The Buzz
Warne's poker challenge ends in defeat
Shane Warne could finally be on his way to England to commentate on this summer’s Ashes for Sky Sports, after he was last night eliminated in the third round of the prestigious World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Andrew Miller
25-Feb-2013
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He may, however, need a couple more days to recover from what was, by all accounts, a traumatic way to bomb out of an event that could have netted him up to US$10 million had he progressed all the way to the final table on July 15.
Having gone into the third round with a very healthy stack of 173,700 chips, and 24th in the overall standings, Warne suffered what is known as a “bad beat” and, according to pokernetwork.com, his challenge “collapsed quicker than the English batting order.”
“Warne flopped a flush only to see his opponent improve his set to a full house on the river,” reported the website, “and shortly after ran his pocket eights into an opponent’s pocket aces." And in cricketing terms, that is roughly as unlucky as being given out lbw off an inside edge. Twice in one match.
Full postThe world's biggest sledge
It sometimes seems as though Richard Branson is taking over the world
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
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It sometimes seems as though Richard Branson is taking over the world. When you see an image like this you realise that, should aliens have landed in the past couple of days, they might assume Branson is the president of Earth.
As the opening Test began in Cardiff, Branson hijacked the Sydney Harbour Bridge to send a message to Ricky Ponting. "Good luck Ricky. You'll need it. Dicky X," the message read.
It came via a 25-metre projection of the billionaire, whose Virgin Media has launched a Fifty50 campaign, whereby the company will donate £1000 to charity each time an England player scores a half-century during the Ashes.
Full postOne for the road
Naming streets after cricketers seems to be the latest way of recognising their achievements
Judhajit
25-Feb-2013
Naming streets after cricketers seems to be the latest way of recognising their achievements. Four months after Shivnarine Chanderpaul Drive, comes Umar Gul road. To acknowledge Gul's brilliant performance in the World Twenty20, the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) ministry for sports, culture and tourism in Pakistan has inaugurated a road in his name.The inauguration ceremony was held at the Peshawar Cantonment, in his hometown on Tuesday, and was attended by many, including Gul's family members. No word yet though on the speed limits...
Full postHeads, tails...or npower?
When Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting meet in the middle on Wednesday for the toss, there could be no call of heads or tails when the coin is flicked
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
When Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting meet in the middle on Wednesday for the toss, there could be no call of heads or tails when the coin is flicked.
The ECB commissioned the Royal Mint, whose home is in Wales, to produce a commemorative medal for the 2009 Ashes. But on closer inspection, there is neither a head or a tail to be seen. Instead, it pictures a batsman presenting a solid forward defence on one side, and npower's logo on the reverse.
A spokesman for Royal Mint told Cricinfo that the side showing the batsman will be called heads, but don't discount one of Ponting and Strauss yelling “npower” to delight their sponsors. The gold medals are limited edition and yours for £1595.
Full postBratich stole my son says Johnson's mum
Though Warne and McGrath have rolled back the years with some traditionally ridiculous pre-Ashes banter, the build up to the 2009 Ashes has been uncomfortably genial
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Though Warne and McGrath have rolled back the years with some traditionally ridiculous pre-Ashes banter, the build up to the 2009 Ashes has been uncomfortably genial. But that hasn’t stopped Mitchell Johnson’s mum from wading in, slamming – for want of a more appropriate, non basketball-sounding phrase - both Cricket Australia and Johnson’s lady, karate kid herself and belle of the ball, Jessica Bratich.
All is not well chez Johnson. "I get a text on Mother's Day and a text on my birthday," she sobbed to Australia’s Herald Sun. "The last time I actually spoke to him was when the beach cricket was here (and) Dennis Lillee told him he had to ring his mother, so Mitchell rang me that day. It has been like this since Jess came on the scene.”
Poor Cricket Australia have been hit a double blow by two forthright ladies – Bratich last week, and now Johnson’s mum, Ms Harber.
"For the wives and the children I think it is great that they support them and send the over there, but who are these girlfriends? They are just girlfriends,” Ms Harber said, in a string of quotations that sounds more like a script for Neighbours. "Mitch met Jess and since then she has flown off to South Africa, to England and the Bahamas. She gets all these trips, she gets flown there, accommodation, food and all of that."
Full postBratich fights the WAGs' corner
Those who have slammed Cricket Australia for allowing WAGs – that sorry acronym to describe wives and girlfriends, which can’t help but sound derogatory and infantile – should watch out
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Those who have slammed Cricket Australia for allowing WAGs – that sorry acronym to describe wives and girlfriends, which can’t help but sound derogatory and infantile – should watch out. Jessica Bratich, Mitchell Johnson’s other half, has come out fighting in their defence, and she’s no walkover. She is in fact a black-belt in karate.
"The boys are away four and a half months," she retorted to the former players and critics who have attacked CA. "Mitch goes from there straight to South Africa so they're actually away for six months. I think it's a bit ridiculous to think we're not going to go over there and support them."
One of the critics is Michael Slater, though his comments are slightly devalued given that he divorced his wife during the 2001 Ashes tour. He also drop-kicked Cricket Australia for allowing wives and girlfriends during the pre-Ashes camp at Coolum.
Full postEngland win the Blogger's Ashes
For those who seek omens at this stage of the build-up to an Ashes campaign, a fairly sizeable one was on display at Barnes Cricket Club last week, when England beat Australia by 28 runs … in the inaugural Blogger’s Ashes
Andrew Miller
25-Feb-2013
For those who seek omens at this stage of the build-up to an Ashes campaign, a fairly sizeable one was on display at Barnes Cricket Club last week, when England beat Australia by 28 runs … in the inaugural Blogger’s Ashes. The match was a 30-over-a-side affair, arranged by the men behind the Village Cricketer and Cricket with Balls blogs. England batted first and made 202 for 8, with Ed Craig, deputy editor of the Wisden Cricketer, top-scoring with 34 and scoring a direct hit on a lady sunbathing in a nearby garden. Australia, in reply, were rolled over for 174, with Patrick Kidd of The Times taking 3 for 25. The event raised more than £1000 for the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign.
Full postThe un-Australian prime minister
John Howard must be spitting out his tea in disgust at the comments of his successor as Australia’s prime minister, Kevin Rudd
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
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John Howard must be spitting out his tea in disgust at the comments of his successor as Australia’s prime minister, Kevin Rudd. Howard is the ultimate cricket tragic and his green-and-gold tracksuit will no doubt be his outfit of choice during the upcoming Ashes series.
While Rudd is also a cricket fan, he this week teetered dangerously on the edge of being labelled un-Australian – one of Howard’s favourite terms – when asked in a radio interview who was his favourite athlete. Rudd surely would say Don Bradman … surely. Or at least an Australian icon from another sport.
But this was Rudd’s response: “I can't go past Garry Sobers. There you go." Rudd cited Sobers’ unbeaten 254 for the Rest of the World at the MCG and his six sixes in an over of county cricket. “I thought, this guy has got the gift, the gift of the gods about him," Rudd said. "So there you go, he's not an Australian. Garry Sobers."
Full postBritain all set for the Ashes
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
While the thousands of Australians living in Britain scoff and laugh at the "heatwave" sweeping the nation, it gives cricket fans a good chance to expose themselves to dangerous levels of sun while catching a taste of the Ashes on the big screen. The ECB's hugely popular Cricket in the Park events will be available across the country throughout the Ashes, ensuring that the country will once again be gripped by the Ashes wherever you might be.
The venues are as follows:
- Southampton, Hoglands Park - Fri 10 and Sat 11 July (during Cardiff Test)
- Liverpool, Sefton Park - Sat 18 and Sun 19 July (Lord's Test)
- Cambridge, Parkers Piece - Sat 1 and Sun 2 Aug (Edgbaston Test)
- Derby, Markeaton Park - Sat 8 and Sun 9 Aug (Headingley Test)
- London, Regent's Park - Sat 22 and Sun 23 Aug (Brit Oval Test)
Ponting the mellow 'England' skipper
Things are a bit confusing in Worcester this week, with Australians sitting on both sides of the fence, and even Ricky Ponting forgot his allegiance
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
Things are a bit confusing in Worcester this week, with Australians sitting on both sides of the fence, and even Ricky Ponting forgot his allegiance. With two of his former coaches, John Buchanan and Dene Hills, in the ground working with the England Lions ahead of Wednesday’s tour game, Ponting referred to himself as “captain of England”.
The correction came instantly – “er, captain of Australia” – but it was a revealing slip to a question over whether his outlook had mellowed since 2005. “Not as a competitor, not as a cricketer,” he said. “I hope I am as competitive as I’ve ever been on a cricket field. Things away from the field are pretty good, although I have been away for five weeks from the little one [his baby daughter Emmy].”
Buchanan, who guided Australia for seven years, spoke to the Lions and England Under-16 squads and felt comfortable working across the oval from his old team. Hills, a former assistant to Buchanan and state team-mate of Ponting, is part of the local coaching staff. The game no longer contains state secrets.
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