Bumble's Blog: Ashes and Finals Day Mascot Race prove big hits
Wednesday 26 August 2015 18:30, UK
So in the end the Oval Test was a game too far for England.
It was job done at Trent Bridge and, after a series featuring some very special moments with the ball, they couldn't quite get up for the game.
Afterwards coach Trevor Bayliss said he was going to give young players every opportunity to establish themselves in the one-day team and he's been as good as his word, resting Joe Root, James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
But I can't believe Jonny Bairstow isn't in the squad. Surely they've forgotten him or maybe it's one of those administrative errors?
I'm sure my memory isn't failing me, but wasn't he man-of-the-match after hitting that brilliant 83no against New Zealand...?
I think it will be a hard-fought series. Australia are obviously experimenting with their team so it's a good opportunity for England to make their mark.
Rivalry
That final Test was an emotional game for Australia with Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers retiring.
Australia now start again and if I were them I'd be really looking forward to playing under Steve Smith and David Warner – I think they're going to be a really good combination.
I think they'll be absolutely terrific, them two, and no doubt they'll be a fair amount of fun and mischief along the way.
I saw that Joe Root posted a picture of him and Warner with clenched fists on his Facebook page, which I thought was absolutely terrific.
Root, Stokes, Warner and Smith – it would be a hell of a good tag-wrestling match! These are four lads who are going to entertain us for years to come.
There doesn't have to be any feuds, just healthy and respectful rivalry.
Dangerous
So now it's on to Finals Day - the longest day of the year!
I hear there is a Mascot Race and that Michael Vaughan will be there again, but this time he'll be on the lookout for Adam Hollioake, who nearly cut him half last year.
Adam saw the funny side…
I'm looking forward to seeing plenty of players in action, including David Willey.
It will be one of his last appearances for Northamptonshire before he goes to Yorkshire; it's a good move for him – he's going to a top-class county, who do things right.
I know Northants fans will be disappointed but he's off to the champions of division one to play in the top flight, which is a cut above. They're top again which is a terrific effort.
Lawrie Evans is another damn good player to watch. If confidence could be bottled he'd be a millionaire.
Birmingham are at home and have all the know-how they need to defend their title but I've just got a sneaky feeling that Northants will turn them over.
As everybody knows it's all about who turns up on the day. My money is firmly in my pocket but I would go for Hampshire over Lancashire.
Hampshire are right at the bottom of the County Championship division one but going well in one-day cricket, which looks once again like their forte.
Michael Carberry is a very dangerous player, as is James Vince – I like him a lot and see he's in the England T20 squad but hasn't quite made the ODI squad yet.
Conjecture
Nottinghamshire's Alex Hales is in it and was back in the runs as his side beat Durham in the quarter-finals of the Royal London One-Day Cup on the Duckworth-Lewis method.
There's been a lot of conjecture on Twitter about why, with so much rain around, the umpires didn't use the spare rain day.
Let me tell you: that day spare is to be used if there's no play at all. The directive is to finish the game in the day but there is a spare day if there is no play at all.
Live NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day
As soon as the match got down to 24 overs-a-side and Duckworth-Lewis raised the score to 194, Notts were nailed on to win.
A lot of people are saying this isn't fair to Notts but I was thinking 'crikey, what planet have you been on?' I didn't give Durham a price to chase that many in those conditions.
Fun
By the way, the first copy of my new book – which comes out on September 10th – has arrived.
It's called 'Last in the Tin Bath' – a throwback to my early years when Dad got in first, then Uncle Harry – who for some reason lived with us from time to time – and then me.
It's autobiographical – with reminisces of my childhood, going through Accrington, Lancashire and into the commentary box with a lot of fun on the way.
I just hope it's one of those books that once you've put it down you can't bring yourself to pick it up again!
Watch England take on Australia in a Twenty20 International on Monday from 2.30pm on Sky Sports Ashes, followed by the one-day series from Thursday 3rd September.
