No deal between the ICC and Sky. Crazy that the governing body of a sport has to go cap in hand to a broadcaster asking for their help....perhaps if they'd thought about this in advance (i.e. a decade ago) and formulated some plans for how to integrate technology into cricket, they might be in a slightly better position!
Robin Martin-Jenkins not only helped Sussex save the follow on against Worcestershire, but also announced that he will retire in July before the season is over. Seems strange to retire mid-season but I can only assume that cricketer's contracts run as all others do with a notice period - I'm surprised that he's not contractually obliged to play until the end of the season.
Sussex will feel disappointed, but they do have Luke Wright in the all-rounders role and it could be no bad thing for him if he wants to push for an England spot.
Although Sussex are struggling against Worcestershire, they have benefited from the strange rules that allowed both Michael Hardy and Luke Wright to play from Day 2 having gone to Downing Street on Monday evening. I'll never get used to that. And I'm not sure what stopped them playing Day 1 (which finished at 6pm) and then travelling to Downing Street? Or missing it altogether as they had a County match to play in!
There is a tri-series about to start between Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and India. India have chosen a squad minus Dhoni, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Sehwag, Zaheer Kahn, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar and Yuvraj Singh. They will be captained by Suresh Raina and his deputy will be Virat Kholi. Sri Lanka have chosen a squad without Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Sanath Jayasuriya and Murali. They will be captained by Dilshan and Angelo Matthews is vice captain. A few of these players are carrying injuries, but the vast majority are being rested. Makes you wonder what the point of this series is. A few years ago the anti-corruption unit recommended reducing the number of meaningless series, it seems like this recommendation has been completely ignored.
Incidentally, Prosper Utseya has resigned as Zimbabwe captain and is replaced by Elton Chigumbura. So all three teams will be led by rookie captains.
I don't disagree with Andy Flower's stated aim of having fresh and fit players to compete for the Ashes come November, but I do disagree with when they're rested. There's no England Test match between 9th June - 28th July so that would seem like an ideal time to rest them if necessary.
I'd be particularly annoyed if I was Collingwood as he's 2 days off his 34th birthday and he hasn't got limitless Tests ahead of him like Broad should have. Not only does Collingwood miss out on another couple of caps v Bangladesh, but he misses out on the chance to make stacks of runs and up his career average, while instead (in all likelihood) watching Morgan get the runs he would have got which will raise questions about Collingwood's place in the team.
So good idea, but I disagree on the details of when the players are being rested. Rest who you like during Twenty20s and ODIs, but if home Tests aren't being played by 1st XIs then they really shouldn't be given the status of Tests.
After morale sapping losses against teams they should beat in matches that they will feel they could have won, Sussex suffered further agony yesterday as the Unicorns chased 326 to win on what must have been an incredible Arundel wicket. On the plus side, good to see Joe Gatting back in form.
I knew that the early season wins couldn't continue! I'm off to watch the first day of Sussex v Worcestershire now so I'll report back on how they bounce back...
Talking of switch hitting, as I was in the last post, you can win the chance to find out exactly how to perfect the shot with KP himself should you so wish. The competition is run by the Sunday Mirror/Brylcreem and you can enter here.
....according to the ICC, with appropriate caveats about having to reach deals with local broadcasters. But also interestingly they want to stop batsman changing their stance until after the bowler has entered their delivery stride - should the batsman do this twice a 5 run penalty will be incured.
There's several reasons why that's crazy - 1, it's unenforcable - who decides exactly when the bowling stride has begun and how is the standing umpire meant to police it (eyes in the back of his head?). 2, you need to be consistent so if you're to create such an odd law then you need to ban the likes of Pietersen and Collingwood walking towards the bowler as they reach the end of their run up. 3, it's making it harder for batsmen to play a truly innovative shot and stifling excitement.
If I was a first class bowler, I'd be gutted - the last thing I'd want is for batsmen to stop switch hitting as even for the most talented like Pietersen, it's a high risk shot and the bowler's chances of a wicket go up when a batsman plays it.
Well last Thursday at Horsham didn't turn out anywhere near as expected - no world beating players in the opposition, although they did have an apparently fast bowling Kiwi who lumbered in off a few yards and was still pretty rapid. On a superb track we made 237 which seemed about 50 short at least given that the outfield was also like lightening. It seemed like it would be more like 150 short after we'd bowled 8 overs and they were 78 - 0!
But our premier spinner, Andy Isaacs, slowed the scoring right down and we gradually clawed our way back into the game. With the aid of a dodgy LBW to get rid of their last recognised batsman we were actually unlucky not to win in the end with me and Stevo at 1st slip looking at each other as an edge from the last wicket pair went between us, and with the home umpire turning down a plumb LBW that would have sealed a win. The leave at slip wasn't my only gaffe of the game....I also slipped under a skier at point and, even with time to regather my footing, never really managed to do so and didn't get a hand on it as the ball landed about 10 paces from where I was fielding! Game drawn.
After a win on Saturday (on one of the few reasonably bouncy fast wickets we're likely to play on all year) Steyning 1s are now 2nd in the league. The 2s also won pretty easily. A poorly timed wedding from someone who should know better (Raf for those that know him!), means that I can't play next weekend but hopefully we can keep the momentum going. And Steyning Under 18s had a nail-biting win yesterday by the looks of it, scraping home by 1 wicket.
Tomorrow I make my debut for the Sussex Martlets at Seaford College....not working has it's significant advantages!
Despite Ed's earlier postings about the accidental shooting and trapping of foxes I'm delighted to be able to report, from a recent trip to The Oval, that Foxes are making a comeback. One in particular, rumoured to have its den by the famous Gasworks site, clearly thinks that the outfield is its own domain. Its first ventue of the day prompted no break in play largely because it had the knowledge to cross the field when the bowling was from the other end - unlike a couple of booted and suited gents who felt that the empty seats in front of the sight screen needed filling. The foxes next passage was from third man to the extra cover bounday and since Surrey were then scoring at less than 2 an over provided better entertainment for players and spectators. Later on when it was appreciated that since the fox couldn't catch pigeons it was no threat and was ignored by the players. Last seen asleep in the OCS stand.
It would appear that the England & Australia teams for the Ashes series 2010/11 have already been decided...that is if this fabulous offer from Cricket Australia is to be believed.
http://campaigns.cricket.com.au/mk/get/MINIBATOFFERMAY2010?_EC=xz99Ch1D01u6Zi7KG3i1kU
Well known for touting loads of third rate tat posing as memorabilia during the advert breaks in the cricket, they have surpassed themselves with this offering of bats apparently already signed by the Australian and English teams.
A bargain at only $149.99!
Interesting short article from David Frith asking, amongst other things, why the ICC didn't ensure that video replays were available at the World Twenty20....
As expected, Sussex have dropped Joe Gatting and are bringing in Ed Joyce for their match against Northants. They're also taking Ollie Rayner and Will Beer to cover for Panesar who is on England duty....
Beer therefore won't be around to play for Horsham against Steyning on Thursday, but rumour has it that they may be playing their overseas player, Fahad Masood. Looking at his playing history which seems to include playing for Pakistan A, it could be a short game if Steyning bat first and he's opening the bowling!
Thank God the IPL and T20 world cup are over. Can we please get on with some proper cricket now. It seems a life time ago since I've watched a test match.
So Stuart Broad dropping Kieswetter on 4 in that now famous Lions match proved much more important than him doing the same thing to David Hussey on 25 yesterday. Both were the kind of catches when you say to yourself 'thank god that's not me under that' but he clearly seriously misjudged both. Anyway no harm done. And as all good cricket burble readers know I'm a huge fan of Moneyball by Michael Lewis - seems that Andy Flower is too. Other good news is that a movie of the book is planned.
For a moment I feared that Stuart Broad's drop would prove costly, but in the end England cruised to victory with 3 overs to spare. It's great that England have finally broken their duck in world cricket events and let's hope that this is the first of a few (many seems a bit ambitious!).
A couple of things that made me feel a little bit less deliriously happy than I should have been after beating the Aussies in a final(!):
- there were no video replays which meant that Haddin got a shocker of a decision and Keiswetter survived an out LBW shout for the second game running (he was also plumb during his innings v Sri Lanka too). I don't understand why you wouldn't use technology when it's definitely available as all the TV viewers see it?!
- Stuart Broad's "for f*cks sake" shout that was clearly audible from the stump microphone on the last ball of the Australian innings. Luke Wright had already run out David Hussey from long on and he happened to slightly fumble it meaning that the chance of a run out was lost. But Luke Wright is a miles better fielder than Broad who had already made a potentially match-losing howler, so what right does he have to shout abuse at Wright?
- (with apologies to all football supporters) this isn't football - punch the air, hug each other by the side of the pitch when you win, but did we really need to charge onto the pitch to celebrate, ignoring the Aussies initially. The team did at least break up to shake the hands of the opposition eventually, but shouldn't that come first?
- the TV coverage on terrestrial TV was equivalent to Oxford United getting promoted from the Four Square Premier League into Division 2 of the Football League. Enough said.
Now back to a couple of weeks of 4 day cricket before it's 5 weeks of Twenty20 here in England. Just as well I didn't take that much interest in the IPL or I'd have already reached Twenty20 saturation point....
Amazing to think that Will Smith has resigned already - Durham have started very badly but if he felt he was the right man for the job at the start of the season then things can't have changed that quickly can they? Durham will be hoping for a swift change in fortunes....
I like the first comment: "He could always move to Bel-Air". I suspect some Cricket Burble readers may not know what that comment is referring to!
An interesting piece about protecting the head and whether helmets mean that current batsman can't be properly assessed against their predecessors who batted without helmets. I never knew that before helmets some players - Brearley and Gaveskar are mentioned here - experimented with fibreglass skull protectors under their caps....
Is it just me that is wondering exactly why Shane Bond is retiring? He's not saying he's injured....from what I can tell at 34 (nearly 35) he's saying that he can't really be bothered with the effort of preparing to play ODIs and Twenty20 for another year until the World Cup next year. It seems he doesn't fancy training much or touring the sub-continent. You're the country's best fast bowler Shane - put yourself in the shoes of your countrymen....how are you going to look any of them in the eye again?
I appreciate that he's had to go through a lot of rehab and that must be mind-numbingly boring but it's a job and all jobs have some large downsides. Another one for the "Mentally Weak XI"....
Sensational batting from White and Mike Hussey to take Australia into the final....England must be gutted. Playing Pakistan they'd win 7 out of 10....playing Australia they'll win 2 out of 10, possibly 3 in 10 at best.
I'd love to know what would have happened if Hafeez had bowled the final over....
