Hello and back welcome to my blog
When shorter forms of cricket were manufactured by the likes of Packer and recently Modi, most believed that spinners would suffer at the hands of aggressive batsmen whose sense of defending their wicket was suddenly gone. However bowlers such as Shane Warne, Daniel Vettori and Murali have proved those people dead wrong as they adapted (as any good bowler should) to new conditions. 20/20 has again brought out the best in good spinners while their faster comrades have been belted like a boarding school troublemaker. My point this week is that unfortunately the art of commentating has not yet adapted in such a way.
The quote in the title was taken from an article on cricinfo.com which discussed the fake nature of commentary in the IPL where 'disinterested critique and fine observation' has become repetitive selling of the game and its sponsors. The quote is a summary of the problem with 20/20 commentary namely that because there is such a feast of hitting the superlatives are used up on slogs and the commentator is left speechless when a perfect cover-drive or a well-timed late cut is produced.
Suddenly 20 off 10 balls is run-of-the-mill but still spoken of like a unique ODI counterattack and when a batsmen gets 100 from just 50 balls - a true 20/20 achievement - the commentator is out of ammunition and the moment suffers because of this. A 150 strike rate built on cross-the-line slogging is lorded while a technical, paced innings by a Sachin Tendulkar can be forgotten.
Also the unpredictable nature of 20/20 makes fools of commentators that announce the next Don Bradman (after a couple of fours/sixes) then have their batsman dismissed the very next ball. On the other hand a bowler is praised for a string of dot balls before consecutive sixes destroy their bowling figures. These are extremes of this form of cricket that make it interesting - I don't have a problem with them - but the commentary needs to change or it will destroy the viewing experience to a point where we yearn for the commercial, sorry 'strategic', break to escape the monotony.
What can be done? I'm sure you have your own opinions as to how commentary can adapt. I think their style needs an overhaul, it needs to be more carnival like and less analytical. Therefore commentators of the Tony Greig style would be useful - styles that involve a lot of loud fun but less depth (a bit like the game itself). Also the concept of having players with microphones isinteresting as people get a greater idea of what's happening at the crease.
The key will be a bit of imagination like that used by the spinner bowler when the overs were reduced and the boundary rope encroached them.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again
It's good bye for now
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Cricket joins the business world
Hello and welcome back to my blog
The IPL has begun! I won't attempt to provide commentary on every game but I do intend to highlight certain points as the Juggernaut moves along. Last time I mentioned that spin bowlers need not worry if they get hit for fours and sixes.. This has been shown to be true in the tournament so far as Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Daniel Vettori have had good success in the face of aggressive batsmen. Also It is great to see both my picked teams (Bangalore and Delhi) winning their first games.
Unfortunately this is where the good news ends as I reach a serious problem that has suddenly materialised to the dismay of many. The seven and a half minute breaks at the mid-point of the innings has taken many by surprise, including myself, but really it should come as no shock. The IPL is really just the biggest cash cow (no pun intended) that cricket has ever seen and any commercial advantage is being taken to bloat this beast to its limit. The break is by no means a tactical break few were stupid enough to believe so.
Tonight we saw the big problem with this addition to the IPL when a game was shortened by rain to 14 overs per innings but the break was kept in full! Common sense should dictate that such a break could be shortened to keep the players on the field even if it is pro rata. I see this as the game bowing to business - cricket is now a business not a sport or at least the pendulum has swung in that direction. It is probably inevitable but I find it disappointing all the same.
I just hope the situation doesn't become one where by we watch a bit of cricket to entertain us between the advertisements. A dangerous move at the very least.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
The IPL has begun! I won't attempt to provide commentary on every game but I do intend to highlight certain points as the Juggernaut moves along. Last time I mentioned that spin bowlers need not worry if they get hit for fours and sixes.. This has been shown to be true in the tournament so far as Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Daniel Vettori have had good success in the face of aggressive batsmen. Also It is great to see both my picked teams (Bangalore and Delhi) winning their first games.
Unfortunately this is where the good news ends as I reach a serious problem that has suddenly materialised to the dismay of many. The seven and a half minute breaks at the mid-point of the innings has taken many by surprise, including myself, but really it should come as no shock. The IPL is really just the biggest cash cow (no pun intended) that cricket has ever seen and any commercial advantage is being taken to bloat this beast to its limit. The break is by no means a tactical break few were stupid enough to believe so.
Tonight we saw the big problem with this addition to the IPL when a game was shortened by rain to 14 overs per innings but the break was kept in full! Common sense should dictate that such a break could be shortened to keep the players on the field even if it is pro rata. I see this as the game bowing to business - cricket is now a business not a sport or at least the pendulum has swung in that direction. It is probably inevitable but I find it disappointing all the same.
I just hope the situation doesn't become one where by we watch a bit of cricket to entertain us between the advertisements. A dangerous move at the very least.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
To be a spinner is to be hit
Hello and welcome back to my blog
Some of the best advice I ever heard was from Shane Warne who suggested that spinners and coaches not get down if the batsman hits you for a six or four. The batsman has but one wicket where as the bowler, particularly spinners, can bowl all day at them. Forget the runs scored and used the boundary to your advantage by tempting the batsman again. In other words a spinner must absorb the punishment they are likely to receive. Good spinners and great do this very well - after all Warne has the record for most times a bowler has conceded 100 runs in an innings!
After some discussion on my last entry I feel the need for such humility. I realise that the tone of my commentary on Daniel Vettori was misunderstood by some and perhaps I failed to convey what I really meant. In no way do I think little of Vettori as a spinner, I respect him as a bowling genius and he is one of my favourite bowlers to watch. However I don't think this prevents me from illuminating some short falls that prevent him from being considered a Great of the art.
Statistically speaking his average of 35 against Australia seems fine but he averages more than 50 in the last two series played against them. The 35 relies on the 14 wickets @ 14 he picked up in 2000 not the 14 @ 50+ he has taken since 2004. As for context it is true that particularly when playing South Africa, Vettori has been negated by no real support from his fellow bowlers but one might argue that the SA players' deficiencies against spin bowling would help Vettori - at least enough to prevent an average of almost 70.
To expand on that point, the lack of support from quality fast bowlers means that teams can sit on the quality spinner. My argument is that if the spinner is one of the greats this shouldn't be a problem; Warne proved in 2005 how successful a great spinner can be when a team attempts to sit on him while hitting the support (Lee, Gillespie etc).
Of course this brings up the difference between wrist spinners like Warne and finger spinners like Vettori - the greater turn that the former can extract. This is a valid point and does make comparison difficult. The point I make is that Vettori suffers from NO turn. Over his career his action has changed so that he gets virtually no turn any more as eluded to by Martin Crowe in the Napier Test. Patel and Singh got plenty of turn throughout the test series in New Zealand recently while Vettori extracted none.
Vettori's change of action has given him greater control at the sacrifice of turn and consequently his test effectiveness has decreased while his ODI results have greatly improved. Great spinners do not need to make such sacrifices. I don't blame Vettori for this, New Zealand required a good ODI spinner and he has stepped up. He is still the best spinner produced by NZ and I think that's not a bad effort.
I hope that helps clear up any misunderstanding in my last posting
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
Some of the best advice I ever heard was from Shane Warne who suggested that spinners and coaches not get down if the batsman hits you for a six or four. The batsman has but one wicket where as the bowler, particularly spinners, can bowl all day at them. Forget the runs scored and used the boundary to your advantage by tempting the batsman again. In other words a spinner must absorb the punishment they are likely to receive. Good spinners and great do this very well - after all Warne has the record for most times a bowler has conceded 100 runs in an innings!
After some discussion on my last entry I feel the need for such humility. I realise that the tone of my commentary on Daniel Vettori was misunderstood by some and perhaps I failed to convey what I really meant. In no way do I think little of Vettori as a spinner, I respect him as a bowling genius and he is one of my favourite bowlers to watch. However I don't think this prevents me from illuminating some short falls that prevent him from being considered a Great of the art.
Statistically speaking his average of 35 against Australia seems fine but he averages more than 50 in the last two series played against them. The 35 relies on the 14 wickets @ 14 he picked up in 2000 not the 14 @ 50+ he has taken since 2004. As for context it is true that particularly when playing South Africa, Vettori has been negated by no real support from his fellow bowlers but one might argue that the SA players' deficiencies against spin bowling would help Vettori - at least enough to prevent an average of almost 70.
To expand on that point, the lack of support from quality fast bowlers means that teams can sit on the quality spinner. My argument is that if the spinner is one of the greats this shouldn't be a problem; Warne proved in 2005 how successful a great spinner can be when a team attempts to sit on him while hitting the support (Lee, Gillespie etc).
Of course this brings up the difference between wrist spinners like Warne and finger spinners like Vettori - the greater turn that the former can extract. This is a valid point and does make comparison difficult. The point I make is that Vettori suffers from NO turn. Over his career his action has changed so that he gets virtually no turn any more as eluded to by Martin Crowe in the Napier Test. Patel and Singh got plenty of turn throughout the test series in New Zealand recently while Vettori extracted none.
Vettori's change of action has given him greater control at the sacrifice of turn and consequently his test effectiveness has decreased while his ODI results have greatly improved. Great spinners do not need to make such sacrifices. I don't blame Vettori for this, New Zealand required a good ODI spinner and he has stepped up. He is still the best spinner produced by NZ and I think that's not a bad effort.
I hope that helps clear up any misunderstanding in my last posting
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
Saturday, April 11, 2009
When a good spinner is not a great spinner
Hello and welcome back to my blog
Spin bowling is the most difficult art to master and equally the most brilliant to watch when practised by a good artist. Thus it doesn't come as a shock that the difference between the good spinners and the great makes for interesting discussion.
Daniel Vettori of New Zealand falls into the good category. Much as Black Cap fans would like to think he is a great, stats do not lie and his have not been great against the best teams of his career. Averages of 35 against Australia (over 50 in his last two series against them), 69.7 against South Africa (he doesn't have a 5 wicket haul yet) and Indian wickets have come at 54.8. Even English batsmen have cost 36.6 runs for their wickets (although Vettori did take 10 wickets @ 25 in the 1999 series win and 12 @ 27 in 2008).
His career average was almost 39 in 2004 before tours to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe lowered it again. The worsening record is due to teams recognising his talent and defending against him. This plan would not work against great spinners like Warne, Benaud, Singh or even Murali due to the great turn they extract and better fast bowlers to support them. Vettori's talent as a good spinner therefore appears when batsmen try to attack him in ODIs and 20/20 games
This brings me to my opinion of the NZ squad for the 20/20 World Cup. The inclusion of O'Brien is my main complaint as this is the one form of the game where your best cricket XI is not always the winning formula. I believe (without insulting his skills) he could be left out for either Southee or Elliot who might be better suited for the tournament. Both these players excelled in England last year and in particular Elliot's cool head and Southee's lower order hitting provide additional skills. The squad is an exciting one and I think at least a semi-final spot is beckoning.
Continuing on the 20/20 note I make my picks for the upcoming IPL tournament in South Africa. With Kevin Pietersen to captain and bat alongside exciting talents Ryder and Taylor plus Steyn and Bracken to lead the bowling the Bangalore Royal Challengers should be the favourites. However I will be supporting the the Daredevils once again due to the inclusion of Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori (two of my favourite bowlers) although the pick of Sehwag as captain is disappointing.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again
It's good bye for now
Spin bowling is the most difficult art to master and equally the most brilliant to watch when practised by a good artist. Thus it doesn't come as a shock that the difference between the good spinners and the great makes for interesting discussion.
Daniel Vettori of New Zealand falls into the good category. Much as Black Cap fans would like to think he is a great, stats do not lie and his have not been great against the best teams of his career. Averages of 35 against Australia (over 50 in his last two series against them), 69.7 against South Africa (he doesn't have a 5 wicket haul yet) and Indian wickets have come at 54.8. Even English batsmen have cost 36.6 runs for their wickets (although Vettori did take 10 wickets @ 25 in the 1999 series win and 12 @ 27 in 2008).
His career average was almost 39 in 2004 before tours to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe lowered it again. The worsening record is due to teams recognising his talent and defending against him. This plan would not work against great spinners like Warne, Benaud, Singh or even Murali due to the great turn they extract and better fast bowlers to support them. Vettori's talent as a good spinner therefore appears when batsmen try to attack him in ODIs and 20/20 games
This brings me to my opinion of the NZ squad for the 20/20 World Cup. The inclusion of O'Brien is my main complaint as this is the one form of the game where your best cricket XI is not always the winning formula. I believe (without insulting his skills) he could be left out for either Southee or Elliot who might be better suited for the tournament. Both these players excelled in England last year and in particular Elliot's cool head and Southee's lower order hitting provide additional skills. The squad is an exciting one and I think at least a semi-final spot is beckoning.
Continuing on the 20/20 note I make my picks for the upcoming IPL tournament in South Africa. With Kevin Pietersen to captain and bat alongside exciting talents Ryder and Taylor plus Steyn and Bracken to lead the bowling the Bangalore Royal Challengers should be the favourites. However I will be supporting the the Daredevils once again due to the inclusion of Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori (two of my favourite bowlers) although the pick of Sehwag as captain is disappointing.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again
It's good bye for now
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Deliveries that miss the pitch
Hello and welcome back to my blog
Most spinners (and some pacemen) remember the time when they missed the pitch entirely and the ball rolled to fine leg or third man and the immediate emotion is anger or annoyance but in retrospect it's quite funny.
The wet end to the third test between NZ and India shows a similar sequence of emotion when the media and commentators miss the point. In every news source the fact that rain prevented a 2-0 result in the series is the headline when you could easily argue that if the pitch had broken up in Napier it might have been 2-1 or 1-1. The idea that the conditions prevented anything is a common misconception about the game of cricket - probably one of the most weather affected sports in the world! As a captain with 150 years of cricket history to be aware of and, much easier to read, a weather report stating that Day Five would be wet, setting a total of 600+ was a ridiculous move (200 more than the record for successful run chases!) and the blame therefore lies equally with Dhoni.
Having said that, Taylor's second century of the series was crucial and its level of skill was only matched by the low attention it received after the game in preventing a 2-0 score line. It's elements like this which define cricket games.
Analysis of the series as a whole has been much better with the Wellington and Christchurch papers providing food for thought. A good point is the return Vettori got from pushing for Chris Martin who picked up 14 wickets at 32 in the series. Vettori showed excellent judgement here (pity about Patel though) and Martin passed 150 wickets (now equal with Morrison at 4th most by a Black Cap). However the opening position is still a problem as NZ cannot seem to find two in-form batsmen for spots 1-3 but I do believe Flynn and Guptill show great potential (McIntosh has serious technical problems with the short ball and the front foot even if his temperament is correct).
Unfortunately commentators keep blithering on about India's ranking (3) compared to NZ's (8) as they fail to realise that this series was never about whether India would be dominant or not but about the Black Caps testing themselves against quality opposition and of course entertainment
On that note I come to Mark Richardson's comments, most of which I agree with. The series WAS entertaining with the Indian stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Harbhajan turning it on. The surprises were welcome as well with Gambhir and Ryder scoring well. The other surprise was Vettori's lack of penetration in this series, a fine observation by Richardson and one which I will pursue at a later date.
In the end the First Test was decided on day one when 6 Black Caps were out before lunch. The Second Test was drawn because of the pitch although NZ played some top notch cricket for the 3 days reminding us why they are still a test nation (an indication of things to come hopefully). In my opinion the Wellington Test was set up by two poor sessions: post-tea on day 1 (India scored 180 runs here) and post-lunch on day 2 (5 NZ wickets fell) and should have been a win for India if Dhoni had wanted it to be but he will learn his lesson - be mindful of the weather which will serve him well here next teim and in England.
I think I may have landed a few deliveries on the pitch today but then never trust a blind man's judgement on such things. Feel free to opine.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
Most spinners (and some pacemen) remember the time when they missed the pitch entirely and the ball rolled to fine leg or third man and the immediate emotion is anger or annoyance but in retrospect it's quite funny.
The wet end to the third test between NZ and India shows a similar sequence of emotion when the media and commentators miss the point. In every news source the fact that rain prevented a 2-0 result in the series is the headline when you could easily argue that if the pitch had broken up in Napier it might have been 2-1 or 1-1. The idea that the conditions prevented anything is a common misconception about the game of cricket - probably one of the most weather affected sports in the world! As a captain with 150 years of cricket history to be aware of and, much easier to read, a weather report stating that Day Five would be wet, setting a total of 600+ was a ridiculous move (200 more than the record for successful run chases!) and the blame therefore lies equally with Dhoni.
Having said that, Taylor's second century of the series was crucial and its level of skill was only matched by the low attention it received after the game in preventing a 2-0 score line. It's elements like this which define cricket games.
Analysis of the series as a whole has been much better with the Wellington and Christchurch papers providing food for thought. A good point is the return Vettori got from pushing for Chris Martin who picked up 14 wickets at 32 in the series. Vettori showed excellent judgement here (pity about Patel though) and Martin passed 150 wickets (now equal with Morrison at 4th most by a Black Cap). However the opening position is still a problem as NZ cannot seem to find two in-form batsmen for spots 1-3 but I do believe Flynn and Guptill show great potential (McIntosh has serious technical problems with the short ball and the front foot even if his temperament is correct).
Unfortunately commentators keep blithering on about India's ranking (3) compared to NZ's (8) as they fail to realise that this series was never about whether India would be dominant or not but about the Black Caps testing themselves against quality opposition and of course entertainment
On that note I come to Mark Richardson's comments, most of which I agree with. The series WAS entertaining with the Indian stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Harbhajan turning it on. The surprises were welcome as well with Gambhir and Ryder scoring well. The other surprise was Vettori's lack of penetration in this series, a fine observation by Richardson and one which I will pursue at a later date.
In the end the First Test was decided on day one when 6 Black Caps were out before lunch. The Second Test was drawn because of the pitch although NZ played some top notch cricket for the 3 days reminding us why they are still a test nation (an indication of things to come hopefully). In my opinion the Wellington Test was set up by two poor sessions: post-tea on day 1 (India scored 180 runs here) and post-lunch on day 2 (5 NZ wickets fell) and should have been a win for India if Dhoni had wanted it to be but he will learn his lesson - be mindful of the weather which will serve him well here next teim and in England.
I think I may have landed a few deliveries on the pitch today but then never trust a blind man's judgement on such things. Feel free to opine.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Tight line and length is sometimes too little too late
Hello and welcome back to my blog
In terms of the test match, or the test series itself, this Sunday was fairly pointless with India's lead growing from 200 to over 530 which was expected. No doubt India will declare quickly tomorrow morning particularly as the weather threatens to end the game early. The Black Caps in all likelihood will suffer a heavy defeat unless a whole day is rained out - at least that is the tone being taken by tabloid reporters. I maintain the pitch is still good enough for the likes of Flynn, Taylor, Ryder and McCullum to bat as India did in Napier.
The day's play may have been pointless but the cricket itself was very good with plenty of runs but some good spells for NZ. Highlights include Gambhir's brilliant century (although he was LBW at the first sign of proper swing), McCullum's brilliant catch to get rid of Dravid and sadly the low key, last appearance by Sachin Tendulkar in New Zealand as he was brilliantly fooled by Vettori's best delivery of the day. Obrien's new ball spell was what NZ needed at the end of Day ONE; fast and swinging (not to mention wicket filled).
Mention should also be made about Andrew Flintoff in the West Indies who doesn't remember how to bat at the moment but his bowling is almost back to the 2005 levels that so destroyed Australia. He took a hat trick to finish with five wickets and win the ODI series for England - a good end to a terrible winter (on and off the field) for the team hoping to retake a certain ASHES trophy in August and September. I do not see this happening yet but there is plenty of cricket to play before then.
As the Basin Test nears its end attention must turn to the IPL and the strange move of an Indian league being played in South Africa. To be honest the later viewing times will be great for people in New Zealand who can watch during breakfast. I will be making my pick as soon as the India series is over here.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
In terms of the test match, or the test series itself, this Sunday was fairly pointless with India's lead growing from 200 to over 530 which was expected. No doubt India will declare quickly tomorrow morning particularly as the weather threatens to end the game early. The Black Caps in all likelihood will suffer a heavy defeat unless a whole day is rained out - at least that is the tone being taken by tabloid reporters. I maintain the pitch is still good enough for the likes of Flynn, Taylor, Ryder and McCullum to bat as India did in Napier.
The day's play may have been pointless but the cricket itself was very good with plenty of runs but some good spells for NZ. Highlights include Gambhir's brilliant century (although he was LBW at the first sign of proper swing), McCullum's brilliant catch to get rid of Dravid and sadly the low key, last appearance by Sachin Tendulkar in New Zealand as he was brilliantly fooled by Vettori's best delivery of the day. Obrien's new ball spell was what NZ needed at the end of Day ONE; fast and swinging (not to mention wicket filled).
Mention should also be made about Andrew Flintoff in the West Indies who doesn't remember how to bat at the moment but his bowling is almost back to the 2005 levels that so destroyed Australia. He took a hat trick to finish with five wickets and win the ODI series for England - a good end to a terrible winter (on and off the field) for the team hoping to retake a certain ASHES trophy in August and September. I do not see this happening yet but there is plenty of cricket to play before then.
As the Basin Test nears its end attention must turn to the IPL and the strange move of an Indian league being played in South Africa. To be honest the later viewing times will be great for people in New Zealand who can watch during breakfast. I will be making my pick as soon as the India series is over here.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
Friday, April 3, 2009
The best shot of the summer!!!
Hello and welcome back to my blog
Anyone who was watching the cricket at the Basin Reserve will have an idea as to what the title refers to, but for those of you who missed the moment, NZ were struggling to get runs on the board and one Chris Martin strode to the crease having not scored a run in his last 29 games. He proceeded to belt Harbhajan Singh down the ground for FOUR and Martin Crowe delivered the line of commentary I have used for today's title.
Unfortunately that was about as good as it got for the Black Caps today as Khan nicked out five of batsmen and keeper Dhoni took 6 catches. None of the batsmen could last long at the crease - in fact Taylor (140 minutes) and McCullum (88 minutes) were the only ones to bat for more than an hour.
With the NZ scorecard in tatters the commentators began discussing how India would use a lead of 180 odd - aim to win or simply bat the Black Caps into submission. I believe both are likely at this point because even if the bowlers knock India over for 197 (the NZ score) the lead will be over 350 and Singh will get plenty of turn on days four and five to negate any fight Vettori's men may put up.
BUT FIGHT THEY MUST! The pitch is good and the team is full of talent so victory is not impossible yet and I must say if they get close it will be very entertaining.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
Anyone who was watching the cricket at the Basin Reserve will have an idea as to what the title refers to, but for those of you who missed the moment, NZ were struggling to get runs on the board and one Chris Martin strode to the crease having not scored a run in his last 29 games. He proceeded to belt Harbhajan Singh down the ground for FOUR and Martin Crowe delivered the line of commentary I have used for today's title.
Unfortunately that was about as good as it got for the Black Caps today as Khan nicked out five of batsmen and keeper Dhoni took 6 catches. None of the batsmen could last long at the crease - in fact Taylor (140 minutes) and McCullum (88 minutes) were the only ones to bat for more than an hour.
With the NZ scorecard in tatters the commentators began discussing how India would use a lead of 180 odd - aim to win or simply bat the Black Caps into submission. I believe both are likely at this point because even if the bowlers knock India over for 197 (the NZ score) the lead will be over 350 and Singh will get plenty of turn on days four and five to negate any fight Vettori's men may put up.
BUT FIGHT THEY MUST! The pitch is good and the team is full of talent so victory is not impossible yet and I must say if they get close it will be very entertaining.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
And he is greeted to the crease with a crashing FOUR!!!
Hello and welcome to my blog
Through this instrument I intend to critique the writings and radio shows pertaining to cricket and, like a good wrong'un, throw down something a bit loopy and different. Incidentally the wrong'un is the only delivery I can bowl competently so the omens are good.
Once a week I will give my 'spin' on cricket news but also call out the errors in judgement by some cricket writers who should no better. For instance, the critique of Martin Crowe's commentary during the Napier Test this week by Tony Greig was disappointing due to the PC tone it had. Greig, a player and thinker on the game who I respect, did not seem to fully appreciate the poor level of captaincy shown by Sehwag (both as a batsman and in the field) and hence failed to realise that Crowe's comments, while a little exaggerated for affect, were correct. Sehwag's field placements were imaginative for the sake of being imaginative with 4th slips instead of 1st slips and allowing the NZ batsmen to proceed unhindered for long periods of time. These mistakes I would forgive but his all-or-nothing approach with his batting was irresponsible as the leader of a team facing a 620 run mountain to climb.
As for Tony Greig, he would do well not to throw stones in glass houses considering his reputation for bold rhetoric over the last 30 years. If anything I would expect him to agree completely with Martin Crowe!
On a lighter note I commend Jessie Ryder, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum for their brilliant centuries. Ryder looks at home at test level, remarkable for someone so inexperienced, Taylor changed the momentum of the game with a wonderful counter-attack after lunch on Day 1 and McCullum can finally say he has a test century against good opposition.
This is just my opinion, you can agree or disagree
So once a week I will provide such commentary with the exception of NZ games during which I will post a daily summary.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
Through this instrument I intend to critique the writings and radio shows pertaining to cricket and, like a good wrong'un, throw down something a bit loopy and different. Incidentally the wrong'un is the only delivery I can bowl competently so the omens are good.
Once a week I will give my 'spin' on cricket news but also call out the errors in judgement by some cricket writers who should no better. For instance, the critique of Martin Crowe's commentary during the Napier Test this week by Tony Greig was disappointing due to the PC tone it had. Greig, a player and thinker on the game who I respect, did not seem to fully appreciate the poor level of captaincy shown by Sehwag (both as a batsman and in the field) and hence failed to realise that Crowe's comments, while a little exaggerated for affect, were correct. Sehwag's field placements were imaginative for the sake of being imaginative with 4th slips instead of 1st slips and allowing the NZ batsmen to proceed unhindered for long periods of time. These mistakes I would forgive but his all-or-nothing approach with his batting was irresponsible as the leader of a team facing a 620 run mountain to climb.
As for Tony Greig, he would do well not to throw stones in glass houses considering his reputation for bold rhetoric over the last 30 years. If anything I would expect him to agree completely with Martin Crowe!
On a lighter note I commend Jessie Ryder, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum for their brilliant centuries. Ryder looks at home at test level, remarkable for someone so inexperienced, Taylor changed the momentum of the game with a wonderful counter-attack after lunch on Day 1 and McCullum can finally say he has a test century against good opposition.
This is just my opinion, you can agree or disagree
So once a week I will provide such commentary with the exception of NZ games during which I will post a daily summary.
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again.
It's good bye for now
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