternoon session section – here’s another chance to click here.
Other coincidences with this week in 2019 include:
- Nick Compton being the player who rescued the bag – I am honoured as Ged to have my spotting of Nick Compton as the very first “Cricketer Spotted” submission this week, in the newly named King Cricket’s Edge – you can sign up for that e-mail newsletter by clicking here. (But you don’t need to do that if you were already a Cricket Badger subscriber);
- I am going to see Middlesex play Nottinghamshire again this very day (5 September 2019) – at Trent Bridge this time and in the T20 format this time. Hopefully Middlesex will do a bit better today than they did in September 2006. Postscript: impossible though it might seem, Middlesex was even more comprehensively thrashed in the T20 September 2019 encounter than the September 2006 County Championship jobbie.