In the Greek Orthodox church, Epiphany (which was yesterday) is a Big Deal. “A Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ.”
In Greece, priests throw a cross into harbours etc and young or youngish men (and sometimes women but that is still rare) dive in to retrieve it.
The one who does retrieve it gets a special prize, which is to be blessed for the new year.
(This tradition also exists in parts of modern-day Turkiye.)
It seemed time to have a new page, as the Gallery one had been around for four months and had over 1,200 comments.
I had thought of calling this new page Dawn and having the video of “Knock Three Times” at the top, so you are welcome to consider yourselves lucky.
If you want to listen to Nina Simone singing about it being a new dawn and a new day, you can click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHs98TEYecM
romeoromeotango 
This is in Lancashire, not Greece.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m guessing that’s the one in Worden Park, Leyland.
The ‘Leyland’ logo emblazoned on the side of the carriages may have been a clue.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you don’t know about Zoe Gardner, you should:
LikeLike
And why not?
LikeLike
I’ve written the season off already. This just seals it.
LikeLike
Surely D1 is all about the battle for third, given that the Cricketer sees Lanky and Surrey already having their names in ink?
However, viewing this: not alphabetical orders, after all, so I think the ECB is telling us what will happen.
https://www.ecb.co.uk/matches/county-championship/tables
Tough call in D1. Can Surrey really do it again against the anointed future kings of Lanky, who the ECB see going down? But ECB’s Hants as #2 seeems likely, by crook or by crook. Somerset will obviously be in with a shout before losing on the final afternoon.
Meanwhile, Glamorgan/Durham/Sussex must be the prediction *before* our inevitable points deduction for the year (-12 points for not being southern, -12 points for pronunciation of “scone” at the cream teas, -12 points for talking back, and -12 more because otherwise Durham’d still go up).
LikeLike
It’s even worse than that, TS.
They appear to have produced two versions of the D2 table, one below the other. And in the second one, the final places are clearly numbered, with Derbyshire first, Durham second and Glamorgan missing out on promotion *again* in third.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I missed that. Good to see Derbyshire going up!
But you should be OK once Durham’s points are reduced, just be sure you’re no more than 47 point behind.
LikeLike
And for that matter, the middle table is actually titled:
LV= County Championship Division One 2023 Division 2
Which would obviously be a mistake if we didn’t know that the ECB is utterly incapable of making a mistake, or something.
It’s good to see that all is safe in their hands in this way.
Incidentally this thread will really puzzle anyone rereading** it in a couple of weeks once it’s all correct, or at least with different errors.
** this will surely happen.
LikeLike
Heroic.
Potatoes are highly valued here, and we are very grateful.
LikeLike
Hmm. If I recall my Georgette Heyer (and she famously did a LOT of research), Byron’s “reducing” diet was mainly potatoes and vinegar… I’m quite prepared to believe that eccentric aristo might have wanted to ensure his supplies whilst in Kefalonia, and that was of course before independence.
There’s a fine alternative hypothesis, so long as you’re willing to ignore tedious facts 😉
LikeLike
My pre-season excitement lasted as long as it took me to type in NCCC.co.uk click on ‘Team’ and scroll down a very short list. Unless TMN have cunningly changed website since the end of last season…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just found nineteen of TMN’s finest (but this includes T20-only players such as Chris Lynn).
LikeLike
And Josh Cobb…
But they don’t include Hassan Azad (or retired ex-captain Alex Wakely, who is still available to buy on CricketXI).
I reckon some websites are so infrequently updated they probably still have Dr Grace opening the batting for Glos.
LikeLike
“Lancashire look value”
I don’t think he means like Poundstretchers.
LikeLike
This thread is well worth reading (I think).
LikeLike
After today’s ODIs in New Zealand and South Africa, Sri Lanka are going to Zimbabwe in June/July for the last qualifying stage for the world cup and South Africa need to beat Netherlands again on Sunday to qualify directly, unless Ireland can beat Bangladesh three-nil at home (home being Chelmsford in this instance) by a significant margin in which case they would go through. (Bangladesh are fourth in the table, just behind India and level on points and wins with Pakistan.)
If Sunday’s game is washed out, Ireland would just have to win three-nil.
(Reminder: one can lose points in this for slow over rate. India, West Indies, South Africa and Ireland have all had points deducted for this. SA and Ireland need to bowl “in a timely manner”.)
The side both South Africa and Ireland need to get past is West Indies. Of the three teams only one can go straight through and the others go to Zimbabwe, where the top two (out of ten) will qualify for the Actual World Cup.
LikeLike
And there’s a Big Game in the Play-Off tournament in Namibia tomorrow, Canada v UAE.
If UAE win, and they’re a good side, there’ll be four teams on played three two wins, with two matches left for each side.
(And Jersey and PNG will be fighting over what is probably the wooden comb.)
LikeLike
From Thamessider:
I think this screengrab amply demonstrates the importance of the county championship to the ECB, along with its unceasing professionalism and attention to detail.
Yep, they got game for sure.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think they mean #HABEMUSLUDUM
LikeLiked by 3 people
Before I open this up on a first-come-first-served basis on CC Live! this week…
There is one spot left in D1 here
https://cricketxi.com/county-championship-2023/league/3513/ (code YHDLIKSD).
Then there will be a D2 here
https://cricketxi.com/county-championship-2023/league/3549// (code KLGVFZWM)
And the Open league (unlimited players) is here
https://cricketxi.com/county-championship-2023/league/3514// (code FQMCMJZU)
LikeLike
Perhaps it might be an idea to put it out to the great unwashed whenever the G does its Big County Championship Preview article, where people debate how many nails it takes for Lancashire to be sufficiently impaled on the pennant/trophy.
“How many nails does it take till he knows, that…”
(I’ll be happy if Leicestershire don’t come bottom.)
LikeLike
Jersey (pop. 100,000) have just beaten PNG (pop. 9 million) by 11 runs, so well done them.
PNG are actually a very good team, all these sides are. I haven’t been watching, because I’m on the Canada – UAE game which is going to the wire, UAE needing 55 in 47 balls, six wickets left.
LikeLike
And so the play-off tournament for two places in the final qualifying in Zimbabwe now has four teams on played 3 won 2. Two games to go for all of them.
Jersey beating PNG today means they too could qualify, but it would take them beating USA and UAE and UAE losing to Namibia tomorrow (which could happen) and USA losing to PNG tomorrow (which could also happen, even though PNG haven’t won a game yet).
Namibia would also have to beat Canada on Tuesday and PNG beat Canada on Wednesday.
LikeLike
Please find the time to read this cartoon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If any county wanted an excellent opening left-arm bowler who can hit the ball harder and further than all but the Buttlers of this world, they could do much worse than signing Ruben Trumpelmann of Namibia.
LikeLike
… and he’s out, off a skied top edge.
Still, a name to look out for.
LikeLike
I could’ve sworn I posted the other day about Durham going all in on Aussie spinners this year (Kuhnemann at the start of the season, Murphy later). Oh well.
Anyway, there’s Test cricket today, which I just realised. Wonder if it’s being broadcast anywhere.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s a new page with the TV details.
LikeLike
Ah, sorry. Thanks.
LikeLike