He's not the Messiah!

Not sure I’ll bother with an actual match report, mostly because I’m tired and I won’t do it justice! I will say that we comprehensively lost to Worcestershire in our penultimate game of the year, but I think that’s fair enough considering they played so beautifully (especially Solanki). It does, alas, mean that we have zero chance of qualifying for the next round of games, which is disappointing but sort of where we are as a team at the moment. We have glorious, brilliant moments interspersing – how shall we say – considerably less glorious occasions. We’re not quite ready to challenge for trophies.

But, in a spirit of supreme optimism, let us at least smile and be happy that we have those little highlights. Two years ago we didn’t have anything to celebrate other than the marvellous achievement of Ramps’ hundredth hundred. Surrey have come on a lot since then and anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly extremely blinkered in their views.

I admit I can be a little blinkered. Take the matter of Kevin 'He's not the Messiah' Pietesen’s signing on loan to Surrey: a good exercise in putting ‘bums on seats’ if ever there was one. It seems that the ECB were the ones who asked Surrey to take on England’s out of nick batting whiz: the writing was on the wall the moment Middlesex confirmed they weren’t going to have him at Lords. Now, I have to hold my hand up and say that I fall into the sceptic camp where KP is concerned, but I guess if he does rediscover his mojo it’s good for the England team, and we’ll hardly be seeing him at the Oval anyway.

It’s not strictly a personality thing where he’s concerned: at the end of the day, I don’t know him. I think my love of county cricket and the fact that I am strictly a neutral when it comes to international cricket means that I find it difficult to engage with those whose participation in the championship is limited to once in a blue moon. Yes, tests are the highest level you can excel at but it doesn’t have the same hold over me as the county matches do. What can I say; I’m a history buff who loves facts, figures and tales of legendary batsmen and bowlers from yesteryear. The championship just seems much more accessible and cosy to me. Slightly less cut and thrust. It appeals to my inner sentimentalism, something that KP doesn’t at the present time!

But, I am fair minded enough to give him a try. The Rampants are fairly split down the middle on the whole KP thing, but I shan’t spoil it for my friends by being a grouch when KP comes out to bat against Glamorgan. Unless he plays and Ramps doesn’t, for some reason.

In which case I shall sulk all week.