Home
>
Features
 |
A Hoggshire Diary
In a brand new regular feature Hoggshire league umpire Sid Byes writes about the life of an ordinary everyday official at the very heart of local grassroots cricket.
Sunday, 8 August 2010
The strange case of umpire Billows
At least 50 members of the Marylebone Cricket Club submitted membership proposals for television personalities, notorious prisoners, and trade union officials, after falling under the hypnotic control of Ralph Robbins, 67, an umpire who until his recent capture was better known as the 'MCC Mesmeriser'.
Monday, 28 June 2010
"You've nicked it, son"
The inside story of The Metropolitan Police's 'Cricket Crimes Team' - the infamous 'Test Squad' - and the case that nearly broke them: The Umpire Ripper.
Friday, 30 April 2010
Life in a Day : Cricket Crimes Team
24 hours with Detective Sergeant Chris Hogg of the Cricket Crimes Team. It's another action packed day for DS Chris Hogg as he and his tireless team of officers fight cricket crime on the mean streets of London. Here, in his own words, he tells PDCC of the relentless battle against the people who think nothing of abusing the great game.
Friday, 30 April 2010
The Lowdown - Greig's Pastys
Tony Grieg is cricket's Mr Been-There-Done-That, but if there's one thing that has kept him going all these years, it's his love for a nice hot savoury. Here he tells PDCC about his favourite mouth-watering moments.
Friday, 30 April 2010
Bye-gones No. 4: Tiger comic
PDCC tells the story of how a boy's sporting adventure comic belatedly discovered cricket and launched a host of exciting characters to a generation of young readers.
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
MCC Million Years BC (1967)
There are few things in life more satisfying than blowing the dust off an old cricket related artefact that has been lost in the mist of time. This month we remember the film that time forgot - the dinosaur meets cricket epic - MCC Million Years BC.
Friday, 11 December 2009
Charity begins at Hove
PDCC is about to start a major new series on cricket's relationship with popular music - Rock and Bowl. As a taster we tell the story of one man's efforts to improve the lives of umpires everywhere through the power of song. Sir Bob Geldof stole the ideas - and the song - but he isn't bitter.
Friday, 6 November 2009
The Lowdown: Gatt's Spats
Former England and Middlesex cricket captain Mike Gatting had more than his fair share of arguments during his long career. Who can forget his finger-wagging stand up row with umpire Shakoor Rana during a heated test match 1987? In this PDCC exclusive Gatt sheds new light on some of his most notorious ding dongs.
Friday, 23 October 2009
"I am not an animal": The secret cricketing life of the Elephant Man
John Merrick's biographers portray him as a victim of Victorian prejudice but was that really the case? New research paints a different picture: a canny all-rounder and the founder of modern umpiring. PDCC investigates the strange case of the Elephant Man.
Friday, 2 October 2009
Bye-gones No. 3: Illingworth
From the seventies onwards Michael Parkinson was the undisputed chat show king - fighting off fierce competition from competitors like Aspel, Wogan, Harty and ... Illingworth. PDCC remembers how attempts to turn Raymond Illingworth from a gritty cricket captain into a talk show host floundered under half a ton of ostrich feathers.
Friday, 25 September 2009
Bye-gones No. 2: Flat Jack (1988-89)
This week we get our collars felt by burly Lancs detective 'Flat' Jack Simmons of the Cricket Investigations Department - one of television's greatest crime fighters and most frugal off spinners. PDCC raids the vaults for another long forgotten cricketing classic.
This week we get our collars felt by burly Lancs detective 'Flat' Jack Simmons of the Cricket Investigations Department - one of television's greatest crime fighters and most frugal off spinners. PDCC raids the vaults for another long forgotten cricketing classic.
Friday, 8 May 2009
Disappointing deaths and cheap imports tarnish Kolpak image
As the number of recently purchased Kolpaks to die during pre-season this year rises to four, professional cricket clubs in Britain face renewed criticism over the continued importation of low quality non-England-qualified players. PDCC's resident sleuth
As the number of recently purchased Kolpaks to die during pre-season this year rises to four, professional cricket clubs in Britain face renewed criticism over the continued importation of low quality non-England-qualified players. PDCC's resident sleuth
Friday, 17 April 2009
The Lowdown - Daffy's ducks
In a 20 year career of international and county cricket Phillip De Freitas managed to combine the rigours of life on the professional circuit with a secret second career - as an international wildfowl expert. He tells PDCC about his top three favourite web-footed friends.
In a 20 year career of international and county cricket Phillip De Freitas managed to combine the rigours of life on the professional circuit with a secret second career - as an international wildfowl expert. He tells PDCC about his top three favourite web-footed friends.
Friday, 27 March 2009
The Lowdown - Dusty's Bins
Geoff 'Dusty' Miller is a man of many talents: all rounder, Chairman of Selectors, after dinner speaker. He is also one of the game's foremost experts on sports ground waste management systems. He gives us the Lowdown on his favourite cricketing bins.
Geoff 'Dusty' Miller is a man of many talents: all rounder, Chairman of Selectors, after dinner speaker. He is also one of the game's foremost experts on sports ground waste management systems. He gives us the Lowdown on his favourite cricketing bins.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
PDCC Cricket Book of the Year Award 2008
We have thanklessly read all of the cricket books published in 2008 to decide which should win the coveted PDCC Cricket Book of the Year Award. The winner is an old favourite that sent shock waves through the sport. Read on ...
We have thanklessly read all of the cricket books published in 2008 to decide which should win the coveted PDCC Cricket Book of the Year Award. The winner is an old favourite that sent shock waves through the sport. Read on ...
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Left on the shelf: good news for all cricket fans
It's a jungle out there for new magazines. So why is one publisher unleashing not one, but four, new cricket titles at the same time? PDCC talks to the man behind Gatt World.
It's a jungle out there for new magazines. So why is one publisher unleashing not one, but four, new cricket titles at the same time? PDCC talks to the man behind Gatt World.
Friday, 5 December 2008
Of mice and umpires
Misunderstood match official and entertainer John the Umpire takes time out from his gruelling winter schedule to translate his new album Lab Mice - Parts I-VII into Modern English.
Misunderstood match official and entertainer John the Umpire takes time out from his gruelling winter schedule to translate his new album Lab Mice - Parts I-VII into Modern English.
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Gift ideas for cricket fans
PDCC looks at the best of the newly released cricket DVDs and picks out the best of an intriguing bunch.
PDCC looks at the best of the newly released cricket DVDs and picks out the best of an intriguing bunch.
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Funn's Final Frontier
Britain's last cricket comedian Dickie Funn has taken his final bow. PDCC met up with him to reflect upon the highs and lows of a less than glittering career.
Britain's last cricket comedian Dickie Funn has taken his final bow. PDCC met up with him to reflect upon the highs and lows of a less than glittering career.
Sunday, 9 November 2008
The Lowdown - November 2008
This week we get up close and personal with two of cricket's biggest names and ask ex-Derbyshire legend Fred Swarbrook and England hard man Brian Close to tell us what's rocking their iPods.
This week we get up close and personal with two of cricket's biggest names and ask ex-Derbyshire legend Fred Swarbrook and England hard man Brian Close to tell us what's rocking their iPods.
Friday, 7 November 2008