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.
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Trott's fault
More criticism for Jonathan Trott in the light of his 69 off 105 balls against Ireland in the one-dayer at Clontarf, a strike rate of 66.
And yet... Strike rates aren't everything and Trott top-scored in the innings, eventually seventh man out as England made 201/8 in a rain-affected innings. And the fact it was rain-affected it probably says it all. Rain or shine, Trott has the ability to judge a pitch and play every single ball on it's merits - he averages over 50 in ODIs precisely for this reason - unlike his colleagues who keep getting out to pre-meditated shots that the situation simply doesn't warrant.
Anyone expecting Trott to go berserk and send fireworks shooting into the sky clearly hasn't seen the lad's approach. But he is someone around whom an innings can be built and when he does go to 80, 90, 100, the strike rate is pretty close to a run a ball. And, frankly, if half the other England batsmen had as much determination to keep their wicket intact, the side would be far higher up the rankings already.
The old adage says that you can't score runs whilst sat in the pavilion and it's only survived so long because it's true. 69 runs at 66 is a hell of a lot better than 14 from 26 balls (Kieswetter, the supposedly explosive one) or even 13 from 12 (Samit Patel), particularly on a tricky pitch in tricky conditions against a pretty decent attack.
The one thing about Trott is that Alistair Cook's approach in ODIs is just about the same. With Cook a guaranteed starter as captain, is there room for both? Possibly not, but there is value in a Trott if only because you know that whatever his approach to an innings is, it's probably the right one. Watch and learn.
And yet... Strike rates aren't everything and Trott top-scored in the innings, eventually seventh man out as England made 201/8 in a rain-affected innings. And the fact it was rain-affected it probably says it all. Rain or shine, Trott has the ability to judge a pitch and play every single ball on it's merits - he averages over 50 in ODIs precisely for this reason - unlike his colleagues who keep getting out to pre-meditated shots that the situation simply doesn't warrant.
Anyone expecting Trott to go berserk and send fireworks shooting into the sky clearly hasn't seen the lad's approach. But he is someone around whom an innings can be built and when he does go to 80, 90, 100, the strike rate is pretty close to a run a ball. And, frankly, if half the other England batsmen had as much determination to keep their wicket intact, the side would be far higher up the rankings already.
The old adage says that you can't score runs whilst sat in the pavilion and it's only survived so long because it's true. 69 runs at 66 is a hell of a lot better than 14 from 26 balls (Kieswetter, the supposedly explosive one) or even 13 from 12 (Samit Patel), particularly on a tricky pitch in tricky conditions against a pretty decent attack.
The one thing about Trott is that Alistair Cook's approach in ODIs is just about the same. With Cook a guaranteed starter as captain, is there room for both? Possibly not, but there is value in a Trott if only because you know that whatever his approach to an innings is, it's probably the right one. Watch and learn.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
The Bell epoch
A number of questions come about from the bizarre non-dismissal of Ian Bell at Trent Bridge. The main one is: how hungry was he? He was off for tea like a shot, before anyone else was really aware of what was happening. Was he that determined to beat a hungry-looking Jonathan Trott to the sandwiches? That Trott looks like a man who'd be difficult to shift from a buffet table. Either way, Dhoni/Fletcher's subsequent recalling allows Bell to get away with some grade A fuckwittery while completely emasculating Dhoni, the lily-livered lightweight. You really have to see these things through once you start down that path. Fair enough that he should appeal as we all know wicket-keepers are the biggest set of lying bullshitters* known to man and their word should never be taken without a substantial heap of salt.
Sadly, Bell then failed to be consistent when nicking one to VVS Laxman later on. He could at least have checked for the no-ball.
Personally, I blame Shakoor Rana.
* - Kumar Sangakkara notwithstanding
Sadly, Bell then failed to be consistent when nicking one to VVS Laxman later on. He could at least have checked for the no-ball.
Personally, I blame Shakoor Rana.
* - Kumar Sangakkara notwithstanding
Saturday, 4 June 2011
A fatwa on slow over rates
The current Test at Lord's between England and Sri Lanka is a cracker, swinging this way and that. But we're not going to talk about Morgan's genius, Prior's amazing first innings average, a rare failure for Jonathan Trott, Tillekeratne Dilshan's curious field placings or England's inability to bowl consistent lines. Instead, it's the over rate that's got our goat.
In the first session of the game, Sri Lanka only managed to bowl 23 overs. That's pathetic and forces us to scratch an itch that's been growing a while. There is simply no reason for any side to bowl 15 overs per hour, and yet it remains beyond the wit of all international sides to manage this. Suspensions and fines have made absolutely no difference, so it's time to ramp up the punishment and hit sides where it hurts. Penalty runs.
We're sure this is something the ICC will be interested in as they have the game at heart, oh dear me yes. For every hour of play, for every full over a side fails to bowl short of the 15, add 5 runs to the opposition's total, the runs to be added at the next break in play. If that applied at Lord's this week, that's 30 extra runs England would have had by lunch on the opening day and if that doesn't give sides the hurry-up, nothing will.
In the first session of the game, Sri Lanka only managed to bowl 23 overs. That's pathetic and forces us to scratch an itch that's been growing a while. There is simply no reason for any side to bowl 15 overs per hour, and yet it remains beyond the wit of all international sides to manage this. Suspensions and fines have made absolutely no difference, so it's time to ramp up the punishment and hit sides where it hurts. Penalty runs.
We're sure this is something the ICC will be interested in as they have the game at heart, oh dear me yes. For every hour of play, for every full over a side fails to bowl short of the 15, add 5 runs to the opposition's total, the runs to be added at the next break in play. If that applied at Lord's this week, that's 30 extra runs England would have had by lunch on the opening day and if that doesn't give sides the hurry-up, nothing will.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)