icc europe edition

Transcription

icc europe edition

The World’s Best Cricket Magazine
IN THIS ISSUE!
ALSO INSIDE
GOLDEN SUMMERS
WITH
GERMANY’S SUPER SERIES
BELGIAN CRICKET RE-ENACTS
BATTLE OF WATERLOO
SCOTLAND’S YOUNG GUNS:
TAKING ON THE WORLD
DUTCHMEN FLYING
THE NETHERLANDS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO THE ICC WORLD T20 2016 IN INDIA
ICC EUROPE
EDITION
WELCOME
Welcome to another edition of ICC Europe news. It’s a
really exciting time for European cricket, with participation
numbers increasing as more countries across the continent
become energised by our game. It has been a busy summer
with the ICC U19 Division 1 World Cup Qualifier and the
ICC World T20 qualifiers taken place, as well as exciting
development work from across the region. It’s our pleasure
to bring you all the latest news and views from around
our game, as part of our ongoing partnership with All Out
Cricket magazine. You can keep up to date with all the latest
news and events from ICC Europe by following us on Twitter
and liking us on Facebook.
Nick Pink
ICC Regional Development Manager - Europe
Twitter: @icc_europe
Facebook: ICCEurope
www.icc-europe.org
2 | AOC | ICC EUROPE 2015 - ISSUE 2
Editor: Phil Walker
Editorial Consultant: Tim Brooks
Managing Editor: Matt Thacker
Contributors: Henry Cowen, Mary
Godbeer, Jo Harman, Ed Kemp,
Tim Wigmore
Designer: Joe Provis
Commercial Director: Sam Stow
Marketing Director: Becky FairlieClarke
Welcome to another beautiful digital edition of All Out
Cricket, in partnership with the excellent team at ICC
Europe. A jam-packed summer of cricket at all levels is
in full swing, and in the following pages we celebrate
the sheer diversity of cricket on show, from hard-fought
games at the ICC World T20 qualifiers, to the inaugural
German T20 Super Series, to a girls tournament on the
tiny island of Sark (population: 600). We hope you enjoy
the magazine, and please do let us know if you’ve got
some stories from around the continent that you’d like
us to cover. We want to bring all the strands of European
cricket closer together, and we can only do that with
your continuing support.
Email [email protected], or tweet us
@alloutcricket. And of course, you can SUBSCRIBE to
All Out Cricket magazine - both in digital format and in
print - by heading to alloutcricket.com.
Phil Walker
Editor, AOC
WORLD T20 QUALIFIERS
OMAN AND HONG KONG DISPLAY ASSOCIATES’ DEPTH
Tim Wigmore reviews the World T20 Qualifiers – a tournament that saw Scotland, the Netherlands,
Ireland, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Oman progress to the World T20.
T
he final of the World T20 Qualifiers
was rained off: such is the
unpredictability of the weather in
Ireland and Scotland in the height
of ‘summer’. Yet the identity of the teams
who made the final – Scotland and the
Netherlands – was revealing.
To many cricket fans, Associate
cricket has come to mean two teams:
Afghanistan and Ireland. While both
were among the six qualifiers for the
World T20 in India last year – and
they’ve been the two sides contesting
the last three finals in the World T20
qualifiers – neither side was able to
continue its domination of the Associate
world in this tournament. Even more
revealingly, the United Arab Emirates,
one of the four qualifiers for the World
Cup earlier this year, came 12th in the
qualifying tournament.
“Associate cricket in general is really
improving, all the teams are becoming
much better,” reflected Netherlands
captain Peter Borren. “When I started
in 2006 there were one or two decent
Associate teams and the rest were a long
way behind. Now you’ve got seven or eight
decent teams.”
It is true that both Afghanistan
and especially Ireland fell short of
matching their supreme form in the last
three qualifiers. Ireland’s unyielding
determination to play Test cricket and
their use of ODI cricket as the side’s shop
window has left T20 cricket comparatively
disregarded; before the tournament
Ireland had never played a T20
international in Dublin. It showed. After a
21-game winning streak in the tournament,
Ireland lost three games out of four. Their
bowling, which had been plundered in
both the World Cup and last year’s World
T20, was actually much improved, with
Craig Young’s bounce providing extra bite.
While coach John Bracewell gave the
bowlers “10 out of 10” he rated the batting
a five. Besides Paul Stirling, who failed
to transfer his T20 Blast form into the
www.alloutcricket.com | AOC | 3
tournament, and the unpredictable Kevin
O’Brien, Ireland had too many players who
struggled to score at over a-run-a-ball.
Yet, if Afghanistan and Ireland moved
a little closer to the chasing pack, their
contenders played vibrant cricket that
highlighted their progress. Scotland’s
batting, modern and dynamic, was
outstanding. Their top order fused power
and improvisation – all the top five are
adept playing the ramp – knowing that
Preston Mommsen, who scored 154 runs
for twice out at a strike-rate of over 170,
provided insurance at No.6. With Matt
Machan to add to the batting for India,
Scotland have a good chance of toppling
Zimbabwe and making the main Super Ten
phase of the tournament.
Fellow finalists the Netherlands again
showed their belligerence in T20 cricket.
Needing to chase down 98 within eight
overs against Kenya to win Group B, the
Netherlands fell just short despite 59 off 24
balls from Ben Cooper. But little matter: the
Dutch secured clinical wins against Namibia
and then Ireland to first ensure their World
T20 berth and then reach the final of the
qualifiers. While the strength of their
batting is well established, the Netherlands’
bowling also held up admirably despite
death bowler Ahsan Malik being suspended
for a suspect action. After his switch from
South Africa, Roelof van der Merwe had a
good first tournament for the Dutch. More
encouraging was the hostility of Paul van
Meekeren, a 22-year-old quick who is a
product of the Dutch system, in taking 2-14
against Ireland in the semi-final.
And there was much else to enjoy
in the tournament. Nothing embodied
the intoxicating unpredictability of
the qualifiers like Hong Kong, who lost
to Jersey and the United States but
defeated Ireland and then chased down
Afghanistan’s total off the final ball
to secure their passage to India. Irfan
Ahmed mustered the highest score of
the tournament, 98 off 55 balls, to set
up victory over Namibia, while Jamie
Atkinson, despite arriving on the UK
on crutches after fracturing his toe,
batted with class and consistency. The
same was true of Mark Chapman, whose
“When I started
in 2006 there
were one or
two decent
Associate teams
and the rest
were a long way
behind. Now
you’ve got seven
or eight decent
teams”
PETER Borren
calculated 23-ball 40 against Afghanistan
highlighted why his talent has interested
Northern Districts during his time at
university in Auckland.
But Oman’s story was the most
remarkable. Despite being ranked 29th
in the world in one-day cricket and being
used to 40 degree heat, they were the
final qualifier for the World T20. Three
weeks of preparation in Cork proved
critical in getting accustomed to UK
conditions. There is enough in the team
– the classy batting of Jatinder Singh
and Munis Ansari’s highly passable
Lasith Malinga impersonation especially
– to suggest Oman could perform
respectably in India, although their
fielding, which squandered four catches
in the play-off against Namibia, too often
betrayed their amateurism.
The accusation could not be levelled
at Papua New Guinea, who showed
unremitting energy in the field. Alas, they
continued their record of starting well in
ICC events but fading under pressure: PNG
lost their last three matches. The sight of
their players suppressing tears as they
trudged off after defeat to Afghanistan in
the qualification play-off was a snapshot
into the cut-throat nature of Associate
cricket: A financial bonus was at stake for
the six qualifying teams, and the promise
of significant extra sponsorship. More
importantly for the players, the event
presented them with a last realistic chance
to make a world event this decade, with
the ICC World T20 now moved to a fouryear cycle and the 2019 ICC World Cup
being reduced to 10 teams.
Having withstood these high stakes, the
qualifiers should be brimming with delight
at the prize awaiting.
Photo: Wieke Eefting
Germany
Launch
T20 Super
Series
Women’s
Cricket
Is Taken
More
Seriously
Now
A new franchise-based T20 tournament proved a
resounding success in Germany this summer.
ESTHER DE LANGE
Tim Brooks caught up with new captain of the Dutch women’s team, Esther de Lange, to talk about
her career so far, her aspirations for the future and the development of women’s cricket.
How did you first get introduced to cricket
and who were your role models?
My first introduction came through watching
Test cricket on the BBC. I had no idea what
it was but it looked similar to baseball and
rounders so when I got the opportunity
to try it out I thought I would give it a go. I
really liked the fact that girls were allowed to
play the same format as the boys, whereas
in baseball I was told I had to play softball
instead. There were hardly any opportunities
to be exposed to cricket at a high standard,
so my role models were closer to home.
How much has women’s cricket changed
since you started playing?
I don’t think women’s cricket has changed that
much, but the acceptance and the perception
of it has changed massively. Clubs are now
proud to have women’s and girls’ teams,
whereas 20 years ago the atmosphere was a
lot more hostile towards women in the sport.
Cricket was seen as a man’s game when I first
started and boys were not shy of reminding
me of that. Increased exposure has meant
greater awareness and respect. Internationally
the game is being taken more seriously. Girls
are fitter, stronger and have been exposed to a
lot better coaching than before.
How significant is TV coverage of women’s
cricket in terms of boosting interest and
participation?
It is hugely significant. Visibility for any
sport is key to attracting new players. At
the same time the player pathway will
improve, since girls will have something
to aspire to. When the opportunities are
there in front of you, rather than a far offdream, committing to cricket will be a lot
more attractive. In the Netherlands kids
grow up without ever being exposed to
cricket. When we go into schools the first
thing we have to explain is what cricket
actually is, as the kids have no concept of
it. We need more exposure of cricket in
general in order for that to change.
What is your philosophy on captaincy and
what are your main objectives as skipper of
the Netherlands?
My philosophy on captaincy is to put
the team first, above everything else. I
have said to the players: always think
about how what you do will affect your
teammates. With so many young players
coming through it is my objective to
let them gain as much experience as
possible in all formats. I’m trying to guide
them in their development by creating
opportunities and showing confidence in
their ability to perform under pressure.
The team is constantly evolving and
growing but I try to show players that
if you’re willing to put in the work, the
opportunities are there for you.
What is the next major tournament for the
team and how are you preparing for it?
The big tournament we are preparing for is the
ICC WT20 Qualifier in Bangkok at the end of the
year. Our preparation is focused on participation
in the ECB T20 competition in England. We
were promoted to Division Two last year so
we will face some stiff opposition. We are also
looking to organize a warm-up trip to Sri Lanka
where we will play some practice matches and
train in similar conditions to Bangkok.
How has playing in ECB tournaments
helped the development of the team?
The ECB competition has given many
players valuable opportunities to play a
good standard of cricket on grass pitches.
The Dutch domestic competition can be a
one-sided affair and is generally played on
artificial pitches. In order for us to develop,
our players have to play competitive
matches on a regular basis and under similar
conditions as our international fixtures.
Who are the young talents to look out for in
your squad?
The average age of the squad is around 19 at
the moment, so I would say all of them except
for myself. We have seen some players really
progress over the winter, and with the loss
of some senior players there will be plenty of
opportunity for these youngsters to step up.
Keep an eye on the scorecards!
G
ermany launched an exciting new T20
competition this summer to concentrate talent
and improve international performance.
Following relegation to ICC Europe
Division 3 last year, the Deutscher Cricket Bund (DCB)
decided to inaugurate a premium T20 tournament for
the top 40 to 50 players in the country.
Taking inspiration from the format of the Indian
Premier League (IPL), the DCB Super Series comprised
three teams each showcasing the best talent in
different regions of Germany. These were the Western
Eagles, representing the state of Hesse and NorthRhine Westphalia, the Alpine Tigers, representing
Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg, and the Northern
Lights, representing Berlin and Northern Germany.
The combining of regions meant that competition
for places was fierce in each franchise and the national
selectors were able to see the best players in the
country playing with and against each other. It is hoped
that this will bring the best out of a core of elite players
from which the national teams will be selected. This
enables better identification and development of talent
than the previous process of representative sides being
selected by each regional body.
The tournament was sponsored by Wintech Sports
and ran for 12 matches from May 23 to June 27. Each
team played each other four times with two fixtures at
home and two away. In a first for domestic cricket in
Germany, each team had a coach and a performance
manager.
It proved a dramatic and exciting inaugural series
with the Western Eagles claiming victory in the very last
match of the competition’s final day. It was successful
off the pitch too, with an encouraging level of media
coverage and huge interest on social media.
National team and Western Eagles star Andre Leslie
thought the tournament was a resounding success
and said it would pave the way for a more competitive
national side. “I have played cricket in Germany for
10 years and the Super Series was by far the highest
standard of cricket I have seen,” he said. “High quality
cricket played on a consistent basis can only be good for
the development of our players.”
n
a
m
h
c
t
a
Nightw
THE
“The Nightwatchman is a triumph.
Left-field, highly intelligent and
laugh-out-loud funny. A gem”
ed smith
SCOTLAND’S YOUNG GUNS PIP IRELAND
TO WORLD CUP SPOT
Scotland emerged winners at a hard-fought qualifying tournament in Jersey to seal their spot at
next year’s Under 19 World Cup, writes Tim Brooks.
W
hile their senior teams
competed for a place at next
year’s World T20 in India,
Ireland, Scotland and the
Netherlands sent their young charges
to Jersey to fight for a place at the 2016
Under 19 World Cup.
For the hosts it represented another
opportunity to demonstrate their
progress as a cricketing nation following
their historic progress to the World T20
qualifier for the first time this year. With
a small population, Jersey’s philosophy
has naturally focused on youth and the
core of their senior team is made up of
recent graduates from an impressive youth
development programme. The islanders
have also further enhanced their reputation
as a host of international tournaments, with
excellent facilities, picturesque grounds and
a very warm welcome.
Jersey lost twice to both Ireland and
Scotland and undoubtedly missed the
matchwinning ability of Jonty Jenner,
who was eligible to play but was instead
selected to represent the senior team in
the T20 qualifiers. However, they did the
double over the Netherlands with two
comfortable victories and will be pleased
not to have been overawed or outclassed
in this company. William Harris, Ben
Ward and Solomon Warner each made
half-centuries, while Elliot Miles was
the second-highest wicket-taker in the
tournament with 13 scalps.
The Netherlands, who last qualified for
the Under 19 World Cup in 2000, endured
a miserable tournament and lost all six of
their matches. This was despite their squad
boasting the talented Zulfiqar triplets and
several other players with experience in
the North Sea Pro Series. Coach Roland
Lefebvre conceded that they had played
poorly and they will have to nurse their
wounds and identify areas for improvement.
In the first encounter between old
rivals Ireland and Scotland the men in
green came out on top after bundling the
Scots out for 119. However, when the two
sides met again in the final fixture of the
tournament, Scotland claimed victory by a
large enough margin to overhaul Ireland’s
net run-rate and pip them to a place at the
World Cup.
Scotland’s captain Neil Flack top-scored
with 71 from 96 balls, the highest score of the
tournament, to set Ireland 250 to win. Ben
Williamson proved to be Ireland’s downfall
as he took 5-22 to help secure a comfortable
victory and break Irish hearts.
Scottish bowler Haris Aslam finished
as the tournament’s top wicket-taker and
picked up the award for Most Valuable
Player. His teammate Flack topped the runscoring charts.
The Under 19 World Cup will be played
from January 22 to February 14 next year
in Bangladesh.
Contributors include:
Dileep Premachandran, David Foot, Gideon Haigh, Suresh Menon, Patrick Neate, Rob Smyth, John Crace,
Aakash Chopra, Alan Tyers, Jonathan Wilson, Anand Vasu, Andy Zaltzman, Tanya Aldred, Scott Oliver,
Marcus Berkmann, Osman Samiuddin, Richard Hobson, Tom Holland, Isa Guha, Jon Hotten, Rob Steen,
Robert Winder, Jarrod Kimber, Christian Ryan, Matthew Engel, Kate Laven, Patrick Kidd, Martin Crowe,
Mike Marqusee, Michael Henderson, Dan Waddell, Tony Cozier, Jonathan Liew, Ali Mitchell, Neil Hannon
www.thenightwatchman.net
NEWS
DUTCH CRICKET BOARD
CONTRIBUTES TO NEPAL
EARTHQUAKE APPEAL FUND
A
s the representatives of the Dutch cricketing
community, the Dutch Cricket Board (KNCB) will
contribute to the earthquake appeal towards the
victims in Nepal. From the start of the season the KNCB
Board will donate six euros for every six that’s hit in the top two
leagues and all international matches including Dutch teams in
the 2015 season. This initiative will run for the whole season. The
expected sum will hopefully total 5,000 euros.
The number of sixes will be updated weekly on the
KNCB-website.
As well as this initiative the KNCB will quite likely develop
other fundraising activities. Cricket Nepal informed the KNCB in
late April that the trip will definitely go ahead, and that all players
and their direct family were not hit by the disastrous earthquake
and the aftermath-quakes. The KNCB expressed its sympathy
towards the country and all victims of the earthquakes.
Photo: (c) Sevil Oktem
WHAT A SCOOP FOR EUROPEAN
WOMEN’S CRICKET! KNCB
O
n 25 and 26 July a European
women’s cricket XI played a
Dutch Invitational XI with players
from Hungary, France, Denmark,
Germany, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Gibraltar
and Jersey.
Patrick Demaerschalk from Belgium
who set up the event is really pleased
about the way the event took shape, “It was
amazing, it only took an e-mail to invite
players along, and suddenly you have an
enthusiastic group of 10 players willing
to travel the distance and spending their
own money to play in these matches.”
Demaerschalk said on the first day at the
Kampong Cricket Club in Utrecht, is very
active in Belgian cricket, and has now
spread out to the international scene.
The T20 matches were hampered by a
big storm on Saturday: only one innings of
the two planned T20-matches was possible.
The Dutch team - consisting of a couple of
the young Netherlands XI squad members
Sterre Kalis and Lisa Klokgieters- scored
149/4, with Kalis unbeaten on 66. Europe XI
didn’t get to bat as a fierce storm, the worst
in a Dutch summer since 1914, swept over
the grounds. The second innings was played
the next day and Europe was bowled out for
52, none of the batsmen being able to reach
double figures.
A 30-over fixture, split up in 2x 15 overs
innings per team was played the next
day with the use of a pink ball. The KNCB
invitational XI reaching scores of 63 /4 and
76/5 (Van Haaren 12*, Jetske Parée 10*).The
Europe team’s batting was much improved
too as Europe’s first innings was 71/5. Top
scorer was France’s Rebecca Blake with a
stylish 26 - unfortunately her compatriot
Emma Chance was run out within a few
balls. The total to beat was 138, but Europe’s
second innings started disastrous with
Klokgieters showing why she opens the
bowling for the national side. Europe were
put on the back foot, and only managed
52 all out, with contributions of Gibraltar’s
Christine McNally and Netherlands
Nicole Zegers each scoring 10. The KNCB
Invitational XI won by 16 runs.
Hungary’s Claudia Balogh, Europe’s
captain for the weekend, thoroughly
enjoyed the level of cricket. She usually
plays in a men’s team in her home country,
and has occasional outings with the
national women’s XI She spent three weeks
in the UK in 2014 playing cricket, and plans
to do same in the Netherlands in 2016. “I
would love to see more occasions like this
so we can all improve our cricket “.
All matches were quietly but firmly
umpired by two umpires from Belgium,
Peter de Boeck and Andrew Scott.
SARK HOSTS GIRLS CRICKET
TOURNAMENT
O
n 22 July, the small Channel Island of Sark hosted a
Three Island Girls Cricket Tournament with six teams
representing Guernsey, Jersey and Sark. In total,
there were 37 girls taking part.
The focus of the tournament was on self-improvement
and learning as opposed to winning. Each player was given
points for batting, bowling and fielding.
At the end of the day, two girls from each Island were
announced as the cricketers of the day.
Guernsey Cricket Board Development Manager, Jason
Shambrook was delighted with the event, “Thanks to the
hard work of Gemma Dunning in Jersey, Lewis Heald in Sark
and our Development Officer, Katie Watson, the female
game continues to grow and we are going to use this
momentum to expand upon this.”
Belgian Cricket Re-Enacts
Battle of Waterloo
2
015 marks the 200-year anniversary of the Battle of
Waterloo in 1815. But it also marks the anniversary
of the first recorded game of cricket in Belgium,
which was played on the eve of the battle between
the Officers of the Foot Guards and in the presence of the
Duke of Wellington.
The match was organised by the Duke of Richmond –
one of the finest players in England at the time and one of
the three guarantors for Thomas Lord when he founded the
Lord’s ground a few years before.
The Duke of Wellington was renowned for his calm on
the battlefield and no doubt the Guards would have been
heartened to see him watching cricket, knowing they would
be facing the full might of Napoleon’s army in a few days.
It was also an opportunity to talk with his officers and
formulate strategy ahead of the battle.
To celebrate the occasion Royal Brussels Cricket
Club hosted the Guards Cricket Club and the MCC, to
re-enact the original game – which will be attended by
the ambassadors of cricket-playing nations as well as the
Mayor of Waterloo and other politicians from Belgium.
The main event of a four-day programme was played
on June 18: a timed game between the Guards CC and the
Royal Brussels Cricket Club Chairman’s XI. Then at the
tea break, there will be an exhibition re-enactment of the
original game according to the 1800 laws of cricket, with a
replica 1800 bat created by Newbery on display.
Nick Compton, Royal Brussels Cricket Club Chairman,
said: “It was a good chance to generate some local
publicity for cricket, as well as welcoming visitors from
around the world to see the Battle re-enacted. The
battlefield is only 15 minutes from our ground and we think
the Prussians led by Blucher would have walked across the
square on their way to join the battle.”
Cricket in Belgium is expanding and there are plenty
of good-news stories going around. “Now cricket is
expanding rapidly in Belgium with the help of the ICC. We
have 27 teams in four leagues, as well as ladies cricket in
ascendance. Junior cricket is growing too, as we introduce
the game into local schools and expand the competitions.
Increasingly local authorities are opening up to cricket
and recognise the value of the game to bring together
youngsters of all ages, abilities and ethnic backgrounds
to a common purpose. This celebration has provided us
a great opportunity to build awareness for the game in
Belgium,” said Compton.
NEWS
MR MALTA
T
he Jersey Cricket Board are
delighted to announce two
new creative, engaging and
inspiring initiatives to get
more girls and women into sport
through the vehicle of cricket.
The first initiative ‘Crick-fit on the
beach’ is aimed at primary schools girls
in years two to six, currently an underrepresented demographic.
Crick-Fit is a fun and interactive
one-hour fitness session, encouraging
girls to participate in sport by breaking
down the perceptions that cricket can
be boring and time consuming, and
Jersey’s beautiful beaches will be the
location to encourage participation in
the area.
Meanwhile a further initiative,
‘Summer Nights 4 Maidens’ also hopes
to inspire and introduce more girls and
women to cricket in a fun and creative
environment.
Girls and women’s development
officer Gemma Dunning said: “After
reviewing previous years’ initiatives
and carrying out extensive research
into why girls and women participate
in sport we are delighted to offer
two new initiatives to encourage
participation. We hope that they
offer the opportunity to play sport
in a fun and engaging manner and
will help us to break down barriers to
participation.”
T
he impressive growth of cricket in Ireland is to receive a further boost with
the announcement of a link-up with Sport Northern Ireland’s ‘Active Clubs’
initiative that will aim to get more players joining their local club teams in
Northern Ireland.
Two new full-time posts, supported by funding from the National Lottery, will
see Simon Johnston and Colin Manson join the staff of Cricket Ireland on a mission
to increase cricket club membership across the north.
The Active Clubs project is a brainchild of Sport NI that will provide support
to cricket to enable them to develop and implement innovative new programmes
designed to get more people involved in sports clubs, particularly people from underrepresented groups. It will also support cricket in strengthening its coaching and
volunteer workforce, which in turn will strengthen the capacity of clubs on the ground.
Cricket Ireland, in partnership with the Northern Cricket Union and North West
Cricket Union, will support clubs and the grassroots scene in general and support,
strengthen and expand this part of the game.
Johnston, currently an Ireland youth coach, will have responsibility for clubs in
the Northern Cricket Union, while Manson, who has worked extensively with Ulster
Hockey, will look after North-West-based sides.
“I’m delighted to welcome Simon and Colin into their roles as Active Clubs
Co-ordinators,” said Tim Simmonite, the National Development Manager of Cricket
Ireland. “Clubs are without question the lifeblood of grassroots cricket, playing a
hugely significant role on the player and participation pathways.”
Ireland’s participation in the last three World Cups has seen a major surge in
numbers playing the game – indeed cricket is the fastest-growing sport in Ireland –
and Simmonite is confident these two new posts will continue that trend.
“These roles will look to build on the expansion in participation numbers
realised over recent years, support clubs with their capacities to deliver and grow
and create further chances for lifelong participation in our game,” he said.
“I hope clubs will be able to embrace the opportunity to work with the coordinators and reap the benefits from the programme.
The Active Clubs project will launch in mid-July and John News, participation
manager for Sport Northern Ireland, explained that he hoped the programme would
“support and enable accessible and sustainable participation opportunities in and
through sports clubs as this is vital to ensuring as many people as possible enjoy,
engage and excel in sport in Northern Ireland.
“By creating and supporting a network of Active Clubs Co-ordinators, SNI aims
to promote lifelong participation in sport and physical recreation within sports
clubs, with a particular emphasis on women and girls, 14-25 year-olds, persons
residing in areas of high social need and ethnic minority groups.
“The opportunity to enhance and develop the coaching and volunteer base in
addition to this is another excellent element of the Active Clubs programme, so
helping to strengthen this invaluable resource for clubs into the longer term.
“Sport Northern Ireland is delighted to see the roll out of the Cricket Active Clubs
plan and we look forward to the further benefits this will bring to the sport of cricket.”
Johnston and Manson will start their new roles in August.
Tell us about how your passion for cricket started, Mike.
Having been born in Malta, I learnt the game in Melbourne in my
younger years, before arriving back in Malta in 1986 at the age
of 17 – a long time ago now!
After a year in Malta I saw an advert in the newspaper about
playing cricket. ‘Wow!’ I thought, ‘Cricket in Malta!’ My life was
changed and I haven’t looked back since. At first I was just
playing and then I joined the committee and over the years I
ended up being captain of the national side, coaching to Level 2
and quite a lot more!
How has the game in Malta moved on in your time?
Let’s put it this way: when I started in 1987 we could barely
make one team. We were kept alive simply by touring teams
coming to play games. To find 11 people on the island who could
actually play was very hard. Now we’ve got six or seven teams,
it’s been a tough road but we’ve been working hard on getting
the juniors going, because it will die a death if you don’t have
any kids coming through. There are now a few who I’ve coached
who have played in the national side.
THE STATS
new engaging
initiatives
for girls and
women’s cricket
in Jersey
FURTHER BOOST FOR
IRISH CRICKET
A
lot of people love cricket. A lot of people play, coach,
organise and volunteer – and they are the ones who
keep our game alive. But few can have had such a
profound and long-lasting impact on cricket at a
national level as Mike Caruana.
He is a high-class allrounder in every sense of the word:
and an all-time stalwart of cricket in Malta. As a player he has
captained the national side and holds its records for most
runs and most wickets in international cricket; as a coach he
has instigated and run a development programme that now
sees juniors and women being brought into the game across
the island at an early age – as well as being responsible for
the national academy. He has been a key figure on many
committees – always willing to give up his time and pass on his
passion for the game.
Having given almost 20 years to the cause of furthering
cricket in Malta, Mike is emigrating to cricket-loving Australia,
and so highly is he thought of that he was seen off with a dinner
in his honour – attended by fellow players of past and present.
Now, as he prepares to wave goodbye, we speak to him about a
lifetime’s dedication and achievement in cricket.
CLUB & COUNTRY
900 matches
500 catches
25500 runs @ 49 average
23 hundreds / 160 fifties
1000 wickets @ avg 19.5
Best bowling of 7-36
5 wickets - 8 times
MALTA INTERNATIONAL
Most caps for Malta 53
Captain in 7 international
tournaments
5 fifties
Most wickets 62 wickets @ 24.18
Best of 5/11
And how would you sum up the Maltese attitude to cricket now?
It’s on their minds now, at least! The mentality before it was:
‘What’s cricket? Oh, it’s the English game.’ Now there’s a
recognition. I used to write an article every single week for
the local newspaper, every time we played, to help get people
thinking about the game. So now it’s gone from being just
an ‘English game’ to an understanding that there are people
playing here in Malta. You’d be surprised how many people
know about cricket now compared to before.
What have been the highlights of your time in Maltese cricket?
You have some pretty impressive statistics…!
I’ve got all the records, most wickets, most runs! But getting to
cup semi-finals with the national squad three times was quite
an achievement, and seeing the kids come through and play for
the national team – they’re the things I’d highlight more than
my personal stuff. What matters to me more than anything else
is that the game continues.
How could you leave it all behind?!
It’s a tough decision. In every other way I am happy with the
decision to leave Malta and head to Australia but actually
leaving the cricket was the toughest decision for me. At least
I’m going to a country with plenty of enthusiasm for cricket.
How did you enjoy the tribute dinner thrown in your honour?
It was quite unbelievable really. They just wanted to recognise
what I’ve done over the last 20-odd years – for my club, for the
Malta Cricket Association, for cricket in general in Malta. There
were a lot of old friends that have stopped playing who came
to say hello. It was mind-boggling, really, for me, having to say
goodbye to all these people. There were a lot of players from past
and present and it was a very interesting night; it was amazing.
There were speeches and a lot of fun. It was very emotional.
Finally, how do you reflect on your time now it’s over?
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it – especially coaching. The fact that
I know that the game is going to continue – there are a lot kids
coming through. I was also involved in the first women’s game
here; I’ve tried to get that going. It’s a slow process but it is
working. Basically, most of the things in cricket in Malta I’ve
had a hand in; my name will crop up in the history of cricket in
Malta in all sections! That’s something I’m very proud of.
THE DEFINITIVE
“
THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO STAND
UP AND MAKE YOUR COUNTRY PROUD,
AND LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT I WOULD
BE THE ONE AT THE END OF THE DAY
WITH MY ARMS ALOFT IN THE AIR
For so long the heartbeat of the England team
MATT PRIOR
reminisces about his career-shaping moments
INTERVIEW HENRY COWEN
THE STITCHES
Getting back on the horse |
Sussex U13s v Shropshire U13s,
1993
There’d been some rain about,
it was a bit slippery, I took the short ball on,
missed it and it hit me straight in the head
and ripped my eyebrow. Where my eyebrow
was, you could see my eyeball. That was the
first bang on the head I had and it was a good
lesson. I had my hand over my eye, I pulled it
away and there was a puddle of blood in my
hand – that’s a very vivid memory. We went
to the hospital, got stitched up and went back
to the ground – we were still batting. As every
hard, pushy father does, my dad said, ‘Right,
you’ve got to get back out there.’ The same
bowler came back on, bowled the short ball
again and thankfully I connected with it. It was
literally the dream.
THE LUCKY NUMBER
Sussex U18 Tour |
South Africa, 2000
I went on a Sussex under 18 tour
to South Africa and we were
given numbers – which was very exciting. In
the end, they were just given out alphabetically
so I happened to be given the number 13. I had
a really good tour and it was the reason I got
a contract with Sussex. Since then my lucky
number has always been 13. It was the first
time that Sussex thought I could make it as a
professional cricketer. If I’m honest, nothing
was going to get in my way when it came to
playing professional cricket. From the age of
eight I wanted to be a professional cricketer
and believed I was going to be – but it’s special
when it begins to become reality, and that tour
stands out in my mind.
THE BATTLE
25* | Worcestershire v Sussex,
CricInfo Championship Division
Two, New Road, 2001
I remember my debut innings for
Sussex, against Worcestershire – it was when
my love for the battle in the middle started.
Andy Bichel ran in hand and I really felt it.
That was the first time I’d come up against an
Aussie playing hard cricket and I just loved
it. I loved the battle and I loved being in the
fight. We had a real do in the middle – it was
brilliant – but, most importantly, I remember
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being at lunch just after and Andy Bichel
walked in. He is a strong bloke and I was just
out of school; I thought, ‘Oh my goodness,
what is he going to do here?’ He came over
to me and I was a bit nervous but he shook
my hand and said, ‘Great competition, mate.
Loved it.’ There and then, I knew that that is
what it’s all about. You can battle on the pitch,
not an inch given, but the minute you walk off
the pitch you leave it out there. Win or lose,
you look your opposition in the eye, you shake
hands, and you do it right.
THE LESSON
100 | Sussex 2nd XI v
Hampshire 2nd XI, 2nd XI
Championship, Hastings, 2001
In my first year playing for
Sussex I was dropped. I went to the second
XI, scored a big hundred, and got back into
the first XI. What that set me up for was the
understanding that things might not always
go your way, and you have two options when
you get dropped: one is to blame everyone
else, make excuses and fall by the wayside;
the other is to go back to the drawing board,
get better and kick the door down to get
back in the team. That was a very valuable
lesson to learn early in my career.
THE FIRST HUNDRED
102* | Sussex v Hampshire,
Frizzell County Championship
Division One, Hove, 2002
The County Championship titles
at Sussex were huge but, from a personal
point of view, my first hundred was a big
moment for me. It was against Hampshire,
I think it was 2002 – my second year – and
Shaun Udal was bowling. I remember being on
99 forever; he brought the field up, a genuinely
old-school ring field, and just bowled darts. I
reckon I must have been on 99 for probably 20
balls but I finally got there. Your first first-class
hundred is always a special moment.
THE COUNTER-PUNCH
148 | Sussex v Middlesex,
Frizzell County Championship
Division One, Hove, 2003
We were fighting for our first
County Championship title and we were in
trouble. It was a game that, had we lost, we
probably would have lost the title. Mark Davis
got 168 and I got 148. I went in at not many
for five [82-5] and I ended up putting us in
a position to go on and win the game. That
was my first experience of walking into a
real pressure situation and turning it around
through being counter-attacking; soaking
the pressure up and putting it back on the
bowlers. That’s something I tried to continue
throughout my career.
THE GRAB
Six catches & 45* | England v
South Africa, 2nd ODI, Trent
Bridge, 2008
Being dropped by England, and
my reaction to it, goes back to the original
lesson I learned when I got dropped from
the first XI at Sussex. It was a really tough
time: I had come into the team, scored a
debut hundred at Lord’s and thought it was
an easy game. Suddenly, it unravelled quite
quickly. I came back for a one-day series
against South Africa in the second half of the
summer of 2008 and I took a good catch off
the bowling of Stuart Broad. It was with my
left hand, diving in front of slip; Graeme Smith
was batting. I ended up taking six catches
in the game and I kept well. I could feel that
I was a far improved wicketkeeper from the
one who last played for England. To be fair to
Bruce French, he never let me take my foot
off the gas for one second, he pushed me all
the time. The amount of run-ins we had over
the years was incredible, but rightly so, it was
because he was pushing me the whole time.
THE TURNAROUND
64 & 0 | West Indies v England,
1st Test, Kingston, 2009
We were bowled out for 51 in
this match and went on to lose
the series but this was when we had the
conversations about where we wanted to go
as a team. I’m so proud to have been involved
in a team that built from nothing to become
the best in the world, and to be involved in
that whole journey of blood, sweat and tears
– that doesn’t happen overnight. I learned so
much from it. I’ll be able to take that on into
the next stage of my life. That whole period
was just a fantastic time for English cricket
and the fact that I was in that dressing room
is something that I’m very privileged and
proud to have been a part of.
THE TEAM
118 | Australia
v England, 5th
Test, Sydney,
2011
The celebrations were
phenomenal, of course, but
the thing that really stands
out for me is after we’d
had the photographs, we’d
seen the fans and we’d seen
our families in the changing
room – after everyone had
gone home – we stayed behind
and we wheeled an esky out to
the middle at the SCG. It was just
the team and the backroom staff. We
went round, one by one, talking about
our best moments of the whole journey.
We sat there, having a beer with our mates
– we’d all been there and we all knew what
had gone into winning that series.
THE HERO
73 & 110* | NEW ZEALAND
V ENGLAND, 3RD TEST,
AUCKLAND, 2013
As an individual that was my best day
in an England shirt because I was able
to save the game for my mates. That
was a very proud moment. Ironically, I
stood in the huddle at the beginning of
the day and said, ‘Days like today are
when heroes are made.’ You think back to
Atherton and Russell at the Wanderers,
these are opportunities to stand up and
make your country proud, and little did
I know that I would be the one at the
end of the day with my arms aloft in
the air. That meant so much to all of us
and I just happened to be the lucky one
who had my day. It’s the picture I’ve got
in my gym. When I was going through
my rehab, with the dream to play for
England again, that picture was always
my motivation. That moment, that feeling,
was what I always looked at because I
wanted it again. That’s why I was doing it.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, but it will
always be there.
MORE!
Definitives with
video footage at
alloutcricket.com
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TAKING THE BAILS OFF
I’ve tried different techniques for taking the bails off: I’ve
tried keeping my body still and just using my left hand,
and tried going two-handed putting my whole body
into it. I’ve also tried getting as close to the stumps as
possible, so the distance is reduced. There are loads of
one per centers you can try.
SKILLS -- FITNESS -- NUTRITION -- GEAR --
STAND UP AND STUMP ‘EM
SARAH TAYLOR
England Women’s classy wicketkeeper offers her
insights on standing up to the stumps.
HEAD POSITION & WEIGHT
DISTRIBUTION
People have different techniques, but what I know is:
regardless of where my hands are and where the ball is,
if my head is still and in a strong position then I can take
care of everything else.
About a year ago I decided to try them all. I thought
that going only left-handed would be quicker, because
it’s nearer (when keeping to a right-hander) but actually
I found that if I caught the ball and went two-handed,
because my right side is my strongest I get there quicker –
when my whole body is involved. But it will always depend
slightly on where the ball is: if the ball is wider you’re less
likely to bring your whole body back to the stumps.
AWARENESS
You always know when you’re in with a sniff of a stumping chance
– to a particular batsman or bowler. Holly Colvin, the Sussex and
England left-arm spinner, was very much an example of a bowler
who was slow and flighty, and you always thought someone would
run past one. In that situation I would probably put my hands further
forward, to reduce the time it would take to get back to the stumps.
You should be very aware of where the
batsman’s foot is – and you can gauge it
from their first couple of balls: if they play
a forward defence and their back foot is
dragging close to the line, you know that
the first time they miss the ball you’re in
the game – ready to take the bails off.
BOX CLEVER
Sometimes you have to be canny. At times I’ve caught
myself out by taking the bails off too quickly because you
just automatically take the stumps before the foot has
actually fallen out of the crease. When I get that feeling that
they’re really close to the line, I’m one of those annoying
keepers that’ll just keep taking the stumps until hopefully
they’ll eventually fall out of the crease. I’ve perfected
putting the bails back on in my gloves as a result...
RELAXED SHOULDERS,
STRONG HANDS
I try to keep my weight towards the stumps
– level, but slightly forward, on my toes. Yes,
you take the bails off with your hands but to
do that your weight has to be forward.
My keeping coach back in the day always used to say
‘have strong hands, not hard hands’. At the time I was a bit
confused as to what that meant! It’s actually got a lot to do
with your shoulders. If your shoulders are tense, your hands
will always be really hard – and the ball will just flap out
of your hands. But if you’re nice and relaxed up top, your
hands will actually just take care of themselves. You don’t
want too much give in your hands – particularly standing
up – so they need to be strong, but without being hard.
To a right-hander my weight is quite biased
towards my left leg, to enable me to get
back to the stumps as quickly as possible.
Sometimes I instinctively lift my right leg –
it’s not technically recommended but it’s a bit
of a habit and I find that as long as my head
is in it, going towards the ball and trying to
get as close to the ball as possible, I can be
confident of taking the ball and getting back
to the stumps more often than not.
MOVE LATE
Standing up to seamers it’s a little bit
different because you’ve obviously got
to take a ball that’s moving faster. So,
particularly to the quicker seamers,
you’d have your hands further back than
they would be for a slow bowler, to give
yourself a chance to take it before you go
back to the stumps. Even at high pace,
you don’t want too much give in your
hands, but at the same time you have to
appreciate that the ball’s coming a lot
quicker than it is off the spinner.
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TOP
TIP
I went through a stage when I was younger
when I just moved too early all the time. I was
too keen and eager to get the ball. Once I got
told to move as late as possible, everything
became a lot easier. The ball was under my eyes.
Personally I go down into my squat position
quite late – just to save my back. But the key
factor is to look to move and come up after the
ball has bounced.
I would say to any youngster: move as late
as possible. Wait until you’ve processed all
the information you can – and obviously the
longer you wait the more information you get.
Especially down the leg-side, move as late
as possible – because you will lose sight of it
briefly, so you need to get all your information
before you move. So just try to wait that split
second longer.
That will also help you to make your movements
a lot crisper and cleaner – make them explosive
– and stop you getting lazy.
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In this edition...
82
84
86
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The glorious,
portentous summer
of 1934
Harbhajan versus Ponting:
the bolshy battle that
defined the Noughties
Next Player In:
it’s Gorgeous George
Things we miss:
horses for courses
Tales and treasures from cricket’s glorious past
When Verity looked
out of his hotel window
he could see gleams
of water streaking
silver on the road. “I
shouldn’t wonder if we
don’t have a bit of fun
today,” he murmured.
Robert Winder on
Hedley in the summer
of ‘34
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MY GOLDEN SUMMER
1934
England’s historic Hedley Verityinspired victory at Lord’s was just
the start of the amazing sporting
pageant that lit up the summer of
1934, writes Robert Winder.
W
hen Graeme Swann sealed a
rare Ashes win at Lord’s in 2009
(bowling Mitchell Johnson)
the celebration was given extra
warmth by the fact that this was
the first English victory in this famous
fixture for over 70 years. But flicking back
to that grand day in 1934, when Australia
were toppled by the left-arm spin of
Yorkshire’s Hedley Verity, I was surprised
to learn that this was not merely the last
time England had beaten Australia at
Lord’s: it was the only time they won there
in the entire 20th century. And it was the
high point of an unusually tense summer,
since this was the rematch following the
furious winter of 1932/33, when Douglas
Jardine’s England had battered Bradman
and company in Adelaide and Sydney, using
Harold Larwood’s electrifying bowling
as the spearhead of a bad-tempered new
gambit: Bodyline.
So the atmosphere at Lord’s, that grey
weekend, was rapt with expectation.
England batted first and scored 440, and
when Verity dismissed the Don in the first
Fred Perry’s first Wimbledon singles title
capped a remarkable English summer
England would not
again beat Australia at
Lord’s until 2009
THE LORD’S TEST, THE OPEN,
WIMBLEDON – THE THREE CROWNING
GLORIES OF ENGLISH SPORT ALL FELL
IN A SINGLE WONDERFUL SWOOP
innings (caught and bowled, following a
strangely hesitant swish) the billboards read
simply: “He’s out!” Bradman was a nonpareil,
so everyone knew what that meant.
Australia finished the second day on
192-2, leaving the game well-balanced. But
overnight rain gave the next day’s pitch a
dark green tinge, and when Verity looked
out of his hotel window he could see gleams
of water streaking silver on the road.
“I shouldn’t wonder if we don’t have a bit
of fun today,” he murmured.
When he came on to bowl a few hours
later, drifting to the wicket in that
famously unhurried way of his – “lightly
and decisively”, as his captain put it – the
game at once took on a fresh complexion.
As always, Verity found “an impeccable
length” right away, but the ball was
turning and lifting too. In the slips, Walter
Hammond was smiling. “We knew,” he
said later, “that the Lord had delivered
them into our hands.”
It didn’t take long. Out they marched, the
baggy green caps, and back they traipsed.
As Herbert Sutcliffe put it: “When the rain
had done his work, Verity was able to do his
work, and that was the end of it.” He took
6-37 in a flash, and when Australia followed
on he was at it again, plucking their feathers
like a fox in a chicken coop.
As always, the key wicket was
Bradman’s. From the word go he seemed
fidgety, and when Verity floated one at
his leg stump he leapt at it, dropped his
shoulder like a novice and had a swing.
The ball flashed high into the murky
Lord’s air until Ames trotted forward
and took the catch. Australia’s chief and
legendary hope was gone.
In Bowes’ view it was “one of the worst
shots he ever played”; Wyatt judged it born
of “desperation”. Either way, the heart
seemed to go out of Australia in a rush.
They came, they took guard, and back
they went. The last wicket fell at 10 to six,
meaning that Verity had bowled virtually
unchanged for over five hours, taking 14
wickets in a single day – bettering his
merely useful 7-61 in the first innings with
a superlative 8-43 in the second. After tea
he snagged six for just 15 runs.
Verity’s stunning effort was only the start
of the amazing sporting pageant that lit up
the summer of 1934. On the same day he
polished off the Australians, Henry Cotton
was setting out on what would prove to be
a record-breaking tilt for the Claret Jug at
Royal St George’s in Kent (the historic 65
he shot in the fi rst round actually inspired
Dunlop to name a golf ball after it). And
a week or so later, a coming thing named
Frederick Perry was warming up for the
fi rst of his three Wimbledon victories.
There had not been a home champion
in either of these great events for years
(Arthur Gore was the last English winner
of Wimbledon in 1909, and Jim Barnes’
Open win in 1925 was only a memory)
just as there had been no victory over
Australia at Lord’s since 1896. Thanks
to the supremacy of American golfers
and French tennis stars, the prospect of
a domestic triumph in any of these fields
seemed remote. But that is what happened
in this midsummer rush of 1934. The Lord’s
Test, the Open, Wimbledon – the three
crowning glories of English sport all fell in
a single wonderful swoop. It was, to use an
overworked term, a shining annus mirabilis
for English ball games.
There were black clouds behind these
silver linings, however. Something
profound had perished in the bloody mud
of Flanders. No one could forget the way
the papers described the lethal fi rst day of
the Somme, when 30,000 young men were
massacred in just one hour after being
ordered to walk – on no account run; vital
to keep in formation – into the hot spray
of machine gun fi re. And then came the
General Strike and the Wall Street crash;
and the pound was shaken loose from its
moorings. Mass unemployment stalked
the land, and it was hard to be optimistic
about anything.
In 1934 Britain was only just beginning
to emerge, dazed and blinking, from all
this. Out in the wider world, meanwhile,
the silhouettes of new demons – Hitler,
Stalin, Mao, Imperial Japan – were
darkening the sky. It began to dawn on
people that it might be only half-time in
the struggle with Germany. The papers
were heavy with martial images: naval
exercises in Scapa Flow, icy waves
crashing over grey decks and forward
guns; submarines on the slipway in
Barrow-in-Furness; HMS Malaya blasting
its guns off Spithead, HMS Sussex and
HMS Revenge tooting past Gibraltar.
In the House of Commons the chancellor
of the exchequer, Neville Chamberlain,
didn’t talk about the “long-term economic
plan”, but turned to Dickens to support
his point that the skies were clearing: “We
have fi nished the story of Bleak House,” he
said, “and are sitting down to enjoy the fi rst
chapter of Great Expectations.” It would
be silly to suggest that the sporting glories
that followed this remark were an actual
response to this shift in the national mood,
but they certainly came at an opportune
time. They suggested that perhaps, maybe,
England could start enjoying life again.
Not surprisingly, the simple fun of sport
was extremely appealing at a time like this.
As the Telegraph put it, revelling in the
“triumph heaping on triumph… success in
golf, in tennis, in the cricket field”, it was
a sign of “recovered national confidence.”
The New York Times made the same point:
“It’s about time they declared a Bank
Holiday over there,” it noted, “to celebrate
the comeback of Great Britain in sports.”
Less than a decade after his historic
effort at Lord’s, Hedley Verity was hit in the
chest by a storm of German bullets as he
urged his platoon forward during the 1943
Allied invasion of Sicily. But nothing could
erase or dim the memory of the magical
afternoon in which he had bewildered and
vanquished the mighty Australians. As
Neville Cardus, never slow to reach for the
most lyrical of moods, put it: “The Gods of
the game, who sit up aloft and watch, will
remember the loveliness of it all, the style,
the poise on light toes, the swing of the arm
from noon to evening.”
It is possible that in time we will
remember Graeme Swann in that sort of
way. But then again, maybe not.
THE SUMMER OF 1934
AS TOLD ON TWITTER
Hedley Verity @The_Original_Deadly
Bit of rain overnight, should do a bit lads…
#polesforhedders
MCC @HomeOfCricket
@The_Original_Deadly Looking green here at HQ!
Wally Hammond @HardManHammond
@The_Original_Deadly Not wrong there H. You
rip, they miss, we win #standard
Bill Bowes @bigbillbowler
Well bowled @The_Original_Deadly,
redonkulous match figures! But @TheRealDon that was
a shocking mow! #backtothenets ?
Don Bradman @TheRealDon
@bigbillbowler Fair one Bowesy, got tied down
there, hats off. @skipper_woodfull not too sympathetic
tho…#toys
Bill Woodfull @skipper_woodfull
@TheRealDon @bigbillbowler It pays to observe
the value of one’s wicket, Donald
@skipper_woodfull @TheRealDon
@bigbillbowler S**t shot, s**t bloke #standard
Fred Perry @PoloPerry
Jolly good show England! Any champers left over
in NW8, send it on over to SW19 – I’ll do my best to get it
seen to in August!
Neville Chamberlain @Nev_Exchequer
Congratulations to the England cricket team on
their Lord’s win. Here’s to good times ahead at home
and abroad
Hedley Verity @The_Original_Deadly
Thanks for all the messages – really memorable
few days and what a win for the Three Lions. Onwards
and upwards #ashes
Jack Crawford @Jcrawford_tennis
Sorry to all Australian fans out there. Gutted to
lose in the final, but well played @PoloPerry – classy
Wimbledon champion
@Jcrawford_tennis @PoloPerry No one likes a
brown-nose, Creepy. Straight sets pal #standard
Half-Time: the
Glorious Summer
of 1934 by Robert
Winder is published
by Bloomsbury
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V
room, vowing that he would one day have
revenge upon this spindly stripling.
The problem for Ponting was that it
never really worked out that way, at least
not from a personal perspective. While
Australia and India traded blows in some
epic battles – winning four Test series
apiece between 1998 and 2012 – it was
nearly all one-way traffic in the contest
between Ponting and Harbhajan. Whether
it was the artistry of his bowling or a
mental block against an opponent he
couldn’t stand the sight of, Ponting just
couldn’t get a grip on his nemesis.
Harbhajan dismissed Ponting on 10
occasions in Tests – more than any other
RIVALRIES
HARBHAJAN
V PONTING
The bruising, brilliant showdowns
between Australia and India at
the start of this century produced
some unforgettable cricket, and
a lot more besides. Front and
centre throughout were one of the
greatest batsmen the game has
seen and a loud-mouthed offie who
wouldn’t stop getting him out.
Jo Harman looks back at their feud.
T
o watch Ricky Ponting and
Harbhajan Singh’s blossoming
bromance at the Mumbai Indians,
where Ponting now coaches and
Harbhajan still turns his arm over,
it would be easy to forget the bilespewing nastiness of the Noughties.
The name-calling, public
denouncements and ICC disciplinary
hearings from that pernicious period
appeared all but forgotten by the time
the pair gave each other a cathartic
bear-hug while celebrating a wicket as
teammates for the IPL outfit in 2013. More
recently, during this year’s IPL campaign,
Harbhajan was gushing in his praise of his
“fantastic coach”.
It’s all a far cry from those testy, tasty
rubbers of 2007/08 and 2008/09 when
relations between Australia and India
became as hostile as any we’ve seen in
Test cricket. It wasn’t funny, it wasn’t
clever, and it certainly wasn’t pretty. But it
was compulsive viewing. And Australia’s
street-fighting skipper and India’s supreme
wind-up merchant were right at the
very heart of it. At one stage Ponting and
Harbhajan seemingly couldn’t get through
a session without squaring up or mouthing
off as a feud that had been simmering for a
decade reached boiling point.
It had all started back in 1998 during a
day/nighter in Sharjah when a 17-yearold Harbhajan, playing in just his
22
ICC EUROPE
84 || AOC
AOC | AUGUST
20152015 - ISSUE 2
Relations reached a new
low when Ponting accused
Harbhajan of a racial slur
Harbhajan described Ponting
as “a very average captain,
and an average player too”
‘PONTING HAD A LOT TO
HARBHAJAN SINGH
SAY ABOUT OUR PLAYERS
AND ABOUT THE WAY WE
PLAY OUR CRICKET. IN
FACT, IT IS PONTING WHO
FIRST NEEDS TO GO AND
LEARN TO BAT AGAINST
SPIN BOWLING. I CAN GET
PONTING OUT ANY TIME’
HARBHAJAN
Born: July 3, 1980, Jalandhar, Punjab
Nickname: Bhaji, Turbanator
Role: Off-break bowler
Tests: 101
413 wickets; average 32.37;
25 five-wicket hauls;
five 10-wicket match hauls
ODIs: 229
259 wickets; average 33.40;
three five-wicket hauls
fourth ODI, had Ponting stumped and
celebrated by marching down the wicket
towards him, shouting in his face and
giving him some very specific directions
back to the pavilion. It took everyone by
surprise, not least Indian stumper Nayan
Mongia who rushed in to hold Harbhajan
back, but the damage had been done.
Ponting responded with a volley of
abuse of his own and a shoulder barge
before stomping back to the dressing
RICKY PONTING
Born: December 19, 1974, Launceston, Tasmania
Nickname: Punter
Role: Right-hand top-order bat
Tests: 168
13,378 runs; average 51.85;
41 hundreds; 62 fifties
ODIs: 375
13,704 runs; average 42.03;
30 hundreds; 82 fifties
bowler – including three ducks. In the 2001
series alone – a rubber in which Harbhajan
inspired a smash-and-grab win, taking
28 wickets in the fi nal two Tests – he saw
Ponting off for five scores of under 12.
Ponting’s overall Test batting average of
51.85 dropped to 22.30 against the Indian
offie and it was no great surprise that when
Harbhajan picked up his 300th Test victim,
Ponting was that man.
It’s not as though Ponting couldn’t play
the spinners. His overall Test average
against spin was 55.41, and higher still
(57.60) against right-arm spinners. But
against an opponent that Ponting wanted
to smash into the stands perhaps more
than any other, at times he could barely
get bat on ball. Harbhajan himself couldn’t
shed any light on the reason behind his
dominance. “He hasn’t batted long enough
against me, so I don’t know,” he quipped.
Of course, unassuming fellow that he is,
Harbhajan didn’t like to make a big deal
out of it. “Ponting has a lot to say about
our players and about the way we play our
cricket,” he said after India’s Test series
win in 2008/09 in which he starred with
ball and bat. “In fact, it is Ponting who
fi rst needs to go and learn to bat against
spin bowling. I can get Ponting out any
time.” Not done yet, he went on to describe
Ponting as “a very average captain and an
average player too.”
Much of this vitriol was rooted in the
infamous Sydney Test of January 2008,
a match that was marred by accusations
of bad umpiring and gamesmanship
and ended with Harbhajan being given
a three-match ban for an alleged racial
slur against Andrew Symonds following a
complaint by Ponting. Harbhajan angrily
refuted making any racist comments
and won a successful appeal to have his
ban overturned, but the bad blood only
intensified and neither party were willing
10
THE NUMBER OF OCCASIONS HARBHAJAN
DISMISSED PONTING IN TESTS – MORE
THAN ANY OTHER BOWLER
to forgive and forget, with Symonds
claiming the BCCI had flexed their muscles
to get their man off the hook.
There was, however, a thawing in relations
when Harbhajan unexpectedly leapt to the
defence of Ponting amid calls for the Aussie
to quit Test cricket in 2011. “I do not think
Ponting is finished and I think people are
making a big mistake by writing him off,”
he said. “Guys like Ponting, Dravid and
Tendulkar know what they are doing and
people should stop questioning them. They
should respect them for what they have done
for the game.” Was Harbhajan mellowing
in his later years? Perhaps he was just
concerned at the thought of his favourite
victim walking away from Test cricket.
Either way, it signalled the start of warmer
relations and paved the way for them to form
an unlikely alliance in Mumbai.
It was, though, reassuring to learn ahead
of the 2015 World Cup that while the pair
have hugged and made up, the rivalry’s
still going strong. In the lead-up to the
tournament the ICC were highlighting
some memorable moments and tweeted
a link to Ponting’s stunning knock in
the 2003 World Cup fi nal that set up
Australia’s victory over India.
Harbhajan couldn’t help himself,
tweeting back: “punter was lbw out at
40 odd in the icc wc 2003 fi nal but David
Shepherd [it was actually Steve Bucknor]
gave him not out then he went on to
score 140.” He deleted the tweet shortly
afterwards, maybe reflecting it’s time to let
bygones be bygones, but there’s no hiding
the fact that the fi re still burns strongly
between two of the modern era’s most
competitive and unfl inching characters.
Furious Indian fans took to
the streets in protest after the
infamous 2008 Sydney Test
23
www.alloutcricket.com | AOC || 85
GET THE LOOK
GOLDEN
SUMMERS
ALAN KNOTT
S wa s hb u ck l e r
WHEN MEN
WERE MEN
NEXT PLAYER
IN
AGE: 30
ROLE: No.3 batsman
NICKNAME: The Black Bradman
SPIFFING TIMES? His first
series in 1930 against England’s
tourists delivered a debut
hundred at Bridgetown, a pair
of centuries at Georgetown
and 223 on his home ground
at Kingston. Just this summer,
at Lord’s – in his first Test for
four years – he repeated his
24
ICC EUROPE
86 || AOC | AUGUST
2015 2015 - ISSUE 2
EVERY SO OFTEN, A WADDLING
WASTREL WOULD SWING IT ROUND
EXPECTATIONS AND TURN UP A RANDOM
10-FER, CONFERRING THE VERY REAL
LIE OF CONSISTENCY UPON OUR EASILY
DUPED SERFMAKERS AND AT ONCE
ENDANGERING OUR HERO’S KEENLY
FOUGHT-FOR OBSCURITY
STYLE: The name means a bumper score in
Scrabble; Duncan Hamilton suggested it was like
something from “a PG Wodehouse novel”. Jupp
though was seriously good – a horses-for-courses
allrounder whom Wisden named among the best
between the two wars.
Guyanese feat with a pair of
hundreds to thrill the watching
hordes. And for those who
balk at the perceived hubris of
his more renowned nickname,
consider this: since his debut,
Headley has been responsible
for 26.9 per cent of his team’s
runs off the bat, compared to
Bradman’s 26.5.
STICKY WICKETS? An
extended and prosperous
career seems his for the
taking. With the Dominion
strongly bound, Headley and
his cohorts from the farflung corners of Empire can
look forward to an unbroken
sequence of Test cricket
upon which to advance their
extravagant skills. While
reports of unrest in central
Europe are of undoubted
concern, it ’s to be hoped
that the horrors of the past
are not to be revisited upon
the next decade, risking the
deprivation of ordinary life
and the suspension of cricket
for its many thousands of
respectful patrons.
FINAL UTTERANCE: “My
candidate for a clinical study
of a great batsman as a unique
type of human being.”
CLR James
(Taken from the AOC archives,
August 1939)
ACHIEVEMENTS: “As a batsman” wrote Wisden,
Jupp struck “the happy medium between enterprise
and caution”. Before WWI he bowled fast-medium,
and after it he bowled spinners – few gave it a
bigger tweak. He moved from Sussex to Northants
in the early 1920s and changed from professional to
amateur. His heroics were plentiful in county cricket;
in 1925 he took on Glamorgan singlehandedly
with a century and 15-52 including a hat-trick. In
1932 he took all 10 Kent wickets, then top-scored
in both innings. “Northants weren’t very good in
those days,” refl ected Steven Lynch – they went 99
matches without a win. It probably says more about
the team than their Captain Fantastic. He didn’t pull
up any trees in his eight Tests, but only Rhodes and
Hirst did the allrounder’s double more times.
THEY SAID: As a cover point, Denzil Batchelor
wrote that his anticipation “verged on the eerie”,
while John Arlott refl ected on an “awe-inspiring
fi gure” who made “an unforgettable impression”
upon him.
OFF-FIELD
TROUBLE: Did jail
time in 1935, after a
fatal car accident.
Plenty thought he
was a good egg all
the same; “of a rough
and penetrating
humour… under
the rock I have not
found a kinder man”
proclaimed R.C
Robertson-Glasgow.
BAGGY SHIRT!
TEA COSY!
collar up,
team crest: the
good life
brewed to perfection
FILTHY MITTS!
WORDS: RICHARD H THOMAS
HEADLEY
JAMAICA
RIPPING YARNS? While
pragmatism lies at the heart of
Headley’s game, there exists,
too, a swashbuckler’s spirit in
the impish frame: teammate
Jeff Stollmeyer asserts that
Headley has a fondness for
striking the first ball of a
spinner hard and fast back from
whence it’s come in an effort to
hurt the bowler’s hands. CB Fry
has already dubbed him ‘Atlas’,
for the immensity of the weight
of West Indian hopes he carries
upon those shoulders.
s
VALLANCE
JUPP
1891-1960
GEORGE
WHO THE DICKENS? Panamaborn, Jamaica-raised
accumulator of sizeable scores
blessed with a rare gift for
concentration; a precious
commodity somewhat less
available in some of his more
ebullient colleagues. Has been
known to remark in his native
tongue, upon the dismissal of
another impetuous comrade:
“Why him don’t like to bat?”
In the 19 Tests since his debut
at Bridgetown in 1930 he has
made 10 centuries.
CIRCA 1977
CHIN!
granite
a lifetime rolling
around in
the mud
THINGS WE MISS ABOUT CRICKET...
TAPED PADS!
HORSES FOR COURSES
holding
those mums
together
WORDS: PHIL WALKER
T
hese days it’s harder to get out of the
‘bubble’ than it is to get in it. The fabled
sanctum, where the chosen few conduct
their affairs, has never been more inner.
Once you’re in, you’re in. Pacino himself may
as well have donned a supermarket-sponsored
tracksuit and spread his malevolent arms far
and wide for all the hope these boys have of
being cast out, free to return to the provinces
and the enduring comforts of mediocrity.
Once upon a time, mediocre was something
to be. You’d hide in plain sight, plodding
along, vaguely eyeing ‘your day’, existing
quite contentedly in the margins.
In the good old days, no one would suspect a
thing. Reports would only ever filter through
via whispers, treadmill soothsayers and slurred
pub gossip. Test selectors who actually bothered
to learn the names of their latest targets were
considered cosmically overqualified; as for
actually seeing them play, Derby really is a
frightfully long way from Kensington.
But every so often, a waddling wastrel
would swing it round expectations and turn
up a random 10-fer, or a sturdy sequence
of clusters, or even, inexplicably, a run of
five-fers across the vast expanse of a whole
month, in so doing, conferring the very real
lie of consistency upon our easily duped
serfmakers and at once endangering our
hero’s keenly fought-for obscurity.
A week later, the poor bairn’s receiving
his cap and sweater from some shrunken
grandee under portentously dank skies and
being told in no uncertain terms to make it
talk. And then it begins: said yeoman
lollops in, sticks it on that length – you
know, where he sticks it, just there, on
that sixpence, right there – and he sticks
it there, on that length, and his foe, with
his locks and sweatbands and runs
around the world in all conditions, fl icks
it through mid-wicket for four.
Pattinson. Smith. Brown. Lewis.
Igglesden. McCague. Benjamin. Taylor.
Munton. Watkin. Williams. You want
more? There are more. Look them up.
They’re not alone. We also had our
spinners, of course, wheeled out to
‘exploit’ the dusty minefields fed to us
by another damply dry English summer;
these poor foals appearing at The Oval,
only really at The Oval, to twist and turn
and beguile seasoned players of spin
to throw a sheen of fake respectability
over another chopped and changed
omnishambles of a summer. Sometimes
it would even work: Tuffers’ 11 wickets
against Australia in his only Test of the
’97 summer giving weight to the novel idea
that certain horses should perhaps just
be picked regardless of certain courses.
Because, you know, they’re good anyway.
The curious case of Neil Mallender,
however, renders all other mishaps
redundant. Ghostie [above], he of the
billion-yard stares, wispy hair and Napalm
Death B-Sides, was a wobbly archetype for
Somerset and Northants. Even his boots
looked borrowed from Bill Bowes. It was
1992. Pakistan. England were behind.
Stodgy Leeds loomed. Mallender had been
going well for Somerset, and so it was that he
would be summoned to join fellow seamers
Tim Munton and Del Boy Pringle. A shortleg was installed and a bunch of slips put in
place as selectors prayed for cloud.
And glory be, cloud was what they got.
And so Ghostie did what he did. Swung
it, cut it, seamed it, nagged away, probed,
prodded, unnerved, got under Javed’s
skin, up in Salim’s box, through Sohail’s
forward block and into Headingley
legend. Eight wickets, bowler of the
match, and an England win; the perfect
thoroughbred for that particular terrain.
Ever smart, England duly picked the
old nag for the next week on a quick one
at The Oval. Loyalty, what? Four dry days
later, Ghostie’s time was up.
MORE GREAT CRICKET WRITING FROM WISDEN…
A quarterly collection of essays and longform articles, The Nightwatchman allows
contributors the freedom to write at length
about a huge range of topics with at least a
passing connection to cricket. From journalists
to historians to comedians to musicians, the
first 10 issues are fit to bursting with brilliant
and thought-provoking reading.
To find out more take a look at
www.thenightwatchman.net
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