Like one of those French films you see on late night television, the second Test promised much but ultimately provided little in the way of excitement.
“Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man.” And with those words in mind, here’s our second look at the world of the IPL.
The third in our series of end of season review looks at New Zealand. Was it truly a winter of discontent? Or was that just because it wouldn’t stop raining?
It was a rather splendid winter for Pakistan; for all their troubles and controversies on and off the pitch for several years now, it is a good feeling to be able to focus on the cricket.
Week Two of the Championship contained a lot of tremendously awful batting as everyone seems to have forgotten how to play proper cricket during the winter.
Way back in the fairly bleak midwinter, we offered each of the Test nations a mid-season report. Now that the clock is ticking over from the winter of 2011/12 to to the summer season of 2012 (with only the West Indies vs. Australia series outstanding), we thought it would be appropriate to give our verdict on how each side fared as they collected their air miles over the past six months or so.
For no particular reason apart from they are relatively fresh in our minds, we’ll start with Sri Lanka.
Australia’s victory over the West Indies in the first Test was so unlikely that it’s been compared to the mythical ‘Adelaide 06’ game that definitely didn’t happen. But can they win the second Test? And if so, will they compare it to other made up things, such as Steve Smith’s textbook forward defensive, the whole cat/screwdriver thing and the 51allout readership?
The Greatest Show on Earth is underway, and it isn’t just the County Championship going on at the moment. IPL 5 has landed too. It’s off and running like the lovechild of Owais Shah and Inzamam ul-Haq.
The West Indies were absolutely dominating the First Test…..till they cracked open the celebratory rum two days early and handed Australia a three wicket win.
The long-awaited latest instalment of the Alphabet XI’s arrives with a T side based around an English core, in tribute to their sensational winter’s cricket. It is not the most talented XI, but with a workmanlike top order surrounding a genius to provide the runs and perhaps the fastest attack of all, they are not to be underestimated.