Ollie Pope

Ollie is out for the rest of the summer with a dislocated shoulder which requires surgery

Tough on Ollie.

When Ollie made one of his previous comebacks from this type of injury a few years back his first innings was for the seconds at New Malden.If memory serves he made 50 odd.

When Surrey fielded he happened to be a few feet from us on the boundary near that tent/pagoda thing they put up.I asked him how he was feeling after his first innings back.

He told me it was "no problem" when batting the trouble came if he dived after the ball in the field.I told him "You know the answer to that then."

Of course fielding has improved beyond all recognition over the decades but what's the point if everyone is picking up injuries all the time because of it?

The amount of ludicrous/lost cause dives we see just to prove commitment are downright stupid.Especially throwing yourself over the boundary when the ball has virtually crossed the line.

We even saw Ansari,the brains of the outfit,bash his bonce on the advertising boards at The Oval a few years back.

Among the never ending stoppages we now see in play are the regular visits to the middle of the physio. I don't think i ever saw one come on to the field at The Oval from 1966 when i first went there, until about 30 years later.

Now,in these more enlightened times of huge backroom staffs and modern medicine and training methods/apparatus  not to mention vast amounts of protective gear we see them every 5 minutes.