Saturday 16 September 2017 17:21, UK
David Lloyd blogs on the kick-boxing coach who would fit perfectly into England's set-up, his pranks on Blowers and a golf game in turmoil...
I've packed my winter woollies and thermals and am heading to Durham for Saturday night's T20.
I stopped off at Alwoodley yesterday to play golf with the man who looks after my pension; it's a fantastic Championship course but way too hard for me - the rough went over knee high!
You've got to take one of those little bags with you to fill your divots in but I never used it once! All the gym work I've been doing helped enormously but overall I had a shocker, especially with my wedges which were horrendous.
So, with my game in turmoil, I've decided to have some lessons ahead of the Sky Cricket end-of-season golf tournament for the 'There it is' Cup - so called because us commentators get pulled into the office for an almighty volley for lazy broadcasting if any of us say 'and there it is' when someone gets a fifty, hundred, five wickets, hat-trick…
I'll let the powers-that-be into a secret, though; I've scrolled through hours of archive and I've heard Richie Benaud say it numerous times!
Talking of blasts from the past, one of my mates from Test Match Special - Henry Blofeld - has hung up his mic and it was terrific to see him get a great ovation as he walked around Lord's after the third Test.
He's so self-deprecating he admits he doesn't know who the fielders are anymore - or who is playing!
He's been a doyen of commentary and I was lucky to work with him alongside Brian Johnston, Fred Trueman, Trevor Bailey and Bill Frindall in a real golden era.
I've got that many stories about Blowers but I do remember a young Aggers and myself sending in fake faxes and Blowers would read them out on air. It was ridiculous! He's a grand chap - very upper crust with a propensity for getting married. It's a good day out!
Another cracking lad is Chris Silverwood and I'm thrilled that he's now the coach of a championship-winning team.
Chris made his Test debut in Zimbabwe when I was England coach and I can tell you he's honest, down-to-earth - and a mean kick-boxer too, as I found out!
We were doing a gym session and he asked me to hold one of those punch-bags that hang from the ceiling; he started punching and kicking it so hard he knocked me over!
I've no doubt he'll have an interest in becoming England bowling coach and they could do far worse because he knows the business and he will fit into a team perfectly.
Essex have won eight matches - that's been the key in a division where Surrey, who have just won one game, are fourth! In contrast, Warwickshire have also won just one game but are as good as down.
Essex are champions because they've got experience in the likes of Alastair Cook, Nick Browne, Ravi Bopara, Ryan Ten Doeschate, James Foster and they've recruited wisely. They've a quality spinner in Simon Harmer have recruited well, even getting Mohammad Amir for a time too.
They have an archetypal English seamer in Jamie Porter, who has done tremendously well and stayed fit. He's a very similar bowler to the lad who got all the wickets for Yorkshire at the start of the season, Ben Coad.
People are saying "he's got to play for England" - but put your feet on the floor because England are not looking for a 78mph-seamer.
To make the step up from Lions to internationals he's got to put another five miles-an-hour on. They call Jimmy Anderson 'medium-fast' - and he bowls at 84mph. When the selectors put Toby Roland-Jones in, he was exactly the same pace as Anderson.
England already have lads who are a bit quicker in Mark Wood and Jake Ball but they are always looking for express pace, which brings lads like Josh Tongue, Ollie Stone and Tom Helm into the frame.
I could go on and on about pace; if you don't believe me, remember Glenn McGrath was fast-medium at 82/83mph.
Looking ahead to the T20, Windies welcome back some of their 'big names' which means it's the usual thing for young players - one step forward, one step back. They've got some real talent in there at Test match level - Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Kieron Powell - and they've got to stick with it.
The one thing I would offer is that Stuart Law must be given time in that job; they got down very quickly during the series and you need a bit of snarl in your team, you need leaders.
You can't be seen to be sorry for yourselves; there are times when you've really got to roll your sleeves up and get a bit dirty. Law has got to work and work and work with those younger players and they'll be far better when they are a bit older.
As for England, I don't understand why Ben Stokes is rested unless he's not 100 per cent fit.
Ben will play on one leg so the selectors might be doing it for his own good. He's carried a knee injury in the Tests but bowled 14 overs on the trot at Lord's! You can't get the ball out of his hand!
He went off the field again in the second innings, limping, so although it's a frustrating one it might just be for his own good.
Looking back on the whole season of international Test match cricket, in which England tried to get three lads into the top five, I can tell everyone that the pitches weren't straightforward.
I'd say they were very much bowler-friendly, which makes things tough when you're trying to bed three into the top five positions. Mark Stoneman looks the part but Cook got a double hundred and not much else, so you know straight away it's going to be tremendously difficult for the new lads.
People are saying they'll get absolutely battered in Australia forgetting the Tests will be played on good, pacey pitches and I'm sure the selectors will factor that in when they pick their squad.
There won't be many surprises. I'm always looking at the balance of the team and I eventually went for Adil Rashid over Mason Crane even though he's had a poor season.
I agonised over that selection because the other one I would look at is Leach, but based on all my experiences of cricket in Australia having a wrist-spinner is an absolute boon. If you've got one, he really comes into the game in the second half providing your batters have got the runs up front.
Anyway, I've plenty to do with gardening - including some dead-heading - on the agenda as well as a bike ride. Oh, and my windscreen got chipped on the motorway so I've got to get that mended.
The Fauconberg Arms in the village has changed hands and they're doing a mean homemade steak and ale pie - it was fabulous. The missing link is Timothy Taylor Landlord bitter. Are you listening Fauconberg?!
Watch England take on Windies in Saturday's T20 international - live on Sky Sports Cricket from 6pm.
