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Bollocks to the side strain: give me the ball
By Will 4 months ago, 1 Comment »
South Africa won the first one-dayer against West Indies by six wickets today in Centurion. You can tell by that sentence how excited I was by the game, but the dullness was enlivened dramatically by the most stunning of caught-and-bowleds from Dwayne Bravo. He has a side strain and was not, by his own admission, expected to bowl for another two weeks. But balls to that, he thought, and on he trundled.
He found one to bounce on Justin Ontong who was squared up, fending it up in the air about a metre from his crease. Somehow, Bravo sprinted down the pitch, dived, clung on with both hands with the ball just a few inches off the turf. A brilliant piece of fielding, of spirit in adversity, of courage - and of captaincy.
Photo by Neil Lane Cricinfo Ltd ©
Marlon Samuels loses his head
By Will 4 months ago, 2 Comments »
Is Marlon Samuels finally growing up? I’m not so sure. It was a wonderful innings, his hundred against South Africa today, but all too often he nibbles and pokes at those decent deliveries outside his off stump. I admired his determination, and his coolness under raging pressure from Dale Steyn. The ball he fell to was spectacular, and I can’t remember seeing a better one. It was one for the memories.
Anyway, we have a photographer at the ground, Neil Lane, who’s been providing us with some excellent (and occasioanlly lewd) shots, including this one of Samuels ducking. Where’s his head gone?
The standard of photography from the agencies - Getty Images use Gallo Sports, Touchline and AFP - has been generally weak for the entire series. Neil’s, on the other hand, are crisp and inventive.
‘Please wait here for first available wicket’
By Will 4 months ago, 3 Comments »
This is superb:
Somehow, watching the West Indies collapse in fine style this morning against South Africa, I couldn’t help thinking about this sign I saw while waiting in line to renew my driver’s license.
From Sean, who built/administers CaribbeanCricket.com - a website about bicycle tyre pricing. No, not really; it’s dedicated to West Indian cricket.
He told me that a wicket (in Canada, and probably America, and probably everywhere else) is a ticket boot where you are served, like in a post office. Shamefully, perhaps because I’ve been a cricket fan most of my life, I was completely ignorant as to the other meanings of the word.
3 Comments »West Indian winners
By Will last year, at the end of December, 2 Comments »
Ryan has a couple of cracking shots of the West Indies celebrating their win over South Africa in their dressing room…including Dwayne Bravo doing a spot of karaoke:
And Chris Gayle
Bravo to them all
By Will last year, at the end of December, 2 Comments »
I’d added Sky Sports last night in preparation for a mammoth day in front of the box with a bottle of anything, watching what I hoped would be an historic win for West Indies, only to realise I had family duties in Dorset of all places. Not a chore, but still - no mobile reception and no way of following the cricket.
So I was relieved to see West Indies have beaten South Africa so comprehensively - bloody brilliant news and a fine achievement. Excluding their wins over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, today’s win was their first victory overseas since beating England in 2000 at Edgbaston (remember that bitch of a pitch?). Looking back to that game, the Almanack says:
West Indies, having failed to win a Test outside the Caribbean since February 1997 - since when they had suffered ten consecutive overseas defeats - won this opening match by an innings inside three days, just as they had on their previous visit here in 1995. It was the 1,500th Test to be played.
All of this puts into perspective just how massive today’s feat is, and also what an impact Chris Gayle has on that motley bunch. South Africa played poorly (from what little I saw and read) - particularly batting in their first innings - but West Indies outplayed them in most sessions. We’ve seen them win occasional sessions, even whole days, but never consistently.
Today is a triumph; roll on the second Test. Oh, and this was Dwayne Bravo’s first win in 24 Tests…
2 Comments »Collapsing in style
By Will last year, at the end of December, No Comments; be the first!
The collapse is rather like witnessing a pile-up on a motorway. You know you shouldn’t look - but the macabre is always a fascinating sight, if ugly and uncomfortable. The gruesome can be stylish, too, and the West Indies are true champions of collapsing in style. Pottering along at 122 for 2, they buckled to 146 for 8. Now that is true class.
They lead by 359, and Patrick reckons they will still win with two days to go. Hmm…
No Comments »West Indies on top
By Will last year, at the end of December, 2 Comments »
I got a call from a West Indian mate this afternoon, Del, who was definitely full of post-Christmas cheer. It was he, in a roundabout sort of way, who told me about the day West Indies were having, and it’s really a bit special. 408 all out in their first innings (first time they’ve batted first and scored more than 400 since June 2006), followed by five quick South Africa wickets - three by Daren Powell who I met last summer. Impressive character - a very sharp wit and intelligent with it. Neither of those traits makes a good fast bowler - I think it’s Nasser Hussain who says all fast bowlers are stupid - but most successful quicks have had shrewd minds.
Anyway, a cracking day and I still haven’t seen any of it. If anyone’s got a video, shout with the link.
2 Comments »Christmas cricket
By Will last year, at the end of December, 8 Comments »
Now that England’s misery has been put on hold until the New Zealand series in 2008, attention turns to the southern hemisphere. It’s probably the first Christmas for 10 years that I’ve not had Sky to watch Boxing Day Tests, so I was a bit peeved when I woke up this morning to see what a good day India had enjoyed against Australia at Melbourne. Peter English:
Groups of Australians spent the afternoon wondering whether they were being unpatriotic for smiling when India started running through the home team. For the first session those local supporters who demand nothing but dominance by Ricky Ponting’s men were satisfied with the direction of the game. Their disgruntlement when it changed in the second session was offset by the joy felt - and heard - at the ground by cricket supporters who are desperate to see Australia challenged. After the first day there is hope this series might be the fair fight fans have been craving since the 2005 Ashes.
It promises to be a cracking series between the best two sides in the world. Whether it will match or better the 2005 Ashes is impossible to predict (and unlikely, I’d imagine) but any team who can challenge Australia gets my vote of confidence. Even if it is India…
Several thousand miles away in Port Elizabeth, West Indies have raced to 190 for 3 on the first day against South Africa, with Chris Gayle launching a terrific 66 from just 49 balls. Have a read of his innings - he took Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn apart. Brilliant stuff and I can’t wait to see the video.
8 Comments »South Africa slump to 18 for 6
By Will last year, mid-December, 1 Comment »
I’d assumed South Africa’s Twenty20 against West Indies was going to be rained off, but they’ve mopped things up and the home side are tottering, like a drunken pensioner, on 18 for 6. Note: that’s South Africa, not West Indies. What a laugh Twenty20 is. Can West Indies f*** it up from here? Here’s the scorecard for those with nerves of steel.
The lowest ever score in a Twenty20 is Titans’ 47 against the Eagles in 2004. Kenya hold the embarrassment of the most meagre in internationals with 73…which looks a horribly long way off for South Africa.
1 Comment »