All posts by h716a5.icu

What was supposed to be a dream trip for 15 of America’s best young cricketers turned into an absolute nightmare over the month of January.

Peter Della Penna01-Feb-2010What was supposed to be a dream trip for 15 of America’s best young cricketers turned into an absolute nightmare over the month of January. They came into the Under-19 World Cup rated 15th in the world with the hope that they might pull off the near impossible by winning two games in Group B to advance to the Super League, thereby establishing themselves as a top eight team. They failed to do that.However, they almost managed to do something else that was believed to be nearly impossible before this tournament began: lose every single game in the competition to finish dead last. Only a rout over a diluted Afghanistan squad spared USA such embarrassment. Finishing 15th was the most tangible proof that no progress had been made by the squad in the four months since they qualified for the World Cup in Toronto.After starting the tour with a not so impressive four-wicket win over local Christchurch club Burnside CC, the team was in for a rude awakening two days later when they were trounced by a state youth team, Canterbury Under-17s. The scorecard might say Canterbury won by five wickets, but that was far more flattering to USA than what actually occurred.For the second match in a row, USA lost their first two wickets on the first two balls of the morning. USA couldn’t fall back on the excuse that it took place against a group of college-aged peers like their first opponents. This time, they had been rolled over for 96 by a bunch of pimple-faced teens who had only just reached puberty.The next day, alarm bells starting ringing loudly when USA lost to Hong Kong by six wickets. This was the same Hong Kong team that USA should have beaten with ease in their last game at the World Cup Qualifier in Canada, but only managed to scrape by with a one-wicket victory with a ball to spare chasing 210.This time around Hong Kong cantered to victory, passing the target of 183 with almost 18 overs to spare. Hong Kong captain James Atkinson notched 100 in only 86 balls. He was someone who scored a grand total of 46 runs in seven innings at the World Cup Qualifier and was out first ball in the match in Toronto against USA.The first official tournament warm-up fixture against India provided more growing pains. Mayank Agarwal was set to score a double-century had he not retired after the 21st over upon reaching his hundred.The next day, Papua New Guinea decided to rest their most incisive pace bowlers Raymond Haoda and John Reva, who took 7 for 34 against USA when the teams played in Toronto. After USA posted a healthy 286, PNG’s batsmen showed no interest in chasing the runs, rather only in getting some time out in the middle. The resulting victory by 116 runs imbued the USA squad with false confidence.They tried to build themselves up believing they had bowled India out inside of 50 overs and had beaten PNG soundly, but under the circumstances, it was hard to qualify those statements without placing an asterisk next to them.A flight to Queenstown left the team enamoured with the beauty of the surrounding landscape. It served only as a mirage though for the ugliness that followed in three Group B matches they played. They bowled Australia out for 262 with three balls to spare which, looking back, was a great achievement as USA was the only team to take 10 wickets against the eventual Under-19 World Cup Champions. However, USA was brought back down to earth when they were reduced to 28 for 7 after 10 overs of the chase. The silver lining on the batting card was Andy Mohammed’s determined 70.South Africa brought them more misery as another batting collapse was followed by uncharacteristically sloppy fielding in an eight-wicket defeat. Ireland inflicted more punishment in the form of Paul Stirling, who teased USA during his team’s chase by blocking and nudging singles before the second drinks break only to brutally assault them afterwards on his way to a century to bring the match to its end. It meant the Americans were traveling to Napier empty-handed in the wins column.The team morale was at an all time low. While there was plenty of blame to go around, a large portion of it belonged to the management staff that was in place on the first two qualifying trips to Toronto, led by Coach Sew Shivnarain. The staff’s lack of professionalism exhibited both on and off the field set the tone for the players, who were infected with a poor attitude in New Zealand.Despite the addition of a few very useful members to the staff for a December training camp in Florida and the World Cup tour, the damage was done back in July and September. The effect on the players was irreversible. At least one player who wished to remain anonymous said that the team did not mind losing because they did not want Shivnarain to get credit for any wins. They couldn’t be motivated, inspired or cajoled in any way into giving the requisite performance needed to reverse the trend.After fighting for their lives against Australia and South Africa, USA capitulated against Zimbabwe in the 13th place playoff match to be all out for 115. There were six ducks on the scoresheet against a Zimbabwean bowling attack that was hands down the weakest USA faced in the tournament.On the field, they seemed not to care that they had been beaten soundly in almost all of their games. They looked flat and devoid of emotion. Off the field, one would think that they had set the World Cup on fire. The image they presented was that they came to New Zealand to party first and play cricket second, which unsurprisingly resulted in a second place result in all but their last tournament game.The lack of a solid management team from the start of the journey in Toronto got to captain Shiva Vashishat more than anyone. Since July, the captain faced more pressure and had to take on more responsibility than he should have because of the ineptitude of the adults in charge. It clearly took a heavy toll on him until he finally started to crack. Of the seven players who played in every game for USA, he finished with the fewest runs at the World Cup.Despite the fact that he was one of only three players whose family flew to New Zealand to support him, his body language consistently showed that he couldn’t wait for the tournament to end. His confidence had hit rock bottom. It was a total shame as he is a very classy and respectful person, but he had been left on an island for the past seven months and this was what happened as a result.USACA CEO Don Lockerbie was present in Queenstown to witness all activities during the team’s Group B phase. It was no coincidence that he issued a statement before the tournament had concluded that he intends to hire a full-time professional coaching staff for the national teams in the near future. It is not so much the professional playing skills that USA’s players at all levels need. The talent was clearly not lacking judging by some of the impressive performances turned in by players like Mohammed, Saqib Saleem, Steven Taylor and Greg Sewdial.Rather it is vital that they develop a professional attitude and mental approach to the game, something that was completely absent on this tour. Hopefully, that is the biggest lesson learned for USACA and USA’s players, one of many lessons that need to be taken in if they hope to make clear progress in the future.

Tests like this, where Ishant Sharma busts his gut for scant rewards, will make him ready for the ones more personally rewarding

Sidharth Monga in Mohali05-Oct-2010This Test shows just why Ishant Sharma is still a part of the Indian team. And that reason is not his batting – without which VVS Laxman wouldn’t have been able to win India this great Test match. It’s the attitude he brings, the determination and the temperament that has made him a favourite with the team management, and who can blame them?Struggling with his knee, Ishant bowled 10 no-balls in his 11 overs in the first innings, going for 71 runs. He went off, took injections for the pain, and came back on the next morning to field for more than a session so that he could bowl in the same innings. He might have been short on confidence, but he was not found wanting on the effort.In a scathing interview to ESPNcricinfo recently, India’s former bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad spoke unflatteringly of some of Indian fast bowlers’ attitude. Ishant, though, he couldn’t stop praising. “He’s somebody who works extremely hard at the nets,” Prasad said. “He bowls in the nets at the same intensity with which he would bowl in a match. He has a great work ethic.”Ishant has had reasons to work hard after his success in Australia in 2007-08. Results haven’t always been forthcoming, but Ishant has battled away. On the fourth morning, after yet another disappointing first spell, Ishant was ready as ever when called for another. A little slice of luck, the Shane Watson bottom edge, worked wonders for the confidence, and for a brief period he was the same threatening bowler again. He was completing his action better, he was following through better, and he was now looking the batsman in the eye. Three wickets later, his job had been done.Not quite, as he discovered on the next morning. He came out to join Laxman, with 92 runs required for what looked like an impossible win. For the 106 minutes that followed, Laxman showed confidence in Ishant, who did nothing to suggest that the trust was misplaced. In fact Ishant faced more bowling than Laxman, who would often take singles early in the overs.They bounced Ishant, they yorked him, they tried to entice him with the flight, but nothing worked. He showed the temperament of a veteran, getting behind the short balls, not minding an odd blow in the shoulder area. The biggest attributes of his effort were how he left outside off, and how he was always awake to possibilities of running hard to manoeuvre the strike.Laxman was not stingy in praise for his partner-in-rescue. “He had been struggling with the injury,” Laxman told ESPNcricinfo. “The last three-four days he has been taking injections on his leg. To come and bowl as well as he did yesterday, and then this innings, was a marvellous effort.”What impressed me most about him was the temperament. We had little chats in the middle. And when, towards the end, Mitchell Johnson troubled him, he told me he wasn’t comfortable facing him. Then only I started to try and face more of Johnson. It was important to have that trust. There was no way I could have done it alone. But I have always had a lot of confidence in Ishant.”When Ishant was finally dismissed, thanks to a heartbreakingly wrong decision considering how much hard work he had put in here, he could not be consoled. He smashed his bat into the ground on his way back, then into his pads, and walked like Inzamam-ul-Haq, if such a thing is possible for a tall, thin fellow.There will surely be Test matches where he will work half as hard, and walk away with match awards. And Tests like this, where he busts his gut for scant rewards, will make sure he is there to play the Tests more rewarding in nature.

Stats highlights from the final of IPL 2011

S Rajesh28-May-2011Michael Hussey and M Vijay’s 159-run partnership was the highest opening stand in all IPL seasons•Associated Press Chennai’s total of 205 was the third-highest in IPL 2011, and easily the highest in a final. The previous highest had been Chennai’s 168 against Mumbai in last year’s final. The margin of victory was massive too – 58 runs, which makes this easily the most one-sided IPL final of the four so far. The previous margins had been three wickets (with no balls to spare), six runs (in 2009) and 22 runs (in 2010). This result also means three out of four finals – and each of the last three – have been won by the team batting first. The win was set up by a magnificent first-wicket partnership of 159 between M Vijay and Michael Hussey, which is the highest first-wicket stand in all IPL seasons, and the second-highest for any wicket. The only higher stand was the one for 206 runs between Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh for Punjab against Bangalore earlier this season. The two highest partnerships have thus both been in this season, and Bangalore were at the receiving end on both occasions. Vijay’s 95 and Hussey’s 63 are the two highest scores in an IPL final. The previous-highest was also by a Chennai batsman – Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 57 against Mumbai last year. Vijay’s 95 is also his second-highest in all IPLs, next only to his 127 against Rajasthan last year. Chennai have usually been slow off the blocks in this IPL, but in the final they were switched on from the beginning, scoring 56 off the first six, their highest during the Powerplay overs and only their second 50-plus score this season. Before the final, Chennai’s average run-rate in the first six this season had been 6.33, compared to Bangalore’s 8.03. In the final, Chennai sped at 9.33, while Bangalore only managed 7.83. In the middle eight overs Chennai turned it on even more, scoring 87, while in the last six they amassed 62. R Ashwin said after the match that he felt confident bowling to Chris Gayle as he is a left-hander, and stats bear him out: against left-handers, Ashwin took ten wickets at an average of 12.70 and an economy rate of 5.60; against right-handers, he took as many wickets, but at an average of 26.10, and an economy rate of 6.47. For Bangalore nothing went according to script. None of their bowlers conceded less than seven-and-a-half per over, and even Daniel Vettori went for 34, his second-most expensive performance in this IPL. His most expensive spell was also against Chennai, only four days ago, when he conceded 42 in the first qualifier.

Paul Valthaty’s unbeaten 120 was among the most memorable of IPL innings, one that made even MS Dhoni wilt under pressure

Nitin Sundar13-Apr-2011A joke began to do the rounds on Twitter and on ESPNcricinfo’s commentary feedback when a shy and stodgy batsman walked out with Adam Gilchrist to open Punjab’s chase of 189. “Knock knock. Who’s there? Valthaty. Valthaty, who? Val, thirty runs fewer would have been easier to chase.” It captured the viewing public’s sheer incredulity over the move. Here were the IPL’s cellar-dwellers facing a mountain against the defending champions, pushing down their most successful batsman, Shaun Marsh, in favour of an unknown. That sentiment soon disappeared and, 120 runs later, was ground into the Mohali dust.What remained was one question: Just who Paul Valthaty? He has played only one domestic one-day game. In three previous IPL innings, he had managed scores of 5, 1 and 6. Even his ESPNcricinfo profile had an unrecognisable picture, possibly from his school days. Back in 2002, Valthaty was a member of India’s Under-19 squad, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel and Ambati Rayudu. Dilip Vengsarkar, who was the manager of that team, expected big things from him but unfortunately Valthaty was struck in the eye and his career stalled.All that changed, after 63 balls of the cleanest hitting, against an attack that was close to international standard. Valthaty’s unbeaten century was among the more memorable IPL innings, one that made even the seemingly invincible MS Dhoni wilt under pressure. And it made India sit up and take note.Gilchrist later revealed Valthaty was always one of Punjab’s first-choice openers. “Paul hit some nice shots in the first match [against Pune], but unfortunately got out,” Gilchrist said after the game. “He showed some talent in the warm-up games too. That was an amazing innings. I loved standing around [at the other end] and watching him go today.”Gilchrist is clearly not the batsman he once was yet the ease with which Valthaty reduced him to a spectator boggled the mind. His batting is based on the principle of getting behind the line with a half-step forward, and then hitting through it. He attacked every time Chennai’s bowlers landed the ball in his half, with an audacious series of drives, clips and whips. His stand with Gilchrist yielded 61 off 5.5 overs, and set Punjab up nicely for the post-Powerplay hustle.When the field fell back, Valthaty responded by stepping up a gear. Every time Chennai got a wicket, he counter-punched with clever boundaries. He played a couple of late-cuts, cover drives off either foot, pick-up shots through the off side and, towards the end, two delicate steers through point when the seamers landed yorkers wide of the stumps. While he was punishing the good balls, he ensured he did not waste a single poor delivery.”In all fairness it was a belter of a track,” Valthaty said later. Twice. “I am modest,” he then added when prompted to bask in the glory of his accomplishment. “It was a dream-come-true for me. I believed in myself, and my team management believed in me, and it all came together perfectly today. I had started preparing two months before the IPL, and it all paid off today. The hundred is yet to sink in. I will never forget that moment, and it meant a lot to me.”The IPL is littered with flash-in-the-pan 40s and 50s, but Valthaty had taken it upon himself to see the chase through, which impressed Dhoni. “Paul batted really well,” Dhoni said. “He was at his best throughout, a challenge was thrown at him and he was up to it. He went on till the end, which is very important – he did not leave it for others.”In the pre-IPL era, Valthaty would have not got another chance. India now knows who he is. It’s now up to him to stay in the spotlight.

Neither has played a significant innings since the World Cup, and India will hope they can find runs before boarding the flight to Australia

Sidharth Monga07-Dec-2011India’s defeat in Ahmedabad was their first in 12 home ODIs, three short of the record created by Sri Lanka in 1996 and 1997. It’s ODI cricket, you can lose to anybody, and streaks are understandably difficult to sustain. Still it was neither desirable nor expected that after three matches India could easily have been 2-1 down, or even 3-0, if only because of how easily they tamed their tormentors from the summer, England, in the return tour. The incredible belief that India carry into every home ODI – never mind the conditions – was tested thoroughly, and finally snapped in the third match.West Indies might not seem as good on paper, but they have a larger number of dynamic players in their ODI squad than England do. After coming close in the first two ODIs, they eventually managed to put together a good enough team effort to topple India in Ahmedabad. India’s problems have centred on the middle phase of the games, spread across both innings. Bowling first in all the games, they have failed to clean up the tail, and leaked runs generously in the end overs – 106 in the last 10 in Vizag, and 52 in the last three in Ahmedabad. In the first 10 overs of all matches put together, India have lost nine wickets, leaving Rohit Sharma a lot to do in company of the middle and lower-middle order.The first part of the problem is not new to Indian ODI cricket, and is all the more expected given the inexperienced attack and captain. Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Abhimanyu Mithun and Vinay Kumar are all raw, and have bowed length balls once too often. “The last five overs did not make much of a difference as they have good hitters and we were expecting them to fire in the series,” Virender Sehwag said. “They batted well, we tried everything – slow, back-of-a-length, good length, yorkers – but they connected [with] everything.”India will be more concerned with what has been happening immediately after the West Indies innings. Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are yet to produce a single big innings since the World Cup, and have scored only 62 runs in six innings between them in this series. Of the two, Sehwag has always been an inconsistent ODI player, but Gambhir has been the big miss this series. Additionally, since his comeback to the national side, Parthiv Patel has failed to covert starts. It is a phase Dinesh Karthik went through when he was the back-up for MS Dhoni. Today, he is not even one of the top three keepers in the selectors’ minds.Sehwag conceded that the three needed to show up. “We have to look at our top order,” he said. “We have to click and fire. We have to give a good start as a team so that we can achieve any target or set any target for the West Indies in the coming games.”It is not only Raina who is not scoring runs. It is myself, Parthiv and Gautam too. Only Rohit and Kohli are scoring. We are top-order batsmen and it is our job to play well and give a good start. We need to look back at our batting performances. We are playing good cricket since sometime, but today [in Ahmedabad] we were not able to play well. We hope to do well and not let down our fans.”It is difficult to not look at Australia when considering the form of Sehwag and Gambhir, even though the latter has not been opening in ODIs, seemingly in order to accommodate Parthiv in the batting line-up. Both are one ordinary match away from going through 2011 without a Test century. India won’t mind a couple of big partnerships from them and two easy wins before they go to Australia.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the fourth Test between Australia and India in Adelaide

Daniel Brettig at Adelaide Oval27-Jan-2012The luck
Ishant Sharma has been a man more sinned against than sinning almost all tour, beating the bat too often for a bowler with only four wickets to his name. He allowed himself a laugh, however, after reaping a fifth, that of Michael Hussey. Ishant’s natural angle and movement has made it notoriously difficult for him to win an lbw verdict against left-handers, but Dharmasena gave him the benefit of considerable doubt when he raised his finger in response to the appeal for a delivery that may just have pitched in line and may just have flicked the top right-hand corner of off stump.The dive
On the face of it, Wriddhiman Saha made his first major mistake of the Test when he grassed a diving chance offered by Ponting in the penultimate over of Australia’s second innings. But his flying attempt to grasp the edge contrasted with MS Dhoni’s reticence in earlier matches to try for nicks going to the left of first slip – it is unlikely the captain would have gone for this one either.The nick?
Michael Clarke had made 37 and was pushing along merrily enough with Ricky Ponting when he played at and missed a delivery from Umesh Yadav, appearing to be slightly late on his attempted square forcing stroke. There was a noise of some description, and India’s appeal was more than half-interested. Kumar Dharmasena’s finger was raised, much to Clarke’s shock. His head went straight down the moment he was given, and the head shook once or twice on the way off. A phantom edge to end the most dominant batting series of Clarke’s career.The gesture
Clarke waited until 11 minutes after lunch to call his men in, a lead of 499 to their credit. The timing was not so surprising, and nor was India’s requirement of 500 runs. More notable of was the manner of Clarke’s gesture, a dismissive wave of the hand that suggested a referee admonishing a footballer. He may not have been happy with the preceding two overs, in which just three runs had been collected at a time when a more aggressive approach was more than merited.The yes-ball
Ryan Harris’ two wickets were both referred to the third umpire for checks on a possible no-ball, and both showed that his foot was comfortably behind the line. After the first, Gautam Gambhir, Clarke noted how comfortably Harris’ foot had been behind the line and engaged in animated conversation with the umpires. Their response, later relayed to the public sphere, was that Harris’ bowling action had his back foot blocking the umpire’s view of his front, thus encouraging officiators to check. Harris has only bowled four no-balls in his Test career.

Five key factors and observations from the Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan

Kanishkaa Balachandran14-Jul-2012The Decision Review System
Pakistan’s coach Dav Whatmore demanded to know why it wasn’t available. Mohammad Hafeez was more moderate but shared his coach’s views. During the first Test in Galle, both of them said the inconsistent implementation of the DRS was affecting the game. The system was available, without Hot Spot, in Sri Lanka’s previous home series, against England. When Pakistan arrived, three months later, Sri Lanka Cricket couldn’t provide it because of the costs involved. Pakistan had reason to feel aggrieved. They had seven decisions going against them in the first three days of the Galle Test, with several inside edges on to pad going undetected and doubts over the trajectory of the ball during lbw decisions.It was quite a contrast to Pakistan’s previous Test series, against England in the UAE, in which the DRS played an integral part. In that series, the host board (the PCB) secured sponsors to offset the high costs of the technology needed for DRS. Perhaps SLC and other boards can follow suit.The umpiring errors aside, Pakistan were beaten in Galle because some of their batsmen failed and they collapsed for 100 in the first innings. They were also missing Misbah-ul-Haq, who was banned for an over-rate offence. Better umpiring and DRS could have at least minimised the damage.Barely days after the pleas from Hafeez and Whatmore, the proposal for a universal implementation of the DRS fell through at the ICC’s executive board meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The issue wasn’t even put to vote.Weather and scheduling
The groundstaff was kept busy right through the tour. Rain washed out the third one-day international in Colombo, and the clouds were unwelcome visitors in two of the three Tests. The weather didn’t effect the Galle Test, but in spoiled the contests in Colombo and Pallekele. It ruined several hours of play on the second, third and fourth days at the SSC, making a draw inevitable. The flat pitch raised doubts about the likelihood of a result, but with Pakistan taking a 160-run lead, they could have tried to force a result if it wasn’t for the stoppage time. In Pallekele, rain wiped out the entire second day, which meant both teams were short of time to push for a result.SLC could learn from this experience and keep June and early July – the months of the southwest monsoon – free from international cricket. Pallekele, however, continues to baffle. The location of the country’s newest Test venue, around half an hour from Kandy, was chosen because it’s one of the drier regions in the district. Ironically, all three Tests played there have been rained-affected draws. The region was going through a drought before the third Test began.Pakistan’s youngsters
Though Pakistan lost the ODIs and Tests, the Test series defeat wasn’t as demoralising because of the performances of their younger players. Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali have been on the national circuit for the last two years, and their performances made up for the patchy form of Misbah and Younis Khan. Azhar impressed with his temperament and patience needed to play long innings; Shafiq displayed similar qualities and tightened his technique. Their innings in the final Test gave Pakistan the belief that they could save the game. Junaid Khan was a revelation with his pace, swing and aggression. Inspired by Wasim Akram, he got the ball to reverse from the round the wicket to the right-handers. He overshadowed Saeed Ajmal with his top-order strikes but lacked support. Junaid had to shoulder a lot of the burden because Aizaz Cheema, Umar Gul and Mohammad Sami turned in underwhelming performances.Jayawardene steadies Sri Lanka
When Mahela Jayawardene took over the leadership after the tour of South Africa early this year, he was Sri Lanka’s third captain in the last 12 months. His task of restoring the team’s competitiveness was made tougher by the payment crisis. SLC was having financial problems and its national players were the biggest victims. The results, however, began to improve – Sri Lanka made the finals of the CB Series and won a Test against England. Jayawardene wanted a series win, which had eluded them for nearly three years. His aggressive and innovative fields showed that he was trying to create opportunities. His decision to call off Sri Lanka’s chase of 271 in Pallekele had puzzled many, including Misbah, but having secured a 1-0 lead, Jayawardene didn’t want to wreck several months of hard work for the sake of adventure.Sri Lanka move on from Murali
Muttiah Muralitharan can relax now. Sri Lanka had found it hard to cope with his retirement two years ago. Ajantha Mendis’ form was erratic and his fitness poor, leaving Rangana Herath with most of the responsibility. Herath has done well to come out of Murali’s shadow and lead the spin attack. His challenge will be to create a threat on pitches that may not be as spin-friendly anymore. With Murali’s departure, the emphasis has started to shift from spin to pace, and Sri Lanka will need more support from their seamers going forward. Bringing in the allrounder Thisara Perera for the third Test was an inspired move. His 4 for 63 and attacking 75 were good for his transition to the Test squad as a lower-order hitter and opening bowler. Nuwan Kulasekara was incisive in Galle, challenged at the SSC, but he is only building his experience at Test level. When Chanaka Welegedera and Suranga Lakmal return from injury, the competition for places will increase.

Also: magpie-spotting, barramundi-eating, and interviewing players clad in towels

George Binoy23-Aug-2012August 13
Electric plugs in Australia are different from those in England and India. They are smaller, thinner, triangular. A world standard is needed for such things. A suitable converter takes some finding. A Nepal Under-19 player, Krishna Karki, comes over to the press area and wants to borrow mine. “Can I charge my camera, sir?” he asks. Plugs in Nepal are like those in India. “Of course, but don’t call me sir,” I reply. “Okay sir,” he responds.Two days later, Karki has Australia’s Jimmy Peirson caught at mid-off, giving a surprisingly large contingent of Nepal fans at the Tony Ireland Stadium early reason to celebrate. Dressed in purple jerseys, waving Nepal’s unusually shaped flag, and cheering everything, from wicket to dot-ball, they outnumber the Aussies easily.Watch Gurinder Sandhu fling a ball in anger straight at a Nepal batsman, who hurries out of the way. Wonder if Sandhu would have reacted similarly had it been England or South Africa.Despite all the attention on fast bowlers, Australia offspinner Ashton Turner is top of the wickets list with seven in two matches.August 14
Kirwan State High School, en route to Tony Ireland Stadium, has a sign outside congratulating Mathew Cameron, a Paralympian. He has popliteal web syndrome and has had 25 operations since he was born. He’s only 26, and is part of Australia’s wheelchair-relay team in London. Inspirational.Harry Conway’s hat-trick against Nepal makes the back page of the . A photograph of a vividly painted water reservoir on Castle Hill is splashed across the front.See a magpie for the first time. Only ever read about them going for shiny objects in Enid Blyton books. Apparently known for attacking people. Two cameramen shoo it away.Eat barramundi for the first time. From the size of the cut-up pieces, it seems like one massive fish. Can’t detect a distinctive flavour.August 15
Townsville is massive for the number of inhabitants it has, like most places in Australia. Space for what seems like hundreds of thousands more people. Most of the apartments are recent developments, lots of vacancy signs outside them. The older, more traditional, houses are Queenslanders – made of wood and raised on stilts, some short, some longer, to allow air to come up through the floorboards and cool the insides in summer. Each one looks quite different from the other at first glance, in terms of colour and construction, unlike row houses in England.A five-day culture festival is on at the Strand, by the beach. Food, music and dance from various countries, many of them small islands in Oceania. Watch an aggressive stage performance from Papua New Guinea – huge men with painted faces, dressed in coconut leaves, shouting each other down. Eat food from the Torres Straits Islands (mussels, and sweet potatoes cooked in coconut milk) and the Phillipines (various kinds of pork). Too full to sample Fiji and El Salvador. Stay away from the masala dosas.August 16
Catch the 208 bus at 8.05am from Walker Street to Endeavour Park for a couple of days. The next 208 is 30 minutes later. Share the ride with the same people both days – a mother and daughter, two girls going to school, and several William Ross school students. Get a couple of nods of recognition. Very rare to see the same people on the same bus in India, even if everyone is following a daily routine. Never have to wait 30 minutes between buses at home.Cover cricket the old-school way at Endeavour Park. No television to look at for replays; no ball-by-ball commentary on ESPNcricinfo either. Miss something and it’s lost forever. Two matches on at the same time: India-Papua New Guinea and West Indies-Zimbabwe, on adjacent grounds. Imagine two circles drawn next to each other with a ten-metre gap between the closest parts of their circumferences. Press tent is pitched in that gap. Turn head to the right for India-PNG, to the left for West Indies-Zimbabwe. Like watching tennis. Sightscreens for West Indies-Zimbabwe are two freight containers stacked on top of each other and covered with black tarp. No one asks for them to be moved.August 17
Taken to interview the Aussies after they finish a pool session. Speak to Kurtis Patterson dressed in just a towel. Will remind him of it if he plays international cricket one day.The quarter-finalists arrive from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Five Indians are seated on a couch in the small lobby of their service apartment building. A bus draws up and out troop the Pakistanis, wearing green blazers, dragging suitcases and huge kit bags. They crowd the lobby. The Indians watch from the couch; the England players look down from the floor above. New Zealand also arrive, dressed in crisp white shirts, dark trousers and striped ties with the white fern on it. They wait patiently outside until the Pakistanis check in. Not much talking between opponents. Imagine they’re sizing each other up.England captain Adam Ball is a Charlton Athletic fan, but finds it hard to play as them on because everyone else is playing as Real Madrid and Barcelona.Castle Hill, the pink granite monolith in the centre of Townsville•George Binoy/ESPNcricinfo LtdAugust 18
Getting tired of answering questions about what I have been up to in Australia apart from the cricket. Nothing much at all, is the answer. No games in Townsville today but there are teams to meet ahead of the quarter-finals. Grateful for the patience of the receptionists at Oaks M on Palmer as I repeatedly ask them to connect me to various rooms. Spend the day gathering information; spend the night writing. Haven’t seen the panoramic views from atop Castle Hill yet. Was five days before I wet my feet in the Pacific for the first time. Covering cricket is not as glamorous as it may look from the outside, but it’s pretty damn good.August 19
South Africa are playing England in the quarter-final at the Tony Ireland Stadium when sounds unusual for Townsville are heard: the revving of motorcycle engines and blaring of truck horns. About 200 of each pass by in a convoy that is part of an event raising money for a children’s charity. They make a din that won’t be out of place in Mumbai, during which England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes drops South Africa’s Murray Coetzee.Wasim Akram watches Pakistan practise ahead of their quarter-final against India. The team takes a group photo with him afterwards. And then they all want individual photos with Waz, who patiently strikes a pose and wears a smile and holds both for several minutes.August 20
India-Pakistan quarter-final. Indian fans outnumber the Pakistanis, who try valiantly to compete in the shouting. It’s a battle they cannot win unless their team does. The core group of Indian supporters seems to be from the Malayali Association of Townsville – someone shows up with a huge banner saying as much. The cheers are in Hindi, so that the Indian players can understand, but the chatter is in Malayalam.Ravikant Singh walks to the midwicket boundary in front of the grandstand to field, immediately after taking two Pakistan wickets in an over.”That’s not Ravikant, that’s Rajinikanth,” someone shouts. Ravikant turns and laughs.August 21
Australia’s captain, William “The Barnacle” Bosisto, finally has an average. It’s 189. After four unbeaten innings, two of which strongly influenced Australia victories, he is dismissed by South Africa, but not before his 40 takes Australia within four runs of a semi-final spot. It needs a run-out to remove Bosisto; no bowler has got the better of him yet. The South Africans drop three catches. Wonder if the ace fielders in their senior team get better after 19.August 22
Townsville being a port town, it’s quite common to see boats on the streets, being towed by cars. Try to read names of boats on the river while walking over the bridge. See painted on the side of a catamaran. Not the most reassuring name to see in the sea.Call a cab to go back to the city from Tony Ireland Stadium. The little lady driving it is old enough to be someone’s grandmother. Talks about how sprawling new shopping complexes are sprouting in the town and about how the Goods and Services Tax has made everything more expensive. “We pay a tax on tax,” she says.Get a call from the bus company saying that someone I called at 9.42am has left their phone on a bus. Check records and see it’s the New Zealand team manager. Give them details of where he’s staying and make a note to check with him at the semi-final. That’s the second lost item I’ve seen try to be returned by the bus company. Wonder if it’s common in larger Australian cities too.

A packed Wanderers had to watch their team lose disappointingly, that too to an Aussie side!

Stacey Naidoo29-Oct-2012Choice of game
I chose the final of the Champions League Twenty20 because I felt a match between the home favourites, the Highveld Lions, and the unbeaten Sydney Sixers would be a fitting end to an exciting tournament.Team supported
Living in Johannesburg, it was almost mandatory to support the home team. In addition, I felt they needed all the support they could get, coming up against an Australian team that had not lost a match in the tournament. We all know how the Aussies hate to lose!Key performer
I thought the bowling unit of the Sixers performed magnificently, but Nathan McCullum was the standout performer. He took Gulam Bodi’s wicket in the first over, and by the time he picked up his third wicket (in the 14th over), he had reduced the roar of the Lions and their supporters to a mere whimper.One thing I’d have changed about the match
In a game that ended up being a bit of a damp squib, I would have liked to see the Lions put a bit of heart into their defence of the paltry 121, to at least give their die-hard fans something to cheer about. I left the game feeling the Lions had not done their best. Dropped catches and wides were the order of the day during the chase.Face-off I relished
There weren’t too many interesting battles to choose from. Seeing McCullum and Thami Tsolekile battle during the first innings was interesting. I felt Tsolekile was looking to increase the run rate and was about to win the battle when McCullum took his wicket.Crowd meter
The stadium was packed with a crowd that was clearly partisan. In the first innings, they cheered every single the Lions got and went into raptures with the odd four or six. The spectators were vocal and involved, slow-clapping to encourage the Lions to get boundaries. When the Lions bowled, the crowd booed the umpire when a wide was called. Halfway through the Sixers innings, people realised that the game was over and started to cheer every great shot. There was a collective sigh of disappointment when Bodi dropped what would have been a wonderful catch, off Aaron Phangiso’s bowling. Now and again, the Mexican Wave would go around the stadium. It kept the fans warm and helped make a lot of noise, so that was great.Entertainment
We were entertained by some lively music and wonderful fireworks for the sixes, and at the end of the game there was a magnificent pyrotechnic display to signify the close of an exciting tournament. Some of the music could definitely be applied to the Lions – “I’m wide awake”. The Lions’ lethargic running while batting and their mistakes while fielding showed they really needed to be wide awake! Of course “Let me entertain you” was extremely appropriate, because the Sixers entertained us during their batting.ODI v Twenty20?
I have always preferred the 50-over game. It gives me time to enjoy the finesse and strategy used and to note the technical expertise of the players. In Twenty20 cricket, one gets used to fours and sixes, and when there are not many, like in this game, the crowd gets bored.Overall
The quality of cricket was excellent, in terms of the Sixers performance. They have a focused and dangerous bowling unit and powerful batsmen and excellent fielders. Because of the one-sidedness of the game, though, I would rate the quality of cricket as 6. The Lions did not show what they were capable of. But in spite of my team losing, it was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday evening. The rain stayed away so it was a beautiful evening to be out on the Highveld. I would rate the overall experience as 8, especially as it was a final of a tournament.

England’s anticipated victory in Kolkata carries a serious message that their opponents should heed

George Dobell in Kolkata08-Dec-2012Such will be the wailing and gnashing of teeth of the defeated that it would be easy to overlook the performance of the anticipated victor in Kolkata. If it had not been for their victory in Mumbai this might be hailed as one of England’s greatest overseas performances. As it is, it is likely to be remembered only as their best in a week.This has been a highly impressive display. For England to come to a country where their record is so poor and still to win would be a mighty achievement.They had won one of their previous 12 Tests in India before this tour, their debacle against Pakistan’s spinners in the UAE had extended a run of failure in Asia against all but Bangladesh that stretched back to the start of the century, they lost the first Test heavily and a new Test captain has lost the toss in all three Tests played on pitches designed to help the opposition.If they clinch the series in Nagpur – and it would take a strong reversal of fortune to deny them – it must be rated among their greatest series victories.The obvious architects of the success to date have been Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and Monty Panesar. But there have been other valuable contributors: Matt Prior has produced several fine innings and kept far better than his opposite number; James Anderson has bowled with discipline when the pitch has given him nothing and with incision when presented with any help; Nick Compton has ensured solid starts to most innings and Graeme Swann has bowled splendidly.But one of the more encouraging aspects of this performance from an England perspective is that there should be more to come. Panesar, struggling with his line in particular, has been nowhere near his best in the second innings, while Steven Finn’s huge potential was only displayed when he produced the fastest spell of the match on the fourth afternoon and generated considerable reverse swing. The sense remains that Samit Patel, at No. 6, is keeping the spot warm for someone else, too.India’s excellent home record bears repeating. They have not lost a series at home since 2004, when Australia were the victors, and not since 2000, when they played South Africa, have they lost two Tests in a row at home. They are not a poor side; they have been made to look poor by an England side who, stung by recent setbacks, have approached this tour with renewed vigour.England had become complacent. Maybe not consciously and maybe not by a huge margin. But, after the Ashes success of 2010-11 and the home series victory over India in 2011, a little of the hunger had left the side and the side’s management. The bowlers lost their nip, the fielders lost their reliability and the batsmen lost their way. It was apparent at the World Cup which followed the Ashes and it was apparent by the way they were caught underprepared at the start of the series against Pakistan. The wake-up call of the UAE might, in the long-term, be the best thing that could have happened to them.”That series in the UAE was a massive eye opener for us,” Finn said at the close of the fourth day, with England only one India wicket, and a small run chase, away from victory. “We’ve worked very hard since then. We’ve been sitting here saying we’ve worked hard to adapt our games to these conditions and it’s now it’s starting to pay dividends.”But let’s not be presumptuous. If we win tomorrow we’re only going to be 2-1 up in the series and it’s important going into the fourth Test that we have no complacency and we keep working and keep looking to get better. That’s a great point about this England side – we’re always looking to get better.”At the beginning of the day, if you’d have said India would be 30 ahead with nine wickets down, I’m sure we’d have taken it. That last hour and 45 minutes was a little bit frustrating for us. Ashwin played very well. That bit of rearguard resistance was excellent batting, he played the reverse swing very well and he was patient, took runs he when he needed to and put trust in the man at the other end. It was good batting.”Perhaps in the long-term India might reflect that this series was a blessing in disguise. They will hate to hear it, but India could learn rather a lot from England and, just as it was only defeat after defeat that provoked a change in the way English cricket at every level was run, so it might prove similarly motivating for India. After all, at some stage on day five, they will have lost 10 of their last 18 Tests.Whereas India are persevering with star players who are clearly past their sell-by date, England dropped their vice-captain and golden boy, Stuart Broad when it became clear that his form had dipped.Whereas the England team management had the authority or bravery to drop Kevin Pietersen, rightly or wrongly, after it was decided he was unsettling the dressing room, there seems to be no-one in the India team management who has the authority or bravery to ensure the whole team turns up fit enough to play elite international sport and ensure they work harder on their fielding.Whereas the likes of Andrew Strauss and Nasser Hussain, who had just scored a century in his 96th Test, resigned without pity or sentimentalism, the admiration for personal milestones and personal heroes which pervades in Indian cricket has seen players selected well past their sell-by dates and, as a consequence, the progress of new players blocked.Most importantly, whereas in England one man, Andy Flower, has been given the power and the responsibility for the team, in India it is often hard to understand who is in control. While Duncan Fletcher will almost certainly be one of those held to account, unless he was given the power to change things, it seems unfair to hold him responsible.The margins between these teams are as big as it has appeared at times over the last fortnight. Had India caught their catches and England not completed their run-outs, the results might be different. But it would be foolish to dismiss those facts as quirks of fortune. They came, in part at least, because of the disparity in hard work and fitness between these two teams. The main difference between a side that has exceeded expectations and one that has failed to do itself justice would appear to be motivation.