How English cricket's halcyon age has lost out to vulgar change

Cricket, lovely cricket - will the good old days ever make a comebac? You must remember cricketing summers of yesteryear.

The County Championship, as is still the case, would begin in late April, the Benson and Hedges Cup almost immediately follow and the Gillette Cup provided the end of season showdown.

On sleepy Sunday afternoons the John Player League would bring together every English county in the land. The public were then treated to a 40-overs match of knock about fun and dramatic late evening finishes. These were the gentle and genteel days of cricket. No helmets, no sponsorship and only the sound of Brian Johnson rabbiting on about chocolate cakes.

Johnson was that jolly gentleman of BBC Test Match special. Back in the mists of time cricketers wore pure white flannels, trousers straight out of the cleaners and played with a ball that was never tampered with. Half way through a Test match against the West Indies drinks were called for and all was well in Middle England.