Onwards and Upwards

Onwards and Upwards

With the one-off test between Afghanistan and Ireland now concluded, Glen takes a look at what both teams did well and where they can still improve

Not backwards, upwards, forwards but twirling, twirling, twiiirwling toward being competitive test teams

mr_mister said:

Not backwards, upwards, forwards but twirling, twirling, twiiirwling toward being competitive test teams

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I too dreamed of being a baseball when I was a young boy.

In all seriousness, that was a good article and I love the statistical anomalies which come with teams' early test matches. The point about visiting spinners on helpful surfaces was also interesting. Nathan Lyon went on about how in the Subcontinent, it's useful to get backspin on the ball- essentially causing a slider or arm ball. Peter Philpott, writing presumably in his Australian homeland warned that sliders on helpful surfaces can end up turning wildly, so yeah, it must take some adapting. Good article.

I want to see a Afghanistan vs Bangladesh test soon.

Have Niall O'Brien and Ed Joyce retired?

Immenso said:

Have Niall O'Brien and Ed Joyce retired?

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Yeah, Joyce retired pretty much straight (about a week) after Ireland had finished their first test and O'Brien called it a day last October

Bijed said:

Yeah, Joyce retired pretty much straight (about a week) after Ireland had finished their first test and O'Brien called it a day last October

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Yeah these blows were expected, but Wilson being out for an extended period with his vision problem on top of that really hurt.

Bijed said:

Yeah, Joyce retired pretty much straight (about a week) after Ireland had finished their first test and O'Brien called it a day last October

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That's a shame.

I remember when Zimbabwe toured NZ in 1996, during a tea break or something - Dave Houghton was interviewed. Still playing aged 44, in fact IIRC he scored a century in that match. When asked why he was still going at aged 44 he told the the interviewer that he wanted to set the batting records for these young guys (e.g. Any Flower) to have a target to chase.

Zim got test status when he was already 40 years old.

What a legend.
Step up Niall and Ed .......

According to wiki he was 35 when zim got test status, and 40 when he retired in 97

mr_mister said:

According to wiki he was 35 when zim got test status, and 40 when he retired in 97

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OK. I'm probably mixing up his age with John Traicos - or some other already semi-famous Zim cricketer at time of test status.