It's Crunch Time

It's finally here, the fifth and final test of the 2009 Ashes Series, it could not be any better placed, with England and Australia both drawn level at 1-1, with Australia only needing a draw to retain the famous urn, England are on the back foot. Talks have been revolving throughout the media over the past few days concerning who will be on the team sheets for this test match, particularly with England, after there middle order failed in both innings at Leeds.

The Australian team also may also look to make changes; Nathan Hauritz is one name which has been mentioned, especially with the Oval wicket perhaps offering some turn for the spinners. The Australian's did extremely well at Leed's to defeat England, however they need a bowler like Hauritz in the team to tie one end down and test England, the Australian's can't rely on part time spinners in a test match, in the limited over format it is an option but in the test arena it is a must, especially with a wicket like the Oval which is tipped to offer some assistance for the spinners.

Whatever the result, let's hope this game lives up to the hype and expectation, it has been a thrilling series so far, let's hope it ends that way too.

Ravi Bopara is one man who has struggled throughout this series

The Ashes Are Almost Here!

The 2009 edition of the long awaited Ashes series is only days away, and the preparations for both of the teams are well under way, with Australia and England both currently participating in tour games. Kevin Pietersen has already made his usual big statements and comments regarding the touring Australians, claiming that Mitchell Johnson has a very big load on his shoulders, and all the pressure will be on the big all rounder to perform in this series, as he is now the spearhead of the Australian attack.

Kevin Pietersen has big expectations to live up to

Michael Vaughan has announced his retirement, ending his long career spanning over 10 years with England, Vaughan's exclusion from the Ashes squad called for the end of the former England captain's career, after struggling throughout the season in the county championship, after averaging under 20 in the season, which of course backs up why the England selectors didn't pick him in the squad altogether.

Who makes the final cut in the battle for a spot in Australian's final XI will be very interesting, Siddle and Johnson look to be the only definite selections, Watson's latest struggle with injury hasn't helped the selectors already difficult choices either. As for England, Anderson, Broad and of course Flintoff look to be definite starters for the first test, whether they will choose to play two spinners in Swann and Panesar is also something they will toss up, depending on the state of the traditionally turning Cardiff wicket. If they choose to play just the one spinner, there will be a fight for the fourth pace option, Sidebottom should claim his spot for his performances in the past, despite Harmison being in promising form.

Michael Hussey has found form with the bat with an unbeaten 143 against the England Lions at Worcester, which is promising for the Australian, who has been struggling to compile runs for well over 8 months, he will be hoping he takes his form into this Ashes series, as this could be his last test series if he fails to perform, the selectors can only back him for a limited amount of time, the runs must flow at some point, and Hussey's deadline is quickly approaching.

Leading up to this series it looks to be a thriller, with England looking to be a much stronger force then what they were previously when they were thrashed 5-0 in Australia, spectators will be praying that it will be as closely fought out as what the last Ashes series in England panned out to be.

Hussey must take his form into the Ashes

Race For The Twenty 20 Silverware

The race for the Twenty 20 silverware is on, the semi finals aren't far off, and we have a real dogfight, with many favourites of the tournament being knocked out just recently. Tournament favourites; and 2008 World Champions India were knocked out thanks to an upset at the hands of England, so now it has left four teams who can't really be separated from one another, and the fact that it is the shorter format of the game adds to the unpredictability of the whole situation.

With South Africa and Pakistan set to face one another in the first semi final clash at Trent Bridge, followed by Sri Lanka and West Indies at the Oval. There's no telling on who will be knocked out, or of course which side will be the one to hold up the T20 silverware.

South Africa have been tipped as favourites for the first clash, with Mark Boucher claiming that South Africa are prepared in all aspects of their game and they will be prepared, no matter what wicket they will be faced with. Pakistan on the other hand, have had an impressive tournament in terms of their bowlers getting on with the job and putting their hands up when the team has required some spark, Umar Gul in particular. There batsmen on the other hand, have not had the best tournament in the world by a long shot, if they are to make the final they will need to fire.

The West Indies have been impressive throughout this tournament, which all began with their thrashing of the Australians, and they have kept that form going in their recent matches, this semi final berth will surely put a smile on the face of the loyal West Indian fans, who have not had too much to smile about before this tournament. Sri Lanka will come out with all guns blazing; Jayasuriya has found form throughout this tournament and is still playing well despite almost hitting the landmark of turning 40 shortly. That has obviously not affected him on the field though, playing his natural game he has made a huge impact for his team at the top of the order alongside Dilshan, who has at times been breathtaking in the way he has played.

Whoever comes out on top will have to take all their chances; it should be a great end to the tournament.

Twenty 20 Big Bash International Stars Claims

The Australian domestic Twenty 20 fixture, "The KFC Big Bash", has been given the chance to gain more recognition and popularity. Cricket Australia recently announced that each state will be granted US $40 000 to purchase international players, to add to their squads. In addition, the states will be able to approach third party organizations in order to gain larger sums of money to but bigger name players for the tournament.

This decision can be looked at in two ways, firstly the way that Cricket Australia has approached the situation. This approach has been adopted by Cricket Australia, in order to gain a wider audience and attempt to draw greater recognition by allowing big name players a place in the tournament, which is all well and good at first look.

Brendon McCullum was one of the international players used last year

However, the old approach that Australian Cricket have stood by for many years, where they leave the tournament as a competition occupied by Australians has been abandoned. This puts a halt in some circumstances to the development of Australia's future cricketers, which robs them of some vital match time, which could be catastrophic to Australia's already failure to give younger player's more of a go.

Ponting's Men Untouchable No More

Ricky Ponting's men have been knocked out of the ICC World Twenty 20 tournament in England, after succumbing to back to back defeats at the hands of the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

A poor showing from Ponting's men means that they will now spend several weeks preparing for the Ashes series. Now let's have a look at what went wrong for the Australians, firstly the squad was faced with a huge controversy after symonds was omitted from the squad.

Cya later Symo says Cricket Australia
Sadly this squad cannot be referred to as Australia's best possible line-up, many twenty20 specialists were not picked, Dirk Nannes who played for the Delhi Daredevils was one question mark, especially after he finished as the second highest wicket taker in the domestic twenty20 big bash competition here in Australia. However the selectors opted to go with the more recognisable line-up, this backfired once again in

this format of the game, where selectors still have not recognised the need for younger players to be given a go. The Australian domestic twenty20 competition referred to as the "KFC Twenty 20 Big Bash" boasts many great players, with some even being selected in the Indian Premier League as they are solid, and consistent performers at this level. This raises many questions over the selection of players who have had limited experience in this particular format of the game, yes they are solid performers in the test and one day arena, but as far as twenty20 goes they are not quite up to the standards which are required at international level.

Peter Siddle was given a spot in the 15 man squad but was not given a game, which I think was an extremely bad call, as Siddle's presence during the test series against South Africa in the recent months was one of the spearheads in the attack, and lifted the spirits of all his team mates. Australia were clearly outplayed in these two games against these opposing teams, and the necessary changes must be made when this tournament comes around again next year, for Ponting it is a piece of silverware that he may never get his hands on. His international appearances in this format of the game have been limited, and it looks as if his career in this format of the game will not last much longer either.


Australian selectors need to change their squad altogether, and give their younger guns time to work their magic in this format of the game, David Warner is an example of how younger selections pay off, his 63 off 53 balls against the West Indies two days ago was a knock that held the Australian innings together. Last night none of the Australian's got on with the job with the bat, and the bowlers were left to defend a very modest total, and with a Sri Lankan batting line up which boasted the likes of Dilshan and Sangakkara they never really had any hold on the game.

Ponting is left to ponder what could have been

Australian Summer 2009-2010

The announcement of the touring teams and the schedule of the 2009-2010 Australian home summer has brought with it quite an amount of debate.

The lack of cricket available for the Pakistani players is concerning, Sohail Tanvir was just one missing in this years IPL

The two touring teams for this summer are Pakistan and the West Indies, two very capable sides, however two teams who are very inconsistent. Pakistan have been making headlines with the recent bombing of a tour bus which was carrying the Sri Lankan side. Despite the negative political aspects which are bringing down Pakistan, the cricket has been of a very high standard as of late.

The recent series against Australia was an example of this, despite losing the series they still managed to win 2 games in the 5 match series, which is very impressive against the 2nd ranked side in the one day arena. However, the amount of cricket that the players have been involved in is extremely alarming, another concern is that the Pakistani Cricket Board disallowed there players to play in this years edition of the IPL which is quite unbelievable.

This was a huge disappointment not just for the players, or their home country, but for their franchises, there absence was an enormous loss. Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals certainly felt the sting of this ruling from the PCB, as his team mate's in Sohail Tanvir, the leading wicket taker in 2008's edition of the tournament, and the first choice wicketkeeper Kamran Akhmal were absent; his side really could have used these star players especially looking back at how they couldn make a semi-final appearance.

The West Indies on the other hand, are a team that has both young guns and also players who have vast amounts of experience in the international arena. Shivnarine
Chanderpaul is 13th on the all time test run scorers, and his presence is one which can change games. The controversial captain Chris Gayle is both a glorious aggresive opener and leader, and he will be looking to lead his men through what is bound to be a wonderful series against the Australians.

Sure, these two teams might not attract as much attention as what South Africa might have during last season, however we must look at how much the Australian setup has changed over the past few months. The younger players have had to step up and put their hands up in difficult situations, and a new era is here, therefore a new brand of cricket will be played. These two opposing teams will be much more hopeful of defeating the Australian's in their own backyard, a task which was almost unthinkable in previous years.

It may turn out into a real dogfight for the new Australian line up, all that can be guaranteed is the Australian summer is closing in day by day, so get in on the action.

Gayle is sure to cause headaches with his aggressive stroke play

Deccan Chargers Charge To Claim IPL 2009 Silverware

Deccan chargers turned around their form this season, after being placed last in the ladder last year, they went the distance and claimed the DLF IPL 2009 silverware.

Adam Gilchrist charged his Charger's to victory

Gilchrist seize's to amaze, with his brilliant stroke making, extraodinary leadership skills and also being ever so reliable behind the stumps. Sure, he didn't get off the mark in the final, but his presence brought his side to a victory which will never be forgotten. Many Australian's have proved how dominant they still are this season, even after retirement, Gilchrist and his old team mate, Matty Hayden have proved this. Hayden ended the tournament as the the leading run scorer, with 572 runs at an average of 52.00 while blasting 22 maximums. Who comes next? The one and only Gilly with 495 runs at 30.93, to add to this Gilchrist hit a whopping 29 maximums during the tournament.


It is also fitting that the purple cap owner, RP Singh got to bowl at the death during the final for the chargers, as he did it was complete ease just like he had done throughout the tournament, his contributions were vital to the Charger's success this year. Andrew Symonds was also another vital member of Deccan's squad as without him a huge presence would have been lost, despite his shocking run in the domestic circuit in Australia over the last summer, Symonds proved he still has what it takes to succeed at the top level. Australian selector's may be sweating over his omission from the squad to England for the Ashes series, especially with his form with both bat and ball during this series, his experience was perfect for the young talent in their squad, and the results prove that.


Bangalore Royal Challengers will reflect on the final game as a game which they had at their grasp, their captain bowled one of the best spells of the tournament, after he took on the Deccan batsman and invited them to take him on. He won that little battle, but he lost the war in the end, his team mates couldn't back it up and chase down a very gettable total. Nothing can be taken away from Kumble, he played like the legend he is during this tournament, he has never truly been given the recognition he has deserved throughout his career, hopefully this tournament will silence the critics, after a below par showing last season.

However, at the end of the day you have to hand it to Gilchrist's men, Delhi were favourites throughout this tournament, and not many people believed Deccan would be able to defeat them in that semi final encounter, but Gilchrist led his team with a brilliant captain's knock and that was the turning point for them.

Hayden ended as the leading run scorer

IPL 2009

The final installment of this season of the Indian Premier League 2009 is about to come to a halt. We have seen some amazing things this season so let's take a look at all the highlights, and of course take a preview into the grand final.

A.B De Villiers during his 105

One of the best knocks of the tournament was from Delhi's A.B. De Villiers, after he bedazzled the Chennai bowlers earlier in the tournament with the first century of this year. It was a knock of pure class, and tells the tale of how far the South African has come over the years, whilst also proving he really could have what it takes to fulfill his personal goal of becoming the number one batsmen in the world. An innings of 105 off just 54 balls, which boasted 5 fours and 6 maximums can't hurt his claims for this.

It hasn't just been the batsmen who have stunned the crowds and opposition with some great contributions, the bowlers during this tournament have also done a wonderful job. The captain of Bangalore, Anil Kumble still holds the best bowling figures of the tournament with the stunning figures of 5-5 off 3.1 over's, which is unheard of in this format of the game. His leadership throughout this tournament has been vital to Bangalore's spot in the final.

Adam Gilchrist's innings of 85 of just 35 deliveries was absolutely devastating. His brutal knock diminished any hopes of Delhi ending as winners of the 2009 edition of the Indian Premier League, with Gilchrist's half century coming off just 17 balls.

Tonight, the grand final will take place in Johannesburg, with the Bangalore Royal Challengers taking on the Deccan Chargers. The winner of this clash can't really be picked, as both teams have fought hard for there spot in this final and both have amazing young talent, whilst also boasting players of a lot of experience.


Adam Gilchrist during his brutal knock of 85

Warnie's Frustration

Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals were the champions of the first edition of the IPL in 2008. However last night all the legend that is Shane Warne could do was see his side's title defence slip, after a dismal batting display in which the Royals reached 101 in their 20 over's, they were forced to find a way to defend the small total. They started off well, with Munaf Patel claiming figures of 2-15, and once the strategic time out came into play at the 10 over mark the Royals were well on top. The spinners were doing the job, with Shane Warne and Johan Botha bowling in tandem, once Shukla ran out his partner things were starting to go the Royals way, with the Knight Riders being reduced to 6-45.

Munaf Patel stiked early

There were many close calls, especially with one LBW call during Warne's spell, during which Warne bowled a flipper which was given not out by the umpire, as he deemed it to be pitching outside leg stump. However, Hawk Eye told otherwise, with the ball pitching in line and going on to take out middle stump. Such calls like this

had to go the Royals way, as it does in any defence of such a low total. A run out opportunity was missed when Shukla at the end of the 18th over during which the royals keeper, Ohja had the perfect opportunity to run out Agarkar however he missed the easiest of chances when they conceded a bye, all Ohja had to do was underarm it and hit the stumps. But this has been the way Rajasthan's season has gone, with some poor batting throughout this tournament, ultimately ending their title defence.

Shukla took the game away from Rajasthan

Defending such a small total all it would take was a good partnership to take a semi-final berth away from the defending champions of the IPL, and sadly for Warne's men Shukla and Agarkar managed to do so. Hats off to them, Shukla did well to handle his nerves, it certainly wasn't the best innings anyone has seen, especially myself, but in the end he did the job, so you have to hand it to him after seeing his side through to victory, after such a poor start from his fellow team mates at the top of the order. Hopefully they can take their form into next year, and let's hope that Warne can perform his magic once again next year.

Let's hope that the legend that is Shane Warne will lead his Royals to victory next year

The Ashes Preview

With the ashes only a few months away, there is much speculation on who will be in both the Australian and the England set up for this series. This series is easily one of the most significant if not the most in the test arena, so let's take an in depth look at both the teams.


England have witnessed some promising performances by some of the new recruits in their test team, after Ian Bell was shown the door and Ravi Bopara was given an opportunity at number 3, he did not let it go to waste scoring 143 in the first innings against the West Indies. However, Ian Bell has had a good start this year in the county arena and is still pushing for a spot in the starting XI.

Graeme Onions also made a great start in his test debut after taking 5 for 38 off 9.3 over's in the West Indies first innings, calling the selectors to seriously consider him for the Ashes which will begin in July. Stephen Harmison will be also be eyeing a spot in the starting XI, however with such a promising debut from Graeme Onions he will find it extremely difficult, especially if Onions can back these performances up consistently. Another prospect for England will be Michael Vaughan who has every chance of returning during the Ashes, as his experience could be vital to England's success.

Probable England XI
1. Andrew Strauss 2. Alastair Cook 3. Ravi Bopara 4. Kevin Pietersen 5. Paul Collingwood 6. Matt Prior (wk) 7. Stuart Broad 8. Ryan Sidebottom 9. Graeme Swann 10. James Anderson 11. Graeme Onions

Ian Bell will find it tough to find a spot in the XI

Australia, who are the favourites for this series are having many questions asked about whether there former pace spearhead Brett Lee will find a spot in the XI after a long awaited return from injury. While the batting card looks settled, with Phillip Hughes who is currently playing county cricket for Middlesex in astonishing form, with three hundreds from four innings, he is sure to cause many headaches for the opposing England side. While the all rounder slot is currently another slot up for grabs, with Andrew Symonds back, he is a serious contender to fill this slot and make his way into the side.

Many players will need to perform in order to retain there spots however, especially in the case of whether Australia will choose to play a spinner, if this does occur, which I suspect will, therefore Nathan Hauritz will get the nod. Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle will look to continue their impressive form in the test arena, after some standout performances by both men. Andrew McDonald will make way for Andrew Symonds and Ben Hilfenhaus will also make way for the returning Brett lee. Experience will be the key in this series with players like Ponting, Katich, Clarke and Hussey needing to perform in order for their side to do well, especially with the bowler friendly conditions in England.

Probable Australia XI

1. Phillip Hughes 2. Simon Katich 3. Ricky Ponting 4. Michael Hussey 5. Michael Clarke 6. Andrew Symonds 7. Brad Haddin 8. Mitchell Johnson 9. Brett Lee 10. Nathan Haurtiz 11. Peter Siddle

Phillip Hughes is set to cause many headaches for England

Spinners are the key

Spinners have played a huge role in the second year of the Indian Premier League, they have made vital contributions to their teams which have changed games, especially with some of the slower wickets which are being played in South Africa. However, first class spinners are finding it much harder to survive, with batsman going after spinners much more than they have in the past, and the wickets, most notably in Australia not giving them much assistance.

Nathan Hauritz could be the key.


Australia have tried a long list of specialist spinners since legendary Shane Warne's retirement and none of them have impressed selectors enough to hold a spot. Beau Casson is struggling to even find a spot in the New South Wales side after struggling in the domestic circuit last summer, Jason Krezja is being overlooked time and time again despite a promising debut which saw him take an impressive 12 wickets. Nathan Hauritz is the latest to be given a chance and he performed well, and is proving he can perform in the position; Hauritz for the time being should be Australia's preferred spinner. Sure he might not have that fizzing leg break that is almost unplayable but he can still get the ball to talk and isn't too expensive either.

There is a lot of talent in the domestic circuit at the moment, and there is one player who is a standout for me. This player is Steven Smith he is an all rounder who bowls some great legbreaks and can play as a top order batsman at the same time. The inclusion of David Warner paid off for the Australian selectors after he smashed 89 in the opening twenty20 international in Australia, so why not include a young spinner who is full of potential? They did it with Shane Warne and look at how his career panned out. Australia must back their young talent and play younger guys in the team or it will backfire on them. Bryce McGain is way past that age barrier so unlike Warne he won't be able to come back from that disappointing test debut, so youth is the key.

Bryce McGain after a very dissapointing debut.

ICC World Twenty20 Preview

I apologise for the late post, I have been relatively busy lately but rest assured here is the latest from the cricketing world.

The World Twenty20 World Cup is fast approaching with the first game scheduled to take place on the 1st of March at Lord's. This tournament is sure to be a thriller, India are the favourites after their dominance in the tournament's debut last year. But I however feel that this might be South Africa's time to lift the trophy, they are most definitely right up there in all forms of world cricket but I feel with the likes of big hitting Albie Morkel, the lethal fast bowling of Dale Steyn, the leadership of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis and let's not forget the almost unstoppable middle order featuring A.B. De Villiers and J.P. Duminy.

Australia however aren't the favourites and had a dissapointing run recently in the Twenty20 format. But with a squad that boasts the likes of Ponting, Clarke, Johnson, Bracken and Symonds you have to think that they can lift this trophy with a squad that promises so much. But I don't think many Australian fan's will be as hopeful as they were with their home team as in the previous years, with the Australian middle order again struggling to counter the spinners in the limited overs formats.

This tournament should be a ripper, whoever comes out on top will have to play out of their skins.

Albie Morkel will play a vital role in South Africa's campaign

Test cricket the number one format?

There is unquestionably no doubt that people around the world are excited about the new life that twenty 20 tournaments like the Indian Premier League has brought to the game. The scoring rates have climbed astronomically over the years, which has resulted in much more aggressive cricket than we have previously seen in the past. However the question must be asked is test cricket still the number one format? With the big pay cheques being offered for short stints with franchises in the Indian Premier League players can earn more money in six weeks than what they would usually earn in a year or more playing for their domestic state or country.


The breakaway ICL which is now on the brink of closing completely, has seen the likes of New Zealand's strike quick Shane Bond and star Pakistani batsman Mohammad Yousuf may have completely ended their international careers due to the ICC's non recognition of the breakaway league. This is a call of concern as this has resulted in some countries losing vital key players, so hopefully the ICC can work out a way to fix this major issue which is now being faced, as it has become ridiculous.


Test cricket on the other hand is still in many people's views the number one format in the game, new ideas have been brought up in order to gain a wider group of following from the public. One of these is the prospect of day night test cricket, the idea has been tested before in a Sheffield shield game many years back but it had minimal success. The first day night game has already been scheduled so it will be interesting to see how it all pans out, it is expected to be a widespread success, however test cricket shouldn't be altered it should always be played in the day. Sure twenty 20 cricket may have enticed larger crowds but at the end of the day test cricket will always be a much more interesting game in the way that momentum can change each day and it is a true test of a players skill.

Will we be seeing more day night test cricket in the future in a bid to gain a much larger audience? It will be interesting but we will just have to see how the future pans out.

Michael Clarke A Man of Mystery

Michael Clarke has blown me away with some of the things he has done over the past few months, some things I don't think I will ever get my head around. The sacking of Andrew Symonds was a huge call for the young stand-in captain of Australia in the series against Bangladesh after Symonds missed a team meeting, I started to wonder what was going through the now 28 year old's mind at the time.

Clarke's induction to the permanent position of vice-captaincy changed the way I saw him especially after I went personally to watch the Australians give it their all against the South Africans. The Australians posted 445 in their first innings, with Clarke scoring 138 off 250 deliveries. The South Africans are 5-193 in their first innings reply at a crucial period of the game and Morne Morkel walks out to bat with Mark Boucher. They are greeted by the hungry Australians who induce a few outside edges one of which fell just inches short of second slip, and Michael Clarke suggests to Ricky Ponting to move out second slip and place him in a more defensive position.

Sure you may argue that what does this prove? The Australian's still marched to victory despite losing the series 2-1, however I do sense a slight sense of error in some of Clarke's moves at crucial times. Michael Clarke the man to succeed Ricky Ponting and become the future Australian captain in all forms of the game? Only time will tell, but I believe Clarke still has a lot of improving to do with his captaincy skills.

Makhaya Ntini

Today my friend blew me away with some big statements, about the one and only South African pace bowler Makhaya Ntini. My friend claimed that Ntini bowled quicker than the Australian pace bowler Brett Lee. After this statement I claimed that Morne Morkel had bowled with more success in South Africa's test series in Australia, against Australia.

So less talk more research, after researching i found that Brett Lee's fastest ever recorded delivery was clocked at 160.8km/h. So you may ask what is Makhaya Ntini's fastest ever recorded delivery? Ntini's fastest ever recorded delivery was clocked at 151.4km/h.

(Pictured Morne Morkel)
The statement which I made about Morne Morkel bowling with more success in South Africa's test series in Australia is backed up by these figures:

Player	Mat	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	5	10

M Morkel (SA)	3	112.0	15	384	9	2/38	3/122	42.66	3.42	74.6	0	0
M Ntini (SA)	3	122.5	17	450	9	4/72	5/148	50.00	3.66	81.8	0	0

So as all these statistics prove I was right in both instances, not taking anything away from the great leader of the South African attack, I just had a point to prove.

Makhaya Ntini in celebration.