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Dean Ryan leaves Gloucester. Given 7 years of big budgets, big name players and no silverware (not forgetting the  countless drubbings in crunch games) it’s no surprise. I guess the utter embarrassment at the hands of the Blues at the end of last season was the final nail.

The only question is… can Redpath do better?

To be below Wales is unfortunate. To be below Argentina is downright careless.

The fact that no Northern Hemisphere teams are in Rugby’s top 4 comes as no surprise after the spankings we’ve all received in the last few weeks, I suppose.  Still, the fact that a team deemed not good enough to take part in the Tri-nations (Argentina) is above us all is properly depressing.

And choosing the seedings of the World Cup 3 years in advance, when Northern Hemisphere rugby is in such a state… Well, I could complain, but I can’t help feeling that these rankings are likely to stay around for a while.  Only Wales looks like they might be hard done by by the current rankings. Which makes the Six Nations look like a foregone conclusion too… Heigh ho, at least we’ve got the cricket football snooker darts.

I have to admit that I thought that Middlesex had a snowball in hell’s chance of beating Durham in the second semi-final at the weekend.  It seemed to me that Durham were simply destined to get to the final against Essex before finals day started, and Kent’s beating of Essex did nothing to dampen my certainty in the outcome of the second semi.  Heigh ho.  Lucky I stopped betting on cricket a few years ago, eh?

Now let’s see what the ECB do about the Champion’s League…

We all know that the ECB was secretly hoping for an Essex – Middlesex final today.  Looks extremely likely now that it’s going to be Durham v Kent.  Here’s wondering what they’re going to do about the Champion’s League now….

For the uninitiated the BCCI (the Indian cricket governing body) has said that any teams fielding players who had played in the unsanctioned ICL won’t be eligible for the Champion’s League.  Neither Essex nor Middlesex had been “guilty” of such action, while both Kent and Durham have refused to bow to the pressure. Theoretically the two finalists from today’s Twenty20 fandango should be going to the Champions’ League.  If Essex and Middlesex had done their bit there wouldn’t be a problem; now, however, it’s going to be conflict between the ECB and the BCCI all over again.

So.  I’ve not written much about cricket for a while.  Not that I’ve lost interest, more that I’ve not had the time or the inclination to talk about a fairly dismal run of English form. Not a fair weather fan, I’d like to point out, but definitely a fair weather blogger.  There’s not much I can add to the comment in the papers, so why bother?

On the current topic, however, I do have something to say.  Who selected Pattinson?  Why?  And if we are to have another surprise selection let’s make it Graham Napier, please.  He’s a fine bowler and his form this season for Essex with both bat and ball makes him deserving of a chance.  Definitely more so than an Aussie that hardly took wickets for Victoria, let alone Notts.

I’m at Edgbaston for day 2 (a week today).  Here’s hoping for a more convincing performance.

Bracewell is returning to Glos. This (to a Gloucestershire supporter) is awesome news.

Oh how the mighty have fallen.  Not long ago the unstoppable force in limited overs cricket, now the whipping boy in near every form of the game. Despite the appalling summer last year they managed to turn a profit, yet this year they’re without a coach and with an ailing side. The latest move to refuse to pay agents’ fees smacks of desperation.

Here’s hoping Bracewell returns to Bristol and brings some much needed form with him.

‘We have decided that the government can make their position clear, but that it is not for us to intervene directly in this matter’

This makes me very angry. I was genuinely pleased that the Gordon Brown government seemed to be willing to step in when Blair wasn’t. I can’t understand why they simply don’t act. A single statement saves a ludicrous amount of trouble.

Booboo, we hardly knew you. Mark Alleyne has been with Glos since I’ve been old enough to take notice of the team sheet. It’s hard to tell if his departure was wholly amicable, but I do hope it was. He’s been an outstanding champion for the club; let alone being the captain that along with John Bracewell took us through our glory years.

Top of the table clash.  Televised.  Both Sinbad and Vainikolo unable to play.  Cock.