Thursday 5 August 2010

Steve Harmison: good for the fans

Hampshire are playing Durham at the Batsman's spiritual home, May's Bounty in Basingstoke, the ground where John Arlott first watched the game, where Andy Roberts once roared down the hill and skulled Colin Cowdrey, where Richards and Greenidge packed the marquees, where the trees hang over from the school and shade the seats in the far corner, where Alvin Kallicharan once hit two in a row into the road near Arlott's favoured pub, where county cricket always fills the ground.

It's not good enough for Steve Harmison of course. 'Considering the way the ECB are spending fortunes on drainage at most county grounds, you have to ask whether we should be coming to places like this,' he sniffed after a storm left puddles on the outfield. 'If this was the Riverside or the Rose Bowl, play would start at 11am tomorrow. This game might not start any more. It's good for the fans to get close to the players and there's a nice atmosphere, but I'm not sure there's still a place for it.'

Steve Harmison's figures in the game so far: 28-4-106-1.

Update: Play to start at 11.30. Get your boots on Harmi...

3 comments:

Wes playforcountrynotforself said...

Can't believe he actually said that, I'd give my last shirt to be at the ground for that match. And yes, he's playing accordingly, suggesting that "he didn't want to be there", as eyewitnesses have observed. Just sad.

Cheers,
Wes

~ Play For Country Not For Self ~

Ceci said...

Think he's disgruntled mainly as he's had his wallet and phone nicked from the changing room. That would p*ss me off

The Old Batsman said...

Could be right - having stuff nicked is a pisser... should have made him bowl a bit quicker tho...