It is always nice to be able to praise people for a job well done. This is a follow-up to my report on yesterday’s cricket. Today the England and New Zealand cricket boards got together and agreed to allow a reduction in the mid-game break if the situation demanded it, and the ICC quickly rubber-stamped the agreement. It is unfortunate that it took a farce to force action, but the speed of the response is admirable.

Meanwhile Somerset appear to have found a winning formula at last in the Twenty20. The middle order is starting to make some runs, and they are now routinely fielding three spins bowlers: Blackwell, Banks and Suppiah. More importantly, however, they have worked out how to use Alfonso Thomas. In the last two games he has bowled brilliantly at the end of the innings. Against Glamorgan he took 1-21 from 4 overs and kept Herschelle Gibbs quiet to win the match, and tonight he took 4-27 from 4 overs, including the crucial wicket of Grame Hick. If he keeps turning in performances like that we could yet qualify for the quarter-finals.

And one final note: it seems that Shaun Marsh has been called up into the Australian squad for the Twenty20 game against West Indies. I’m delighted for him. He played really well in the IPL and deserves this chance.