Catch of the Year (And Various Asides)
As you might have gathered from the above, I believe the standard to which a
side fields gives a ready insight into how it will perform with bat and also
with ball. Thus I try and make a note of catches that have particularly
caught (sorry!) my eye during the year. In particular I recall ...
... Clare Connor's to dismiss Arran Brindle at County Champs, a far from
simple slip catch.
...
Jasmine Titmuss taking a catch over her shoulder while running at full pelt
(in a match against Sussex?).
...
Lydia Greenway to dismiss Sarah McGlashan in the 3rd T20 at Taunton
Jhulan Goswami won the ICC Player of the Year Award. Any of the three
candidates shortlisted could easily have been chosen. In fact any choice
might have been invidious this year. I guess sharing something three ways
was never on though.
The World Cup Qualifiers had to be postponed due to the problems in
Pakistan. Another venue must be found. With the resources available to the
ICC there really can't be any excuses. There is already the prospect of the
Windies being unable to take part in 2009 for lack of cash.
In recent days [December] I have been watching Bangladesh men playing NZ.
I think we have to look back to the early days of Sri Lanka to find such
excitement generated. I can't resist checking Sky's schedules to see when I
can watch them next. Despite recent set backs I have the suspicion it can only be a matter of time
before the best teams in the world start worrying about an upcoming series
against them. Will the women's team, which apparently they are taking very
seriously (money is on offer!) also make a mark? With only four teams right
at the top of the sport (although there are two close behind) I have to hope
so. And if they play in the same style as their men folk they could set the
world of women's cricket alight.
And a look forward ...
It would seem, judging from the provisional programme I
have seen for 2008 in the UK, that an enthusiast will be able to watch three
international teams, England, India and South Africa. The South Africans are scheduled at the moment to
play a Test as well as ODIs. Unfortunately the two visiting teams are not
here together so a match up as we saw in 2007 will not be possible.
There's also the possibility (and I'd rank it no higher than that!) of a
World T20 to run concurrently with the men's in 2009. If that were to
take place I do hope the experiment of playing a women's and a
men's game at the same venue on the same day is continued. The matches
should be just minutes apart. Indeed the idea mooted at one game this
season that the women's team should take the field as the men walked
off, seemed to me ideal. Make sure the crowd know what's going on! What a great chance to show a larger audience
what they've been missing.
A game at Lord's is also scheduled and it's great to be
able to use that venue. Hopefully the authorities will advertise the
game during previous men's matches including the Test match as they did
so assiduously in 2006. The size of the crowd will be affect one
suspects by the fact the game coincides with the England men playing
just a few miles away at the Oval.
I am not uploading the Year Statz for 2007 at the same time as this ramble
hits the ether. I am simply short of server space at Demon and a move to
another supplier might very well take place in 2008. If this site does
pop up elsewhere I will make sure there is plenty of notice given and an
overlap period. However, the Honours Board for 2007, as created by that
excellent CricketStatz software gives ...
Honours
Summary |
One-Day
Internationals, 20-Jan-2007 to 30-Aug-2007 |
Statistic |
Name |
Club |
Figures |
Best
Batting Average |
L C
Sthalekar |
Australia |
98.50 |
Highest
Score |
J
Logtenberg |
South
Africa |
153* |
Best
Batting Aggregate |
SC Taylor |
England |
551 |
Best
Bowling Average |
J A
Whelan |
Ireland |
2.33 |
Most
Wickets |
H L
Colvin |
England |
16 |
Most
Wickets in Innings |
C J
Metcalfe |
Ireland |
5-18 |
Most
Catches |
R Rolls |
New
Zealand |
9 |
Highest
Innings Score |
New
Zealand |
New
Zealand |
291 |
|
This software also produces a points score based on runs
scored, wickets taken etc.. The points awarded for each 'event' are quite
arbitrary so the following table is not intended to be taken too seriously,
and, of course, all-rounders have a huge advantage with such a scoring
system, emphasising the exceptional quality of players in the list below who
do not have a second string to their bow. Playing more matches can also make
the difference! Thus please don't consider these rankings...
Top Points
Scorers |
One-Day
Internationals, 20-Jan-2007 to 30-Aug-2007 |
# |
Name |
Club |
Mts |
Runs |
SWkt |
AWkt |
CtFld |
St |
RO |
ARO |
M/M |
CtBH |
6's |
C&B |
NO |
Bonus |
Points |
1 |
S.W. Bates |
NZ |
12 |
362 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
621 |
2 |
SC Taylor |
Eng |
12 |
551 |
- |
- |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
- |
571 |
3 |
L C Sthalekar |
Aus |
7 |
394 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
- |
1 |
- |
3 |
- |
549 |
4 |
J Logtenberg |
SAfrica |
7 |
384 |
2 |
4 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
3 |
- |
503 |
5 |
J L Gunn |
Eng |
12 |
226 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
453 |
6 |
S-J Taylor |
Eng |
12 |
352 |
- |
- |
5 |
5 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
452 |
7 |
A L Mason |
NZ |
10 |
278 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
448 |
8 |
S.J.
Tsukigawa |
NZ |
10 |
285 |
1 |
10 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
6 |
- |
3 |
- |
447 |
9 |
N J Browne |
NZ |
11 |
160 |
7 |
7 |
2 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
1 |
3 |
- |
440 |
10 |
H M Tiffen |
NZ |
12 |
234 |
- |
2 |
6 |
- |
5 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
388 |
11 |
C L
Fitzpatrick |
Aus |
7 |
156 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
- |
2 |
- |
363 |
12 |
C M Edwards |
Eng |
11 |
295 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
355 |
13 |
S J McGlashan |
NZ |
12 |
318 |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
- |
352 |
14 |
J Sharma |
India |
7 |
314 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
- |
1 |
- |
343 |
15 |
S Nitschke |
Aus |
7 |
200 |
3 |
4 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
341 |
|
There is the possibility (no more than that at the moment)
that I shall have a little more time to devote to this site during 2008.
If that is the case then pictures should be uploaded rather more
promptly and I may type these notes and upload as I go along, rather
than simply thrusting them in one lump at all and sundry. That decision
I have still to take. I'll refuse to
call it a 'blog' though.
And so to 2008. I hope to have the pleasure of meeting many
of you during the year. Even if we have not spoken before don't hesitate to
jog my elbow on the boundary sometime, though preferably not as I'm pressing
the shutter! And on and off the cricket ground ...
Things I Have Dreaded Hearing (and Seeing) in 2007
Or "The Grumpy Old Man Department"
On the cricket scene ...
"No, the schedule still
isn't fixed!" (And that barely six months from proposed games on the other
side of the world (from me) leaving the chance of reasonable air fares
vanishing into the distance.... or more importantly the possibility of
arranging the time off work.
Shows of triumphalism on the
field, for example a bowler thrusting one finger skyward in a gesture that
should be reserved solely for umpires. I came across the following quote
during the year. It matters not the player to which it refers. I agree
wholeheartedly.
He is proof that supreme competitive success need not be packaged with
aggressive belligerence; not every triumph has to be celebrated with a
vindictive roar and pumping fist.
Michael Marqusee
Monday December 3, 2007
The Guardian
... and if you're a
batsman, don't just acknowledge the applause from your team mates. To ignore
other spectators is unsportsmanlike and extremely bad manners. Am I old
fashioned in suggesting manners matter? I hope not.
Off the cricket scene - On the radio ...
"And that was the last in the present
series of The News Quiz" (and of the death of Alan Coren).
"Here is a preview ..." (or one of a variety
of ways of saying the same thing i.e. "Here is a commercial break, but we don't
like to call it that on the BBC"). One other version is,
of course, "next on BBC1 <insert programme name>" which you know won't be next - next
will be a series of adverts (sorry 'trails').
My Thanks are Due
Gill McConway
To Gill McConway and Imogen Gaunt at the ECB - this site would not exist
without their help, co-operation and encouragement throughout the season.
Gill has now retired, returning to her native New Zealand, and I wish her
well. While many will remember her problems pronouncing the names of some
overseas players at the presentations, few will have seen her bashing the
keyboard of her laptop in some quiet corner while a fine sunny day and a
cricket match outside go unenjoyed. The ECB are fortunate indeed to have
found a successor in Clare Connor. She has experience of the game in the UK
at all levels, is an excellent TV commentator and has a background of PR
work in her recent employment. It's hard to think of a better CV for the job
- in fact I can't!
And, of course, my thanks go to Marion Collin who manages somehow to keep
track of all international games worldwide including those involving
countries I am sure you never even realised played the sport! How she fits
all the work in for the ICC and ECB I'll never know. Her Media Packs make
invaluable background to all the matches played and I am delighted to be
able to make them more widely available through this site.
Many people help and assist in the course of a season but I am especially
grateful to my travelling companions who have brightened up what would have
been many boring hours on the road. Radio 4 is no substitute for lively
conversation.
An Upbeat Note
I find myself in agreement once again this year with Jenny Thompson of
CricInfo on one of the vital points of the last year. Bath provided the
perfect venue for the T20 series kick off and England's performance there
did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm I had for the whole (and I stress
whole) experience. No less than four international teams were on show
and you should have watched them all! The last time I checked the schedule
for 2008 there were many venues 'tbc'. I can only hope the phone is ringing
off the hook at Bath CC.
It remains only to wish each and every visitor...
A Very Happy New Year!
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