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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)
3 Comments »‘Football mentality’ at Twenty20?
By Will 1 month ago, 1 Comment »
While the rain spat over Edgbaston yesterday, I armed myself with a dictaphone and set upon the unsuspecting crowd. Most were more than happy to share their thoughts, two of whom were teachers (bunking off school. No, they were!).
I was chatting to them about the influence of Twenty20, and it was fascinating to hear them talk about what they termed a “football mentality” which fuels their fear over cricket’s latest format. Having not been to as many Twenty20 as the rest of you, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. Have a read, and offer your opinion below.
1 Comment »New Zealand robbed
By Will 1 month ago, 1 Comment »
You have to feel some degree of sympathy towards New Zealand. Their tour reminds me of most that England went on in the 1990s. Not only was there discontent with management and selection, but injuries would occur at the worst possible moment, and any luck they had was all bad.
Yesterday’s match was as close to a farce as one-day cricket can produce. The kiwis only needed seven runs from the 20th over (which constitutes a match) to beat England, but the match was called off after 19 overs owing to the lashing rain. And the fact it was nearly pitch black. It was a fair decision by the umpires to take them off when they did, but New Zealand should never have been in that situation - and they wouldn’t have, had the regulations not stipulated on a 30-minute interval between innings.
How impossibly pathetic it was. We had all waited until 3pm for the start as the rain poured down, and worse was forecast for 7pm. The emphasis was to get the game done and dusted as quickly as possible, yet this ridiculous, anal regulation held up play for 30 precious minutes, and all the while the clouds lifted and light remained good.
More at Cricinfo if you’re interested, but it’s probably best we ignore this game and never think about it again.
1 Comment »Pietersen auditions for the role of Oliver
By Will 1 month ago, No Comments; be the first!
Twenty20: sport or reality TV?
By Will 1 month ago, 12 Comments »
Simon Barnes questions whether cricket needs Twenty20:
Are we supposed to cheer for England? I don’t really think so; after all, the object of the match isn’t glory. It’s all about rich people suddenly getting even richer. Or not, of course.
And I ask myself: am I really going to get over-excited about Kevin Pietersen’s chances of buying a second Porsche? No, this is not the kind of fixture that is going to stir up the ancient loyalties that spring from ancient traditions.
But all the same, the match will have a kind of grisly fascination. I mean, say it comes down to the last ball, one wicket or one run to win; oh, and it’s a huge slog and the ball’s spiralling up in the air and if he catches it, every England player will get a million bucks, and if he drops it, they won’t, and who’s underneath it? Go, Monty, go!
This kind of simple yes-or-no test is a staple of modern television, but it’s not sport, it’s reality TV. We don’t care what they’re doing, we only care whether or not they can pull it off under as much artificial pressure as possible. “It’s always been my dream,” they sob. “It’s the chance of a lifetime.” And they blow it, or they don’t, tears prick the nation’s eyes, and then we put the kettle on.
It’s entertainment, but it’s not sport. In sport, the process itself matters: the beauties, the subtleties, the long-term relationships, the tactical nuances, the opposition, the quest for perfect execution. In reality TV, we put someone on the griddle, put him to the ultimate test, and then forget him for ever while we pour ourselves a nice drink.
Would Twenty20 have survived 20 or 30 years ago? It’s highly unlikely. If anything, the new, whizz-bang version mirrors our modern society’s insatiable greed for immediate entertainment. I’ve spoken to lots of fringe-fans (mainly taxi drivers) who find Test cricket dull and too long-winded yet are taken in by Twenty20. They can’t stand the slow-drip tension over five days but are happy to set aside four hours of urgent, in-your-face sport, safe in the knowledge they will see a result. It’s slightly safer, certainly simpler than Test cricket. People don’t have the time they did 20 years ago - or rather, there is a pressure to be doing things all the time - but perhaps also they don’t have the patience.
I suppose cricket should be applauded for reacting to what the public clearly want, but not if it comes at the expense of its grandest format.
12 Comments »Saturation point nears
By Will 1 month ago, No Comments; be the first!
I think my brain is overloaded, fast approaching a cricket-saturation point. You’ll know that West Indies didn’t manage to beat Australia yesterday, but that didn’t stop my brain thinking otherwise. As I dozed off to sleep, I was immediately back in Barbados watching Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards lead West Indies to an historic win. The tactic Powell used of shepherding Edwards from the strike - ridiculed by all and sundry yesterday - was the key to their chasing down 475, and then discussion took place as to whether Gayle should be Knighted or not.
Then the familiar banging and crashing of my housemates woke me up at 5.30, and it dawned on me that I think about cricket far, far too much.
No Comments »West Indies’ dream still alive
By Will 1 month ago, 13 Comments »
Can they do it? 235 for 3 needing a whopping 475 to win. Gayle and Sarwan have been and gone, but Chanderpaul remains not out. And the Windies have form in fourth-innings run-chases: they hold the record, 418 for 7…
(oh come on, we’re all allowed to dream aren’t we?)
13 Comments »Needless extravagance or worthy entertainment?
By Will 1 month ago, 8 Comments »
That was the most thumping of one-day wins by England. We’ll reserve judgement about this new-look and improving England ODI team until the end of the series, but the signs are disctinctly promising: a nice blend of experience and youth, and the younger members of the side (Stuart Broad in particular) are cementing their places rather than holding onto them. New Zealand, well…they were a shambles.
The big topic of the day was Kevin Pietersen. Not just his brilliant hundred but his two “reverse-switch” shots (video below) which dazzled everyone, in particular Scott Styris, the unlucky bowler. They were remarkable, awesome strokes from a brilliant entertainer - and not simply reverse-sweeps: just before Styris reached his delivery stride, Pietersen changed his grip and stance to that of a left-hander, bashing him over cover. Or midwicket, depending on your view. Pure entertainment - more of that, please!
Michael Holding was not quite so in awe of Pietersen though. In fact he feels it’s unfair on the bowler who isn’t allowed (as far as I know) to change from right-arm-over to left-arm. Nor apparently can they approach the crease as if to bowl over the wicket, then sneak behind the umpire and go around the stumps. Holding wants to allow this, which is a bold idea, but surely the umpire would have to know which side of the wicket a bowler was going to deliver from, especially if he wants to keep an eye on no-balling.
Most who watched Pietersen destroy New Zealand’s bowlers will have admired his bold brilliance, and as Nasser Hussain pointed out at the end of the day, there will be dozens of kids around the country trying to replicate it in gardens and parks everywhere. That’s what these professionals should be doing: inspiring a new generation. It’s also worth mentioning that Pietersen is an extreme talent: not many batsmen would be technically proficient enough to time the ball “wrong-handed” as well as KP can. There won’t be a flood of LHB/RHBs littering scorecards around the world, I shouldn’t imagine, so let’s just enjoy Pietersen while we can.
8 Comments »Monty wants to buy Luton Town FC
By Will 1 month ago, 5 Comments »
If England win their Stanford match in November, and if Monty Panesar happens to be a member of the victorious XI, he will splash out his £500,000 on buying hapless Luton Town football club. I know absolutely nothing about football, but according to a colleague from Soccernet, Luton aren’t just bad: they’re bloody awful.
There’s something painfully apt about twinning Luton Town with Monty, and you can imagine his banal pre-match rousing speeches. “Yeah, come on guys. Put the ball in the right areas. Wingers? Remain positive - try to improve with each match.”
What other inspiration might he provide them?
5 Comments »Twenty20: England v New Zealand, Old Trafford
By Will 1 month ago, 2 Comments »
The new dawn is upon us, whether we like it or not. England take on New Zealand at Old Trafford tonight and, to all intents and purposes, will have one eye firmly fixed on the lure of Allen Stanford’s millions.
I’ll be on a train while it’s all going on, but in the meantime, be sure to check out our commentary and leave your thoughts in the comments below. Welcome to the new, bonkers world.
2 Comments »Mighty, mighty Middlesex
By Will 1 month ago, 2 Comments »
It’s been mostly bad times as a Middlesex supporter for the past, well, decade. Good times have fallen on us over recent weeks however, and we’re now on a bit of a roll.
I’m just recording this for posterity, before normality returns. It is nice to beat Essex, though, especially as three of my mates - one of whom pretends to work for The Times - support the chavs.
2 Comments »Kolpak era coming to an end?
By Will 1 month ago, 2 Comments »
There are undoubtedly a number of quality cricketers who have qualified to play in England as Kolpaks. Murray Goodwin, Deon Kruis and Jacques Rudolph come to mind. They are in a minority, however; the vast majority lack international experience and are keeping out young England-qualified players. I’m pleased to hear that the era might be coming to an end.
2 Comments »The European Commission is poised to close the Kolpak loophole and allow the ECB to limit the number of non-European players taking part in county cricket.
At present, several countries, most notably South Africa and some in the Caribbean, are signatories to the Cotonou treaty with the European Union, which was agreed in 2000. This has, until now, been interpreted as allowing freedom of labour for people from those countries inside the EU, and that has led to an explosion in the number of Kolpak players in county cricket. At present, there are approximately 64 on contract.
At a conference this week, Michal Krejza, the head of the commission’s sports unit, said: “It is the decision of individual member states to admit Cotonou players, not the European Union.”
Desmond Tutu’s Cowdrey Lecture (MP3)
By Will 1 month ago, 7 Comments »
Desmond Tutu gave this year’s MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s on Tuesday, in which he called for the boycott of Zimbabwe. Andrew Strauss also hinted at a possible boycotting of Zimbabwe’s tour here next year unless the government take prior action.
You can download the entire lecture (1h 12m) here. Tutu’s 26min speech is here, while Strauss and Barry Richards’ discussion can also be listened to.
I think Tutu was at my christening, or my brother’s. Or was it my parents’ wedding? Well whatever. He’s a family friend of a friend, and apparently a bit of a leg end to boot.
Do you agree with Tutu regarding the boycott, or should sport be kept well away from politics?
7 Comments »Stanford unveils US$100m deal with England and West Indies
By Will 1 month ago, 10 Comments »
Good god. Did we ever expect this sort of money to be part of cricket? After much debate, Stanford’s expansion from the Caribbean has been confirmed, and England will face an All Stars XI from the West Indies on November 1. The winner will take home $20m:
There were concerns with the winner-takes-all format proposed by Stanford but those seem to have been resolved. A deal will mean that if England win, each of the XI will receive US$1 million, the rest of the squad share US$1 million, and the management team splits another US$1 million. The remaining US$7 million will be shared between the ECB and the West Indies Cricket Board, regardless of the outcome of the match itself.
All of which puts yet more emphasis on this year’s domestic Twenty20 Cup; not only could a good performance loft a player to India for the Champions League, but a life-changing sum of money in the Caribbean a few weeks later. This is monstrous. Bonkers, but monstrous.
10 Comments »Bruised by Hoggy
By Will 1 month ago, No Comments; be the first!
Friend of the blog; friend of beer; friend of cheese, Patrick Kidd, has been bruised like a pear by Matthew Hoggard. Stop laughing - you’d do no better and nor would I.
Never trust a Yorkshireman, even those with an amiable gait. That’s what I say.
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