Mrs badger comes to supper

This is the Badger that visited us last night and gave the boys their first taste of Badger watching.

As can be seen Pete took this picture as the badger had just about finished the plateful of peanuts and chicken bits that she was presented with. I think that it is the same young female that was coming earlier in the year, but the evidence that she was sucking young has shrunk and she seems to have filled out, just a little. The bit of video here was taken through the window a few minutes earlier.

This afternoon we took Jack and Josh to the St Lawrence Ground to introduce them to Kent C.C.C. It was a NatWest pro40 game and before it had even started it descended into farce, as the weather forecast was that the wind would become strong enough to prevent the use of the floodlights (mobile ones) for safety reasons. I think it would have been better if they had decided that this would be the case and had decided on a 20 overs a side game instead of leaving it flexible.

Kent batted first and the boys, with Grandad sat in anticipation of the fours and sixes that would give them a chance to wave their cards. Kent did OK but at the time I thought they were a bit light on runs, 167 in their 27 overs, particularly if Surrey only had to bat for a round 10 overs and knew what their target was. Needless to say, the wind dropped and the light were extended just as Surrey got underway. When the wind picked up they had to come down again, just as the information board announced that they were now on! In the end they managed to get 19.4 overs in, but as Tredwell, standing in as captain, had brought Azhar Mahmood back on, to snuff out a bit of a revival, the umpires called it a day and Kent won by eight on the D/L method.

Sam Northeast, who came on as England's twelfth man in the Oval test match won man of the match award for his fine 69 of 67 balls. Still not yet 20 Sam looks to have a bright future in the game. Kent had several, other youngsters who all acquitted themselves well. Despite the farce with the lights Jack and Josh seemed to enjoy the game, especially as the right team won!