This is where the season kicks in for me. Over the next week, I am proper busy!

Monday, I’m appearing on the lovely Test Match Sofa to add my charm, wit and story to their lovely broadcasts.

Tuesday, is Surrey Vs Glamorgan with Jarrod from Cricket With Balls.

Wednesday I’m at Kent Vs Warwickshire, arranged by the wonderful Sarah Canterbury

Thursday is Sussex vs Middlesex at Hove, here I am still travel less and ticket less, so this could be an interesting one!  So if there’s any Sussex or Middlesex fans prepared to help me into the ground on Thursday, and back to London that evening, I would be most grateful!

Thanks for all your help so far kids!

Your Friend,

Suave

I have to watch these boys five times this season.

I’ve seen them lose to Glamorgan at home already.

They have a great team on paper, with the likes of IOB, Dawid Malan, Andrew Strauss, Owais Shah and new summer signing Scott Newman. Yet they keep losing in the second division, why?

Their batting appears to be the issue here, they’re regularly taking 20 wickets, yet they are struggling to get anywhere near 300 runs on the board, for their attack to defend.

I’m hoping that over the four games that I see them in, later this summer, they have improved drastically, because at the moment, they are shit, and that’s not good for a team with that much quality, and we need to see Iain O’Brien smiling and celebrating a win!

Here we are again, and I’m on the ponse.

So far, so good.  Essex & Middlesex were a success.  April has been kind.

May, is where I need your help.

Surrey on the 4th is taken care of, as is entrance to Kent on the 5th.  I have accommodation for both of these, but I am struggling to find travel between the grounds.

My urgent requirements are:

• Travel from The Oval to Canterbury.  Can be on either the 4th PM (after the match), or 5th AM, so that I can reach the Kent fixture in time for the first ball preferably.

• Travel from Canterbury to Hove.  6th AM, to get to Hove for first ball again…

• Entrance to Sussex CCC and accomodation on the 7th May.

• Alternatively, entrance to the game on the 7th May, and travel back to London (home) on the same day.

If you know of anyone who can help, or if you’ve offered help for these, and I’ve forgetten you, then please do get in contact.

Your friend,

Suave.

All going well so far kids and you’ll be reading about more of that soon!

But I do need your help again.

During the first game, another idea for the journey sprung up.   I’d decided it would be a good idea to collect a piece of memorabilia from every game.  Initially this was for a scrapbook for me to keep, and look back upon in my latter years, showing the Grandkids sort of stuff.  The more I thought about it, the more I thought I could do something with this.  I mentioned this to Greg, who had got me into Essex, and he said that he thought he would be able to get me a signed Essex shirt.  I then contacted a few other people and was offered signed Lancashire and Middlesex shirts.  Now, I knew what had to happen.

At the end of the season, I intend to host an event. The main aspect is to auction off all of the memorabilia.  I’m hoping to get some celebrity guests along, to raise as much as possible.  And secondly, it’s to have a celebration of the journey with all of the wonderful people that will have helped make it happen.

The charity that I have decided on is The Lord’s Taverners.  I will donate half of the proceeds to them, and the other half, to an as yet undecided cancer charity.

So I’m calling you lovely people, as I will need all the help I can get.  It needs to be free, in keeping with the original idea.  Here is what’s required.

1. Venue.  If anyone knows of a crickety type place that would do this sort of thing for charity.
2. Entertainment.  Music, DJ’s, ideas on dress (black tie, whites).
3. Celebrity contacts.  I have a couple, but would love to get some high profile names, from the sports and entertainment industries.
4. Memorabilia.  Signed shirts, bats, balls etc.  Stuff that would have a high auction value.  As I mentioned, I will need something from every county.
5. Ideas for the second charity.
6. Contacts at The Lords Taverners.
7. Event planning help.  Is this your bread and butter?  Could you help make this a reality in your own spare time?

If you can help with any of the above, then please do get in contact.

Many thanks to you all in advance,

Your friend,

Suave/Jamie

Contact details here:

twitter at http://twitter.com/seasonstands

on the blog at https://aseasoninthestands.wordpress.com

Mail aseasoninthestand@googlemail.com

Hello all,

Haven’t had much time to write here, as I’ve been writing for other people.  I’m hoping this is the first step in being a paid writer, instead of a jumped up lary blogger, but baby steps kids!

http://wisdencricketer.com/blogs/blog/2010/04/08/jamie-dormon-a-season-in-the-stands/

Here is a piece I did for The Wisden Cricketer.  I’m hoping that this will become a regular feature throughout the coming season.

As most of you are aware, the season starts anew tomorrow (April 9th).  I’m setup and raring to go..

First match is at Essex vs Hampshire.  Big game for Essex against a quality opposition.  Luckily the weather is set fair, and it looks like there will be a full day’s play (obviously I’ll be taking the waterproofs just in case).

I have to thank a couple of people in advance, for arranging the travel and tickets.

They are:

Greg Lansdowne, for arranging access to the Mighty Essex.

And Boris The Sneaky Russian, a wonderful man, and my good friend, for getting me to the ground..

I haven’t managed to get a lift back to Southend after, so I may be called upon to hitch hike early, but it adds a little excitement to an already interesting journey.

Again, if you feel that you can help (especially in the Midlands and the south west), look at the fixtures and my planned route here, and you can then email me at aseasoninthestand@googlemail.com.

Thanks to everyone for their kind messages,

Your friend,

Suave,

AKA Jamie R P Dormon

How queer, a lift to Lanchashire..

This is the first draft of my journey.  There are large gaps in the schedul due to 20/20 and Pr0 40, as I wanted to keep this all about first class cricket.  By that, I mean four day championship cricket.

There are some teams I’d love to see more of, including my home county of Essex, but no, I get lumbered having to watch Middlesex 5 times in one season.  The plus side to this, is that I get to see Iain O’Brien spangled on Sodium Diclofenac all over the country!

County	Opposition	Date	Location
Essex	Hampshire	April 9th	Chelmsford
Middlesex	Glamorgan	April 15th	Lords
Surrey	Glamorgan	May 4th	Oval
Kent	Warwickshire	May 5th	Canterbury
Sussex	Middlesex	May 6th	Hove
Hampshire	Somerset	May 10th	The Rose Bowl
Somerset	Yorkshire	May 17th	Taunton
Gloucestershire	Middlesex	June 28th	Bristol
Glamorgan	Middlesex	August 16th	Swalec Stadium
Worcestershire	Surrey	August 17th	New Road
Northants	Gloucestershire	August 18th	Northampton
Leicestershire	Surrey	August 24th	Grace Road
Warwickshire	Essex	August 25th	Edgbaston
Derbyshire	Middlesex	August 26th	Derby
Notts	Yorkshire	September 7th	Trent Bridge
Lancashire	Nottinghamshire	September 13th	Old Trafford
Yorkshire	Kent	September 14th	Headingley
Durham	Somerset	September 15th	Riverside

Suave’s journey to the heart of county cricket

I recently went through a rather bad case of bronchitis that kept me awake almost all night, for nigh on two weeks.  I was hacking and coughing my rotten lungs, and felt like shit.  Towards the end of this period, I’d discovered the wonder of Night Nurse, and I suddenly managed to get some much needed sleep.  However, there were side effects to this sleep aid; Lucid, almost hallucinegic dreams, and moments of pure clarity.
It was during one of these moments, that the idea for this book was formed.

At 3.30am one day in February, I awoke and started writing notes into the book by the side of my bed.  I then fell back into deep, spangled sleep.
The next morning, after doing some work, I happened to look in my notebook and see a stream of consciousness put into words, within.
Here is what I’d written…

Idea…visit all 18county grds. do it on the cheap. hitchhike.blag.jumpfences sofasurf.  interview eccentrics and quirks.  write it.  A season in the stands, suave’s journey to the heart of county cricket.
essex,midd,surrey,kent,suss,hants,somerset,gloucs,glam,worcs,northants,warks,leics,derby,notts,lancs,yorks,durham.

So this is it, this is my pilgramage to the county cricket clubs of England & Wales.

I will be updating this site, as soon as I have more details, but I’m going to need your help kids.  I will need entrance to games, I need lifts or train tickets or bicycles or anything you can to help me get to all 18 grounds, and I need you to follow and support me, wherever I go.

I’m doing this off my own back, for literally fuck all, so any help you can give me, would be much appreciated.

Any one who helps will be mentioned in the book.

You can contact me at aseasoninthestand@googlemail.com