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Rameez Raja: ‘Cricket can be a healer’
By Will 3 years ago, mid-October, 9 Comments »
England’s tour of Pakistan is to continue, despite this week’s disasterous events, according to ECB and PCB officials. More at Cricinfo, including this from Rameez Raja which I tend to agree with:
9 Comments »“Cricket is followed by everyone in Pakistan and it will get their minds off this tragedy,” Rameez Raja, a former chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board told the BBC. “Cricket can be a healer.”
The influence of Maros Kolpak
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of September, 12 Comments »
Most county followers are familiar with the name Kolpak, and its derivatives (Kolpakers, Kolpakians, and less savoury ones). News came today (although it was first mentioned back in April) that the ECB are to curb the numbers of foreign players in the county game, by way of a reward/penalty scheme. My thoughts on this and more are up at Cricinfo.
Thoughts welcome.
12 Comments »Cricket in the Park - Trent Bridge and The Oval
By Will 3 years ago, mid-August, 11 Comments »
UPDATE: 31 August 2005, the clapham common venue has been changed to Regent’s Park. More info here.
The ECB have extended their Cricket in the Park events, which is brilliant news. As written about on Cricinfo:
Cricket in the Park extended
Due to overwhelming demand, the ECB’s Cricket in the Park events have been extended for the fourth and fifth Tests between England and Australia.
Such has been the demand for tickets for this summer’s Ashes that the ECB introduced these events to cater for those unlucky enough to miss out on attending the Tests, providing a big screen and a taste of Ashes atmosphere. For the first Test at Lord’s, a giant screen was erected in Regent’s Park, where 3,500 people turned up on the Friday, and 8,000 the following day.
The Saturday and Sunday’s play of the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge (August 27 and 28) will be shown on a giant screen in Wollaton Park, Nottingham. The Saturday and Sunday’s play of the fifth Ashes Test at The Brit Oval (September 10 and 11) will also be shown on a screen in Clapham Common, South London.
Tom Harrison, marketing manager for the ECB, said in a statement released this afternoon: “The big screens in Wollaton Park and Clapham Common will give those fans that can’t get tickets for the matches the chance to join in and experience the unprecedented excitement of this Ashes series with thousands of others - if they’re anything like the previous events, they’ll be fantastic!”
11 Comments »Cricket in the Park (no more)
By Will 3 years ago, mid-August, 1 Comment »
UPDATE: 31 August 2005, the clapham common venue has been changed to Regent’s Park. More info here.
A brilliant idea, it’s disappointing that there will be no Cricket in the Park for the fourth and fifth Ashes Tests (Nottingham and London). Perhaps the ECB hadn’t forseen Ashes and Cricket fever sweeping Britain - might they change their minds? Email them and tell them you want more Cricket in the Park…it can’t hurt.
1 Comment »Shoaib Akhtar is in the Wharf
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of July, 2 Comments »
The titles of my posts are becoming increasingly corny and cheese-ridden; sorry for that. But Shoaib Akhtar is, indeed, in the Wharf tomorrow, Thursday July 28. As part of the ECB’s cricket roadshow.
If you want to pop along, Montgomery Square, outside Clifford Chance’s building is the place to be (Jubilee Line station), between 4.30-6.30pm.
2 Comments »D-day (or “A-Day!”) tomorrow for Pietersen
By Will 3 years ago, mid-July, 9 Comments »
Tomorrow, the ECB will announce a selection of England’s finest players to take on the Australians in one of the oldest sporting contests in the world, The Ashes. It is D-Day - or should that be “A-Day!” (Ashes-Day for those unfamiliar with my sense of humour…)
Ah, The Ashes. Those two short words conjure so much for so many. But tomorrow, either one of Graham Thorpe or Kevin Pietersen will not wish to hear them uttered again. The squad can only include one of them - will it be the young talent, or the old war horse? Just before posting this, I was dead-set on backing Kevin Pietersen…but I’m still not sure. England’s batting capitulation in the NatWest Challenge matches could tempt Graveney into going back to Thorpe - with the emphasis on “back,” for it would certainly be a backward decision. And this is my, and the rest of England’s dilemma; Thorpe could provide reliable, stodgy runs and a hundred or two. But we all know he’s retiring come September. Pietersen, on the other hand, has the ability to hit a hundred in a session and, whilst he’s still young, he has the aggression and talent to succeed.
The announcement is due tomorrow morning at 11.30 - I’ll post more then, or soon after.
9 Comments »Email Steve Harmison
By Will 3 years ago, at the start of July, 6 Comments »
The ECB have brought back their “Email an England player” feature which, sometimes, gives some funny insights into the team. Harmison’s up first - email him here
6 Comments »Kevin Pietersen smashing a ball into The Thames
By Will 3 years ago, mid-June, 13 Comments »
Some photo, this. 4 others at the BBC, and an accompanying video of him attempting to hit a ball across The Thames
13 Comments »Pietersen more than just a marketable asset
By Will 3 years ago, mid-June, 5 Comments »
I’m becoming more and more convinced Pietersen will play a part against Australia this summer. Apart from his marketability, especially his questionable hair-style (which Ian Botham refers to, constantly, as a “dead mongoose” - or as he said the other day, a “dead mongrat”), he has talent in spades.
Today, he was the face behind the ECB’s marketing campaign called “England’s Big Summer.” Not Michael Vaughan, the respected England captain. Not Andrew Flintoff, the nation’s favourite bat-wielder. Not, even, big Steve Harmison - Kevin Pietersen was chosen. He of zero Tests and a million words written about him fame.
I hadn’t heard any rumours about this marketing campaign, but was pretty impressed with it. As discussed many times here, cricket struggles for back-page coverage and vainly tries to compete with Football - a losing battle - so, to see Kevin Pietersen smash several balls 111 metres (apt, isn’t it?!) into the River Thames, with the London Eye and Big Ben as the backdrop, was exciting stuff.
The ECB chose Kevin Pietersen, and so will Fletcher and Vaughan - so long as he makes at least one score against the Old Enemy in the ODI funfare. Hell, even the Aussies are rating him - Warne thinks he’s a bigger, and more dangerous, hitter than Flintoff, and Simon Katich (another Hampshire colleague) keeps raving about him.
With Andrew Miller (Cricinfo) discussing Vaughan’s tough-git mentality, and Thorpe lacking the counter-attacking shots that once made him so dangerous, all signs are pointing towards “600” making his Test debut against the antipodeans. And, yes, I’m probably going back on my word…
5 Comments »Cricket in the park for The Ashes
By Will 3 years ago, mid-June, 34 Comments »
UPDATE: 31 August 2005, the clapham common venue has been changed to Regent’s Park. More info here.
UPDATE (August 18 2005): The ECB have extended Cricket in the Park to include the fourth and fifth Tests. See here for more.
UPDATE (August 16 2005): There are no Cricket in the Park events planned for Nottingham or London, for the fourth and fifth Tests against Australia. See this post for more details.
This is a great idea, although I wonder why it hasn’t been done before.
Entry to these events is completely free, and will offer you a Test match atmosphere without having to be at the ground, with big screens for fans to watch all the action on.
And with opportunities as well to take part in different cricket games and activities, the big screen events will offer the ideal setting to watch the contest unfold.
I might well go to Regent’s Park - sounds like a brilliant day out:
London - July
In Regents Park for the Lord’s npower Ashes Test Match - July 22/23
Birmingham - August
In Cannon Hill Park for Edgbaston’s npower Ashes Test Match - August 5/6
Bristol - September
In Queen’s Square for the Old Trafford npower Ashes Test Match - August 12/13
England’s 25 man development squad
By Will 3 years ago, at the start of May, 7 Comments »
Encouraging news today as England announced a 25-man development squad. This is an increase of 13, and, basically, gives Duncan Fletcher the power to reduce the amount of cricket played by any of these 25 if he deems it necessary (and it is, very, necessary). Ironic (and potentially confusing), isn’t it, that the top 25 players in the country are grouped together to play less cricket in order to play for their country. But such is the round-robin, hectic nature of county cricket that these measures have to be taken.
Since central contracts came in a few years ago, injuries have decreased and performance has improved - England have had (and now have 13 more) centrally contracted players, all of whom have had been very carefully managed. Increasing this pool to 25 is an excellent and encouraging move, and also shows how respect Duncan Fletcher has become. It is he, along with David Graveney, who pushed for central contracts in the first place.
Here are the players:
England development squad: Michael Vaughan, Kabir Ali, James Anderson, Gareth Batty, Ian Bell, Mark Butcher, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Darren Gough, Stephen Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Geraint Jones, Simon Jones, Robert Key, Jon Lewis, Kevin Pietersen, Chris Read, Vikram Solanki, Andrew Strauss, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, Graham Thorpe, Marcus Trescothick, Alex Wharf.
I was pleased to see Chris Tremlett included, along with Pietersen, Bell and Key who all three are fighting for just 2 places. Tremlett looks useful, but I do have concerns about his pace or lack thereof…
More at the Beeb and Cricinfo of course
7 Comments »ECB cuts down on “The Kolpak” influx
By Will 3 years ago, mid-April, No Comments; be the first!
Counties will receive financial bonuses for producing English players, announced the ECB today, in their “Building Partnerships” scheme. In other words, a county such as Northamptonshire would be severely penalised in comparison to Glamorgan - the only county on the circuit not to recruit a single Kolpak player. This is excellent news - I’ve written lots on the Kolpak issue recently (Kolpak tag), and it’s relieving to finally have an ECB that is proactive. Chief Executive David Collier - who took over from Tim Lamb last year - has been very quiet since his appointment, today’s statement being his first major influence on the game. Let us hope that today’s move is a sign Collier will be a respected figure in English cricket circles in the future.
There’s much more, besides the Kolpak issue, all available at the ECB, including this very snazzy-but-vague diagram:
Marsh doesn’t “bog” the questions…
By Will 3 years ago, at the start of January, No Comments; be the first!
Article on Rod Marsh who, sadly for us England supporters, will be leaving his post as Director of England’s academy. A good read.
No Comments »England donating £15k to Asia
By Will 4 years ago, at the end of December, No Comments; be the first!
England (probably the ECB, but it might be the players themselves) are to donate £15,000 to the Asian relief fund. The PCA are to donate £5k too.
No Comments »Vaughan to pull England from tour if Mugabe shows up
By Will 4 years ago, at the end of November, No Comments; be the first!
This is my tenth year of following Cricket. I haven’t missed many matches, perhaps 5 or 6, and I can’t remember any sporting situation so disasterous as the one England finds itself in currently. Michael Vaughan, as was rumoured yesterday will - in the event of Mugabe appearing at any of the matches - walk his side off the field, and the tour will be officially over. Apparently, the ECB are rapidly sourcing some backup funds (how the Cricketing Administration of the world would love to be Football Administrators - if only for a day!) in the event of a financial backlash (ZCU asking for compensation, that sort of thing). Utter mess. Countdown to ODI1, 7 hours (starts 07.30ish GMT).
4-0 please England. Nothing less do you deserve.
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