There's Australia playing Sri Lanka. South Africa are hosting the Kiwis and Pakistan and India are at it. Yesterday the was the Au/Sl match on til 6 ... got an hour and half break til the AA/NZ test started and at about 11 the Pak?ind game started. I was in heaven.

With the promise of Muralidaran (is that how we're spelling it this year?) breaking the Shane Warne Test wicket record it will make the Au/SL test so much the better.

The best thing about the start of the summer is waiting to see what new gadgets the commentators have! Can last year's inception of the hotspot be beaten??

Tendulka out for 99 in the ODI yesterday ... for the third time this season. People seem to want to bag him for that saying he's cracking under pressure but surely three scores of over 90 would be a normal batsman's dream?

Pakistan and Sri Lanka really really REALLy need some fielding practice. My grandmother could have taken some of those misfields!

Any other cricket fans out there settling in for a long summer?

Oh you're all boring ... I can't be the only cricket fan, can I? Or perhaps I am. Not only do I talk to myself all winter on the league thread now I have to talk to myself about cricket all Summer as well????

I can do that.

New Zealand got flogged. Sir Lanka are getting flogged. India and Pakistan are battling out a good series which surprised me as I though the Pakis would get flogged.

Cummings for NZ copped a ball in the face and broke his cheekbone and jaw ... and he was wearing a helmet. Ugh. Imagine the damage without one!

Aust/SL/N triseries this summer for us. Hopefully teh Kiwis can pull their ODI form out for that.

Darryl Lehmann just announced his retirement, effective almost immediately.

Did Punter wait too long to declare? They are predicting rain down south. We cannot lose, but there is an outside chance of a draw. 500+ runs is still a huge ask, though.

Don't worry Copago, you have another cricket fan out here

I thought India is the third team in the tri-series down under this year?

We are in the midst of a good series against Pakistan and Sachin is in amazing form! India rested 4 regulars for the final match and promptly got beaten Pakistan also rested Afridi, Akhtar and Younus and their captain promptly came up with some inspired captaincy!!

Sad to see the Kiwis get walloped the way they did against SA

More on India-Aus as the season goes on...

Ahhhh - it is India. That makes me feel a bit more confident about the summer then. I neve even looked into it, just assumed it would be Sri Lanka becuase they are here.

Srini - I was watching a show yesterday about an Indian cricketer who is deaf - a national selector was watching him play and said he could be destined for the Delhi team and even possibly the National team. Don't know his name but have you ever heard of the story. I didn't catch how long ago it was made and I was kind of hoping it is current and to watch out for him. Was a great story.

Nope...never heard of that, but after reading your post, I googled a bit and campe up with the name of one Fahimuddin.....he apparently made it to the short-list of the Delhi Ranji probables this year.

Here's a couple of links about him I picked up: http://in.sports.yahoo.com/061001/43/683hn.html

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/13121.html

Oh cool, thanks Srini - it's very recent then! Good story, wasn't it?

Finally got around to checking the calandar at cricinfo.com and it's all mixed up this year. Got SL here now but they go and play England a bit then come back for the ODI tri-series. NZ isn't in that series but we play them in few ODIs. Really, even I think there is too much cricket sometimes.

SL didn't get flogged as I predicted .. turned out a lot closer than expected. Snagakara's innings was excellent.

Stuart MacGill, after waiting soooo long to get into the side may have just blown his chance of a regular spot with his perfomance in Hobart.

India/Pakistan test starts today. Any predictions, Srini? Can't see Pakistan being too much trouble for India ... looking forward to that. And it works out at a good time for me too .. starts at 3pm finishes at 10pm. I can watch more of those games than the ones here

just got to flip over and see the score at Pak 2/35 .. but is that smoke or smog or fog or what? How can they see with all that?

Pak 83/4 as I write

We should win the series, no matter how good Yousuf and Younus are!

Way too much cricket being played, right ...and now the "rebel" Indian Cricket League is set to start here from Nov 30 too....quite a few international players in this circus....have to wait and see how the crowds take it and if it can sustain.

England are in Sri Lanka and have just drawn their opening "warm-up" game. They also appear to be having a bit of trouble with the local wildlife.

From John Clement on the BBC website:

"Injuries are part and parcel of international sport, and no doubt England will get the regular share of pulls, strains and tweaks in Sri Lanka. However England were lucky not to lose a couple of members of the squad through fatal reptile bite.
If you are unlucky to come across a couple of 6 feet cobras, it is best not to (a) prod them with a stick, or (b) lean on a rickety fence to get a better view, because they strike with much greater speed than Steve Harmison, and certainly with a great deal more accuracy and venom.
England can consider themselves lucky that their 16 man squad wasnt reduced to 14 in the first warm up game."

Lehmann sticking it to the man in his last two games. A 120 off 107 in a one dayer and then 167 in a Shield (yes its still Sheffield Shield as far as i'm concerned) last 50 off 24 balls I believe. And whatd more Dizzy stepped up for his mate to bag a seven wicket haul.
I still think Lehmann should have been an Australian captain if national selectors had chosen him earlier in his career when they should have. I cite Pontings captaincy before Ashes tour of 2005 with Lehmann in side and ear and on that tour sans Lehmann.
Still whats done is done.
He'll go on to coach Yorkshire and hopefully one day back to South Australia.

You Australians seem to have a steady stream of world class players...how I envy you all

Looks like Harmison's injured again So what's new when England's traveling?

India won the first test comfortably against Pak....Akhtar was brilliant but lacked support from the other end. We should go to Australia in good spirits at this rate

I'm looking forward to India touring here, they have any number of great players, including the best spinner in world ckricket Kumble. I've been a fan of his for years and I suspect if he can win over his team mates will prove a good captain. Indian batting speaks for itself, they proved last time they toured Australia that they can handle the wickets here (unlike their neighbours to the south)and their new generation of pace bowlers look quite capable (if a a little excitable). Should be a good series.
I'm staggered by Harmison's mentality, travelling the world playing sport doesn't appeal to him. It reminds me of those people who win the lottery and say they'll keep working, there should be a clause in there somewhere allowing the lottery to take the money away again and give to somebody else. English cricket should give a season off and make him work in a factory for next to nothing and see if he changes his mind. Here is one guy who either needs a reality check or to just pack it in.

Half the Pakistan team is injured before the second Test Akhtar, Sami are doubtful, Umar Gul has gone back home and they have only Sohail Tanvir, all of one Test old, to lead the bowling attack with two spinners! And Malik is doubtful too....not good tidings for a "must win" Test for Pakistan, but what the heck, we will take it

Meanwhile, there is news that Gary Kirsten might be the next Indian coach

Tait 7-29 for South Australia against Queensland. Pressing for Aussie selection again.

Muralidaran broke the Shane Warne test wicket record today. *snicker snicker* And he got another one soon after to seal it.
From Shane Warne

Quote:

---

"Murali's been a wonderful player for a long period of time. He's an excellent competitor and has been great for Sri Lankan cricket. He's a great bloke too. I've been to Sri Lanka to help him after the Tsunami and we now even have a trophy named after the two of us. He'll probably go on and get 1000 now but today I'd just like to say 'well done on the record'."

---

All true but dontcha just know he's dying to call him a chucking cheat.


India look safe enough in their game, Srini? Good to see Akhtar playing though - and can he be the only player who would bat without a helmet?? I know it's only against spin but it's still strange to see in this day and age.

I really wish I could believe that Murali was ok in his action cos he does seem like a nice guy and a great competitor (though his batting needs work) but I can't, I'll never take his statistics as legitimate. Sri Lanka did have a terrific bowler for years who deserved more credit than he got and that was Vass, to play his game on Sri Lankan pitches took some doing. Looking forward to seeing Kumble bowl here the best spinner in world cticket at the moment.
On a personal note I've retired the 'pace' bowling and turned to chinamen. Last week took 2-40 and had three catches dropped off my bowling. Should have done it years ago!

Maybe you should have done it years ago! You could have been Shane Warne! How's your texting finger holding up?

I had to laugh on the BBC's "as it happened" for today's ENG/SL match ... here ...


"I spotted umpire Asad Rauf having a crafty fag this morning" BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on TMS

And to think we all speak English! I wonder if the fag he was having knits or does beading or perhaps makes cards?

I wonder if he had a juicy faggot at supper time?

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!

So what do you reckon, Tabby? Can England bat through the day tomorrow and possibly win or draw or is a Sri Lankan win on the cards? They've lost an early one but if Collingwood, Bell, Peitersen et al can pull their fingers out (or another one for Pietersen!) perhaps they can do it. Good to see a test go down to the last day.

As a side note, I tried to look up what was in a faggot before and due to being on a filtered school computer there was ACCESS DENIED flashing at me. Ooops! I expect to have the Education department on the phone tomorrow asking what the heck I was doing .. and I will blame you.

Well, of course an England win would be a great fillip, but I can’t see any realistic prospect of it. As you say, our batsmen ought to be able to give it a go, but 350 in the fourth innings against Murali bowling on his own turf doesn’t seem likely somehow. Frankly, I think the best England can hope for is a draw (probably being saved by the light).

As a pure-minded old-fashioned Brit, I can’t imagine why the school computer should deny access to information about faggots – unless it’s concerned that you may be trying to feed an unhealthy fatty diet to the kids. A faggot is a chunky ball of chopped pork offal and belly bacon with a bit of egg and onion and any herbs or spices you care to add.. Served in a rich gravy with a helping of pease pudding, it’s a traditional British standby when you want a warming filling supper and haven’t much money to buy it with. This recipe looks pretty typical.

Early up on Day 5 it looked bad, then it looked promising and then it looked bad again for England. Was funny when the clouds were starting to thicken up a bit and you can hear the Barmy Army singing "Singing in the rain" lol.


I think I'm going to have to be a death's door form starvation to try eating a faggot. Haggis, black pudding, faggot ... how do people come up with these recipies??

I turned the radio on shortly before the lunch interval and thought things looked very bleak for England. By teatime, with Bell and Prior apparently well set and with Murali not having taken a wicket, I thought England stood a chance (especially as there was a likelihood of play being stopped by rain or bad light). Then they gave Murali the new ball and he made the breakthrough. A well-deserved win for Sri Lanka, I think.