ralphindevon

Well let’s hope his last bowling session in test cricket is as successful as his last ball, which went for 6

This sounds great, we’ll done all. Will the club be supporting it at all? I’m not expecting a manager’s notes column but maybe the club could offer bits of news, events, behind the scenes stuff that you’d see in a normal programme.

With an unsettled forecast I really hope England don’t waste time batting this morning. I know Broad suggested they would but hopefully that was just mind games. I’ll be glad when Broad retires as every time I write his name it autocorrects to B-road for some reason.

It’s been dry here all morning but Bovey is quite a wet place with the rain coming off Dartmoor.

For some reason I thought it was at Truro tomorrow and Bovey on Tuesday not the other way around. So as I’ve just spent 3 days in London I better give it a miss. Are you going?

Oh I’ve not heard him on that, he’s done a couple things with Sky and has been very dull and flat and offered little, just not a natural but he does have interesting things to say. Maybe he’s better on radio and of course they all improve as they go on, so we’ll see.

He certainly does, I guess it’s that fine line, some insist on going out on their terms so they get all the attention Broad will be getting now. Some just never want to stop. I’m guessing Broad will go straight into media but Jimmy hasn’t the same persona to do that so I guess he’ll go on, risking never having a proper send off.

I woke up to headlines “I’m not retiring any time soon” from Anderson. I didn’t see the interview, maybe it was just words.

Can’t believe Anderson isn’t following suit

Stuart Broad retires from cricket after this game.

Yes, it’d be madness not to.

Never understand risking injury to the bowlers in these circumstances

I’ve loved this series so much. Annoying at times in the first two tests, frustrating in the last test but that’s sport, it’s been gripping and I’ve loved it. Then it just struck me, tomorrow or the next day it’s all over. No more home tests this year and we’re not in August yet. I’m not even going to mention the reason but it has to change, you can’t have a series this good, sold out months in advance and then never bother with it in the school holidays.

When I booked this ticket 7 months ago I was just praying for a dry day and not to see the Aussies bat all day. Well at least it's dry. The Oval has turned into Lords with the majority here seem to be on a corporate jolly and no real atmosphere. Still a great ground and occasion though

Followed by a long drinks break, WTF??!

Decent view for the day. Hopefully the overcast conditions will help us

The parcel arrived. It contained the pair of shorts that don’t fit, I can find a home for them, a key ring spelling out ROBINS, I can see why they can’t get rid of them and a lanyard with Bristol City v Man City written on it?! So after 3 months nothing arrived that I ordered and unless anyone wants them the last 2 items will go in the bin.

After this match v Surrey we’ve got 4 (FOUR) days cricket, in which we’ll be minus 11 first team players, in the next 7.5 summer holiday weeks. How the hell is that getting youngsters interested in cricket???

It’s such a shame we’ll never get to see that record breaking T20 team play 50 over cricket. The form of cricket we’re world champions in. Never mind, all the youngsters can spend their summer holidays watching the second eleven. A million miles from what I watched in my summer holidays, the times that got me into cricket forever.

Back to the start of the season problems where if CraigO doesn’t get wickets for whatever reason, we struggle.

I’m getting a little concerned about Tom Abell’s batting, one very nice hundred this season but in his other 15 innings in the championship just two fifties and a string of very low scores. In this season’s successful T20 Blast, 16 innings and no half centuries. I’m a massive fan and have enjoyed watching him hit beautiful centuries in both formats but there’s got to be something amiss with his technique for such a talent to be returning such disappointing figures in what should be his prime. Hope he can sort it out soon as he’s a treat to watch when on form, I’m sure he will.

They said they were out of stock of the shorts i ordered, offered a pair in medium which aren't much good to me but he said they'd send them anyway plus he'd look for something else to send to make up for it. So I'll see what appears and when.

I emailed Jerry the other day having not had my rewards goods turn up after 3 months and the club were ignoring my emails. Not the most important thing going on I’m sure. But within 20 minutes I’d had a response from Jerry and the club

If we win comfortably at the Oval it will feel a travesty not getting our hands on the urn. I haven’t looked back at each day but it certainly feels like we’ve already won as many if not more days than them. A win next week and it’s a draw, we’ve drawn the ashes, I don’t care where the urn is.

I do regularly hire cars in France, as well as living there for eleven years, if you have any other questions. Just don’t have any kids.