Two moments to watch out for:

1) The look on Sangakarra’s face as he realises what has happened, and realises his innings is over
2) Brendan McCullen giving Murali a smug little pat on the stomach as he runs past.

Classic. Let it be a lesson for anyone out there – while the ball is still live, stay in your crease!

(video found via The Corridor)

Post from: EveryJoe

Schoolboy Error

So in this inaugural edition, I’m covering a peculiar affliction that doesn’t apply only to cricket: The Yips. In a general sense, the yips can be considered as a mental meltdown, that renders you totally incapable of performing some function that you otherwise would have no problem doing. Symptoms of the yips are often uncontrollable spasms (particularly true in golf) or worse, simply forgetting how to do something altogether, such as bowlers completely losing the ability to let go of the bowl at the right moment (or at all) during their delivery stride. Case in point: Gavin Hamilton.

Needless to say, it’s a bizarre, troublesome, and frankly, downright embarassing affliction that, in some cases, can be career ending. I also feel it’s a fairly watertight excuse as to why I had such a crap season this year – I was suffering from The Yips.

* Jargon Buster

Post from: EveryJoe

Sticky Wicket: The Yips

The charges of ball-tampering against Inzamam Ul Haq were today repudiated as ICC “judge” Sanjan Madugalle decided there was insufficient evidence to uphold the charge. However, he did find Inzy guilty of bringing the game into disrepute after twice refusing to bring his players out to the field. For this offence, he was banned for 4 ODI’s. It seems sense has prevailed. Or has it?

Whilst the ruling makes sense – it’s what most people have been saying since the whole ugly mess transpired – after all, there is no evidence that the ball was tampered with, but, by defending Pakistan’s honour in not returning to the field, Inzy was breaking one of the Golden Rules of cricket – the umpire is always right. The judgement seems sensible, and fair. Inzy has the right to appeal, and I sincerely hope he doesn’t use that right.

However, Pakistan have failed to let the issue drop. Shariya Khan who made the whole situation worse by sticking his oar in at any available opportunity, has disclosed that the PCB have approached the ICC to investigate Hair and claims that his actions brought the game in to disrepute. Seriously. Pakistan already have part of their wish, that is, Hair will not stand in any games at next month’s ICC Champions Trophy, and it seems increasingly likely that he’ll never officiate in a Pakistan game again. And probably not India. And probably not Sri Lanka.

The PCB really need to know when to step back and let this whole thing die. Chasing Hair further won’t achieve anything. Inzy agrees:

Inzamam himself told Pakistan TV: “The whole nation has supported our decision. This was a matter of respect for our team and country. We fought for what we thought was right. Team’s reputation in the past hasn’t been great and so this was important. It was important to register our protest becuase if we didn’t then it wouldn’t have gotten this far even and now it has been proved we are not guilty of ball tampering. This is a victory for Pakistan.

So they’ve found the good in the bad, can they please place a gagging order on Khan.

Post from: EveryJoe

Inzy found not guilty and also guilty

And, in a cruel twist of fate, where will the hearing be held? The Oval, where it all kicked off. Ought to be an interesting few days.

Post from: EveryJoe

Inzy to learn fate by Friday

No longer will they be the colour of fear (yellow) but instead the colour of… feeling a bit queasy (green). Whether or not Steve Harmison really still has that effect on batsmen is debatable.

All this is really a bit ridiculous and simply confirms that the Australian team consists of a bunch of spikey-haired fashion conscious prima donna’s*. Let’s please get back to the Cricket.

Canary Yellow!? That’s Australian Gold my friend and don’t you f*cking forget it! Canary Yellow indeed.

- Billy Birmingham (aka the The Twelfth Man) as Bill Laurie

* Yes, I know we have KP, who is as big a ponce as the entire Australian side put together.

Post from: EveryJoe

Ashes preparation goes catwalk

Unlucky Darren, but I’m sure you’ll be dancing again in no time.

Post from: EveryJoe

Gough Out. Big deal.

Admittedly, you don’t have to be Monty… you could be Freddie, or Hoggy, or if you’re feeling really fruity, Pieter, er, Pietey, er… Pieteyrsenny, but really, given the opportunity, what kind of England cricket fan isn’t going to pick Monty?

Halloween this year could take on a bizarre new twist.

Post from: EveryJoe

Now that’s scary

The time’s ticking on too, apparently the shotgun wedding needs to be sorted by September, when she’s due to drop their first child.

Post from: EveryJoe

Rob Key in shotgun shocker

So the vital information that I can gleam is this:

• Standard league set up – two divisions with promotion and relegation for top and bottom two teams from each division
• Teams in third place from top and bottom will feature in a play off at the end of the season
• 40 over cricket, departing from 2005’s 45 over set up
• Essentially the same as the old Sunday league set up
• Essex Eagles are defending champions
• County teams involved have silly nicknames and will wear pyjamas, not whites
• Scotland/Ireland won’t play in it
• The name DOES suggest that it’s for 40 year olds and over, even though it’ll be for 1st-string county sides
• The play off at the end of the season marks the end of the domestic season

The two divisions are made up of:

Division 1:

• Durham Dynamos
• Essex Eagles
• Glamorgan Dragons
• Lancashire Lightning
• Middlesex Crusaders
• Northamptonshire Steelbacks
• Nottinghamshire Outlaws
• Sussex Sharks
• Warwickshire Bears

Division 2:

• Derbyshire Phantoms
• Kent Spitfires
• Gloucestershire Gladiators
• Hampshire Hawks
• Leicestershire Foxes
• Somerset Sabres
• Surrey Brown Caps
• Worcestershire Royals
• Yorkshire Phoenix

And that’s moreorless it. As far as I can tell, it’s yet more fodder for the “we play too much Cricket” voices, and won’t do a lot to foster improvements to the national One Day set up. Time will tell!

UPDATE:

Mark Mitchener from the BBC obviously reads this blog, because would you Adam and Eve, they’ve posted a nice little guide to Pro 40 cricket with comments from all the stars. Enjoy.

Post from: EveryJoe

What the hell is Pro 40 cricket?

But have you heard the few occasions where his voice has gone outrageously squeaky? It seems Nasser Hussain is about 20 years behind himself in the puberty-stakes. It’s really like he’s “mid-ball-drop” (and I’m not talking cricket balls here). The guys reading this blog will certainly remember / not look forward to the part of your life where you go from a fluffy, high pitched kid to a hairy, deep voiced, spotty, moody teenager. And those frightening moments, where you’re inevitably speaking in front of a group of people, everything crossed, that your voice can hold out, just pick a pitch and stay there. Invariably though, it wouldn’t, and you’d go from Pavarotti to the kid who sings the Snowman song in the space of a syllable or two. It’s an embarassing moment that no man ever wants to experience, but always will. A rite-of-passage if you will. I’m not saying periods and pregnancy are a walk in the park, but ladies, you are lucky to not have to endure such woes.

And what does all this have to do with cricket? Well, not much. Whilst the 1st Test gets ever closer to a draw, my mind started to wander to other things. I’m not sure why my mind wandered to the state of Nasser Hussain’s balls, though.

Post from: EveryJoe

Has Nasser Hussain hit puberty?