Sydney Thunder pre T20 era XI
As part of a debate that developed downstream from a team listing put together by Brad Hodge and tweeted by @7cricket a few days ago (see below), I have assembled a hypothetical Sydney Thunder squad of players from the pre-T20 era. Criteria for inclusion: They must have played for a club (or a predecessor) that […]
Match notes: Sydney Thunder v Bangladesh Cricket Board XI, 16 Dec 2016
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOEhKokgOL-/ On December 16 2016 Sydney Thunder played a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI at Spotless Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park in a Twenty20 warmup match. For Bangladesh it was preparation for their tour of New Zealand, for the Thunder it was a pre-season game for BBL06.
Review of a Second Year of the Big Bash League
A year ago, I gave my impressions for iSportconnect of the first year of Australian cricket’s franchise-based Twenty20 competition the Big Bash League. With the second season completed, won by the Brisbane Heat, I felt it time to revisit the tournament’s progress.
The Big Bash, And Juggling Cricket’s Three Formats
What started as a midsummer diversion in the English cricket season of 2003 became a multi-million dollar enterprise in India in 2008, and now almost every Test playing nation has its own professional Twenty20 competition, squeezed into their domestic program. The 2011-12 season saw the transformation of Australia’s state-based “Big Bash” competition into the franchise-based […]
Sorry NSW, but this is cheating
There is no sport and no sporting competition in the world where a team can suddenly and unaccountably include a world record holder in their lineup for a Grand Final, when that player has not been part of the squad for any part of the tournament leading up to that final. No sport, that is, […]
Trinidad wins the Stanford
That other Twenty20 slogfest has just concluded in a gross mismatch at the Stanford CC, Coolidge, Antigua. Trinidad and Tobago has won the 2008 Stanford 20/20 after thrashing Jamaica in the final Sunday night.
Why Cameron White is worth more than Ricky Ponting
“Lack of professional expertise in managing a sporting franchise of this magnitude seems to be a glaring gap, especially as a lot of these teams are led by what we call ‘casual but rich fans’ who are assuming their team will be in the top three.” – Anirban Das Blah, VP Globosport India, from the […]
The IPL: Less action, more money
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.
Stanford’s spectacular turns to vaporware
Allen Stanford’s multi-million dollar 20/20 extravaganza has become the latest entrant to the Pantheon of Cricket Vaporware – those would-be cash cows that disappear after, if they’re lucky, one outing, or if they’re unlucky – none. The Stanford 20/20 Super Star match, set down between West Indies and South Africa for November 10 with a […]
Enjoyable claptrap, but you knew that
New South Wales v Queensland, Big Bash Trophy North Sydney Oval, 8 January 2006 Queensland 167ao (17.3), NSW 5/168 (18) New South Wales won by 5 wickets with 12 balls to spare Scorecard I attended my first Twenty20 game yesterday. While I won’t be hanging out for the second, there are plenty who will. And […]