Italy And WB Deserve Each Other

The final stages of the World Cup are almost upon us. Which team do you fancy? Although my money is on Spain the best team does not always win.

As for Italy just how many games of the 0-0 1-0 variety can we put up with? Is its boring football something to do with the personality of the players? Some Italians are not boring but the football played by their national side is often sleep inducing. Which brings me to cricket.

I was probably the most boring northern batsman in 1968. Was that something to do with my personality at that time? Take NCB Team Valley v Philadelphia Workshops as an example. I captained the former for a while but because I had so little faith in my fellow batsman I refused to play an evening match of more than 18 overs per innings. 18 overs! Reed Kitchen, the opposition's captain, tried to get me to agree to 24 overs then 20. No deal no dice. I recall sharing an opening partnership of 50 runs with Alan Eltringham before he went for 32. I had 18 runs at that point but then attempting to increase the tempo I tried a  a pull shot, for the first time in the innings, and holed out to a fielder that had no right to catch it. Sadly he must have been 6 feet 4 inches in height because he did catch the blooming thing. 50-2. I was right of course - about keeping it to 18 overs - we were all out for 68 in the final over. Sadly I was dishonest in that game and got found out for it later. The crime? Alan Eltringham played for a village team just down the road and was not entitled to play for the NCB team, not that he was aware of this; he thought he was doing me a favour by helping out.

Italy was boring at football, and I was a sadly repressed batsman with a good defence but an under used cover drive and square cut. I had the shots, and used them, but with as much gusto and regularity as Italy's football team in attacking mode. 

Do not book Italy and WB for a comedy club appearance. The beer would not sell and the laughs would not register.

WB