Roar Guru
Joined April 2020
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Interested in stadium politics, competition programming, sporting administration, cricket history and trivia
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While English cricket was still recovering from the ravages of WWI, there was cause for optimism as they headed Down Under.
Australia regained the Ashes with two games in hand, with England left frightened by the bowling duo of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson.
Frank Worrell is the most important West Indian cricketer of all time - and arguably surpassed only by Usain Bolt and Bob Marley as an icon of the Caribbean.
Despite the different eras, natural ability would ensure that each cricket star would triumph in the face of unfamiliar challenges.
If this exercise proved anything, it was the sheer randomness of birth dates; the strongest appear almost unbeatable, while others seem uncompetitive.
"No cricketer that has ever lived hit the ball so often, so fast and with such a bewildering variety of strokes.” - HS Altham…
This series’ twelfth and final team has a distinct West Indian flavour at the top of the order, and a domineering captain.
Its best three bowlers, as well as its wicketkeeper, are among the very best of all time.
This month’s side is good, with an impressive middle-order trio. However it could spend some long days in the field chasing leather, and be…
This team is a seriously good one, and ranks among the strongest in the entire series, as it contains seven great batsmen, and four superb bowlers.
January's team is well balanced with the potential to bat deep in the line-up and some swing and spin options for the bowlers.
Many of the world's top cricketers were born in December: Two were born on Christmas Day, and another on New Year’s Eve.
This is the most watchable team in the entire series, and one of the strongest. I’d travel far, and pay a lot, to see…
This team is stronger than the one for September, and arguably one of the best in the entire series. Whether batting or fielding, the…
While this month’s team might lack the batting strength of the August-born team of the month, a superb five-man bowling attack and outstanding captain…
Keen cricket followers will already know what this article is about, simply by its title. Seventy-five years ago, on Saturday 14 August 1948, the…
Following on from last month’s July-born World Cricket XI we move on to August. While arguably not as strong asJuly, it does boast one…
Another month, another team. This one is arguably stronger than the June-born Team of the month. Some all-time greats have again missed out on…
A few years ago I named twelve pairs of Australian and English teams, with each player eligible only for the side representing the month…
"He was relentless, a chill wind of antagonism blew from him on the sunniest day." Neville Cardus Sydney Francis Barnes was born 150 years…
Hi Wiki,
Maybe no Test venue could be available to host a match of a Test’s duration (plus the pitch’s pre-match prep), until after the BBL had ended ?
Noting that the venues for the BBL’s finals series games, weren’t decided until this week.
If the tour’s beginning and end dates are fixed, so is the order of formats.
Mooney stars with smashing knock as Aussies annihilate England to retain Ashes
Hi SCG,
Chris Scott, who after dropping Lara on 18, turned to first slip and said “I suppose he’ll get a ton now” ?
Quiet achiever Carey starting to enter rare air of Australia’s all-time wicketkeeping greats
Thanks Chip,
But beware the law of unintended consequences ! I think the core Test cricket fan-base doesn’t like too much change, all at once.
Tiers, promotion and relegation will work only if Pakistan can play India, and if there is an equitable FTP for all 12 current sides.
Men and women can’t play together at the elite level, for safety and strength reasons. It’s why the women’s game uses 142g balls (men use 156g ones, of a larger circumference too), and why its boundary distances are far shorter. Cricket, football and basketball are contact sports, unlike tennis and golf.
Three-format series would necessitate longer tours, and be far harder to shoehorn into increasingly crowded annual calendars without fixed months-long windows in the FTP. Hence the current practice of frequent 2-week stand-alone white-ball series.
Don’t implement additional penalties for sledging. Instead 100% support umpires and referees to apply the existing Code of Behaviour.
Keep elite cricket 11-a-side. Substitutes have been tried in white-ball formats, and abandoned. In Test cricket they would be exploited, and would reduce the mental and physical stamina required.
But certainly address over-rates, making up time lost, floodlighting, ground drainage, player behaviour, FTP inequities, Test hosting costs, ICC revenue distribution, player payments by minnows’ boards, unaffiliated T20 leagues…
Promotion and relegation, AI umpires: What cricket could look like in 15 years
Hi Lance,
Maybe I’m not watching often enough, but I only ever see our wrist-spinners deliver stock leg-breaks. No wrong ‘uns, top-spinners or flippers.
Hopefully the Test will provide the opportunity for each to unleash her full arsenal. I’d hate to think they don’t possess (or need to use) them.
Mooney stars with smashing knock as Aussies annihilate England to retain Ashes
Hi BG,
Carey’s been a Test ‘keeper for just 3 years. In my opinion it takes a lot longer than that, to earn greatness. Even if nowadays, one can play 30-40 games within such a period.
But I doubt we’ll ever see the likes again of a Blackham or an Oldfield, gaining selection at a relatively young age, and holding onto their spot for 15-20 years.
Quiet achiever Carey starting to enter rare air of Australia’s all-time wicketkeeping greats
Hi 13th Man,
And if Pakistan qualifies, good luck to its players with their visa applications !
Aussies surely can’t repeat churn and burn McSweeney mistake with Konstas if Head goes to opener
In Oct 2016. A bowling squad of Tremain, Mennie, Boland, Hastings, Worrall, M Marsh and Zampa.
Numbers don’t lie when it comes to the majority of Aussie Test team being in fading final phase of their career
Hi SCG,
I’ve read that in the UAE, the squad will have more control over practice-pitch types, net-bowler types etc. In SL, its practice conditions might feature nothing but greentops and low-standard medium-pacers.
For the same reasons, England practised in Abu Dhabi, ahead of a white-ball series in India commencing in 4 days’ time-
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/saqib-mahmood-visa-delay-england-india-tour-1468986
Sam Konstas reacts like a total boss after fan's car crash video goes viral
Hi Choppy,
Tremain got four ODIs, all away in SA in the space of 11 days.
Numbers don’t lie when it comes to the majority of Aussie Test team being in fading final phase of their career
Hi Bernie,
To paraphrase George Orwell, ‘every match is meaningful, but some are more meaningful than others.’
And regarding the WTC final, it couldn’t be held in India or Pakistan for obvious reasons, and I wonder how keen any other board would be to host a potentially-neutral game, between potentially-unattractive sides, probably outside its own peak hosting window ?
Aussies surely can’t repeat churn and burn McSweeney mistake with Konstas if Head goes to opener
Hi Micko,
And there was a time when an inside edge was referred to as a ‘Chinese cut’ and even occasionally a ‘French cut.’
Murphy ready to step up, bolter a chance to debut as Kuhnemann races the clock for Sri Lanka after surgery
Cheers, Ace
Murphy ready to step up, bolter a chance to debut as Kuhnemann races the clock for Sri Lanka after surgery
Hi Ace,
Allegedly Eng batsman Patsy Hendren was bowled by the WI left-arm wrist-spinner Ellis Achong, and came off saying “fancy getting out to a …”
Murphy ready to step up, bolter a chance to debut as Kuhnemann races the clock for Sri Lanka after surgery
“selectors could recall Ashton Agar for his first Test match in more than two years if they want a more seasoned left-arm off-spinner.”
“All three front-line off-spinners would be a chance to feature in the same bowling attack, as they did in three of four Tests touring India in 2023. Left-armer Kuhnemann is a particularly attractive selection proposition given he spins the ball the other way from Murphy and Lyon.”
Am I the only Roarer who gets annoyed when a left-arm finger-spinner is referred to as an off-spinner ? It’s as wrong as referring to a left-arm wrist-spinner as a leg-spinner. Grrrr.
Murphy ready to step up, bolter a chance to debut as Kuhnemann races the clock for Sri Lanka after surgery
Hi SCG,
Vic Richardson and Arthur Gilligan, and then synthetic radio broadcasts using a pencil to tap a block of wood. And the listening public knew it and loved it. It was so much better in the 1930s.
Free-to-air rights secured for Australia's tour of Sri Lanka
Hi DR,
MacGill’s ability ran in the family ? And his initials SCG made him destined to travel east, just as those of MC (Colin) Cowdrey led him from his birthplace in India, to Eng ?
Leg spin will never die but Zampa’s right to air concerns over flick of the wrist magicians vanishing
Hi BM,
Allegedly then-Chairman and cricket tragic Rodney Cavalier ensured that the new Bradman/Noble Stand was designed just as you described, before it was constructed around 2012-2013.
Leg spin will never die but Zampa’s right to air concerns over flick of the wrist magicians vanishing
Hi Bandit,
‘Skull’ O’Keeffe, ‘Chuck’ Fleetwood-Smith, ‘Evil’ Sincock.
Leg spin will never die but Zampa’s right to air concerns over flick of the wrist magicians vanishing
Hi Wiki,
I understand that the Sydney Premier Cricket competition format is now something like 12 x 2-day, 7 x 1-day, and 4 x T20. And lower grades play as much 1-day as 2-day, which arguably isn’t ideal for developing every type of long-format player eg a wrist-spinner.
Leg spin will never die but Zampa’s right to air concerns over flick of the wrist magicians vanishing
You’re right Rellum,
Playing for points for your own side (and employer), is preferable to playing for yourself in a one-off game.
Leg spin will never die but Zampa’s right to air concerns over flick of the wrist magicians vanishing
Hi GC,
An Aus A tour to India would have some scheduling challenges to avoid Shield (Oct-Mar) and ideally also IPL (Apr-May) clashes. Leaving Jun-Sep, which would be incredibly hot and humid in most regions.
Leg spin will never die but Zampa’s right to air concerns over flick of the wrist magicians vanishing
Hi TLN,
And your total season statistics then included a part-over, as a result of repeatedly bowling to the tail ?
Leg spin will never die but Zampa’s right to air concerns over flick of the wrist magicians vanishing
Hi SCG,
Or David Sincock, or Pat Pocock ?
Leg spin will never die but Zampa’s right to air concerns over flick of the wrist magicians vanishing
Hi Gilberto,
I think Aus took a wrist-spinner on every Eng tour between 1890 and 2005, except for 1899 and 1981.
And MacGill had a fantastic record in the 50-over format.
Leg spin will never die but Zampa’s right to air concerns over flick of the wrist magicians vanishing
Hi SCG,
Here’s one account of a team-mate actually saying it to him-
https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/australia/cricket-2019-brian-lara-record-501-chris-scott-warwickshire-vs-durham-west-indies-england/news-story/09906ebe74854b5d977860e78d983614
But another of him saying it himself-
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jun/07/chris-scott-drop-brian-lara-the-spin-cricket
Quiet achiever Carey starting to enter rare air of Australia’s all-time wicketkeeping greats