Cricket

Tendulkar believes he can be beaten

On February 26, 2010, In Cricket, By Thomas Rooney

Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar believes his record breaking one day international innings of 200 not out can be surpassed. The Little Master became the first player to score a double century in an ODI match against South Africa on Wednesday.

Speaking about whether such an innings can be repeated, Tendulkar said “no record is unbreakable”, despite the fact that he may well hold on to this one for a number of years.

When someone manages to go past 200 runs in a 50-over international, Tendulkar has made it clear that he hopes it is an Indian player that does it. He says that he would be “happy” at not holding the record any longer if one of his fellow countrymen achieved the sizeable task.

Tendulkar deserves to bask in the glory of this innings for a while yet though. He is one of the best cricketers ever and after a blip a couple of years ago, he is in some of the best form of his career. For a man that has achieved as much as he has, this is quite a statement.

The 36-year-old holds the record for the most runs scored in ODIs and Tests, hitting an incredible 93 international centuries in total. He has no plans to slow down anytime soon either, saying that he is “playing the way I want to play” at the moment.

His most recent innings confirmed he still has plenty to offer international cricket. The 200 unbeaten runs came off just 147 balls and Tendulkar said he will always remember this innings with great fondness.

However, he refused to compare it with his other efforts and let’s be honest there are quite a lot of occasions when Tendulkar has proven that he is possibly the greatest batsman to have ever played the game.

India’s Cricket World Cup odds make them favourite to win that tournament, and Tendulkar could be the man to land them the trophy.

Meanwhile, in football news the World Cup 2010 online betting makes Spain favourites to win the tournament despite their history of underachieving in the competition.

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Youtube announce IPL 2010 Streaming rights

On January 21, 2010, In Cricket, IPL, India, Pakistan, Shane Warne, By warnie

I doubt many of us armchair cricket fans expected to hear the news today that Youtube that will host live Indian Premier League cricket matches in the UK.

This is the first live major sporting deal to be broadcast by the Google owned operator; the IPL will be broadcast online in all countries except the United States.

Youtube will have exclusive streaming rights for two years in a deal that sees the two companies split the advertising and sponsorship revenue.

Setanta who had owned the exclusive results folded in 2009 leaving a number of events in limbo, this included the IPL which has not, as yet, found a new home on UK based television despite confidence from the IPL that an agreement would be forthcoming.

Youtube will broadcast 60 matches through its dedicated sports channel www.youtube.com/ipl – the 2010 IPL will last for 45 days. An exclusive “YouTube View” or “fun feed” will provide viewers with an alternative view of the match not available on television or any other media.

Yesterday saw the first 11 players to be drafted in the 2010, of 67 players on offer not one Pakistan player was bought much to the disappointment of Javed Miandad (the Pakistan Cricket Board’s director of operations) who said ”It’s nothing less than humiliation – not only of our cricketers but the whole nation,”

The surprise of the day came with Damien Martyn’s appointment to the Rajasthan Royals where Shane Warne, his old team mate had a big hand in selecting the ageing Australian. Martyn hasn’t played professional cricket in three years.

Players sold:

Kieron Pollard $750k Mumbai

Kemar Roache $720k Deccan

Shane Bond $750k Calcutta

Damien Martyn $100k Rajasthan

Adam Voges $50k Rajasthan

Justin Kemp $100k Chennai

Wayne Parnell $610k Delhi

Mohammad Kaif $250k Kings XI Punjab

Yusuf Abdullah $50k

Thissara Perera $100k

Eoin Morgan $220k Bangalore

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Free Breakfast in Brisbane !

On January 19, 2010, In Cricket, Ricky Ponting, By warnie

Brisbane cricket fans to be served a free breakfast by their favourite Commonwealth Bank Series cricketers.

You’ve got to hand it to Cricket Australia, planning ahead for when the current crop of players retire – gives them a little experience in the restaurant buisness!

Get down to Queen Street Mall this Thursday (January 21) to be served a free breakfast from your favourite Commonwealth Bank Series cricketers.

Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, James Hopes and Peter Siddle along with Commonwealth Bank Southern Star Kirsten Pike will be in attendance serving breakfast and signing autographs.

The Commonwealth Bank Series kicks off in Brisbane this Friday at the GABBA, with the Aussies taking on Pakistan. Meanwhile the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars will take on New Zealand’s White Ferns in the Rose Bowl Series from February 10 in Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart.

Who: Commonwealth Bank Series cricketers Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, James Hopes and Peter Siddle and Commonwealth Bank Southern Star Kirsten Pike.

What: Australian cricketers to serve Brisbane cricket fans a free breakfast

When: Main stage, Queen Street Mall, Thursday January 21, 2009

Time: 7am – 9am

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Has Tsotsobe’s inclusion sealed Ntini’s fate for India tour?

On January 19, 2010, In Cricket, India, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Makhaya Ntini, South Africa, By warnie

Interesting to see that South Africa have included 25 year old Lonwabo Tsotsobe in their one day international and Test squads bound for India in early February.

The paceman has played a handful of limited over matches, taking six wickets in his fledgling career. His inclusion has surely sealed the fate of veteran Makhaya Ntini. With South Africa’s policy of selecting at least one black player (race quota policy) all eyes were on Ntini to see if he would be recalled after he was dropped following a disappointing 2nd Test match against England.

Ntini has played 101 Tests for South Africa, and taken 390 wickets. However, there have been growing calls for him to be replaced, and he failed to take a wicket in the second Test at Kingsmead in Durban. Rumours are rife that he has agreed to retire from international cricket and play county championship cricket next season – only time will tell if he still has it in him.

So has the race quota policy harmed South Africa’s advancement? It’s hard to tell, for when Ntini was playing well he commanded his place in the side and the issue was hardly raised. South Africa have lost the number one Test spot to India and with only two Tests being played on the tour, it will be a tough ask to return to the top spot despite the changes in personnel.

Test squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wkt), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

One-day international squad: Smith (captain), Loots Bosman, Botha, Boucher (wkt), De Villiers, Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Parnell, Petersen, Steyn, Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe.

South Africa in India

February

6-10: First Test, Nagpur

14-18: Second Test, Kolkata

21: First ODI, Jaipur

24: Second ODI, Kanpur

27: Third ODI, Ahmedabad

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Smith and Morkel achieve career-best rankings, KP falters

On January 19, 2010, In Australia, Australia Cricket, Cricket, England Cricket, Graeme Smith, Mahela Jayawardene, Michael Clarke, South Africa, Sri Lanka Cricket, By warnie

South Africa captain Graeme Smith and team-mate Morne Morkel have achieved career-best rankings in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings after producing match-winning performances in the fourth and last Test against England which ended in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Smith, who scored 105 in South Africa’s innings-and-74-run, victory which helped the Proteas to draw the four-Test series, has leapfrogged the Sri Lanka pair of Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara to occupy second spot in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen.

Smith now leads Jayawardena by seven ratings points and trails his Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni by 34 points. The left-hander had started the series in eighth spot and climbed six places after finishing as the leading run-getter in the series with 427 runs.

Besides Smith, AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Mark Boucher are the other South Africa batsmen to move up the order. De Villiers has moved up by one place to 13^thposition, Amla has climbed five places to 23^rd spot and Boucher has lifted six places to 36^th spot.

However, Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince have lost ground with Kallis slipping two places to eighth spot and Prince also dropping two places to 29^th position.

The news is not very good for England which is now without a batsman in the top 20 after both Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen lost ground following a disappointing Test at the Wanderers by their high standards.

Strauss, who scored a duck and 22, has slipped five places to 21^st position while Pietersen has dropped seven places to 27^th spot after scores of seven and 12 at the Wanderers.

Strauss had started the series in 14^th spot while Pietersen had started the series in 17^th spot. But Strauss managed 170 runs and Pietersen contributed 177 runs and consequently lost seven and 10 places in the batting chart, respectively.

In contrast, Australia has gained two ratings points for its efforts and now sits on 118 ratings points, two behind third-placed South Africa and three ahead of fourth-placed Sri Lanka.

Australia players are also on the rise in the latest rankings. Vice-captain Michael Clarke has strengthened his position as Australia’s highest-ranked batsman when he gained six places to rise to fifth, just ahead of India’s Virender Sehwag.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who won the man-of-the-match award for his contributions of 209 and 89 at his home ground, has rocketed 13 places to seventh position. Simon Katich, who scored 11 and 100, has also improved his ranking by two places and he is now in 19^th position.

The only Australia batsman to slip in the ranking is Mike Hussey who has dropped two places to 16^th spot. ICC Ratings – More Info

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What next for England following Proteas victory?

On January 17, 2010, In Ashes, Cricket, ECB, Paul Collingwood, South Africa, Stuart Broad, By warnie

So there we go; England humiliated in Johannesburg, comprehensively beaten by a tighter unit hell bent on finishing the job they failed to do in the third Test in Capetown.

Strauss’ decision to bat on day one was a bold one, a decision which not only backfired but opened up the England top order to its weaknesses and frailty against a magnificent pairing of Morkel and Steyn. Steyn, the world’s highest ranking bowler turned the match on its head with a terrific bowling performance in the first innings with a return of 5 for 51.

Despite Smith’s contentious century, the 20^th of his illustrious career, it was Boucher who steered South Africa into an unassailable position with an innings of grit, determination and flare. He was unlucky not to reach a deserved century, failing five runs short when Swann and under fire Trott combined to send the gloveman back to the sheds.

In reply, England failed to turn up and were once again outclassed by pace bowling at its best. Both Pietersen and Trott failed and Prior’s shot selection left a lot to be desired. Collingwood proved how valuable he is to a fragile middle order scoring 71 runs from just 88 deliveries. Broad, who for me has always acted like a spoilt child spitting his “Duminy” out if he doesn’t get his own way just doesn’t seem to grasp that an umpire’s decision is final .

Talking of Duminty, the part time spinner chipped in to claim the final two wickets and secure a well earned victory.

So what now for England? They will have gathered numerous positives from the tour including a one day series win and a hard fought Test series draw. With a tour to Bangladesh in the coming months we now wait on tomorrow’s announcement of the touring party. I believe Trott and Pietersen should be rested, both of whom struggled to cope with local pressure.

That said, a relatively easy tour in Bangladesh might just be what the doctor ordered. The current England captain looks set to miss out on the tour, opting to be “rested” rather than travel with the lads. With an Ashes series just 11 months down the line, can England afford to rest key players now? Only time will tell.

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South Africa drops four points behind India in ICC Championship

On January 17, 2010, In Cricket, ECB, ICC, South Africa, By warnie

South Africa has slipped further behind in its quest to regain the number-one spot in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table and can only now go top if Bangladesh beats number-one ranked India in the two-Test series which started in Chittagong on Sunday.

Number-two ranked South Africa had entered the series against fifth-placed England on 122 ratings points, trailing India by two points. But after the four-Test series ended in a one-all draw in Johannesburg on Sunday, South Africa has dropped to 120 ratings points.

In contrast, England has gained two ratings points and now sits on 107 ratings points.

South Africa, which conceded its number-one spot to India on 6 December, could have regained the top spot if it had beaten England by 2-0 or better.

Such is the gap in the ratings points between India and Bangladesh that even if India wins the series 1-0, it will drop to 123 ratings points while a 1-1 draw series will put it alongside South Africa on 120 ratings point but ahead of the Proteas by a fraction of a point.

If Bangladesh wins the series 1-0, India will drop to 117 ratings points while in case of a 2-0 series loss, India will slip to 116 ratings points.

For information on the latest standings in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Player Rankings go to www.reliancemobileiccrankings.com

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ICC confirms receipt of complaint by ECB

On January 16, 2010, In Cricket, ECB, England Cricket, ICC, South Africa, By warnie

Technology issues during Johannesburg Test will be fully investigated

As expected, the ECB have complained to the ICC regarding Harper’s failure to turn up the volume while adjudicating as third umpire in the Johannesburg Test. Nothing will be done now, lessons learned and we will all move on. I really don’t see the need to issue a formal complaint, the media have raised the issue sufficiently for an investigation to be raised. Is it a case of sour milk or are England justified in the complaint?

The Chief Executive of the International Cricket Council will ensure a full and comprehensive investigation is carried out of issues involving technology and the decision review system (DRS) as applied during the fourth Test between South Africa and England in Johannesburg following controversy and receipt of an official complaint from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

“We have received a letter of complaint from the ECB and we will launch a formal investigation into the exact circumstances surrounding the application of the decision review system after completion of the Johannesburg Test match,” said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

“There is a large amount of controversy, speculation and potentially unfair criticism circulating at present so it is important to establish the exact facts before reaching any final conclusions.

“This is early days for the DRS and so far we are pleased with its effectiveness and the value it can add to the game in support of umpires. However, we have always acknowledged there is room for further improvement in the available technology and this investigation will be conducted in that light so the system becomes even more reliable.”

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Premiership Football and England cricket stubby holders – awesome!

On August 29, 2009, In Ashes, Bottle Coolers, Cricket, ECB, England, Stubby Holders, ashes 2009, By warnie

England Stubby Holder

Every now and then a great product appears out of the blue and takes us all by surprise and one such product is without doubt the great bottle coolers from the Stay Chilled company. If you’ve every lived in Australia or just visited you will be aware of the popularity of the stubby holders. All the AFL sides have them, VB and Fosters have stubby holders but no one as far as I am aware has made “kit” shaped stubby holders!

StayChilled bottle coolers are made from dive grade neoprene, exactly the same material that is used to manufacture diving wetsuits. This means they are an excellent insulator and will keep the contents of a bottle colder for longer. The colder the bottle to begin with the more effective the cooler will be.

The coolers are priced from £3.99 and £4.99 for a single bottle cooler to a special £6.99 for the special double Home and Away kit packet saving your hard earned money.

The coolers are designed to fit most bottles from 275ml up to 500ml. This means that they are equally at home on either a bottle of beer or a bottle of Coke.

StayChilled’s registered designs replicate the playing kits (shorts and shirt) of some of the world’s most instantly recognised, and widely supported, sports teams such as: Manchester United, Liverpool, Spurs, Barcelona and Chelsea.

I’m moving away from the premiership sides for just one moment, StayChilled have released a limited edition Ashes England kit – 5000 were made and only 1000 remain and following the England victory at The Oval, the kits are sure to be in great demand. A Twenty/20 kit is not far away and should prove an exciting addition to the water cooler bottles. The kit has all the regular sponsorship and carries all the fixtures from the 2009 series.

These are highly collectable and take it from us – they are made from grade A material and made to last. Awesome products.

All the England premier sides have home and away kits and are fully licensed products.

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ECB announce one Day Squads for Nat West Series v Australia

On August 17, 2009, In Ashes, Cricket, ECB, England, One Day Internationals, By warnie

ECB Media Release

England today announced 15-man squads for the forthcoming NatWest Series of One Day Internationals and International Twenty20 matches against Australia, The ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa and a 14-man squad for next week’s One-Day International against Ireland in Belfast

Andrew Strauss will captain the side in the seven-match NatWest Series against Australia and in The ICC Champions Trophy with Paul Collingwood leading England against Ireland and in The NatWest International Twenty20 matches against Australia.

The Kent opening batsmen Joe Denly is the only uncapped player in the squads while Jonathan Trott who played in two NatWest International Twenty20 matches against West Indies in 2007 replaces Strauss in the squads for The NatWest International Twenty20 fixtures.

ECB National Selector Geoff Miller said: “We have kept faith with the bulk of the squad which was successful in the NatWest Series against West Indies earlier this summer and also included two players, Luke Wright and Adil Rashid, who were part of our squad for the ICC World T20.

“Joe Denly has impressed the selectors for a while with some excellent performances in One-Day cricket and with Kevin Pietersen unavailable through injury, this is an excellent opportunity for Joe to step up to the next level and show what he is capable of.

“Andrew Strauss has led the side extremely well in both forms of cricket this summer, but the selectors felt it would be beneficial for him to have a short break from international cricket following the conclusion of the npower Ashes Test series and Paul Collingwood will lead the side in Ireland and in The NatWest International Twenty20s. ”

England One Day squad for The NatWest Series against Australia and The ICC Champions Trophy

Andrew Strauss (captain) Middlesex

James Anderson Lancashire

Ravi Bopara Essex

Tim Bresnan Yorkshire

Stuart Broad Nottinghamshire

Paul Collingwood Durham

Joe Denly Kent

Andrew Flintoff Lancashire

Eoin Morgan Middlesex

Matt Prior Sussex

Adil Rashid Yorkshire

Owais Shah Middlesex

Ryan Sidebottom Nottinghamshire

Graeme Swann Nottinghamshire

Luke Wright Sussex

England squad for One-Day International v Ireland in Belfast on Thursday, August 27

Paul Collingwood (captain) Durham

James Anderson Lancashire

Ravi Bopara Essex

Tim Bresnan Yorkshire

Stuart Broad Nottinghamshire

Joe Denly Kent

Andrew Flintoff Lancashire

Eoin Morgan Middlesex

Matt Prior Sussex

Adil Rashid Yorkshire

Owais Shah Middlesex

Ryan Sidebottom Nottinghamshire

Graeme Swann Nottinghamshire

Luke Wright Sussex

England squad for The NatWest T20 Internationals v Australia at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 30 and Tuesday, September 1

Paul Collingwood (captain) Durham

James Anderson Lancashire

Ravi Bopara Essex

Tim Bresnan Yorkshire

Stuart Broad Nottinghamshire

Joe Denly Kent

Andrew Flintoff Lancashire

Eoin Morgan Middlesex

Matt Prior Sussex

Adil Rashid Yorkshire

Owais Shah Middlesex

Ryan Sidebottom Nottinghamshire

Graeme Swann Nottinghamshire

Jonathan Trott Warwickshire

Luke Wright Sussex

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Deep Fine Leg

Simply Bowled Over

Tendulkar believes he can be beaten

Youtube announce IPL 2010 Streaming rights

Free Breakfast in Brisbane !

Has Tsotsobe’s inclusion sealed Ntini’s fate for India tour?

Smith and Morkel achieve career-best rankings, KP falters

What next for England following Proteas victory?

South Africa drops four points behind India in ICC Championship

ICC confirms receipt of complaint by ECB

Premiership Football and England cricket stubby holders – awesome!

ECB announce one Day Squads for Nat West Series v Australia

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