Cook's honour
Just a quickie today to say huzzah and hurrah for Alastair Cook for receiving an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
The Essex and England was rewarded for his amazing achievements on the Ashes tour over the winter as were England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower (formerly of Essex) who both got OBEs.
With his brilliant run of form, the England One Day captaincy and now this gong, Cooky must have banished all the doubts about him last summer. What a difference a year makes.
Daddy hundred for Tendo
After a tough day in the field yesterday, Essex looked to be in real trouble in the tourist match against Sri Lanka at Chelmsford today. The Sri Lankans posted 337 for nine and in response Essex were soon reduced to 24 for three with Godleman, Pettini and Bopara all falling cheaply.
Enter Ryan ten Doeschate. The Dutchman showed his class in a 195 run stand with Tom Westley before the latter fell for a close-but-no-cigar 99. Tendo went on to score 164 off just 174 balls, smashing 24 fours and a six along the way.
But when the Dutch all-rounder went with the score on 320, the innings crumbled with the last four wickets tumbling for just four runs to leave Essex on 328 for nine at the end of the day.
With just a day to go, a draw looks a certainty unless both sides agree to chase a result. But a good day for Tendo, unlike Ravi Bopara who would have hoped to rediscovered his batting touch against the tourists and impressed the selectors.
The People's Republic of Chelmsford
I wrote a piece for the Essex Chronicle and Brentwood Gazette on the 'twelfth man' effect of Fortress Chelmsford this week which those nice chaps on the sports desk were kind enough to use... you can read it here
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