Hashim Amla
As we write, Hashim Amla is, dare we say it, closing in on a century. Superstitious South Africans can contact us by e-mail if we've knackered it up for him by saying that.You might expect us to write about how Hashim Amla has an important ambassadorial role to play as a South African Muslim of Indian descent; how he may be able to more subtly transmit the Republic of South Africa's overt message of racial equality; how he might one day be able to communicate that message to a proportion of the population who are still resistant to the idea, having been immersed in the apartheid system during their formative years; how his actions may speak louder than a thousand well-meant words.
Regular readers will know that we're just going to talk about his smashing beard.
Very regular readers - those who've gone and read every word we've written on King Cricket - will know that we're going to go on and on and on about his smashing beard.
Facial furniture is very much on the wane in international cricket. Allan Border's Australia had Border himself, David Boon and Merv Hughes with first-rate moustaches. More recently, India have had a number of classic moustaches on the faces of Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble and Saurav Ganguly. Sadly, neither team, nor any other in world cricket can really offer much these days.
Hashim Amla: Standard bearer in so many ways.
Labels: Facial hair, Hashim Amla, South Africa, superstition


















This was what the sky looked like this morning. We Mancunians pride ourselves on knowing the local weather. These aren't rain clouds.
Hmm. We're not in north Lancashire or south-west Cheshire. We're in the bit without "brighter, drier intervals".
This picture tells us two things: That we're still in our house at 13:06 because of the rain and that we like to pile CDs on top of our stereo.
Woolly hat. Check. Ski socks. Check. It's officially a 'double trousers day' too. Readers in warmer climes may be unfamiliar with the concept of wearing two pairs of trousers simultaneously. Believe us, sometimes it can and must be done.
Play eventually started at 3pm. Lancashire asked Hampshire to bat which meant that we didn't have to endure Iain Sutcliffe's batting. Even Iain Sutcliffe's mum's favourite cricketer isn't Iain Sutcliffe.
Lancashire opened the bowling with ageing medium-pace all-rounder, Glenn Chapple...
...and ageing medium-pace all-rounder, Dominic Cork.
We missed John Crawley's wicket. This is where they put the big screen when there's a Test match.
Glenn Chapple enjoys a bit of banter with the crowd. 
























