A day of Trotts

It really was a day of Trotts for me yesterday: Trott this, Trott that. Let me divulge.

I was working in the Lord's media centre yesterday. During my brief spell up there seven tour groups came through, where the old boys on guide duty talked tourists through the history of the media centre, the eight foot sloping turf and how no one has yet hit the media's glass window (which can withstand a 75mph bludgeon).

It was interesting stuff, each guide mixing and matching their speel but always including one story. Namely Albert Trott, an Australian, who is still the only player to have soared a cricket ball over the famous pavilion when he achieved the feat in 1899. The guides also had a nugget to throw the tourists yesterday as a relation of Albert was going to be playing for England that night. Namely Jonathan Trott, a South African, who came to Warwickshire to further his cricket career and is a family relative.

A side for the future

1. Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Devon Smith, 3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Runako Morton, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Dwayne Smith, 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Dinesh Ramdin (wk), 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Daren Powell.

Finally. Even before the West Indies secured their first victory on tour, I thought that this was a side that could finally win a game. The XI had a refreshing look to it and this was translated into the fielding and batting yesterday at the Oval, Powell apart. For once the West Indies looked like they wanted to win something. Or could it be the old 20-minute attention span thing in class, where the West Indies are prone to the same after 20 overs? Nevertheless, this young side could be together for a long while yet. And if that's the case, who is to say that the West Indies can't be the team to dominate in the 2010s like they did in the 70s and 80s?

Picturesque Pukekura Park

Radio New Zealand has scooped a huge cricket ground story, learning that Pukekura Park (right, below) in New Plymouth is to be named by Wisden as one of the six best in the world.

According to Radio NZ: "Wisden editor Tim de Lisle says he was surprised the secret was out before he had even finished proof-reading the book." Is there a Kiwi spy working in the Wisden Cricinfo office?

Or maybe it has something to do with another Pukekura story. The real estate has just been named as 'Mayfair' on a local Kiwi edition of Monopoly, costing gamers $4m (GBP1.5m) for the prime postion. Perhaps Wisden staff are buttering up Pukekura governors and the local tourist board for a swanky stay ahead of England's tour to NZ next year?

Big-hitting podcast

A fast-paced podcast this week with the next few weeks being dominated by Twenty20 action. Click here.

We've got Andy Flower on the art of placement in the 20-over affair, Goochie explores the benefits of the tournament and there's also a feature on Kerry Packer, the billionaire magnate who instigated night cricket, coloured clothing and cash in the pocket's of the world's best cricketers in the late Seventies.

Genuine Mexican?

A pearler from yesterday's Test Match Special, the last produced by outgoing Peter Baxter. The legendary Tony Cozier had his colleagues in hysterics after being conned by a spoof letter from a Mexican calling himself Juan Carr.

Cozier was reading out emails during the lunch break in Durham, and when the team is usually at its best when they make it up as they go along. He said: "One listener says he is trying to introduce cricket to Mexico but is finding it hard as it's very mountainous and there are no flat areas at all. That's from a Mr Juan Carr."

There can't be too many better places to be than on live radio in the TMS box when genuine laughter takes place. Viv, Aggers and Blowers lost it before Aggers eventually told Cozier, who didn't get the joke: "I think you've been done there Tony."

Happy days

Can anyone recall this photo and after what match? It certainly looks like Jimmy Adams on top and Curtly at the wheel in the photo... (Getty Images)

Embassy embers

A Kent pub is saying farewell to the smoking ban in true cricket style.

Before the teams play a Twenty20 weekend in August, the Rose in Ashford is preparing a replica Ashes urn the day before the smoking ban with the ashtray remnants of four local pubs who will be battling for it two months later.

I'm sure there will be Silk 'Cuts' and B&H Cup memories aplenty.

Beefy v Nutley

Ian Botham's impending knighthood has got the Nutley thinking how difficult it might now be to track the great all-rounder down for future interviews.

The job I used to do had me phoning across four continents in pursuit of Sir Beefyness and his world exploits don't look like stopping in the future either. Into his fifties, the '81 Ashes hero's zest for life continues: once he's off commentary there's no stopping his pursuit of the high life. The future Lady Botham only gets pestered when he's home so he keeps the body busy with golf, fishing and much else besides.

I once phoned him straight after Steve Harmison's last ball brilliance against Michael Clarke during the Ashes. "Sorry mate," came the reply. "Missed that one. Half way across the Pennines on my way to a function." There's more to life than cricket with Beefy.

And the Nutley's Ian Botham tags aren't boring either. There's Beefy's boat during the World Cup, his wine label with Bob Willis, tracking Beefy down across a mountain pass in Pakistan and then on a boat to Ravi Shastri's joint in Bombay and the Beefy v Lillee Trotting race in 1983.

Where de fans?

Catch the latest podcast which can be heard here. There seems to be a regular theme in recent weeks: namely negative thoughts on West Indian cricket. Lack of fast bowlers, fielding and now the decline in West Indian fans have all been covered.

This week I explore the association between West Indies and the Kennington Oval in south London. Once a spiritual home to the London Caribbean fraternity, now there isn't even the traditional last Test in the Wisden Trophy. Blame the convoluted fixtures calendar as India play there later in the summer. Anyway, I'm on the case of Alec Stewart and Rodney Hinds, the Voice newspaper's sports editor, for reason.

Know of any positive Caribbean stories before the tourists go home?

Who pays to watch umpires?

Daryl Harper's website is always one of those sites you stumble across accidently from time to time.

Daryl's last entry is the day before the World Cup Final. Writing about the two men in white and the third umpire that day, he left it until the last line to perform this ironic gem:

"As umpires we know that the focus will correctly be on the players as I know of no person who pays to enter the ground to watch the umpires perform."

Dambulla back on the map

Good news reaches Nutley concerning the return of international cricket to the controversial Dambulla stadium, north of Colombo.

The stadium has been starved of cricket for two years after a dispute between Sri Lanka cricket and the country's buddhist ministry, who claimed that the monks who owned the land the stadium was built on did not have the right to lease it.

The usual shenanigans occurred thereafter, when allegations of financial irregularities against former SL Cricket president Thilanga Sumathipala filled newspapers. But it is thanks to him that the ground was built.

It actually only took 167 days to build the 30,000-seater stadium in the middle of the jungle - not bad when you consider it also took 30 days to ship over the steelworks and the project members had never met before.

At a cost of under GBP3 million, it is also a first-class venue with awesome views of the surrounding area from the press box. The Nutley attended the inaugural game there in 2001, when England were shot out for 90-odd. As the sun went down, to the left of the ground hot air balloons ascended over the nearby lake and jungle.

England play a few ODI's there this winter.

Sammy and George

Will this be another classic West Indian story?

Darren Sammy's seven wickets no doubt sparked party scenes on the beautiful island of St Lucia: it will also be one of the talking points if West Indies hold out for an amazing win. If that happens it will only further jettison his already famed status as St Lucia's top sportsman.

There is isn't much association to cricket where Sammy comes from. Born in the south of the island, his first bat was made of coconut frond stems while he couldn't play at weekends because he was a Seventh Day Adventist.

St Lucia's second best sportsperson is Nadine George. The MBE and bludgeoning opening bat for West Indies Women's also holds down a job as a marine coast guard, tracking down drug smugglers by day. If only the WICB would pull their finger out and get more international games then she might break more records. Read more here.

Mike Gatting and the barmaid affair

This post proves just how much the Test cricket calendar has progressed since the Eighties.

Well into the third Test in 2007, the first Texaco Test match of the summer against West Indies in 1988 was held 19 years ago last week at Trent Bridge. It will also be remembered for Mike Gatting's supposed shenanigans with barmaid Louise Shipman in his hotel room.

Gatt strenuously denied the incident but it wasn't enough to get him sacked by the TCCB bigwigs at the time. Sportasylum has ITN news footage and Gatt's views on the incident with their own sensationalist headline:

EXCLUSIVE: Mike Gatting and the barmaid - the REAL story. Watch it here.

Podcast mayhem continues

Another podcast is up and running: click here.

This week, there's part two of the great West Indian fielders of the past. And it wouldn't be the same if an Englishman wasn't featured so I get the views on Derek Randall - that eccentric madman in the field. Also find out what Julian the Old Trafford worm and former Lancashire and India wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer had in common.

Fat cats and small clubs

A Welsh cricket club is facing an GBP11,000 bill to erect fencing close to a new housing development.

The Pontarddulais club in Carmarthenshire has been told by insurers to foot the bill or face the wrath of Persimmon Homes, the housing developers, who say it is the club who should pay the costs.

The Nutley has done some digging on Persimmons Homes and this isn't its first connection with cricket. Persimmons was chosen as one of the key developers in partnership with Kent County Cricket Club, so you would have thought that the company would have learnt that some cricketers can hit the ball along way.

As the company stated on the Kent project: "All of the development partners are mindful to ensure that their contribution to the overall scheme is complementary to the other aspects of the plan."

Afghan makes NW8

Afghan cricketer Hamid Hassan, who spent time last summer with the MCC Young Cricketers, has been selected to play at Lord's for the first time tomorrow. He has been named in an MCC team to play a 50-overs game against a Europe XI.

Hamid was first spotted by the MCC when he represented his country in the inaugural MCC v Afghanistan match in Bombay in March last year. The MCC, captained by Mike Gatting were soundly beaten by 179 runs.

The Nutley was present that day in Bombay. I don't think I have seen a ball being sprayed around the ground quite as much as that game: into the pavilion, onto Marine Drive, straight down the ground into a disused building site and, too finish all four sides off, onto a railway track. If memory serves me right, Gatt was out first ball, too.

Cricket's popularity in Afghanistan gained impetus after many of the refugees, who had fled the country in the early 1980s after the Soviet invasion, began to return from Pakistan, where they witnessed the game and started to play. In the last decade the membership of the Afghanistan Cricket Federation has grown from 500 to 12,000 members, according to Prospect magazine.

Two random links

"... players who take care over their appearance - and their equipment - invariably do well." Sports column from the Cornish Guardian.

The day Jock Stein's Lisbon Lions took on East Kilbride CC.

Dizzy gets into bed for PR

"I need my sleep after a hard days bowling and on this bed I get it." I always love reading sportsmen's one-liners when they front a PR campaign. The latest one to catch the Nutley's eye is Australia and Yorkshire's Jason Gillespie who has gone right up there with Ian Botham's Shredded Wheat quotes to support a leading bed company. Below this wonderful PR photo is an equally amusing press release in full.It's official! Active people would rather sleep in a Sealy bed than any other bed brand.Research conducted by the world's leading bed manufacturer found that the type of people that buy its products are more likely to be the type of person that leaps out of bed every morning than the type that lies in 'til noon.

The research categorised consumers according to how they viewed sleep. The categories included The Science of Sleepers, Functional Sleep Lovers, Premium Bed Lovers, Affordable Style Seekers, Uber Premium Comfort and No Nonsense.

Most of Sealy's customers fall into the Science of Sleep category, includingYorkshire County Cricketer and Australian Test Cricketer, Jason Gillespie, who recently took delivery of a Sealy Mirrorform bed and commented: "I need my sleep after a hard days bowling and on this bed I get it."