I had planned to issue this article after the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar. However, he is still going strong and showing no sign of tiring after 23 years of international cricket. The first point is to conclude whether such a comparison is justifiable because all three played cricket in different eras and had to face different conditions. Due to this reason alone, it is brave to make a comparison of who the greatest batsman of all time was. First, let us take a brief look at their careers.
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards was probably the most destructive batsman of all time. He played his pulverizing shots against the best bowlers of his time and smashed them into submission. Viv Richards made his test debut in 1974, and was immediately recognized as a brilliant fielder. Along with being a deceptive off break bowler, the man was easily the most devastating batsman of all time. His batting gained an aura because of his arrogant and aggressive presence on the field and his swagger while he was walking while batting. This clearly told the opponents that the King was here and they had better watch out. The term "master blaster" was coined to describe Viv Richards. He played 121 test matches and scored 8540 runs, an average of 50.23 with 24 centuries. He still holds the record for the fastest test century ever, which he scored in 56 balls against UK during their 1986 tour of West Indies. He was also a member of the famous West Indies team of the 1970s, which won the first two one-day International World Cups. His batting style and versatility as a fielder and a part time bowler made him an ideal one-day player. He scored his runs in one-day internationals with an average of 47 and a strike rate of 96. He also picked up more than 100 wickets in one-dayers. In 2002, Wisden adjudged him as the greatest ODI batsman of all time. He was also the most successful West Indian captain of all time and never lost a test series as captain.
In 1976, West Indies was to visit England for a much awaited test series. The England captain at that time in a bravado stated in the media that he would make the West Indies team grovel with misery. Grovel is a term associated with slavery and the statement did not go down well with the public, media and least of all, the West Indies cricket team. What followed that statement made history as the West Indies annihilated the English team with their four prong pace attack led by Michael Holding and Viv was at his devastating best. He scored more than 1000 runs in the series with a magnificent 291 at Oval to finish things off. West Indies won the series 3-0 and Tony Grieg said later that it was he who felt like groveling off the field. In my opinion, Viv was the best batsman ever against genuine fast bowling and he displayed almost contempt against the best of them, such as Imran Khan and Dennis Lille while hooking and pulling their short pitch stuff with tremendous power. Remember these were the times when helmets were yet to come and eventually when they did arrive, Richards refused to wear them saying he did not need them. Viv Richards retired in 1991 from both forms of international cricket. If you ask any cricketer from his generation who was the greatest batsman of all time, he will invariably say it was Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards.
Don Bradman is rated by most as the greatest batsman of all time. He holds a record that can be considered as the greatest sporting achievement in any sport. No prizes for guessing it right; his test match batting average was 99.96. How he practiced with a golf ball and a single cricket stump are stories that are part of Aussie folklore. During the years of the great depression, he lit up the cricket fields with several records that stand even today. Getting him out was equivalent to getting three batsmen out. Much like Viv Richards and Sachin Tendulkar, he drew crowds in huge numbers. However, the man was a complex person and did not mix with team members easily. Nevertheless, his opinions were highly sought, even after his retirement. Bradman scored 29 hundreds in 52 matches. That is a hundred every other match, actually, which is unbelievable. For another unbelievable record he hit 12 double hundreds out of the 29. He even hit three double hundreds in a single test series against the archenemy England in 1930. He made centuries in six test matches on the trot. He is also the fastest ever to reach 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 runs in test cricket. He fell short of 7000 runs by four runs. This was, incidentally, due to that failure in his last test appearance, when he fell for a duck and came back to the pavilion half laughing due to the irony.
The only test series where he performed below par was the much maligned bodyline series. In a 1931 visit to Australia, the English captain Douglas Jardine designed a technique called bodyline, primarily for stopping the run machine called Don Bradman. Working on an observation made during a Bradman inning in England, he decided to attack Bradman with short pitch bowling. He, along with selectors, picked three fast bowlers for the tour down under led by Harold Larwood and Bill Voce. This tactic worked well against the Aussies and Bradman. Although Bradman did hit a single hundred to set up an Australian win, they won just that single test match in the series. Aussies were routed in the series. Bradman's batting style changed forever. There was a huge uproar about tactic and a lot has been written about it. However, when I try to imagine Viv Richards in the Don's shoes I feel the tactic would have failed. Viv would have probably hit half the short pitched stuff in the stands. This is conjecture of course, but food for thought nevertheless. This weakness against short pitched bowling is the only flaw one can find in Bradman's repertoire.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar in my opinion is the greatest overall batsman of all time. I will rate Bradman ahead of Sachin in tests and Viv Richards a combined number one in one-dayers with Sachin. There is a lot written about the little maestro from India and I can only add one point not discussed very much about Sachin. That is his balance at the crease. He seems to be putting little effort in his footwork, yet he gets into position so quickly that he is deadly effective and combined with the massive talent, there is no batsman more complete in his abilities at the crease and there never has been. Sachin has been around for 23 years of international cricket and bowlers are still looking for a weakness they can exploit. His record of 100 international centuries is unlikely to be ever broken, much like the 99.96 batting average of Sir Don Bradman. He has broken practically all batting records and is still playing at the top level. The hunger for runs has not diminished after 23 years of tough international cricket. I think the readers of this article should go to Wiki or other such standard pages to see the list of Sachin's records. He has acquired so many that I cannot list them here. However, it is significant to note that he has scored the highest number of test runs/centuries, and the highest number of one-day hundreds/centuries. Would Bradman have been able to make the mental and technical adjustments required to keep playing this much cricket and against so many quality opposition teams? Well, we will never know for sure, but I reckon not. Therefore, at the risk of facing a lot of dissension, I rate Sachin as number one and Sir Don as an extremely close number two.
A number of other batsmen have come extremely close to these three in their claims as the greatest batsman. These include Walter Hammond, Garfield Sobers, Len Hutton, Brian Lara etc. However, these three players have been the most effective ones for their teams, and remain the greatest batsmen of all time.
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Tuesday 23 October 2012
Do Not Miss The Brilliant Marketing Opportunity That The IPL Offers!
India has traditionally been known to be a rather poor host of sporting events.
One of the most glaring instances which essentially validated this belief would be the Commonwealth Games, held in New Delhi in 2010. Just days before the Games were to commence, many of the facilities were not ready. Further, there were widespread allegations of corruption from various quarters, especially with regard to inflated bills which were paid by the Games Committee, without any due diligence whatsoever, presumably based on kick backs which officials in the committee received.
Against such a negative backdrop, the IPL or the Indian Premier League certainly comes across as a welcome change. Although there have been certain allegations of corruption in the case of the IPL as well, which even saw the Founder and Chairman of the IPL, Mr. Lalit Modi, having to step down, as far as facilities for the IPL are concerned, they are definitely world class. Moreover, coordination with regard to every little aspect of the tournament is done brilliantly, given the huge amount of traveling which has to be undertaken throughout the season.
Of course, it is the excellent way in which the entire tournament is organized and conducted that it brings in players from so many different parts of the world to come and be a part of the prestigious IPL. This in turn leads to a situation where the entire tournament is keenly followed not only by those in India but indeed by people from around the world.
Therefore, no matter what sort of business you might be in - and indeed whatever be the scale of your business, remember that the IPL offers you an excellent opportunity to market your business and take it to the next level.
Of course, India as a market is huge and simply dwarfs most other markets out there but that should not take anything away from you, even if you happen to be based in some other cricket playing nation. Further, even if you are in a non-cricket playing nation, remember that the IPL still offers you an excellent marketing opportunity. This would particularly be true for markets such as the United States, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and so on, which have a huge immigrant and expatriate population from India as well as other cricket playing nations - including nations which have many of their cricketers playing in the IPL.
Would you really like to miss out on such a golden opportunity? In all likelihood you would not want to and therefore, make sure that your marketing plans include the IPL or the Indian Premier League.
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One of the most glaring instances which essentially validated this belief would be the Commonwealth Games, held in New Delhi in 2010. Just days before the Games were to commence, many of the facilities were not ready. Further, there were widespread allegations of corruption from various quarters, especially with regard to inflated bills which were paid by the Games Committee, without any due diligence whatsoever, presumably based on kick backs which officials in the committee received.
Against such a negative backdrop, the IPL or the Indian Premier League certainly comes across as a welcome change. Although there have been certain allegations of corruption in the case of the IPL as well, which even saw the Founder and Chairman of the IPL, Mr. Lalit Modi, having to step down, as far as facilities for the IPL are concerned, they are definitely world class. Moreover, coordination with regard to every little aspect of the tournament is done brilliantly, given the huge amount of traveling which has to be undertaken throughout the season.
Of course, it is the excellent way in which the entire tournament is organized and conducted that it brings in players from so many different parts of the world to come and be a part of the prestigious IPL. This in turn leads to a situation where the entire tournament is keenly followed not only by those in India but indeed by people from around the world.
Therefore, no matter what sort of business you might be in - and indeed whatever be the scale of your business, remember that the IPL offers you an excellent opportunity to market your business and take it to the next level.
Of course, India as a market is huge and simply dwarfs most other markets out there but that should not take anything away from you, even if you happen to be based in some other cricket playing nation. Further, even if you are in a non-cricket playing nation, remember that the IPL still offers you an excellent marketing opportunity. This would particularly be true for markets such as the United States, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and so on, which have a huge immigrant and expatriate population from India as well as other cricket playing nations - including nations which have many of their cricketers playing in the IPL.
Would you really like to miss out on such a golden opportunity? In all likelihood you would not want to and therefore, make sure that your marketing plans include the IPL or the Indian Premier League.
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Cricket Betting - Looking at the Positives and the Negatives
With the advent of T20 and the enormous amounts of money associated with it, Cricket has suffered due to the underhand way some people inside the game have exploited their position for instant monetary gain. Some have probably got away with it, and some (as we all know) have not.
The question now is: Should we be concerned about the future of our beloved game and the direction it is going?
Of course the introduction of big money into cricket has long been overdue, and is certainly welcome, but where there is money, there is usually someone to exploit it and corrupt something that has so long gained the reputation of a gentlemen's game played by fair and honest individuals.
Of course those fair and honest individuals are still there and are still running and playing the game. However, I am talking about the tiny percentage of people who have decided to move the odds in their favour by tempting players to bowl no balls, give away runs, or in some of the worst cases even throw matches.
In some instances a player (usually under the influence of an outside agent or bookmaker) may only throw away a boundary or bowl a no-ball at a certain time during the game. Some people say "so what? Surely a few runs or a no-ball will not affect the outcome of a game." No, it may not, but that is not the point. What these people are doing is cheating, simple as that. There are no parameters on cheating i.e you cannot cheat a little. You are either cheating or not, nothing in between.
I have also heard arguments that say "well, it is only the bookies we are cheating anyway." Wrong, we are cheating the game. Who knows how deep this problem runs within our precious game, it may only be skin deep, but because it has happened, it makes us all suspicious all of the time, which in turn can ruin our enjoyment of the game or worse, can switch us off to cricket altogether.
I know cheating or betting scandals happen in almost every sport, but that does not make it right. For instance, I love watching cycling, but who can watch the tour-de-france for instance without thinking that some competitors may be taking drugs. Similarly with athletics, I love athletics, but there is always that doubt, because it has been tarnished by a tiny minority, but has affected the majority.
Of course there are famous cases in cricket that have been all over the news, which I am not going to go into, but this is what we know, because they have been caught on camera with absolutely no excuses. If there was a way to argue this particular case, believe me they would have done that, but there wasn't. How many other cases are there that we do not know about? In truth, no one really knows, but the great danger is "there is no smoke without fire" i.e all of us now will become suspicious of anything out of the ordinary.
I feel this is all a little sad. The great games of the past, which we all enjoyed and the outstanding performances that we all appreciate may in the future be questioned. Feats of individual brilliance may not be looked at with such admiration as they once were. I know this is a very negative view, but it is human nature. Similarly with athletics, if someone breaks a world record, would we say to ourselves "I wonder if he/she has taken steroids." If we glimpse a brilliant ride in next years tour-de-france, would we ask the same question.
In truth, these cheats may have done something insignificant in their eyes within a game, for instance giving away an odd run. They may have been paid handsomely for this small indiscretion, and so think there has been no harm done. But they are well and truly WRONG, as this (as has been proven) has done immeasurable damage to a game that has been revered and respected throughout the world as the fairest of games played by perfect gentlemen.
In response to the question I asked at the start, I personally feel we are on a slippery slope, and unless something is done within the game it will only have a negative effect. On a positive note, the money invested into the game has certainly promoted cricket to a whole new audience, including children and female viewers. Who knows, it might even become popular in the USA. Although I am not going to hold my breath.
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The question now is: Should we be concerned about the future of our beloved game and the direction it is going?
Of course the introduction of big money into cricket has long been overdue, and is certainly welcome, but where there is money, there is usually someone to exploit it and corrupt something that has so long gained the reputation of a gentlemen's game played by fair and honest individuals.
Of course those fair and honest individuals are still there and are still running and playing the game. However, I am talking about the tiny percentage of people who have decided to move the odds in their favour by tempting players to bowl no balls, give away runs, or in some of the worst cases even throw matches.
In some instances a player (usually under the influence of an outside agent or bookmaker) may only throw away a boundary or bowl a no-ball at a certain time during the game. Some people say "so what? Surely a few runs or a no-ball will not affect the outcome of a game." No, it may not, but that is not the point. What these people are doing is cheating, simple as that. There are no parameters on cheating i.e you cannot cheat a little. You are either cheating or not, nothing in between.
I have also heard arguments that say "well, it is only the bookies we are cheating anyway." Wrong, we are cheating the game. Who knows how deep this problem runs within our precious game, it may only be skin deep, but because it has happened, it makes us all suspicious all of the time, which in turn can ruin our enjoyment of the game or worse, can switch us off to cricket altogether.
I know cheating or betting scandals happen in almost every sport, but that does not make it right. For instance, I love watching cycling, but who can watch the tour-de-france for instance without thinking that some competitors may be taking drugs. Similarly with athletics, I love athletics, but there is always that doubt, because it has been tarnished by a tiny minority, but has affected the majority.
Of course there are famous cases in cricket that have been all over the news, which I am not going to go into, but this is what we know, because they have been caught on camera with absolutely no excuses. If there was a way to argue this particular case, believe me they would have done that, but there wasn't. How many other cases are there that we do not know about? In truth, no one really knows, but the great danger is "there is no smoke without fire" i.e all of us now will become suspicious of anything out of the ordinary.
I feel this is all a little sad. The great games of the past, which we all enjoyed and the outstanding performances that we all appreciate may in the future be questioned. Feats of individual brilliance may not be looked at with such admiration as they once were. I know this is a very negative view, but it is human nature. Similarly with athletics, if someone breaks a world record, would we say to ourselves "I wonder if he/she has taken steroids." If we glimpse a brilliant ride in next years tour-de-france, would we ask the same question.
In truth, these cheats may have done something insignificant in their eyes within a game, for instance giving away an odd run. They may have been paid handsomely for this small indiscretion, and so think there has been no harm done. But they are well and truly WRONG, as this (as has been proven) has done immeasurable damage to a game that has been revered and respected throughout the world as the fairest of games played by perfect gentlemen.
In response to the question I asked at the start, I personally feel we are on a slippery slope, and unless something is done within the game it will only have a negative effect. On a positive note, the money invested into the game has certainly promoted cricket to a whole new audience, including children and female viewers. Who knows, it might even become popular in the USA. Although I am not going to hold my breath.
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Tuesday 16 October 2012
England's Cricket Stadia - The History of Lord's and the MCC
If you mention cricket grounds and London, the first thing that most people will think of is Lord's. Perhaps the most famous cricket ground in the world, it is most notably the home of the MCC, the Marylebone Cricket Club, the guardian's of the laws of the game to this day.
In addition it has been the home of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the worldwide governing body of cricket, until they relocated to Dubai in 2005, and is still the home of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the European Cricket Council (ECC). Due to its history, the role it has played in the development of the game and its position as the game's HQ for most of its existence, it is still regarded by most as the spiritual home of cricket despite not necessarily being its administrative centre anymore.
History of the Ground
The ground that we know as Lord's today is in fact the third home for the MCC since its formation. The original Lord's, now known as Lord's Old Ground was created by Thomas Lord in 1787 when he founded the MCC on the site of the modern day Dorset Square, just north of Marylebone. The club's tenure at this ground was cut short because of issues with rent and so he moved it north in 1811 to the second of the MCC's three homes just off the Lisson Grove thoroughfare in St John's Wood. However the MCC's stay at Lord's Middle Ground was even shorter lived as the building of the Regent's Canal forced Thomas Lord to move the club (almost literally) a stone's through further north to its present location in St John's Wood after just three years.
Lord's witnessed the first in its long and illustrious history of cricket matches when the MCC lined up against a team representing Hertfordshire in 1814, whilst a few years later in 1818, it hosted a match which is still being replayed to this day and which made its first appearance on the Old Ground in 1805, between sides from the public schools of Eton and Harrow. However, it wasn't until the relatively late 1884 that the ground saw its first international test match with England hosting their oldest foes Australia.
History of the MCC
The MCC itself was founded as an evolution of earlier cricket clubs whose roots are lost in the mists of time. However, its immediate predecessors were the White Conduit Club and, before that, the London Cricket Club, based in Islington - both general sporting clubs with a focus on cricket. It can even trace some of its DNA (e.g., memberships) back to the early pioneers of cricket at the Hambledon Club based in the Hampshire village, just outside of Southampton. The White Conduit Club (WCC) evolved out of the Star & Garter (previously known as "Je ne sais quoi") club in Pall Mall in the early 18th century and it was this club who drew up some of the earliest laws of the game.
Individual clubs still followed different sets of rules until the Star & Garter's descendant club the MCC took on the mantle of governors of the game of cricket in 1788 and produced the first set of laws which would in time become the game's unifying code. Although the MCC still maintains these laws, it has released much of its governing responsibilities in other areas to newer organisations such as the ICC and the ECB (from 1993 onwards).
uring the 20th century, the MCC also took on the responsibility or raising the England national team and only relinquished this duty too after the winter tour of Australia in 1976/7 although the recognisable bacon and eggs colours of the MCC was used by the team as late as their 1996/7 tour of New Zealand.
Tennis & Other Sports
Lord's and the Marylebone Cricket Club don't just boast a pivotal history in the game of cricket but they also played a fundamental role in the development of the game of lawn tennis and subsequently what we think of as tennis today. Prior to their switch in 1876 to the All England Club at Wimbledon, the MCC was also responsible for the laws of the game in their first couple of years in existence.
The ground even witnessed a baseball games, cricket's distant American cousin, during the First World War between teams representing the US and Canada, whilst many other sports have also made use of the facilities including archery which will make a reappearance there during the 2012 London Olympics.
Modern Developments
Whilst the famous Pavilion, including its Long Room, was built in 1890 in a recognisably Victorian style a large proportion of the grounds other stands have been rebuilt during the late 20th century (e.g., Mounds Stand 1987, Grandstand 1996). The most striking addition to the ground is arguably the futuristic media centre which was finished in 1999 and went on to receive awards for the quality of its design. There are still plans for a further 10,000 seats to be added to the ground to take its capacity up to 42,000 as well as the addition of an ice rink and apartments to go alongside the ground and the club's existing facilities such as the world's oldest sports museum and a rare real-tennis court.
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In addition it has been the home of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the worldwide governing body of cricket, until they relocated to Dubai in 2005, and is still the home of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the European Cricket Council (ECC). Due to its history, the role it has played in the development of the game and its position as the game's HQ for most of its existence, it is still regarded by most as the spiritual home of cricket despite not necessarily being its administrative centre anymore.
History of the Ground
The ground that we know as Lord's today is in fact the third home for the MCC since its formation. The original Lord's, now known as Lord's Old Ground was created by Thomas Lord in 1787 when he founded the MCC on the site of the modern day Dorset Square, just north of Marylebone. The club's tenure at this ground was cut short because of issues with rent and so he moved it north in 1811 to the second of the MCC's three homes just off the Lisson Grove thoroughfare in St John's Wood. However the MCC's stay at Lord's Middle Ground was even shorter lived as the building of the Regent's Canal forced Thomas Lord to move the club (almost literally) a stone's through further north to its present location in St John's Wood after just three years.
Lord's witnessed the first in its long and illustrious history of cricket matches when the MCC lined up against a team representing Hertfordshire in 1814, whilst a few years later in 1818, it hosted a match which is still being replayed to this day and which made its first appearance on the Old Ground in 1805, between sides from the public schools of Eton and Harrow. However, it wasn't until the relatively late 1884 that the ground saw its first international test match with England hosting their oldest foes Australia.
History of the MCC
The MCC itself was founded as an evolution of earlier cricket clubs whose roots are lost in the mists of time. However, its immediate predecessors were the White Conduit Club and, before that, the London Cricket Club, based in Islington - both general sporting clubs with a focus on cricket. It can even trace some of its DNA (e.g., memberships) back to the early pioneers of cricket at the Hambledon Club based in the Hampshire village, just outside of Southampton. The White Conduit Club (WCC) evolved out of the Star & Garter (previously known as "Je ne sais quoi") club in Pall Mall in the early 18th century and it was this club who drew up some of the earliest laws of the game.
Individual clubs still followed different sets of rules until the Star & Garter's descendant club the MCC took on the mantle of governors of the game of cricket in 1788 and produced the first set of laws which would in time become the game's unifying code. Although the MCC still maintains these laws, it has released much of its governing responsibilities in other areas to newer organisations such as the ICC and the ECB (from 1993 onwards).
uring the 20th century, the MCC also took on the responsibility or raising the England national team and only relinquished this duty too after the winter tour of Australia in 1976/7 although the recognisable bacon and eggs colours of the MCC was used by the team as late as their 1996/7 tour of New Zealand.
Tennis & Other Sports
Lord's and the Marylebone Cricket Club don't just boast a pivotal history in the game of cricket but they also played a fundamental role in the development of the game of lawn tennis and subsequently what we think of as tennis today. Prior to their switch in 1876 to the All England Club at Wimbledon, the MCC was also responsible for the laws of the game in their first couple of years in existence.
The ground even witnessed a baseball games, cricket's distant American cousin, during the First World War between teams representing the US and Canada, whilst many other sports have also made use of the facilities including archery which will make a reappearance there during the 2012 London Olympics.
Modern Developments
Whilst the famous Pavilion, including its Long Room, was built in 1890 in a recognisably Victorian style a large proportion of the grounds other stands have been rebuilt during the late 20th century (e.g., Mounds Stand 1987, Grandstand 1996). The most striking addition to the ground is arguably the futuristic media centre which was finished in 1999 and went on to receive awards for the quality of its design. There are still plans for a further 10,000 seats to be added to the ground to take its capacity up to 42,000 as well as the addition of an ice rink and apartments to go alongside the ground and the club's existing facilities such as the world's oldest sports museum and a rare real-tennis court.
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England Suffers A Winter Of Discontent
The England cricket team flew out the UAE this winter on the back of becoming the top test cricket team in the world, however what lay in wait for them was a Pakistan team that were to burst their bubble in quite a spectacular fashion. Questions had always been asked about the ability of the England team on facing conditions within the sub-continent, and this trip was to prove no different. Virtually from the first moment the England team were in total disarray with the bats with none of the top order batsmen being able to cope with conditions. Even the players within the side that were supposed good players of spin bowling in Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell would struggle badly. The main architect of England's downfall was the spin bowling of Saeed Ajmal, the Pakistan bowler in recent years has become among the very best in the world, and on this tour he came into his own. The variations produced by this magical Pakistan bowler ensured England managed to score over 300 only once in the 3 test match series. His bowling figures were indeed a testament to the time and effort he has put into his bowling action over the years. Ajmal even managed to get into the heads of the England players prior to the series, by suggesting he had invented a new delivery called the Teesra, that would leave the England players wondering what delivery would come next.
Following the series the England coach Andy Flower commented that was a wake up call that the team needed, many pundits would say the writing was already on the wall. Indeed in the last twenty test matches played in the sub-continental conditions the England team has won only one. The question must now be asked is how do the England players do to rectify this obvious chink in their armour. Recently the Indian Premier League cricket has just started for another season, and one thing that is quite clear for all to see is that there is a distinct lack of English players that are involved. It has been suggested that this would be an excellent way for much of the team to improve their skills in Asia outside the pressure of test match cricket. With an increasingly congested fixture list for the England cricket team, this is something that the England Cricket Board would quite like to avoid in order to keep the players fully fit.
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Following the series the England coach Andy Flower commented that was a wake up call that the team needed, many pundits would say the writing was already on the wall. Indeed in the last twenty test matches played in the sub-continental conditions the England team has won only one. The question must now be asked is how do the England players do to rectify this obvious chink in their armour. Recently the Indian Premier League cricket has just started for another season, and one thing that is quite clear for all to see is that there is a distinct lack of English players that are involved. It has been suggested that this would be an excellent way for much of the team to improve their skills in Asia outside the pressure of test match cricket. With an increasingly congested fixture list for the England cricket team, this is something that the England Cricket Board would quite like to avoid in order to keep the players fully fit.
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Do the Number of Grains on a Cricket Bat Matter?
Each cricketer, whether amateur or professional, has a lot of different options when looking to purchase a new cricket bat. The obvious choices are long blade or short, weight and of course the grade of the willow used to make the bat. Another option that some are interested in is the amount of grains on the cricket bat itself.
I'd first like to start by a little background information on the grains on the cricket bat. The number of grains a cricket bat has can range from about 5 grains to about 20 grains. Each grain represents a year in the life of the tree. First of all there are bats with wider grains, or less grains. A bat with large grains came from a tree that grew rather quickly. Many factors can affect this such as water, sunlight and soil quality. A bat with less grains, or wider grains would come from a tree that is not as old.
A bat with just 5 grains on it is said to have wide grains on the face. A bat with wide grains, or fewer grains on the face, is said to have less ping, which will launch the ball. However, these bats will also typically last a bit longer than a bat with more grains. The reason it will last longer is because the wood, or willow tree, is not as old and will withstand a bit more.
A bat that has narrower grains, or more grains will most likely play a bit quicker than wider grains. Many more advanced players prefer these bats because of this reason. But, of course, the negative is you will find them to need replacement much more often, which can get costly.
The most interesting point to make is that a group of bats from the same maker, of the same exact line and same price point can completely vary in grains. For example, one could purchase 3 Kookaburra Big Kahuna bats and they could all have a different number of grains on them. Therefore, there is not a simple answer to how many grains a certain caliber of bat has.
In conclusion, whether you prefer a bat with fewer wide grains on it or a bat with much more narrow grains to it, it seems to not make one or the other a better quality bat. One would just have to decide whether a long lasting, sturdier bat or a faster bat is the most important.
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I'd first like to start by a little background information on the grains on the cricket bat. The number of grains a cricket bat has can range from about 5 grains to about 20 grains. Each grain represents a year in the life of the tree. First of all there are bats with wider grains, or less grains. A bat with large grains came from a tree that grew rather quickly. Many factors can affect this such as water, sunlight and soil quality. A bat with less grains, or wider grains would come from a tree that is not as old.
A bat with just 5 grains on it is said to have wide grains on the face. A bat with wide grains, or fewer grains on the face, is said to have less ping, which will launch the ball. However, these bats will also typically last a bit longer than a bat with more grains. The reason it will last longer is because the wood, or willow tree, is not as old and will withstand a bit more.
A bat that has narrower grains, or more grains will most likely play a bit quicker than wider grains. Many more advanced players prefer these bats because of this reason. But, of course, the negative is you will find them to need replacement much more often, which can get costly.
The most interesting point to make is that a group of bats from the same maker, of the same exact line and same price point can completely vary in grains. For example, one could purchase 3 Kookaburra Big Kahuna bats and they could all have a different number of grains on them. Therefore, there is not a simple answer to how many grains a certain caliber of bat has.
In conclusion, whether you prefer a bat with fewer wide grains on it or a bat with much more narrow grains to it, it seems to not make one or the other a better quality bat. One would just have to decide whether a long lasting, sturdier bat or a faster bat is the most important.
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Monday 15 October 2012
How to Profit From Laying the Draw in Test Cricket
Cricket is probably my favourite sport for trading, because of the price swings it produces and because I find it relatively easy to 'read'.
In a five-day Test match we can see wonderful price swings between all three possible outcomes with the natural fluctuation of a competitive Test.
But while most trades in a Test match will be reactionary, based on the position of the game, the odds and what you feel will happen next, there is a pre-match move that I make on almost every Test that is proving to be very profitable, and that is laying the draw.
Five-day cricket has changed significantly in recent years and it is continuing to evolve at a great pace, but I don't believe that draw backers have evolved with the game, and I would say that the draw is priced incorrectly on Tests at least 50% of the time.
Looking at the stats for drawn Test matches shows us how the game has changed.
In the 1980s there were 122 drawn Test matches from 266 played, which equated to 45% of matches being drawn.
In the 1990s there were 347 Tests, with 35% (124) drawn, and in the 200s there were 464 Tests with 24% (114) drawn.
At the start of 2010/11 there was a run of draws, and the figure for this decade is 27% of matches being drawn at the moment.
But for me a greater indication is the last 28 Test matches, not including the current one in Colombo, of which only four (14%) have been drawn.
Of these only one was a bore draw, with Sri Lanka and Pakistan scoring slowly in Sharjah and a result never really looking likely.
Of the other three, one was the thriller between India and the West Indies in Mumbai, when all three results were still possible with two balls of the match to go. Two results remained possible from the final ball, but in the end the match was drawn, with India one run short of victory and West Indies one wicket short of victory.
In the recent New Zealand-South Africa series, the first Test in Dunedin was drawn after the weather got in the way, with 113 overs lost, and the final Test finished as a draw after a plucky display by New Zealand on the last day.
That Test almost produced a result despite more heavy weather interruptions. The draw was as short as 1.20 after the third day, but at one point on the final day New Zealand were 82-5, effectively six down as Ross Taylor couldn't bat, but managed to survive.
In this match South Africa scored at 6.4 runs per over in the second innings for 30 overs, a rate of scoring that would not have happened in Tests 15 or 20 years ago.
So of those four drawn Tests in the last 28, two were draws where results were still very possible late on the fifth day and on both occasions a substantial profit could have been made by laying the draw before the match begun.
So often the price pre-Test on the draw is still somewhere between 2.5 and 4.0, depending on the teams playing of course, yet the statistics would suggest this is far too short. Even if a match does finish as a draw there is a good chance the draw will trade higher, and perhaps significantly higher, during the course of the five days.
All this leads us to the question of why the game has changed so much.
The first issue is run-rates. The advent of Twenty20 cricket has increased the scoring rates in the 50 over game and in Test matches. Batsmen are used to playing more aggressively and now have a more varied range of shots.
By playing Twenty20 cricket so often they find it easier to switch to attack mode, as shown by South Africa's second innings in the third Test against New Zealand.
The next factor is the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS), which has changed the way everybody thinks about the game.
Umpires are now far more confident giving LBW decisions, especially to the spinners, and decisions given these days would never have been out even five years ago. That means matches are moving at a faster rate and more wickets are falling than ever before.
The number of drawn Test matches has fallen from 45% to 25% in the space of 20 years, and I think it will fall a bit further yet, and that is why I will continue to lay the draw as a starting point for almost all Test matches, providing the weather forecast is good.
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In a five-day Test match we can see wonderful price swings between all three possible outcomes with the natural fluctuation of a competitive Test.
But while most trades in a Test match will be reactionary, based on the position of the game, the odds and what you feel will happen next, there is a pre-match move that I make on almost every Test that is proving to be very profitable, and that is laying the draw.
Five-day cricket has changed significantly in recent years and it is continuing to evolve at a great pace, but I don't believe that draw backers have evolved with the game, and I would say that the draw is priced incorrectly on Tests at least 50% of the time.
Looking at the stats for drawn Test matches shows us how the game has changed.
In the 1980s there were 122 drawn Test matches from 266 played, which equated to 45% of matches being drawn.
In the 1990s there were 347 Tests, with 35% (124) drawn, and in the 200s there were 464 Tests with 24% (114) drawn.
At the start of 2010/11 there was a run of draws, and the figure for this decade is 27% of matches being drawn at the moment.
But for me a greater indication is the last 28 Test matches, not including the current one in Colombo, of which only four (14%) have been drawn.
Of these only one was a bore draw, with Sri Lanka and Pakistan scoring slowly in Sharjah and a result never really looking likely.
Of the other three, one was the thriller between India and the West Indies in Mumbai, when all three results were still possible with two balls of the match to go. Two results remained possible from the final ball, but in the end the match was drawn, with India one run short of victory and West Indies one wicket short of victory.
In the recent New Zealand-South Africa series, the first Test in Dunedin was drawn after the weather got in the way, with 113 overs lost, and the final Test finished as a draw after a plucky display by New Zealand on the last day.
That Test almost produced a result despite more heavy weather interruptions. The draw was as short as 1.20 after the third day, but at one point on the final day New Zealand were 82-5, effectively six down as Ross Taylor couldn't bat, but managed to survive.
In this match South Africa scored at 6.4 runs per over in the second innings for 30 overs, a rate of scoring that would not have happened in Tests 15 or 20 years ago.
So of those four drawn Tests in the last 28, two were draws where results were still very possible late on the fifth day and on both occasions a substantial profit could have been made by laying the draw before the match begun.
So often the price pre-Test on the draw is still somewhere between 2.5 and 4.0, depending on the teams playing of course, yet the statistics would suggest this is far too short. Even if a match does finish as a draw there is a good chance the draw will trade higher, and perhaps significantly higher, during the course of the five days.
All this leads us to the question of why the game has changed so much.
The first issue is run-rates. The advent of Twenty20 cricket has increased the scoring rates in the 50 over game and in Test matches. Batsmen are used to playing more aggressively and now have a more varied range of shots.
By playing Twenty20 cricket so often they find it easier to switch to attack mode, as shown by South Africa's second innings in the third Test against New Zealand.
The next factor is the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS), which has changed the way everybody thinks about the game.
Umpires are now far more confident giving LBW decisions, especially to the spinners, and decisions given these days would never have been out even five years ago. That means matches are moving at a faster rate and more wickets are falling than ever before.
The number of drawn Test matches has fallen from 45% to 25% in the space of 20 years, and I think it will fall a bit further yet, and that is why I will continue to lay the draw as a starting point for almost all Test matches, providing the weather forecast is good.
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