Wednesday 4 January 2017 16:19, UK
David Lloyd talks New Year's resolutions, England's ODI series in India and Rob Key's Morris dancing in his first blog of 2017...
Happy New Year all!
I'm all set up for 2017, ready to go. Forget Dry January, I'm doing two months 'dry', starting from now.
I'm going to get ultra-fit - I mean, I'm fit enough as it is - but I want to get that beach bod by the time we go to the West Indies for the three England ODIs in March.
It's myself, Ian Ward and Rob Key out there, I believe. A little-known fact for you: Rob Key is the president of the Kent Morris Dancers Association, don't you know?
He's in the Tunbridge Wells branch, and I have it on good authority that he was rallying his troops over the New Year. Perhaps he will treat us to some in the Caribbean.
My Christmas was fairly quiet. I do the food - no turkey, its lamb and ham in our household - and make my famous Christmas cake.
You shouldn't dream of driving after a slice of mine. Full of brandy.
Socks! I sent a message out pre-Christmas that I was short of socks; I'm not anymore. They're not quite as colourful as Beefy's - I got some Christmassy ones, and some walking socks, thermals. Plus, I got a new trilby and jacket for when I go racing.
Speaking of, I want to ride a horse.
It is something that has been in the pipeline for a few years now. Andrew Thornton, the jockey - he's a big cricket fan, is Andrew - lives close by me in York, and has said I can go to his yard and ride a horse.
I've never ridden one before, but it's something I'd really like to do. A few years ago, I passed my test to ride a motorbike, and then I've been on the footplate of a steam train, and next on the list is to ride a horse.
Me and a couple of pals are also thinking about joining a racing syndicate to own a share in a horse. Who knows, if all goes well, maybe I'll end up riding it at one of the big race meets.
As well as my usual Emmerdale and Coronation Street over Christmas - I don't miss them - I've been keenly following the darts and wall-to-wall football.
The semi-final at the World Championship between Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld, in particular, was incredible. Incredible!
I'd love to have a go at commentating on the darts. Full pint!
I'll be there at Accrington Stanley on Saturday; we've got Luton in the third round of the FA Cup.
We've had a nightmarish run, which has put us down near relegation in League Two, and I'm one of those who worries that a cup run can sidetrack the team from the league.
The league is so important. Give me a play-off place over a cup run any day.
It's just a case of sleeves up, chest out, head up and showing what we're made of.
That's what England need to do, too, when they head back out to India for the ODIs. It was quite predictable the way the Test series went, though England will be angry at their performance.
Everyone is trying to predict what Alastair Cook might do, and I would interpret that he has a little bit of self-doubt. I would also say that captains and coaches have a shelf life, and that if Cook does think it's time to hand over to someone else, it needs to be done ready for this summer.
I was flabbergasted and gobsmacked to learn at the end of the series that there was a supposed doubt over Somerset spinner Jack Leach's action.
This '15 degree' rule from the ICC is supposedly detectable to the naked eye, but I have seen nothing in Leach's action to have me suspicious. I was dumbfounded.
England are set to face plenty more spin in the one-dayers, but should at least be able to impose themselves a bit more with the white ball.
Watch the first ODI in India and England's three-match series, live on Sky Sports 2 from 7.30am on Sunday, January 15.
