The Surfer
MCC secretary left homeless
For years, one of the main perks of being MCC secretary has been the accomodation at No
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
For years, one of the main perks of being MCC secretary has been the accomodation at No. 4 Grove End Road, St John’s Wood. Once owned by Sir Gubby Allen, it is reached via a passage that runs by the side of the Middlesex office behind the pavilion.
But The Times reports that the incoming secretary, Keith Bradshaw, won't benefit. The MCC has decided to rent the property out, leaving Bradshaw to find his own place to live.
Jack Bailey, a former secretary, was surprised at the move:
Full post“For the first time I can remember it is not considered necessary for the secretary to be in residence, particularly in view of the uncertain state of the world as it might affect Lord’s day or night. There were times when I was called out for various reasons in the middle of the night.”
World Cup inhospitality
President of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), Berthia Parle has raised concerns that some of the regional resorts are grossly overstating the number of visitors expected during the World Cup, writes Horace Hines in The Jamaica Observer
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
President of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), Berthia Parle has raised concerns that some of the regional resorts are grossly overstating the number of visitors expected during the World Cup, writes Horace Hines in The Jamaica Observer
"I don't think that everybody is going to get that. Certainly the semi-finals will be great as well as the finals, but I don't believe that everybody is going to see these kinds of numbers - not from overseas. You need to look at the Caribbean people as well. I think you are talking 40,000- 50,000 people maximum for everybody."
Going down a Stormont
The result may not have gone Ireland’s way, but Irish eyes were positively beaming with the success of hosting England at Stormont, as The Belfast Telegraph records
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
The result may not have gone Ireland’s way, but Irish eyes were positively beaming with the success of hosting England at Stormont, as The Belfast Telegraph records. In particular, the 100,000 Euro profit made will be of great assistance to the game.
Ireland’s coach Adrian Birrell was pleased with his side’s showing against the English.
Full postThe physio extraordinaire
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
The departure of physiotherapist Errol Alcott, the Australian team's unsung hero for 22 years, marks the end of an era. Damien Fleming looks back at the legacy of the man affectionately nicknamed 'Hooter' by the rest. Read the full piece in The Age.
Hooter was all this and more, and it was captured in the way he ran out to check on players who needed medical attention. Waiting for the right moment to start his dash, checking that Channel Nine hadn't gone to an ad break, Hooter would give his well-waxed hair a flick, adjust his black Oakleys and make sure every part of his clothing was neat and tidy.
Lewis still enjoys his days in the sun
It is ten years since Chris Lewis played the last of his 32 Tests and six since he retired from the county game
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
It is ten years since Chris Lewis played the last of his 32 Tests and six since he retired from the county game. The broad smile and lean frame are still there, but so is the enigma. In The Times, Patrick Kidd caught up with a man who feels he was forced out of the game, and who was once labelled by The Sun as "The Prat Without The Hat".
“I could have done better, that’s no great admission. But putting it in perspective, I think of me as a five-year-old kid in Guyana dreaming of playing any sort of cricket and I did better than that. Even just pulling on an England shirt was an achievement.”
"It's harder to imitate Murali; he's a bit of a chucker"
Thandi Tshabalala, the young Free State offspinner, displaced Jacques Rudolph in South Africa's squad for two Tests in Sri Lanka this summer
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
Thandi Tshabalala, the young Free State offspinner, displaced Jacques Rudolph in South Africa's squad for two Tests in Sri Lanka this summer. Tshabalala, who regards Muttiah Muralitharan as the best spinner in the world, said he hoped to take in all he could about the craft while in Sri Lanka. Read on about Tshabalala's joy at being called up, and how tough he admitted it was to emulate his spinning idol.
Full postIf the cap fits
More injuries and more new faces
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
More injuries and more new faces. Michael Atherton looks at the impact of last year's Ashes celebrations on the 'untried' bunch. Atherton also feels the time is right to hand over the captaincy to Andrew Strauss and save Flintoff from suffering the perils of a prolonged captaincy.Read the full piece in The Telegraph.
The one-day squad features names such as Bresnan, Chapple and Dalrymple which, a few months ago, Duncan Fletcher might have thought to be a London law firm rather than candidates for a World Cup.
In the same paper, Scyld Berry votes for a power-sharing system for England with Strauss taking over the ODI captaincy and Michael 'knee forbidding' Vaughan for Tests.
Full postMore meaningless games
Steve James is not too thrilled about the revamped format of the 2006 C&G Trophy, leading to more meaningless games and in the process driving away the sponsors
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
Steve James is not too thrilled about the revamped format of the 2006 C&G Trophy, leading to more meaningless games and in the process driving away the sponsors. James also lists out some of the top performers this season.Read the full piece in The Telegraph.
So toddle off, if you will, to one of the seven matches today, but please do not expect too much. The two probable conference winners will be in action - Lancashire of the north and Sussex of the south.
Keeping the options open
The debate about England's wicketkeeper refuses to die down
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
The debate about England's wicketkeeper refuses to die down. Geraint Jones has failed to produce the goods with the bat in the last nine months and his work behind the stumps still raises questions. Chris Read is the next man in line, should the selectors opt for a change, but a young 19-year-old is rapidly coming up on the outside. Steven Davies, the Worcestershire keeper, has recently hit a career-best 192 and good judges of the game believe he can go all the way. Simon Wilde, in the Sunday Times, has a feature on the young man making big strides.
Full postOh yes, Shane?
Shane Warne has got himself a blog , which will sit on his new site PokerCricket.com
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Shane Warne has got himself a blog, which will sit on his new site PokerCricket.com. The blog promises to give his thoughts on recent cricket news, gossip from the inner sanctum of cricket dressing rooms and stories from around the poker table. Time will tell…
Full post