Andy Burnham's 'to do' list will be longer than the queue of Aston Villa fans wanting to hand back season tickets, following the signing of Alejandro Garnacho. Because the new Prime Minister has a broken nation to fix. But if Burnham can spare the time, he should write a letter to the English & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), demanding to know how those arrogant suits still deem themselves fit to run the organisation.
One so adept at shooting itself in the foot, it beggars belief it is still capable of walking into another self-inflicted catastrophe. You'd have thought the ECB would take some time off from being useless, in the wake of last winter's Ashes debacle Down Under. Not to mention this summer's handling of the Ben Stokes affair. One which has resulted in Stokes standing down as Test captain and Brendon McCullum being sacked.
ECB's Fixture Controversy
But those muppets, sorry, puppets pulling all the strings remain ensconced in their ivory towers at Lord's HQ, plotting more madness and mayhem. Not content with making English Test cricket a complete laughing stock, the ECB have now decided to make mugs of supporters of the game as well. The fixtures for next summer's Ashes series on these shores have been confirmed. And unless you live south of Nottingham, the chances are you won't get to see a ball bowled in anger. Apart from on subscription TV of course.
England will begin their quest to win back the famous Urn at Trent Bridge in June. The following four Test matches will then take place at Lord's, Utility Bowl in Southampton, Edgbaston and then the predictable finale at The Oval. So two in London, two in the Midlands and one on the south coast. The ECB must have been living under a rock for longer than we thought.
Historic Northern Ashes Moments Ignored
Blissfully unaware of the fact both Headingley and Old Trafford have staged most of the greatest Ashes moments in history. Some people believe the 1981 Test in Leeds remains the greatest one of all time. When Ian Botham and the late Bob Willis defied logic and huge odds to win the game for England. The innings Stokes produced at Headingley in 2019, meanwhile, is arguably the greatest one ever played by an Englishman.
Across the Pennines in Manchester, Old Trafford was the place in 1956 where Jim Laker took all 10 Aussie wickets in the second innings to win the game. He'd also taken nine in the first innings. In 1993 Shane Warne bowled the 'Ball of the Century' to dismiss Mike Gatting. While in the greatest series of all in 2005, 20,000 fans were locked outside as England somehow won the best Test match ever staged in Manchester.
The good folk of Yorkshire and Lancashire don't agree on much. But there is no disputing both counties have hosted some iconic Ashes moments down the decades. More of them will not be added to the history books though, next summer.
Burnham's Previous Intervention
Back in 2023, Burnham wrote to the ECB expressing his disappointment at the news no northern Tests would be taking place. He was Mayor of Greater Manchester then, but now finds himself in the most powerful job in the country. And he has to intervene again. Because when it comes to cricket, the north/south divide remains alive and kicking. At the expense of two cricket grounds which have the best atmospheres throughout the land.
