I was wondering about our wicket keepers and knew you'd be the place to find out. I wonder a change of heart on Umeed might be on the cards.

Whilst I do think this is a fundamentally less fair way of putting players into teams than the draft, I can't deny that it is more of a spectacle. I was surprised Davina Perrin wasn't picked up before the auction, a big pay day ahead?

Although a chamber exclusively filled with popular politicians might get a bit dusty.

@orkneylibrary.bsky.social catering to all tastes today

Josh De Caires is even registered twice - #269 and #270 on the official list. Cunning way to double your money.

Josh De Caires seems to be #269 and #270 - it'll be fun if he sells to two different teams

Grant Stewart's Blast record compared to the evidence of what is happening in front of us is... remarkable.

My wife and I watched this and had a very enjoyable conversation afterwards about which foods we'd be best equipped to provide similar reviews & commentary on. I think I could manage some serious takes on bakery cheese twists (anyone putting onion in is wrong, and Gail's is not for me)

I really wouldn't mind that I now "must sign in to BBC apps" if you didn't a) require a new sign in every single time and b) have a "Save time with auto sign-in" feature which doesn't work and which actively takes more time with a new pop-up every time I open the app. Gah.

It's a low key huge advantage for England that they cannot be reffed by Karl Dickson, who is absolutely inexplicable as far as I can see and yet consistently gets big games...

Not *that* long ago Somerset had a bowler called Adam Dibble and they need to bring him back for this gag alone.

Legend with a signed photo of himself?

Ahmedabad, perhaps?

it's not quite Mandhana, Lanning and Ecclestone on the same team is it? It's a long way away but Manchester feels like huge favourites already.

Retiring out someone striking at 130 is... unusual

or a peerage.

they also have similar series with Julie Andrews doing Austen and David Suchet doing Dickens. Lovely stuff.

There's a lot of 'Twitch plays Pokémon' about the actions of everyone involved really.

Smith has looked quite a lot like a mug all series mind. No time like the present (well, very near future) to change there.

Closer than I would like, that. But well done Joe Root. #theAshes

It would objectively be quite funny if Root gets stranded on 99* and still doesn't get his ton in Aus. #theAshes

One of my very favourite things about the excellent @thestorygraph.com is that it does its end of year wrapped thing in early January, when the year has actually ended.

That would be a surprise: there aren't many options who you could even argue would be better than her. I suppose you could argue that the Somerset side needs an overseas batter more than a spinner with Wilson retiring, but AJW was one of the better batters regardless of her bowling.

And now confirmed she isn't. Big blow that.

Big blow for Somerset that.

The bowlers might still bail England out here but this already feels like the biggest opportunity missed #Ashes

Right, what did I miss? #ashes

We could redo the old joke about the Aussie team being Mitchells, Marshes and Mitchell Marshes with Toms, Rews and Tom Rews

Oh yeah I'm fine going up in a weak year or any year but it's really notable how bad the standard is this season. We're nothing better than competent and we're top. Long may it remain.

Controversial and unprovable, but how many points clear would Ben Garner's side be in this absolutely dreadful division?