Episode 26 - Editor of the Wisden Almanack, Lawrence Booth

Welcome back to the Sunday Service with Church and Vickers - we hope you’ve all had a peaceful cricketing week.

This week, Mark and Hector are joined by the Editor of the widely adored 'Bible of cricket'.

Having studied Modern Languages at Cambridge, graduating with a first, he started work experience with Wisden Cricket Monthly, before covering County cricket for The Daily Telegraph and freelancing for the Gaurdian and Sunday Times.

He joined the Daily Mail in 2009, and was appointed Editor of Wisden Almanack three years later.

Now, he has just released his 15th edition of the Wisden Almanack, otherwise known as the Bible of cricket.

Lawrence Booth joins the show to chat through his editors notes, point us in the direction of some particularly important pieces, talk through his career, and lots more. 

Also on the episode, Church and Vickers continue their new, hard-hitting, segment; "What cricket sound is this?" - and Churchy delivers a sermon focusing on a certain Sir James Anderson.

A huge thank you to Lawrence Booth for his time on this week's show. An incredibly interesting and enjoyable conversation, on a book that means so much to so many. 

Another big thank you goes to our friends at Newbery Cricket, who are offering up their award-winning SPS bat for this month's competition giveaway. You can read all about it via the following link: https://www.wisden.com/cricket-features/the-bat-test-2026

You can also check out the premium equipment that Newbery has to offer here: https://newbery.co.uk/

If you have liked this episode of Sunday Service, please make sure to rate and review us, and share us on social media platforms.

Make sure to get in touch, we want to hear your cricketing thoughts and guest suggestions:

Email us at: sundayservice.pod@yahoo.com

‘X’ - sundayservice22

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:01

Hello everyone, and thank you for joining us again on the Sunday service with Church and Vicus. We hope you've all had a good cricketing week and are currently either enjoying the third round of the county championship matches or sitting in your dressing gown flicking through the latest edition of the good book, namely the whisting cricketers almost that was published this week.

SPEAKER_05 0:21

Hello. So yes, the cricketing bible is now available, and I for one am extremely, extremely excited about having the yellow tomb in my hand and perusing the editor's notes and diving waste deep into some cricketing numbers.

SPEAKER_03 0:38

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Sunday service with church and figures. I've been making plans whilst keeping across the county championship, the Women's Metro Bank 50 over cup, causing chaos in the parish while he is away and commentating on the mighty Northamptonshire. Churchy, how has your week been?

SPEAKER_05 1:09

You came to visit me as well here at the Kear Oval. Yes, indeed. Did you do you not remember that? Was it that that that was? No, it was a good day. Actually, it was a good day. I'm very pleased to hear that. Young Hector. As one of the great men of Nottinghamshire cricket told me this week, I am looking and feeling as strong as a bite. My week started watching Surrey score lots and lots and lots of runs against Leicestershire as Leicestershire scores lots and lots and lots of runs against Surrey. And I've had the joy of watching the Surrey women's team in action. And may I just say they are looking an extremely strong side again this year. And I have been tidying up the mess that you left behind in the parish. Once again, in my absence, you are once again a very naughty boy. Now what's on today's show, please actor?

SPEAKER_03 2:06

Well, Churchy's cricketing sermon focuses on a certain Sir James Anderson.

SPEAKER_05 2:10

It certainly does. And after the success of last week, we have another What Cricket Sound is this? And this week it is even more hard, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 2:20

And our guest this week is the editor of the Cricketing Bible, which has been published this week, The Wisdom Cricketers Almanac.

SPEAKER_05 2:26

And thanks to our friends at Newbury Cricket, we have our competition with a new prize, namely an SPS bat. And once again, it is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful piece of willow. And don't forget you can get in touch with us. Just email sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweet at Sundayservice22.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

So lots to get through. Let's get cracking with the Sunday service.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Hi, Matt Fisher, Surrey and England. Um, you're listening to the Sunday service with church and vicars.

SPEAKER_05 3:07

Good morning. I trust your cricketing week has been full of close finishes where your 43-year-old Knight of the Realm has led you to victory. As always, it's been a very busy week in the parish. On Monday evening, I returned from the Oval Shire having witnessed Surreyshire draw with Leicestershire in a high scoring game, with hundreds for Mr Pope, Mr Smith, Mr Rishi Patel, Mr Eskenazi and Mr Cox. Upon my return to the parish, I was greeted with more chaos created by young Mr Vickers in my absence, so Tuesday was spent tidying up Boycott Vicarage and washing my cassock to make sure it was sparkling for the week. I was up early Wednesday morning making my parish visits and explaining young Mr Vickers' behaviour to concerned parties. I assured them there would be no repeat of his reworking of the Prodigy's Firestarter this Sunday. Sadly, the choir completely fell apart in church last Sunday when Mrs. Jackson forgot her line, which was I'm the self-inflicted mind detonator, yeah, panicked and instead sung, I baked a lovely Victoria Sponge for the village instigator. I then hot footed it back to the Ovalshire to see the Surreyshire women beating the Yorkshire women in an exceptionally good performance. Thursday, I spent my day writing some cricketing statistics in my good book, and Friday I rewashed my cassock. Yesterday I was back at the Ovalshire to watch Surreyshire women taking on the Durhamshire women. Now, in the Men's County Championship, we are currently in the third round of games, but I would like to focus on the first two rounds if you will permit me, and on one gentleman in particular, namely a certain Knight of the Realm, and I'm not talking about Prince Edward, although he is a very fine off spider, also I'm told. No, I am talking about Sir James Anderson. Now captaining Lancashire in the championship, he led them in the second round to a nail biting victory against Derbyshire. Sir James took four wickets as Derbyshire finished 29 runs short of their victory target and demolished the stumps for the run-out to win the game. Sir James, after those first two rounds of championship cricket, was the leading wicket taker of wickets in Division Two with 14. I must be honest and say I have said some prayers for the batters of Division Two when Sir James has been bowling. And now, if you'll permit me, I'm gonna give you some numbers. Sir James, at time of writing, now has 1,157 first class wickets. Sir James has now bowled sixty thousand six hundred and twelve deliveries in his 306-stroke seven first-class matches. Sir James took seven hundred and four test match wickets. Sir James has taken five wickets in an innings fifty-six times in first class cricket and ten wickets in first class matches six times. Sir James is 43 years old. Now, if Sir James was still playing test cricket, he would still be taking wickets. And I think Sir James will still be playing first class cricket when he is fifty. And the other thing with Sir James, he still looks fit and strong. It does remind me of Mrs. Jackson in the parish. Mrs. Jackson is, of course, part of the choir, and it was Mrs. Jackson who forgot her line in last week's rendition of The Prodigy's Fire Starter. Now, Mrs. Jackson is 85 and is also a vital member of the Parish Book Club, and the brains behind the extremely successful Bring Your Homemade Chutney Nights in the Badgers Googly. But in a previous life, Mrs. Jackson was an extremely successful gymnast, reaching the county finals on no less than 34 consecutive occasions. And the highlight of the village fate, no doubt, is when Mrs. Jackson does her famous floor routine to the strains of Frank Sinatra's My Way. Her tuck jumps, straddle jumps, and split jumps may be a bit slower and might not be as high as they were in her heyday, but her cartwheels are a thing of beauty. Just like Sir James, she still got it. If we could just stop all the dogs barking as she goes into her forward roll this year, I think that would be a good thing. So today please think of Sir James at fifty, still looking not a day over thirty-five, coming in off five paces, swinging it both ways, and still picking up first class wickets. I feel the word legend is used too much in the modern world. But I think it is appropriate for Sir James and also for Derek, our parish opening bowler, who still picks up wickets despite a mourning on our locally brewed ale in the Badgers Googly. As you hear this, no doubt Sir James has or is picking up wickets in Bristol in the County Championship. And no doubt they will all be things of beauty, like Mrs. Jackson's cartwheels. Until next week, may your Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday be out swingers, followed by one that holds its line on Thursday. Until then, Batwell everyone. Bat very, very well.

SPEAKER_03 9:25

What cricket sound is this? It's a new feature, relatively new. In a moment you will hear a sound, and all you have to do is tell us what cricket sound is this? Now, last week, first of all, you heard this sound, and the question was what cricket sound is this? Well, that was the sound of net practice at the Kia Oval, and in a moment obviously, and now you're gonna hear this week's sound. And the question is, as always, what cricket sound is this? What cricket sound was that? If you think you know, email sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweet at Sundayservice22.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

This is Cameron Steele, and you are listening to the Sunday service with church and vicars.

SPEAKER_03 10:28

Now it's time for this week's guest. This time of the year always tends to be particularly busy for him, with a number of media appearances to mark the annual release of the Cricketing Bible. Having studied modern languages at Cambridge, graduating with a first, he then started work experience with Wisdom Cricket Monthly before covering County Cricket for the Daily Telegraph and freelancing for The Guardian and Sunday Times. He joined the Daily Mail in 2009 and then was appointed editor of the Wisdom Almanac three years later. And now he has just released his 15th edition of the Almanac, otherwise known as the Bible of Cricket. Lawrence Booth joins the show to chat through his editor's notes, point us in the direction of some particularly important pieces in the Almanac, talk us through his career and lots more. Now we recorded this chat on Thursday, the day that the Almanac was released into the world. So I started by asking him how he was and how good it felt to have finally released this year's Almanac.

SPEAKER_06 11:24

Thanks for having me, Hector and Churchy. Um yeah, it's always a nice feeling. I mean, you put the book to bed in mid mid-Feb, so it's kind of almost two months later that it actually you see it on the on the shelves and in in people's hands, hopefully, uh, and always a good feeling. Yeah, it's slight trepidation. You're like, what are people gonna spot? What errors are they gonna unearth for next year's errata page? Uh how will people react to the notes and all those kinds of things. But no, the main feeling is is is relief and a certain degree of pride, I guess. I've got two questions for you, Mr.

SPEAKER_05 11:53

Booth. Uh we'll get onto the the almanac in a moment. Uh first up, Northampshire robbed down at Canterbury, weren't they, by the weather?

SPEAKER_06 12:02

No, I mean they they often are robbed, Churchy. Um last two or three seasons, there have been several games. When I say several, I mean about two, uh, where they've been robbed by the rain. Um and it often happens that way, but you know, listen, they've got the bit between their teeth now. They survived for that draw, dramatic draw against uh a Jimmy Anderson-led Lancashire six down at lunch, and they they survived. And then rain saved um Kent. So there we go.

SPEAKER_05 12:30

Yeah, my am I allowed to ask if the Northamptonshire top four will be the picture on the front of the uh of the Wizard next year? Let let's be honest, it's gonna take something pretty special to dislodge them, isn't it? It is, it is, it really is. It really is. Um, just give people an idea. As you said, you put put it to bed in February, but but just the process of of putting it together over over the course of course of the year, really.

SPEAKER_06 12:57

Well, you you are working on it all year. I mean, we've already got pages ready to be proofread for Wisdom 2027. You know, we're commissioning stuff effectively from the start of the calendar year because that that is the period that that each almanac covers. Um, and then you know, obviously there are there are sort of peaks and troughs in the production cycle. You really start to pick up towards the end of the year. I mean, I was in Australia for the Ashes covering that for the Daily Mail, but I did several proofreading sessions late into the night with the team back in the UK to get pages through the system, and then January and February, it's it's all hands on deck. So, yeah, it it look, it it's I have an amazing team. I mean, I'm I'm the person who does all the interviews each year, but without the likes of Hugh Chevalier and Harriet Munkhouse, Kit Harris, Stephen Lynch, uh Kate White, who's only assistant editor, we'd we'd have no chance. So it's it's a real team effort.

SPEAKER_03 13:49

The build-up to the release is always exciting. My two favourite things are when the cover photo is announced and the five cricketers of the year, Siraj, Jadeja, um Hamid, Pants, and Gil this year. What does that look like? Do you have a panel for both of those? Is it a separate panel for the cover photo and a separate one for the for the five cricketers of the year?

SPEAKER_06 14:12

The cover is kind of kicked about towards the end of a year and the start of the next. Uh, with I mean we we we talked to Bloomsbury, our publishers about that as well, of course, because they want the marketing people that uh will want a strong cover to sell the book. Um, the editorial team will want something that reflects some strong uh storyline or theme from the previous year. Obviously, we couldn't really go with the ashes, um, it being an English-centric book, but we still thought that Chris Wokes in his sling on the final morning at the Oval with Mohammed Siraj, the guy who took India over the line to secure the tool draw, worked quite well. Um, and and it's a different sort of image, actually. Uh, in terms of the five, I mean, you know, the buck stops with the editor. The final choice is with me on that, but I'm I'm obviously liaising with members of the team as the summer progresses. And when we get to the end of the English summer, which of course is the the period in in in question, I will email them all and say, give me your five. I'm not telling you who I think my five is, but give me your five. Just to check that I've not missed anyone, obviously, I haven't missed a Bradman or a a Lara or a Tendulka. Um, and then there's a bit of debate, and then um whatever I've decided goes in as a five.

SPEAKER_05 15:22

Well, that's the way it should be. That's the way it should be. What's the point of being the editor, right? Yeah, exactly. If you're the top, top, top boss, then you should get to make the final decision. Um the other thing, well, I I look forward to seeing that, and uh, but I do look forward to your notes, my friend. And obviously, then you do the rounds in in the media circles. So the headline headline has been your thoughts on on the ashes. Um I must say I agree with every word, every word you said. Where where are we with that now? In your opinion, where are we with England and and and going into this into this summer?

SPEAKER_06 16:03

I don't think we're we're very far advanced from where we we left off, to be honest, because the same team is intact. Rob Key is managing director, Brendan McCullum is coach, Ben Stokes is captain. I don't think there's any ever serious debate about removing Stokes uh because there's no other real candidate. I mean, Harry Brooke had a good white ball winter after the ashes, but he's still learning his trade. So Stokes, I think most people agreed, was gonna stay as captain as long as his body remains intact. There were more question marks over McCollum, I think. Um I mean the big question with McCollum is can he do things differently? I mean, that that is my concern. For me, he is a he's a kind of hundred percent guy and he does it in his way. That that's how he operates. Um that is partly what has got England into trouble. So if he's not willing to dilute aspects of his approach that have, I think, got England into trouble, that could be interesting. And Stokes has come, you know, uh the ECB put out this in-house interview with Ben Stokes the other day. I, you know, they deny it was a direct response to the wisdom notes that's which they had hold of because I gave it to them three hours earlier, and then suddenly they're putting out, they're rushing forward this uh Stokes interview where he says that 95% of the time I'll get on with McCullum. We don't want to get on all the time. That's not possible. 5% we disagree. I was in Australia and there was it was definitely more than 5%. Um and so that the question of whether those two can really liaise and kind of uh improve and uh do it together at the same time will be absolutely fascinating this summer because people will leap all over England if it goes wrong. They're already angry about what happened in Australia, they're angry that no one's been sacked, and if they make the same mistakes with the same team, that can spell uh trouble for them.

SPEAKER_05 17:48

You've been going around some of the county games. Uh do you get do you get the the feeling that those players, if they go well in those first six, seven, are going to get a chance? Because there has been there, whatever anybody says, there has been a widening gap between the county game and and and getting into the England team?

SPEAKER_06 18:11

There has been. I mean, I said in the notes that one of the things England have to do is reconnect with the county game and and create some sense that what happens in domestic cricket feeds into selection because otherwise, what is the point of it, really? Um now the issue they've they've got to think is that that they've already moved on from Ollie Pope, so I think we know that Bethel is going to be number three. But who else in that top seven, apart from Zach Crawley, is under genuine pressure? I I don't believe Ben Duckett should be on the back of one bad series. He was averaging 40 going into Australia. He was doing fine, better than fine. Uh so he deserves a chance to put that right. Crawley, I think they have to move on from. The rest of the top seven is not changing. Um and why should it? Bethel Root Brooke, Stokes, Smith. I know Stiff Smith had a poor ashes, but he's begun the series with uh the summer with 200s with Surrey, should have got a third in that game against Leicestershire. So they're gonna stick with him. So there will there is a room there for a new opener, undoubtedly. Now, who that will be, that that that's kind of made the the first month, two months of county cricket very interesting because Ben McKinney scores a double hundred for Durham and suddenly he's at the front of the queue. Where's Ace of Tribe? He doesn't turn his 82 overnight into a century for Glamorgan against Knott so he drops down a bit. Hasi Bamid, out first ball against Glamorgan. He drops down. Do we go back to Dom Sibley? All these things are kind of interesting for county fans. It's created a bit more energy, I think, around the domestic game. The bowlers is a separate matter, and that England have got a have probably selected the best group of seamers. You know, what you might argue that Oli Robinson comes into it if he sorts out his if he can if he can sort of repair bridges with the management. Um, but I think that you know, Crawley, and then let's see how the test summer goes. If Smith has a shocker, maybe you know, someone like James Roo comes into play or Jordan Cox with the gloves. But um, yeah, it's got it's it's created a bit of energy, I think.

SPEAKER_05 19:58

Yeah, it has, it has, it definitely has. People are talking about county cricket a lot more now than the start of this summer than I can remember for the last three years, which which which has to be a good thing. Uh last one from me on on sort of the game in this country. Obviously, now we're seeing the first franchise-based competition starting with the eight teams, franchise-based. It'll be a hundred competition for this season. How long that lasts for, we'll wait to see. The state of the game in this country, uh and what's happening in the direction of travel, Mr. Booth. What's your thoughts on that, please?

SPEAKER_06 20:37

Well, I mean, I understand why the ECB were very excited about the amount of money they got at the 100 auction. You're talking 520 million straight off the bat with another potential 400 plus uh in terms of the valuation of the eight franchises. Now, I do have a slight issue with a lot of private money coming in from foreign investors. Forget the fact that four of the eight are kind of IPL related. That's a whole other debate about IPL proxy competitions taking over the global game. But if you have foreign investment and it's all private money, those people, understandably enough, are not going to be uh invested in the uh the the fortunes of the 18 first-class counties. That is just that just stands to reason. So the ECB is saying that that hundred money will bankroll the Red Bull game for a generation, possibly. But that money, you know, we're talking we might be talking about 25 million per non-host county. I mean, uh as a headline, that is life-changing. In practice, how long will that last? You know, if you're building a new ground or a new stand, um, you could wipe out that money pretty quickly. And then where will we be when that money runs out? Um, I think we'll then be in a situation where we have handed over August to uh foreign ownership. Um and that the the the issues there, and I think that the gap then will grow between the the host counties and the non host counties, and the non host counties are worried about this, by the way. We say it in public, but in private, they are deeply concerned about what this means for the future. And I don't think the ECB have have sufficiently answered those questions yet.

SPEAKER_03 22:10

And in terms of the international game, obviously so much has gone on this year, there's so much to talk about. There a whole load of brilliant writers cover some really pressing topics in the Almanac. Which ones would you, for someone that doesn't have time to read, read it cover to cover, do you do you recommend any pieces or any particular essays that are best to read?

SPEAKER_06 22:31

Well, gosh, uh you asked me to name my favourite child. Luckily, I only had three of those, and they're about 15 or 16 in in in the almanac. But no, I mean, look, I mean, if you're looking at something topical, uh, I mean, Gideon Haig has done a terrific history of Indo-Pakistani relations. Now, obviously, things were kicking off last year with with the handshake business in the Asia Cup, uh, Pakistan's threat to pull out of the uh T20 World Cup, or at least their fixture against India. So, so Gideon has done this kind of uh sweeping history of of relations. And essentially what emerges from that is that India and Pakistan used to use cricket as a bridge for peace. It was uh it was something that bound them together, and now what we've we've seen is the the great politicization of Indian cricket. I mean, I know I know I get sort of um shouted at on on X every year by by angry Indian fans who think I'm obsessed with with India. That's not true. I am slightly obsessed with the uh the power dynamic of the BCCI, which is a separate issue, and what's that what that's doing for the game. Um so Gideon has done that. Uh Will McPherson has interviewed a lot of state, I hate the word, but stakeholders in the 100. What does the hundred mean for English cricket on the back of this auction? So he's talked to county chief executives, to to uh 100 owners, to fans, to to journalists, to David Lloyd comes up with an interesting suggestion, which is um use the hundred money to uh to to pay a lot more for the championship winners, which I I took up in the notes actually. I think that's a good shout. You know, if you're going to if you're if you've got if the ECB are going to make the case that the 100 benefits English cricket, why not use a fraction of that vast uh fee that they've picked up to to pay the county championship winners more and incentivize counties to uh to win that tournament. Um there's a nice piece by Derek Pringle on Dickie Bird, of course, The Umpire Who Died Last Year. Pring talks about the difficulty of getting an LBW decision out of him, but does remember one that Dickey gave against him in the 1983 BH final against Middlesex. Uh so that's Pryng gets that off his chest sort of about 40 years down the line. Um so that look, we we try and cover every angle, we don't all succeed, but there's a lot in there for readers.

SPEAKER_05 24:45

Uh I think is this your 15th edition? Right, so let let me take me take me back to the first one and and and how nerve, if you can remember, uh and the nerves on that one. And also life changes very, very quickly these days, and the way people digest things changes very, very on a day-to-day basis. So, so sort of over those 15 years, what what have you tried to change but keep to the traditional way of doing wisdom?

SPEAKER_06 25:22

I mean, you know, we we are sort of in the hands of the way the game is run, so or the way the game develops, because we are we don't just analyse what's happened, we reflect what has happened. You know, we are a book of record as well as a book of comment. So the fact that the women's game has changed beyond recognition means we now have a women's section. Um, we've covered domestic English women's cricket more thoroughly in this year's almanac than we ever have before because of the professionalization of the game. You know, these things are natural steps. We've since I took over, we introduced a T20 franchise section because again, wisdom readers may turn their nose up at it, and a lot of them do. I understand our readership, but at the same time, we have to reflect what's going on. Um, we have to reflect the fact that statistics are now done much better online. I mean, that there's no way that an annual can compete on that front. We we get to update them once a year as opposed to once every three seconds. Um so we we've tried to convince people that we are a book to read as well as to get numbers from. So this year the record section is actually a bit shorter than previous years. You know, you're always evolving. Um but the the the kind of it's evolution rather than revolution, it's that old cliche. You know, people still expect a certain certain things from the almanac, they still expect to be able to look up in the record section who holds the highest test score. You know, they'd be they'd be they'd be alarmed if those kinds of numbers weren't there. But it's a book to browse through, isn't it? You hope that you open the record section and it triggers something about a piece somewhere else in the book, and you end up lost in a great sort of rabbit hole. That was one of the beauties of the book, I hope.

SPEAKER_03 26:52

And in terms of your actual journey into journalism, I think I saw you studied modern languages at Cambridge. How did that was it always the goal to work in cricket journalism? And at the almanac, personally, was that something you read and was oh, I'd love to love to edit this one day.

SPEAKER_06 27:08

Well, you know what? I I got my first I bought my first almanac in when I was 15, that was 1990. Uh and I and I remember thinking I rem actually friends have reminded me of this. When I got married, my best man said, he told me when he was 15 that his dream job would be to edit wisdom. I never remember saying that. Anyway, it it happened weirdly. Now, la languages at university, I didn't use them directly, but we all know how art subjects work in the UK. You kind of end up doing a whole host of things. But I I when I left university, I I went for work experience at Wisdom Cricket Monthly, and then that there was a there was a placement that winter at the Almanac, a sort of hopelessly paid job, but I didn't care about that. And that kind of got me in the door there. So I've I've never lost my connection with Wisdom. I went off and did other things, but I was chipped in to Wisdom. And yes, it is it is kind of a dream job. I mean, people say, How would you what's the what's the career path? The problem is there isn't one, it's a unique job. I can't say if you do this, you'll end up as Wisdom editor because it's slightly it's a slightly random position. Um, but it but it's but it's a hell of a job, uh, and I and I love doing it.

SPEAKER_05 28:10

I I know you can't give advice of how to become uh wisdom, but but what we always with our guests, for anybody who's listening to this, especially sort of younger generation who uh are sitting there thinking, listen, I I would love to be a a cricket journalist, write on cricket, maybe broadcast on cricket as well. What what what what advice would you give them? Uh sort of because it as we just said it changes, it seems to change every day, doesn't it? But but what advice would would you be giving them at the moment?

SPEAKER_06 28:41

Tough one, you know, it has changed massively from when I started. Um I mean my my first sort of break in the national papers was covering county cricket for the Daily Telegraph in the days when they sent a reporter to every single game. My first game was September the 12th, 2001, so the day after the world had changed forever. And there was me doing Derbyshire v. Warwickshire. Um, you know, I got 120 words, so I had to make the most of it. Um, but it was my it was my break. And the hardest bit of of any of this is getting your foot in the door. You know, Hector's done really well. Here he is, hosting a podcast with one of the great county commentators. Um, you know, he's coming up in a minute. Once you've got your foot in the door and you can show people what you can do, that's the hardest part. Now, how do you get your foot in the door is the obvious next question. You have to work hard and put yourself out there, you have to pester people, you have to go for work experience. Um, you have to be prepared to do free work, unfortunately, for a little bit, probably. Can you get work experience at one of the magazines, at one of the websites, ask newspaper sports desks, show what you can do, establish a a presence online, do a get a substat going, get a podcast going, show that you turn up at county games, record videos, get yourself known and pester people. I'm afraid that's the only way in. And if you're good enough, people will um will give you work and it goes from there.

SPEAKER_05 30:02

Uh final question for you. Um, so young Hector will be at Wantage Road on Saturday. Yeah, for the Middlesex game doing some commentary for the live stream. Uh Mr. Booth, your thoughts heading into the four-day game against Middlesex for the mighty Northampton GPs.

SPEAKER_06 30:24

Well, they could do with a win. I mean, it's interesting. The that first game against Lancashire at Wanted Road, they they produced a flat one, didn't they? I mean, let's be honest. Was that a was that an attempt to sort of stifle Lancashire seamers and in particular Jimmy Anderson, possibly? I think you know Lehman Lehman is now in his second summer as coach at Northhand. So I think first summer was a fact-finding mission for him. Second summer is his chance to really stamp a mark on the side, and so far, not so bad, actually. It'll be very interesting to see whether they stack the batting again like they did against Lanx with um Louis Kimber because of the night watchman came in at number 10 in the second innings, which was slightly ridiculous. But I think seven, nine, and ten didn't bowl in the game. It was some mad stat like that. But Middlesex, uh, you know, one-one lost one. Um they'll be they'll be up for it. So uh win the toss back, hopefully top four score hundreds again. Um and then win the box seat. Perfect, perfect.

SPEAKER_05 31:20

Well, look, as always, an absolute pleasure. Thank you very much. Well done again. Well done again. Um, and um yeah, keep doing what you're doing because it's absolutely critical at the moment. But thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_06 31:35

Pleasure. Thanks, Actor, thanks Church, you really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 31:38

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SPEAKER_03 32:18

So there are our friends at Newbery Cricket, and now it is competition time. And today, thanks to our friends at Newbery Cricket, we have a new competition prize, and up for grabs is one of their beautiful SPS cricket bats. Churchy, your thoughts?

SPEAKER_05 32:34

I am a huge fan of retro old school cricket bats, with not too much on the bat itself. These days, there's at times quite a lot of stickers and a lot of colour on cricket bats. This bat just looks perfect, absolutely perfect. It's got the right amount of stickers on it. It looks, as always, with New Brie. What am I going to say, Hector? Beautiful. It looks beautiful. It looks a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful cricket bat. And as I say, I am a simple person. And it's a simplicity. Without a shadow of a doubt. And as I say, it takes me back to sort of when I was playing, when there wasn't too too much stick of shit on the bat, and it just looked just look right. And for me, it is bad. It's a beautiful piece of widow. It really is. We're very fortunate to have it. And you might be fortunate enough. Not you, but somebody might be fortunate enough to win it. Would you would you like the question? I love the question. Okay, so I I will ask the question. It's the same format as always. I ask the question. You give us your answer. If your answer's correct, you go in the hat. There'll be another question next week. We'll keep doing that until Victor pulls a name out of the bucket and you will be the winner of a new SPS. The first question this week is which is a reboller? Which is a rebowler picked up four for 18 for the Chennai Super Kings in the latest edition of the IPL. That is the question. If you think you know the answer, email sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweet at Sundayservice22. And our friends at Newbury have released an official Sunday service discount code. You can now use the discount code. I've said it right there, discount code Sundayservice15 and get 15% off goods at www.newbreed.co.uk, excluding bespoke battles. So why not treat yourself to some premium gear and quality widow?

SPEAKER_03 35:02

Right, that is stunt for this episode of the Sunday Service with Church and Vickers. We will be back together next Sunday, the 26th of April. So get that date in your download. Don't forget, send us your answers to the quiz and to what cricket sound is this. And you can still get anything you want to off your chest cricket-wise by emailing sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or by tweeting at Sundayservice22.

SPEAKER_05 35:27

So thank you very much as always for listening. If you've liked what you've heard, please rate and review it as it really helps others find the podcast because, as I say every week, we want us all to be one big happy cricketing family. Thank you again to Lawrence Booth for joining us today, and of course, thank you to our friends at Newbury Cricket for all their support and their magnificent competition prize. I will say it once again, it is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful piece of willow.

SPEAKER_03 35:59

Until next Sunday from the Kira Oval, this has been Hector Vickers and Mark Church production. Have a magnificent cricketing week, everybody, and remember it is always handy when one of your top four makes a double hundred and the other three makes entries as well.

SPEAKER_04 36:14

Wise words, Hector, what am I talking about there? And you're going, can't you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're commentating there, you're commentating there. Wise words from you. Goodbye, everybody.