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Bond to return?
By Will 2 months ago, No Comments; be the first!
Looks like Shane Bond could return to Test cricket, possibly as early as August. The “rebel” Indian Cricket League is, a little predictably, dying on its knees, unable to equal or rise out of the Indian Premier League’s bolshy (and unbelievably successful) shadow.
Daryl Tuffey and Lou Vincent might also be back.
No Comments »Tuffey has been offered a termination and after consulting with lawyers has accepted it. The paper reports that Vincent has also quit, and while it is expected Bond will do the same, it says that might take longer in his case.
Heath Mills, the head of the NZ Players’ Association, said scrapping the existing contracts would probably mean the three would not get what was owed to them, but he added that there was no guarantee there would be another season of ICL anyway.
Bond was non committal, but said that he “hoped something will happen soon,” adding: “My training is going really well and I want to get back into it.”
Charitable cricket
By Mark Tilley 5 months ago, 22 Comments »
Australia have levelled the five game one day series with New Zealand, after a 6 wicket win in Adelaide - but the cricket was overshadowed, in part, in the wake of the disastrous Victoria bushfire. Sponsors of the series, Commonwealth Bank, pledged to donate $5000 for every six hit in the game and $100 for every run scored, meaning that by the end of play they had raised just over $6 million, via donations from players, TV viewers, cricket boards etc.
Australian squad member Peter Siddle, not playing in the game, spent the game roaming around the crowd, asking for donations from generous members of the Australian cricketing public. Siddle’s family live in an area affected by the fires and he revealed that a member of his family had lost friends to the deadly blazes.
It’s good to see that in a time of a national crisis that cricket and sport in general can still play it’s part, however small or trivial. The incentive to hit sixes and raise more money could have also increased not only the entertainment factor but the chance of players giving their wickets away. However, batsman were not to be deterred and as Michael Hussey crashed a six over long on to win the game, their was a sense not of one team winning and one losing but of both doing their part to help out.
The obscene amount of money raised will certainly play it’s part in the rebuilding phase of this tragedy and cricket, on this occasion, can be proud of it’s collective self. It’s always heartwarming to see teams and nations rally when their countries are in crisis - Sachin Tendulkar’s wonderful hundred to beat England in Chennai last December was a tribute to those lost in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
This act of generosity from both Australia and New Zealand and the sponsors of the series ensured that although Australia have fought back from two matchs down, the saddening loss of life will still be at the forefront of Australian minds. Good on them.
And, by the by, it looks like it’s going to be a cracker of a series decider in Brisbane on Friday.
22 Comments »Broom called up. Puns galore
By Will last year, at the end of December, 10 Comments »
I see Neil Broom has been called up to New Zealand’s one-day squad. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves.
“Broom sweeps into one-day side”
“Broom brushes off debut disappointment”
“Broom dusts down West Indies with bristly performance”
“Broom broom. Broom. Broooom, brrroooooom”
“Broom takes long handle to Windies spinners” *
“Tidy debut from Broom”
Your turn.
Happy festivities and new year, incidentally. I’m lurking in the west country and eating far too much.
* (I really am brilliant)
10 Comments »Iain O’Brien’s blog
By Will last year, at the start of December, 2 Comments »
This is a good read, an encouraging sign and exactly what a blog should be. Iain O’Brien has been penning his thoughts. It’s a standard blog, and has clearly not been ghosted or filtered by humourless media people. For how long? Well, who knows? Before long Iain will probably let something slip, or call someone a galloping plonker, and all hell will break loose. That would be a shame.
So, enjoy it while you can. It’s even full of spelling mistakes; when those dry up you’ll know it’s been scanned by the dull police.
The crowds here are pretty good, ruined by a few, actually quite a few, idiots who think a day out at the cricket is just to abuse the guys playing any way how. You get called anything and everything. Embarrassing for these guys really, as a lot of the others around them are cringing. I don’t know how many times I’ve was called a ‘fagot’ this afternoon!
Tom came back on for one of those ’special’ spells. He had real energy and great direction. Symonds with a bouncer and then trapping Watson in front. And that’s six down. We’re in as good a position as we could possibly be in. It’s a pretty happy changing room and we sit down after doing our hot colds etc to discuss tomorrows task. We sign off on what we, personally, are going to do to win this Test. The track is only getting better and better to bat on, we can chase down 250-300, if we do it properly. And we have just done this, two Tests ago, on a tough track on day five. We’re a hell of a bet!
And…
Tonight I had to do the press. Firstly an on field chat to the ‘radio’ guys, then off to do the press conference. A table for one in front of the sponsors board, lights in your eyes, 15 odd microphones and recorders in front of me and about 15 media ready to ask their questions. It went pretty well, as intimidating as it is, I think I went ok. Even got to answer questions about yesterdays on field stuff with Ponting. It was also nice to know ‘the media’ had been reading my blog too. Hi all! Well, I already knew that after the big deal over nothing was made of the Gabba crowd comments.
It works well because he’s not trying to be anything other than a bowler playing for his country. There’s no attempt to be an aspiring novelist (”The ground was packed. The atmosphere ready. The cloudless skies portrayed” etc etc); he is plain, simple, brilliantly honest and it makes for a good and enlightening read. I thought our county bloggers this season (Will Smith, Nick Compton and James Foster) did just as good a job. It is inevitable that you’ll end up with the occasional glib piece, but not often.
More, please!
2 Comments »Andy Moles, New Zealand’s new coach
By Will last year, at the end of November, 1 Comment »
Cruel-but-fair cartoon from the New Zealand Herald
I’m slightly perplexed by the appointment of Andy Moles who, from memory, was a solid-if-unspectacular grinder for Warwickshire. Paul’s done a great “preview” of Molegate, even comparing him to Andy Hale from Hale and Pace...
1 Comment »To be a Kiwi supporter
By Will last year, mid-November, No Comments; be the first!
“Season after season, cricket fans turn on their radios and television sets and settle in for another summer of humiliation. It will be a minor miracle if the pattern does not begin again on Thursday when the Black Caps walk on to the Gabba.”
The Dominion Post on the masochism of New Zealand’s cricket fans, via the Beige Brigade.
No Comments »Go fourth and win
By Will last year, at the end of October, 3 Comments »
Sorry for all these links. I’m a bit knackered, and although I’d like to ponder whether or not Australia are finished (they are), I’ve just not had the time. There is a poll in which you can vote, if you want.
We were surprised that we hadn’t done a Cricinfo XI for the top fourth-innings run-chases, in light of Daniel Vettori’s victory…err, New Zealand’s victory over Bangladesh. So, here it is. Or rather, here they are.
3 Comments »Mighty, mighty Banglas
By Will last year, mid-October, 2 Comments »
In case you didn’t know, Bangladesh beat New Zealand yesterday. Well, walloped might be more accurate - by seven wickets with stacks of time to spare.
2 Comments »New Zealand robbed
By Will last year, mid-June, 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 »Needless extravagance or worthy entertainment?
By Will last year, mid-June, 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 »Twenty20: England v New Zealand, Old Trafford
By Will last year, mid-June, 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 »England’s win over New Zealand
By Will last year, mid-June, 5 Comments »
I’ve been up in Nottingham, hence the total lack of postage here. I’m now in Devon, so while I enjoy the beach, why not offer your thoughts on England’s series win over New Zealand? Were you impressed in the manner with which they wrapped up the win? Or do you, like me, have concerns ahead of the South Africa series?
Go on. Be prolific commenters.
5 Comments »New Zealand out-collapse England
By Will last year, at the end of May, 2 Comments »
It takes something for a team to match, or better, one of England’s infamous collapses, but New Zealand managed just that today. England’s brave attempt at capitulation was admirable: 5 for 28. New Zealand, however, out-collapsed them with a very flacid 7 for 29. Superb collapsing all round.
What a day. Who cares for Twenty20 when Test cricket can provide sixteen wickets in a single day, the momentum and energy flipping to and fro every hour? It was breathless cricket, with some wonderful bowling from the two spinners - Daniel Vettori and Monty Panesar - and some questionable batting mixed in among it.
How cruel momentum can be. New Zealand were utterly odds-on favourites after England’s 1990-esque capitulation in the morning. They batted like muppets in a swamp to Vettori - who bowled masterfully, it should be noted - and New Zealand stole a huge first-innings lead of 179. Cockahoop they were. But for them to be bowled out for 114 (Panesar six-fer) shows firstly what a beasting pitch this is, but moreover how fragile confidence is. You think you’re riding high, on the crest of a wave which will crash down and swallow your opponents…before you all fall off the surf board and drown in your own wave. Awful analogy I know, but you get my meaning.
And look what happened - New Zealand bowled like a drain in the final session. Too short, too wide - Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss looked relatively at ease. Cook fell, but England really could upset the odds and do the unthinkable. They don’t deserve to win at all, but then nor do New Zealand for their awful collapse. Fascinating fourth day in prospect.
2 Comments »McCullum comes of age
By Will last year, mid-May, 4 Comments »
I don’t really like the phrase “coming of age”, and I’m even less certain when a player actually comes of age. It’s open to debate and scrutiny, but Brendon McCullum’s run-a-ball 97 today was a microcosm of a player whose stock is rising remarkably fast. Yes yes, he thumped that unbelievable 158 in the Indian Premier League - but this was Test cricket, and New Zealand were blindly fumbling around a cavernous hole at 41 for 3. And then 76 for 4. Their top-order folded so meekly, and England’s bowling was so disciplined, that even 150 seemed a total beyond their reach. McCullum worked his backside off for his first 30 runs (and yet went to fifty from a relatively slick 65 balls) before exploding; the extra-cover smash off Stuart Broad into the Warner Stand was breathtakingly audacious and classy.
We all love explosive batsmanship, but an innings that combines grafting and sheer madness is doubly satisfying and doubly impressive. Perhaps I’m being too generous in saying he’s come of age, but then again the expectations of him are increasingly high.
4 Comments »Learn to bat like Chris Martin
By Will last year, at the start of April, 3 Comments »
Quality video. Click here if you can’t see it below.
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