Thought For the Day

Champions Trophy Match 10: England vs Australia

Champions Trophy Match 10: England vs Australia: Scorecard

Whether excuses are looked for or not, or are used or not, England’s defeat of Australia in their one-off ODI as a part of the Champions Trophy has already been overdramatised by the English as a prelude to the coming Ashes battle in Australia this southern summer. The fact that England won handsomely on the back of the fast bowling of Wood and the leg spin of Rashid, and the power and timing of Morgan and Stokes is testament to their changing fortunes in the shorter form of the game and very little to do with what may happen in six months’ time. For now though, the English are ecstatic and adamant they are in the driver’s seat.

Australia had their chances to improve their standing in the match, and failed to do so whether it was from a lack of match activity or just poor shot selection. At 1/130 off 22 overs there seemed little to stop Australia from posting 300 as a total to chase. What followed was three shots of poor selection from Finch, Henriques and Smith, all when set and appearing in little trouble. Forced to rebuild rather than accelerate, the middle order was static, with Maxwell (20 off 31) and then Wade failing to live up to their so-called reputations as ‘finishers’ and instead falling meekly. Left with the tail, Travis Head finished on 71 not out off 64 balls, but probably left another dozen runs out there when declining long singles and possible twos at the finish. 9/277 off 50 overs didn’t look enough in the conditions, and was a disappointment after the start.

Starc and Hazlewood did what they do best, crashing through the English top order to have them 3/36 after 6 overs, when the rain came and halted their momentum. It proved to be crucial, as Morgan and Stokes combined for a partnership of 159 in 26 overs that broke the back of the run chase. When the rain returned to wash out the remainder of the game, England found themselves 40 runs in front on the Duckworth Lewis method and winners by a large margin.

For all of the excitement that the English have taken from this victory, they had everything in their favour. They have played ODI cricket in the lead up to the tournament on their home soil and are well prepared heading into the semi-finals. A loss for them would have been heartbreaking. While Australia will be disappointed with their finish and how they played, the rain cruelled their chances – had both matches that were washed out been played to their conclusion, Australia would have made the semi-finals on run rate. Such is the way of shortened tournaments.

Thought For the Day

Champions Trophy Match 9: Bangladesh vs New Zealand

Champions Trophy Match 9: Bangladesh vs New Zealand: Scorecard

It's the kind of position that you would think "only Michael Bevan could win this match from here". 4/33, chasing 266 to win. Really, the match is over. But once again, the flat decks on which these matches are being played have come to the rescue, and once again the side batting second has chased down what should have been an insurmountable total through good cricket yes, but also through the lack of help for the bowlers with ball or pitch conditions.

New Zealand made much the same mistakes of the teams batting first in the past two matches. They were unable to accelerate in the middle overs when they had the opportunity to do so. Excellent bowling in the middle overs from Shakib and Taskin and Mashrafe tied up the pair of Williamson and Taylor, and led directly to the run out of the former simply because they were unable to break free from the web they were weaving. His loss, and consistent wickets in the later overs thanks to a spell of 3/13 from Mosaddek meant that the Black Caps were completely shut down, and their final total of 8/265 was a great deal less than they would have expected to achieve, and in the modern game no matter who you are playing it is a tough total to defend.

Tim Southee came to the rescue, taking three wickets with his first 16 deliveries, and when Milne bowled Mushfiqur with the total at 4/33 in the 12th over, it should really have been no drama to complete an easy victory and put themselves in the A1 position for a semi-final place. But the ball stopped moving, the pitch gave no help at all to fast or spin bowlers, and once Southee, Boult and Milne were away from the bowling crease Shakib and Mahmudullah simply did as they pleased. Neesham and Anderson were passengers, and the Bangladeshi batsmen kept within a winnable run rate throughout. Towards the end of the innings they took their chances, especially Shakib, who brought up his century with a six to the joy of the strong Bangladesh crowd. His dismissal only left Mahmudullah to try and bring up his own century and the victory in one shot, by which he failed by only a metre to do. With 16 balls and five wickets in hand, Bangladesh had brought up perhaps their most famous victory.

New Zealand leave the tournament wondering where they are headed, having had the better of Australia and then been well schooled by both England and Bangladesh. The winners could now be unexpected semi finalists if England defeat Australia in tomorrow's match, despite having been well beaten in their first match and saved from oblivion against Australia by rain. Such is the fate of short tournaments where outside influences come in to play.

993. Adrenaline Mob / We the People. 2017. 4/5

Adrenaline Mob’s sound is different from what the individuals in the band have done before with the other bands they are a part of. Here there is a real heavy groove about the guitars, the drums thump along in rhythm and the vocals are overall in a lower register with the attitude turned up to eleven. This was what the project was striving for when it was first conceived, to have these individuals come together to do a traditional heavy metal album rather than the various styles of the other bands they were a part of. I thought the first album was terrific not just because of the people involved in the project but because they pushed themselves and produced an album that was indeed different from their other bands. The follow up album I was less enthusiastic about because it felt like they were trying too hard. Here on We the People though it feels like they have that right balance back again, and the difference again rises to the top.

Russell Allen and Mike Orlando have this time brought in bassist David Zablidowsky and drummer Jordan Cannata to join them, and both are impressive here. As are the opening three tracks to the album. “King of the Ring” is a solid opener, and followed by the hard hitting title track “We the People” and the mid-tempo but surprisingly catchy “The Killer’s Inside” these three songs happily set the record straight on the direction the album is heading.
“Bleeding Hands” may not technically be a ballad, but it certainly covers that territory both lyrically and musically for the most part. I’m sure I could be argued about this falling into that genre, but peel back the thin outer layer of harder drums and guitar solo and what you have here is a rock ballad, and you just aren’t going to drag me in playing material like this. It’s a shame to have the album hijacked after a solid beginning. “Chasing Dragons” is a redeemer following it, with a much more pleasing vocal remedy from Russell, driven along by those double kick drums and solid rhythm from the guitar and bass.
The run of songs through the middle of the album are where the strength of this band lies in my opinion, and especially where this album shows off its worth. “Til the Head Explodes”, “What You’re Made Of” and “Raise ‘Em Up” all have that Orlando groove that he likes to perpetuate, but both the drums and the bass are stylistically able to individualise themselves so that they are noteworthy and relevant. While “Til the Head explodes” sits into its mid-tempo, “What You’re Made Of “ busts out at a pleasingly faster pace without compromising the heavy sound (this is a ripper), and “Raise “Em Up” wants to be the anthem track of the album. Then in “Ignorance & Greed” Russell really utilises every part of his vocal range that he can, starting off as a deep growl, into his normal mid-range vocals before then reaching for the heights (but not the limits) of his higher range capacity. The rhythm track is low end and a really heavy thump to it, before coming to the final minute of the track where it slows to a hard and heavy hand while Mike Orlando solo’s over the top. Terrific song.
Whereas “Bleeding Hands” acts as the front bookend to these great middle album tracks, “Blind Leading the Blind” acts as the end bookend. Like the first track it is not what you would consider an out-and-out ballad, with the heavy drum parts morphing well with Russell’s hard edged vocals rather than a ballad-like soft vocal track, but it does have a slower feel to the song that evokes those kind of emotions listening to the track, and a solo that could almost fit into those types of tracks that you know I’m talking about – though it is also a bit edgier than those would be. As I said, I think those two songs frame the better part of the album with what comes between them.
“Violent State of Mind” returns to the heavier equation, and is the site of some indulgence from Orlando at the end of the song. “Lords of Thunder” almost feels like two styles of tracks sewn together, with the heavier chunking in the chorus lightening up during the verses. This gives the song two distinct sounds, one where the verses appear to be driven by Russell’s vocals in the same way he does for other bands with that beautiful soaring voices, into the heavier harder sound he generally uses with Adrenaline mob tracks. I love Orlando’s solo here to. Another great track.
It wouldn’t be Adrenaline Mob without a cover song somewhere in the mix, and this time they have taken on Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” with gusto. Now while you are never likely to find anyone who can replicate the awesome energy of Billy Idol’s vocals and Stevie Stevens’ guitar on the original version, this is a fun and raucous version that ends the album on an upward note, and is worthy of the praise of ‘tribute’.

This is a terrific return to form for the band. The sound here again has been refined and matured before letting it loose and seeing what it can produce. The band sounds fantastic, and Russell’s vocals top it off. Welcome back Adrenaline Mob, it’s good to hear you out and about again.

Rating:  “You look surprised as hell to see this ugly face”.  4/5

Champions Trophy Match 8: India vs Sri Lanka

Champions Trophy Match 8: India vs Sri Lanka: Scorecard

What on earth is going on here? Did India just go through the motions? Did Sri Lanka play dead? There seems no logical answer, except that India seemed to cruise to 6/321 in their opening fifty overs, and then Sri Lanka made it look like a training run when it appeared the result was a forgone conclusion the other way! Cricket again showed what a wonderfully unpredictable game it can be.

Certainly it can be said that India probably left a few runs in the shed. Following the opening partnership of 138 off 25 overs, Kohli's meek surrender robbed the middle overs of impetus that he could have provided. When Dhawan departed for 125 at 4/261 less than six overs remained, and only thanks to Dhoni and Jadhav did the Indians reach their final total. There was no ability to accelerate during the innings, and even though 321 even five years ago was a winning score four our of every five games and isn't as such anymore, the flurry at the end gave the impression that India would win this comfortably.

No one told Sri Lanka, and their young and rebuilding batting line up played as though they were unconcerned about who their opposition was supposed to be. Gunathilaka scored a run-a-ball 72 with ease, and Mendis did the same for 89. Both could only be dismissed by run outs, which showed the ineffectiveness of the Indian bowlers to either penetrate or contain. In the end it was a cakewalk. Even when Perera retired hurt with 47 off 44, skipper Mathews made 52 not out off 45 and Gunaratne 34 not out off 21, and with only 3 wickets down and 9 balls remaining the game was over. After all of their talk and bounce, India had been brought completely undone. It was wonderful to watch.

With both today's and yesterday's matches being won by the underdogs, it now means that the final matches in Group B are essentially quarter finals, with the winners going through to the semi-finals. Even more fascinating is that it means that one of the favourites, India or South Africa, will now miss out. How good is cricket?

992. Foo Fighters / Run [Single]. 2017. 4/5

So, 20-odd years on from Foo Fighters entering the music scene, what can we surmise from the release of this single. Is this a taste of what is to come from the next album, that is in the process of being recorded and for which a release may well be imminent? Or is this a one-off single, taking advantage of their schedule to remind everyone that they are still out there and working together?

Whatever is the case, it is an interesting single. In many ways it harks back to Dave’s early influences. It starts off in a quiet fashion, before Taylor’s drums jump in, followed by some very punk rock oriented guitar, and even more fashionably those famed screaming vocals from Dave himself that haven’t appeared as often in recent times. Can you, like me, hear bits and pieces of that old Seattle sound in there? Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden. I can hear them all. The fact that this tends to hail back to those grunge and punk roots more than the hard rock and even soft rock that has been the staple of recent years is interesting to me because I admit I would like to hear an album based around this kind of writing and performing. I don’t believe we’ll get it, but I know that Taylor is hitting those drums and cymbals bloody hard, and the three guitars distorted riffing together with Nate’s familiar bass line running underneath beautifully also mix well with the keyboards that are beginning to find their way into the band’s music.

Is Dave writing a metal/punk Foo Fighters album? Again, I’m guessing not. But this song is an enjoyable thought process.

Champions Trophy Match 7: South Africa vs Pakistan

Champions Trophy Match 7: South Africa vs Pakistan: Scorecard

As only Pakistan can do, they have managed to follow up a diabolical display of cricket in their previous match where they appeared like rank amateurs at times, to coming out and doing most things right to claim an unlikely victory. On the other side of the coin, as only South Africa can do, they have managed to look like the favourites they have been proclaimed to be in one match, before choking completely against an opposition they should surely have had the betterment of, and lost a match under unusual circumstances in a meek and mild fashion at yet another major world tournament. And so the cricket world continues.

Having won the toss and batted, South Africa would have been distraught at only making 8/219 off their 50 overs. Amla, de Kock and de Villiers were all out-thought by the spinners, with de Villiers’ golden duck spooning his first ball to backward point a back breaking dismissal. For all of his excellence in recent years, he appears to be at a crossroads in regards to his game. At 6/118 when Parnell was dismissed Pakistan must have imagined a chase of around 150 was within their sights. However, David Miller stood his ground with 75 not out and the CricketBoks scrapped their way to their final total. He had to review an LBW decision that he was given out on that gave him his reprieve, and Chris Morris was bowled off a no ball, both of which helped.

Pakistan got off to a flier thanks to debutant Fakhar Zaman, who flayed the bowling early for six boundaries to score 31 off 23 balls before his demise. When Azhar Ali went two balls later however, the tide was reeled back in. Morne Morkel had one of his superb days, finishing with 3/18 off seven overs, but there was no support from his fellow bowlers. Pakistan moved along at the required rate, reaching 3/119 off 27 overs when the rain finally forced the players from the field. With 101 required from 23 overs and 7 wickets in hand, the stage was set for a terrific finish. Unfortunately, England’s damp June again finished off the match without another ball being bowled. This left Pakistan in front of the Duckworth Lewis requirement by 19 runs, and victors.

Group B has now opened up, and India can ensure their semi-final spot with a victory over Sri Lanka tonight. That would leave two intriguing games for the final semi-final spot, with Pakistan facing Sri Lanka and South Africa likely having to defeat India now to make the next stage. No doubt those old demons have left the closet and are circling once again.

991. Queen / Jazz. 1978. 5/5

The pressure of writing an album, recording an album and then touring an album, only to start the whole process over again, all in the span of 12 or so months, must be a difficult thing. The fact that Queen did this most of the way through the 1970’s and early 1980’s, producing a new album every year from Queen through to Hot Space, is a remarkable achievement, and the fact that the quality is generally of the highest order is even more remarkable. This most certainly is the case here on Jazz, which ranks with their very best.

The opening track “Mustapha” bounds along in an excited chanting of lines in various languages that at least all sound like they rhyme together and fit together in sentences, but to be honest I have pretty much zero idea what is being said or what the song is about. Despite this, it’s hard not to like Freddie’s enthusiasm and pronunciation of whatever it is he’s saying. I wonder if the band knew what the song was about? This is followed by the well-rounded and often sung “Fat Bottomed Girls”, which has a great rhythm line underneath the song, a great chorus track and guitar riff to go along with the grin hidden behind a hand of teenage boys everywhere as they sang it.
“Jealousy” rises and falls on Freddie’s vocals, manipulating the mood of the track simply in the nuances of his vocals. The relative gentleness of the track allows it to transition into “Bicycle Race” without losing integrity. “Bicycle Race” morphed nicely with “Fat Bottomed Girls” by mentioning it within the song, but it also has lyrics that reference the era that the song was written, and as such became a fun song to learn and then sprout the lyrics back at the people around you as you sang. These two short-but-sweet songs were always a popular part of Queen’s armoury, and found plenty of airplay due to their short playtime. “If You Can’t Beat Them” is an easy listening sing along track in a typical John Deacon style. It’s catchy and easy to move along with.
“Let Me Entertain You” has always been one of my favourite Queen tracks, though it is one I found from their live recording before I had ever heard Jazz. It is one of the heaviest tracks written by Freddie, though much of that comes from Brian’s guitar riff and his solo burst. Still, Freddie sings this hard and loud, preaching to the audience as he did so well. This still sounds great today. This is followed up by “Dead on Time”, another of Queen’s most aggressively hard songs led by Brian’s guitar again as well as Roger’s great drumming. These two songs back to back showcase the best of that heavier side of Queen, revealing that part of their personality for the world to hear.
The album dials back to that much gentler aspect of the band’s brilliance, with “In Only Seven Days” where Freddie shows how amazing his vocal capacity is, having shown his faster and energetic vocal range in the previous two songs to slipping into this easy paced song with gentle higher vocals. Amazing. This is followed by “Dreamer’s Ball” which sounds like it could have come from the A Night at the Opera album. “Fun It” is a quintessential Roger Taylor track with all of his tricks of the trade thrown it. He again plays most of the instruments and shares lead vocals throughout with Freddie. “Leaving Home Ain’t Easy” is Brian’s quiet ballad, almost Beatles-ish in its composition. Having heard the harder side, these four songs showcase the lighter side of the band, without losing any integrity in the tracks. Terrific stuff.
“Don’t Stop Me Now” is in my opinion one of the five best Queen tracks of all time. Positive lyrics, driving drums and lead bass riff, the piano being the major instrument throughout with Brian’s guitar just coming it to make highlight spots, and of course Freddie’s vocals topping everything off. If you could write one song and play it for eternity, it would quite probably be this one for me. It is a brilliant piece of song writing and musicianship.
“More of That Jazz” is written and almost completely performed by Roger, and it is very much his style of track. It is eclectic, staccato with lots of guitar and vocal lines and harmonies mixed into places that don’t seem to be in any form, but somehow come together to make a great song. Not only do we hear his own amazing vocal range, when you first hear the song you think something has happened to the recording, because suddenly snatches of other songs on the record start coming into the mix. It’s unusual, but became common place amongst Roger’s own solo stuff. Opinions no doubt range on it, but personally I like it.

There is something for everyone on Jazz and it all comes together in a perfect way. The musicianship is second to none with each members at the top of their game. The vocals of all three major contributors is superb, with Freddie quite awesomely showing he can sing just about any type of song. And the variety of the songs doesn’t intrude on each other, somehow they all tend to mesh together perfectly despite the wide range of influences that come into them. One of Queen’s best.

Rating:  "I’m a rocket ship on my way to Mars on a collision course, I am a satellite, I’m out of control”  5/5

Champions Trophy Match 6: England vs New Zealand

Champions Trophy Match 6: England vs New Zealand: Scorecard

From the moment Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bowl, this match had an ominous feel to it. The pitch always looked as though it would be best to bat on first, and using the reasoning that they wants to best use the conditions for the bowlers seemed a little trite considering the ball has not moved around in any game of the tournament so far. And so it proved to be once again, with England winning comfortably without really getting out of second gear.

New Zealand will rue their fortune. In their first match they were most likely halted from victory by rain. Here, they were forced to bowl and field through drizzle that perhaps deserved to have the match halted, but instead they had to carry on in conditions not made for retaining the ball in any condition. Through this England batted solidly if not spectacularly, with Root leading the way again as the benchmark he has become for this team. With support from Hales and Stokes the Black Caps were kept at bay, and the final 10 overs for 80 runs was driven by Jos Buttler’s resolve. Indeed, to look at England’s batting line up is to see a lot of all-round players rather than specialist batsmen, and the thought would always be that they could roll over under pressure. So far here they have not. Under tough conditions the Kiwi bowlers stuck to their task but letting the total slip over 300 was always going to make chasing a tough ask.

Having been lauded for his somewhat fortunate innings against Australia, Luke Ronchi’s golden duck was far less (but mostly expected) than the Black Caps needed in this chase. When Guptill again fell after making a start, it was left to Williamson and Ross Taylor to salvage the chase. At 2/158 after 30 overs the platform had been set, and with 153 required off 20 overs it was down to an T20 scenario. However, when both set batsmen fell within 10 runs of each other, the New Zealand middle order – as part time as England’s all-rounder laden middle order – was unable to mirror their opponents charge, and fell meekly to be bowled out for 223 and a big loss. Williamson’s 87 had been serene, but he needs support if New Zealand are to win games like this. How he must have kicked himself for his decision at the toss. England’s bowlers were swift and accurate, while the addition of Adil Rashid gave them the attacking spinner they needed to push for victory.

England has now qualified for the semi-finals, and while New Zealand will fancy they can knock over Bangladesh in their final match, they will be relying on England defeating Australia on Saturday for them to be able to join the home side in the final stages of the tournament.

Champions Trophy Match 5: Bangladesh vs Australia

Champions Trophy Match 5: Bangladesh vs Australia: Scorecard

Rain can work for you and it can work against you in cricket, as can the fickelties of the Duckworth Lewis Method. Australia's two matches have both ended in draws because of the rain now, and while it can be said that they may have been helped out in their match with New Zealand they most definitely got screwed over in this match against Bangladesh.

Having been savaged first by the New Zealand batsmen and then by Steve Smith after the game, the Australian bowlers did a much better job in their second match, each bowler improving on their initial efforts. Constant wickets stopped any partnerships of note from developing. Starc and Cummins were swift, Hazlewood the metronome while Adam Zampa justified his selection. Only Tamim Iqbal showed any resistance, mixing great stroke play with some good fortune to reach 95 out of the total of 182. Starc's final charge of four wickets in nine deliveries including a near hat-trick created carnage.

Rain came at the break, and when Australia began their innings they were quickly into gear, racing to 1/83 off 16 overs. They were already well ahead on the Duckworth Lewis Method, and in fact didn't need to score a run off the remaining four overs to make it a match to win the game. Unfortunately it was not to be, and though there was little haste from groundsmen or Bangladesh to restart the match it was probably never going to get to a finish, leaving Australia frustrated for many reasons.

It was always likely that Australia was going to have to beat England in the final match to make the semi finals, and that hasn't changed. A win ses them in, a loss sees them out. Bangladesh can still make the semi finals, but given their first two efforts that would be a major surprise.

Stephen King Book #12: Cujo. 3.5/5

Book #12. Cujo.
First published September 8, 1981

Re-reading Cujo some thirty years after I first read the book was an interesting experience. I never owned a copy of the book back in my teenage years, and only acquired a hardcover of the book a few years ago; but I had never opened the cover to re-read it. It wasn’t because I didn’t like to story as such. It’s probably just that as I had only ever read it once it hadn’t become one of Stephen King’s books that had grown so greatly in my mind that I wanted to re-read it over and over again as I have with so many of his novels. Thirty years is a long time, and one’s perspective does change over that period of time, if my thoughts on Cujo are to be taken as an example.

Apart from the three novels he had put out under his Richard Bachman pseudonym, this was the first novel Stephen had released that did not have a supernatural theme about it. Instead, the horror of the story was a dog that had been infected by rabies, and as such was terrorising his immediate community. No telekinesis, no vampires, no evil spirits, no end of the world battle between good and evil. It is a story built around normal lives with normal people battling normal-type problems in their own lives, and being placed in a situation that was completely realistic without those outside factors that populated all of King’s previously published work.

So here’s the thing. When I first read this book I was a teenager, with little idea of the world and how it worked except from my own perspective. And I liked the book. I didn’t love it (which would explain why I never got a copy of my own and then read it to death like so many others) but I liked it and enjoyed the journey that the story took me on. It had no real hold on me, nor any great emotional factor.

However, flash forward those thirty-odd years, and now I’ve got emotional baggage that made this a much more taxing journey than I remember the first one. Now I’m married with three kids, and the emotional ties of that played hard on reading this again. Vic and Donna Trenton are having major dramas, with Donna having been in an affair with the officious Steve Kemp, who then informs Vic as such when Donna breaks it off. That pulls at strings and memories that aren’t so pleasant. Joe Camber is obviously a bully and a violent man towards his wife and child. That isn’t so pleasant when you have both of your own. Put that on top of the main plotline of the story, with Donna and son Tad trapped in their car by the rabid Cujo, and with Tad obviously flagging to the point of death. That now becomes dramatically more disturbing to an adult with wife and children than it did to a teenager with no such emotional ties whatsoever, one who just read the story and enjoyed it for the thrilling plot rather than any feelings of dread it raises in the adult. What it made me realise, perhaps for the first time as I go along with this plan to re-read all of King’s books, is that there are books coming up down the track which will be dramatically affected in regards to my feelings about them, simply because instead of being an unattached teenager I am now a married man with offspring of his own. It was an interesting revelation.

There are no winners in this story, which is not particularly unusual. Or perhaps there are but only in a certain perspective. Poor old Sheriff George Bannerman, who made his first appearance in The Dead Zone when he asked for help from Johnny Smith in solving the killings perpetrated by Frank Dodd, unfortunately gets the raw end of the prawn again, this time falling to his fate by being killed by Cujo when he turns up looking for Donna and Tad. It’s a sad way to go for someone we had started to get to know well. Tad’s demise actually comes as a shock, as you mostly expect that somehow he and Donna will get through this, probably not unscathed but surely both alive. You take the deaths of Gary Pervier and Joe Camber in your stride. Unlikeable characters are grist for the mill In that way. And Joe’s demise obviously opens up a better life for his wife Charity and son Brett going forward. No matter how the book ends, one wonders how long Vic and Donna’s relationship can stretch after this.

As you may have guessed, this was a tougher journey for me this time than it was in my youth. I can’t say that it disturbed me or gave me dark thoughts or nightmares or any of that sort of thing. But it most definitely was a harder slog to get through taking into account all of the ‘adult’ themes that are in the story that I hadn’t ever thought about before in regards to this book. “Dog gets rabies, kills some people, a kid dies because of it but not actually by the dog”. A teenagers summary. It wasn’t so cut and dried this time. Did it detract from the story? No. Did it make it less enjoyable? Yes, actually it did. Perhaps when I read it again, and my kids are all grown up, I will have got past that stage, and I will find a different level of enjoyment again. That’s the great thing about books. They can surprise you depending on what you are feeling at the time.

Rating: What a cute dog... WAIT! NO!!

Champions Trophy Match 4: India vs Pakistan

Champions Trophy Match 4: India vs Pakistan: Scorecard

Given that these two countries only ever seem to play each other in ICC events given the hostilities between the two nations away from the cricket field, there is always the hope of an intriguing battle when they come along. That probably hasn’t been the case in recent times, and it certainly wasn’t the case here, with India taking full advantage of the bumbling Pakistan contingent to annihilate them by 124 runs on the Duckworth Lewis method and consign them to further evaluation of their current ODI platform.

Pakistan’s decision to send India in could only have been provoked by the wet weather hanging around, for surely offering up a flat wicket for first use was not the ideal strategy. The opening stand of 136 probably proved this to be correct, but even so despite this the Pakistanis could probably have held the Indians to about 275 had Mohammed Amir been able to complete his full ten overs (he withdrew with ‘cramps after 8.1 overs), and Wahab had bowled well (he went for 0/87 off 8.4 overs), and Imad had not had to bowl the last over because these two were ‘injured’ (he went for three consecutive sixers in that over) and if Pakistan could catch (both Kohli and Yuvraj were shelled before either started their final carnage) and didn’t give up 89 runs off the final 6 overs. In essence, if Pakistan had been any other team in the tournament you would have seen a total far less than the 319 India finally managed from their maximum allowable of 48.

Further rain left Pakistan requiring 289 off 41 overs, but it never looked in danger despite a positive opening by Ali (top score with 50) and Shehzad. Wickets falling at almost every 20 runs meant there was no momentum or partnerships to be built, and despite the Indians not being at the top of their form in the field either, they did enough to ensure that Pakistan was bowled out for just 164 in 33.4 overs, not within a bull’s roar of a chance of winning.

With neither Pakistan or Sri Lanka looking likely to challenge for a semi-final spot, the match next Sunday between South Africa and India is likely to decide top spot in the group. How much that has to bear on their semi-final opponents is likely to be another thing determined by the English weather.

990. Queen / News of the World. 1977. 4/5

There will always be a debate over what is the best ever Queen album, and generational change will always be a part of that. Whether it was the albums of the 1970’s that you think are the real deal, or the releases in the 1980’s that hold together best can often be dependent on which era you grew up with. By the time News of the World came around Queen was well established in the music scene, and even in comparison to those albums that had come before it this is an impressive and enjoyable release.

The album leads off with what are still two of the biggest arena anthems ever written. Any major sporting spectacular that you go to, you are a big chance to hear either one or both of these songs sometime within the framework of the event taking place. “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” surely need to have nothing said by me in regards to their greatness as songs and to their transcendence through all musical genres. They stand alone on their own as pillars, but when played back-to-back create the perfect atmosphere for anyone who needs a pick-me-up before a performance before an audience. Forty years on and surely no better anthems have been written.
The track “Sheer Heart Attack” was apparently only half written when the album of the same name came out, and so it appears here some time afterwards. Roger Taylor wrote the song and sings in the chorus, and plays on most of the instruments as well. It rattles along pleasingly after the opening salvo. “All Dead, All Dead” follows the opening blast triumvirate, and reels the mood back in fiercely, with this soft and slow piano based song written and sung by Brian with Freddie providing backing. It’s a tough ask to place this song after those first three tracks, and also to have it followed by yet another blockbuster in “Spread Your Wings”. As a result it feels a little lost, and perhaps out of place. “Spread Your Wings” is yet another of John Deacon’s amazing contributions to the band, and is highlighted by Freddie’s amazing vocal performance and the short sharp lead burst from Brian, which punctuates the middle of the song.
Following on from this, “Fight From the Inside” is an almost complete Roger Taylor composition - written by him, sung by him, featuring him not only on the drums by he played bass and rhythm guitar as well. Thus it isn’t surprising that “Fight From the Inside” does sound familiar to many songs that appear on Roger’s first solo album “Fun in Space” where he did practically everything. This is followed by Freddie’s “Get Down, Make Love” where he makes a loud statement in uncompromising terms.
“Sleeping on the Sidewalk” is a harmless song that lacks the kind of things that made Queen songs great. There is no great majesty of about the song, and Brian’s vocals are muted most of the way through, such that it is a quite soft and shallow song. “Who Needs You” is another Deacon song with Spanish guitar and maracas, and though it also is a good song with its own character, the softer side of these two songs also seem to change the course that the album was heading.
“It’s Late” almost bounds off the vinyl at you in comparison to the songs that preceded it, loud and proud, not only with Freddie taking centre stage but with the choir vocals filling the mix, and the drums, bass and especially lead guitar pounding out of the speakers. It’s a real theatrical hard rock song, with each member playing their part with boundless enthusiasm. “My Melancholy Blues” closes out the album with some trademark Freddie piano-based softly spoken vocals which sounds like it is being performed in a piano lounge, with just John’s bass and Roger’s drums in accompaniment.

This album flows evenly between the two sides of Queen’s imagery, with the hard rock anthems balanced by the thoughtful and less raucous piano and acoustic settings. It’s what Queen has always been about, combining the individuals styles into an album based on their strengths without compromising on quality. While there is a mix within the content that may be difficult for some to accept, overall this album provides you with the best of each individual without necessarily showing their combined talents together. For some that will make it feel unhinged rather than a group effort.

Rating:   “Kicking your can all over the place”   4/5

Champions Trophy Match 3: South Africa vs Sri Lanka

Champions Trophy Match 3: South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Scorecard

The tough times ahead for Sri Lankan cricket are still there for all to see in last night's clash with South Africa, and yet for a period of the match they were a big chance of pulling of an upset victory despite the absence of their skipper and an almost full -strength CricketBoks line up.

South Africa should really have hammered home their advantage of batting first, but once again could not find a way to finish off the early work. Despite Amla's century and du Plessis' run a ball 75, the middle order could only amble along at the same pace and couldn't explode at the end of the innings. The fact that de Villiers went cheaply didn't help, but neither Miller nor Morris could follow Duminy in scoring at better than a run a ball. Though they never really looked to be a chance of dismissing their opponents, the Sri Lankan bowlers would have been ecstatic to keep the South Africans to 299
Unfortunately, stand in captain Tharanga allowed his side to go over the allotted time for their overs by a whopping 30 minutes, and as a result not only was the team fined the majority of their pay cheque by he will now be suspended for the next two matches, meaning he is most likely now out of the tournament. What a cock up.
In reply, Sri Lanka took on the South Africans, and at one stage in the chance were 1/94 in the 12th over, and even 2/116 in the 18th over, well above the run rate required and on track. Unfortunately, once both openers Tharanga and Dickwella had been dismissed, the resistance became futile, and the final 8 wickets could only add another 87 runs before the boom was lowered at 203. Perhaps the most significant part of this innings was Imran Tahir's excellent bowling performance, picking up 4/27 off 8.3 overs with his wrist spin bowling. Even though he is currently the #2 ranked ODI bowler, his impact will perhaps encourage the other team's in the tournament to give their spinners a go rather than leaving them warming the benches, as England and Australia did in their first games.

You would suspect that Sri Lanka are cooked in this tournament, and that the other finals spot in the group will be decided in tonight's clash between India and Pakistan, such is the emotion that will come with such a clash.

Red Nose Day Actually: The Love Actually Reunion 14 Years in the Making

Champions Trophy Match 2: New Zealand vs Australia

Champions Trophy Match 2: New Zealand vs Australia: Scorecard

Whether or not the rain saved Australia or thwarted New Zealand in their Champions Trophy clash, two things are for certain. Firstly, Australia's bowling plans need to be re-assessed after a dreadful opening session where the best intentions should have been examined from very early on. Secondly, the washed out match now hinders both combatants chances of reaching the semi-finals while it runs in complete favour of England.

Depending on what side of the Tasman you are from, you could argue that it was either sensational batting from New Zealand or that they had plenty of fortune in getting away to being 2/216 after 34 overs. Luke Ronchi had that fortune, but also struck the ball cleanly in his innings. Australia's bowlers in their pursuit of swing over pitched often, and were dispatched to and over the boundary as a result. From the lounge chair it called out for just bringing their length back a bit to stop the easy front foot drives, but only John Hastings appeared capable of this in the first half of the innings. As it turned out, the Black Caps hit a bit of a hurdle, and their final total of being bowled out for 291 looked to be 30-40 short of what they should have made. Kane Williamson again made batting look easy to reach another century, but the middle order and tail fell away disappointingly. If Australia is to continue to play the four pace men they will need to look at their method of attack on these wickets. The Edgbaston wicket did look like a road.

After more rain, Australia's target was given the Duckworth/Lewis treatment to become a chase for 235 runs off 33 overs. Certainly no easy task. Warner threw his wicket away despite scoring freely, while Finch was painful and unable to break away before being dismissed. Henriques looked good before falling to what became the final ball of the match, as the teams left the ground with Australia at 3/53 off 9 overs.

Both teams now need to win both of their remaining group matches to make the semi-finals, and the result heavily benefits England in their cause.

APJSC Under 10 Whites vs Wollongong White

In a well contested match at the cool confines of Beaton Park, The Albion Park Under 10 Whites have notched their second successive victory with a 2-0 win over Wollongong White.

Carrying on from last week, the Park kids dominated possession and attacking chances in the first half, with Jack-Ryan Eberwein, Indy Middleton and Zoe Middleton all having great opportunities to open the scoring , but not quite succeeding. Indy especially was running hard to each opportunity that arose and looking to further the ball forward. When the ball did get through to the back line, the returning Ky Van Helden showed he was keen to make up for his lost weeks with a broken finger, and was terrific as sweeper, clearing out the ball efficiently. The sisterly love of Belle and Claire Kadwell were both strong again through the middle of the field, and helped by the constant running of Jack Tate and Brock Young the Whites were perhaps a little unfortunate not to take a half time lead.

In the second half Ky moved forward and Josh Peters moved out of goal into midfield, and their impact was immediate. After several good attacking raids early, Josh took the ball off his opponent, beat the next man and then expertly passed through the defensive line to Ky who put the ball in the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. The Whites pressure now turned up even more with a lead in their back pocket, and that pressure caused a turnover after a goal kick, in which Ky again steadied and then booted the ball past the goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead. It must be said that the score could have been many more had it not been for Wollongong's excellent keeper and general defense. Wollongong didn't give in though, and attacked relentlessly for the final five minutes of the match, and only two great saves from Jack Tate in goals stopped them from getting on the scoreboard. At the final whistle it was Albion Park that reigned at 2-0.

Player of the Match this week was Indy Middleton who also returned from injury and illness to have a terrific game.

989. Metallica / Death Magnetic. 2008. 4/5

It had been a long hard road for Metallica the band. Not in regards to popularity, because they still sold out shows and had fans falling over themselves to see them. But the mixed reaction to their releases since 1991 must have caused questioning within the band and their management. Three studio albums that had their core fan base up in arms, a live album with a symphony in support, and a double album filled with cover songs was hardly the track record one would expect from a band of Metallica’s stature. One wondered if there would ever be an album again that could be embraced by the faithful.

In many ways, Death Magnetic was the ‘comeback’ album Metallica had to have.

I have no qualms in admitting that I had written off Metallica forever after the release of St Crapulous. The initial excitement of that album wore off so quickly once the realisation was that it sounded awful and was a completely depressing series of tracks. As a result I had decided I would not be buying the next album, and would have no problem if I never had to listen to it. And this may well have been the case if, at the time the album was released, I had not been working with a 19 year old fan boy who insisted on bringing the album to work and playing it, as well as demanding that I buy it and invest myself in it. From that point I slowly allowed myself to listen to snatches of songs, until eventually I did relent and purchased the disc. Because, as it turned out, Metallica seemed to have found themselves, even if it was in bits and pieces.
What was it that brought all of this on? Was it because on the St Crapulous tour they had begun playing more songs from their halcyon period, including songs from ...And Justice for All that they had abandoned for years, and as such realised not only how good those songs were but how much their fans appreciated them? Was it the introduction of Robert Trujillo to the studio for the first time in the writing and recording process? Was it the jettisoning of Bob Rock as producer for renown metal icon Rick Rubin to take the helm? Is it merely that the band realised the songs need guitar solos from Kirk, and for James to sing as he used to sing? Was it all of these things, or a conglomerate of pieces of them? I don’t know, but whatever it was, it was about bloody time!!!
Given that this is the case, I still think half of the songs are terrific, and the other half average or just above average. It goes without saying that writing and recording a song entitled “The Unforgiven III” is an unforgivable act. Honestly, was it just a bridge too far to expect that the band could completely sever their ties from the 1990’s and leave this behind them? The fact that this is also the most average song on the album is almost incomprehensible. Did Rubin not hear this and strongly advise the band to move in a different direction? They could have replaced this with any of the four songs they later released on Beyond Magnetic and the album would have been lifted. The other songs that I am less than enamoured with here could probably have been improved just by shortening them. The shortest song on the album is the final track at five minutes. The next is “Broken, Beat & Scarred” at 6:25 – one of the songs that would have been improved by a few cuts. “The Day That Never Comes” revisits those ugly days of the 1990’s in the way it sounds as well, and its eight minutes in length becomes unbearable about halfway through. “Cyanide” is better than these three mentioned songs, but both it and “The Judas Kiss” could have used a bit of refining.
The songs that light up the album are the ones that brought new hope for a brave new existence for Metallica fans. Opening with “That Was Just Your Life” and into “The End of the Line”, the album kicks off on the most positive note in years. It’s what first drags you in to the album. It certainly did for me. “All Nightmare Long” is my favourite song on the album, closely followed by the closer “My Apocalypse”, which mimics “Damage Inc” so closely that it has to be deliberate. There is also the instrumental track “Suicide & Redemption”, the band’s first since “To Live Is to Die”, which also is too much of a coincidence not to have been a planned reminder of past glories.

With so much bad blood having flowed under the bridge, it probably wouldn’t have taken a lot to put together an album that could be claimed to be ‘better’ than recent releases. Instead, there had been a major rethink, and the band has come through with the goods. No, it isn’t a return to their glory days. No it is not the next Master of Puppets. What this can claim is that it is a better than average metal record that would probably rate much higher with most people if it had been recorded by another band, but because it is Metallica it will always be judged against those halcyon albums. Put that aside, forgive the creaks that three or four songs offer here, and it is a very enjoyable metal album.

Rating:  “Hunt you down without mercy”.  4/5

Champions Trophy Match 1: England vs Bangladesh

Champions Trophy Match 1: England vs Bangladesh: Scorecard

Despite losing to Bangladesh at the last two World Cups the result here never looked in doubt, even when England lost Chris Woakes after two overs meaning that his overs had to be shared around other bowlers, and when Bangladesh’s most accomplished batsmen Tamim and Mushfiqur combined to put them within touching distance of a defendable score.

England would be happy with the win and the way they performed in it. The loss of Woakes meant Moeen and Root had to bowl more than they may have otherwise, but their combined eleven overs for 58 runs was acceptable in those circumstances. The Bangladesh batting was terrific, struggling somewhat against the back of a length delivery but taking full toll of anything pitched up or wide. Tamim and Mushfiqur’s partnership for the third wicket of 166 only failed to deliver when they were dismissed in consecutive deliveries with five overs to go, meaning that the hoped-for flourish produced less than was needed with new batsmen at the crease. 305 never looked likely to be enough. Tamim’s 128 had touches of his ability, but it was Mushfiqur’s 79 that was all class, playing conventionally along the ground and through the field on most occasions in an innings that again showed how impressive a batsman he can be. Only his dismissal was a disappointment. For England, Ball was expensive again, going for 82 off his ten overs, and he may be a liability that cannot be pursued, though the extent of Woakes’ injury may well determine that. One would expect Adil Rashid will lsip back into that line up.

England cruised for the most part. Roy’s early dismissal was the only hiccup, with Hales once again finding a way to throw away a certain century with his dismissal for 95 having taken the previous two deliveries for 4 and 6. Apart from this, Joe Root again showed his class by caressing the ball around the ground with relative ease, his only problem rolling his ankle which troubled his running for the rest of the innings. At the other end Eoin Morgan bashed and crashed the ball to and over the boundary for 75 not out off 61 balls to lead England home with 16 deliveries remaining and eight wickets in hand. Bangladesh had gambled on only four front line bowlers in the hope the batsmen would post a big enough score for them to defend, but that was their eventual shortfall.

England now set themselves for their clash with New Zealand on Tuesday to try and ensure themselves of a semi-final place, while Bangladesh will face the juggernaut of Australia on Monday, against whom they will need to bat and bowl much better if they hope to progress any further in the tournament.