Cod Almighty | Diary

Nothing can go wrong now

12 July 2024

There's something peculiarly British about the particular pleasure of being proved wrong, something in our psyche that makes us want to grumble and complain and make the most dire predictions just so that we can take that bungee jump, smile, give a little nod of the head, half approving, half bridling and say, "I never thought we'd do it," and feel like the world is a much nicer place for our earlier communications to have been completely contradicted. In our lighter, more introspective moments, we understand that a desire to see the world in shadow is an extension of our fears, a semi-conscious spreading, a contamination of the stresses and strains that stretch us too tightly across the worlds we inhabit. Negativity as a home-borne virus. Deliberate infection so that we can appreciate the cure.

And now your A46 Diary must dial down expectation that Southgate is ready to switch from barely-Hurst to really-Hurst in Sunday's final against Spain. The Spanish have been the standout team of the tournament and England have been the most improved. This surely means that the momentum is with the plucky underdogs (from the richest domestic league in the world, crammed full of elite (ha ha!) players and coaches). It would be a really-Hurst moment to go and win it. There's a 15-16 redemption arc in play here. Time to go full Hurst.

We're at the point of the close-season cycle where hopes and aspirations are being raised. Signings are trickling in, all of which look competent, energetic and skilful, even youthful (still having to get used to that!) and excitement is bubbling. Once Sunday's final is done we can turn the full glare our expectations back to Cheapside and right now the sun is shining: Artell's gone to Iceland and new boy Jason is already a shoo-in to be this year's January sale; Wilson's still here and this is going to be his year; we've already replaced Mullarkey; the midfield is strengthening; scouting and contacts are in place and working well; and the players look happy and ready in training montages at Cleethorpes Cricket Club last night.

As cricket days go, last night's efforts by the coaching staff will have to pale compared with today at Lord's as Jimmy Anderson will finish his final test for England. Barney Ronay put it best a couple of years ago when the great man turned 40, so I'll only say that we will miss not just his wickets – more than 700 now – but also his presence, his ability to manage the run rate, the pressure he puts on batters to allow his attack partners to gather their own wickets (would Broad have had anything like the career he's had without Jimmy at the other end?) and his ever-presence. Immortals don't die but they must, it seems, retire.

The new season inches closer. Time to manufacture a sniffle and find things to be proven wrong about.