King Cricket

November 12, 2007 Australia / Sri Lanka

Michael Vandort irritates Australia for a short while

< 1 minute readThe BBC called it ‘an easy win’ for Australia, but since when has beating Sri Lanka by an innings been easy? It’s not easy getting Michael Vandort out, certainly. Michael Vandort – or Michael Graydon Vandort as we might start calling him from now on (because that’s his name) –

November 12, 2007 India / Pakistan

Yuvraj Singh and his ten mates beat Pakistan

< 1 minute readMost reports of the third one-day international between India and Pakistan seem to have Yuvraj Singh down as the match-winner. In any report there has to be one guy who won the match, but that’s never the full story. All eight Indian batsmen who came to the crease got into

November 9, 2007 Australia / Sri Lanka

Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke do that Australian thing

< 1 minute readYes, they stand on the beach, hurling a boomerang round a bemused kangaroo with Men At Work blaring out in the background, all the while continually telling you how rubbish everything is in England. No, it’s the other thing, grinding cricket opponents into miserable submission. 242-3 overnight becomes 551-4 declared

November 8, 2007 India / Pakistan

Shahid Afridi the right man in the right place at the right time does the right thing

2 minute readYou need two runs a ball. Who do you want at the crease? Of course only one nation are lucky/unfortunate enough to have the unusual, though not inconsiderable, talents of Shahid Afridi at their disposal: Pakistan. Midway through this match, we were thinking to ourself that this Pakistan side aren’t

November 8, 2007 India

Sachin Tendulkar – nervous in the nineties?

< 1 minute readNo-one in the history of cricket – NO-ONE – has scored more international hundreds than Sachin Tendulkar. 78 times he’s got into three figures. 78! That’s loads! So why in the name of all that is good and pure is he suddenly getting out in the nineties all time? In

November 8, 2007 Australia / Sri Lanka

Phil Jaques surprises no-one

< 1 minute readThere was one other Australian retirement last year, Justin Langer’s. There was no real worry about replacing him, however. That’s not to dismiss Langer, who was as tough as biltong at the top of the order, it’s just that great Australian batsmen seemingly DO grow on trees. So Australia called

November 7, 2007 Australia / Sri Lanka

Australia’s new era lurches into view, wild-eyed and frightened

2 minute readThis Australia v Sri Lanka series might only be two Tests long, but it’s one of the most intriguing series in ages. That’s largely because there haven’t been any series in ages, but it’s more because Australia have lost the handiest half of their bowling attack. Glenn McGrath and Shane

November 7, 2007 County cricket / England

Nick Compton and some other people attempt to break ‘Everest record’

2 minute readThat’s what the BBC say. What image does ‘Everest record’ conjure up? Are you imagining a group of people playing cricket on the Gorak Shep Glacier at 5,184m? No? Well, you should be, because that’s what they’re doing. (Actually, we reckon it’s the Khumbu Glacier – Gorak Shep appears to

November 6, 2007 County cricket

Rob Key as various cinematic characters

2 minute readYou might think that early November would be a dry time for Rob Key posts, but you’d be wrong, for Robert Keyes was one of the conspirators in the gunpowder plot. Also, AP Webster sent us these, saying: “Apologies for the dodgy photoshopping. Sometimes it’s hard to know which of

November 5, 2007 India / Pakistan

India beat Pakistan in Guwahati (and series prediction)

2 minute readBarely any international cricket to speak of for weeks and then they only sneak in the biggie. It’s India v Pakistan time again. It’s time to make flippant comments about players from both sides and hopefully get some vitriol in the comments. Even the biggest series has to be constricted