For those who cared enough to follow the NatWest Series, the tournament ended in anticlimax when England and Australia played out a tie. But why was it called a tie? Both sides scored 196, that is true - but Australia was bowled all out while England only lost nine wickets. There's an easy way to break the deadlock and it's none other than the bleeding obvious.

BBC Radio Four played a charming oral history program today about the legacy of West Indian cricketers who played in the Lancashire Leagues. "Wes Hall Broke My Arm" was narrated by Garth Crooks and runs for thirty minutes. It's available online at the BBC website in realaudio format for the next seven days.

My thanks to Will at the Corridor of Uncertainty for alerting me to this.

Sadly, I think it's time for the ICC to suspend Zimbabwe from all international cricket competition. Mugabe's conduct in running the country has finally, in my opinion, made it untenable for any side to play cricket there. The ICC, of course, is going to do no such thing.

In the past I've supported Zimbabwean cricket's right to remain on the world stage, acknowledging the complexity of political and commercial interests that have bound the ICC and its members. But how, really, can we continue to justify sending teams to play in a country whose fabric is being torn to shreds by a reckless and deluded president, who just happens to also be Patron of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union? The "Drive Out Rubbish" program is, for me, the last straw.

Plenty of Ehsan Mani on this week's program. On Zimbabwe, where he doesn't let the buck stop with him. On the 20-over game, where he is very hesitant about its growth at international level. Guess which country is dead set against it, and why? Also Jack Russell on The Ashes. Updated online 1045 GMT every Friday, and available from this link in Real Audio.