Deep Fine Leg

Well not quite but he failed to make his top 25 players in a book entitled “Shane Warne’s Century” released tomorrow. I hope to write a review of the book in the next week or so as soon as I get my hands on the book.

Warne’s top 50 appeared in The Times newspaper last year and he has expanded it this time to include the top 100. Waugh who is rated at number 26 is 17 places higher than his twin brother Mark but incredibly fellow Victorian Merv Hughes is rated overall at 18th.

Australian fast bowler Brett Lee believes that he and his fellow pace men will have to be patient if they are to have success during the test series in India. There is likely to be many hot days in the field for the tourists and Lee thinks the bowlers should try and ‘block this all out’ as they are attempting to dismiss the Indian batsman.

Lee is aware that the pitche in India aren’t normally too favourable for the fast bowlers, with spin normally claiming more wickets. However, the 31-year-old is convinced that Australia’s fast bowlers can play a significant part in what he hopes will be a test match series victory. The pace trio of Lee, Stuart Clarke and Mitchell Johnson will be expected to perform well for Ricky Ponting. Especially when they don’t quite know to expect from the uncapped spin duo of Bryce McGain and Jason Krejza.

In fact, none of the Australian bowlers that make up the 15-man squad for the test series have ever actually played a test match in India. Lee says the players are fully prepared for the challenge ahead though and that they have been able to ‘bond and gel very well’. This is something which should stand them in good stead ahead of the long hot days in the field.

Not only are the current Australian team very inexperienced as far as playing in India is concerned, but in terms of cricket betting, they are underdogs going into the series. The Australian cricket team aren’t used to this as they have been the number one side in the world for quite some time now.

However, Lee says that the way in which Australia performed against India last summer when they beat India 2-1, should show the cricketing world that they are capable of defeating the Indians. After all, the youngsters in the Australian team need to start somewhere in terms of their international careers – so why not in India this month?

One thing for sure is that Brett Lee is one of the most experienced players in the side. He will be expected to be the talisman for Australia and the man Ponting can turn to for a burst of electric pace. The New South Wales man – who currently has 289 test match wickets – will be looking to claim his 300^th scalp during the four test matches in India.

Should he do so, it would mean he has made a fantastic contribution to Australia’s chances of victory. I’m actually curious as to what the cricket odds are on him to achieve this feat inside the first two matches - especially if he gets of to a good start in Bangalore. A few wickets in the first innings of the series and his confidence will be increased which will help him lead the Australian bowlers throughout the series.

Thomas Rooney - Freelance Sports Journalist

Everyone knows by now that the Australia squad that has just arrived in India ahead of the test matches series between the two nations is far less experienced from the one that emerged victorious back in 2004. Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Damien Martyn, Jason Gillespie, Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer are all on the retirement list, leaving Ricky Ponting with a very different looking squad.

This, combined with Australia’s poor record in India over the years, has led to the cricket odds favouring an Indian win. According to Michael Hussey, this could be something the home team are taking for granted. The 33-year-old says that it would be a ‘mistake’ on India’s part to underestimate the new look Australia team. He also says that the players are determined to put their own stamp on the team amidst the departure of so many talented players.

Hussey certainly has a point. Not often is it wise to underestimate the Australian cricket team. They still have some excellent players and despite going through a transition period – they are still winning cricket matches.

So, as Australia search for their second win in India for 35 years, who are their key men? Obviously captain Ponting is important to them, as is Hussey who is one of the most experienced players in the team. However, I wanted to pick out three players that I think will play a pivotal role in the upcoming series against the Indians.

Michael Clarke – The future captain of Australia will be expecting a strong series. I mentioned him in my last piece for Deep Fine Leg, but I wanted to emphasise how much I expect him to perform. At 27 years of age and with a batting average of 47.06, this is the type of series he should excel in if he is to become a true Australian cricket great.

Mitchell Johnson – In terms of cricket betting, this is the man I am going to back to be leading wicket taker for Ponting. It’s just a feeling I’ve got. Of course, it depends if he can get into the team, but if he does I think he is a ‘big series’ player so will prove to be the surprise of the tour.

Brad Haddin – Finally, I think it is a big series for Adam Gilchrist’s successor and it is important he performs. His glove-work has been decent and his batting average of 30 is respectable. However, his first 50 still eludes him and if he could turn it on with the bat in this series, it will be a real bonus for Australia.

So, they are they key men as far as Australia are concerned. Next time for Deep Fine Leg, I will be looking at India’s key players as I continue the build up to the test series.

Thomas Rooney - Freelance Sports Journalist

It is often one of the closest fought series in world cricket and now it is almost upon us. Ricky Ponting and his Australia team leave for India on Sunday ahead of four test matches against Anil Kumble’s men. The first test gets underway three weeks today in Bangalore and I for one, cannot wait. It should be an excellent series of cricket, with both sides fancying their chances of victory.

Of course, the build up to this tour has been dominated by security issues. On Saturday, there were a series of bomb blasts in New Delhi and this meant there was doubt about whether the tour was going to go ahead at all. However, the Australian Board reviewed the situation and although the security surrounding the team is to be increased – the tour will go ahead as planned.

With that in mind, it is my view that the talk should now only be about the cricket. So, who do I think will emerge victorious come the end of the series? Well, it really is a tough one to call and even though the cricket odds are slightly favouring an Indian victory, I think everyone appreciates that it is going to be extremely close. India have a good record at home to Australia and I guess, that’s what makes them favourites. They have beaten Australia four out of the last five times at home, but Ponting and is team won 2-1 the last time they toured India back in 2004-2005.

So, even though overall history favours an Indian win, recent history suggests that the Australians could just nick it.

In terms of particular players that I expect to shine, I would happily place a cricket bet on the fact that Michael Clarke will be Australia’s leading run scorer. He has fond memories of India after he scored 151 on his test debut in Bangalore back in 2004. I expect him to have a successful tour once again.

Something that needs to be mentioned is the fact that Australia have named two uncapped spinners in their squad for this tour. The selections of 36-year-old leg-spinner Bryce McGain and off-spinner Jason Krejza are very interesting indeed and it will be a tough ask for them to match the qualities of India’s two spinners – Anil Kumble and Harbajhan Singh. I suppose the ‘unknown factor’ that accompanies the Australians could play its part, but they still need to perform to a very high standard.

Overall, I think it is safe to say that no-one quite knows what to expect from this Australian side and no-one knows what to expect from the tour in general. Next time for Deep Fine Leg, I will be taking a closer look at the Australians and who I expect their key men to be. I will even take a look at some cricket betting ahead of one of the most eagerly anticipated test series in world cricket.

Thomas Rooney - Freelance Sports Journalist

It was the International Cricket Council awards last night with all the stars of World cricket present to see who won the major honours this year. The most significant award of the evening, as ever, was for ‘Cricketer of the year’ and I was delighted that West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul got the nod for this prestigious award. The 34-year-old has consistently been a heroic performer in what has been a struggling West Indies side for many years and he fully deserves this recognition.

Chanderpaul – who is currently ranked as the best test batsman in the world - beat off competition from fellow nominees Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn and Mahela Jayawardene. Speaking after picking up the trophy, Chanderpaul said that he was ‘honoured’ and ‘thrilled’ to win the award and saved special thanks to his family and team mates that have helped him perform so well in the last year.

I have always rated Chanderpaul very highly. No matter how much a team is dominating the West Indies batting line-up, he is always a thorn in the side. When the West Indies toured England last year, he was almost indestructible – no one could get him out. He has an unorthodox approach to batting, but it works. Every time he walks to the crease, the bowling side knows they have their work cut out. I admire his character, concentration, determination, patience and most importantly of all I admire his ability as a batsman. I always feel safe placing some of my cricket betting money on Chanderpaul top scoring for his country – he is Mr Reliable as far as I am concerned.

During the last year or so, Chanderpaul has been phenomenal. Quashing any doubts anyone may have had about his ability to perform against the best in the world, he was in sublime form against the number one team in the world Australia. During the test match series, he only failed to make 50 on one occasion. Perhaps the most memorable of his performances though came in test match in Antigua. Chanderpaul scored 184 runs without being dismissed and this included a match saving 107* in the second innings. He is the rock of West Indies cricket and I certainly fear for them when he eventually calls it a day. Not that that day should be any day soon, considering the form he is in!

In terms of the other awards, there weren’t too many surprises. Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis won the award for emerging cricketer after performing wonders since bursting onto the scene in April. There is no doubt he is a wonderful talent and at this early stage of his career I would like to see the cricket odds on him taking more wickets than Muttiah Muralitharan by the time he retires. If he carries on in the way he has started – he certainly has a chance!

Elsewhere, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dale Steyn won the one day and test player of the year awards respectively. In terms of England players that got some recognition, Kevin Pietersen and Ryan Sidebottom were named in a very strong test team of the year.

The evening belonged to Shivnarine Chanderpaul though and I couldn’t be happier for him. He is a model professional who plays cricket in exactly the right way. His talent is admired throughout the world and let’s hope it can give West Indies cricket the lift it needs in the coming months.

Thomas Rooney - Freelance Sports Journalist

With England leading 4-0 in the One Day International series against South Africa, they went into the final match of the series with hopes of a 5-0 whitewash that would have seen them climb to second in the ODI ratings. Instead though, they had to settle for a 4-0 victory as rain in Cardiff meant that only three overs were bowled.

Nevertheless, it has been a fantastic series for England and one which has more than made up for losing in the test matches to South Africa. Many people have recognised that this England side is the most balanced it has been for years and although this doesn’t mean much – England have been awful in one-day cricket for about 15 years – I tend to agree.

Things are obviously going swimmingly for new captain Kevin Pietersen. He has a 100% record so far and senior players such as Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff are firing on all cylinders. Pietersen is a confident cricketer and this is rubbing off on the rest of his team.

One thing everyone needs to be aware of is that things will get a lot, lot tougher for the new regime. I would put all of my cricket betting money on the tour of India will be more challenging than a ‘meaningless’ test match and a home one-day series against a tiring South Africa – but I think KP and co know that.

In my last piece for Deep Fine Leg, England were 2-0 up in the series, so let us quickly recap what happened in the next couple of games.

At the Oval, stand-in South Africa captain Jacques Kallis won the toss and decided to bat. Something England were more than happy to accept. Openers Ian Bell and Matt Prior got England off to an excellent start before contributions from Flintoff and Samit Patel helped the hosts record 296-7 in their 50 overs. The innings of Freddie being particularly impressive.

In reply, South Africa were never close. They lost Herschelle Gibbs early on and despite some excellent shots from Hashim Amla, they lost regular wickets and were dismissed for 170. Patel – who was awarded the man of the match award – took five wickets and Flintoff took two. It was another excellent display.

Then, with the series won, it was off to Lords for the fourth game. Rain meant that the game was limited to 33 overs side and South Africa made 183-6 in their designated overs. Gibbs – who smashed an explosive 74 – was the highest scorer for the tourists with no-one else managing to make 50.

Further rain then fell, meaning the Duckworth-Lewis method was needed. It set England 137 to win in 20 overs and in all honesty, they did it with relative ease. They lost Bell, Prior and Pietersen early on, but showed no signs of panicking. An excellent stand between Owais Shah and Flintoff saw them home with more than two overs to spare. Freddie hit 31 from 12 balls and certainly looked back to his destructive best. After losing three early wickets, past England teams wouldn’t have won this game, so it is another sign of improvement under the new skipper.

The final match of the series, as we know, was restricted to just 3 overs because of heavy rain. During these overs, Stuart Broad dismissed Gibbs and South Africa were 6-1. Should the game have carried on, I think all cricket odds would have favoured an England win.

So, that’s it – the English summer of international cricket is over. It’s been a mixed back for England. They won the test match series against New Zealand and the a one day series against South Africa, but lost the test series to the South Africa and the one day series to New Zealand.

Next for Pietersen’s team, is the Stanford Twenty20 game against the West Indies ‘all-stars’ before the tour of India begins in November. Should KP continue his unbeaten run after these games, then we can definitely start to get a little excited.

Thomas Rooney - Freelance Sports Journalist

After securing victory in each of the first two one-day internationals against South Africa, England are just one win away from securing an unexpected series win. The third ODI game takes place at the Oval tomorrow, with Kevin Pietersen looking to maintain his 100% record since succeeding Michael Vaughan as England captain.

There is no doubt that England are in confident mood. It’s not often they secure back-to-back ODI victories these days and the fact they have been obtained with such style just adds to what must be a very buoyant dressing room.

There is no doubt that South Africa were favourites going into this limited over series – all cricket odds would have told you that. That’s what makes England’s performances – in particular the one in the second game when South Africa were bowled out for 83 – all the more encouraging from England’s point of view.

There is a very nice balance to this side at the moment. They bat comfortably down to nine and there is plenty of options on the bowling front. The front line seamers – James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison – are backed up by medium pacers Paul Collingwood and Luke Wright and then there are the spin options of Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen and Owais Shah. At least one of these is bound to have a good day aren’t they?

Of course, no-one is getting carried away. Pietersen has admitted that he is excited about the potential of this current team, but he won’t go shouting his mouth off about all the things they can achieve just yet. England have had a good spell before but the reality is that they have been a very poor one-day side for quite some time now. Hopefully, this is the start of better fortunes.

So, onto the third match of the series. It takes place at the Oval tomorrow and a win for England will give them the series with two games to spare. South African captain Graeme Smith is injured and will miss the game and this will affect team morale. They will already be down after the humiliating defeat at Trent Bridge and would have liked to have bounced back under the leadership of their captain. As it is, they will do so with Jacques Kallis as their skipper.

Because the way the series has gone so far and because of Smith’s injury, England have to be the favourites for this one. I will be sticking my cricket betting money on a narrow England win. South Africa will put in more of a performance than they did in Nottingham, but it won’t quite be enough in my view. England are in good form and I expect Kevin Pietersen to continue excelling as captain.

Thomas Rooney - Freelance Sports Journalist

So, the test series is over and South Africa emerged victorious despite Kevin Pietersen’s England winning the final test match at The Oval. Overall, it was a deserved series win for Graeme Smith’s men. They have proved their worth as the second best team in the world and I for one can’t wait to see them take on Australia in December. It should be a thrilling contest and should give an indicator to England’s chances against Australia next summer. If the Proteas win this one, I might be tempted to stick some of my cricket betting money on England to regain The Ashes. However, that’s a debate for another day.

To summarise the series between England and South Africa, I thought the best thing to do was to give marks out of ten for each player as well as a brief summary of how they fared in the test matches. Today I will be looking at England and in my next piece for Deep Fine Leg, I shall be casting an eye over the victorious South Africans. So, here it goes….

Andrew Strauss - 6. This is a man who still has a lot to do to convince me he is the best partner for Alistair Cook at the top of the order. Scored just one fifty on his way to averaging 25.71. I imagine he will be on the plane to India, but he certainly isn’t the same player that burst onto the scene in 2004.

Alistair Cook - 7. I must admit that I find him rather frustrating. He strikes me as someone who is happy enough getting 60 odd to keep his average up. This is presumably not the case, but he has now gone 11 test match innings without a century. His average against South Africa was 47, which is satisfactory, but he needs more big scores. Failed to take a game by the scruff of the neck (like Marcus Trescothick used to) for a while now.

Michael Vaughan - 4. Not been the best series for the Yorkshire-man has it? Lose two test matches, score 40 runs at an average of 8 and resigned from the captaincy. Has been a superb captain though and for that all England fans are grateful. I hope to see him return to the side as the batsman we all know he can be.

Ian Bell - 6. Like Cook, Bell frustrates me a lot. He has a fantastic technique and should be playing more significant innings than he is. Apart from the 199 he scored in the first test match, there was only one other 50. That innings at Lords also soaked up well over half of his runs for the series. If he is to bat at number three, he must (again, like Cook) start to dominate opposition bowlers and playing match-winning innings for his side.

Kevin Pietersen -9. Not a lot can be said about KP that hasn’t already been expressed by every pundit across the country. He is, quite simply, the best batsman in the side and one of the best in the world. Averaged over 60 with the bat and deservedly picked up the man of the series award. This was topped off with a win and a century during his first test as captain. Let’s just hope the massive weight on his shoulders doesn’t hinder his batting or captaincy. He is the key man in England’s future.

Paul Collingwood - 7. Rescued his test match career with an excellent century at Edgbaston and this was followed up with a fifty and an unbeaten 20-odd at The Oval. After being dropped from the side for Headingley, he actually ended up with an impressive average of 58 for the series Now he has resigned from the one-day captaincy I expect his to have an excellent one-day series against South Africa.

Andrew Flintoff - 7. Like I have said before, it is great to have him back. His bowling gives England’s attack that extra piece of aggression and pace. His batting is no where near where it should be though and doesn’t suit batting at six at the minute. Luckily though, his bowling alone makes him one of Pietersen’s most important players.

Tim Ambrose - 4. Not exactly a thrilling series for the pint-sized glove man. Put down a couple of chances and this wasn’t rescued with a batting average of 16.16. He was crazily thrown in at number six at Headingley, which wasn’t his fault, but it proved that he simply isn’t good enough. Matt Prior or James Foster to be considered for India.

Stuart Broad - 7. The 22-year-old will be a huge part of England’s future. His bowling improved a lot in the final test as well and once he works out what type of bowler he is - he will take lots of wickets. Considering he averaged over 50 with the bat in this series, he could become England’s number one all-rounder.

Steve Harmison - 9. Only played the one test match, but boy didn’t he do well. Only took four wickets, but for the first time in the series the South African batsman were greeted with aggressive pace and bounce. The England attack looks so much stronger with an in-form Steve Harmison as part of it. The only question is, how long will he stay in form?

James Anderson - 8. I’m so pleased to see Jimmy cement his place in the side. Not only was he leading wicket taker with 15 victims, but his batting has improved and he has slowly become one of the best fielders in the side. The 26-year-old has replaced Matthew Hoggard as the swing minded opening bowler and hopefully he can continue his knack of taking crucial wickets throughout the winter.

Monty Panesar - 7. For my mind, it seems that he still isn’t quite convinced he belongs in test cricket. He needs to back his own ability a lot more. As has been well documented, he needs to learn to vary his deliveries to avoid becoming too predictable. Still, he took 13 wickets and remains a fans favourite.

Ryan Sidebottom - 6. He looked absolutely shattered against South Africa and will benefit from the rest he is currently getting. He will always try his best and provides the England attack with a bit of variety, but maybe he has had his year in the spotlight. It will be interesting to see how he fares this Winter against India and West Indies.

Darren Pattinson - 5. It wasn’t his fault that he was selected and it wasn’t his fault that England’s batsmen failed so miserably at Headingley. I’d happily stick all of my cricket betting money on him never playing for England again.

So, there we have it. Still a lot of work to be done by this England squad if they are to improve as a team. Question marks remain over the opening batsmen, the number six slot, the wicket-keeper, Andrew Flintoff’s role in the team, Stuart Broad’s bowling, Monty Panesar’s variation and Steve Harmison’s ability to tour successfully. It’s going to be an interesting few months before the big one next summer!

Thomas Rooney - Freelance Sports Journalist

Whether you agree with the fact that China have been awarded the Olympic games this year due to severely questionable human rights issues, one thing is clear, they certainly know how to lay on a good Olympics.

The opening ceremony is arguably one of the best opening ceremonies I have ever had the pleasure to witness and easily beat Sydney 2000 in pomp and ceremony. It even beat the sight of Muhammad Ai at the Atlanta games - that’s how high rated the opening ceremony last Friday.

Despite being just three days old, we have seen remarkable performances, not least in the swimming pool with record after record falling in what seems to be every heat, sem final or final. I know this isn’t the case but it just feels that way.

I sat watching Nicole cook sprinting to her first Olympic gold in the women’s road race yesterday in severe weather conditions. Wonderful effort from the British team who supported Cook admirably.

In the early hours of this morning we saw an upset in the 400m freestyle with Rebecca Adlington snatching Gold at the last gap over highly rated Katie Hoff.

Adlington left the Italian world record holder Federica Pellegrini and France’s world champion Laure Manaudou in her wake, in fifth and eighth. Despite her loss, I still like Manaudou but for purely asthetic reasons only!!

Despite the sex video release Manaudou managed to retain her dignity.

Everyone is starting to talk about the Ashes next summer. After the epic series in England during 2005, expectation will be high and everyone will be anticipating another fantastic test series between England and Australia. The problem right now for Kevin Pietersen’s England, is that I have no idea who is going to be lining up for them in the first test in Cardiff next summer. No cricket bets will be placed on England winning until the team starts to have a familiar look about it.

The biggest question marks are over the batting. During the current series against South Africa in particular, England’s batsman - with the exception of Kevin Petersen - have often fallen short. In fact, they have only scored over 300 in four of the seven innings against Graeme Smith’s men. There has been consistent poor form from Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan, with the latter’s bad trot leading to him resign from the captaincy.

Then, Andrew Flintoff’s performances since returning to the fold haven’t done much to convince me of his top six credentials. Finally, there is the well documented failures of Tim Ambrose as the wicket keeper / batsman. Thus, no one really knows who will be keeping wicket come the summer of 2009. Overall, there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding England’s top seven for the future.

The solution, in my view is Ravi Bopara. He could fill the vacant number six slot as well as forming part of the bowling attack. Graham Gooch has been singing his praised recently saying that there is something ‘special’ about the Essex all-rounder. The 23-year-old is averaging 63 in the County Championship this season and has certainly looked a class apart from some of his colleagues. Having been picked for the squad to face South Africa in the final test at the Oval, he is obviously in the selectors minds and that is a good sign.

The only reservations that the England set-up seem to have about Bopara are centred around his bowling. They are keen on a five man attack and don’t think that he has what it takes to be the fifth bowler. Well, I disagree. He has taken 20 wickets at 25.5 in the County Championship this season and although this is a million miles away from test cricket - it shows that he can bowl. Some have even described him as having a ‘golden arm’. Along with Paul Collingwood - who looks set to make the number five slot his own after two good scores against South Africa - Bopara could combine as the fifth bowler for England.

So, get Ravi Bopara involved. I’m certain he will be on the plane to India in November and to the West Indies after that, but I just hope he gets a run in the side. If the balance of the England team is to be looked at, he certainly should do. I will be discussing England’s other selection issues in the build up to next year’s Ashes in the coming weeks. In fact, on Tuesday, I will be telling you what role Michael Vaughan should play when he returns to the international fold. Something I would place all of my cricket betting money on him doing so.

Thomas Rooney - Freelance Sports Journalist