Posted by Anderson, Flintoff – it’s a strong looking Lancashire team sheet this week. Pity they couldn’t dig out a Chapple or a Fairbrother or a Wasim Akram.
It’s always been reassuring for Lancashire supporters to see Anderson on the team sheet. The club therefore went out and found one.
With the great man himself unavailable, they’ve gone with Anderson Phillip for their last three matches, a West Indian quick whose parents clearly weren’t going to let their family name keep them from maintaining nomenclature equilibrium in the world. (“We can’t let first names take over. Let’s go with ‘Anderson’.”)
Phillip’s contributions during his Lancashire stay have been modest. 2-101 in the shellacking at Durham. 1-35 and 3-81 in the victory over Somerset. The three top order wickets yesterday were very useful though, helping secure two of the 16-to-40 points needed to avoid relegation. (It should be pointed out here that 24 is the absolute maximum available to them, so much of that moving target is already out of sight.)
There’s also the psychological factor. It must feel good to have Anderson opening the bowling and it must feel good to have Flintoff in the middle-order – even when it’s Rocky and he’s only 16 years old and might not serve up his best batting because he’s upset about having his Pokémon cards confiscated.
Stacking the team with familiar names is a good ploy. We fear Lancashire have arrived at it too late.
> Why are Lancashire probably getting relegated?
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Similar deliveries:
No James Anderson and no Saqib Mahmood as Lancashire and the Birmingham U-Bears rehash the Bob Willis Trophy final
James Anderson, Jamie Porter and Sam Cook plus a whole bunch of lethal overseas dobblers… Essex v Lancashire doesn’t promise to be a runfest
Lancashire are making a proper balls of their first match
Anderson Phillip.
Couldn’t help but think of this:
https://youtu.be/Nl0HqlbX7dc?si=Jh_DxD6sK7YWwvkY
Wonderful sketch – thanks, Darren.
I wouldn’t try a similar line of questioning with Anderson Phillip, though. Not unless you were wearing a great deal of protective clothing.
I worry generally about former cricketers’ choices of forenames for their offspring. Rocky Flintoff? Archie Vaughan? Mitchell Marsh??…
…in other news, expect a delayed start and possibly a slightly shortened ODI today. It will hopefully stop raining around here around 13:00/13:15 and hopefully there’ll be no more rain once the rain stops. I hope to get to Lord’s between 14:30 & 15:00 and catch some of the action.
Obvious exception: Tagenarine Chanderpaul.
If one’s chosen team finishes above the relegation places, is it possible for them to be relegated as an act of mercy, on the basis of being a bit shit?
Asking for a friend.
It’s very challenging, as a Lancashire supporter, to hope that one of two teams playing each other gets utterly thrashed without specifically caring which one. At some point you have to completely switch allegiances. It’s quite a leap.
The word “moot” now hovers threateningly.
Moooooooot!
Too cruel.
What on Earth is happening to New Zealand?
I’m not sure what the record is for an innings and something defeat, but NZ must be pretty close to it*. Currently need 514 runs to avoid defeat, but have already lost a wicket for nought.
*Have just checked. It’s an innings and 579 runs by Eng against Aus in 1938. Second highest is an innings and 360 runs (SA vs Aus, 2002, to the good of Aus). Good chance Sri Lanka will inflict the second heaviest test victory in history.
Increasingly feels like after a bit of a period in the wilderness, Sri Lanka are back.