It's like Armageddon out here in Johannesburg. I've never seen rain like it!
We've had thunder, lightning and rain all day and all night. The ground is completely underwater and apparently it's going to be heavier on Friday so I'm not expecting much cricket.
I saw some of the England boys in the gym and they don't think there's much chance of play. I can't really put into words how much it has rained; the locals have never seen anything like it... and it's supposed to be summer!
Broad: at least he saw some proper wildlife...
At least it might give the England boys a little bit more time to recover from their injuries. I hope they're just niggles because you don't want long-term injuries coming into a tough tour like this.
I can't explain why so many of them are injured. My theory is that they've started doing some strenuous conditioning and gym work that they've not done previously. That might twang a thing or two.
We were pulled in at a regulation checkpoint and Hussain had to produce his driving licence. A lady proceeded to chat away at him in Afrikaans - and of course Nasser stood there nodding away as if he understood!
Bumble
Quotes of the week
South Africa v England
First one-day international
12pm, Fri, Sky Sports 1 & HD1
I might be totally wrong - and I'll be glad if someone tells me I'm talking rubbish.
Club life
Don't worry if the cricket is rained off because we are currently in the middle of one of the most exciting golf series in history: Hussain vs Lloyd.
Nass beat me at the last on Tuesday and is one-up as we speak. However, I'm blaming the monkey that pinched my sausage for putting me off.
We were at halfway house in the restaurant and I was eating one of those Boerewors that are very popular out here. Suddenly a monkey came charging in and nicked a load of sugar off the table and my sausage!
I was quite rattled by that and it's clearly the reason I lost...
We also played a doubles match. Our production manager Roger Chambers went on Nasser's team, while I was saddled with Nick Knight.
Unfortunately Nick doesn't really know how to play golf. He played right-handed and I'm convinced he should play left-handed. We didn't stand a chance!
Anyway, keep an eye on the video blogs. Myself, Nasser and Nick have decided to insult each other as much as possible during the series...
Driven to succeed
Myself, Nasser and Beefy also were invited by a chap called Rob Dalton from Sun City to a fundraising golf day in association with the Jockey's Association.
There's a huge race meeting called the International Jockeys' Challenge at Turffontein on Saturday which sees South African jockeys taking on international riders like Mick Kinane, Richard Hughes, Seb Sanders and Frankie Dettori. It's a huge occasion over here and the place is packed.
So we did the two-hour drive from Johannesburg to Sun City to meet them and we were right out in the Bush. Even though we were in the heart of Safari country, all I saw was some donkeys and some goats!
Hussain is the designated driver for these trips. He hasn't been charging me petrol yet, but I'm expecting an invoice at some point in the future.
On the way up to Sun City we were pulled in at a regulation checkpoint and Hussain had to produce his driving licence.
A lady proceeded to chat away at him in Afrikaans - and of course Nasser stood there nodding away as if he understood!
Anyway, on the way back I spotted a Harley Davidson superstore, so I scooted off there. I had a great time sitting on bikes for two hours!
They're far more expensive here than in the UK. The same can be said for clothes. I fancied a jacket in one of the shops but decided better of it when I was told the price.
Six hundred and sixty quid??!! No wonder he wasn't selling very many of them...
Golden deal
One thing that has finally sold is the golden tie!
I know the lady who bought it for £300 on eBay and she's a really nice lass, a big Kent follower. I'm thrilled that she's got it.
That has inspired The Brigadier, who is now planning to put his own autograph on eBay.
Keep an eye out for that, I'm sure it will sell for huge money...
Bumble answers your questions...
Send your questions to Bumble by filling in the feedback form below. Or you can mail them in by e-mailing skysportsclub@bskyb.com
SOUTH AFRICA STARS
Hi Bumble, you played in an era when South Africans could not play test cricket so how highly would you rate some of your South African contemporaries in comparison with greats such as Richards, Chappell, Lillee, Gavaskar, etc. Shaun Dyer
BUMBLE SAYS: Barry Richards, Mike Proctor, Graeme Pollock... wonderful cricketers. The short answer to the question is they were right up there, whether or not they were playing international cricket. If we move on to the modern day, I'm a massive fan of Graeme Smith, who is a great leader and a truly solid bloke. I have great admiration for him. The day after England beat South Africa, he came over to me at breakfast and we had a good chat and a laugh.
To be fair, the likes of Daniel Vettori and Sachin Tendulkar are all the same, rock-solid blokes. There's one or two dipsticks but I won't name them. Yonks ago the likes of myself had a fleeting glance at being custodians of the game and now it's their turn. I think the game's in good hands.
THE JOY OF X
Looks like the commentators curse has struck again. You back Phil Tufnell and he gets voted out! Could you please do the same for the terrible John and Edward on X-Factor. Thanks, Craig.
BUMBLE SAYS: I know that Tuffers has gone out, I didn't realise Jedward were still in. The consensus over here is that Tuffers had got as far as he could. I'm probably more of an X-Factor fan than Strictly though. I quite like Daniel, even though it's not my type of singing at all. I just wonder how far Mark E Smith would get if he went on. If you bloggers don't know who he is, get yourself on YouTube, there's nobody like him. In fact, he's probably too good for X-Factor...
Bumble's jukebox
Last week the lyrics came from Parisienne Walkways by Thin Lizzy (or Gary Moore... whatever). Even The Brigadier managed to get it right so well done. See how you get on with these ones..
"Got to race some cat to bed..."
Speak to you next week!
Comments (19)
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Commbox Kid says...
all the young dudes! bumble - has nasser or nick bought a drink on tour yet?!
Posted 15:02 25th November 2009
Dave Halliday says...
Hi David Those lyrics look like "All the young dudes" by Mott the Hoople.Cheers.
Posted 11:42 24th November 2009
David Knowles says...
Lyrics by David Bowie, song: All the young dudes, made famous by Mott then hoople. Bumble, the Ostrich egg auction finishes on Dec 16th. it's a cracking item!
Posted 11:23 24th November 2009
Leonard Kelly says...
Bumble Great wim yesterday glad to hear that the kolpak rule has been looked at. What do you think of the early start for next year if it gets any earlier its going to be Snow stopped Play on a regular basis not just on odd occasions like when Lancs palyed Derby at Buxton. Lyris is from All the Youg dudes written by David Bowie and a hit for Mott The Hoople.
Posted 17:11 23rd November 2009
Dan The man says...
Hi Bumble, I listened with interest to mr Bothams tirade on the merits of Kolpak deals and Mclaren's decision to play for SA again. When he left SA he wasn't yet good enough for the SA side; he had to compete with Pollock, Boje, Klusener, van der Wath and Kemp; now he doesn't - would you give up on playing for your country? I think that the 30-odd south african kolpak players have aided English cricket at a time when the county game is at its weakest ever; how low would the standard be if they were not allowed to play in England anymore? South Africa had a decided lack of depth due to substandard first class cricket 5 or 6 years ago and as a result adopted a franchise system, joining multiple cricket unions together - we now have alot more strength in depth. Where would England be if strauss, prior, pieterson,trott,moore and kieswetter had not moved to england? And Ian's argument that kolpaks prevent locally born talent coming through is laughable; A large group of ex-SA cricketers have returned after the ICL contracts were released, or kolpak status's ending, yet 6 players from SA's u19 world cup finalist team are already regulars for their franchises - if you are good enough, and your counties are not conservative and looking after their own interests, then you will play.
Posted 09:05 23rd November 2009
Albert Conroy says...
Bumble, I'm distressed to hear about the monkey business at the cafe. Sorry but I cannot accept your excuse. We British have standards that apply in foreign parts as well as at home. We expect a stout Lancashire fellow to control his sausage at all times whatever the behaviour of others, monkeys or not!
Posted 02:27 23rd November 2009
Clive Brickell says...
Hi Bumble I have just watched the 2nd ODI and well done England, a very proffesional job. In the 5th over Morgan chased a ball down but missed it and he slid over the boundary and the ball trickled on and touched the rope. Could he have pulled the rope back so that the ball would not have touched it and then fielded it? Your expertise is without doubt able to answer this question!!!!
Posted 17:10 22nd November 2009
David Neale says...
Bumble, always new that Broady was a tall lad , standing toe to toe with the giraffee there's very little in it both are around 14 feet tall, but the Giraffe reckons he can get more bounce off a length!!!!!!!! Hope Broady gets that shoulder right for the tests on a seroius note as he's a good lad and the best No.8 bat in test cricket
Posted 21:26 21st November 2009
David Martin says...
Hi Bumble, love the blog , are the lyrics from 'all the young dudes'?. cheers mate
Posted 21:18 21st November 2009
Elma Botes says...
Never seen such weather in summer - but I suppose it is the rainy season. Sun is back tomorrow!!! SA to beat England by 80 runs!!
Posted 19:24 21st November 2009
Barbara Wilson says...
Who is the Brigadeer?
Posted 15:49 21st November 2009
Ken Phillips says...
Never seen rain like it? You're from Lancashire dammitall. Even Noah wouldn't go to Burnley. Cod find Accrington too damp.
Posted 09:54 21st November 2009
Brian Read says...
This one has got to be All The Young Dudes written by the ever young and vibrant David Bowie.....
Posted 07:12 21st November 2009
25bar N/a says...
Thanks for all the entertainment, Bumble.
Posted 05:56 21st November 2009
Lewis Saffin says...
Clueless Movie - All the Young Dudes. That one was on Juno :D
Posted 21:20 20th November 2009
Angela Mcgregor says...
Bumble's jukebox : All The Young Dudes - by David Bowie or Mott the Hoople
Posted 16:30 20th November 2009
Leonard Kelly says...
Bumble Sorry about the rain but at least it is not has bad there as it in Cumbria they reckon and one foot of rain has fallen in about 24 hours. The fixtures for 2010 are out and it is getting earlier and earlier starting could be that the reason for play stopping at Buxton once could become quite common "Snow stopped Play" The lyrics are from the David Bowie song All the Young Dudes which was a hit for Mott the Hoople who were lead by Ian Hunter
Posted 14:20 20th November 2009
Kathy Immelman says...
Glad you enjoyed the golf at Sun City. Us horsey types in SA are moaning much better about all the rain and the possibility that the big International Jockeys competition will perhaps have to be postponed till Sunday or even called off, horrible thought. - At least you knew it was Afrikaans the traffic lady was speaking. - With so many SA-born players in the Brit cricket side the advantage of the Proteas speaking a virtually unknown language on the cricket field is rather negated. Maybe Smith et al. should learn to speak Xhosa? Or Tsonga or Pedi or Ohimba? I wonder how "Bowl him a bouncer, knock his #$%@ head off!" would sound in Zulu?
Posted 10:52 20th November 2009
Sam G says...
Bumble, good luck in the golf, might be slightly overshadowed by the cricket, best go for a deal on skysports xtra? Also a quick question, why do you think we have so many kolpak players? Is it because our cricket set up is easier to get into than South Africa's? Cheers, Sam G.
Posted 10:25 20th November 2009
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