Hove has it again

Football’s overblown autumn overtures have been interesting enough, I suppose; and the rugger buggers have been lining up their wicked big hits for the upcoming long stretch of mud and gloom and gloaming. The domestic cricket season was not done and dusted till the final match and at once, next day, publication of the first-class averages officially pronounced finis to a mediocre summer. Five overseas batsmen — Jaques, Yousuf, Lehmann, Ackerman and Flower — came between the two forgotten English veterans who stood in the list at first (Ramprakash, 2,278 runs at 103.54) and seventh (Crawley, 1,737 at 66.80). Neither of those prolific stalwarts of the county grind were remotely considered for recall to the England colours, although I daresay when the all-too-familiar batting collapse begins in the Ashes Test at Brisbane or Perth before Christmas, we shall wonder why an old-sweat big-innings player like either of them was not reassuringly plodding his way to the crease.