Crop Circles

Now, if you're not interested in cricket, miss the next two paragraphs!

After missing quite a few weekends of cricket I resolved today to put everything else aside to watch my lads play for the seconds away at Pool, just an easy 10 mile ride away down the valley. Roam had originally been dropped for this game and he has had this week to deal with the disappointment of that after not missing a single game for the team in well over a year. In the end someone stood down so he did end up playing, but he wasn't called upon to bowl in a team full of bowlers as we dismissed Pool for 141. I felt that we released the pressure midway through the innings and gave away too many easy runs on a slow deck where scoring was never going to be easy. I was a bit worried that they had got 20 runs too many.

Forrest, following on from his 136 last week, survived a few hairy moments early on but once he lost his opening partner he gathered his powers of concentration, knuckled down and played very intelligently. With wickets falling steadily at the other end, he steered the team almost single-handedly towards victory, eventually falling for 65, given out lbw to a ball he got a very thick edge on. He was very disappointed at the decision and being denied from seeing it through to the finish. There was a minor scare when another wicket fell but in the end we got home quite comfortably for 8 wickets down. It had been a very absorbing afternoon of cricket.

Not interested in singing, miss the next two paragraphs too!

It's turned very cold here and I needed to get something hot to eat as soon as I came in. I put on the TV to discover that the final of The Voice was showing. I've only caught bits and pieces of this show but whenever I've watched it I have found it thoroughly entertaining and absorbing. It's so much better than the traditional talent show which I really can't stand. This is no theatre of embarrassment. There is no bitchiness. It's a celebration of talent, with massive outpourings of respect and love between everybody involved. And it seems totally genuine too.

It's been astonishing to see the singers grow in confidence and stature as the series has progressed. The voices have been amazing. The coaches have been wonderful too with a terrific chemistry having grown between them all. The highlights for me have been the occasions when they have sung with their team members. I've found the performances electrifying. So we finally got a winner tonight, but there was a very real sense that all the finalists and even the semi-finalists were winners. I'm sure that many careers will have been made on this show. I would certainly go out and buy their albums. I'm certainly going to be getting Jessie J's! She's quite amazing.

At the tea interval I just cycled a few miles down the valley through Arthington looking for a blip. This was about the only shot that inspired me on a day of very flat, dull light. No idea what has been planted here but it clearly requires a bit of space. I'll have to come back to find out.

PS I think the vote went the right way tonight, although having missed the semi-finals there was some surprising absentees. I was pleased though as I thought the popular vote might not necessarily choose the best voice! Anyone else enjoy this show? Did the right person win? I understand it started in the US. I guess it is pretty big there too.