Saving Test Cricket

As a devoted fan of Test Match Cricket, now is an exciting time indeed. For one, England's Test team is on the verge of possible world domination, greats of the game like Tendulkar and Ponting are still producing feats of genius on the world stage, and the English County game is full of emerging talent such as messers Rashid, Lyth, and Briggs.

However, here in England, birthplace of the game, cricket remains a curious oddity to many. It is the National Summer Sport, yet fans are denied the opportunity to watch any games on terrestrial television. The public at large seem to either love it with a passion, especially the longer form of the game, or avoid it like the plague. And 'popular culture' remains seemingly oblivious to the game, preferring to draw references from sports more in the public consciousness such as football, rugby and Formula 1. The game is certainly not dying in the UK - to the contrary, England remains a bastion of support for Test Cricket with home Test matches almost always sold out. But what can the International Cricket Council and the English Cricket Board do to broaden the appeal of Test cricket to new audiences in the UK, and secure its future for the coming century by making it a 'mainstream' sport as it once was?

1. Games on Terrestrial Television. Ahh, the debate that seems to have raged ever since Channel 4 ended its contract to broadcast home Test matches after England's glorious Ashes victory in 2005 - right when cricket had done the unthinkable and begun to capture the imagination of the nation. More unfortunate timing could not have possibly been thought up; here was cricket's chance to enter the mainstream again with colourful characters like Flintoff and Pietersen smashing the opposition with their egos as well as their bats, and the ECB blew it.

Of course, we cannot consider the viewpoint of the humble cricket fan alone - no-one could deny that the ECB's coffiers are fuller with their Sky TV contract, meaning the England management ultimately have more resources at their disposal. But surely a balancing act needs to be found here? In a recent interview Andrew Strauss suggested the solution of reserving one home Test match for terrestrial viewing every summer. This is not the perfect remedy (imagine if chunks of the match were rained off!), but we would be that much closer to pleasing both the public and the ECB.

2. Keep the Ashes Special If there is one cricketing event that can unite the nation, it is the Aussie-bashing extravaganza that is the Ashes. I don't know of any English born male who doesn't relish seeing those Neighbours-watching, Kylie-listening, Fosters-drinking miscreants trounced by the proud men of Blighty. It is crucial to the fortunes of cricket in the UK to keep this contest special - and by that I mean not to have too many Ashes contests too frequently. Which is why it is unfortunate that we are set to have consecutive Ashes series in 2013 and early 2014, a move that could mean the magic of the rivalry is sterilized for many. Of course, the move has been made for good reasons - to ensure the Ashes don't clash with other major cricketing occassions such as the World Cup, but I would have much preferred dropping one of these consecutive series with the long-term picture in mind.

3. Day-Night Test Matches This is the potentially the most exciting change the ICC could introduce. Second only to the complexity of the game, the sheer length of Test Cricket is the major reason why more people aren't embracing it. In fact, watching an entire five days of a match isn't possible unless you are retired, home-bound, or a Humanities student at university (if you have experience of a Humanities degree, you will know what I mean). Spreading the seven hours of daily play from say 3pm to 10pm, would allow those holding down a job or those at school to watch the majority of the matches without sacrificing their daily commitments. In addition, the altered playing conditions under floodlights from around 7pm onwards could provide an extra twist to matches that appear to be heading towards a certain conclusion (it is generally accepted that batting is slightly more difficult under lights).

4. The introduction of a Test Championship Tournament One of the few genuinely good moves the ICC have considered in recent times, and some may say they could have introduced it far sooner. As things stand there are rumours that England could play host to the inaugural Test Tournament (where the four top ranked sides at the end of every four year cycle play knockout matches to decide the champions) sometime in 2013. Having the clear aim of reaching these finals would surely go a long way to re-invigorating the drama and tension that Test cricket is capable of.

In short, Test Cricket's future needs to be secured, because despite the recent successes of Twenty-20 world-wide, the longest form of the game is still sport in its purest, most challenging, and most romantic form. Go on Mr ICC, act now.

Until next time,

James x

A Wonder on the Tellybox.

I haven't studied Science of any kind for at least five years now. If you were to ask me what I remember from my secondary school classes in Chemistry, Biology and Physics, I would answer thus:

* How to strategically squirt water from a pipette at my classmates so as to cause maximum irritation and discomfort.
* That when you drop a lump of sodium into a beaker of water some 'cool shit' happens.
* That one of my Physics teachers made a habit of holding two test tubes directly over his man-breasts so that they looked like udders.

I personally cherish these experiences and insights, and was content to leave my understanding of Science at that particular level. However, every now and then something will come along that inspires curiosity in the natural world around us once more. The recent series Wonders of the Universe, and its predecessor Wonders of the Solar System, are two of those experiences.

Professor Brian Cox is that rare anomaly - a particle physicist that speaks as though you had just asked him which aisle the cornflakes are kept at your local Asda. And truly he has much to tell. Realising just how insignificant we are in comparison to the rest of the cosmos is at once disconcerting, therapeutic, and awe-inspiring. An hour on the birth and death of time would surely near burst the minds of impressionable youngsters who are new to the topic. Added to this, the series are magnificantly produced and edited, with Brian seemingly visiting half the known world to illustrate his points, and has a score that I would be happy to listen to on its own.

The only issue is, where can the Professor go from here for his next adventure, to satisfy his new legions of fans both young and old? A series dealing with the Universe will be damn hard to top scale-wise! But for now, glad to see the BBC has finally got it right with its flagship Science franchise.

Until next time,

James x

Doctor Doctor?

It is a wonderful early Spring day outside, but lets stay indoors and talk about disease, illness and death shall we?

The UK is rightly regarded as one of the countries at the forefront of medicine, with it's universities consistently investing millions of pounds in new treatments, chemical compounds, and drug delivery systems. No-one denies that in many areas, potentially huge strides have been made - none more noticeable than than the field of cancer research: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7738352/New-drug-reverses-even-untreatable-cancers.html.

However, we clearly live in a 'pill society'. Patients go to their GP with complaints, whether they be physical or mental, and the philosophy appears to be that every symptom mentioned can be relieved effectively with a drug. Got an infection? Antibiotic. Got a virus? Ibuprofen. Got depression? Paxil. Whilst man-made drugs can be highly beneficial to serious and debilitating conditions, the medicinal community seems to have lost sight of the fact that our bodies are machines of nature, and almost any unnatural substance introduced to the system will be detrimental in some way.

Let me illustrate with my own experiences. Last year I discovered I had a substantial infection of Candida Albicans, a common yeast found in the gut which has morphed out of control into a parasite. Basically this made me feel like sh*t - all bloated and bunged up with the mobility equivalent to that of a beached seal. I would later discover that I have likely had this condition since before puberty, despite frequently visiting clinicians with a range of symptoms attributable to the yeast, and receiving only new rounds of antibiotics and topical creams for my trouble. The breakthrough was finally made after I visited an osteopath, who used touch and a whole body appraisal to diagnose me. His name is Richard, a cheerful man whose knowledge of the gastro-intestinal tract is unprecedented. I initially treated him as if he were the second coming of Christ, with the power to heal with a sweep of his palm, but unfortunately his expertise regarding Candida extends to diagnosis only. I now take probiotics daily, a natural remedy which has worked very well on my symptoms.

Richard's views on the UK health system broadly tie in with my own. He told stories of patients remaining undiagnosed for years simply because their doctors had failed to do what even the Ancients did - inspect and feel the bodies of their patients, and treat the whole body as one connected ecosystem instead of a 'zoo' of different parts. Instead, many clinicians skip straight to prescribing painkillers or even sanctioning operations when they arent required. I was surprised to learn that the process of diagnosis and treatment is far different in countries like France and Australia, where doctors are more comfortable with using osteopathic methods to aid in diagnosis and treatment.

Now, I'm not suggesting that we should tear up every prescription handed to us - although if you do decide to, it would surely be more fun to do it directly in front of the GP who wrote it! I am suggesting that it is illuminating to know that the most commonly used methods in the UK aren't necessarily the ones that work, and that you shouldn't be frightened of alternative medicine approaches like osteopathy. Either way, it never does any harm to get an informed second opinion.

Until next time,

James x

Welcome!

Hello one and all, and welcome to my new blog!

Here, in the cosy confines of my own little patch of the Interweb, settle down beside the digital fireplace as I give you my opinions on life, politics, popular culture, and anything else that happens to be clogging up my brainbox at the time.

But first, some introductions are in order. They call me James, and I believe they are accurate. I am based in London, and currently study Law at postgraduate level. Whether I end up practising as a solictor in the UK is another matter entirely, as those of you who are aware of the state of the legal job market on these islands will appreciate. I am 23 years old, and have no pets.

I will be posting frequently so keep checking back, and feel free to contribute any comments if you feel the urge.

Yours,

James x