Costly ducks and no duck
Expensive ducks by New Zealanders, no duck on the menu, a new origin for cricket ,and why it's hard facing fast bowling
Andrew McGlashan
11-Aug-2008
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Cash for blobs
The Queen Street Cricket Club may not be well known to many readers, but it is a collection of cricket supporters, or "eccentrics" as their website says, based in New Zealand. One of their main roles is helping disadvantaged children around New Zealand and they do this by asking members to donate for each duck scored by the country's Test team over a 12-month period from July to August. Now, anyone who has watched New Zealand recently will know that ducks aren't uncommon. And despite having played not many Tests, they racked up a good number over the last 12 months - Chris Martin unsurprisingly heading the list. The QSCC has sent out invoices to the members, so it's time to start digging deep. But it's all in a good cause.
The Queen Street Cricket Club may not be well known to many readers, but it is a collection of cricket supporters, or "eccentrics" as their website says, based in New Zealand. One of their main roles is helping disadvantaged children around New Zealand and they do this by asking members to donate for each duck scored by the country's Test team over a 12-month period from July to August. Now, anyone who has watched New Zealand recently will know that ducks aren't uncommon. And despite having played not many Tests, they racked up a good number over the last 12 months - Chris Martin unsurprisingly heading the list. The QSCC has sent out invoices to the members, so it's time to start digging deep. But it's all in a good cause.
Trend-setter
It is often said that what children see happen in international cricket they try and replicate themselves; Shane Warne inspired a host of young legspinners and club cricketers who now sledge with the best of them. Kevin Pietersen's switch-hit has also inspired a raft of imitations, some more successful than others. The stroke could yet result in a few broken noses, but a few have already had success "doing a KP": for instance, Outwoods U-13s recently completed a victory against Broomleys U-13s with a switch-hit. That's where the similarities with the top level ended, though. "Many thanks to the sporting Broomleys side who lent us a couple of substitute fielders throughout, as half of our squad is on holiday," said a club spokesman. Can't see the South Africans lending Pietersen any spare players in the one-day series.
It is often said that what children see happen in international cricket they try and replicate themselves; Shane Warne inspired a host of young legspinners and club cricketers who now sledge with the best of them. Kevin Pietersen's switch-hit has also inspired a raft of imitations, some more successful than others. The stroke could yet result in a few broken noses, but a few have already had success "doing a KP": for instance, Outwoods U-13s recently completed a victory against Broomleys U-13s with a switch-hit. That's where the similarities with the top level ended, though. "Many thanks to the sporting Broomleys side who lent us a couple of substitute fielders throughout, as half of our squad is on holiday," said a club spokesman. Can't see the South Africans lending Pietersen any spare players in the one-day series.
Happy 99.94th Birthday
August 27 marks what would have been Sir Don Bradman's 100th birthday, but some of his former team-mates have held an early celebration dinner at the point when he would have been 99.94 - the average he finished on after collecting the game's most famous duck in his last innings. One of those present at the dinner in Sydney was Arthur Morris, who went onto score 196 in that innings - a feat that is barely recalled alongside Bradman's rare failure. Guests were initially meant to pay AUS$99 for a place, but it became too popular. And no, there wasn't any duck on the menu.
August 27 marks what would have been Sir Don Bradman's 100th birthday, but some of his former team-mates have held an early celebration dinner at the point when he would have been 99.94 - the average he finished on after collecting the game's most famous duck in his last innings. One of those present at the dinner in Sydney was Arthur Morris, who went onto score 196 in that innings - a feat that is barely recalled alongside Bradman's rare failure. Guests were initially meant to pay AUS$99 for a place, but it became too popular. And no, there wasn't any duck on the menu.
Jesus, you played cricket?
The origins of cricket are hotly debated, and now it seems there is evidence that it started much earlier than anyone had previously thought. And it was played by none other than Jesus himself, according to an ancient Armenian manuscript. Bear with us, it takes a little explaining: a Dr Abraham Terian unearthed the material in the Armenian Gospel of the Infancy (what do you mean, you've never heard of it), which was translated into Armenian in the sixth century from a much older lost Syriac original. Still with us? Terian discovered the book more than decade ago and it has now been translated into English. "Jesus is instructed to watch Israel's house and not leave the place while the master goes away on a tour to collect clothes to be dyed. But no sooner has Israel left the house than Jesus runs out with the boys,'' Terian told AAP. "The most amazing part of the story of the nine-year-old Jesus playing a form of cricket with the boys at the seashore, is that he would go on playing the game on water, over the sea waves.'' Wonder if he had a godly cover-drive or practiced religiously.
The origins of cricket are hotly debated, and now it seems there is evidence that it started much earlier than anyone had previously thought. And it was played by none other than Jesus himself, according to an ancient Armenian manuscript. Bear with us, it takes a little explaining: a Dr Abraham Terian unearthed the material in the Armenian Gospel of the Infancy (what do you mean, you've never heard of it), which was translated into Armenian in the sixth century from a much older lost Syriac original. Still with us? Terian discovered the book more than decade ago and it has now been translated into English. "Jesus is instructed to watch Israel's house and not leave the place while the master goes away on a tour to collect clothes to be dyed. But no sooner has Israel left the house than Jesus runs out with the boys,'' Terian told AAP. "The most amazing part of the story of the nine-year-old Jesus playing a form of cricket with the boys at the seashore, is that he would go on playing the game on water, over the sea waves.'' Wonder if he had a godly cover-drive or practiced religiously.
Blink and you'll miss it
Facing a 90mph fast bowler is never easy, and research from Birmingham University has found out why. The startling discovery is that humans are not designed to respond to objects racing towards them. Whatever next. Apparently the brain is trained for things coming at a leisurely pace and often underestimates the speed of approaching objects - such as a small, red cricket ball. "We may think we live in a fast-moving, hectic world, but statistically our environment moves around us slowly," Dr Andrew Welchman said. "Our brains are constantly building up a statistical picture of the world around and, based on experience, it is a statistically slow world. When an object moves quickly - be it a football, cricket ball or, for our ancestors, a spear - our brains have to interpret the movement rapidly and, because our brains draw on experience, they are often biased by what they already know." The good news - and why the likes of Pietersen, Kallis and Tendulkar manage to score thousands of runs - is that practice does make the brain respond better.
Facing a 90mph fast bowler is never easy, and research from Birmingham University has found out why. The startling discovery is that humans are not designed to respond to objects racing towards them. Whatever next. Apparently the brain is trained for things coming at a leisurely pace and often underestimates the speed of approaching objects - such as a small, red cricket ball. "We may think we live in a fast-moving, hectic world, but statistically our environment moves around us slowly," Dr Andrew Welchman said. "Our brains are constantly building up a statistical picture of the world around and, based on experience, it is a statistically slow world. When an object moves quickly - be it a football, cricket ball or, for our ancestors, a spear - our brains have to interpret the movement rapidly and, because our brains draw on experience, they are often biased by what they already know." The good news - and why the likes of Pietersen, Kallis and Tendulkar manage to score thousands of runs - is that practice does make the brain respond better.
Headline of the Week
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Andrew McGlashan is a staff writer at Cricinfo