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Let us now glory in Australia 2, South Africa 1
An Aussie verdict on the series. (Warning: may contain traces of Aussie gloating)
Matt Cleary
10-Mar-2014
So, Australia 2, South Africa 1. Two highly competitive teams, three results on various and interesting cricket wickets, and proof positive that if you give ten million monkeys a typewriter then one of them will knock out a novel after this columnist predicted Australia 2, South Africa 1. The sun shines on a dog's bum sometimes, baby, as my recently rejuvenated betting account would tell you, albeit briefly.
Anyway! Crackerjack cricket series, decided in the long shadows of stumps on day five in Cape Town, five overs to go and the ball reversing to the tail and the wild Australian dogs surrounding the bat, yapping, as they are wont to do - more on it later. That, people, is top Test cricket, top cricket, period, and the South Africans relished the contest, as South Africans do, and nearly pulled off the mother of all stone draws. Arguably deserved too.
But the Aussies unarguably deserved the win, as dear departing Graeme Smith said. South Africa in South Africa is the testing material. Three top quicks. World-class bats. All-round aggression and smarts, the No. 1 Test team in the world and unbeaten at home in five years.
Full postSL players v board fixture one to watch
If it's March it must be time for the eagerly awaited contracts squabble
Andrew Fidel Fernando
08-Mar-2014
The third edition of the annual fixture between Sri Lanka's cricket board and its cricketers heated up this week, after the players made their yearly refusal to sign the new central contracts, while a board official directed the customary veiled accusation of greed at the players.
The sides have had one high-profile victory each in the history of the contest. In 2012 the cricketers edged a closely fought match-up, eventually compelling the board to omit several contentious clauses, while in 2013 the board stormed home in 24 hours after executing an inspired "lockout" manoeuvre.
"Sri Lanka doesn't have high-profile traditional rivalries like India v Pakistan or any other marquee fixtures," an SLC official said. "We are hoping that this fixture can address that problem, and that it may quickly become like Sri Lanka's own Ashes."
Full postHow the tennis IPL will work
By heavily borrowing from the greatest show on earth, of course
James Marsh
07-Mar-2014
This week saw the news that tennis chiefs are set to launch an IPL-style tournament with mixed male and female teams made up of current and former greats from across the world. Much like the cricketing version, the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) is set to involve an obscene amount of money alongside intense court battles, but how exactly will the format translate to the planet's most popular racket sport?
Here's a look at how tennis might have to make a few tweaks to replicate the IPL's success:
The original plan involves matches being played simultaneously in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Mumbai, Singapore and Hong Kong. Instead of this, all IPTL games will actually be played in Chennai on concrete surfaces supplied by India Cements. This will not only ensure exciting quickfire rallies but also allow enthusiastic fans no longer welcome at CSK home fixtures another sport to enjoy.
Full postWhat Smith's retirement means for England
There are severe implications for Cook and Co, which no one seems to have thought of
Alex Bowden
06-Mar-2014
I am both baffled and deeply troubled by the astonishing lack of concern being shown about what Graeme Smith's retirement will mean for the England cricket team. It's almost as if people don't think it's about England at all.
In the wake of England's Ashes debacle, Alastair Cook was asked whether he planned to stay on as captain. Cook said: "This has been a tough tour, but I plan on seeing this job out. I am absolutely 100% committed to the captaincy and that will remain the case until Graeme Smith tours with his South African team, at which point I will follow the lead of my predecessors and tearfully stand down. That is the way that we do things in this England team and that remains my plan."
Nasser Hussain in 2003, Michael Vaughan in 2008 and Andrew Strauss in 2012: Graeme Smith is the cue for England captains to exit. His role is vital. He keeps the team fresh and prevents stagnation. Following his retirement, the question must be asked: how are England going to cope?
Full postThe time for the UAE is here. Again
You establishment people tried to keep them out of serious cricket, but you couldn't, could you?
Sidin Vadukut
03-Mar-2014
Rarely have I written a column for this website with such a tidal wave of emotion coursing through my body. It is so intense that I can hardly type. I will use speech-to-text technology for the rest of the piece.
Please know that there're completely delayed owners and just got a great import the degrading workout and the ACC "government hasn't 50. So the remaining database is watching cricket& the sport ever ever fit such a wonderful filament satisfaction in pain. Pocket sausage jamboree vestal Marx.
What nonsense is this, Apple computers? Please ignore that, readers. Wonderful filament satisfaction, it seems. Pfft.
Full post'I've been working on my evil villain laugh'
All the latest about what your favourite players are up to - when they're not being jet-lagged or eating at Nando's
Alex Bowden
27-Feb-2014
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Who fancies their chances in the bobsleigh? Who's been practising their evil laugh? And who has an afternoon nap inked into their daily itinerary? Your life will be so much richer once these questions have been answered below.
The IPL
Brace yourselves for inexplicable exclamation marks, napalm marketing and slightly desperate attempts to forge team identities in the face of minimal history and ever-changing player rosters. The IPL is coming!
Full postBrace yourselves for inexplicable exclamation marks, napalm marketing and slightly desperate attempts to forge team identities in the face of minimal history and ever-changing player rosters. The IPL is coming!
A perfect warm-up for the IPL
What better way to prepare for the world's premier cricketing event than a World Twenty20?
Gareth V Kidd
25-Feb-2014
As the tenth or 11th season of the IPL approaches encroaches, BCCI spokesman Likka Damoneh has come out to say that the World Twenty20, in Bangladesh, will be the perfect lead-up event to the IPL, cricket's premier event. The three-week tournament will be a great testing ground for IPL-bound players, and will get them in good stead for the 300-odd games neatly slotted into a six-week period.
"It's great that we can have an international, albeit lesser, event in the World Twenty20 just before the IPL kicks off," stated Damoneh. "It's important that players whose techniques have been hampered by Test cricket get the opportunity to free their arms and practise their scoop shots, ramps shots, reverse sweeps, reverse paddles, lap shots, switch hits, and any other stroke with the term 'hoick' in it."
There's also focus on the bowlers to make sure they are bowling the wicket-taking deliveries required in IPL conditions, such as the knee-high full tosses, and the half-trackers outside off. Spinners are expected to start practising their flat-trajectory deliveries that make the T20 middle overs the perfect time to get a cup of tea, or down a full bottle of wine.
Full postHow to make West Indies v England interesting
A game scientifically designed to maximise fun during a series nobody cares about
Alan Tyers
24-Feb-2014
The tour never ends for the hardest-working band in show business as the England cricket now team travel to the Caribbean for an eagerly anticipated (by nobody) six (6) limited-overs matches. Liven them up with this eye-spy game, which has been developed by experts in the ECB lab at Loughborough and is scientifically designed to maximise fun in the context of a stable team-building environment.
England openers building a platform for first 20 overs - one point
England opener gets out after well-crafted 22 off 87 balls - two points
Full postDhoni takes comfort in team's exposure
Plus: Shane Warne's latest musical turn, and more vital news you may have missed
R Rajkumar
21-Feb-2014
Being exposed great exposure for team, says Dhoni
MS Dhoni has stated that the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand has been "good exposure" for a young and inexperienced team. He pointed to the way they were exposed as a bowling unit in the second innings of the final Test as especially useful exposure, and the cruelly exposed shortcomings of some of his more inconsistent batsmen as particularly constructive exposure that should stand the team in good stead for future exposures. Dhoni also pointed out that he was happy to have been able to lead from the front in being exposed for some cripplingly fatal captaincy decisions.
MS Dhoni has stated that the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand has been "good exposure" for a young and inexperienced team. He pointed to the way they were exposed as a bowling unit in the second innings of the final Test as especially useful exposure, and the cruelly exposed shortcomings of some of his more inconsistent batsmen as particularly constructive exposure that should stand the team in good stead for future exposures. Dhoni also pointed out that he was happy to have been able to lead from the front in being exposed for some cripplingly fatal captaincy decisions.
The captain later also spoke of the recent "improvement" that India have shown in away games. "Well, of course, we've been working hard on getting the number of Tests reduced and the results speak for themselves," he explained. "While a couple of years ago we lost 0-4 to both England and Australia, more recently we've only been losing 0-1 in two-Test series."
Warne's musical turn inspired by passionate affair with self
Shane Warne is apparently busy working on an album of love songs, and his singing style is even being compared to that of James Blunt. The songs are said to be inspired by his relationship with and eventual betrayal of actress Elizabeth Hurley, who broke up with the cricketer when he was discovered in the compromising position of singing "You're Beautiful" to himself in the bathroom mirror.
Full postShane Warne is apparently busy working on an album of love songs, and his singing style is even being compared to that of James Blunt. The songs are said to be inspired by his relationship with and eventual betrayal of actress Elizabeth Hurley, who broke up with the cricketer when he was discovered in the compromising position of singing "You're Beautiful" to himself in the bathroom mirror.
How KP can liberate cricket
A clever little plan that involves him dividing and thus ending the rule of the Big Three
Scott Oliver
20-Feb-2014
If you ignore the resignation (or "lateralisation") of its most successful national team director, the sacking of the best player on dubious and possibly treacherous grounds, the Orwellian newspeak justifying said decision (including the chairman of selectors' turn as Basil Fawlty), and the ECB's mucky involvement in a three-way carve up of the ICC, it has been a fairly incident-free few weeks in cricket's motherland.
KP and the Big Three (aka Big One and Medium-Sized Two) oligopoly has left English cricket lovers as miserable as if we had just lost 12-1 to the arch enemy. That's probably quite hard to imagine, so let's just say it's pretty doom-and-gloomy. If you're not depressed already then you should be.
We cannot allow the blazers and bean counters to ruin cricket for us, so what are we going to do?
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