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  1. B

    The demise of the spinner...

    There's a sense in which your statement is similar to pooh-poohing Robert Johnson on the grounds that you've heard a lot more people talk about BB King and Muddy Waters. For one thing, there are a lot more people left alive who saw Grimmett and O'Reilly than saw Mailey. (Obviously Robert Johnson...
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    Ashes - memories

    "They" may have agreed that it was a wonderful idea for Ramprakash to open, but the original suggestion was made by Ramprakash himself. He was flown out as cover on the 1999-00 tour, and took the opportunity to have a long talk with Nasser. He was made aware that the selectors' view was that the...
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    Botham vs Flintoff

    And I very much doubt whether the England team had ever believed they could win at Lord's after the SA innings. At Headingley, though, a friend of mine was drinking in a bar when Chris Old walked in on the Saturday night (after England's follow-on had started). Old said "We can win this, you...
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    A prediction !!

    I'm pleased you didn't use the "would walk into any other side in the world" formulation which tends to put my back up a lot, but implicitly acknowledged the possibility of failure by the phrase "get a run". At least fifty percent of first-class successes fail to make it in Test cricket. Some...
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    A prediction !!

    Interestingly, Hussey is more the exception than the rule these days, which you couldn't have said five or ten years ago. He actually had an uncharacteristically poor county season in 2004, so he wasn't one of only three players who did better in county cricket in 2004 (based purely on averages)...
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    The demise of the spinner...

    I think you would do well to consult the opinions of the batsmen who actually played him rather than consulting the overall averages which you have elsewhere realised are mostly worthless. Most who played both found Mailey a more challenging prospect than Grimmett: the big difference was that...
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    Ashes - memories

    "2 in 52 Tests" doesn't say anything at all. It might say something if you were talking about "two centuries in 52 Tests", but it isn't very enlightening. The only actual conclusion that you can draw from the figures about Ramprakash is that he didn't succeed at Test cricket, but if you needed...
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    Just a thought - answer without emotions !

    Assuming, of course, that they do. If they're out cheaply, the spectacle is rather diminished. The only thing I actually object to about these super series matches is including the numbers in official Test statistics. In these days of computer databases with stats on, setting filters to remove...
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    Ashes - memories

    Enlightenment dawns, which is always nice to see. The real difference between Ramprakash and Hayden (or Ramprakash and anyone else who's been a success in Test cricket) is that Ramprakash didn't have the mental strength to cope with Test cricket and Hayden does, and overall averages only...
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    ***Official*** Bangladesh in England

    When there aren't any fielders outside the circle (yes I know they don't have circles in Test cricket), then anything which pierces the infield will go for four. And Bashar doesn't know how to nudge singles: he's a hitter and will always score most of his runs in boundaries unless someone...
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    Botham vs Flintoff

    I don't quite understand that comment. It can't really be on the basis of batting ability: Flintoff's 142 at Lord's against SA was technically more accomplished and employed more recognised cricket shots than Botham's inspired slogging for 149* at Headingley, although it must be conceded that...
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    ***Official*** Bangladesh in England

    Why so late? If they'd declared at tea, they could have won it this evening. Cheers, Mike
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    ***Official*** Australia in England (The Ashes)

    On the contrary, I'm mortally offended. Fozzie Bear was the finest stand-up comedian of his generation, the Swedish Chef undoubtedly the greatest cookery broadcaster of all time, and as for the divine Miss P, well, I lack the verbal dexterity to do full justice to her genius. Not to be included...
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    ***Official*** Australia in England (The Ashes)

    Yes, I particularly remember McGrath's brilliantly successful targeting of Vaughan in the 2002-03 Ashes. Making noisy predictions about forthcoming series rather went out of fashion in England after Tony Greig promised to make West Indies grovel. I don't think an England captain has gone beyond...
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    Basil D'Oliviera vs Kevin Pietersen

    II just don't think a player who's finding it difficult to get into a provincial team is going to up sticks and go to England to try and seek his fortune without some serious stimulus. There was no guarantee that he'd even make it in county cricket. From somewhere, he had to have got the pretty...
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    Botham vs Flintoff

    In that case, what you've heard and seen on video has given you an incorrect impression.. After 1981, Botham's performances with the bat were very often anti-climactic, since we'd sit there waiting for him to come out and blast a load of runs, and then he'd come out and be out for 8. About once...
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    Basil D'Oliviera vs Kevin Pietersen

    I'm not so sure about that. In the KP story, there are some conversations to which we have not been privy as far as I know. Specifically, the ones relating to why KP had been dropped and another guy picked instead and whether or not KP had much hope of getting his place back. The atmosphere in...
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    ***Official*** Bangladesh in England

    Since Thorpe's effectively announced his retirement from international cricket at the end of the season, there is no reason to retain him in the side in the name of consistency for the winter tours because he won't be on them. Which means that they have no reason to be sentimental about him. If...
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    Just a thought - answer without emotions !

    But that's all it will be - entertainment. It won't be competition. I won't care who wins. It doesn't matter a damn who wins. I didn't care who won the MCC v RoW Bicentenary match either, though it was all good fun and the highest standard of two teams ever fielded (or pretty nearly so if not)...
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    ***Official*** Australia in England (The Ashes)

    Four men have taken 10 or more catches in four separate series: Botham, Ian Chappell, Bobby Simpson and Mark Waugh. If Mark Waugh is such rubbish, why is he joint holder of a number of catches record with three definite greats in the slips area? Cheers, Mike

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