Weekly Updates 2020

5 September 2020

Dear All,

A thrilling draw was played out at Turville on Saturday, with all results possible until the penultimate ball. Turville chose to bat first, and compiled a solid if undaunting 185/7. Sam Beardall (82) and Tim Wade (50) threatened a larger total from the base of their 116 run partnership, but the T&C bowling was always a challenge, led in fine style by Dyer who snared 5/27.

In reply, Turville’s attack, led by Tom White and Henry Steadman proved a real handful, and T&C were soon behind the run rate. All the top order bats made starts however, and it required some inspired and entertaining slow bowling from Pete Briffett (2/43) to make inroads. He was ably supported by Charlie Hunt who bowled cleverly for his 3/33. This included the crucial final over when T&C needed 11 for the win. Only 4 runs were conceded. A tense match played in excellent spirit. Match report attached.

In other news –

1. The World Health Organisation recently provided a surprisingly unfavourable view of the proposed Hundred competition (‘Test, Test, Test’).
2. Challenge : please name 2 West Indian Test cricketers sharing the same first name. Good luck!
3. Last year’s Oval Ashes Test was the first time ever any Test team (England!) has taken 20 wickets where no bowler taking a wicket in the first innings got a wicket in the second innings. Weird, hey?
4. Strange facts#1Don Bradman made 18 and 1 in his first Test, and was dropped #2 Sachin Tendulkar, prolific, sure – rapid, not so much…Test strike rate of just 54 #3 Steve Smith’s 50 match run ending with last year’s Ashes saw him averaging 75…no one else apart from Bradman has ever averaged higher in a 50 match sequence.

That’s all for now! Keep sane!

Cheers

Tim

25 April 2020

Dear All,

Thought you might welcome a cricket lockdown distraction. Lots of stuff since we last spoke. Here’s some –

1. As at last month, here are the Test rankings – India (115), NZ (110), Australia (108), England (105), Sth Africa (98). Don’t ask me how the points work. Apparently Diane Abbott or Matt Hancock can tell you.

2. Yasir Shah became the fastest to 200 Test wickets (33 Tests) beating Clarrie Grimmett’s 82 year old record. @AJARRODKIMBER, ‘Yasir Shah has ten wickets today. But Kane Williamson’s wicket is actually worth three, so that’s technically 12 wickets. These are just the facts.’

3. Amazon Prime has released its fly on the wall 8 part series on the Australian Test team post sandpaper-gate. Something for everyone here (Headingley! Bloody hell!). Remarkably honest and open footage, if a bit repetitive. Worth a look. Here’s one view from me – coaches are next to useless (or as Shane Warne once said ‘only good for transporting you to the ground’). Justin Langer is decent, but his speeches are unfailingly banal. See also the Man City documentary on Amazon. Guardiola is no genius, and has no unique master plan. It’s all about Steve Smith and David Silva. Easy.

4. Factoid from the past – in 1988, by the end of May (just 5 weeks from now), Graeme Hick had scored 1,000 runs in 11 knocks. My goodness. Allows me to revisit one of my favourite all time gags – When asked on a job application form to describe his ‘greatest disappointment’, one cricket tragic replied ‘Graeme Hick’s Test career’.

5. Shakib Al Hasan has become the fastest to 3,000 Test runs and 200 wickets, in 54 games, 1 fewer than Botham. He looked simply terrific at the World Cup.

6. Interesting analysis on sixes conceded in Test cricket. In the past 20 years, the average is one six every 280 balls (spinners, every 150, seamers, every 629). Nathan Lyon has conceded the most (200), followed by Murali (198), Herath (194) and Vettori (184, including 17 in total smashed by Adam Gilchrist – the record for one on one contests). The most conceded by a seamer is 64, by Makhaya Ntini. Lyon has also gone at the second fastest rate (a 6 every 103 balls) after Moeen Ali (101 balls). Still, the GOAT has 390 wickets at 31.

Really liked this picture, hope it comes through….see you soon!