1. One who lies about his age. "I know he's had work done, but that Shane Warne still reckons he's 41. I think he's a bit of a Shankar".
2. Derogatory Cockney rhyming slang. "Since he had that work done, Shane Warne looks like a right Shankar".
Friday 23 September 2011
Thursday 22 September 2011
Champions League
Three-way circle jerk between the Indian, Australian and South African boards masquerading as a Twenty20 competition.
Haddin to quit appealing in t20s
Australian wicket-keeper Brad Haddin announced today that he is to stop appealing for things that are clearly not out in Twenty20 matches.
"I thoroughly enjoy appealing for things that are clearly not out in Twenty20s" Haddin told a press conference, "but I have to make this decision if I'm to be able to prolong my ability to appeal for things that are clearly not out in ODIs and Test matches". With this move, it's expected that Tim Paine will take up the role of appealing for things that are clearly not out and leaving the captain with the decision over whether to waste a review under the UDRS.
"I've taken great pride in appealing for things that are clearly not out for Australia" concluded Haddin, "but it's time to pass on that responsibility to a younger man".
"I thoroughly enjoy appealing for things that are clearly not out in Twenty20s" Haddin told a press conference, "but I have to make this decision if I'm to be able to prolong my ability to appeal for things that are clearly not out in ODIs and Test matches". With this move, it's expected that Tim Paine will take up the role of appealing for things that are clearly not out and leaving the captain with the decision over whether to waste a review under the UDRS.
"I've taken great pride in appealing for things that are clearly not out for Australia" concluded Haddin, "but it's time to pass on that responsibility to a younger man".
Friday 16 September 2011
Through gritted teeth: Well done Lancashire
Once again, the county championship provided a thrilling denouement. Whether by accident, the schedule seem to throw up these conclusions in recent seasons and Lancashire have played their part in them, most notably in a noble run chase that ended just short of denying Sussex their first ever title in 2003.
The Sussex coach on that occasion was Peter Moores and now, fittingly, he's gone and broken another hoodoo, namely the 77-year wait between outright championship wins for the red rose county. Like with Sussex, he's taken a team without genuine stars and made them better than the sum of their parts and now, at last, they've made the breakthrough.
They did it tough. A month ago, they were strolling to victory, but after getting bundled out for 80 at Worcester it threw the race back into Warwickshire's favour and the Midlanders went into the final round of games ahead. Once there, however, Warkwickshire ran into the obduracy of Neil McKenzie while Lancashire - with the doughty (Yorkshire-born; I must get these digs in) Glenn Chapple bowling off a four-pace run as he pushed through the pain barrier - ground Somerset down thanks to a great late-order effort that gave them a 100-run first innings lead. Chasing 211 to win off 28 overs proved easy despite a minor wobble where two wickets went in the space of four balls. The party began and will presumably keep going for some time yet. And why not?
Meanwhile, at the other side of the hills, it's double misery as Yorkshire were relegated for reasons best explained by this excoriation by David Hopps in the Guardian. Inevitably, the rise of Lancashire and demise of Yorkshire were inextricably intertwined. Two very close Roses matches determined the fate of both sides. At Liverpool in May, Yorkshire set Lancashire 121 to win with time running out. Farveez Maharoof strode to the wicket at fourth drop and smashed a quick 30 which secured victory with four balls of the match remaining. In the return at Headingley in July, a terrific second innings bowling performance restricted Lancashire to 194 which left 284 needed for Yorkshire to win. Progress was steady, but wickets fell at regular intervals. Adil Rashid, batting at nine, was left with Ajmal Shahzad and Richie Pyrah - centurion in the first innings, batting last in the second - to try to guide them home, but Gary Keedy - a Yorkshireman, inevitably - prised out Pyrah with Yorkshire still 24 short of victory. Yorkshire fail to lose one of those games, they stay up and Lancashire fall short of the title. On such fine margins are things decided, even if it would have papered over some serious cracks at Headingley.
Those two moments were key, but two others loom large, both involving points deductions for poor pitches. Warwickshire were docked eight points in May for a pitch that showed "excessive unevenness of bounce". Hampshire suffered the same fate in July after 26 wickets went down in two days on a pitch that demonstrated "excessive turn". Spinners took 25 of the 36 wickets in the match. Since then, the Rose Bowl pitch may as well have been relocated to the middle of the M2 and that was the pitch Warwickshire had to prise 20 wickets on in their final match to win the title. They managed 17 before stumps were drawn.
Sometimes, you get the feeling your name is on a trophy. This year, it's felt like Lancashire's was destined to be on it. Does it rain less in Liverpool than in Manchester? The move to Aigburth while Old Trafford's renovation has been going on seems to have done them good and it's hard not to share in Lancashire's success.
The one consolation for this Yorkshireman is - at least it wasn't bloody Surrey.
The Sussex coach on that occasion was Peter Moores and now, fittingly, he's gone and broken another hoodoo, namely the 77-year wait between outright championship wins for the red rose county. Like with Sussex, he's taken a team without genuine stars and made them better than the sum of their parts and now, at last, they've made the breakthrough.
They did it tough. A month ago, they were strolling to victory, but after getting bundled out for 80 at Worcester it threw the race back into Warwickshire's favour and the Midlanders went into the final round of games ahead. Once there, however, Warkwickshire ran into the obduracy of Neil McKenzie while Lancashire - with the doughty (Yorkshire-born; I must get these digs in) Glenn Chapple bowling off a four-pace run as he pushed through the pain barrier - ground Somerset down thanks to a great late-order effort that gave them a 100-run first innings lead. Chasing 211 to win off 28 overs proved easy despite a minor wobble where two wickets went in the space of four balls. The party began and will presumably keep going for some time yet. And why not?
Meanwhile, at the other side of the hills, it's double misery as Yorkshire were relegated for reasons best explained by this excoriation by David Hopps in the Guardian. Inevitably, the rise of Lancashire and demise of Yorkshire were inextricably intertwined. Two very close Roses matches determined the fate of both sides. At Liverpool in May, Yorkshire set Lancashire 121 to win with time running out. Farveez Maharoof strode to the wicket at fourth drop and smashed a quick 30 which secured victory with four balls of the match remaining. In the return at Headingley in July, a terrific second innings bowling performance restricted Lancashire to 194 which left 284 needed for Yorkshire to win. Progress was steady, but wickets fell at regular intervals. Adil Rashid, batting at nine, was left with Ajmal Shahzad and Richie Pyrah - centurion in the first innings, batting last in the second - to try to guide them home, but Gary Keedy - a Yorkshireman, inevitably - prised out Pyrah with Yorkshire still 24 short of victory. Yorkshire fail to lose one of those games, they stay up and Lancashire fall short of the title. On such fine margins are things decided, even if it would have papered over some serious cracks at Headingley.
Those two moments were key, but two others loom large, both involving points deductions for poor pitches. Warwickshire were docked eight points in May for a pitch that showed "excessive unevenness of bounce". Hampshire suffered the same fate in July after 26 wickets went down in two days on a pitch that demonstrated "excessive turn". Spinners took 25 of the 36 wickets in the match. Since then, the Rose Bowl pitch may as well have been relocated to the middle of the M2 and that was the pitch Warwickshire had to prise 20 wickets on in their final match to win the title. They managed 17 before stumps were drawn.
Sometimes, you get the feeling your name is on a trophy. This year, it's felt like Lancashire's was destined to be on it. Does it rain less in Liverpool than in Manchester? The move to Aigburth while Old Trafford's renovation has been going on seems to have done them good and it's hard not to share in Lancashire's success.
The one consolation for this Yorkshireman is - at least it wasn't bloody Surrey.
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