ENGLAND TO WIN IT
This is written before England’s match with Ireland. Its a risk but I just think this is England’s time. They’re worth a flutter. Why? Because they have a power-packed batting order with left and right handers who know what they are doing. They have six hitters down to number 10. Eoin Morgan is a genius and he and Paul Collingwood take the heat off Kevin Pietersen who was for a long time England’s only one day match winner, allowing him to play his natural game. Their batting performance last night was intimidating and will have set other nations thinking.
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ONLY THE BEST
SIMON HUGHES’S PERFECT T20 TEAM
Sachin Tendulkar – the obvious number one who dominated the IPL and finished its leading run scorer, managing to maintain an excellent strike rate without taking undue risks. So good at manipulating the ball, and finding the gaps. Hit only 3 sixes in 570 runs in the tournament.
Chris Gayle – simply the cleanest most powerful hitter in the game and equally good against pace or spin. Genuinely destructive if motivated. Not great running between the wickets, but otherwise brilliant.
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IS THIS ENGLAND’S MOMENT?
The young Middlesex protégé Eoin Morgan was asked the other day what secrets of Twenty20 cricket he had learnt from his experiences in the IPL. ‘To hit it out the park as often as possible,’ he replied matter of factly. While this is an admirably pragmatic aim, and one that he, with his brilliant eye and ample forearms is eminently capable of, the art of T20 cricket is a bit more complex than that.
The Indians have adapted to the format the best, with the bat at any rate, making them obvious favourites for the World twenty20 on the slow, sub-continent type pitches in the Caribbean. With much bowling likely to be on the slow side,their batting order is an ideal blend of resourcefulness and uninhibited power, even without (the unavailable) Sachin Tendulkar, or (the injured) Virender Sehwag whose twenty20 stats are not that impressive anyway. Read more…
CHENNAI TO STEAL THE IPL LOOT
The final of the Indian Premier League is on Sunday at 4pm (UK time.) The match, between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings for a winning purse of $1.5m, pits the dexterity of the extraordinary Sachin Tendulkar against the brutality of the mercurial MS Dhoni. It encapsulates a tournament in which, in spite of the excessive hype, the unnecessary length and the rumours of financial irregularity, the cricket has actually been rather good.
BEDSER WAS AS INFLUENTIAL AS WARNE
I was the last person to interview Sir Alec Bedser who died yesterday. The interview was to commemorate his 90th birthday in July 2008. Here it is in full:
SIR Alec Bedser, England’s second oldest living cricketer, will be guest of honour at the Oval today to celebrate his 90th birthday. Supreme opening bowler, nemesis of Don Bradman, mainstay with his identical twin Eric of the triumphant Surrey side of the 1950s, long-time selector and administrator, his influence on the game spans almost sixty years and is arguably as powerful as any since the Second World War. Yet he still lives quietly minding his own business in the same Woking house that his father built in 1952 when he was the world’s leading bowler with 236 test wickets. He intends to celebrate his birthday with a pint of best bitter. Read more…
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Older Posts-
- ENGLAND TO WIN ITThis is written before England’s match with Ireland. Its a risk but I just think...
- ONLY THE BESTSIMON HUGHES’S PERFECT T20 TEAM Sachin Tendulkar – the obvious number one who dominated the IPL...
- IS THIS ENGLAND’S MOMENT?The young Middlesex protégé Eoin Morgan was asked the other day what secrets of Twenty20...
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