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Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Lahore, 1st day
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of November, 36 Comments »
Can England pull it back to level the series, or will Pakistan be too strong? Both teams have lost key players and I think Osman Samiuddin sums up the situation rather eloquently and simply:
36 Comments »Eventually though, all these factors (weather permitting of course) will go into the making of only one question, one that decides this series. Is winning a series after two years more important to Pakistan than avoiding a series loss after two years is to England?
Bore draw at Lahore?
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of November, 1 Comment »
Blimey, the third Test is already upon us. How Test cricket moves these days - winter tours are no longer the long-drawn-out affairs they once used to be, or is that just because I’m getting older and wiser?
Michael Vaughan is going to return to opening, where he’s had a lot of success and James Anderson might well get a recall. This tour has come and gone in such a hurry, I’ve hardly had time to digest it - least of all now, and will miss all of tomorrow’s first day. I’ll stick a post up for the night owls able to courageously manage another disturbingly-early start (well, there’s always one!)
Last note; Inzy, spokesman from the department of the Bleeding Obvious. Wonderful batsman though he is, he wouldn’t get much more than 4 out of 10 for his public relations. He makes Duncan Fletcher sound - and look - like Max Clifford:
1 Comment »“Younis is our team’s main batsman and a key player. His loss definitely makes a difference to the side and especially to our batting. But we have players to take over; Asim Kamal is coming in as No. 3. His performances are good for us internationally.”
Cricket Limerick part deux
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of November, 10 Comments »
After the surprising success of the first limerick idea I had, it’s time for a repeat. For rules and regulations, see here - but the concept is simple: use the a a b b a 5-line form, and make it as funny and irreverant as possible. And the first, second and fifth lines generally have eight syllables, hence a limerick’s rhythm. For example:
A flea and a fly in a flue
Were caught, so what could they do?
Said the fly, “Let us flee.”
“Let us fly,” said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
Anon
The starting line this week is: The series resumes at Lahore. Go for it!
10 Comments »Pakistan v England, 2nd Test, 5th day
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of November, 58 Comments »
Last day, chat away
58 Comments »Shot of the year
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of November, 8 Comments »
Steve Harmison reverse-sweeping Danish Kaneria, Pakistan v England, 2nd Test, Faisalabad, 4th day.
Oh yes.
8 Comments »Pakistan v England, 2nd Test, 4th day
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of November, 37 Comments »
England clawed their way back into the game yesterday, but it’s still very much Pakistan’s for the taking. Chat away, night owls!
37 Comments »Pakistan v England, 2nd Test, 3rd day
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of November, 49 Comments »
It does what it says on the tin.
49 Comments »Shahid Afridi’s breakdancing moves
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 14 Comments »
Fool. Pity the fool. You don’t do that. How did he expect to get away with it? Even when Pietersen challenged him, he seemed to shrug it off as a joke and a “I don’t care; what are you gonna do about it son?” He’s got off lightly with a one-Test and three-ODI ban. The arrogance of it…
And I felt sorry for Inzy - he was only trying to get out of the way. What a day. Sorry I didn’t have a post available for you lot, I overslept…
14 Comments »My First Bulletin
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 3 Comments »
I’m sounding like a commercial for a toy company or something with that headline. I’ve been awake and alive since 2.30am - much to the great amusement of my boss. Anyway, an interesting day’s play at Faisalabad which Pakistan ended well on top. I dread to think what Afridi could do tomorrow. I was doing the bulletin, which is a far harder task than anyone can give credit for, which was all going swimmingly until my close-of-play report…which was a rather limp effort. But, it’s all a learning curve and “things can only get better!” etc. Marvellous.
3 Comments »Pakistan v England, 2nd Test, 1st day
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 147 Comments »
So, England have all the work to do - on a pitch which, by all accounts, is a dusty mud track. That said, England are a tough side these days; the first Test defeat ought to have given them a much-needed kick up the derriere, but Pakistan are on a high. Chat away!
147 Comments »Post Ashes TV
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 1 Comment »
Some of the England Ashes-winners were on The Weakest Link this evening. I saw about a minute of it, which was a good effort all things considered. Devon Malcolm, Super Pratt and Allan Lamb were among those present. Oh gawd.
I shall be arising at 2.30am tomorrow, and am likely to be a mumbling wreck for much of the next week. Don’t expect anything intelligble to appear here until next weekend, while I focus my remaining brain cell into Cricinfo and the second Test. Which, incidentally, I hope will be just as entertaining as the last…
A post for you lot to talk about tomorrow’s game will appear, as if by magic, just before the game starts.
1 Comment »Blimey, you were right
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 2 Comments »
I’d forgotten about the poll and its results…who ever said polls were meaningless, eh?
2 Comments »England’s loss to Pakistan
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 18 Comments »
I just put up Andrew Miller’s latest diary on Cricinfo. In it, he refers to England’s plucky band of die-hard supporters, myself included, who have endured years and years (a lifetime, in my case) of torment, depression and anxiety. And not forgetting the dreadful cricket, too - HA! Sorry.
But seriously - these past 13 years, or so, of watching England play Test cricket have been as memorable as they have depressing. Each Test win, up until their frequency became more regular, was celebrated in my household as A Great Event, such were their rarity. As big, I imagined, as footballers winning the world cup. Fraser, Stewart, Croft, Ealham, Gough, Tufnell, Peter Such’s batting reducing Australia commentators to tears, losing 7 wickets in about an hour - and then, about once a season (or less) we were treated to a draw. Or, on special occasions afforded the luxury of tasting a victory. It was almost like going to a posh dinner and not realising it was a black-tie ‘do’: you look out of place, feel vastly uncomfortable but can’t resist getting boshed on the champers.
My elation and my Dad’s was unbounded - and I watched other Test nations (Australia and South Africa, but Pakistan and India too - and of course the West Indies) beat England, and eachother, with monotous ease and regularity. More depressing, though, were the lack of respect England afforded, and the reaction of opposing teams. “You invented the game yet you can’t even play it yourselves! You losers!” they said. Well, they might have well done.
Quite why I’m going to say this, I don’t know - but nevertheless, England’s loss to Pakistan was like the good old days. Chirpy English confidence sapped by dangerous opposition; underestimating the opposition; feeble batting; poor preparation; jubilant opposing supporters stamping on the makers of the great game; a cocky fast bowler urgently needing wickets, and getting them. “Oh, for the sake of W.G. - show some bottle England. What are you doing?” I haven’t said that for ages - and it felt good.
These things all make up the comfort blanket of an England supporter, raised on a 1990s diet of recession, Gulf War I - and M.A.Atherton. The England Collapse may not have returned to its former miserable glory but, in an odd way, amid all the success this excellent side have produced in the past two years, this arse-kicking at Multan did at least raise a smile to one saddo here.
18 Comments »Chucking chuckers - Shabbir and Malik reported
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 7 Comments »
The big news today (which depresses me - an Australia-West Indies Test ought to be bigger news, but they’ve been routed. Again) is Shabbir and Malik have been reported for chucking. Well, chucking chuckers, who’d have thunk it?
7 Comments »Trescothick might fly home
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 11 Comments »
Update February 27 2006. You might be looking for this, instead.
This ‘aint good. Tresco’s father-in-law has fallen off his ladder - literally, not metaphorically, you understand. So he might be flying home.
He scored most of England’s run in the first Test, and Vaughan’s hardly put bat to ball all winter/tour. Alastair Cook, come on down!
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