Unexpected happenings at the Twenty20 Champions League so far

No IPL sides have made the last four, possibly resulting in a serious downturn in marketing synergies and the value of cricketainment assets everywhere. It seems home advantage and the first pick of everyone else’s players wasn’t enough. New South Wales, who had probably been the best team in the competition up to that point [...]

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Top 5 T20I bowling performances

In honour of Umar Gul’s remarkable 5-6 yesterday (youtube here), here are four more of the best-ever T20I bowling performances: Mark Gillespie’s 4-7 against Kenya in 2007, taken in less than three overs. Gillespie’s bowling, a record at the time, condemned Kenya to their worst-ever total of 73 all out (although they managed to post [...]

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Ones to watch: Wrap-up

It’s more than a year now since I named my 11 to watch, so it’s probably time to weigh up (briefly) who’s lived up to their potential and who hasn’t: Nasir Jamshed is still under 20, but had little chance to impress this year given Pakistan’s effective exile from international cricket; Virat Kohli made some [...]

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Roll on 2009

So, that was 2008, then. Pretty exciting, by all accounts. As for 2009, there’s quite a bit to look forward to: The possibility of a new number one team in the world, if Australia lose the Third Test in Sydney. Australia’s revenge tour of South Africa – with a depleted bowling attack and the strange [...]

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The ICC Awards

The ICC handed out their awards today, in a ceremony a bit like the Oscars, but with fewer tears and less photogenic winners: Shivnarine Chanderpaul won Player of the Year, an accolade that nicely complements his enduring status as Lord Megachief of Gold. Dale Steyn and MS Dhoni won the Test Player of the Year [...]

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Cult figures: Australia

More cult figures, this time from A Land Down Under: David Boon, aka the ‘Keg on Legs‘, is perhaps most famous for drinking 52 cans of lager on a flight from Syndey to London (a record, in case you were wondering). He was also the Player of the Match in the 1987 World Cup Final, [...]

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Cult figures: Umpires

Another batch of cult heroes, this time of the umpiring variety: Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird is, in many people’s opinion, quite simply the finest Barbara Streisand-loving Freeman of Barnsley that ever umpired. Still outspoken on issues from Steve Bucknor to switch-hitting, Bird remains much loved within the game. David Shepherd, perhaps best known for his superstitious [...]

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Ones to watch: An update

It’s been four months since I plucked these eleven young cricketers from various levels of obscurity and cursed them with the tag ‘ones to watch’. How have they been getting on? Nasir Jamshed is on Pakistan’s probables list for the Champions Trophy, and made an unbeaten fifty against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. He’s also [...]

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Things I’ve learned about cricket recently

According to this book, a certain Gordon Greenidge used to play in a reggae band called the Coloured Raisins. Ajantha Mendis‘ recent heroics have earned him a promotion to Second Lieutanant in the Sri Lankan Army. The Sheffield Shield was named after an Earl and/or Viscount (not sure if you can be both at the [...]

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Cult figures: Pakistan

More cult figures, this time from Pakistan. These ones are all top-class players as well (sort of): Inzamam-ul-Haq is a giant both in physical stature and in cricketing terms. As well as his run-making abilities and prowess against pace, Inzy will be well remembered by cricket fans of all stripes for going after a spectator [...]

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Cult figures: England

This is the first in a very occasional series (in no way stolen from the BBC) looking at cult heroes from various cricketing nations. The criteria for selection are entirely made up and subject to change at any time. The type of cricketer that couldn’t exist at the highest level today, Phil Tufnell is so [...]

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IPL review – part one

Normally, I might consider it a little impetuous to review a competition a mere two weeks in, but this is 20/20 cricket, where speed, noise and aggression are everything. I feel qualified to offer at least one of those. So who is right about the IPL? The naysayers (and there are plenty), the cheerleaders (not [...]

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