iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Oh go on then. I was A Very Brave Boy. The rest of the week is looking better. It may involve a trip to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park on Thursday.

My head, minus some hair and minus a cyst which "looked like a large butter bean" but with the addition of a little scar and 3 stitches

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

First day of Non-Cricket season yesterday. We went out for lunch to Bowes Museum then checked out the newly opened Whorlton Suspension Bridge.

River Tees with the new bridge in the distance

A single lane suspension bridge. It can take 1 vehicle at a time. It is very dinky

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Today is the six year anniversary of us getting our cat, Vimto. Her previous name was Pussolini. There was no way in the world I was going to stand at the back door calling that out.

Tabby cat sat on an open laptop. This was taken a few years ago when I was still working. The cat was dropping subtle hints that it was time to retire and spend more time stroking her. So I did

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Some personal cricket news. My league season has ended, surprisingly with me playing quite a few games. I'd retired from Saturdays, but got talked into coming back to help a team out who were struggling with numbers. Six games later, six wins and 4th place for me in the league's batting averages

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

My boy is currently home alone cat sitting whilst the rest of us are on holiday in Latvia. The cat you may be able to make out isn't ours.

A cat flap photographed from inside. On the other side of the flap is pure darkness, except for 2 angry looking green eyes belonging to a local black cat, upset at having to wait almost 30 seconds to be fed

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

2nd XI cricket at Darlo all week. I may be spending some time there

Online poster advertising Durham v Notts, 4 day 2nd XI game

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I had the thrill of seeing this fella whilst on holiday in Malta earlier this year #InternationalOwlAwarenessDay

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Happy Anniversary to the day I made my debut for @ukrainecricket.bsky.social and top scored vs Poland. An absolute sporting highlight

Scorecard of Poland v Ukraine T20, showing Ukraine's batting card. We scored 64-8, narrowly failing to chase down Poland's 205-6. I was out for 21 off the last ball, still going for the 142 needed for victory

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

My last day in my 50s were spent, unsurprisingly, playing cricket. At Durham School this time, and a good time was had by all.

A grizzled yet happy looking batter-to-be, looking towards the camera with cricket games, fluffy clouds and sunlight behind

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Simon Hughes, same game. When he signed it, he started analysing his follow through

Signed photo of bowler Simon Hughes at the end of his bowling action. 1983, when he still had hair.

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Always a good excuse to show my Roland Butcher photo, taken, developed and printed by me, June 1983 at Chesterfield

A monochrome picture of cricket action. A slightly blurry Roland Butcher takes a sharp slip catch to his right. Hatless keeper Paul Downton and hapless batter Geoff Miller look on.

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Some personal cricket news. Two catches on Friday put me top of the wicketkeepers for my main midweek team, The Forty Club Yorkshire and North East. I'm very proud

A list of YNE's all-time top wicketkeepers. I'm top on 30, ahead of both Geoff Barker and Richard Spry on 28. Down in 7th is former England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

I've been thinking a lot over the last few days about my occasional teammate Leigh Beaumont, who is currently very ill. He has shown me warmth and kindness, treating me, a very village cricketer, as an equal on and off the field. I wish him a speedy recovery

An article about Leigh from the Wisden Club Cricket Hall Of Fame

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

The home team are 59-3 at drinks

An image of village cricket with an oak tree in the foreground casting shadows on the outfield. Raby Castle is in the background. If you zoom in, you may see a handful of deer beyond the cricket field

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

I'm not giving you a game-by-game rundown of my cricket season this year, but I may post occasional personal highlights such as this. I filled in for the West Mids and the 6 hour round trip was worth it to get my best bowling figures of 3-21

Bowling card with me coming on as 4th bowler with figures of 6-0-21-3. In order, they were:
Stumping
Bowled
Caught

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

This time last year, I was attempting to look like a proper cricketer in Dambulla against Sri Lanka

Picture of me batting in Dambulla taken from the POV of first slip. The Sri Lankan bowler is left-arm round and the ball has been punched through the covers for 2 runs.

There is a grey new stand under construction behind the bowler and an unused big screen to the left of the picture. It was bloody hot.

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Like a Cain Dingle Tribute Act

Moody, long-haired Cain Dingle, leaning moodily against a tree

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

What we need to see is a photo of my cat looking like a character in a 40s noir film

A moody black and white photo of a female tabby staring intensely into the camera whilst sitting on a book, The Finest Hotel In Kabul by Lyse Doucet

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

If one of my teams chipped in a fiver each, maybe he'd like to play a bit of proper village cricket

Screenshot from Cricinfo about the hundred auction which says

Australia's new ball specialist Xavier Bartlett enters at £50.

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Did some work in the garden yesterday. This fella was no help

A lovely frog perched on the bristles of my yard brush.

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

In honour of Alyssa Healy's bowling efforts today, I give you my last game for Oxbridge back in 2023, after 8 years, and my first bowl. Two stumpings followed by 1-7 off 2 overs

Scorecard for East Cowton v Oxbridge showing Brian Tucker and Bob Allen stumped by me off the bowling of Leon and Wayne respectively. Poor Leigh Grant has the misfortune to be my first wicket. I was 57 at the time

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Made good use of the break in the rain yesterday for a trip to Staithes

View of Staithes from the beach looking back to the Cod and Lobster pub, the RNLI building underneath Cowbar Nab and the harbour water lapping gently onto the shore

Staithes from up on high. Staithes Beck runs through the middle and out to the sea. The village is full of tightly packed cottages to the right, their roofs in sunlight. The sky is blue and the sea looks a darker blue

A view from the bridge over Staithes Beck, looking at Cowbar Nab and the RNLI buildings, reflected in the rippling water

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

I give you Vania Stambolova of Bulgaria. I'll let you guess which one she is

Several athletes competing in the Women's 400m hurdles at the London 2012 Olympics. One has smacked into a hurdle and has come a cropper

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

What you need to see now is a photo of one of our cat visitors with his tongue out

A large grey goober of a cat, slightly cross-eyed, flicking his pink raspy tongue out onto his nostril. Unimaginatively, we have named him "Big Grey"

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Want to look like one of these fine athletes pictured here? Then follow the link below

Representatives of the Ukrainian cricket team standing around in their splendid yellow and blue kit, waiting to be mullered by Iceland

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

To be fair, his behaviour was easy to miss

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

My midweek team has added a new fixture for this season, against a Merv Hughes Masters XI. I am suitably ready

A photo of me years ago doing Movember. I am sporting a very bushy Merv Hughes tache with hints of ginge and grey.

I had to go into work and teach looking like this

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

A really good end to one year and start to the other here in the North East

New Years Eve sunset in my garden. Three sycamore trees with clear sky and nice sunset colours

Night time scene of Infinity Bridge Stockton, the blue lights underneath the bridge lighting up the River Tees

The Seaham Tommy soldier statue on New Year's Day

Me being "attacked" by a passing polecat dressed in her little Christmas coat

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

If your eyes are good, you may see a black cat at our cat-flap. It is not out cat

A cat flap seen from inside our house. It has a recent dirty paw mark on the bottom right.

There is a totally black cat staring through the cat flap. I normally put leftover cat food out for him, but had yet to do so. Hence his annoyed stare.

I have also picked up my phone to take this photo, again instead of providing him with food. His hatred of me knows no bounds. He will still eat the food I finally give him though

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

I feel that sub fielder Beau Webster may come into play

Beau Webster's lookalike Tommy Cooper wearing his trademark red fez and a big grin

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Two years ago to the day (not the date) that I hit my first international six. At Galle. I'd retired from playing 6 months earlier due to ill health, recovered, and was making the most of my retirement by playing in Sri Lanka

A screenshot of a Barmy Army twitter post of an image of me in my playing kit, in a posed batting stance with Galle Fort blue-screened behind me. There is a large white "6" to indicate what I'd just done. The text reads "six big ones for John!" in all caps.

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

A trip out to Runswick Bay and Staithes today. We are very lucky to have such beautiful places on our doorstep

A view of Staithes village and harbour from up on high. There is a small river next to the village which runs into the sea in the harbour

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

@jonathancampion.com bought one of these to bring back Warsaw memories

A bottle of Regal mango drink with basil seeds

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

A detour round Sutton Bank on the way to Pickering took us past Byland Abbey today, which looked wonderfully gothic

Black and white photo of the ruins of a 12th century abbey underneath a cloudy, moody sky

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

At first I thought it was Graham Stark from the Pink Panther films

B&W studio portrait of Graham Stark, unusually with a Gomez Addams-style tache

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Watching From Russia With Love, and realised where I've seen this Stephen Miller before

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

This is me and my mate Ansh. He's leaving the North East to move to Birmingham so will be one of those non-white faces racists see. He's a doctor, born in India, as is his wife. They have done more for this country than Jenrick and his ilk will ever do

Me and Ansh pose for a selfie at Eryholme on the day of our end of season game and barbeque. Ansh has his hair tied back, whereas I have almost no hair

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Not AI. This is the view down our street just now

A low, bright full moon lighting up the edges of the surrounding clouds.

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

I've played with Wayne for 10 years. He took his 1st international wicket in this game, and went on to take over 50 more back in England, easily beating his previous best season of 32. He has an "unusual" bowling action, hence the nickname Slo-mo Bumrah

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Day 2 of the tournament in Dambulla and I switched sides and played for the other England team against the Barmy Army. I was pleased to finish off a run out and a stumping. Later on, esteemed cricket journo @georgedobell.bsky.social described the run out as "smooth", which was a definite highlight

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

I love salmon, but cooking it stinks the house out. The answer? Cook it outside

We bought a single ring portable electric hob from IKEA. I'm using it outside to pan fry salmon, beetroot (home grown), green beans, garlic and ginger. It was yummy

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Big fans of Monster House here

My and my wife wearing DJ-type stripey jumpers, with DJ himself on the TV between us

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John Nield @johnnield2.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Game 70. A 1sts v 2nds friendly with a barbeque after. Somehow, the ground was playable despite an absolute deluge 24 hours earlier. The rain confirmed our final 3rd place which considering we were 10th out of 11 in June is pretty good

Team photo of Eryholme 2nds, as handsome a group of men as you can imagine

Team photo of Eryholme 1sts. Nowhere near as good looking

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