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It seems amazing to me that we are still unable to produce a criket ball that lasts or can be guaranteed to stay in shape. Like most amateur cricketer we practice with practice balls – cheaper and last a lot longer. The match balls are also used up in the nets.

Cricket balls are still made from cork, string and leather – yes even in these high tec days, still made in this rather archaic way. The core of cork has string wrapped round it then 4 separate pieces of leather are stitched together to form the ball. A raised seam is then applied with 6 layers of stitching.

The quality is defined by the number of stitches used with far fewer on practice balls. The balls are all hand made and vthere is a prescribed weight of five to five and three quarter ounces. They are 9 inches in circumference. That sounds small ang light, but try catching one hit at full pelt towards you – that can hurt. During manufacture most English cricket balls are dipped into a resinous oil mixture to prevent damage to the leather by rain water but this also tends to soften the surface of the ball. They are just not durable.

This is about Cricket balls - people say I talk a lot of balls so here goes.You cannot really see the red balls in poor light and the white ones have coloured up too much after 35 overs and need replacing. Fortunately the MCC is keen to have pink ballswhich are easier to see being used in the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup to be held in England. Kookaburra, the ball manufacturer, has already started producing pink cricket balls. Hopefully these wuill be trialed in tests soon, and let us play in poorer light.

Having said that though, we have often played in conditions where you would need a miners helmut to be able to spot the ball. That together with the liberal weed cover in the pitch makes we club players far braver and more skilled than the so called professionals.

It is really curious that the cricket establishment has behaved as though the Twenty20 from of the game is an inferior product without the skills required for a real cricket match. It has been viwed as a second class part of the game. Well, what I would ask is - what do most of us play? We are not professional cricketers who can languish in the turgid full days of a county match. We love our sport, but play the most played version of the game – 20 overs aside in the evenings after work. This game is the game of the people and yet the cricketing authorities just don’t get it.

Twenty20 cricket has created excitement in in cricket matches particularly among young people. Its always exciting to play, but now its quite good to watch, you don’t need a full day to enjoy the game – 3 hours and it is done, just like the evening games that so many of us currently play.The first ICC Twenty20 world cup, played in South Africa last year was testimony to the fact that this form of cricket is popular and more entertaining than a 50-50 overs one day international. Its instant gratification which fits for our youth culture

It started in the United Kingdom for county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board (EWCB), in the year 2003. Muttiah Muralitharan, (who is a chucker) and the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history said the Twenty20 is here to stay and is the future of the game. Of course any cricketer would tell you, Test cricket is the ultimate. Who in these busy times can spare five days to watch a Test match. We need entertainment and Twenty20 provides it.

Only 40 million people watched the Twenty20 World Cup Final, compared with 260 million for the last football world cup final, it’s a long way to go but at least there is a product that is taking cricket forward.

Of course, there is a danger that Test cricket would be damaged, both by the popularity of the format and by the different skills needed. It has not happened yet and anything that makes the sport more popular among youth and everyone else must be welcome.

Feddie Flintoff is a Lancashire lad from Preston, and amazingly will be 31 on 6 December 2008. He has played for Lancashire from the age of just 17 years. Within 3 years, he made his England debut against South Africa at Trent Bridge . It took him till his 21st innings before he passed the fifty mark, and when he did, it was with typical aplomb, smashing his way to 137, sharing a 281 run partnership with Graham Thorpe against New Zealand. Now of course he is well established as an absolute winner and about to return to save the England team once again. Freddie Flintoff is exceptionally tall, taller than most people at 6ft 4in (1.93m). a big star in more ways than one. He hits the ball a long long way, despite trouble with his back. Some say he lacks motivation and is not disciplined, he likes a drink ( or four or six – that’s ten for the over the limit). He is without a doubt the Talisman of the team.

I would love to have him play at our Club, even though the short boundaries would be OK for him the uneven bounce may sort him out! Last summer I went to a benefit dinner in Manchester and was proud to meet him in person there, but he declined to play in a friendly for us. He shared the bill with Ricky Hatton at this venue and we all had a great time. However I gues he made serious dosh from it, but still cannot visit a small club.

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So, the big debate continues, we need stroger batting and have a Captain who cannot bat that we keep selecting. i just do not get it, we have a superb tactitian in Paul Collingwood, why not just give him the role and put another decent batsman in Place. It gets even worse when Freddie is back - someone has to go and Vaughan seems bullet proof. Enough from me now - I wish I could play as well as any of them, but off to prep the pitch with some pre season care.

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Good God Ive got a Blog - now I can tell the world how a cricket team should be run