Category Archives: tower of strength

August 4, 2019 · 4:53 am

Spotlight on Four Guys at Edgbaston

George Dobell, in ESPNcricinfo, August 2019 where the title runs “Dobell: Four problems England must fix”

With the first Ashes Test delicately poised after three days and the in-form Steven Smith 46 not out in his second innings following his first-innings century, England have four issues requiring immediate attention. George Dobell delves into what the hosts need to do now.

Moeen Ali:  Sunday feels like a big day for Moeen. On a pitch offering substantial assistance to spin bowlers, he is the man England will rely upon in the hope of bowling out Australia.

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August 2, 2019 · 2:48 am

A Rescue Act Aged 41! Facing Lillee and Thomson

Simon Barnes in The Cricket Monthly, June 2016, where the title is “Call in Colin” … At 41, Cowdrey gamely took on Lillee and Thomson, because how could he not?

“Good morning, my name’s Cowdrey.” Words of Colin Cowdrey to Jeff Thomson in December 1974, spoken while Thomson was back at the top of his run “wanting to kill somebody”. It was a moment that mixed courtesy with a hint of gamesmanship in one of cricket’s more bizarre confrontations.

And a good morning to you Sir!

Cowdrey’s participation in that Ashes series was a classic example of futile heroism, and as such a thing of joy that echoes down the ages long after more elevated passages of sport have been forgotten. “We need a futile sacrifice at this stage,” said Peter Cook in a famous sketch from Beyond the Fringe. “It will raise the whole tone of the war.” Continue reading →

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July 12, 2019 · 4:55 pm

Rashid Khan takes over as Afghanistan’s Captain in All Formats

ESPNcricinfo staff

Rashid Khan will lead Afghanistan across all formats, while former captain Asghar Afghan has been appointed his deputy. The change comes after Afghanistan lost all their matches at the World Cup under Gulbadin Naib, with his decisions on the field during a thriller against Pakistan, in particular, coming under the scanner.

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July 11, 2019 · 1:54 am

The Kiwi-India World Cup Thriller

Karthik Krishnaswamy in ESPNcricinfo,com, !0 July 2019, where the title is “New Zealand in final despite thrilling Jadeja-Dhoni counter-attack”

It was a semi-final spread over 28 hours and 24 minutes, and it contained some of the defining features of this World Cup. Rain, enough of it to force the match into a reserve day. Terrific new-ball bowling. Incredible fielding. A tricky, two-paced surface that kept scoring rates down, but also ensured neither team was ever entirely out of the contest.

The New Zealand side celebrate as MS Dhoni of India is run out by Martin Guptill. Photograph: Gareth Copley/IDI via Getty Images

At the end of it, it was New Zealand who remained standing, reaching their second successive World Cup final with an 18-run win. India went out at the semi-final stage for the second successive tournament, but not without scripting a dramatic comeback that showed just why they are one of the world’s top ODI teams.

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June 29, 2019 · 4:59 pm

Malinga outed … Nay! Boulted … !!! … as Trent Boult takes three from three in the 50th Over

Actually Lasith Malinga took four from four balls …. but it was not in a dramatic 50th over

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Trent Boult became the first New Zealand bowler to pick up a World Cup hat-trick (Getty Images)
49.1
Boult to Khawaja, 1 run, low full toss, swinging back in, and he drives it down to long off. Bowled at 144kph
49.2
Boult to Cummins, 1 run, fuller ball, around the stumps, and he can only tap it towards short midwicket
49.3
Boult to Khawaja, OUT, GONE THIS TIME! Perfect full ball again, delivered at 137kph, and with a hint of reverse again back in from outside off. Khawaja walks across to access the on side, but misses out on contact and in fact walks right outside the line of the ball. Vital half-century from Khawaja, though, as he acknowledges the crowd on his way out  ……………………..…UT Khawaja b Boult 88 (129b 5×4 0x6) SR: 68.21
49.4
Boult to Starc, OUT, OH YOU BEAUTY! We might get to see a bit of this from Starc later — a perfect yorker, that swings in at good pace and goes under his blade even as he looks to jam it down. Almost as good as the ball that Starc delivered to Ben Stokes just a few days ago …...MA Starc b Boult 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
49.5
Boult to Behrendorff, OUT, HE’S GOT IT! Full, swinging away from him after pitching around leg, and given. Australia have reviewed this! It’s a perfect full length, and there’s no sign of bat near that. The only question could be where it pitched, I would think. The bat hits ground, but that is after the ball passes through and crashes into his right foot. It’s out, and that’s a hat-trick for Trent Boult! ……  JP Behrendorff lbw b Boult 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
49.6
Boult to Lyon, no run, full, wide outside off, and he looks to back away to get this down to fine leg, but misses. Almost got FOUR IN FOUR!

New Zealand were at the receiving end of the first hat-trick in World Cups — all the way back in 1987 — and Trent Boult gets them their first ever on this day!

   ***  ****

the MALINGA SAGA in a losing cause with a dramatic finish

South Africa was nearly undermined when strolling to victory in a Wold Cup match in the West Indies in 2007 .
Malinga bowled the 44th and 46th overs …. Result
6-206 (Shaun Pollock, 44.5 ov),……. 7-206 (Andrew Hall, 44.6 ov),
8-207 (Jacques Kallis, 46.1 ov), 9…….-207 (Makhaya Ntini, 46.2 ov)
PROCEEDING BACKWARDS

Phew! What a nerve-wracking finish. South Africa were cruising at one stage and were hit by a double strike by Murali. They recovered again, via a calm Kallis, and then, just when they were staring at the victory, they blinked. Malinga slinged slower ones and fiery yorkers and blasted out four in a row. From there the game was hanging on a knife’s edge. And in the end, an edgy drive to third man sealed it for South Africa.

48.2
4
Malinga to Peterson, FOUR runs, Peterson does it for SA with a edge past the slip. Fullish, outside off stump, Peterson drives, gets a outside edge and it runs down to third man boundary. SA have won. They nearly choked but have pulled it off. Peterson jumps in the air, pumps his fist and then smashes the stumps down at the other end. Immediately apologises! What a cracker of a game!
48.1
0
Malinga to Peterson, no run, Swing and a miss. What a cracking game this has been. Full and just outside off stump, slants away, he has a drive, but inside the line and the ball rushes past the outside edge.

One slip in place.

END OF OVER:

48 | (maiden) | SA: 208/9 (2 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 4.33, RRR: 1.00)
  • Charl Langeveldt1 (9b)
  • Robin Peterson0 (6b)
  • Chaminda Vaas10-1-31-1
  • Lasith Malinga9-0-50-4
47.6
0
Vaas to Langeveldt, no run, Beaten again. Another one that angles away from Langeveldt who pushes at it, bat meets air, ball heads to Sangakkara. Malinga to bowl the next over.
47.5
0
Vaas to Langeveldt, no run, again another off cutter, around off stump, Langeveldt leans forward and defends. They were 206 for 5 staring at a win and what a turn around from there
47.4
0
Vaas to Langeveldt, no run, off cutter, slanting away from the off stump, Langeveldt stretches forward, opens the bat-face, steers to point. Pure drama.
47.3
0
Vaas to Langeveldt, no run, pushes it across Langeveldt who lets it go. He has taken the first three deliveries away. Will he bend the next one in?
47.2
0
Vaas to Langeveldt, no run, beaten! Lands back of length, on the off stump line and shapes away, Langeveldt has a tentative poke – nervousness, can’t blame him and is beaten
47.1
0
Vaas to Langeveldt, no run, fullish, just outside off stump, pushed to cover

1 to tie and 2 to win. Only one wicket. It doesn’t get closer than this. Slip in place. Mahela is making sure he gets the field right. Two slips in now.

END OF OVER:

47 | 1 Run 2 Wkts | SA: 208/9 (2 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 4.42, RRR: 0.66)
  • Robin Peterson0 (6b)
  • Charl Langeveldt1 (3b)
  • Lasith Malinga9-0-50-4
  • Chaminda Vaas9-0-31-1
46.6
0
Malinga to Peterson, no run, beauty, another delivery that teases the outside edge. Full and tailing away from off stump, drives and is beaten. What a fab over it has been.
46.5
1
Malinga to Langeveldt, 1 run, Jayasuriya mis-fields at squareleg and SA sneak in one run. SLower one, on the middle and leg, turned to behind square. Jayasuriya moves to his right but misfields.
46.4
0
Malinga to Langeveldt, no run, full, straight, on the off stump, pushed to mid-off. 3 to win from 20 balls. Camera pans to South Africa dressing room. They look stunned
46.3
0
Malinga to Langeveldt, no run, beaten Just kissed past the off stump. Tremendous nerves out there. Full and just outside off, yorker-length, Langeveldt pokes at it and gets beaten
46.2
W
Malinga to Ntini, OUT, And then they were one! Malinga gets four in four. Unbelievable! Screaming yorker and Ntini drives, plays all over it and ball crashes into the middle stump. Malinga is slinging down magic deliveries and SA are nine down.

M Ntini b Malinga 0 (2m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

46.1
W
Malinga to Kallis, OUT, Would you believe it? Malinga has got the hat-trick! Full, furious, outside off stump, Kallis goes for a square-drive and nicks it behind. Loud appeal. Kallis stays rooted. Even louder appeal and Harper raises the fatal finger. SA eight down and choking real badly.

JH Kallis c †Sangakkara b Malinga 86 (187m 110b 4×4 0x6) SR: 78.18

Malinga on a hat-trick. What a funny little game this has been.

Malinga: “I am feeling bad that we lost the game but I am happy that I took a hattrick.

*******

CWC Greatest Moments: Lasith Malinga takes four in four against South Africa =  https://www.cricketworldcup.com/video/1090515

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June 5, 2019 · 10:59 am

With Sanga as President-Designate of the MCC the best is yet to come

Rohan Wijeyaratna, in Island, 25 May 2019 where the title runs “THE BEST IS YET TO COME”

Men with disciplined minds, set their sights on far loftier goals than others given to average thinking. Such are the virtues that have made Kumar Sangakkara become what he now is.

Kumar Sangakkara has played many a fine inning in his time. They have spanned across every notable playing field and every nook and cranny worth knowing on the cricket map. They have stretched across all types of the game – from Tests to ODIs, to the T20s. In each of them, his performances have won him accolades from men of discernment. Be it with bat or lip, he has made his mark. His opponents know only too well how fiendishly difficult it is to match him – be it at play or at his lip and intellect, either singly or in combination.

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Image

Captains with Queen Elizabeth

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June 2, 2019 · 3:22 pm
March 30, 2019 · 11:07 am

The Odd Couple. At the Death. Malinga and Bumrah

Sharda Ugra, in ESPNcricinfo, with inputs from Andrew Fidel Fernando, in article entitled “Mali & Boom, a match made in bowling heaven”

Mali and Boom look like they have emerged from different sporting planets. Mali is chunky, lumbering and slowing down at 35. Boom posts Twitter pictures of his six-pack and, at 25, is a rocket heading into cricket’s stardom stratosphere. Mali has been there and done that, an adoring dad of two, who assiduously ensures that his curls are always gold-tinted. Boom, a bachelor of close crop, neat beard and zero visible tattoos, has said in public that he would rather go bald than do that.

Malinga and Bumrah, united by their distinctive unorthodoxy BCCI

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March 21, 2019 · 9:26 am

Andrew Fernando’s Reading of the Close Encounter at CapeTown

Andrew Fidel Fernando in ESPNcricinfo, 20 March 2019, with title “South Africa nearly choke, but Tahir rescues them in Super Over

Sri Lanka 134 for 7 (Kamindu 41, Phehlukwayo 3-25) tied with South Africa 134 for 8 (Miller 41, Malinga 2-11)

Super Over South Africa 14 for 0 beat Sri Lanka 5 for 0

Sri Lanka’s spinners squeezed and throttled and tugged down the opposition run rate in defence of a modest score, but it was the best slow bowler on show – Imran Tahir – who saw South Africa through a tense Super Over situation, and suggested that whatever his team-mates are like, he is capable of keeping his cool in tough circumstances.

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February 24, 2019 · 10:49 am

How Sri Lanka Transformed Themselves in South Africa — Rex Clementine

ONE: Rex Clementine in Port Elizabeth, Sunday Island, 25 February 2019 = Karunaratne credits change of team culture for series win”

Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne has credited changing the dressing room environment for the success his team enjoyed in South Africa. Sri Lanka arrived in Johannesburg straight from Australia having suffered successive humiliating series defeats at the hands of New Zealand and Australia. With an inexperienced side, the tourists were able to achieve the unthinkable recording a comprehensive eight wicket win in Port Elizabeth to wrap up the series 2-0. They had won the first Test in Durban by one wicket.

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