"England beaten by the rain as Harman wins The Open". #ashes #ashescricket

As the rain washed away England's Ashes chances at Old Trafford, I compiled a dual minute by minute breakdown of the English rain in Manchester as well as Liverpool as Brian Harman won The Open at Hoylake.

Another episode and reading from my fourth self-published book "The Spirit of Cricket - An upside down journal from the 2023 Ashes", a book I'm immensely proud of and which is linked below. There are also other ways and means of supporting me linked below, if you are able, to help me thumb the eye of traditional publishers who refused to read my original manuscript!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CF4FRKSH

https://www.patreon.com/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.paypal.me/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/steveblackford

Here is a brief extract from the chapter being read here:

Sunday 23rd July 2023

"Your timeline of sporting madness

8am: Aussie Rules Football accompanies my first cup of tea on a dull, rainy Sunday morning. I enter part way through the third quarter as the home team “Demons” of Melbourne extend their lead over the visiting “Crows” from Adelaide. I cheered for the visitors and underdogs who repeatedly clawed their way to near parity on the score line before the Demons eventually ran out winners 97–93.

Always seems strange watching football being played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground!

9.30am: Full English breakfast. A second cup of tea for the day. Prayers given to the weather gods to avoid Manchester with their rain. Jokes made on Twitter that no-one in their right mind would laugh at. Remark on my childish delight when watching “Oppenheimer” yesterday and the notions posited by quantum physicists that the real world we all see, hear, touch, smell, taste and experience can’t possibly be real. Yes, even that book you’re holding or the plastic device you’re reading these scrambled sporting notes on!

It’s started raining.

10.15am: Hopeful signs at Old Trafford as the opening live coverage comes from the outfield, a wet and sodden outfield, but it’s not raining and an umpire’s inspection is due for 11am. Prospects for play starting around Noon are whispered amid tales from ex England captain Michael Atherton describing last night’s rain in Manchester as “biblical” with over 18 inches falling overnight. Amid much mirth and laughter from fellow ex England cricketer Mark Butcher, Atherton confirms he meant millimetres rather than inches, but soon enough the rain begins to fall in earnest once more and Ian Ward, the third of our trio of ex England internationals confirms the now heavy falling rain to be “horrid” and my attention turns to The Open championship golf from nearby Liverpool with a heavy, doom laden sigh.

11am: 40 or so miles away from an Old Trafford beneath an umbrella of rain, Liverpool is clear with play underway and major favourites such as Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler already coming to the end of their respectively poor tilts at lifting the famous “Claret Jug”. Fellow American Brian Harman may lead by 5 strokes overnight but he has over 3 hours to wait to even tee-off in pursuit of victory and it’s still anyone’s tournament to win in the dreadful weather conditions expected this afternoon.

11.45am: It’s now raining as heavily in Liverpool as it is in Manchester.

Deep sigh.

12.15pm: Listening to “Test Match Special” (TMS) brings the good news of covers being removed at Old Trafford, an early lunch, an umpire’s inspection, and play now scheduled to start at 1pm.

12.25pm: Covers removed. Wicket prepared. Players forgoing lunch for extra practice but, it’s started raining again.

12.30pm: Brooks Koepka, resplendent in a rather fetching pink jumper, is having a “terrible day” according to Dame Laura Davies on Sky TV’s coverage of The Open golf. You want to be a fan of the England cricket team Brooks!

12.35pm: “There’s a touch of the Lee Van Cleef in Max Homa” chirped Sky TV’s veteran golf commentator Ewen Murray. It’s raining in Manchester, the lack of cricket is getting to me, and I’ve resorted to quoting majestic sports broadcasters riffing on actors from seven decades ago.

12.40pm: Raining again in Manchester".

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