2004, it's over.

[marc71178]

First-chance-scores, meanwhile, are simply a way of being neat - avoiding the loose ends that forever dog cricket.

How you can describe something so flawed and reliant on opinion as neat I'll never know.

 

[Craig]

Best:

- NZ winning the Natwest Trophy;

- England's run of form in 2004 and not being defeated;

- West Indies win the ICC CT; and

- Lara's 400. Simply a greats from I saw and and Ridley Jacobs deserves an award for 'Best Supporting Role' in century in his partnership with Lara at St Johns.

Worst:

- Death's of David Hookes, Vijay Hazare, and Keith Miller;

- New Zealand's form slump and our over-rated middle order doing nothing again. Losing 3-0 doesn't go down well with me; and

- Losing to Australia in the Test series so easily. Not even a fight.

 

[Pratters]

Best

England becoming a cricket power again. It was about time they showed they had some class as a team.

India's tour to Pakistan. Not because India won the test series. The tour was wonderful for cricket in general.

Andrew Flintoff emergin as a new 'falmboyant flashy star'. Cricket needs a few more stars and he has been fresh breath.

S.Harmison emerging as a quality bowler when fast bowlers seem to die at the rate of two every month.

Lara and the Windies achieving so much despite losses. The 400 by Lara was so important as it seemed to cry out that Windies cricket is still not dead after losin consecutive matches in home to England. The Champions Trophy win was just as crucial.

Australia winning in India and Sri Lanka - sowed they have developed into a truly versatile side. I have rated the team under Ponting better than that under Waugh though some players are the same because the team seemse much more mature.

Blossoming of Michael Clarke in India.

The ICC awards - it was long over due. The actual awards ceremony left a lot to be desired though.


Worst

David Hookes' murder. Absolutely heart breaking.

Keith Miller and Vijay Hazare's passing away. A true legends both.

New Zealand going further down the ranks with loses to Pakistan and England.

They were emerging as a world force last year and slip down at the last moment.

India showing total lack of class with the inconsistency after promisin tours of Australia and Pakistan.

No solutions on Zimbabwe.

Criticisms of Tendulkar.

South African selection policies - Tsolilike who?

 

[Deja moo]

Best: WI winning the CT.
India winning in Pakistan
Australia not winning the CT.ever. ( shows the world they are not invincible)
Emergence of a strong English team.

Worst:ICC and ZCU handling of the Zimbabwe players.
Rain playing spoilsport on the last day of the Chennai test.The single most disappointing cricket-related day of the year for me, and in hind-sight, the day that could have decided the series differently.
Whatever it is that has gone wrong with the Indian team.
The racial quota system in the South African team. I dont blame it for the decline in SA cricket, but it shouldnt be allowed even if the team is doing great.

 

[master blaster]

To me the Best of 2004 was - Murali becoming the Leading Wicket taker in Test cricket history surpassing Courtney Walsh !!

Only just ahead of Sanath Jayasuriya's 254 v Pakistan and the find of the Decade Michael Clarke for Australia !!

Others notable, West Indies winning Champs Trophy , Pidgeon showing his amazing come back and getting loads of wickets, Steve Harmison another player who had an amazing year and Anil Kumble !!

Worst of 2004 - (Without wanting to turn this into another Murali thread)Obviously Chris Broad's reporting of Murali.

But am pleased that the shadows over Murali have cleared with the ICC's biomechanical experts filming in CT and subsequently finding that 99% of bowlers were beaking the throwing criteria as it stands .

hi jason I'm an avid WI fAN living in USA. Could you tell me how i could either listen or watch the WI match against Victoria on the internet on Jan 5. PLZ let me know. Thx.

 

[master blaster]

To me the Best of 2004 was - Murali becoming the Leading Wicket taker in Test cricket history surpassing Courtney Walsh !!

Only just ahead of Sanath Jayasuriya's 254 v Pakistan and the find of the Decade Michael Clarke for Australia !!

Others notable, West Indies winning Champs Trophy , Pidgeon showing his amazing come back and getting loads of wickets, Steve Harmison another player who had an amazing year and Anil Kumble !!

Worst of 2004 - (Without wanting to turn this into another Murali thread)Obviously Chris Broad's reporting of Murali.

But am pleased that the shadows over Murali have cleared with the ICC's biomechanical experts filming in CT and subsequently finding that 99% of bowlers were beaking the throwing criteria as it stands .

hi jason I'm an avid WI fAN living in USA. Could you tell me how i could either listen or watch the WI match against Victoria on the internet on Jan 5. PLZ let me know. Thx.

 

[nookie_lk]

Best -
England beating the Ausies in the ICC champions throphy
Murali breaking Walsh's record
WI winning the ICC ct
Cris Gayle's form
Lara's 400
Kumar Sangakaras form

Worst -
Giving Murali the crapest time of his life by racist people.
Overall racism issues in cricket.
Ausie winning both series in SL and IND.
Richie Benuad's team
and mostly the damn tsunami

 

[Pratters]

Overall racism issues in cricket.

Expand please?

 

[marc71178]

I'd query what he means by the one above it as well.

I must say I thought people would question my mentioning of the WI CT win, but it appears that a lot of people think it was a good thing. I think that shows that just about all of us on here aren't always as one-eyed!

 

[Richard Rash]

I'd query what he means by the one above it as well.

I must say I thought people would question my mentioning of the WI CT win, but it appears that a lot of people think it was a good thing. I think that shows that just about all of us on here aren't always as one-eyed!

I don't think it would have been such a welcomed comment if it had have been aussie instead of WI

 

[BoyBrumby]

Another nomination for worst: I'd totally forgotten Alf Valentine bowled his last over back in 2004. RIP.

 

[marc71178]

I don't think it would have been such a welcomed comment if it had have been aussie instead of WI

Well no, but then again, I wouldn't have made it if it were Aus

 

[vic_orthdox]

Another nomination for worst: I'd totally forgotten Alf Valentine bowled his last over back in 2004. RIP.

really? that is very saddening. him and ramadhin helped to strengthen the west indies in their infancy, a fact often overlooked. RIP.

 

[Richard]

How you can describe something so flawed and reliant on opinion as neat I'll never know.

Because something reliant in a few isolated instances on opinion is far better than better than something reliant so much on luck.

 

[Richard]

S.Harmison emerging as a quality bowler when fast bowlers seem to die at the rate of two every month.

If this goes on much longer we must start thinking I might have been right to say he hadn't emerged when everyone else assumed he did.

 

[Richard]

Another nomination for worst: I'd totally forgotten Alf Valentine bowled his last over back in 2004. RIP.

Like Miller and Hazare, though, he'd had a very good innings and his death, while a sadness like any death, wasn't a tragedy in the way of David Hookes or Ben Hollioake.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Like Miller and Hazare, though, he'd had a very good innings and his death, while a sadness like any death, wasn't a tragedy in the way of David Hookes or Ben Hollioake.

No, that may be true. But still the passing of a fine player & at least worthy of a mention as a demerit for the year.

 

[Richard]

Of course, but tragedies (premature deaths) are still the ones of foremost mention.

 

[vic_orthdox]

please, do we need to argue about what constitutes a tragedy? it hadnt been mentioned, and was well worth a mention, in this thread, and no matter what, a death of a former test cricketer of the stature of valentine is a low point in the year, at least for him.

 

[Richard]

Yes, it was worthy of a mention - but (not to sound insensitive - it's always sad for those who have loved) old people die all the time.
That's all I'm saying.