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Loading ...Batting on the Bosphorus
By Will yesterday, in the late evening, 1 Comment »
Batting on the Bosphorus: A Skoda-powered Cricket Tour Through Eastern Europe
Angus Bell, an intrepid Scot living in Canada, has produced another cricket book from the outer reaches of cricket’s hebrides. Previously it was Slogging the Slavs; now, he’s turned his attention to…eastern Europe. Actually, it might be a revised copy of the old book. I’m not sure. Anyway, it’ll probably be highly entertaining - Angus, if you’re reading, tell us more in the comments!
Go and buy it immediately at Amazon. GO TO IT NOW.
Flintoff recall unlikely
By Will yesterday, in the late evening, 1 Comment »
It looks like Andrew Flintoff won’t be picked for the first Test, according to Geoff Miller, England’s national selector.
“It’s plain for everybody to see where he’s at: the work he has put in has been absolutely fantastic but there is bat form to consider, he will want some runs, and a few more miles in his legs as well,” Miller told the Press Association.
“We have just picked for this first Test match because obviously Fred [Flintoff] is in a situation and there is a chance for us to have another look at that. We are not sure where we are beyond that first Test match.”
The likely omission of Flintoff marks a more cautious approach from the selectors, who were ready to bring him back against New Zealand in May before he picked up his side strain against Durham. But with four high-pressure Tests in five weeks, followed by a Twenty20 and five ODIs, it makes sense not to rush Flintoff back into the international arena.
True, he hasn’t made enough runs, but he’s fit and bowling quickly and accurately. This decision smacks of over-caution to me, and the selectors should have their biscuits confiscated from them immediately.
1 Comment »The Boks have arrived
By Will 3 days ago, in the wee hours, 9 Comments »
I always relish series involving South Africa, even though I have an entirely unreasonable dislike of their team. It is always painful losing to Australia, but it’s no less galling to be beaten by South Africa.
And look what’s happened! Rumours abound that Graeme Smith, the most unmellowable of characters, might have mellowed. How boring. He’s now friends with Shane Warne when once he wouldn’t have leant him a sheet of bog roll, though I’m happy to report the rift between him and Kevin Pietersen still appears to be impressively wide. It will be fun watching them both toss if KP again captains in place of Collingwood for the Twenty20 and first ODI.
They’ve begun ominously, South Africa, with Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis (what a dynamic duo that pair are) both filling their leather boots with monstrous hundreds. Somerset managed a feeble 249 in response to their 515 for 3 declared.
After watching New Zealand for what has felt like a decade, it’s actually bloody exciting to think we have a brand new series coming up against a side I am itching watch. To steal a mate’s phrase, however, England could get “thoroughly shat upon”. Then again, the Boks are nothing but bottlers, so it seems only fair to stir the pot at this early stage and get the bok-bottling-ball rolling once more.
Have a read of previous series, right the way back to 1888
9 Comments »Humanity’s greatest achievement
By Will 4 days ago, in the early evening, No Comments; be the first!
“Cricinfo and the Major League baseball site, mlb.com, are two of humanity’s greatest achievements.”
It’s a fair comment from Andy Zaltzman (yes, it was made with tongue firmly in cheek).
No Comments »Tickets for 2009 World Twenty20 on sale
By Will 4 days ago, just before lunchtime, 2 Comments »
Tickets for next’s year World Twenty20, to be held in England, have now gone on sale. Go get ‘em. From ECB’s press release:
2 Comments »General public tickets can be accessed in two ways:
- Through the tournament’s official website, accessed via the ICC website here: www.icc-cricket.com
- In the UK only by telephone by calling 0844 847 2020
If you are a Ticket or Premium member of TwelfthMan, you will have access to an exclusive allocation of tickets reserved purely for members.
This allocation will be accessed via a ballot due to the expected high demand of these tickets. More information on the ballot will be sent in due course, however we do not expect the ballot itself to take place until September 2008 at the earliest.
If you are not a Ticket or Premium member, you have until August 4th 2008 to join in time for access to TwelfthMan’s ICC World Twenty20 Allocation.
Sidebottom v Elliott
By Will 7 days ago, about 9ish, 1 Comment »
We all saw Ryan Sidebottom trample over Grant Elliott at The Oval. But, to borrow one of Harry Hill’s scetches, which won of them would win in a proper fight? I still think Sidebottom would hold his own fairly well, though Elliott is from South Africa. Proper brawlers, they are. Vote on the right hand side.
1 Comment »Middlesex meet Lancashire in Twenty20 quarter-finals
By Will 7 days ago, about 9ish, 1 Comment »
Well, I say “meet”. It’ll be so fleeting an encounter as to make Lancashire’s trip south completely pointless. We’re not even letting them play at Lord’s - we thought we’d let England and South Africa enjoy it, even though we actually have no say in such matters - so it’s off to Uxbridge. Or The Oval. The south-London plebs have said we can borrow their wasteland for a few hours; besides, they’ll enjoy seeing Lancashire get whipped by our marvellous mix of Irishmen and Kolpakians.
Bring. It. On.
1 Comment »Collingwood’s decision
By Will Thursday, last week, 24 Comments »
You’ll no doubt have heard of the rucus in south London by now. Ryan Sidebottom charged down the crease to collect the ball, trying to run out Grant Elliott. The pair collided, Elliott was flattened unceremoniously, and the batsman subsequently run out. The umpires asked Collingwood if he’d like to withdraw his appeal and, in a split second, he declined. Elliott was out.
It leaves a bitter taste doesn’t it? But as Daniel Vettori said, the whole mess would be considered far worse had New Zealand actually lost. That they overcame Collingwood’s clear error of judgement ought to reduce this to a storm in a tea cup.
I’ve never seen a New Zealand team so outraged, firstly, nor so pumped up when they won. Some of the language was decidedly fruity, and the scenes were pretty disgusting. Collingwood admitted he made the wrong decision - he’ll have to live with that forever now - but it was a pretty sad state of affairs to see Vettori and New Zealand close the door on him initially when he went to congratulate them.
Fortunately, cricket’s a bigger game than most, and 20 minutes later everyone had shaken hands.
Where do you stand on it all? I’m too knackered to pass judgement other than invite you to read a slightly broader piece.
24 Comments »The Wisden Cricketer magazine’s website
By Will Tuesday, last week, No Comments; be the first!
It would be remiss of me not to announce the launch of thewisdencricketer.com - everyone’s favourite cricket magazine has gone online. No, I don’t have a vested interest, but since they’re all a damn good crowd they deserve a mention. Go forth and read.
No Comments »1983: does anyone actually care?
By Will Tuesday, last week, 9 Comments »
It’s the 25th anniversary of India’s World Cup win in 1983 today. Are we all that bothered? Admittedly I’m not Indian - but those who are, are you remotely interested in hearing about it all from Kapil Dev and co? I suppose it’s a bit like England’s 1966 win in the football World Cup, which probably drew similar salacious congratulations on its 40th anniversary in 2006.
So. Are you bothered?
9 Comments »Henmania no more
By Will Tuesday, last week, No Comments; be the first!
Regular readers will know of my unashamed (yet entirely unreasonable) dislike of Henmania and the man behind it all. It’s not that our Tim was no good. He was very good indeed, but he chose the biggest matches to completely and utterly bottle it. This is my frustration. Here was a middle-class, quietly spoken, affable sort of chap with the limpest “come on!” gesture in tennis, and one of the best volleyists in the game, who on occasion made your Dad look really very good with a racquet in his hands.
Anyway, I’m delighted to hear our Tim is back on our screens under the guise of a commentator. Oh good. Not content with boring us with his only-occasional excellence on the court, we’re now victim to his banal (and, so far at least) and extremely dull opinions off it. At least McEnroe shoots from the hip. Our Tim hasn’t got a hip to shoot from, let alone a gun.
Worst of all, we are denied one of summer’s greatest sights: our Tim’s dad, snoozing and clearly roaringly drunk in the box. That, and our Tim’s lovely wife (whose family happen to “holiday” in the village my Mum lives in. They don’t much like the pub, apparently).
No Comments »Pietersen just has to be different
By Will Sunday, last week, 1 Comment »
It’s always interesting speaking to the lesser-known people at the cricket. I got chatting to an engaging fellow yesterday who is, on occasion, England’s baggage handler, dealing with their luggage and coffins and the coach and so forth. He’s met all sorts, and spoke rather too gushingly about Glenn McGrath (whose wife sadly died today of cancer) for my taste, but said all the England players were amenable and friendly. He was less impressed with other international teams, though it’d be wrong to say which on this blog.
Behind us, in the car park, were eight black Volkswagen Touareg 4×4s - all owned by the England players. But nestled in between two of these Chelsea tractors was a sleaker model, also in black, a VW Phaeton owned by Kevin Pietersen. These are beasty motors - quick, over-luxurious, with every gadget known to carkind, but designed by a humourless android. The insides and mechanics make BMW and Mercedes’ equivalents seem tacky and rubbish, but the same engine/mechanics were I think used for the new Bentley Continental, which looks like god designed it.
All in all, a horrible, salesman-looking car but a total beast on the inside. Any correlation to Pietersen himself? I’ll let you be the judge.
1 Comment »Broader by the day
By Will Sunday, last week, 4 Comments »
I’m in danger of boring my colleagues about Stuart Broad. But it’s not my fault. This bloody cricketer keeps meeting and raising his and our own expectations every time he plays. And if you’re bored reading this, take out a voodoo doll and pretend it’s Broad. It’s all his doing.
Yesterday was a prime example. Yes, England lost - complacent, sloppy batting, in particular from Shah, Bopara and Pietersen - but Broad’s 10-over spell was the most economical by an England player in two years. And interestingly, at the press conference after the match, Paul Collingwood labelled his action metronomic. I can’t think of too many England bowlers who could’ve been likened to a metronome, an adjective that was used to describe Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock, but few others.
I sensed a change in the fans’ appreciation of Broad yesterday too, and perhaps in Broad himself. Returning to deep square leg after his uninterrupted spell, the applause from the crowd was one of respect - not just a father-like admiration of a young buck riding on a wave of fearlessness in his first few seasons. I think we now all realise just what a bowler England now have. He’s even overtaken James Anderson as Collingwood’s most reliable bowler - not a difficult task given Anderson’s mercurial moods, but significant nevertheless.
4 Comments »Flintoff returns
By Will Friday, last week, 4 Comments »
A Flintoff lbw b Bresnan 0 (0m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
Bugger.
4 Comments »Middlesex remain unbeaten
By Will 1 month ago, 3 Comments »
Mighty, mighty Middlesex. For the past five seasons, only Durham had a worse record than Middlesex in Twenty20s, but not so now: they’ve won all five of their matches this season, the only team to do so. Outstanding, tear-jerking performance by perhaps the greatest club in the entire world.
(Allow me the hyperbole. My enthusiasm, and Middlesex’s, will not last for long)
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