WATCH: Fidel Edwards sets new celebrappeal bar

Dave Tickner
Fidel Edwards Hampshire 2017 PA

There are few finer sights in this great game of ours than the celebrappeal. The sight of a bowler so utterly certain of winning an lbw verdict that he need not trouble himself with so much as a glance at the umpire really cannot be beaten.

But not all celebrappeals are equal, and such fine exponents as Stuart Broad, Josh Hazlewood and Tim Groenewald all need to up their game after Fidel Edwards added a level of weary nonchalance to the genre. It’s an absolute beauty and to our mind a new high point in the celebrappeal world.

Naysayers may point to the fact that as Edwards’ dismissal of Rikki Clarke only reduced Surrey to a mere 556/7 his nonchalance could be put down to weariness and resignation, but to that we say tish and fipsy. Besides, it was his fifth wicket of the innings and if you show us the cricketer who says his personal stats don’t matter in a bleak team situation we’ll show you a liar.

In less important news from the same game, 21-year-old England hopeful Ollie Pope made 221 not out before toddling off to Headingley where he will be on standby should Jason Roy fail concussion tests. Roy passed a test after getting hit while batting in the nets on Tuesday and another on Wednesday but will have another test before the team is confirmed on Thursday morning.