There's a 'Great Summer of Sport' coming up!

[teamsaint]

Very much looking forward to Royal Ascot (June 15-June 19), the only real summer sporting highlight for me, though having won a packet on the winner of last week's Derby (odds taken at 33/1), I should include the Epsom classic as well.

Oh well done on the Derby Pet. My best odds for a winner was Norton’s coin at 100/1 in the Gold Cup.

Enjoy Ascot. Never been there for any racing, must go one quiet day, as I can’t be doing with the big meetings in person,though of course the racing at Royal Ascot is wonderful.

[LMcD]

Quite happy to watch the final rounds of Wimbledon but the rest, I've got better things to do with my time.

Same here - and I find I no longer have the stamina to sit through best-of-5-setters, so when it comes to men's singles I check on the state of play after the first 2 sets.

[Petrushka]

Oh well done on the Derby Pet. My best odds for a winner was Norton’s coin at 100/1 in the Gold Cup.

Enjoy Ascot. Never been there for any racing, must go one quiet day, as I can’t be doing with the big meetings in person,though of course the racing at Royal Ascot is wonderful.

Attending Royal Ascot was one of my retirement projects though that's one of the many things that turned to dust. One day perhaps.

[teamsaint]

Attending Royal Ascot was one of my retirement projects though that's one of the many things that turned to dust. One day perhaps.

Do it.
I’ll go too !! I don’t really like the big meetings( well Glorious Goodwood in fact) and the boozy atmos, but RA is special.

[LMcD]

Congratulations to England on forcing New Zealand to bat again.
A potential conflict of interests tomorrow afternoon, but I've decided it's more important to watch a performance of quartets by Haydn and Brahms in our local church - the first live concert for ages - and just hope that Djokovic and Tsitsipas are still slugging it out when we return home. The future of our local concerts has to take precedence over any sporting fixture.

[johncorrigan]

Congratulations to England on forcing New Zealand to bat again.
A potential conflict of interests tomorrow afternoon, but I've decided it's more important to watch a performance of quartets by Haydn and Brahms in our local church - the first live concert for ages - and just hope that Djokovic and Tsitsipas are still slugging it out when we return home. The future of our local concerts has to take precedence over any sporting fixture.

Making a concerted effort then, L?

[LMcD]

Making a concerted effort then, L?

Well, they keep pointing out (sometimes in piercing tones) that we're awl in this together.

[muzzer]

The cricket is embarrassing. Is there a Packer series on somewhere where the first team is playing? ;)

[LMcD]

The cricket is embarrassing. Is there a Packer series on somewhere where the first team is playing? ;)

Perhaps the ECB should be renamed the EBC (England Batting Collapse). Unfortunately, the ever-increasing number of limited-over matches has resulted in an ever-decreasing number of opportunities to build a major innings. I fear 'the 100' will only make things worse.

[LHC]

The cricket is embarrassing. Is there a Packer series on somewhere where the first team is playing? ;)

There was a good piece in the Guardian the other day which suggested that England’s bizarre selection policies are at least partly to blame for their confused and I’ll-focused performance

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/jun/11/england-chris-silverwood-era-new-zealand-ashes-cricket

[LMcD]

There was a good piece in the Guardian the other day which suggested that England’s bizarre selection policies are at least partly to blame for their confused and I’ll-focused performance

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/bl...-ashes-cricket

Michael Vaughan has just made that very point on the BBC News Channel.

Possible good news for those who follow cricket and tennis is that the Test Match may well be over before the Big Match in Paris starts. This encounter might just mark the start of the passing of the 'old order' in the men's game. Tsitsipas, Zverev, Thiem and others might finally break the stranglehold that's been applied by Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. The ladies' game recently seems to have advanced more quickly in this respect.

The current dominance of European players in men's tennis is striking, although it's difficult to say whether this is attributable at least in part to the absence of players from further afield as a result of Covid. When I started following tennis it was the Australians - Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Margaret Court and Rod Laver - who ruled the roost. Billie Jean King, Tracy Austin, Pete Sampras and 'Supermac' then flew the flag for the USA.

[gurnemanz]

Quite happy to watch the final rounds of Wimbledon but the rest, I've got better things to do with my time.

I don't overdo it but sport is definitely one if the better things in my life and I have plenty of time for the other things I relish. I find the early rounds at Wimbledon just as interesting if not more so. Not just the same old big beasts slugging it out yet again. If we go to Wimbledon we much prefer the first week with the early rounds

[LMcD]

The estimable Andy Zaltzman reminds us that England once bowled New Zealand out for 26 ... many years ago.
And let's not forget that England once won an international soccer competition - within my lifetime - mind you, I am knocking on a bit.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Well, after that strange selection of England cricketers - though it was clever not to pick a spinner since we weren't going to be playing long enough for the pitch to break up - it's now over to Southgate to make some bizarre team choices, and to snub a couple of in-form players into the bargain.

[teamsaint]

Well, after that strange selection of England cricketers - though it was clever not to pick a spinner since we weren't going to be playing long enough for the pitch to break up - it's now over to Southgate to make some bizarre team choices, and to snub a couple of in-form players into the bargain.

Trippier the obvious choice at LB surely?

I hate to be pessimistic, but if Rice and Phillips are good enough to get us a long way in this tournament, I shall be very surprised.