Thank God…

It seems it is back with a bang in Ahmedabad where India fell into awful strife against Sri Lanka on the first morning (at the same ground that they’ve been skittled out by South Africa and New Zealand in the last decade) at 32/4, but at time of writing, have perfected a superb recovery to 384/6, with the fantastic Rahul Dravid putting to bed many of the “he’s past it” voices with a crucial 177 not out. The run rate is amazing, but that’s probably because the other two major contributors in the recovery were Yuvraj Singh (68) and MS Dhoni (110), but at time of writing, Dravid has faced just 250 balls for his 177, and that isn’t crawling.

I will be the first to hold my hands up and say I am a great admirer of Rahul Dravid. For 13 years now he has been the understated mainstay of the Indian batting order. While I have no doubt he is a megastar in India, he was always Robin to Tendulkar’s Batman, and sometimes that just wasn’t justified. For spells in his career he was the man, the one you needed to get out because once in, you couldn’t get him out. He is an archetypal test cricketer – yet he still has a more than acceptable one day career to fall back on. When playing county cricket his colleagues remarked on what a good man he was, how he set such an example. His conduct on the field has been unquestionable, his roll in the Indian team invaluable. His pinnacles are numerous, but his two key knocks to help beat the Aussies in Kalkota and Adelaide stand out. There was that summer in England where we couldn’t knock him over, no matter how hard we try (at The Oval we needed to run him out). Although I fear a strong India and what they can do to the game, I am a great fan of Dravid and I am pleased he’s got the big one.

With his 177th run, he has now reached 11000 test runs. Only a select few have reached that mark – Tendulkar, Lara, Ponting and Border – Dravid deserves his place at the top table. 

Jayasuriya, Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene all gone?

Is this cricinfo playing a cruel joke on us all?

	TM Dilshan	c Morgan b Anderson	2	12	0	0	16.66
	2.3 oh well held Morgan! Anderson gets his man, pitching it up outside off stump, Dilshan has a full-blooded drive at that but Morgan at backward point cups a good low catch 7/2
	ST Jayasuriya	c †Prior b Onions	0	2	0	0	0.00
	1.5 top ball and that’s edged! Really a gem of a delivery from Onions, pitched up, no room to work with, lures Jayasuriya forward, then deviates ever so gently as he pushes at it and the thin nick is snapped up by Prior 7/1
	KC Sangakkara*†	c Strauss b Onions	1	6	0	0	16.66
	5.2 edged and gone! Another one goes, its Sangakkara this time, chasing a full and wide ball leaving him and he can only edge it Strauss at first slip, who cups it in front of his face, Australian style 17/4
	DPMD Jayawardene	lbw b Anderson	9	12	1	0	75.00

According to cricinfo it was 17/4.

Don’t worry England fans. We can easily lose it from here.

As part of the self-indulgence this blog imbues in me, I thought I’d list the day’s test cricket I’ve been to, and how they turned out. I may, at a later time, comment on each in a bit more detail, but for now, from the first day (as recently as 1997) to the last (day 4 at The Oval last summer) here they are….

Number 1 – England v Australia (6th Test) at The Oval – 22 August 1997 (2nd day)

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Key Events – Phil Tufnell took 7/66 on the second day, as England fought back from being dismissed for 180 and limiting the Aussies lead to 40 runs. A bit drizzly for my first day at a test, but it was great to be there. I think I was in the old Gover Stand at the Vauxhall End. By the end of play England had wiped out the Australian’s lead, but lost three wickets in doing so. England gained a consolation victory the following day when bowling out Australia for 104.

Result – ENGLAND WIN

Number 2 – England v Sri Lanka (Only Test) at The Oval – 28 August 1998 (2nd day)

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Key Events – John Crawley’s magnificent 156 not out dominated the day’s proceedings, but for the second test attendance running, a spinner took 7 wickets – Muttiah Muralitharan taking 7/155 in nearly 60 overs! England, resuming on 228/4 lost overnight centurion Hick in the first few minutes, but on the back of a 10th wicket stand of 89, got to 445. Sri Lanka started their reply and were 79/1 at the close as Jayasuriya scored the first 59 of his 213 runs.

Result – ENGLAND LOSE

Number 3 – England v New Zealand (4th Test) at The Oval – 19 & 20 August 1999 (1st and 2nd days)

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Key Events – England hit rock bottom in the rankings, before Bangladesh tainted proceedings, with this insipid display. I didn’t see the denouement, but I did see two days of dismal test cricket. England bowled New Zealand out for 236, after a first day that yielded 170 runs in 90 overs. Vettori made a brisk half century early on day two, while Fleming made a 5 and a half hour 66 not out. England finished the day at 150/7, with no-one doing anything of note (Hussain top scored with 40). This was the test with England’s infamous 9,10 and 11 being Mullally, Tufnell and Giddins. Unsurprisingly 150/7 became 153 all out the following morning as England went on to be soundly beaten and lose the series 2-1. This was Nasser Hussain’s first series in charge.

Result – ENGLAND LOSE

Number 4 – England v West Indies (5th Test) at The Oval – 1 & 2 September 2000 (2nd and 3rd days)

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Key Events -  My only chance to see Walsh and Ambrose (this was Curtly’s last test) in full flow, and my first Saturday at The Oval. Having missed a decent England batting display on day 1, England’s fall from 221/5 to 281 all out was disappointing. West Indies made 13/0 in a horribly rain-curtailed day, but just enough overs were bowled to ensure no refunds would be required. The Saturday was showery, and England bowled the Windies out for 125 including a first ball duck for Brian Lara. Craig White took 5/32. England got to 56/2 at the end and went on to win the match and the series.

Result – ENGLAND WIN

Number 5 – England v Australia (5th Test) at The Oval – 23 & 24 August 2001 (1st and 2nd days)

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Key Events – Australia racked up 641/4 in the best part of two scorching days and set themselves up for the fourth win out of five in the series. Day 1 saw two wickets fall, Hayden for 68 and Ponting for 62, as Australia made 324/2 – Justin Langer (replacing Michael Slater who never regained his place) made 102 before retiring hurt. On the second day Mark Waugh completed a brilliant hundred before getting bored and getting himself out for 120, whereupon Steve Waugh continued the onslaught making 157 not out on one leg. Damien Martyn added 64 not out, with only Gilchrist not making a half-century, being caught for 25 off Usman Afzaal!!! By the end of day two, England were 80/1, with Warne dismissing Atherton for 13. This was Atherton’s last test, and Jimmy Ormond made his debut (being called lard arse by Ferret, one of our regular attendees at these games). Australia went on to win by an innings and change, despite Ramprakash’s 133.

Result – ENGLAND LOSE

Number 6 – England v India (4th Test) at The Oval – 5 & 6 September 2002 (1st and 2nd days)

Scorecard

Key Events – Michael Vaughan dominated proceedings, as I saw my then highest test innings of 195 by the soon-to-be England captain, who at that time was just blossoming as England’s run machine. England made 515 over the best part of two days, and then dismissed Sehwag late on the second evening to have India at 66/1. As with Jayasuriya four years before, I saw the start of another double ton, this time by Rahul Dravid who had 31 of his 217 by close of play. Half-centuries by Trescothick, Butcher and a particularly lairy Dominic Cork were other “highlights”. The game petered out into a tame draw due to a 5th day washout.

RESULT – DRAW

Number 7 – Australia v England (1st Test) at The Woolloongabba, Brisbane – 7,8,9 & 10 November 2002

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Key Events – England get off to their customary disastrous start, taking just two wickets on day 1 after inserting the Aussies. Hayden makes a ton in both innings, Ponting scores his series opening ton, and England subside horribly on Day 4, a little after we left the stadium to visit Sir Peter’s friend on the Gold Coast. Day 1 was torture as England dropped catches, bowled poorly and lost Simon Jones to a long-term knee injury. Australia subsided from 364/2 to 492 all out the following day, with only Warne stemming the tide, and England finished hopefully at 158/1. However day three saw the Aussies take early wickets and bowl England out for 325 despite four England half-centuries (Trescothick, Butcher, Hussain and Crawley). Australia built on their lead and by the end of day three were 111/2, and nearly 300 in front. Hayden duly completed his ton the following day, Gilchrist had some fun, we left, England got bowled out for 79, we spent an extra day around the pool and went to Beaudesert.

Result – ENGLAND LOSE

Number 8 – Australia v England (2nd Test) at Adelaide Oval – 21,22,23 & 24 November 2002

Scorecard

Key Events – England had a good first day and still ended up losing midway through day four. Michael Vaughan’s opening day 177 was brilliant, even though Langer probably caught him early on. Getting out off the last ball of the day to leave England 295/4 opened the door, and the Aussies crashed through to leave England 342 all out (four each for Gillespie and Drug Cheat). Australia made 552 in reply, with Ponting making a “routine” 154, Damien Martyn 95, Gilchrist 54 and Bichel 48; four wickets for Craig White. England then collapsed second time around, making just 159 (Stewart 57) and were beaten by an innings on a dank, drizzly fourth day. The fifth day would have been washed out as the heaven’s opened, and not much play would have taken place after England lost their final wicket. Still, the better team won. I nearly forgot, Glenn McGrath took four wickets and the “catch of the century”  to dismiss Vaughan.

Result – ENGLAND LOSE

Number 9 – England v South Africa (5th Test) at The Oval – 4,5 & 6 September 2003 (Days 1-3)

Scorecard

Key Events – Probably the best three days test cricket I’ve seen and I still missed the best bits! South Africa batted first and made 484. Dismissed just after lunch on day two, the innings contained a blistering 183 by Herschelle Gibbs, a solid 90 by Gary Kirsten, a doughty 66 by Jacques Kallis and a jaunty 66 not out by Shaun Pollock. At 362/4 at the end of day one, you wouldn’t have got a price on England getting a series tying victory. England got three run outs(including Kallis after a flick off Giles’ hand) or else it could have been worse. In reply England finished day three at 502/7, thanks mainly to a 268 run partnership between Graham Thorpe in his comeback test (making 124) and Marcus Trescothick whose 219 is still the highest test innings I’ve seen. I missed Freddie’s fireworks on day four, and England went on to post 604/9. England bowled South Africa out cheaply and chased down the runs to square the series.

Result – ENGLAND WIN

Number 10 – England v New Zealand (1st Test) at Lord’s – 20 May 2004 (Day 1)

Scorecard

Key Events – My first visit to Lord’s for a test and the first day of England’s summer clean sweep of the tests. A nondescript day in Andrew Strauss’s debut appearance, as New Zealand made 284/5. Mark Richardson was denied a century when given out erroneously for 93, while Nathan Astle and Jacob Oram made half-centuries. England went on to win the test thanks to a ton and an 83 by Strauss and a valedictory sign-off ton by Nasser Hussain. Richardson made his own ton in the second innings.

Result – ENGLAND WIN

Number 11 – England v West Indies (4th Test) at The Oval – 19,20,21 August 2004 (Days 1-3)

Scorecard

Key Events – England won the test inside three days and completed seven in a row that summer. Making 470 in the first innings, with half centuries from Ian Bell on debut (70), Michael Vaughan (66), Andrew Flintoff (72) and Ashley Giles (52), the innings was notable for every single England player from 1-11 getting into double figures. West Indies’ first innings reply of 152 was inadequate; Steve Harmison took 6/46 while Lara made 79, the only decent knock I ever saw him make. Chris Gayle made a 79 ball ton in the second innings, hitting six fours in one over off Matthew Hoggard, but the West Indies limped to 318 all out, and Trescothick hit the third ball of England’s second innings to the fence to seal a 10 wicket win.

Result – ENGLAND WIN

Number 12 – South Africa v England (3rd Test) at Newlands, Cape Town – 2-6 January 2005

Scorecard

Key Events –England’s visit to the most beautiful ground I’ve ever seen ended in heavy defeat. South Africa made a cautious but solid 441 in their first innings, with 149 from Jacques Kallis and 70s from Graeme Smith and Nicky Boje, the latter when England were looking to make real inroads and bowl the hosts out for nearer 350. England were skittled out for 163 by Charl Langeveldt (5/46 on debut and with an injured hand) with no-one scoring anything of consequence. South Africa batted again and made 222/8 (Kallis top scored with 66) and then with over 5 sessions to play, bowled England out for 304. In a rare feat, England’s top score came from the number 11 position – Steve Harmison making 42. After the run of 11 test wins in 12 came to an end at Durban, the first defeat since South Africa at Headingley in 2003 cast “jinx” status on Dmitri for the first time.

Result – ENGLAND LOSE

Number 13 – South Africa v England (4th Test) at Wanderers, Johannesburg – 14 & 15 January 2005 (Days 2 and 3)

Scorecard

Key Events – We missed Strauss getting his career best on the first day, and the second day was badly affected by poor weather, but we still saw Vaughan make an impressive 82 not out, brilliantly supported by Steve Harmison. England made 411/8, and on a bright and sunny day three, Herschelle Gibbs broke out of his poor form to finish the day 136 not out, with South Africa on 306/6 and the test evenly poised. Of course, all the fireworks went off on the following two days, and I’d flown back to London.

Result – ENGLAND WIN

Number 14 – England v Australia (1st Test) at Lord’s – 21 & 23 July 2005 (Days 1 and 3)

Scorecard

Key Events – Day 1 will be remembered for such a long time. 17 wickets, Harmison’s pace, McGrath’s devastating spell, KP’s debut – so much in one day. England bowled out Australia for 190, Langer top scoring with 40, Harmison taking 5/43, but finished the day at 92/7, with McGrath taking the first five wickets with just 21 on the board. Day three started with Australia on 292/7, and the game well away from England. The tail wagged, and got them up to 384 (Katich making 67), and by the close, England had subsided to 156/5, with KP 42 not out. England completed their defeat on the rain-affected 4th day.

Result – ENGLAND LOSE

Number 15 – England v Australia (5th Test) at The Oval – 8,9 and 10 September 2005 (Days 1-3)

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Key Events – I missed all the fireworks, the KP masterclass, the Sunday morning bowling heroics of Freddie and Hoggy. Instead, on the first three days, I saw Andrew Strauss’s magnificent 129, Freddie’s vital 72 and England made 373 (Drug Cheat taking 6/122). In reply over two shower-affected days, Langer made an aggressive century as the needs of the situation demanded, and Hayden saved his own skin with an attritional ton. We all know what happened next in the test.

Result – MATCH DRAWN

Number 16 – England v Sri Lanka (1st Test) at Lord’s – 13 May 2006 (Day 3)

Scorecard

Key Events – England looked nailed on to win this test having made 551 on the first two days. Resuming at a tottering 91/6 on day three, the Sri Lankans delayed the inevitable follow on, making 192 (Mahela Jayawardena scoring 61) with Hoggard taking four wickets in the innings. Following-on, Sri Lanka finished the day at 183/3, with half centuries from Tharanga and Sangakkara. Sri Lanka still managed to save the test, batting for the next two days (there were some interruptions, to force a draw).

Result – MATCH DRAWN

Number 17 – England v Pakistan (1^st Test) at Lord’s – 13, 15 & 16 July 2006 (Days 1,3 & 4)

Scorecard

Key Events – I got to the game midway through the first day when Cook and Collingwood were beginning their stand. By the end of the day England reached 309/3, with tons for both batsmen. When I returned to the game on the Saturday, Pakistan were chasing down England’s 528, and the innings was dominated by Mohammed Yousuf, who made 202, and helped pull Pakistan up from 66/3 to 445 (half centuries for Inzy and Kamran Akmal). The Sunday play saw the end of Pakistan’s innings, and England building on the lead. England reached 258/7, with Strauss reaching 128. The game was drawn the following day.

Result – MATCH DRAWN

Number 18 – England v Pakistan (4^th Test) at The Oval – 17-20 August (Days 1-4)

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Key Events – The game that ended when Pakistan refused to play. In the interim, England got skittled for 173 on day one, saw Pakistan reply with 504 (Mohammed Yousuf with another ton, and nineties from Mohammed Hafeez and Imran Farhat). England made a better fist of the second innings, with KP making 96 and Alastair Cook 83. England were 298/4 when the ball tampering incident and the children chucked their toys out of the cot.

Result – WHO THE HELL KNOWS!

Number 19 – Australia v England (2^nd Test) at Adelaide Oval – 1-5 December 2006 (All 5 Days)

Scorecard

Key Events – You’ll know all about this son enough. 300 partnership, double ton for Colly, KP on fire, Hoggard’s seven, tons for Clarke and Ponting, the collapse, the chase, the despair. Read all about it on this blog.

Result – ENGLAND LOSE

Number 20 – Australia v England (3^rd Test) at WACA Stadium, Perth – 14-18 December 2006 (All 5 Days)

Scorecard

Key Events – Australia were held together by Hussey (74 not out) in their innings of 244, as Monty took five wickets to fuel the fires of Fletcher’s critics. England’s response wasn’t good enough, with only KP (70) making an impression in our 215. Hoggard bowled Langer first ball of the second innings (you will see the picture one day) but it never got better. Tons from Hussey, Clarke and Gilchrist (I saw hardly any of this as it was too hot and I was in the pool) put Australia well on top with 527/5. England’s pursuit was doomed to fail and by midway through Day 5 the Ashes were lost. Alastair Cook made a ton, Bell a fluent 80, and half-centuries from KP and Freddie were not enough. Unsurprising as no other batsman scored more than 5!

Result – ENGLAND LOSE

Number 21 – England v India (1^st Test) at Lord’s – 21 July 2007 (Day 3)

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Key Events – India resumed at 145/4 chasing England’s 298. England dismissed India for 201 (Anderson 5/42) and on a showery day took their score forward to 77/2. The game ended up being a draw when rain and Stevie B saved them.

Result – MATCH DRAWN

Number 22 – England v India (3^rd Test) at The Oval – 9-12 August 2007 (Days 1-4)

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Key Events – A high scoring draw. India made 664 over nearly two days. Kumble made his only test century (110) and Karthik (91), Dravid (55), Tendulkar (82), Laxman (51) and Dhoni (92) all made large contributions. England’s reply was not enough to avoid the follow-on – they made 345. Cook, Collingwood and Bell all made 60s, and all got out. India did not enforce the follow-on, instead taking their time over 180/6 on Day 4 before inserting England near the close and setting them 500 to win (Ganguly 57). England were 56/0 at the close and secured the draw the following day, but lost the series.

Result – MATCH DRAWN

Number 23 – England v New Zealand (3^rd Test) at Trent Bridge – 7 June 2008 (Day 3)

Scorecard

Key Events – England had made 364, and had New Zealand on the ropes at 96/6 at the start of Day 3. New Zealand finished on 123 (Anderson 7/43) and followed-on. They finished the day 177/5 and completed their innings defeat the following day.

Result – ENGLAND WIN

Number 24 – England v South Africa (4^th Test) at The Oval – 7,8,9 & 10 August 2008 (Days 1-4)

Scorecard

Key Events – KP’s only domestic test as captain resulted in a victory and a century for the skipper. South Africa were skittled for 194 on Day 1, and England replied with 316 – KP (100), Collingwood (61) and Harmison (49 not out) the top scorers – Ntini took 5/94. AB DeVilliers 97 and Hashim Amla’s 76 stretched the game into a 5^th day after rain wiped out most of Day 3. 318 wasn’t enough and England chased the runs down the following day (they had faced 8 balls on Sunday for 0/0).

Result – ENGLAND WIN

So, as long as the tickets turn up, the 5th Test at The Oval will be my 25th test. Look for more reporting as and when….

“Start The Car”

England – We are at home. 20/20s coming home. Its coming home. We can win it. If we play how we know we can, we can win it. We are at home, where we are dead good. We can win it.

Australia – We pick players with no first class experience, our best players bunked off the IPL, we are playing an Ashes series later in the summer, and we are really, really, really, really taking this seriously. Can we go now?

India – We hated 20/20. It was not pure cricket. It was a poor form of the game. We have no interest. Then we won the World 20/20. World Domination is ours!!!!!

Pakistan – Are we allowed to play?

New Zealand – Workmanlike, resistant, fighters, dogged, punches above their weight. And that’s just Jesse Ryder.

South Africa – We treat every game of cricket as a laugh. Our earnestness and rigour disguises what a fun team we can be. Did I mention we’ve not won a world cup yet?

West Indies – Chris Gayle Hearts 20/20.

Sri Lanka – In all seriousness, for once, I hope this return to international cricket is a path back to some normality. Jesus, imagine being caught up in that Lahore business….

Zimbabwe – Everything is good now. Can we come back to test cricket please. We’ve given Morgan a job, you know. it is really important as thirteenth deputy despot.

Bangladesh – We will win a decent test in the next few years, promise. But we are much better at this form… Really we are.

Also Rans – Why?

Readers may discern that I don’t really care about this old nonsense, but I will endeavour to watch some of it if the mood takes me.

Absolutely awful news from Pakistan this morning. No more needs to be said on how bad the matter is for the people concerned. Pakistani cricket will wither on the vine without the most careful of nurturing, and are those in charge of the national team prepared to eat humble pie (as I will do for questioning players refusing to travel there) and get their games put on where they can have a modicum of home advantage?

It is the plaintive cry of those utterly powerless to those who perpetrate this sort of stuff, but why? What are you gaining by targeting people who bring pleasure and joy to lives. A country that loves its cricket is destroyed by those who look to extinguish any sort of positivity. Why?

I wonder how talents like Younis Khan, Salman Butt, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Danish Kaneria and Faisal Iqbal must feel today. Knowing that in all likelihood they’ll never pull on the green cap with the gold star in their own country again. Icons in their nation, they will be unable to emulate again Imran, Javed, Waqar, Akram, Mushtaq, Saqlain, Inzamam, Yousuf - recent heroes known by a singular name and instantly recognisable – in deeds within their home country. All because… well who knows why?

I hope all the players get over their wounds quickly, the cricket community remember those that gave up their lives in this attack, and that the mental scars aren’t too horrendous. I love cricket, and today cricket has suffered a wound as serious as I could imagine. A cricket world without Pakistan is poorer, and I hope something can be salvaged from this unimaginable mess.

Graham Gooch reacts to England’s travails in Bridgetown by saying he’s concerned about the quality of test wickets around the world, where run gathering is now de rigeur and big scores barely catch the eye, unless an England player manages one, which is not common.

I input into cricinfo’s statguru a query. Show me the highest innings since January 2004 to today.

Since 2004 we have had 15 scores over 250. Between 1970 and 1995 – 25 years instead of 5 years – there were 18 scores of 250 or over. I know the volume of test cricket has risen a lot but we haven’t crammed 5 into 25 as far as I know and the regularity of big scores is just frightening. 6 of the record 10 wicket partnerships have been set in the past 13 years – the 1st (Dravid/Sehwag), 2nd (Jayasuriya/Mahanama), 3rd (Sangakkara/Jaywardene – a partnership of 624!), 4th (Jayawardene/Samaraweera last week), 8th (Wasim Akram/Saqlain Mushtaq) and 9th (Boucher/Symcox) – in addition the 10th has been equalled in that time too (Azhar Mahmood/Mushtaq Ahmed). Records are made to be broken, but note the best team in the last 20 years hasn’t set a single one of them – they were too busy concentrating on winning games to care! 

Since 2004 there have been just 7 instances of 8 wicket innings by a bowler, and one of those was Krejza’s 8 for 215 in a run feast. In the same period as above, there were 36 instances of 8 wicket innings by bowlers.

Today Thilan Samaraweera scored his second consecutive test double century in the first innings of a match. A test double century should be the highlight of a career, not a norm, and to do it back-to-back should be an astounding feat. He became the 6th player to do it, and the 8th time it has happened. It has previously been achieved by all-time greats like Wally Hammond and Don Bradman. In recent times, though, the additions are less stellar. Vinod Kambli is hardly up there with the greats, and he had England’s wretched 1993 team and the Zimbabwe popguns to milk. Graeme Smith did it in England in 2002, with massive double ton (250 plus both times) at Edgbaston and Lord’s, and to be fair, the second was a matchwinner (might not have been if Insane had caught him), while the other is Sangakkara who did it against Bangladesh, so it really should not count (Hammond and Bradman did it twice, for the record).

Records on the batting side are being notched up at a rate of knots. Bowlers see an acceptable average now of not under 25, but under 30. Spinners are often looking at averages under 40 as being acceptable. If you don’t bowl express pace, or are a freak in terms of accuracy as McGrath was, then you are just cannon fodder. The Kookaburra ball does fuck all after 10 overs and you have to hope for mental errors to get wickets. On flat roads such as Bridgetown, Karachi, et al, you get massive scores. What’s Kamran Akmal doing topping 150? What’s Dinesh Ramdin doing getting 166? Dilshan has three tons already this year and it is only the 2nd March. Sarwan is looking like Bradman. Strauss is looking like he’s back to the days of four years ago, but is that because he’s batted on featherbeds or is it a real revival?

I remember watching Gooch’s 333 in 1990 and thinking that this was a once in a lifetime thing – to see a test player make a triple ton. I have seen since a county 300 in the flesh (Ramprakash), 2 of England’s double tons (Tres and Collingwood) and on the wires players like Sehwag, with a technique so flawed it is laughable, notching up two triple hundreds at a run-a-ball on pitches with aboslutely no threat to him. Dravid is called the wall because on lifeless strips, and with his nigh on impeccable technique, he could be impossible to get out. There’s no skill. Flat pitches, useless cricket balls, and hi-tec bats have weighed the game too much in favour of the batsmen. Great pacemen will soon be a thing of the past.

Oh dear. Moan over.

Younis Khan started day 5 of the run-fest at Karachi on 306 not out. Before him he had a whole day if he pleased to make the world record. He said he’d give himself a couple of hours, maybe to do it, but you just sort of knew that someone like Younis Khan, good player that he undoutbedly is, should not be above Brian Lara as the world’s highest innings scorer. Just as Matthew Hayden’s 380 against Zimbabwe stood atop the table like a bad zit, so would Younis. He got out early on for 313, and a throughly top player nestled in to the lower triple century scorers where he probably belongs.

This test shows what is wrong with so much test cricket at the moment. Seriously, where is the fun in 644 being replied to with 765? Why are giants like Thilan Samaraweera picking up batting averages akin to Viv Richards? It isn’t right, it isn’t good for the game. Just as this Barbados test is going to see 600 in all likelihood be replied to by anywhere up to 800, and Jerome Taylor can come in and milk big runs, we need to think how to even the balance. Ordinary bowling attacks may be the order of the day on the Kensington Oval road, but in Karachi we saw Murali and Ajantha mendis made to look like ordinary men. Pitches need to assist bowlers or the game becomes a farce. England, South Africa and Australia, and also New Zealand prepare pitches to help all sorts, and even India recognises boring pitches don’t mean a thing until they are 1 up (do you reckon that Kanpur minefield would have been like that if India had won in Ahmedabad and not South Africa?).

So another long-standing record was erased, as Jayawardene and Samaraweera knocked May and Cowdrey off the record partnership list as they piled on 427 runs for the 4th wicket. Kamran Akmal, who, if the ball deviated a millimetre becomes Bob Willis with the bat, managed to score a mere 158 not out to add to Samaraweera’s 231, Jayawardene 240 and Younis’s 313. Chicks may dig the big scores, but the game suffers because of it. But then, England never seem to score these sort of big runs, so maybe I’m just being churlish.

India are tearing it up at the moment, handing Sri Lanka beating after beating in their five game ODI series on the island. Not content with leading 4-0, key players are making big scores and the Sri Lankans, no muppets themselves, aren’t getting to them.

Game 1 - Sri Lanka batted first, scored 246 and saw it chased down easily. Jayasuriya may have scored a century but the pace wasn’t enough and India got there with little alarm with just under two overs to go and six wickets in hand.

Game 2 - The closest of the four. India batted first and made 256/9 – not at Dambulla, a traditionally low scoring venue, but in Colombo. They defended the total by 15 runs, with Ishant Sharma taking four wickets as the host side’s tail subsided. Yuvraj Singh made 66 to top score for India.

Game 3 – A beating. Massive partnership between Yuvraj (117) and Sehwag (116) formed the bedrock of a score of 363. Sri Lanka came nowhere near. 147 run wins are as comprehensive as this.

Game 4 – The Gautem Gambhir show as the new Indian batting star made 150 in India’s innings of 332, as Sri Lanka yet again failed to stem the flow. Dhoni added 94 to this total as the Indians rested Tendulkar. Sri Lanka fell well short.

India are winning one day cricket, and given the next tournament is at home, must be favourites for the World Cup. They can bat anyone out of games, have the best ODI batsman in the world, in my opinion, in Yuvraj Singh, and a ton of talent to back him up. To win so well in Sri Lanka, with no excuses for the home team, is a great performance. The only fear for them is they’ve peaked too soon. My dilemma, is who out of Yuvraj, Gambhir, or Lendl Simmons, is player of the week!

Sorry for anyone who reads this blog for the lack of updates. It has been a pretty hectic time, what with long hours, a new trainee at work, preparing for the homing of a Battersea puppy, and just the lack of enthusiasm for one day cricket. I promise I’ll be more into the test matches when they come back. The best form of the game by far.

In recent one day action South Africa took the last two games of their series against Australia to take a winning 3-1 lead. The Aussies have since been citing injuries and inexperience as the reason they are losing, which never washed when England kept getting stuffed by the Aussies in 2001 et al. No, winning teams get less injuries, it is just the way of the world. South Africa have impressed mightily, and Albie Morkel’s onslaught at Sydney, combined with his impressive displays in the previous games won him the HDWLIA Player of the Week Award for last week, pipping Dilshan.

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in their best of three series having been royally turned over in the first. The second was a comfortable win, the third a humiliating thrashing of a team short on international cricket. Dilshan’s 137 not out set Pakistan a total to chase of 310, and they fell a mere 234 runs short of the visitors tally… Shoaib Malik lost his job as skipper and Younis Khan takes over. With no Mohammed Yousuf to call on, Inzamam also retired, the team looks lost. Younis has a huge job.

Sri Lanka returned home to play India, and promptly got stuffed themselves by six wickets in Dambulla. Sanath Jayasuriya scored a patient century but the total was not enough for the rampant Indians who chased down 246 patiently. Gambhir, Raina and Dhoni all passed 50. India really are an impressive outfit at the moment, and a scary prospect for most teams.

In Kenya, Zimbabwe also topped 300 in their first ODI, with Chigumbura top scoring with 79. Kenya never got close. It is still interesting, though, to see the gap between the worst of the test playing nations and the next associate member. Zimbabwe, decimated as they are, still seem to be a much better prospect than Kenya, who have never taken that step forward. As I said, interesting.

England started their campaign in the West Indies with a comfortable win over a St Kitts Invitational XI. KP scored a ton, as did Owais Shah (who got injured) and then Strauss got one in the second innings after a duck in the first. Cook scored two 50s, and even Steve Harmison weighed in with runs. It remains to be seen if Shah’s knock gets him a test place, as I’m sure England will be determined to stick with my favourite. KP, of course, had a little to say after his knock, but then you all know where I stand on that particular argument. Flintoff has a side injury, and has gone off to Jamaica for treatment in advance of the first test. England’s second warm up game against West Indies A in Basseterre starts tomorrow. Panesar, on the back of 7 wickets is rested and Swann gets a game, Shah will bat at 6 while Freddie sits the game out, and Sidebottom gets go in the attack instead of Stuart Broad. Lord knows what the test team will be!

Back for more in the next couple of days, all being well….

It has all gone rather quiet as England prepare for their upcoming tour of the West Indies, but not that quiet that Andrew Flintoff can put his hand up and say he was one of those in favour of Peter Moores. After saying last week that he wanted KP to stay as captain, he now has it both ways by saying that he had a high regard for Peter Moores and that the players should take responsibility for the recent results that England has endured.

Taken from a well-known cricket site is the following..

As a senior member of the team, Flintoff’s opinion was considered to be key as Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, investigated the falling out between captain and coach. “We had a sense of what was happening out in India and the one thing with Kevin [Pietersen], which I’ve said to him, was: ‘As a captain, as a player, I’ll support you’,” Flintoff told the Observer. “The way I played proves that. I played for Kevin as I did for Vaughany [Michael Vaughan] or Nasser [Hussain] or whoever it may be. I didn’t want him to finish. I thought he could have given himself time to grow into the role.

“But on the flip-side I couldn’t support him in not having the coach there, because I had a good relationship with Peter Moores, and I was open about that with Kevin, with Mooresy and Hugh [Morris].”

Flintoff felt the players had to take responsibility for the recent reverses. “We don’t want to get into the football scenario where the team gets beat and the manager gets sacked,” he said. “As players we’ve got everything at our disposal, we’ve got the coaches and we’ve got everything we need to perform. We’ve got to take some responsibility. To be fair to Mooresy the one thing he’s kept is his dignity. Because he’s a good man. He is a good man.”

While your humble Dmitri applauds much of this sentiment, and that too many times coaches are chucked out for the failings of their players, it seems to me that sometimes that 1% difference that might make all the difference can come from those intangibles that a coach produces. How is it that India are now on the ascendant having ditched Greg Chappell and installed a new, more low-profile but utterly single-minded coach like Gary Kirsten. There is no wailing and gnashing of teeth over him in charge. Together with MS Dhoni, they’ve weathered the loss of Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly, carried Rahul Dravid and face up to the prospect of losing Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman (as well as Dravid) in the not too distant future. While Kirsten has been in charge we’ve seen Gautem Gambir become a top class opening bat and Zaheer Khan become a feared opening bowler. Is that down to the coach and his staff, or the mere desire of a player to become better?

So while Peter Moores may have had all his coaching badges, he certainly didn’t seem to improve anyone the way Duncan Fletcher did. I keep hearing that certain players didn’t get on with Fletcher, which is rich, given that in the main he picked them all for the team for the first time and that the likes of Harmison, Jones, Trescothick, Vaughan and yes, Kevin Pietersen, were identified as major talents that others may not have punted on. All Moores appears to have done has regressed Panesar, making him innocuous, and not done anything about the perennial failures of certain batsmen up the order, no names mentioned. So yes, Freddie, the players should take some of the blame for it, but that’s assuming they are the men for the job. I’m not sure some of them are.

What it also clearly indicates that although not the king any more, Flintoff has a key role as the kingmaker. This is extraordinary. Let us get one thing straight here – in an ideal world Andrew Flintoff’s batting average should make him a number 7 batsman. His batting average is 32.23, which is awful for a test number 6, while his bowling average of 32.12 isn’t really something to write home about. In someone not as large as life as Freddie, and without those outbursts of furious pace in his bowling to sway opinion, the label “bits and pieces cricketer” could reasonably apply and his views not taken as gospel. Look, I’m not saying he is that, and he’d walk into my England team, but as a bowling all-rounder at 7 or 8, and not at number 6 where ideally, I’d like a test-class batsman who could bowl 7 or 8 overs a day and not let anyone down. How about Paul Collingwood? Try it. Please. See how it works. You need Flintoff and Pietersen in your side for this team to go anywhere, and to use one against the other, as the ECB appear to have done is short-sighted. Oh well, they all leave on Wednesday for the West Indies where everyone takes it for granted we’ll win. I’m nowhere near as sure.

On the international scene this weekend, Australia levelled the series in Hobart, in a game I haven’t managed to catch up with the highlights of yet. I did watch the first couple of hours of Aussie’s innings, where Bill Lawry exclaimed when Australia were going well at 130 for 1 that 300 was on the cards. What dear old Bill doesn’t realise is that they don’t have Clarke, Symonds, a Waugh twin, or a Gilchrist batting for them now, but an out of form Incredible Shrinking Average, his untried brother, and other assorted fill-ins. It isn’t a team in form any more and once Ponting got out, the prospect of big numbers fades. Marsh soon lost his wicket, the team lost their way and Australia posted what looked like a disappointing total of 249/9. I am not sure how this total was enough, given South Africa did not lose all their wickets, but fingers may be pointed at Kallis (72 in 96, but that would be harsh) or the slow start by the openers. However the key inference from reporters is that the slow start was built upon too steadily meaning the last few overs needed to be frantic. South Africa fell six short. Shaun Marsh, showing the usual Australian man-of-the-match awarding skills was given the gong. Ponting’s innings, scored at a quicker pace, may well have been the better one.

In Mirpur, where the pitch appears to be getting worse with age, Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka again, this time in a thrilling finish. In a game which saw 97.3 overs bowled, the two teams combined for 251 runs for 18 wickets, with six needed off the last by Zimbabwe to win. Ray Price hit the first two balls of the last over for four to take the visitors home. What is going on at this ground? 200 is like 350 there, and even low 100 scores are competitive. Raqibul Hasan, with 28, was the best score on either side. I think the authorities had better review their fixtures at Mirpur if they want runs. However, most of the games have been close, so what is better? For the punters to decide. It was Price’s day as he took 4 for 22 and this add to his match-winning knock after Zimbabwe fell to 92/8 in pursuit of their small total.

Sri Lanka travel to Pakistan for some rare international cricket in that country – the first game is tomorrow. Not a lot of people remember Pakistan’s last test match, so their return is good in the country with so much political upheaval. It is a great shame the team does not include the great Mohammed Yousuf, for political more than cricketing reasons. This ICL nonsense has to be ended, because no team should be forced not to choose someone for pursuing cricketing recompense when his own country has so little international cricket. Certainly not a legend like Yousuf.