Richard Howarth

Journalist since 1984, editor of 20+ papers in that time. Champion the regional press, the NHS, the arts, some London sports teams. National Trust life member.

[Iceland Cricket @icelandcricket]

We have not seen anything like this since reindeer rutting season in the East Fjords.

[That’s So Village @ThatsSoVillage]

What's the most village thing that happened in your match at the weekend? 🏏

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

@bbctms I saw Sibley make two centuries in successive Metro Bank matches in 2024, so perhaps people are being too quick to judge. He’s had his chance though, so I’d give a youngster a go.

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

@WG_RumblePants Geoff Humpage… also Warwickshire bad-boy Paul Smith. And if he hasn’t been mentioned, Alvin Kallicharran.

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

This…

[WG RumblePants @WG_RumblePants]

What a great start to the County Championship! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you have too.

It really felt like an authentic and significant start to the domestic summer. Yes, there were draws, but that doesn’t tell the real story of this round. There were some great draws amongst them.

If rumours are true, Test places are up for grabs, and players up and down the land seem to be fighting hard to create an impression. I just hope someone at the ECB is watching!

MJJ Critchley was my player of the round for his 173 and 6fer for Essex against Hampshire.

What stands out is how much people still seem to care about our oldest and most storied format.

People braved the cold weather to be there this weekend. Thousands more tuned into the livestreams. Players played with passion and resolve. Teams fought to win and to save games.

Cricket is back. The County Championship is back and, to borrow a phrase, county cricket matters!

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

@NoContextCounty Mike Brearley’s 0-0 declaration in 1976. A remarkable moment from a genius leader. It was the summer I turned 16, the weather was amazing and Middlesex went on to win the title.
That it was against Surrey made it even more memorable. Never heard of anything like it before.

[TV Football 1968-92 @1968Tv]

BBC Match Of The Day
March 1975
FA Cup 6th Round
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
Commentator David Coleman
#Arsenal #COYI #FACup #MOTD

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

@AnnieChave @BBCSport They appear to have changed that - but an oddity that remains is if you look on Saturday (I’m going via the website) there are no championship matches listed - or for the following days.

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

@WG_RumblePants Indeed… but the impact of being at that glorious setting and the Aussie players sitting with the crowd for a while and chatting to us, was immense.
Also used to enjoy the test trial at Hove when visiting family in Sussex. Another lost attraction of early summer.

[Annie Chave @AnnieChave]

Keep your eyes on this folks. This is IMPORTANT. It’s not just happening at Lancashire - most counties DON’T want to be beholden to their members & will try to put these measures across. We could be down to 10 cc games a season before you know it -do not remain silent if you care

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

@WG_RumblePants @BCJCarter Agree on the Sunday League point… Arlott and Laker were wonderful with full coverage every week, so I used to practise scoring. I was gutted when they started cutting into the coverage (with F1 as I recall).

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

@EntsPeter @derekclarksport It’s odd that as the European Cup it was distinct - a cup for league champions. But once renamed the Champions League, it then became very important that the big brands were there as often as possible, hence the extra places for the big leagues and loads more money.

[Iceland Cricket @icelandcricket]

It is 3 months today until the Icelandic domestic cricket season begins.

[Iceland Cricket @icelandcricket]

Joe Root has now scored no less than sixty centuries in international cricket.

This is impressive, but he has none in Iceland.

We remain the final frontier for so many greats.

Can he do it on a lava bedded wicket in Reykjavík?

[Cricketopia @CricketopiaCom]

During India’s 1986 tour of England, Gooch took a brilliant catch to dismiss Maninder Singh off the bowling of Graham Dilley in the Leeds Test. Bruce French was the wicketkeeper in that match.

The remarkable catch later featured in promotional advertisements for the Nehru Cup football tournament held in India in 1989.

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

@EntsPeter Fabulous paintings - so many works are let down for me by the awkwardness of people or animals, leaving me wishing the artist had just produced a landscape.
Quite different styles in these two examples of your mother’s work - but utterly engaging figures in both.

[Richard Howarth @rfh21]

@auldsideheid @ClarksonsFarm1 ‘Who gave our ‘Ilda’s ‘erring t’cat’ became a family favourite phrase, even if not a direct quote from this wonderful film

[Iceland Cricket @icelandcricket]

This evening, for no reason at all, we turn the spotlight on the Icelandic sheep. There are roughly 400,000 of them during the summer, more than our human population. They also have better designed houses than many of us.

[WG RumblePants @WG_RumblePants]

Just a reminder that England no longer have a specialist fielding coach.

I’m sure that the dropped catches are completely unrelated to that though…