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The Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2006
By Will 2 years ago, mid-April, 3 Comments »
The Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2006 launches tomorrow. I caught up with the editor, Matthew Engel, and you can read my mumblings at Cricinfo. We can also exclusively reveal the five Cricketers of the Year:
Andrew Flintoff was named Leading Cricketer in the World for 2005.
It’s also an exciting time for Cricinfo. After nearly four years of work, involving countless people, we have launched the Almanack online. This means you can search for any Wisden match report, article or obituary from 1864 - 2006! Pretty cool we hope you agree.
3 Comments »
Who was that masked man, anyway?
By Scott 2 years ago, mid-April, 3 Comments »
A long time since I’ve written. Not been well, writers block, work, etc. Will is sick of hearing my excuses.
Anyroad, as The Corridor of Uncertainty’s resident Australian and cudmurgeon-in-chief, I thought it was appropriate that I comment on the extraordinary events in Bangladesh, where the locals have just bowled Australia out for 269 to get a large first innings lead.
Old grumble-bum I might be, but I am fine with Bangladesh doing well against Australia. The national pride is a teeny bit mortified, to be true, to see my team struggle against the minnows-in-chief of world cricket. But my first loyalty is to Test cricket, and you can not argue that this Test is going to be a huge boost to Bangladesh cricket, regardless of the eventual result.
If you haven’t had a chance to watch, the wicket is slow, and the odd ball is keeping very low. I think this is what’s caught out the Australian batsmen.
But one batsman didn’t have any trouble- Adam Gilchrist got 144, with six sixes, and although he was slightly more cautious then of old, for the most part it was the authentic Gilchrist, with a smile, swagger, and confidence galore. After his recent form slump, he’ll be delighted to find that he can still smash bowlers all around the park.
But it got me thinking how, for a batsman out of form, a change is as good as a holiday. Gilchrist has been struggling for ages on the pacey, bouncy wickets of Australia and South Africa. Soon as he arrives to the sub-continent, he’s hit his straps, and he’s back to his best. Coincidence?
By the way, Habibal Bashir mis-read the situation with the latter part of the Australian innings. I’ll give him a pass on that- he’s not used to dealing with batsman manipulating the strike to avoid the follow on. But the way Bangladesh are improving since Dav Whatmore took over, he’ll get more practice in the future.
Anyway, I think Bangladesh will set Australia a huge target. Lee is lining up to bowl, but his back is dodgy. Warne’s shoulder is crook too. The Bangladesh batsmen should be able to cope with the pitch, and it’s up to them to get out there and seize a famous victory. And good on them.
3 Comments »Brett Lee does the double
By Will 2 years ago, mid-April, 2 Comments »
Brett Lee today reached the impressive milestone of 1000 Test runs in addition to his 200 wickets. He’s made vital, match-saving runs in the past two years - it’s a bloody good stat, and his average is all the more impressive: 21.31. The last Australian to do this was Shane Warne, whose batting ability is vastly underrated; Merv Hughes was the last to achieve it before Warne. Stats at Cricinfo.
Incidentally, one of my favourite aspects of Cricinfo’s new scorecards (which are still being tested) is the ability to see full commentary of a player’s innings. Here’s Lee’s.
2 Comments »South Africa vs Australia again
By Scott 2 years ago, at the end of March, 3 Comments »
Brett Lee has just sliced through the South African lower order to engineer a collapse. South Africa lost 5 for 12, to be all out for 267. Australia’s lead is over 100, and it is GAME ON as far as Ponting’s boys are concerned.
There’s nothing in cricket quite like a rampant Australian fast bowler tearing through the opposition. Except, perhaps, a rampant Australian leg-spinner tearing through the opposition! The stoush between Nel and Lee was exciting as it was brief. Top stuff!
3 Comments »Lee v South Africa
By Will 2 years ago, mid-January, 3 Comments »
Ouch. 5 for 22 are very fine figures, especially in one-day cricket. But for Pollock’s 46, South Africa’s eventual score would have been far worse. And I note Lee’s back to being a tailender, and not the future all-rounder Australia think he’ll become…
3 Comments »Lee the main main for Australia - Lillee
By Scott 3 years ago, mid-December, No Comments; be the first!
Dennis Lillee thinks that Brett Lee is now the main spearhead for the Australian attack.
While Lillee praised Warne for breaking his record of 85 wickets in a calendar year, he was just as excited about Lee’s performance.
“Brett’s steadily improved over many years,” Lillee said.
“He has learnt to bowl now a more consistent line and length. He uses the yorker and bouncer sparingly and it probably has more effect.
“He is pretty much a complete fast bowler.”
Asked whether Lee was now Australia’s pace spearhead, Lillee said: “Absolutely. I would dare say McGrath would certainly be happy to take the pressure off himself for a start. It doesn’t mean McGrath is any lesser (of a) bowler, (but) certainly Brett seems to have taken the mantle of leading the attack.”
Ahem. I would like to see a lot more consistency by Lee before I put too much trust in him. Especially against England.
No Comments »Australia v South Africa, 1st Test, 2nd day
By Will 3 years ago, mid-December, No Comments; be the first!
Belter of a Test, this: Brett Lee’s taken 5 to dismiss South Africa for 296, who hold a lead of 38. Australia have all but knocked off the deficit and are, at time of writing, 31 without loss with both batsmen looking to dominate. Down to Ntini again?
No Comments »The Great Escape
By Scott 3 years ago, at the start of December, 1 Comment »
Phew! That was close!
I thought that Australia were stuffed even before Brett Lee conceded 18 off his last over. So getting out of jail there was something else. And hurray for Mick Lewis who bowled a beautiful over at the death.
No hurray for Ricky Ponting for mismanaging the run chase and giving away a no-ball for having three fielders in the circle, and no hurray for Brett Lee who was as inept as he was splendid in game 1.
Links to the Cricinfo Bulletin, here’s an Australian news report, a New Zealand news report and a New Zealand blog reaction.
But Australia have won the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy and that’s enough for me.
1 Comment »Brendum McCullum will take Lee on
By Scott 3 years ago, at the start of December, 2 Comments »
New Zealanders are worried about their batting line-up’s inability to cope with the pace of Brett Lee. He caused them all sorts of problems in the five ODI games played earlier this year, and in the first game of the Chappell-Hadlee trophy, he caused them considerable problems once again.
Now Brendum McCullum has volunteered to open the batting in a pinch-hitting capacity.
AS New Zealand’s top-order batsmen search for ways to endure the torment inflicted on them by Australian speedster Brett Lee, hobbit-sized wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum has surprisingly volunteered to brave the new-ball.
McCullum, who locked horns with Lee earlier this year after the Australian stunned him with a waist-high full-toss during a one-day international in Auckland, claims he would be delighted to be offered the opening role.
While admitting incumbent openers Lou Vincent and Nathan Astle are better credentialled to perform the role, McCullum has thrown his black cap into the ring should the NZ brainstrust opt for a change of strategy in the current one-day series.
The 24-year-old’s decision to offer his services as pinch hitter and Lee fodder comes a day after NZ coach John Bracewell conceded his batsmen’s deficiencies against sheer pace could be as much mental as technical.
This is a brave move and one to be applauded. There is no doubt that the Kiwis have a problem, and they need to come up with something unorthodox to break the hold that Lee has on them.
2 Comments »England v Warne (again)
By Will 3 years ago, mid-September, 13 Comments »
It’s the afternoon session. And it’s England v Warne, yet again. Even McGrath hasn’t been at his best, and Lee too has struggled. But it’ll be Lee to start the second over of the afternoon, with England 117 for 3. Australia will be chuffed at the position they’re in. England, well…3 wickets before lunch is simply too many on this “road” of a pitch.
13 Comments »It’s been fun, but…
By Will 3 years ago, at the start of September, 17 Comments »
Was scribbling some thoughts down earlier on this summer…it’s all very tongue in cheek.
Can’t we just leave it here? 2-1 is a fair result for all concerned, and five Test series are so 1990. I, for one, am not sure I can stand another five days of it; I’m in the unarguably fortunate position of writing and blogging about one of the most exciting Ashes series memorable. Which is
exactly our problem. What do we write? What do we say? I say, leave it here; Australia, swallow your pride and prepare for the next one.
Yes yes, I jest - Australia could never swallow their pride, but the fact remains that we have another coronary-inducing Test to get through. And they’re becoming quite a mission for the spectator and scribe. Before I started working for Cricinfo, entire days would revolve around a Test; has the portable radio got batteries? Is my phone charged up? Cat? Get off the TV - in fact, cat, get out of the house, you’ll only get trampled upon. Is there enough liquid libation in the fridge, in the event of a dramatic win (or, indeed, a depressing loss)?
All that’s changed; I sit at my desk, with the TV in my peripheral vision, nervously and pathetically fumbling for the keyboard as my Editor asks me to write a piece. Then, people like Steve Harmison decide to bowl a slower ball to Michael Clarke; just when you’re about to do the final bits of the day’s events, Clarke doesn’t pick it up and suddenly I’m jumping up and down
like a clown on acid. This is simply unfair, and someone needs to be called to account.
Andrew Flintoff, regardless of what you may think, is not the great man you all think he is. He could’ve mopped up this series with his eyes closed. And Brett Lee too, for that matter - in fact, especially Brett Lee. Twice, now, he’s larked around at the crease grinning like a buffoon and, clearly, relishing every moment of the torture he is inflicting upon an entire nation. Two nations, in fact. Isn’t this treason, or something equally criminal? It’s not so much the act of defiance as the notion that he’s enjoying it. They all are. If we’re losing our sanity watching the cricket, the players all lost it back in July.
I’m getting a little tired of these apparently unscripted and unplanned-for “tight Tests.” We want to be the steam-rollers, much as we were steam-rollered not so long ago. And I fear for the many new fans who have crossed the boundary, to the dark side of following the England cricket
team. Gentleman, and indeed Ladies, do not be fooled. It all seems easy, and victory will forever taste sweet, but we are in a very dangerous situation. Never have I, nor indeed many of my colleagues, been in this situation of England dominating an Ashes series - and quite frankly, I can’t guarantee how we will react. I don’t even know how to start celebrating. Oh, it’s all very uncomfortable.
So let’s just leave it here. 2-1. Hurrah! England have won. We can all go home and relax watching our videos of England being hammered by, well, everyone. This clown has had enough tension for one season.
On a similar line, what has been your Moment Of The Summer?
17 Comments »Brett Lee in full flight
By Will 3 years ago, mid-August, 4 Comments »
Lee in a frame
Photo taken by Charlie Sutton @ Flickr.com.
Fabulous photo by Charlie Sutton, found on Flickr. I love shots like these - and it’s not easy to do, especially sitting in the stands (which I presume Charlie was). Awesome.
4 Comments »Second caption competition
By Will 3 years ago, mid-August, 10 Comments »
We are again doing a caption competition at Cricinfo. Have a look and send in your best to caption@cricinfo.com
Lee and McGrath recovering well
By Will 3 years ago, mid-August, 9 Comments »
According to Sportinglife, and Adam Gilchrist, both Lee and McGrath have recovered amazingly. Lee will play, and McGrath is apparently not a 100% doubt.
“He [McGrath] made an amazing recovery over the following 48 hours,” said Gilchrist.
“He’s improving at a good rate and he’s definitely not 100% out of the game. He’s certainly working hard to be part of the game.”
Seems extraordinary to me. I really doubt McGrath will play in Manchester, despite Gilly’s optimism
9 Comments »Stuart Clark called up for Australia
By Will 3 years ago, mid-August, 18 Comments »
Stuart Clark (who?) has been called up to Australia’s squad as cover for Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath. He’s been playing for my county, Middlesex, but I still have no idea about him. Anyone seen him play?
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