England heroes heading for honours list

If you really want to get excited, there’s the little matter of England in the Women’s World Cup, mainly on BBC3 and comes on just before something called Family Guy and this week after programmes on David Beckham. Remember him?

As England’s men swept aside the might of Slovenia, Master Wilshere showed what he can do when he acts sensibly. Rooney is within a goal of Bobby Charlton’s England record and which of the two you would have in your side causes interesting discussion.

This week ITV had no reason to sneer on twitter after ‘apologising’ for the quality of the game when England drew in Ireland. You wonder if they’ll apologise for some of the other dreadful offerings they seem to show regularly.

Football seems to live in its own little world. Many clubs spend a fortune on public relations staff. Yet when Newcastle unveiled Steve McClaren as their new manager, only selected media partners were allowed to interview him, the rest were locked out.

Blackpool appointed Neil McDonald as their new boss and at the Press conference, shut the doors on the man from the local paper.

As a club who were relegated from the Championship with a record low number of points, you would have thought they needed all the friends they could get.

So to sporting Masterchef and last Saturday’s rain caused problems for the good ladies who make the cricket teas, after all you can’t buy several dozen tea cakes if the game might be off.

The dynamic dining duo at Hanging Heaton, Jo Gilbert and Claire Hunt, solved the problem at the second team game by providing fish finger or sausages, chips and beans with pizza for the fussy veggy types. Suffice to say the players of both sides didn’t leave a crumb and some were said to have licked their plates clean.

At one time tea was a cuppa, a small ham or salad tea cake and a bun. Now it’s fine dining.

On the injury front his friends will be concerned to hear that Dave Lawrence is still feeling the effects of the hamstring pull he sustained in the Cup tie at Ossett, when he batted bravely after being tempted out of retirement. It’s funny, ‘retired’ cricketers always keep their gear.

Rumour has it that Dave was hurt going for a fourth run - but it’s only a rumour.

With Peter Byrne playing regularly, and Mel Wood in the Ossett side, it really was a game for golden oldies.

Tense times for Dewsbury Rams and Batley Bulldogs as one seeks a place in the middle eight play-offs and Batley seek to avoid relegation. The Bulldogs at home to Hunslet on July 19 and at Dewsbury the following week will have a real edge.