Trent Bridge

Leicestershire v Middlesex

(Metro Bank One Day Cup Final)

19th September 2026

A quite engrossing day's cricket we enjoyed in this Metro Bank One Day Final; the old match pendulum swinging back-and-forth between the combatants throughout the contest.  As it should.

We witnessed two superb bowling performances (Foxes' Ian Holland's 5/36 and Toby Roland-Jones of Middlesex taking 3/27), plus a brace of centuries from first Ryan Higgins, then Nick Kelly. 

 
But, I would assert that a significant factor in Middlesex's win was the display by Harry Duke; who patiently and carefully hung around for 87 minutes, building up an innings-saving partnership of 135 with the aforementioned Higgins.  In the process helping to haul his side from a decidedly precarious 71/5, to a robust-looking 206/5.

This, in stark contrast to the fleeting visits to the crease made by pretty much all of Nick Kelly's partners; a number of whom (you know who you are) contriving to toss their wickets away in the most mind-bogglingly silly ways.  It is telling, that Leicestershire's second highest scorer behind Kelly's 103 was Rishi Patel on 16.

The Foxes' cause was also not helped by both of the Bowling Greens (Ben and Alex) each having an off day.  The pair failed to take a wicket between them; shipping a total of 76 runs in the 15 overs they bowled.

Really not good enough.

Result

Middlesex 231 all out

Leicestershire 200 all out

Middlesex won by 31 runs.

The River Trent, with Trent Bridge floodlights across the water.

 

This chap with an impressive amount of hardware was fishing for roach,
so he (grudgingly) informed me.

The first bridge over the River Trent was thought to have been built here around 920 AD.
The current one was completed in 1871.

 

  

Panorama of Trent Bridge.

  

 

Nathan Fernandes (Middlesex)

Leicestershire's Ben Green.

Tom Scriven claims the wicket of Middlesex captain Ben Geddes - 1

Tom Scriven claims the wicket of Middlesex captain Ben Geddes - 2

Tom Scriven claims the wicket of Middlesex captain Ben Geddes - 3

 

Sleeping or Listening to Music or Reading Stephen King?
Or all three at once?

Ben Cox and Ajaz Patel

Most of the Middlesex support sat in the Hound Road & Larwood and Voce Stands

Leics' Hamza Shaikh

The large Radcliffe Road Stand houses the hospitality bods.

Middlesex's Ryan Higgins surprises Ben Cox with this boundary...

...on his way to his century.

Not sure who this is,
but it was one of the few pics I took where the ball was remotely in focus.

Nick Kelly reaches 100

Middlesex's Zafar Gohar

...and with Naavya Sharma catching Tom Scriven, the match is over.

Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Doncaster Racecourse

 

St Leger Stakes

12th September 2026

The St Leger Stakes is 250 years old!  Or was in 2026, so it might be a wee bit older now depending, of course, when you are reading this.

As Wikipedia states:

The event was devised by Anthony St Leger, an army officer and politician who lived near Doncaster.  It was initially referred to as "A Sweepstake of 25 Guineas", and its original distance was two miles.  The rules stipulated that colts and geldings were to carry 8 st, and fillies would receive an allowance of 2 lb.

The inaugural running was held at Cantley Common on 24 September 1776.  The first winner was an unnamed filly owned by the event's organiser, the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham.  The filly was later named Allabaculia.

The title St Leger Stakes was decided at a dinner party held in 1778 at the Red Lion Inn located in the Market Place, Doncaster, to discuss the coming year's race.  It was initially suggested that it should be called the Rockingham Stakes in honour of the host, the Marquess of Rockingham, but the Marquess proposed that it should be named instead after Anthony St Leger.  

That year the event was moved to its present location, Town Moor, in 1778.

A chap called Bill Scott holds the record for the number of wins; he having done so nine times between 1821 & 1846.  Other well-known (meaning I have heard of them) former winners include Lester Piggott, Joe Mercer, Willie Carson, Pat Eddery and Frankie Dettori.

This afternoon, a new jockey's name was added to the illustrious list:  24-year old Saffie Osborne, who just so happened also to be the first female rider to win the race.

Well done, Miss. 

Doncaster Racecourse, also known as Town Moor.

Doncaster Racecourse parade ring.

Desert Falcon - Race Three

Al Shabab Storm - Race Three

Eternal Sunshine - Race Three

The winner of Race Three - Clifford Lee on Air Force One

I had a modest win on Race Four.
After shedding £30 on earlier races, I decided to stop my betting here,
so was able to walk out of Doncaster £5 in profit.

Saffie Osborne winning the 2026 St Leger Stakes on Highwayman.

St

The York Community Stadium.

York City 2-1 Exeter City

29th August 2026

Season 2026/27 represents York City's first campaign back in the Football League since being relegated in 2016.  They had celebrated their return two weeks earlier with a 3-2 win over Bristol Rovers, which they had followed up with a merited draw at Rotherham.

This afternoon's visitors Exeter City, for their part, had a win and a loss to their name thus far.

Based upon their performance this afternoon, quite how Exeter had managed to defeat Accrington last week, I cannot imagine.  For the Devon club were utterly woeful here today.

For the first 80 or so minutes, York City dominated proceedings, and led 2-0 through Alex NEWBY (7 mins) and new lad Jovan MALCOLM's header (76 mins).  Newby really should have additionally had a couple more.

I could not recall a single opportunity of note for Exeter during this period.  And yet, the visitors could quite conceivably have stolen a point, as they had two great chances late on.  Jack FITZWATER scored his, in stoppage time, with a clever header.  This after, just a few minutes earlier, Lakyle Samuel's goal-bound shot had hit the heel of Newby, with the York forward not knowing a whole lot about it.

Sneaking a 2-2 draw here really would have been an act of scandalous larceny by The Grecians (as I believe Exeter City FC are known).

The York Community Stadium.

York City v Exeter City (August 2026)

In the corner of the North Stand closest to the away section, we had one of those Bravery Of Being Out-of-Range pea-brains who spent the whole match goading the visiting fans.  He took the crowd's response of "You're just a shit Peter Griffin" with good grace, but looked a bit tearful when informed "You're just a fat Harry Potter".   

Former York City player (and Scotland International) Greame Murty put in a half-time appearance, for a slightly awkward looking pitch-side interview.  But the PA system was so awful, certainly in our part of the ground, we could not make out a word he said.

The York Community Stadium.

The York Community Stadium, opened in 2017, sits in the middle of a retail/leisure park.  So, although there is no shortage of parking available, the site (rather oddly) makes you shell out of you want to stay for more than two hours. 

I would have thought it would have been in the interest of the various outlets to have football fans on-site (and spending) for as long as possible.

The stadium itself is a pretty non-descript Ikea flatpack job, with those horrible open corners I hate so much.  It only holds 8,500 fans - but, then again, if Bournemouth can thrive in the Premier League with a 12,300 capacity ground, anything is possible for York City I suppose.