The Googly

Remembering Alec Stewart

In the interests of fair play, and this Googly correspondent would never allow bias to sully these pages, it is only right then to have a look at Alec Stewart's glittering career. After all, Jack Russell was highly praised earlier this week, and you can't have one without the other. Alec made his Test debut against the West Indies in 1990 at Bridgetown. It was not hugely auspicious - a mere 13 in the first innings, and not called upon to do more than hold up an end in the second as Larkins saw England safely to the win. Three years later, however, Stewart had matured and times had changed. He flayed a still strong bowling attack and hit two centuries at that same ground.

But for many of us, he's better remembered as the archetypal wicketkeeper, sharing the gloves with Jack Russell until he gained the upper hand, and indeed took the captaincy from Michael Atherton in 1998. It was a good selection by the powers-that-be, and Alec led the team to victory against South Africa. The celebrations didn't last that long. Failure in the Ashes and the 1999 World Cup saw him, rather viciously axed. Back for more success in 2000 (a century in his 100th Test) didn't help his cause when an Indian bookmaker alleged that Stewart had provided information during the 1992-1993 tour of India, but nothing was proven and in 2002, Alec became England's most-capped Test cricketer. He retired in 2003 and these days is a regular member of the Test Match Special team, adding wisdom, humour, insight and not a little irreverence to the commentary.

A national treasure? Only time will tell, but with an MBE and OBE to his name, he certainly has fans out there.

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County Championship: Division Two round-up

So, we come to the end of July and another round-up of Division Two matches in the LV County Championship. What is most surprising is that of the four matches, only one was completely washed out. In Wales, Glamorgan and Leicestershire stood no chance against the weather at Abergavenny and no play was possible. A deep disappointment for those of us who'd hoped to see Simon "The Body" Jones. In Northampton, Nottinghamshire were unlucky to come away with a draw - I thought they deserved a win particularly after Stephen Fleming (pictured right) hit a fine century to back up Mark Wagh's 152. In Derby, the home side caved in the second innings for just 52. Willoughby and Caddick did most of the damage at the top for Somerset, leaving Ian Blackwell and Cameron White to rip out the Derbyshire tail. A resounding win for Somerset.

In Bristol it came as given that rain would ruin the first three days of play and the match was subsequently reduced to one innings apiece. Essex looked comfortably on top as Ravi Bopara and Andy Bichel did serious harm to Gloucestershire's batsmen, but Chris Taylor dug in and with 101, made sure of a draw.

Somerset now lead Notts by 168 points to 152.5 and they go head-to-head at Trent Bridge, starting on 8th August - rain permitting.

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Reasons to love Ian Bell 500-1000

Just why is it that a reasonably sane person such as I like to deem myself, just goes weak at the knees for Ian Bell? He isn't a god-like presence on the pitch (see Simon Jones for the bod), but there is something about Ian that gets my pulse racing and heartbeat raised. Is it that he seems to be such an honest cricketer? A man who wears his heart on the sleeve as I do?  Is it that he always seems to be verging on the edges of the England team? Every time we see him in the whites, we wonder if this will be the last time. He always seems to be the one about to be dropped. Today we heard it again - when Fred's back, Bell will be the man to lose his place. It's so hard to remember that little Ian really is little Ian. He's still only 25 years old. At that age I'd hardly touched life, let alone lived.

Today at Trent Bridge, dear Ian held the end up wonderfully. A very tough wicket saw Strauss, Cook and Vaughan walk off the park. Ian was left, with the tail. After Prior went, he was left with Tremlett, and a huge task to see England through to the end of the day. I really don't understand why the world of cricket lovers doesn't love the Bell-Boy. Out for 31-  sad end to a very good day.

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It's that time of the week - Goughie's Cricket Show

Since I last surfed the airwaves chasing the Darren Gough mega-ride, things have been more than a bit grim. In sport Le Tour has been plunged into an awfulness that knocks the Festina affair and Operacion Puerto into a cocked hat: Vinokourov, Moreni and Rasmussen have been sent home in disgrace. Bradley Wiggins has been sent home because his team abandonned. Denny Menchov has given up. I am distraught about my cycling. Formula One has been on trial for spying charges levelled against the ultra-honourable Ron Dennis's team McLaren by Italians Ferrari. Apparently no charges are proven and no sanctions issued by the FIA today, but McLaren race on under a cloud. In life, floods devastate the  Midlands and South-west - Gloucestershire and Worcestershire are in dire straits. In Oxfordshire - I saw it - fields are under water, the Thames has burst its banks and I flew away from all this to return to the North and safety.

So with all the chaos ruling, what an escapist joy to find the Dazzler on the little radio again tonight. Though not all far removed. Floods still played a part - New Road under water, again and what a lot of controversy being generated. Rob Key feels bitter about it, but as he says " there we go Goughie". It's a hard call for County grounds, and everyone just wants the most cricket. Big chats about our Googly pick Joe Denly - 114 before another Googly hopeful Rashid bowled him. Gough admitted that he hadn't taken a bead on Joe before this, but now he's a marked young man.

Bit of a discussion about KP - Kevin is Kevin was about the most insightful comment. This was where I got tired, so very tired. It's hard sometimes to keep the spirit going. Chris Adams  (pictured) was called upon to talk about the problems at New Road - replaying matches is a really dodgy issue. The ECB has tried to help, but as Chris says - don't set precedents.

Jeremy Snape was called upon to join the discussion, but couldn't offer many insights. Talk of Trescothick was interesting, but no-one wanted to say anything revealing. Snape obviously found it hard to talk of England picks and their hardships while being in his role at Leicestershire. Jon Lewis joined the crew to talk about Gloucestershire - tales to tell about floods rather than cricket. A few words about the new boys in the England team - nothing revealing, but nice to hear Jon not bittter, just keen on his county. There was a lovely moment when a listener phoned in and asked Gough who his favourite cricketer was, and very nice words about Shane Warne "a diamond geezer" - I think this is true in County cricks - friends who take their children to the Rose Bowl have nothing but good words to say about Warne.

The last guest on was Mark Butcher - a great servant of England and County cricket. Surrey is reaping rewards this year in County Cricket for nurturing young talent, and good to hear Mark and Dazz joshing a bit. Honesty about Dhoni - that was good and what we tune into this show for.

It wasn't the joyful show that I had hoped for, but that's probably because there's little joy to be taken from any sport right now.

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Joe Denly makes the most of his chance

It was almost a dream debut for 21-year-old Joe Denly on Friday in Chelmsford. Shiny and squeaky-clean in whites for England A (oh, alright, then Lions - but I'm not alone in finding it hard to take that name seriously) he opened the batting with Andrew Strauss (poor chap - failed again), and hit 83 - including 16 fours, and his fifty came of just 49 balls. The dream perhaps would have been a century, but second top score to Bresnan's 126 certainly justified his inclusion at this level. A score of 18 in the second innings was pretty immaterial as by that point we all knew this match would be played out to a tame draw.

Joe has been with Kent since the age of 13 and has moved calmly through the junior ranks. He toured India with England Under-19s in 2005 and impressed with three half-centuries. Although highly thought of, captaining Kent's Second Eleven and the ECB Development of Excellence XI, there was no place for him in the first team last year. His chance came this season with the departure of David Fulton and Joe has made the most of it. The Googly's Tooting Trumpet awarded him Performance of the Day on 23rd of May - the day Joe hit 115 against Shane Warne's Hampshire.

With such a strong junior record, it's not surprising that Joe took the Denis Compton honours in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and looks set to become a feature in the England squad, though probably not in the Test side this summer.

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Darren Gough's Cricket Show

I was pleased to hear trailers on Radio 5Live earlier in week confirming that Darren's show is now a fixture on the airwaves from 8pm til 9 on Thursday evenings, and even more pleased to learn that, taking advice from The Googly (Dazz and Ramps at fantasy Wimbledon), he had invited Mark Ramprakash to "cha cha cha" into the studio. A dash down the road from my Book Group - I live in Scotland, it's a way of life - clutching my copy of Neil Gaiman's wonderful Mirrormask accompaniment to his film for this week's reading - thank goodness Dazz didn't show up on the radio til 8.05pm. His opening was a typical Goughian chuckle of "yeah, heh, heh" as he introduced the man in the sparkly vest (Ramps) and The Analyst, Simon Hughes (pictured right). Now Simon may not have made much of a mark in his cricketing career, but is the voice of reason and fact in broadcasting and is much missed by many a viewer since the demise of Channel Four's live coverage.

There was a good debate about the rights and wrongs of the Kent/Worcestershire match being replayed. General feeling seemed to be that this is not a good decision. As Ramps said, everyone suffers the weather and the teams should "take it on the chin". Moving on to the selection for the initial England squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, the Dazz once again, only had to pick up the phone to have Tim Bresnam and Adil Rashid on the other end. Tim admitted to being shocked at his inclusion, but he's looking forward to bowling and batting against India. Adil is still feeling pretty fresh and chuffed after Man of the Match in the Roses game, and it's his dream to bowl to Sachin Tendulkar.

This wasn't the knockabout Cricket Show we had last week with Tuffers, or the fantasy one that I produced some weeks ago. Maybe a different dynamic of studio guests altered the tone. But this was a serious show and when they started on how young bowlers should be allowed to develop, Gough as usual provided some real insights. He's been there, done that, and isn't so far away himself from being recalled to the England squad as a death-bowler. When he says that young men are not given enough time to develop the groove and learn from experience how to vary their approach, I think there are selectors and coaches out there who would do well to listen.

We had chat about KP's latest statements about being "half asleep at Edgbaston" because he is "mentally shot to bits, not at the races". Now Goughie, a great chum of KP's didn't have a lot of sympathy, but then admitted that bowlers always had injury to claim and get a bit of a break. As the Analyst explained: "England have played an international game every four days since last October". That's a hell of a toll on anyone.

Could you, I or any of the couch-seeking slobs we know, manage to do anything like that?

As I said above, this wasn't the laugh-a-minute stuff of Gough last week, but new stuff that is not just regurgitated rubbish from other sports feeds. Keep at it Dazz - we're listening.

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Strauss's fall from grace

Well we all know what Andrew will be doing next weekend. The England Lions? Who thought that one up then? Apart from magnificent beasts striding the plains of the Masai Mara (if it has plains), or lying around doing nothing at Longleat, there is only one pride of Lions in sport and that's the rugby lot. Heaven knows what they think about the ECB nicking their monicker. Still we seem to be stuck with it now and as the team formerly known as England A, prepare to take the field against India, it's hard to imagine that Mr Strauss does not feel that he's back at school and been sent down from Div I to Div II in maths (or French).

So how did this sad situation come to pass? It doesn't seem so long ago that we were cheering for Strauss as he hit 129 at the Oval, making him the only player in the 2005 Ashes to score a century twice in the series - the first coming at Old Trafford, with blood oozing from his ear from a Brett Lee ball. Hustled into the captaincy due to injuries to Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff in the summer of 2006, his England team were humiliated by Sri Lanka - a 5-0 white-wash in the One-day series. Honour was, partially, redeemed as England took the Test series 3-0 against Pakistan (the debacle of the final Test was not of Strauss's making). But then they went Downunder. Bumped as captain in favour of the returning Flintoff, we hoped that Andrew (of the Strauss flavour) would bat his way into the limelight. Very few of England's team came back from Oz with their reputations enhanced, but few were as diminished as Strauss. With a mere two fifties after 20 innings on tour, he was dropped before the ICC World Cup.

He did make an appearance, but 7 against the West Indies at Bridgetown was not the performance we expected of him. Some pretty poor scores (6 and a blob in the third match) in the Test series against the West Indies this summer (his 77 in the fourth Test was not indicative of his overall form) led to him not being picked to play in the Twenty20 or One-day internationals. Strauss has hardly been setting records in the county game for Middlesex and while an average of 54 is not shabby, this is only calculated from three innings so not possible to relate it to a return to form.

However, with England's top order far from impressive, let's not rush to judgement. Rather wait and see if Andrew Strauss can overcome past problems representing his country and return to grace on the fair fields of Essex.

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Bring back Mal Loye

The splendidly named Malachy Bernard Loye may have had his days in the sun in Australia, but the way the England top order are currently performing in the One-day series, makes me think the clouds might part again for Lancashire's Loye and we may see him in the England pyjamas soon.

Although not now in the frame to be a Test cricketer, Loye seemed to be heading all the way to international selection as a junior. He played for England at the Under-19 level and was picked for England A in 1993-94. Named PCA Cricketer of the Year in 1998, he was expecting, confidently and with good reason, to be in the Test team for the final match of the summer against Sri Lanka. Steve James played instead and it wasn't until the Commonwealth Bank series this year that Loye appeared for his country. A debut at Brisbane brought a run-a-ball total of 36 and then came 45 (off 61) at Sydney. Although these runs contributed to a win at Sydney (and the series overall), Loye lost his place to the returning Michael Vaughan for the doomed trip to the Caribbean.

Another chance could be on the cards now as England fails to find a solution to their One-day woes, and Loye sits atop the Lancashire Twenty20 table with an average of 74.33.

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Calling James Benning

A pretty poor performance from England yesterday has led to a shout for James Benning to be called into the side. Well ever-willing, your correspondent has gone searching and can bring you these facts to help you make up your minds. Is he good enough?

A right-hand bat with a current First-class average with Surrey of just 34.88, he might not immediately spring to mind as worthy of the call. But this boy, he's still just 24 years-old, promised much as a school-boy and was chosen for the England Under-15s. In 2003 he was acclaimed as Surrey's most-promising newcomer and won a Denis Compton Award. He has made steady progress and his position in the tables does not reflect the skill and guts that got him his top score of 152 against Gloucestershire in April this year. In partnership with Ali Brown, they smashed their way to a world record One-day total at the Oval.

Enough, surely, for not only Guardian Unlimited's Andy Bull, but England to have an eye on him.

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How's Marcus?

Over a month ago I queried whether Marcus Trescothick's rehabilitation at Somerset was working. Today as I inexplicably found my radio tuned to Prime Minister's Question Time rather than the One-day international at Edgbaston, my thoughts wandered from Gordon Brown, to the brave West Countryman who used to open the England batting with flair and aplomb. His start to the season wasn't sparkling, but hard work and his innate talent seem to be paying dividends now. He sits fourth in the Somerset batting table behind only Hildreth, White and Langer with a very healthy average of 61.91 in First-class matches. After 4 matches, although Somerset are languishing at the bottom of the Midlands/West/Wales Division in the Twenty20 Cup, Marcus tops the batting with an average of 34.50.

In a recent interview with the Mail on Sunday he was honest about his feelings for the England team and how much he wants to be part of it again. He said he'd been watching every Test match thinking: "God, I miss this, I miss this a lot." Heartfelt words.

He has no illusions - knows he has to earn the whites, or the pyjamas again, but with doubts about the abilities of England's current openers, I hope the selectors are keeping a close eye on a man who was brave enough to be open about his stress-related problems. If England win today, perhaps Marcus could test his recovery with an appearance on the 7th July at Nottingham.

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The Thunder Downunder: Facing the Music

The hypnotic polyrhythms of Blackstar were emanating deep below the surface in the dank and funky UK Googly dungeons when the Editor phoned this week to request a follow up to last week’s Thunder Downunder column.

It appears that the mere mention of Australia fielding Ponting’s dream opening attack of Lee and Tait, hurling 150 kmh thunderbolts at English throats, has caused a climate of fear and a deluge of emails in the Old Dart. There was some idiotic defiance by a few with short attention spans but that was soon forgotten by the intermittent and fickle orgy of Twenty/20, Twelve/12, Ten/10, Eight/8 and Five/5 matches that are currently underway on the well drenched soil of Britain.

The Editor could barely be heard above the sweet melodies and ringing stinging crash cymbals as he communicated the groundswell and controversy. He instructed the Shed’s contacts to find which watering hole Boonie and Merv are currently occupying and to seek out their views on who will replace Justin Langer as Matthew Hayden's opening partner.

Big shoes to fill. Langer and Hayden are statistically one of the most successful opening partnerships in Test match history. Only the legendary West Indian pairing of Greenidge and Haynes have scored more runs for the first wicket. However, the Australians clearly have the superior average. Greenidge and Haynes scored 827 more runs but they played 35 more innings. Testament, no doubt, to Desmond and Gordon’s longevity and professionalism in an era when fewer Test matches were played each calendar year.

After accepting this assignment your correspondent negotiated a meagre expense account - enough for two phone calls - and also agreed to investigate the player that will replace Adam Gilchrist in the one-day set-up when he hangs up the yellow togs later this year or early next.

Even bigger boots to fill. Gilly is unarguably the best wicket-keeper batsman to grace the modern game and while his skills are diminishing he can still perform at the highest level. His match-winning 149 from 104 balls in the World Cup final will surely be recorded as one of the finest innings ever produced by a one-day opening batsman.

After one well placed phone call to the conscientious, fluorescent orange dungareed volunteers of the Victorian State Emergency Service, we discovered the mo mafia snuggled on the bar, splashing their feet in the now stagnant floodwaters inside the Burrabogie Island Sailing and Fishing Club.

Before Big Merv and his little mate were dragged away kicking and cursing by rescuers in a rubber dinghy, a few insights were gleaned and below is the run-down on the players likely to face the new ball and the fresh pacemen this coming summer.

Brad Hodge - Age 32
66 Centuries
This week desperately and insecurely volunteered to replace Justin Langer as Test opener. It won’t happen. Has a slim chance of securing the one-day opening position. Has impressed of late as a middle order bat in pyjamas but there are still doubts about his technique to the ball moving away. His best chance of securing a long-term Test place is if Michael Hussey opens.

Michael Hussey - Age 32
62 Centuries
Averages 80 from his 16 Tests and 59 from 72 ODIs. Easily the best candidate to open in the five day arena but his crucial Bevan-like finishing position in the ODI squad makes his selection as Test opener a schizophrenic proposition. If any player in the squad could fill two vastly different roles and not let it affect his game, it is Mister Cricket.

Phil Jaques - Age 28
39 Centuries
The incumbent. The prolific southpaw is the perfect carbon copy replacement for Justin Langer in the Test squad if the selectors opt to keep Hussey in the middle order. Has scored runs on all surfaces and has proved himself time and again. Questions remain over his fielding and that is enough to keep him out of the loop where limited-overs cricket is concerned. 

Michael Clarke - Age 26
26 Centuries
The golden boy of Australian cricket with a long and illustrious career ahead. His boyhood hero was Mark Waugh and Pup would love to open the batting for the ODI team. Has done the job on nine occasions for eight wins and has excelled averaging 63. A strong candidate and obvious successor to open when Gilchrist retires.

Chris Rogers - Age 29
22 Centuries
Demanded selection in the contracted squad due to his gritty run scoring consistency over the last five domestic summers. Short sighted and colour blind, Chris would be a surprising first choice replacement for Langer but if the ginger tenacious leftie was given the job he wouldn’t let the side down.

Shane Watson - Age 26
13 Centuries
Possible opener in both forms of the game. Will open for Queensland with Hayden in the first two Pura Cup matches at the start of the summer and if he succeeds he may get Langer’s job. The most technically correct batsman in the squad and a favourite of Ponting. Opened at the last Champions Trophy and acquitted himself well. Will be in both teams but it is still uncertain what his role will be.

Brad Haddin - Age 29
12 Centuries
Gilchrist’s obvious replacement in the one-day squad and opens the batting in limited-overs cricket for NSW. Under pressure from Tasmania’s Tim Paine and West Australia’s Luke Ronchi and will need to perform when chances present to keep his contract next year.

Matthew Hayden has been reported as saying that he intends playing on indefinitely to guide the next set of openers into the international arena. Hussey would be the best choice in Test matches but balance also needs to be considered so Phil Jaques will probably get the nod for the first Test against Sri Lanka in November. Shane Watson is the roughie and cannot be discounted. In the one-day arena Michael Clarke looks set to emulate his hero but once again Watson’s name is on the short list.

Overall Australia’s batting stocks are strong and whoever the selectors choose will be under pressure to keep their spot. With 27 Tests and innumerable ODIs scheduled in the next 18 months Australia’s top order should be well and truly settled when they arrive in England in 2009. 

[Nesta Quin] [Image: Getty]

Graham Gooch cheating

That Graham Gooch was a wag.  If he's not off exploiting a foul regime for his own financial ends, he's  handling the ball in the 1993 Ashes.  Note the intestine-cripplingly dull commentary pairing of Tony Lewis and Ian Chappell on the BBC - and we wonder why Channel 4 was such a revelation?

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Graham Thorpe to be NSW assistant coach?

Not only does our intrepid Thunder Downunder correspondent bring you fabulous updates about the game on the other side of the World, he also keeps his ear to the ground to bring his former colonial overlords all the rumours doing the rounds among the antipodean crickerati.  And so it is that this week, in-between oiling his Gray Nicholls in the Thunder sheds, Nesta heard a distant whisper that sounded very much like, "Matthew Mott will be appointing Graham Thorpe as his assistant at NSW".

Here at the Googly Dungeon we only listen to about 87% of the rumours we hear, but this one is from a much trusted source.  That said, it does contradict Mott's comments in today's Sydney Morning Herald, in which he not so much flutters his eyelids at Glenn McGrath, but strips off, oils himself up and says "come and get involved big man!" to the former Aussie tormentor of top orders. Thorpe does however have recent experience of coaching in Aus, and if he can translate his attitude and ability into coachng nous, he would be a clever, if surprising, appointment.[Image: Getty]

In the media with Bell and Colly

Not surprisingly the main topics for our men in the media this week have been the One-day captaincy - for Collingwood, and not playing the FP semi for Bell. As far as the latter is concerned, young Ian has written from his heart in the Guardian (and the article appears on the GU blogs). His disappointment at not being picked shows clearly, as does his love for Warwickshire and commitment to the club. The Googly is pleased to see that Mr Bell is continuing to dispense with the usual platitudinous guff that we have seen so much of in cricketers' columns over past years. He also provided a solid and interesting piece at the end of last week on 1st innings batting.  Go to the top of the class, Belly-Boy!

Over at another place, I'm afraid that Paul just hasn't quite found the same sort of groove yet. On the subject of Michael Vaughan's decision to quit as One-day captain, Paul reveals that he is "surprised" (obviously hadn't been reading the same papers and articles as us then), that MV has "world-class talent but captaincy puts stress on your shoulders". In another unexpected exclusive, he tells us that it is "up to the selectors to make the decision" but if offered the captaincy would be "very happy to take it".  Thank you Paul, valuable insights all.

While I'm very happy at the thought of Collingwood becoming captain, I am regretful that KP has now ruled himself out of the hunt, as I won't get another chance to hear Geoff Boycott's dulcet Yorkshire tones declaring that the fans "don't care what colour his hair is, if he has danglers in his ears or round his neck". Strange moment that.

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Top Ten: Accumulators

We all remember them, those batsmen that you hardly noticed were at the crease until they held their bat aloft to celebrate another century.  In no particular order..

1.  Sunil Gavaskar
The pocket master from Mumbai is one of the greatest bats of all time, and his legendary, perfect technique led to him accumulating over 10,000 runs at the highest level.  The interesting thing about Gavaskar though was that whereas a lot of accumulators can play no other way, his talent was such that he could play every shot in the book, he simply chose to accumulate as that was what was required for India at the time.

2.  Graham Thorpe
The batsman we all wish Ian Bell could be and the most impressive English batsman of the past 15 years. Thorpe was however still a man who scored most of his runs in a manner which did not exactly empty bars, a direct contrast to his successor in the team, Kevin Pietersen.

3. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
The little man from Guyana relies on his timing and wonderful, wristy technique rather than force.  It has served him well, as over 7000 test runs at an average exceeding 45 testifies.

4. Jimmy Adams
A strong player off his legs, with a correct, cautious technique.  The Jamaican left-hander had an incredible start to his career, averaging nearly 90 after his first ten tests, before a crisis of form in the mid-nineties reined him in.

5. Chris Tavare
Compact, disciplined, irritating, sphincter-tighteningly dull: all things you could say about Tavare.  The Aussies would say much worse I imagine.

6. Hanif Mohammad
The man who made cricket in Pakistan the public obsession it is today.  Perfect craft and famously rarely hit the ball in the air, he once batted for 970 minutes to score 337 against the West Indies.

7. Mudassar Nazar
Classic example of a man who made the most of what he had, but still managed to score over 4000 test runs in manner that was not exactly crowd-pleasing.

8. Ravi Shastri
The golden-boy of Indian cricket in the 1980s, who anchored the middle order with his watchful play for a decade.  Shastri later confessed that he was not actually very talented and that all he achieved came through hard graft.

9. Michael Atherton
Scored nurdling, gutsy, stubborn runs for England while all about him crumbled.  His test average of 37 does not truly reflect his talent.

10. Geoff Boycott
The archetypal accumulator, a man of such concentration and control that he bludgeoned attacks via sheer frustration.  Famously ribbed for his accent and outspoken views, but whatever jibes he may endure his record speaks for itself.

[Lee C] [Image: Getty]

Sanath Jayasuriya signs for Lancashire

Great news for Lancashire fans (me!), as the blow of losing Murali while he gallavants off playing for his county will be softened by the short term signing of pocket battleship Sanath Jayasuriya.

Jayasuriya will be on the Red Rose county's books from 19th June to 20th July, making him available for the group and quarter-final stages of the Twenty20 Cup, and will depart once Murali returns from Sri Lanka's three-match Test series against Bangladesh.
[Lee C] [Image: Getty]

Sir Geoff Boycott calls for Strauss to be dropped

After practically the whole of cricket venturing the opinion that Andrew Strauss Out is rubbish and should be jettisoned from the side, it seems that the man with the only opinion that really matters has brought his weight behind the argument as 'Sir' Geoff Boycott has called on the management to give Strauss "a break".

Speaking today, the former opener and inter-gender boxing champion said, "He's just not playing well. I would have sent him back to county cricket for a while,".  Here here Geoff! 

He continued, "I've been in that situation when your mind's gone and you can't make a run, your feet are all over the place. If the West Indies bowl all right he will get out again cheaply because his feet are not going in the right spot so he will need a lot of character and a slice of luck or two early on to survive."

Maybe Strauss Out will prove us all wrong at Chester-le-Street, but I doubt that a Test match is the place to get your footwork flowing naturally again.  [Lee C] [Image: Getty]

Snap of the Day

Continuing our recent theme of "when West Indies were good"; this photo is from the Second Test of the 1984 series at Lord's in which England had had the temerity to declare in their second innings to chase victory.  Gordon Greenidge's response?  He bludgeoned  214 not out off a mere 242 balls to ensure a Windies victory by a staggering 9 wickets, and was fully deserving of this little breather in the midst of it all. [Image: Getty]

Snap of the Day

Let us cast our mind back to when West Indies were good.  At that time few were better than DL Haynes; in fact he was so good he could bat in a stupid headband and get away with it in the first test against Australia in 1991, as you can see here.   On a topical note, the man to take his wicket in both innings of this match was none other than pornmeister and blackmail facilitator Craig McDermott. [Photo: Getty Images]

Michael Vaughan - a captain resplendent

It's not often that I am thrilled to be proved wrong, but in this case, I am ecstatic. In fact, I'd be happy for everyone I meet over the next few days to taunt me and descry my lack of faith. I was going to entitle this piece "Where Now for Vaughan" as I was convinced that not only his lack of match practice (or indeed any practice) would severely curtail his run-making, but also that The Knee would break down again.

Michael Vaughan has metaphorically thumbed his nose at me and I am delighted.

After a year or so of calamity, culminating in the broken finger shortly after his return to Yorkshire, it was hard to imagine that back in the Test side, under enormous pressure, he would remind us, so emphatically, of why we need him as captain.

From 2003 when he inherited the captaincy of the Test side from Nasser Hussain, to the 2005 Ashes, Vaughan led the team to a string of victories - including the whitewashes of both New Zealand and the West Indies. His attributes of canny calmness, astute man-management skills and an extraordinarily sharp cricket brain have been over-shadowed these last months by endless references to, and discussions of, his injuries.

Returning to lead the England team in the ICC World Cup, all the doubts were on show. Unfit, untested in competition and with a demoralised side, when his hamstring went ping, I don't think I was the only one to wonder if this was the last we had seen of Michael Vaughan on the international stage.

But he is a man of huge determination and has fought back. It was a joy to see his magnificent innings on Friday. 103 - including 11 boundaries, and a return to his glorious best. Along with some sharp and insightful captaining decisions, this was just what the doctor ordered.

Welcome back Michael, we've missed you.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Ian Bell says something revealing

Ian Bell, amidst all the banal mutterings in his column for The Guardian this week, stated something that perhaps the ECB were none to keen to let out:

"I was never worried I was going to be left out of the side after what I've done over the last 12 months but I spoke to Peter Moores the night before the game and he told me I'd be going in at six and would probably stay there for most of the summer because Michael Vaughan wants to bat at No3."

So there you have it, Vaughan will bat at three for the entire summer; thus being allowed the chance to bat his way back to fitness and form at the highest level of the game rather than with his county side.  The fact that Vaughan will bat at three would suggest that Strauss has joined the ranks of the untouchables also.

Peter Moores: "meet the new boss, same as the old boss." [image: Getty]

Why Panesar is England's Future

Monty Panesar is the new dawn of England cricket. On Saturday he revitalised the England attack with his bowling and also invigorated the fans when he was patrolling the boundary.

This is a young man who is so utterly thrilled to be playing for England that every time he walks onto the park, he greets the day with the hugest of smiles.

We were close to losing Monty from the team under the Fletcher regime. What a shame that would have been. Mr Duncan damned him with faint praise, referred to him as a bright hope and then didn't select him in Australia when we were in desperate need of inspiration.

After a stunning debut which saw him taking the wicket of that god of batting, Sachin Tendulkar, on his Test debut, Monty went on to claim Kaif, Dravid, Inzie, Yousaf and Younis Khan as his victims.  When he was selected in Australia last year, he took a Five-fer at the WACA - not a feat often achieved by English bowlers on Australian soil. His name is now on the Honour's Board at Lord's after his superb bowling in this Test against the West Indies.

But it is not just for his skill at spinning that he is the bright hope of the future. It is for his open-hearted joy at being part of the team, it is for the hard work he has put into his fielding and batting, it is for being a young, enthusiastic cricketer who has inspired children up and down the country to want to be "Monty".

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Ian Botham's scandalous accusations

Not wishing to besmirch anyone's characters, but I feel I must report the accusation made by Ian Botham during his commentary on today's first Test.

Debating a Panesar delivery that pitched right on the edge of the line before hitting the batsman's leg, Botham welcomed the move by the umpires to award the wicket.

So far so good. Then he went on to proclaim: "For years, batsmen have been getting away with murder, literally."

There are so many tasteless jokes that could and should be made about such a declaration, but I will leave it to others with sicker minds than mine.

Check back here later for a round-up of the events at Lord's today. [Carrie Dunn] [Image: Getty]

Analysis, first Test, day two: England 553-5 (bad light stopped play)

We've just started the summer of cricket, which must mean it's the time for hyperbole. Let us salute Matt Prior as the solution to all England's wicketkeeping ills.

All joking aside - and it's difficult to joke about the subject when you've spent the last year refereeing disputes about Jones v Read - this was a very special Test debut from the young man today. He finished the day on 126 - the first England wicketkeeper ever to make a century on his first start.

His runs came off just 128 deliveries, and he was supported at the other end by Ian Bell, who quietly but assuredly snuck his way to his own hundred.

Combined with Paul Collingwood, who fell on Nelson, and Ali Cook's contribution of 105, by my maths that makes four England players who have passed the magic three-figure mark in this innings - the first time that's happened since 1938, when Barnett, Hutton, Paynter and Compton secured their tons against Australia at Trent Bridge.

Had it not been for bad light forcing the umpires' hands, I suspect Andrew Strauss would have liked to have declared after Prior and Bell had passed their milestones, and given Steve Harmison chance to hit the Windies openers at the end of the day. As it is, the declaration should follow in the morning, and then we'll see whether Prior's keeping is up to Test scratch as well. [Carrie Dunn] [Image: Getty]

Cricket Snap of the Day

West Indies' Runako Morton, the man quietly pencilled in to replace Brian Lara launches another fierce shot on his merry way to 103 vs Somerset at the batter's paradise that is Taunton. [image: Getty]

Cricket Snap of the Day

A man finally finding some form?  Andrew Flintoff hits a magnificent lofted drive on his way to an accomplished 61 vs Hampshire. [image: Getty]

Cricket Snap of the Day

The frighteningly talented 17-year-old Tamim Iqbal of Bangladesh heaves an almighty mow over covers. [image: Getty Images]

Cricket Snap of the Day

Marcus Trescothick looking pensive on his way to 284.  Maybe he's having a think about when to make his England comeback. [image: Getty]

Performance of the Day

Amidst the chaotic fallout of Pakistan's World Cup campaign, the players must be relieved to be able to forget tragedy (sporting and real) and concentrate on what they love - playing cricket. No Pakistani player appears to love their cricket more than Yorkshire's Younis Khan (right, Getty Images), who has followed up a first innings century with a second innings undefeated double ton to put his team in a very strong position vs Hampshire.

Soft runs? The Rose Bowl is hardly the batsman's paradise at Taunton and Hampshire's attack was led a couple of bowlers you may remember from last winter: SR Clarke and SK Warne. [The Tooting Trumpet]

Cricket Snap of the Day

Ricky Ponting is bowled by Andre Nel during Australia's cakewalk to victory vs South Africa.  Whilst the victory itself was nothing new, the sight of the Aussie captain being clean bowled has not been seen much in the Cricket World Cup. [lee calvert] [Photo: Getty Images]

Cricket Snap of the Week

A fitting end?  Brian Lara trudges off after being idiotically run out in his last ever international innings by team-mate Marlon Samuels.

[Photo: Getty Images]

Brian Lara retires from international cricket

Brian Charles Lara, in my opinion the greatest batsman of his generation, has retired from all forms of international cricket.  This decision follows his earlier one to retire from ODIs, and frankly he has probably made this further call after being told he is unlikely to be selected for the tour to England next month.  But, to continue the theme here at The Googly of honouring departing people's greatest moments, have a look at Lara breaking the test innings record for the second time against England.  [lee calvert]

England and ODI cricket - the radical solution

After England's grisly exit from a World Cup is it time for a Grizzly entrance?

Chris "Grizzly" Adams has won plenty in the English domestic game and averages a very useful 40 in one-day cricket. He has fashioned a team in his own image at Sussex: not supremely talented, but combative; not aesthetically pleasing, but effective; not well liked, but much respected. His teams find ways to win. Wouldn't a dose of that go down well with England now?

At 37 next month, would Adams be tempted by a Player-Coach role this year for the England ODI team, grooming Ravi Bopara as the next ODI captain with himself as coach? We know from the okey-cokey Yorkshire farce that he can be tempted by a new challenge, and what bigger challenge than England's ODI team?

And for an encore, why not engage his sparring partner from the 1993 Benson and Hedges Final, Wasim Akram as ODI and Test bowling coach to get the reverse swing back for England? The doosra and reverse swing are the two biggest weapons in cricket - and England have neither.

The Trumpet's ODI team would look like this:

Benning, Cook, KP, Colly, Adams (captain), Bopara (v-c), Flintoff, Nixon, Plunkett, Jones / Hoggard, Monty.

[The Tooting Trumpet]

 

Eng vs SA - England's innings crumples like a cheap concertina

As Damien Rice said in his faux folk AOR dirge 'The Blower's Daughter', "And so it is, just like you said it would be, England's have ballsed up yet another innings" or something like that. 

Vaughan won the toss and decided to bat, which was about as good as it was to get for the hapless England who finished on 154 all out.  The opening pair went cheaply, then the golden goose Pietersen was skittled, leaving Strauss and Collingwood to fashion something like a partnership; albeit totally unconvincingly.

England then managed to lose 5 wickets for 10 runs in an astonishingly bad 5 over spell, leaving the innings in more ribbons than were used at the now foolish looking Ashes parade in 2005.  Ravi Bopara was the only batsman who looked remotely comfortable reaching 27 not out- this lad could be some find - and Panesar played stoically for his 2 off 27 balls, displaying a technique that some of the top order could do with studying.

In partial defence of the England travelling comic sideshow, South Africa did bowl very well, and there is a glimmer of hope in that the ball is seaming and swinging.  But England are now going to lose and going home from the Cricket World Cup, make no mistake.  I wonder how Vaughan's media bullshit will spin this one in the press conference? [lee calvert]

Kevin Pietersen hitting that incredible six

Kevin Pietersen can be infuriating at times; largely due to his talent for getting out stupidly, his arrogance, his hair... the list goes on.

However, a lot of the time he does things that most players would not even think to do, never mind actually pull off as well.  Like this legendary reverse-sweep six off one of the greatest bowlers of all time - he of course then got out stupidly next ball.  [lee calvert]

Flintoff bowled by a small child

Here's a lovely picture of Freddie being clean bowled by a child.  Judging by his stationary feet and confused look, the kid must have been a spinner.

[lee calvert]

Fletcher talks crap about Panesar again

He may have beaten the Aussies single-handedly once, and in fairness helped turn England from a total laughing stock to an occasional one, but Duncan Fletcher doesn't half talk rubbish when it comes to our beloved Monty Panesar.  Speaking yesterday, it seems the jowly one has decided that the porcine Jamie Dalrymple is his number one spinner and if Monty wants a game he will have to displace a seamer from the team.  So basically, he does not want an attacking spinner in the team unless it is the number two spinner. 

Of course, in Dunc's defence, it could be argued that the reason for this is that none of the seamers available in the lower order can bat, whereas Dalrymple can, and that will maintain the all important "balance" in the team that Fletcher rates so highly.  However, the factor that everyone seems to forget is that a certain KP Pietersen bowled as a first choice off-spinner for his province before he decided he was English and could easily bowl ten overs if required.   I also feel Plunkett is talented enough to get some runs at 7 or 8 in the order.   This would leave Panesar to play the front-line spin position his talent and performances deserve, and we would have a team of Vaughan, Joyce, Bell, KP, Collingwood, Flintoff, Plunkett, Nixon, Anderson, Lewis/Mahmood, Panesar.

Of course, none of this would seem be so troubling if Fletcher had actually picked a wicketkeeper who could bat, rather than Paul bloody Nixon.  [lee calvert]

World Cup Greatest Moments: Duncan Fletcher single-handedly beats the Aussies

Duncan Fletcher was not always the England coach of moribund countenance that we know today, he was once the Zimbabwe captain and chief all-rounder of moribund countenance.  In 1983 Zimbabwe played their first ever international fixture against Australia in the World Cup, and one imagines they were hoping for a more auspicious start to international cricket than being 94-5 in their innings.  Then came Fletcher who hit an unbeaten 69 to set the Aussies the tricky target of 239 to chase.  But he was not finished there,  jowly Duncan then decided to open the bowling and proceeded to knock down all four of the opening batsmen in a mesmerising 11 over spell.  Australia rallied but ultimately fell 13 runs short and Fletcher was seen to do a sort of a smile. A bit.

They say history informs the future, and this snippet of Duncan the player helps us understand why Fletcher the coach loves mediocre allrounders of the likes of Porky Dalrymple so much.  [lee calvert]

Adams: 'England can win'

Former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams has stated his belief that England can win the World Cup.  Dismissing the oft quoted criticism that England have no big-hitters in their top order, Adams said "You could argue the top three lack power, [but] in the Caribbean it's perfectly possible to get a solid start and then do a hell of a lot of catching up in the last 15".

As a man who made a career out of nurdling centuries without anyone noticing, Adams is best placed to take a view on these things.  Of course, in his career he was followed in by the likes of Carl Hooper and Richie Richardson, not porcine Jamie Dalrymple and Paul 'Badger's Arse' Nixon. 
[lee calvert]

World Cup Greatest Moments: Davison runs amok

Some players are simply too good for the teams they play for.  Football has a multitude of examples: George Best for Northern Ireland, Ryan Giggs for Wales to name a couple; but if there is such an example in cricket then it is the Canada stalwart John Davison.  A useful allrounder, with averages that are far better than someone who turns out for Canada should have, he has been at the heart of all Canada's achievements.

Davison went berserk with the bat in a Pool B match against the Windies in 2003 and recorded the fastest ever century in World Cup history.  The Windies only got rid of him after he had occupied the crease for 98 minutes and clubbed six sixes and eight fours on his way to a dazzling 111 from 76 hapless balls.  West Indian paceman Mervyn Dillon wasn't much cop to begin with, and a light seemed to go out in him that day that has failed to rekindle since. [lee calvert]

YouTube: Lillee's metal bat

1980. One man tries to push back the boundaries of cricketing technology with an aluminium bat, which he was absolutely not using simply because of the sponsorship money, oh no, not at all. 

However Dennis Lillee forgot to tell the umpires or cricketing authorities about his hand-held modern wonder, and their idea of radical change at that time was to mow the pitch in a different direction.  They told him to get another bat, he spat his dummy for a six, the bats were eventually banned.  [lee calvert]

Kevin Pietersen's 142

This batsman is taking the term "extraordinary" to new levels. My Dad, and most people who ever saw Viv Richards bat, said he was astonishing to behold; a genuine bar-emptier. And while though Pietersen has attracted comparisons with Sir Viv in his career thus far, today they were justified. His 142 at Edgbaston against Sri Lanka will be an innings I shan't forget. His reverse-swept six, off Muralitharan, was breathtakingly audacious. As John Stern, Editor of The Wisden Cricketer, shouted out in the office, "He hasn't reverse-swept that; he's smashed it left-handed".

And it was a remarkable day’s cricket, memorable in so many ways. To start with, I don’t think Pietersen has played a more attractive or extraordinary hundred for England. His 158 at the Oval last year was special, but today’s contained shots the calibre of which few can dream of. The outrageous flicks from off to leg (usually for four); the clever use of his crease, changing the bowlers’ lengths; and that reverse-swept six, off Muttiah Muralitharan of all people. It was an innings of impossible courage and rare skill, and a complete joy to watch.

I wrote some things about him and Murali’s battle at Cricinfo, which is a certain highlight of the summer so far. It was an honour to watch him bat, and Murali bowl.

Langer: 100 and out (for the count)

Justin Langer walked out to bat today, after Australia bowled South Africa out for 303, and would have felt an immense surge of pride fill his head. He's passionately patriotic, so the milestone of 100 Tests - almost all of which he has opened in - is a fine moment. Moments later, he wobbled to the ground and sat there in a daze after Makhaya Ntini crashed a bouncer into his helmet. It was a sickening blow.

Now then, I've made mention of my relish for all things gladatorial (in a cricketing sense), which has attracted concern and debate (at the Corridor). It's not that I enjoy seeing people in pain, or injured or upset or whatever - I worked for the NHS for two-and-a-half years! Although frankly, compassion toward patients who call you a b****** is a rare thing). No, that's not the point.

It's the fact that while cricket can be portrayed a slow, leisurely and sedate way to waste five days of your life, in fact it relies on split-second judgements and the concentration of the highest order. This particular incident was a blemish on Langer's part, if he's honest; yes, the ball didn't get ping up quite as much as he expected, but Ntini is a skiddy type of bowler who doesn't extract extreme bounce at the best of time. He took his eye off the ball, and is now in hospital.

"Thank God for helmets," Barry Richards cried when commentating on TV today. Undoubtedly they've prevented some really horrific injuries but, as anyone who followed cricket pre-1970s will tell you, they're the batsman's worst enemy. It was rare for batsmen in previous eras to ever be hit on the head; a helmetless skull is all the more bare and vulnerable, and players would watch the ball like a hawk. If a 90mph delivery hits you flush on the temple, you will probably die. If not, I dread to think of the consequences  -  suffice to say you'd be gobbling Anadin Extra for decades to come.

I'm not, of course, advocating helmets shouldn't be used. And yes, Langer is a lucky man tonight (this isn't the first time he's been hit. He's worn more scars than, erm, someone who gets in a lot of fights, or something), but batsmen are getting hit an awful lot these days and it has little to do with the quality of the bowling.

Will Luke writes for Cricinfo.com and edits The Corridor of Uncertainty

To sweep or not to sweep

The sweep shot divides the cricketing world. Some praise it some admonish it. For what it's worth, I hate it - the straighter a batsman plays the less nervous I am. And after England's defeat in the opening one-dayer against India, the shot has again come under scrutiny.

Kevin Pietersen today commented on his shot, and defended himself:

"It is my favourite shot against the spinners. There is no spinner in the world that I would not like to sweep. It just messes up their line and length. I think it was a really productive shot against Shane Warne. It makes the bowler think differently and creates added pressure on him. And so it gives the batsman a lot more freedom to play his shots."

Lawrence Booth, writing for the Guardian, sums it up perfectly:

To throw away a 1-0 lead in a seven-match series by playing the shot that in recent months has dared not speak its name might have made even Duncan Fletcher wonder about its merit. "We had them by the proverbials," said Andrew Flintoff, which was a polite way of putting it. The main beneficiary was Harbhajan Singh. He will probably bowl better than he did in claiming a career-best five for 31 but it is doubtful whether 50,000 fans can scream any louder. Close your eyes and it was possible to imagine Mumbai never happened last week. There England had shown patience beyond the call of duty. Here they lapsed into the bad habits that cost them the third Test in Pakistan and the second in India.

Down on one knee

It was a sign of things to come for Andrew Flintoff. Lord's, 2003. The visiting South Africans drew with England in the first Test at Trent Bridge, where rain ruined the second day's play. Graeme Smith clobbered 277 in the first Test and, at Lord's, 259. He was single-handedly batting South Africa to victory, and England were a side in transition. Skeletons remained. At 208 for 5 in England's second innings, out marched Flintoff with his side still 301 runs behind. Capitulation beckoned.

What followed was the making of a colossus. He struck 142 from 146 balls, with 18 fours and five magical sixes. Comically, it was all in vain; England were never going to save the game, but the carnival atmosphere was something to behold. Under the cosh for so much of the match, one man stood up to South Africa and refused to be beaten. That he was the last man out spoke volumes. Critics argued the innings' lost cause, questioning whether he could provide similar goods when it really mattered. Pah. Ye doubters...

It's one of my favourite innings, not solely because it signified he might have arrived, but for its elegant, brutal strokeplay. He has played better innings - under far greater pressure, too - in the years since that day but the quality of strokeplay (albeit in a hopeless cause) was astonishing to watch. One stroke in particular will stay with me forever: Pollock had just been fit for a Saturn-felling six, but on pitching his next delivery fuller Flintoff, on one knee, pummelled it to the cover boundary. He almost fell over: the ball was too full to be driven so square, let alone with such power. The fielder on the boundary had about six yards to make to his right. He reached the ball with an outstetched hand but such was the ball's velocity, it bounced off and richocheted over the rope. Breathtaking. Cricinfo still has ball-by-ball coverage of that over:

103.1 Pollock to Flintoff, SIX, even better! fuller length delivery
        outside the off stump, Flintoff goes back and lofts it over the
        long off fence
 103.2 Pollock to Flintoff, FOUR, fuller length delivery outside the off
        stump, smashed to the cover fence
 103.3 Pollock to Flintoff, FOUR, and again! this is amazing! fuller
        length delivery outside the off stump, was the slower ball,
        Flintoff picks it up early and carves it away to the cover fence
 103.4 Pollock to Flintoff, FOUR, short and wide outside the off stump,
        smashed to the backward of point region, the fielder is way in
        from the rope, ball clears him and goes to the boundary, this is
        tremendous hitting
 103.5 Pollock to Flintoff, two runs, driven back past the bowler, Pollock
        gets a hand to it but it was powerfully hit and the ball goes down
        to the long on region
 103.6 Pollock to Flintoff, no run, expensive over, twenty coming of it

End of over 104 (20 runs) England 413/9 (trail by 96 runs)
SM Pollock 29-7-105-2 (9nb) - Nursery End
JM Anderson 4* (10b 1x4) A Flintoff 138* (135b 18x4 5x6)

And here's the video (you need Macromedia Flash installed)

Will Luke writes for Cricinfo.com and edits The Corridor of Uncertainty

Leather on graphite

It's perhaps the least spoken-about aspect of the game yet one of its most important. The bat. Made entirely of wood, it's arguably the most basic...hang on. Made entirely of wood? Not any more.

The latest farce to affect the great game involves a graphite strip which bat manufacturer Kookaburra have been making, and who have been told it will be banned. Fine. Then ban it.
Except, it appeared last week that Owais Shah was using the bat after the ban...which both MCC, the guardian of the laws, and Ponting have expressed their confusion. Cricinfo has more:

The Marylebone Cricket Club, the guardian of the game's laws, is seeking clarification from the ICC over the controversial issue of graphite-backed bats, after a week in which England's debutant, Owais Shah, scored 126 runs with a make of bat that Ricky Ponting, Australia's captain, was recently asked to change.

 

During last week's first Test at Cape Town, Ponting had reverted to a conventional bat, and expressed surprise that Shah had been allowed to play with the graphite-enhanced version.  

 

"He can't use it, he'll be suspended," said Ponting. "It was supposed to be banned as of the 12th of this month, which was the last one-day game the other day. That was all the feedback I received from Kookaburra and everybody else, but guess what I'm using in Durban then!"  

Only cricket can do this to itself. Chances are that Ponting will revert to using his favourite graphite back. And why not? Shah did, despite the ban, so why not everyone else? It's utterly typical of this game which, despite having laws and regulations stretching back to Noah and Moses, still gets tangled up in a mess of confusion.

For what it's worth, I don't think bats should be allowed to be constructed of anything other than wood. Roger Knight, whom Cricinfo cite in the article, made mention of hockey sticks and golf clubs (in the interview with Test Match Special) which both have changed irrevocably in the past 30 years.

Incidentally, Kookaburra have somewhat of a monopoly over cricket balls - that much I do know. India, who use a handmade ball by an Indian manufacturer, will almost certainly use the Australian brand eventually, owing to its lower price and greater quantity. India's problems in ball manufacturing stems from the lack of quality leather available in the country. I'd explain why, but last time I did I got ticked off, so you'll have to work it out for yourself!

Anyway, all eyes will be on Ponting at Durban to see which bat he has.

Will Luke writes for Cricinfo.com and edits The Corridor of Uncertainty

Beginners' luck

My article on debutants, and beginners’ luck - which I began to muse on the other day - went up on Cricinfo today.

Knuckle down Kevin

Hands up, cricket fans; who finds Kevin Pietersen frustrating? One minute he looks set to build a monumental innings and then the next minute he blows it with a rash stroke.

Some of the great and good have been discussing his technique this week. Graham Gooch was reported as saying that KP doesn't value his wicket enough and needs to play himself in more, especially against the spinners. Pietersen, though, sees himself as an "instinct" batsman:

'Instinct plays a big part in the way I play.'

But isn't it time for him to work on his technique to provide more solidity to the England batting line up? When he's on the offensive, KP is awesome and his extraordinary innings of 158 including 15 fours and seven sixes during the Ashes saw off the Aussies in a very tense situation. Young England players who have batted out in the middle with KP, such as Alastair Cook, are gobsmacked by his ability to whip balls over the boundary, using his wrists, from practically nowhere. There was a time when commentators grew a touch frustrated with Andrew Flintoff, the stand-in England captain, and felt that he was trying to belt every ball out of the ground and was not building an innings. Flintoff has since grown in stature and is a much more solid batsman than he used to be.

I can't help thinking that KP is going to have to adjust his approach - it will be difficult - but just imagine if he could play with more consistency and control his game more. He can destroy teams. Shane Warne knew that. But it will take an excellent coach to generate more consistent explosive performances from him. Maybe he should have a quiet chat with Viv Richards.

Justin Hunt

The poor, belittled bowler

South Africa's remarkable win against Australia on Sunday has caused an understandable stir among the cricket world, media, former players and so on. Barry Richards, the former South Africa batsman, was at the game and commentating on it. Indeed, he even gave a speech at a function during the innings break. When asked "Would South Africa reach 435?" he replied "No! Not a chance!" Richards is one of millions chomping on their hats...including me.

Anyway, Richards made some interesting comments after the run-blitz:

"There is such a propensity for hitting boundaries that bowlers have been taken out of game," Richards is quoted as saying by The Courier-Mail. "It will only be six months and we'll see 1000 runs scored in a one-day game. The skill has been taken out of cricket. As a cricket person, it is very boring because the bowlers have no chance. All the rule changes, the power plays and things, have just made things so much in favour of batsmen.

"The small grounds are like saying to Tiger Woods to play on a 4000m course; he might keep shooting 49 but what does it really mean?" he continued. "Cricket is the only game that has been made smaller in the past 100 years. It's all in the name of commercialism.

"Why would you want to be a bowler? For a start the ball doesn't swing. Batsmen are just hitting the ball straight. The International Cricket Council needs to look at things because this is ruining cricket."

Although I was getting caught up in the moment - it was an amazing day - I can't help but agree with Bazza on this. It's a batsman's game, and the poor bowler has a tough time. Who'd be a bowler (if you had the choice) nowadays? That's a ridiculous and pointless question, so I'll ask another; was this really the greatest one-dayer, or does it indicate cricket's now gluttonous need for commercialism and "whizz bang whallop" entertainment?

Will Luke writes for Cricinfo.com and edits The Corridor of Uncertainty

The greatest game of all

So. South Africa successfully chased down an astonishing 435 to beat Australia, who held the record for a mere few hours. It was an unforgettable day - but was it the greatest game of all? Barry Richards, and perhaps everyone else watching, was absolutely convinced South Africa wouldn't reach 400, let alone the 435 to win the game. Yet they did it. So much for 300 being a good score...

Ed Craig, deputy Editor of The Wisden Cricketer, just happened to be at the game and provided Cricinfo with an excellent colour piece which is worth reading.

I need to absorb what's happened before writing any more. Things like this don't happen every day (the previous highest total stood for 10 years and 6 days), but promise to have some thoughts on it as soon as possible. In the meantime, provide your own!

Limerick competition winners will also be announced tomorrow (hopefully).

Boycott blackballs Blackwell

Geoff Boycott has trashed Ian Blackwell's performance in the first Test. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Boycott says: '....he found Test cricket just a bit too much for him. He didn't make any runs and his bowling was local league stuff...'

Boycott is tipping the selectors to go for another seamer or Shaun Udal. The blunt yorkshireman is now the self-appointed expert on all cricket matters. And he does often have some good comments. However, for the record, I don't remember Boycott's bowling ever being much cop. He always used to
run up with his cap the wrong way round like some modern day rapper. And there were plenty of days when he didn't make any runs to the exasperation of the England team and the likes of the more talented Ian Botham, who was forced to run Boycott out on one famous occasion.

Justin Hunt

Cook serves up desert

If he showed a glimpse of his class in the first innings, Alastair Cook proved it today with an innings of remarkable composure, restraint and maturity to give England a genuine chance of forcing the most unlikely of victories on the final day. First came Marcus Trescothick as England’s fresh-faced left-handed opener. Then Andrew Strauss, albeit in fortuitous selectorial circumstances. England have unearthed a third who, on the basis of one innings at Nagpur, could be better than both.

The prophets of doom, myself included, predicted nothing less than a 3-0 drubbing by India before the Test started; Michael Vaughan’s wonky knee, Trescothick’s undisclosed problems and a swathe of injuries afflicted England. Not even the most optimistic observer could have forseen the situation England find themselves in after four days.

He joins Andrew Strauss, with whom he opened in this Test, to make a fifty and a hundred on debut. Michael Clarke was the last to do it for Australia; Virender Sehwag for India; Scott Styris for New Zealand and Dwayne Smith for the West Indies. In fact, Smith’s highest score since that hundred against South Africa is 42. Against the might of Bangladesh. So it’s not a certainty that debutant centurions should forge a successful Test career but - and I’m willing to eat my hat, if I have one left, should this not be true - Cook showed he has more than enough ability and determination to succeed at Test level.

Against a true master of legspin, Anil Kumble, he was calm and in control, deftly back-cutting and waiting for a bad ball. Against Kumble’s partner in crime, Harbhajan Singh, he was flustered but was patient enough, and disconcertingly mature, to realise that eventually a bad ball would come. Singh, like his team-mates, didn’t have a day to remember - nor was lady luck smiling on them, or even grimacing. However this was Cook’s first outing at this level, and he coped with absolutely everything. Strauss’s debut against the West Indies in 2004 was one to remember, undoubtedly, but Cook’s magical knock today was technically superior and all the more astonishing given his late arrival; it was made in the second innings, too.

If England win this Test - and there’s an awful lot more work to do - it must surely be regarded as one of the best in recent times, given their pre-series disasters. If anything, it proves one thing: never write a team off, and left-handers have a bloody easy time of it

Will Luke writes for Cricinfo.com and edits The Corridor of Uncertainty

Slow down, KP

Can someone make Pietersen slow down?!

Talk to most cricket fans and they find Kevin Pietersen a highly frustrating
batsman. Why, they ask, does he to try to score a four off each ball? Why
can't he adjust his game to the Indian pitch conditions? KP clearly needs
some Boycott-like application. Or looking at it another way, wouldn't
Collingwood, with his grit and determination, be a great batsman with some
of KP's talent?!

Overall KP seems an edgy and nervous character. He seems to find it hard to
relax. Maybe on a day off, he should search out a wise Indian spiritual
guru to help him relax?!

Justin Hunt

The languid class of Steven Harmison

I'm watching the highlights of the second day's play at Nagpur, and (as I thought) Steve Harmison's innings is a wee little beauty. One of his fours was "languidly" (copyright M.Atherton) stroked through the covers, and another - while dancing down the pitch to Harbhajan Singh - lofted over long-on for six.  Great knock. I still miss the days when tailenders were hapless and idiotic with the bat, though...

Will Luke writes for Cricinfo.com and edits The Corridor of Uncertainty