I’ve been following cricket now for almost four decades, and seen plenty of changes in that time. Some changes have lasted (the World Cup, helmets, the third umpire), some haven’t (limited-over cricketers wearing shorts, day-night Sheffield Shield matches, Super Max Eights). I’m not sure which category the Indian Premier League will fall into. Continue reading “The IPL: Less action, more money”
Shane Warne wins the 2006-07 Midwinter-Midwinter
Shane Warne has wrapped up the 2006-07 Midwinter-Midwinter, the rickeyre.com BoG award for this summer’s Ashes series.
Continue reading “Shane Warne wins the 2006-07 Midwinter-Midwinter”
Twenty21 revisited
If we didn’t know before, we do now. Australia’s 5-0 drubbing of England in 2006-07 is the first such triumph since 1920-21. But which was the bigger achievement? Continue reading “Twenty21 revisited”
Eng-ger-land…. sigh
“The performance in the Ashes series has been a great disappointment and a number of lessons must be learned. This review will be comprehensive and broad ranging with the clear objective of regaining the Ashes in 2009 and significantly improving England’s results in one-day international cricket in the next four year cycle.”
– ECB chief executive David Collier, 5.1.07
So there you have it. The England and Wales Cricket Board announced yesterday that they will arrange a board meeting to discuss the process for forming the composition of a review team to examine England’s performances over the last few years and [complete this sentence in 25 words or more]. Continue reading “Eng-ger-land…. sigh”
Sydney Day Four: Goodbye, farewell, amen, and John did you drop something?
Not since the Harlem Globetrotters last beat the Washington Generals has a foregone sporting conclusion been so rapturously and emotionally received by a sell-out crowd. Continue reading “Sydney Day Four: Goodbye, farewell, amen, and John did you drop something?”
Sydney Day Three: You did *what* for an MBE?
“You got an MBE, right? For scoring seven at the Oval? It’s an embarrassment.”
– Dr Shane Warne to Paul Collingwood MBE, Sydney Cricket Ground, 4.1.07.
Continue reading “Sydney Day Three: You did *what* for an MBE?”
Sydney Day Two: Warne’s 1000th vegetable
You have to hand it to the Murdoch comic books. One week they are celebrating – in advance – the Lord Of The RingsText Alert’s 700th wicket, the next week they are celebrating his 1000th wicket. With that rarest or rarities, the full page colour liftout commemorative poster.
So what are we celebrating again? Shane Warne’s 1000th international wicket. As in all “full internationals”. Let me explain, by introducing the rickeyre.com vegetable index (More about the fruit index later) Continue reading “Sydney Day Two: Warne’s 1000th vegetable”
How much does a tabloid Urn?
Yes it’s that time again, when the populists and the ignoramuses (or in John Howard’s case, both) call for the urn holding the original “Ashes” to be kept in Australia. At least until England wins again.
As Malcolm Fraser used to say: Let me be quite plain. Continue reading “How much does a tabloid Urn?”
Sydney Day One: Con te partiro
Imagine an artist at the canvas on the boundary fence of a packed SCG on the opening day of the New Years Test. Imagine Jack Russell, brush in hand, white floppy hat, characteristic moustache, outlining the curves of Aussie Stadium peeking from behind the Noble Stand, the clock on the Members Stand showing a quarter past four.
A man neatly dressed in a suit appears in the middle of the arena. But it’s not the CEO of one of the myriad of sponsors – not unless he is a classically-trained opera singer. Suddenly, the painter’s hat flies away, the moustache curls up, Jack Russell has morphed into Salvador Dali, and the SCG clock melts away. Continue reading “Sydney Day One: Con te partiro”
Climate change explained for cricket tragics
Unfortunately, John Howard was not in the House when Shadow Minister for Environment, Heritage and Water, Anthony Albanese, gave the following solution for reducing greenhouse emissions, speaking in Federal Parliament on Wednesday:
Climate change is real and the threat of dangerous climate change is also real. What Labor would do is cut Australia’s greenhouse pollution by 60 per cent by 2050. We know that, if you have a target, it is like a one-day cricket target: you do not bat out the first 30 overs; you send out Adam Gilchrist to get some runs on the board early because it makes it easy to get to the target later on. That is what the business council’s Global Roundtable on Climate Change has said.