No sh*t, Athers. But the prudent observation is that grassroots initiatives are paying off – not least by getting youngsters involved in cricket.
Grassroots initiatives are thriving. The Chance to Shine campaign has now garnered £9 million in private funding and a commitment from the government that the National Sports Foundation will commit £2.5m per annum over the course of the next 10 years, bringing a sustainable cricket legacy into a third of all state schools. Urban Cricket – with the street urchin look-a-like Kevin Pietersen as its face – is up and running, bringing cricket with ‘no rulez’ to urban …read more

Whilst some people like to mislead gullible trusting blog readers about so-called newsworthy events, I fair readers will never do such a despicable thing. I will, however, totally abuse my position as editor of Six and Out to not only blow my own trumpet but also to assure you that I at least know a smidge about cricket – as I actually play on a regular basis.
Whilst a match-winner, it was hardly done under the most trying of circumstances, unlike others. And yes, HSBC Griffins aren’t exactly International calibre. And OK OK, it’s not exactly Wisden, but who’s to say …read more

He must do – it was but a week or so ago that I was airing my confusion over who was playing where and what, and lo and behold, former, well, ex-former-now-present Sri Lankan stalwart Jayasuriya is back in the Sri Lankan test squad. Fortunately, it’s not just me whose confused – it seems most of the Sri Lankan management, and the journalists reporting the story are as well.

(Although there’s a hint of Brian Lara is captain about this. In fact, there’s a hint of the tactic that England had for many years, but seem to have grown out of …read more

I for one am getting thoroughly confused. I’ve been that busy recently that I’ve been a little slack on keeping up with what’s going on in the cricket world. So you can imagine my bewilderment. Brian Lara was captain of the West Indies, was crap, so wasn’t anymore. The he was again, was again crap, and wasn’t again. And goshdarnit if he’s not captain of the West Indies for a third time. It’s true. So how long before they again realise he’s still a crap captain and he gets the arse?
But that’s not all. Because last time I checked, Shahid …read more

It seems everyone nowadays wants to be an all-rounder. Either that or specialist batsmen are gradually getting edged out of the game. No sooner had Jason Gillespie scored an incredible test double hundred against Bangladesh, and New Zealand’s James Franklin has done a similar thing. It’s not a double ton, but when you consider that his opposition are South Africa, a much more competent team than the Bangladeshi’s, it makes the two innings comparable. He did a top job of supporting captain Stephen Fleming, who chipped in with a modest 262.
The game has since become dull as dishwater as …read more

The next Ashes series is still 6 months away, yet Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and even ex-Aussie captain Steve Waugh  have already started making the excuses about why they might lose. Steve Waugh thinks the Aussies have become too familiar with the England side, and they might have lost their edge. Gilchrist thinks their busy runup to the series might cause player burnout. Ricky Ponting was just moaning as usual. Valid points though – look at the effect of the heavy schedule on recent English performances or even the overworked rumour mill wondering if Afridi’s premature retirement was a direct …read more

It’s looking less and less likely. The BBC today announced plans to phase out 48-year old Grandstand the staple of any sporting enthusiasts television diet. Having covered epic sporting encounters such as the 1966 World Cup final, the BBC is where I first started watching cricket – when there was actually test coverage on the BBC.
In those days, the England team was made up of Graham Gooch, Allan Lamb, Mike Gatting and David Gower. We had fast bowlers like Derek Pringle and Neil Foster. The Australian side was as good (if not better) than it is today, with the likes …read more

News that Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens will receive an Ashes test match in 2009 has sparked something of a backlash from other competing grounds. Durham’s Riverside Stadium and even former test ground Old Trafford in Manchester have vowed to bounce back. Most embittered by the announcement will be Hampshire’s Rose Bowl in Southampton, which would have been banking on getting Grade A accredited status. Chief Exec of Hampshire CC, Rod Bransgrove, has vowed he may even leave the club over the news.
And whilst I think leaving the club over it is ridiculous, I do agree with his viewpoint. Having lived in …read more

West Indies are no longer the force they used to be. They haven’t been in years. Since the days of Courtney and Curtly, Patrick and Malcolm, Vic and Carl, things haven’t really gone right for the West Indians. Brian Lara excepted, the side is a shadow of its former glory, and even Lara has struggled in recent years. And so their struggles have further escalated with the resignation of Shivnarine Chanderpaul as captain of the side, just three weeks before the Zimbabwe series. Preparation for a test series (even against Zimbabwe, who are no strangers to team turmoil themselves) is …read more

If you’ve been watching International cricket, you’ll no doubt be aware of the popular figures amongst the commentary teams. In recent years, certain voices have become synonymous with watching cricket, Richie Benaud, Tony Grieg and Bill Laurie to name but a few.
So if you haven’t heard of Billy Birmingham, aka “The 12th Man“, you really ought to grab yourself a CD of his. He’s the Rory Bremner of the sporting world, doing some spectacular impersonations of some of the great sporting commentators. It really is bloody funny, and if you’re a cricket fan, you should listen.