“The one thing I picked up is that they’re not as confident and brash as they normally are. Whether the side is still gelling together and they are just getting used to each other, or whether it’s that they miss the big players who have retired in recent years, and the confidence that those guys bring, who knows. I’ve been around for a while, I’ve been involved in three Ashes series, and they just didn’t seem as confident as in the matches I’ve played before. There’s definitely something there for England to work on. Having seen them today, I fancy England’s chances. If we bat well during the series we’ve got half a chance of winning the Ashes back” – Steve Harmison, quoted in The Telegraph.
Read the full story here.
“He’s very aware he’s stuffed up. He’s taken it on the chin and apologised sincerely. In fact, punctuality has been a bit of an issue recently with a few players, so it’s something we’re trying to iron out and we have taken steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Fred accepts he made a mistake, the appropriate action has been taken and we move forward” – Andrew Strauss on namesake Flintoff’s rap on the knuckles for oversleeping and missing a team visit to Flanders.
“An alarm clock issue” – Hugh Morris’ take on the same incident, as quoted in The Guardian.
Read the full story here.
Despite having been going through a period of horrid neglect recently, The Nurdler could not resist the opportunity to return for The Ashes – both Charlotte Edwards’ and Andrew Strauss’ version.
Having greatly enjoyed the confection that was the World Twenty20 every bit as much as (we are sure) Ricky Ponting enjoyed his stay in Leicester, we are now poised for The Greatest Show on Earth.
Is it our sun-soothed imaginations, or are the popular prints behaving as if the 2007 Ashes never happened and we are, in fact, successfully defending the 2005 trophy? Or maybe it’s just us.
In any case, please do join us, or add us to your feed reader, for a daily dose of humour, quirkiness and very, very brief insight. We’ll look forward to the conversation.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Does Harry Redknapp do cricket?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
“From the time I started playing cricket, aged eight, I played to win. We didn’t play for enjoyment. The enjoyment came when we won a game. It was only when I came [to England from South Africa] that I experienced the idea that sport is more about taking part” – Matt Prior offers one possible reason why South African-born cricketers are increasingly the backbone of the English side.
More here.
If the Stanford Super Series is slated to save cricket from its purportedly inevitable descent into the gloomy depths of unwatched five-day matches, then we’d better hope it can come up with something a bit more thrilling than the opening spectacle offered last night.
Thrill-seekers would frankly have been far better off tuning to BBC Two for the showcase NFL match featuring the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers than tuning their radios to TMS.
Nevertheless, everything has to start somewhere – and, to be fair, there weren’t a number of small fortunes riding on the outcome. Heaven forfend that anyone suggest that it’s the money lending this occasion a sense of drama…
Here are five stories to read if you want to catch up with what happened:
- Cricinfo match report: “England beat Middlesex by 12 runs in their opening warm-up ahead of Saturday’s $20 million match, but it was a poor performance and they relied on some excellent bowling from Stuart Broad and Andrew Flintoff to get them out of jail after a turgid display with the bat.” Read on >>
- The Telegraph: “The latest gimmick to emerge from Stanford towers is the prospect of what has been termed, in true Texan style, as a “Super Over” if next Saturday’s match ends in a tie. The whole $20 million could ride on hammering as many runs as possible from six balls as the Stanford organisers abandon the traditional bowl out to determine a winner in a tied limited overs match.” Read on >>
- The Guardian: “For all the intricately calibrated perfection of Sir Allen Stanford’s boutique cricket ground, it has one rather crucial flaw – the pitch. The wicket itself is slow, and according to Shaun Udal, it is also corrugated, with a ridge running down its middle. As lush as the outfield looks, the ball tends to plop onto the turf rather than speed across it.” Read on >>
- The Mirror: “If you were expecting to witness Twenty20 cricket at its thrilling big-hitting best, think again as both sides struggled to clear the ropes in a low scoring game.” Read on >>
- BBC Sport: “‘I am as concerned about the lights as I am about the wicket,’ said Pietersen… ‘There could be someone under a $20m catch on Saturday.’” Read on >>
“It is true that low-scoring matches can be very exciting – and last night’s narrow win for England over Middlesex was an enjoyable encounter – but we really need a better surface if this week is really to be hailed a success” – Adam Mountford, TMS blog.
More here.
“I suppose it is in a way a new start. I’ve got a central contract and I have to start getting wickets because this squad has done magnificently. There is no reason why I can’t do it again but I have to look after the body” – Ryan Sidebottom explains how his trip to Antigua is about more than just the cash.
More here.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
So, will this be the end of cricket as we know it or will very little change – other than the bank balances of a few leading players?
And can the England squad possibly find a way to mess things up?
Today sees the first match in the controversial Stanford Super Series, kicking off with a contest between the Stanford Superstars and Trinidad & Tobago, and culminating in the Superstars’ match against the England team on November 1.
Top names taking part include West Indies stars Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul as well as Ramnaresh Sarwan, Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor.
Team selection for England was, in the end, a predictable affair – less so the unexpected invite for the Middlesex side, who no-one expected to become masters of Twenty20.
So, how will it all play out? Get the details from the BBC here – including where to look for commentary on the various matches.
Filed in Twenty20
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Tagged Antigua, Chris Gayle, Daren Powell, England squad, Jerome Taylor, Middlesex, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Stanford Super Series, Trinidad & Tobago, Twenty20
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“I hate listening to myself on the radio, I always think I sound like such an ungovernably pompous prat” – the many fans of Henry Blofeld would disagree, as he steps out from behind the mike for a one-man show at London’s Shaw Theatre.
More here.