2007 Reviewed - Part 3

A Ramble - with diversions - through 2007

2007 previous page

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]
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 © Don Miles]
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!

All pictures on this site are © Don Miles 2007 unless stated otherwise