For those who cared enough to follow the NatWest Series, the tournament ended in anticlimax when England and Australia played out a tie. But why was it called a tie? Both sides scored 196, that is true – but Australia was bowled all out while England only lost nine wickets. There’s an easy way to break the deadlock and it’s none other than the bleeding obvious.
Continue reading “Why a tie?”
Eleven a side: The grand final
England and Australia are meeting today in what could well be the last one-day international played between teams of eleven players each. Lawrence Booth is doing the blog you have when you’re not having a blog at The Guardian. Follow the live scorecard at The Cricket Site (who, hopefully, will fix their home page which currently states that Bangladesh are playing in today’s final). Live audio from BBC Five Live Extra.
Progress score: Australia 3, France 0. Ten minutes into the first half. Channel Seven’s coverage of the cricket commences after the rugby.
Pakistan wins first 20-overs-a-side international
Pakistan has beaten New Zealand by five runs in the first 20-overs-a-side international at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.
It happened on November 23, 1984. Bad weather delayed the start of the game, which was set at twenty overs for each team when it finally got under way. Pakistan made 157 for 5, New Zealand were held to 152 for 7.
Despite Mudassar Nazar’s four-over haul of 4/27, it was Saleem Malik (41 from 40 balls) who was named Man of the Match. See the scorecard for further details.
There were no silly names like “Twenty20” in those days. Remember this as New Zealand faces Australia for its second 20-overs international in two decades tomorrow at Eden Park.