Mark Tilley Media

New address

2010-10-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

Mark Tilley Media has moved. All existing content from this site plus additional articles are located at a new address:

www.marktilley.wordpress.com

It would be great if any links to this address could be updated accordingly. Many thanks.

MT

Alastair Cook – Time for the vice captain to become one of the greats

2010-07-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

The second half of England’s winter was notable for a tour to Bangladesh that had a 100% win record. Every international that England played, they won. Admittedly, the calibre of opposition wasn’t the highest – Bangladesh, though improving, are no Australia. But England were calm, efficient and they played their cricket in a professional and highly effective manner. They were also led by Alastair Cook, deputising for the absent Andrew Strauss. Cook, a man touted for the England captaincy almost from the morning of his Test debut, led them to a 3-0 one day series win and a 2-0 Test clean sweep, in which he racked up two hundreds in four innings.

Whilst many held reservations about his inexperienced captaincy, few could complain about his batting form. A Test best of 173 in Chittagong was followed by a match winning 109 not out in Dhaka as Cook, like so many before him, found the captaincy to be a positive influence on his game. Now that Strauss has returned to lead the team and Cook has returned to the ranks, what’s next for the young left hander? After a stellar start to his international career, his star has ever so slightly fallen. Despite the good recent form, the runs aren’t coming as prolifically as they once were and it only takes a couple of bad scores for the cynics to start questioning his value to the side.

Early success

Cook’s debut seems like a lifetime ago now. Drafted into the injury hit touring party in India in 2006, he made his debut in Nagpur and immediately had people talking. A sedate 60 followed by a classy 104 not out demonstrated a temperament that was ideally suited to the rigours of Test match cricket. He’d already set pulses racing the previous summer against the touring Australians when he raced to a double century in a single day and now he was confirming what those in the know had long suspected about him. His was an old head on young shoulders and he confirmed his promise with stylish hundreds against Pakistan that summer.

A chastening Ashes experience followed. Cook’s technique was brutally dissected by a rampant Glenn McGrath and his Australian colleagues, yet a fighting century in a losing cause in Perth enhanced his standing and hundreds against the West Indies the following summer put him statistically amongst the greats. At 22 years of age and with six Test centuries to his name, he was only two behind the number held by Sir Donald Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar at the same age. Cook was being earmarked as a fixture of the England side and as a future leader.

Problems and promotion

A tough period followed. Between December 2007 and February 2009, Cook failed to pass three figures. The fifties were coming with regularity but he was unable to capitalise on the numerous good starts. It was a frustrating time for him and the weight of expectancy was weighing heavily on his still young shoulders. The fiasco surrounding the England side at the time didn’t help. Coach Peter Moores and captain Kevin Pietersen were sacked after a dispute and, despite Cook’s promotion to vice captain under the new leadership of Strauss, he, like his team, were suffering.

There was soon to be, however, a brief return to big scoring. Cook hit an uncomplicated 139 not out in a bore draw with the West Indies in Barbados before racking up 160 in a win over the same opposition. Questions were still being raised about his technique, though, and particularly about his weaknesses around his off stump. A lean Ashes summer followed and after a double failure in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion, Cook’s place in the side was, for the first time, genuinely under threat. He responded in brilliant style with a gutsy century in the next Test to help set up victory and a pair of fifties in Cape Town confirmed to many that he had ironed out the flaws in his technique. Gone were the careless thrashes outside off stump. Back was the resolute concentration and desire for runs. As the England team were on the mend, so was Cook.

The next step

Though his numbers aren’t so atmospherically high as they once were, Cook is still statistically punching above his weight. 56 Test matches have brought him over 4000 runs and 12 centuries. He averages a very healthy 44. He’s led the team and put in match winning performances doing so. So what’s the next rung on the ladder for him?

Consistency would be a good start. Cook performed brilliantly with the bat in Bangladesh but for the return series in England last month, he failed to pass fifty. Admittedly, he only batted in three innings and was on the receiving end of some questionable umpiring decisions but he’ll know more than most how fickle the game can be. A couple more low scores could see the same panicking over his place from last summer. But it would be best for him to look forward.

Along with his opening partner Strauss, Cook is one of the bedrocks of this team and still one of the first names on the team sheet. His no-nonsense approach to accumulating runs can only be a positive for the side and if he is able to recapture the stratospheric form of his early England days, then the team will have rediscovered a precocious talent. The Ashes series in Australia this winter is a perfect opportunity for Cook to erase the demons of his last trip and to consolidate his standing as one of England’s finest. That’s what he should aspire to be – one of the greats.

They say that with great power comes great responsibility and, make no bones about it, Cook certainly carries the weight of responsibility. Be it responsibility to get England off to a good start or to help his captain in the field or to play his role as a senior figure. He is no longer the child batting talent of this side, fawned upon by the media. Cook has grown up. Time to start acting the part.

Time to step up to the next level.

(blokely.com, 2010)

Enough said

2010-07-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

What was it that changed England's one day fortunes?

2010-06-28T11:23:00.001-07:00

Cast your mind back to September. England had just won the Ashes and there was a glorious feel-good atmosphere reverberating around the game as the team headed into a seven match one day series with the wounded Australians. What followed next was akin to lambs heading to the slaughter. England were out-played, out-thought and out-muscled to the tune of a 6-1 series defeat, with the solitary win coming in the last game.

England were a spent force and their one day cricket looked bland and lacking in ideas. The batting was one dimensional and seemed to get bogged down to easily. All too often, England would crawl to a pitiful 70 or so after the first 20 overs, leaving too much work to be done by the rest of the team. The bowling, though impressive in patches, was ordinary and showed an inability to cope with aggressive batsmen.

England, so often the latecomers to the one day party, were at rock bottom and the situation didn’t look too hopeful. But less than a year later, we enter into another one day series with the old enemy and we’re brimming with confidence. Hell, we’ve even got a one day World Cup title to our name. So what has changed? What inspired this remarkable turnaround?

Aggression

Many credit the success of batsman Eoin Morgan as core aspect of England’s progression as a one day side. Dublin-born Morgan, who made his debut last year, revolutionised the side with his unorthodox and highly attacking style of play. His 67 off just 34 balls against South Africa really caught the eye of the cricketing world and the explosive performances that followed made him one of the few English players to earn a lucrative Indian Premier League contract.

Since Morgan’s inclusion in the side, England have played a new brand of exciting, attacking cricket. Players like skipper Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood, who were previously thought to be incapable of producing big-hitting innings, have transformed their one day games with aggressive shot selection. Naturally hard-hitting players such as Kevin Pietersen and Luke Wright have been allowed to let their strokeplay reign supreme.

And new players have been brought in to help accelerate this process. Craig Kieswetter, a wicket keeper known around the domestic game for his ability to blaze away at the top of the order, has been fast-tracked into the England side and has made an excellent start to his international career, hitting a century in only his third game.

Twenty20

Despite being the nation that gave Twenty20 cricket to the world, England have traditionally struggled in the shortest format of the game. But the new all-guns-blazing England have rapidly altered their T20 fortunes also. Choosing a bold selection policy for the World Twenty20 tournament in the Caribbean back in May, England produced a string of hugely impressive performances, mixing aggressive batting with intelligent bowling.

With players like Kieswetter, Pietersen and Morgan all regularly scoring at an extremely healthy rate, the bowlers were able to come into their own. Tim Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom, two players discarded by recent England selection policies, kept a lid on the opposition along with Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann. Though England’s game plan was evident, it was also highly effective and impossible to defend against.

England blazed their way into the final and held their nerve to turn out another highly efficient performance, taking the honours against Australia. It was a symbolic tournament win and England’s first major one day trophy. It showed that England had changed the way they approached limited overs cricket and that their bold new tactics were here to stay.

The future

So whilst England are involved in the current one day series with the Aussies, thoughts will surely be on the 50 over World Cup, scheduled for next February on the subcontinent. With the advent of Twenty20 cricket and the dwindling interest in the 50 over format, it could turn out to be England’s last chance of claiming a World Cup triumph. It is clear that planning has gone into England’s selection – the inclusion of a second spinner in Michael Yardy shows that England are prepping their team for the slow, spinning pitches that they will encounter next year.

And with players such as Pietersen and Collingwood hitting their peak, there remains a good chance that England could replicate their success of last month’s exploits in the Caribbean. However, the success they’ve had so far is one thing. Producing it consistently is the next challenge and England will need to show some self-belief should their new system occasionally fail to produce the goods.

Still, there’s much to be excited about and with young players like Kieswetter, Wright and Broad all certain to improve, English fans can look forward to a positive future. Gone are the days of slow scoring defeats and abject humiliations. England have a young and vibrant team that can achieve big things. Who knows? We could be celebrating another trophy in a years time.

(Blokely.com, 2010)

White Hart Lane

2010-06-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

White Hart Lane is the home of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, who play in the English Premier League and have a long-standing reputation for playing attractive football. Nicknamed 'Spurs', the North London side enjoy a great deal of support and are historically one of the most successful teams in English football history. They enjoy a fierce rivalry with neighbours Arsenal, though they are generally considered to be the weaker of the two teams at present. Tottenham have enjoyed a period of slow progress recently, however, and observers say that the gap between the clubs is narrowing. White Hart Lane is a comparatively small stadium with a capacity of approximately 36,240 but the club currently have plans to build a new, bigger ground very close to the current site. The new stadium is planned to hold around 55,000 supporters and will be considered as a host venue should England be awarded the 2018 World Cup. As a result of the huge fanbase and limited number of seats, tickets for Spurs matches are sometimes difficult to come by. Visit www.tottenhamhotspur.com for more details.

Address: Bill Nicholson Way, 748 High Road, N17 0AP

Telephone: 0844 499 5000

(LondonTown.com, 2010)

Friends Provident Twenty20: Surrey v Middlesex

2010-06-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

The stars of the international game descend on South London as the Surrey Lions host the Middlesex Panthers in a thrilling evening of high-octane Twenty20 cricket at The Brit Oval. As well as being a local derby with loads to play for, the game will be illuminated by the presence of some of the most explosive players in the world. Australian legend Adam Gilchrist should open the batting for Middlesex along with the big-hitting David Warner while middle-order powerhouse Andrew Symonds will want to get one over on his compatriots and help his Surrey team to a win. Both sides have been in sparkling form in this season's Friends Provident t20 tournament and will have high hopes of coming out on top at the Oval. One thing's for sure: expect fireworks and a shed load of sixes.

Address: The Brit Oval, Kennington, London, SE11 5SS

Telephone: 020 7820 5700

(LondonTown.com, 2010)

Hard-Hitting Hants Put Essex on the Back Foot

2010-06-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

Neil McKenzie provided the anchor around which Hampshire batted on an interesting first day's play at The Rose Bowl. McKenzie made a fine 83 before falling just before the close, on a day where several players got in but none were able to go on to the big score needed.

Hampshire, after winning the toss and electing to bat, began the day tentatively and paid the price early on. Opener Jimmy Adams departed for just 3, nicking one behind to James Foster off Maurice Chambers.

This brought Michael Lumb to the crease aiming to avoid his fourth consecutive duck in all formats, which he did with an early single. Despite recent stories circulating in the press regarding his availability for selection, Essex included Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria in their side and he produced a well executed maiden in his first over as Lumb and Michael Carberry tried to build a solid foundation after the early loss.

And build they did, taking advantage of perfect batting conditions under bright sunshine. They inched their way to a fifty partnership against a good Essex bowling unit that looked threatening early on. The pair expertly drew the sting from the away side’s attack, though, and headed into lunch with Carberry on 40, Lumb on 30 and Hampshire in a solid position on 82 for 1.

Essex struck immediately after the break, however, when Lumb, who had battled hard for his runs, was bowled by Kaneria. Undeterred, Carberry moved on to his fifty with a punch through the covers and a beautifully timed pull shot off David Masters, both shots travelling to the boundary. Despite looking in such good touch, he was out soon after, smashing a cover drive straight to Jaik Mickleburgh at extra cover, leaving Hampshire in a slightly precarious position.

New batsman James Vince made an instant impression with a regal drive through the covers and, before long, he and partner Neil McKenzie were regularly finding the boundary edge. Vince was particularly strong in the cover area and the pair put on an important fifty stand at a run rate of just over four and a half. But just as Vince was looking like he might go on to a big one, he failed to get on top of a short one from Chambers and was caught and bowled for an impressive 44.

Sean Ervine, promoted up the order, got going with a big heave for six over square leg. But, having played himself in for a few overs, he then got an edge to a spinning Kaneria delivery and was caught at slip by Essex skipper Mark Pettini for just 15. And captain Nic Pothas didn’t last for very long either, trapped lbw for just a single in Ravi Bopara’s first over of the day. Hampshire went into tea on 190-6, with McKenzie defiantly unbeaten on 38.

The final session of the evening saw Hampshire desperately needing to stick in and the tail needed to play around the established McKenzie.

Dominic Cork helped the South African take the score past 200 and the veteran even managed to loft Kaneria over long on for a mightily impressive boundary before cutting Bopara behind square on the off side.

McKenzie reached his fifty with a neatly steered single before a towering six from Cork off Ryan ten Doeschate brought up the fifty partnership as Hampshire fought back after those pre-tea break wickets. The new ball was taken by the away side but it was more of the same treatment as Cork moved into the 40’s with another boundary.

A flurry of boundaries, including a fiercely struck cover drive off a ten Doeschate full toss, advanced McKenzie’s score also, as Essex strived to break what had turned into an excellent partnership.

It may have taken a hint of fortune but Cork brought up an excellent fifty with a slice over the covers for four. Soon after the pair were exchanging handshakes in the middle after the hundred partnership was reached. But it wasn’t smiles for long - McKenzie’s long innings was brought to an end as he was bowled around his legs by the returning Bopara for 83.

Cork remained unbeaten on 54 alongside David Balcombe as Hampshire ended the day on 298-7.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2010)

Royals Beat Spitfires in Nail-Biting Finish

2010-06-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hampshire made the worst possible start to their run chase as Michael Lumb pulled the first ball from Stevens straight to the waiting fielder. Tight bowling from Stevens and Mahmood kept the pressure on the batsmen but a flurry of boundaries off Stevens’ second over kicked started the Royals’ run chase. However, after an assured start, Carberry was bowled by Simon Cook, leaving Hampshire teetering on 29-2.

Ervine joined Adams at the crease and the two put on a nerve-reducing partnership. Ervine looked particularly in the mood and found the fine leg area much to his liking, hitting identical boundaries. With almost half the runs made, Adams gave his wicket away, top edging a sweep off Tredwell straight to Khan at midwicket. Ervine was then dismissed in similar fashion and Hampshire looked to be feeling the heat out in the middle.

Razzaq joined McKenzie at the crease and the two took Hampshire to within 20 runs of their target with some clean striking and sensible running. Razzaq, known for his big hitting for Pakistan, deposited leg-spinner Bandara over midwicket for consecutive fours and looked to be steering the Royals home. But the returning Stevens had him caught behind as the nerves increased around the ground.

Needing a run a ball from the last three overs, Pothas and McKenzie calmly took Hampshire towards their victory target. Bandara’s last over was picked off for two boundaries and with two needed off the last three balls, Pothas ran one down to third man for the winning runs.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2010)

World Cup fever set to grip the nation

2010-05-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

With England’s failure to make an appearance at the last major international tournament, this summer’s World Cup is one of the most highly anticipated competitions in a long, long while. A plethora of world class talents will descend on South Africa for a month of gladiatorial footballing contests, with the glorious prize of being crowned world champions awaiting the victor. All we are required to do is watch and enjoy. But for Fabio Capello’s England, the task is eminently more demanding.

England arrive in the Rainbow Nation as third favourites to win the tournament, after an extremely strong qualifying phase. Pundits credit England’s revival largely to wise Italian coach Capello, who picked up the pieces from the shambolic Steve McClaren reign and transformed England into an extremely competent side.

Whereas in years past talents like Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were flattering to deceive on the international stage, Capello has got his big players firing once again. Known to be a strict disciplinarian, Capello has secured the respect and the obedience of the supposed egos in the England dressing room and, by doing so, has forged a team that is extremely difficult to beat.

But what hope do the Three Lions actually have in South Africa? Will it all end in penalty heartbreak once again, leaving a nation of beleaguered and disappointed fans? Let’s face it: no matter how good a side we may appear to be, England have a dreadful record in big tournaments. One thing Capello must be wary of is England’s tendency to choke at the big moments or to lose their self belief. If he can keep the player’s heads right, England could go far.

Historically, England tend to struggle through their group stage but with an opening three fixtures of USA, Algeria and Slovenia, things could and should be relatively smooth sailing. The second round appears to be negotiable, too. But it’s in the quarter finals where the path becomes rockier. France appear to be the likely opposition, if all goes as expected, and whilst Capello’s men shouldn’t fear them, they will provide an extremely stern test of England’s credentials. And it doesn’t get any easier, either, with the likes of Brazil, Spain and Holland all possibly in England’s way.

But, if England want to win the World Cup, they’ll have to find a way to beat the best teams. The form of Rooney is likely to be key. England’s talisman has been in outstanding form this season and is scoring goals for fun. The continuing threat of injury lurks over him like a bad smell but a fit and firing Rooney will make England lethal. He’ll need support, also, and senior players such as Lampard and Gerrard will need to stand up and be counted. Capello’s squad also has a youthful exuberance to it and Tottenham starlet Aaron Lennon could make a big difference down the right wing if selected.

Who are the players to fear? There’s a fair few lying around . Brazil’s world class playmaker Kaka represents a giant thorn in many team’s side with his all round ability, as does Argentina’s Leo Messi, recently crowned World Player of the Year. Spain possess a couple of deadly strikers in Fernando Torres and David Villa and don’t forget Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo either, a player who spent the last few years making Premier League defenders look daft. There are some dark horses who could also give England a few sleepless nights. Didier Drogba will ensure Ivory Coast are an tremendously dangerous outfit while Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, no strangers to English football, will relish coming up against the Three Lions in their first game.

Success or not, the World Cup promises to be a wonderful time for English fans as St Georges flags are proudly flown and patriotic fervour is at its highest. And, with a little bit of luck, it could just be our year. England have the right coach, the right players and the right attitude. What could possibly go wrong? Hold on to your seats.

(Chessington Chat, 2010)

Critically examine the link between cricket and politics since the 1970's

2010-04-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

In the modern era, sport and politics are often interlinked. With political figures attaching themselves to sporting achievements in an attempt to gain favour with the people they may represent or hope to represent, one may assume that this link is beneficial only to the men and women in political power. But with various sporting incidents over recent years holding a political slant, there is perhaps the notion that the two entities are inextricably linked and that any potential benefits are shared.

Cricket is a sport that has dipped into political affairs on more than one occasion over the course of its history. Controversial events on and of the pitch often have a tinge of global politics to them and it is no surprise that escalating conflicts have arisen from some of the most relatively trivial disputes. Over the course of this essay, I shall attempt to examine the link between cricket and politics since the 1970’s, taking a close look at some specific examples of cricketing incidents carrying a political theme.

To understand the political aspect of cricket, it is important to have knowledge of the scale of the game on a global stage. Cricket is popular all round the world, despite only being played by a handful of nations. In the Caribbean, cricket is the dominant sport with a majority of islands competing in the domestic leagues and the islands joining together to form the West Indies for Test matches. In Asia, cricket is a supremely popular sport with India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh all entertaining huge fan-bases. Australia, South Africa and New Zealand all enjoy good support, despite competition from sports like rugby and Aussie Rules football. Ironically, it is in England, the nation of its birth, where cricket is probably the lowest down on the pecking order of popular sports. Yet, Test matches in England still pull in good crowds.

Perhaps the best way to begin to understand the link is to understand the internal politics of cricket itself. This involves examining the various boards and institutional bodies that rule and regulate the game. Ehsan Masood provides an excellent account of the global politics of cricket in an article for open democracy.net:

“In a curiously democratic sort of way, while the MCC sets the rules, it does not enforce them. The twin roles of executive, judiciary (and much more) fall to a single organisation, the ICC, which is responsible for the game's umpires and referees, handling misconduct allegations, as well as training, development, sponsorship and negotiating TV rights. Until 2005, both the MCC and the ICC were based at the Lords cricket ground in London. But in August of that year the ICC moved to Dubai in what is seen as a deliberate push by the cricket governing bodies of Asia to break the symbolic dominance of England over ICC affairs.”

The occasional indifference between the Asian nations and the alleged sense of dominance from England is symbolic of the current state of distrust and frostiness between East and West in the world today. Respected cricket personality Simon Hughes claimed in 2006 that the Pakistan tour of England was significant as a ‘healing force’ and that the friendliness and camaraderie between the two sides was a positive image as the two sides of the world attempted to slowly reconnect. Hughes was speaking in the aftermath of the infamous ball tampering saga, a cricketing incident that had gargantuan political ramifications for the sport.

In the 4th Test match, with England batting in their second innings, Australian umpire Darrell Hair suddenly called for a replacement ball and awarded England five penalty runs. The decision was based on the suspicion from Hair that Pakistan players had tampered with the ball in an attempt to help their quest for English wickets. Severely aggrieved by the decision, the Pakistan side refused to take the field after the tea break - protesting at what they perceived was an insult to the character and to the sporting nature of their side. With no sight of the Pakistan team , umpire Hair removed the bails from the stumps in the middle and awarded the match to England. It was the first instance of a game being called off and awarded to one side by way of a team forfeit in the history of the sport.

The incident provoked furore from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and from observers all over the world. Pakistan captain Inzamam Ul-Haq, who was at the centre of the team protest, was charged with bringing the game into disrepute. Umpire Hair, who came under intense scrutiny, offered to resign from his role as umpire in exchange for a heavy cash sum but is request was exposed, piling more pressure onto the situation. Hair was eventually removed from the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) elite umpire panel, though that decision was eventually overturned after a court hearing. Years after the decision, the ICC decided to alter the official result of the match to a draw, after pressure from the PCB but then reversed the decision and changed the result back to an England win. Inzamam Ul-Haq said, on the U-turn from the ICC: “I think they [ICC] have made it a joke by changing the result and I don't rule out another change in the future. The PCB has also failed to take a stand against this change and they were also weak in handling this matter.”

Many who had witnessed that infamous day at The Oval cricket ground were astounded that a sport with a reputation from gentlemanly conduct and fair play had descended into such farce. Political figures were muscling their way in on the incident and were escalating to a situation which did no-one’s reputation any credit. It further strained relations between Pakistan and the ICC (East and West) and was a body-blow for anyone hoping that a good mannered and open series between England and Pakistan would help to ease tensions.

An alternative issue between cricket and politics is when the sport is forced to turn to politics for an answer and there is no greater example of this than in 2003 and the World cup in South Africa. England were due to play a fixture in Zimbabwe, a country with an appalling human rights record and a dictatorial leader in Robert Mugabe. England’s players felt morally obliged to consider whether they should play the game or not. In essence, if they played they would be actively supporting the Mugabe regime. Despite pleas from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to switch the fixture from Harare in Zimbabwe to a South African venue, the powers that be were unable to move the game.

England captain Nasser Hussain was faced with a difficult moral decision. There was no official British government stance that would prohibit England from playing the match - the decision was to be left at the hands of the players, who had received death threats from an organisation called the ’Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe’. Eventually, England decided not to play the game, risking their reputation amongst world cricket and their chances of competing effectively at the World Cup - the points from the game were awarded to Zimbabwe. New Zealand’s cricket team also decided to forgo their match in Kenya, due to security fears, and also paid the price of exiting the competition.

The issue of Zimbabwe in world cricket has long since been a thorny one. In their opening game of the 2003 World Cup, players Henry Olonga and Andy Flower both wore black armbands and proclaimed that they were ‘mourning the death of democracy in Zimbabwe’. Both players subsequently retired from cricket in the country and chose to play oversees. Olonga claimed that to continue playing in Zimbabwe would be “condoning the grotesque human rights violations that have been perpetrated - and continue to be perpetrated - against his fellow countrymen.” With England taking the first step, countries have since no longer toured Zimbabwe and the Test status of the nation has been revoked. The decision is not a slight against Zimbabwean cricket in any way but it is a firm and conscientious decision to take a moral and a political stand against the continued oppression from Mugabe.

An early example of cricket and politics mixing circles comes from 1970 and the suspension of South Africa from international cricket due to its government’s policy of apartheid. The racial tensions that were present in South Africa at the time led to their cricket team only fielding white players and only competing against white nations such as England, Australia and New Zealand. They were kept out of international cricket for a period of 21 years until the apartheid policy was abandoned and South Africa were allowed to compete on a global scale again. The ban meant that some of the country’s greatest ever players such as Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock would never have a chance to grace Test match cricket. The decision also led to South African born players with foreign parenthood leaving the country to play cricket for other countries - Robin Smith and Allan Lamb both became influential players for England.

During the ban, South Africa also refused to allow Basil D’Oliveira the chance to tour the country. D’Oliveira was a South African born player who moved to England and qualified to play for his adopted country. However, because of his race, the South African government refused to allow him to come on England’s tour. England hadn’t picked him in their side as an attempt to maintain cricketing ties with South Africa (an extremely politically influenced decision). They cited his ability as the reason he was not picked but many saw through the excuse. However, injury to another player meant that England officially selected him and with the South African government unrepentant on the issue, the tour was cancelled - an incident that has since been seen as something of a watershed in the sporting boycott of apartheid South Africa.

Despite the breakdown of apartheid, South African cricket is still littered with racial and political concerns. In an effort to encourage non-white cricket players, South African cricket have employed a quota system which means that the national side has to feature a select number of non white players. There have been many opposed to this move and some players have taken the drastic step of leaving South Africa in order to play. Kevin Pietersen is the most noteworthy example. He left South Africa, disillusioned with the system and convinced that it would hinder his chances of playing top level cricket. He moved to England and qualified to play through his English mother. Since the move, Pietersen has developed into one of the finest players of his generation and has even captained his adopted country on occasion. His move has set the precedent for a number of players to try their luck in England with Somerset wicket keeper Craig Kieswetter the latest South African born player to make his debut for England. Whilst not all players who make the move are as vocal in their criticism of the quota system as Pietersen has been, it is a clear indication that some white players in South Africa feel under pressure to leave.

Nowadays, despite the quota system being officially binned, South African cricket is full of non-white players who flourish in the side. Ashwell Prince, JP Duminy, Loots Bosman and Vernon Philander are just a number of players who have been extensively involved in the side in recent years. The relatively liberal state of South African cricket is such that one of their leading batsmen, Hashim Amla, is a Muslim. But the racial tensions do still exist, even if they aren’t as prominent. Makhaya Ntini was a non-white fast bowler and one of the stars of the side for much of the last decade. But age and a rapid decline in form led to the question of his selection being raised. Ntini was and still is a leading role model for non-whites all over South Africa and there was the fear that his non-selection would lead to many becoming less interested or disillusioned with the side. Eventually, it was decided that Ntini should be dropped. And it remains to be seen what effect the decision will have on cricket and politics in South Africa.

Perhaps the biggest link between cricket and politics is one of security. Security, in this context, is referring to the safety of the teams in locations where many may have reason to be wary of that safety. For instance, last year’s Indian Premier League was moved from India to South Africa because of fears over the player’s safety. In 2008, a bomb blast by rogue militants in a Mumbai hotel caused England to abandon the last two games of their one day series in India and to reconsider whether they should come back weeks later to take part in the Test series. Consideration was given from a number of angles, both cricketing and political. Middlesex County Cricket Club, who were due to play in India also, were advised by the British foreign office not to. ECB media relations manager Andrew Walpole claimed at the time: “We will be guided by the foreign office. We need to get a clearer idea of what the situation is before we react further.” Eventually, on the advice of their own security consultant, Reg Dickason, England decided to return to India and to play the two Test matches. Their return was heralded as the correct diplomatic decision and the success (for the Indian team) in the series was cited as a perfect rebuttal to those who had threatened the safety of everyone involved.

If cricket is to be seen as a healing power, then the world is better off for it and the link between cricket and politics is a relationship that has the potential to benefit many. There remains, however, the thorny issues that people in touch with the game attempt to avoid. The Zimbabwe debate will run and run for as long as Robert Mugabe remains in power and it’s a difficult issue to resolve. For all the hope of not stunting the growth of Zimbabwean cricket, openly welcoming them into the international cricket family and playing games in their country would be akin to warmly shaking the hand of their tyrannical dictator.

There is little doubt that cricket will have to endure the ongoing mix of politics for a long while yet. Whereas most sports have to simply put up with the odd politician jumping on their individual bandwagons, cricket faces issues that have a direct and uniform link to the political world. Be it furore over selection policies, national security or simply a team threatening to pull out of the remainder of a tour because one of their players was accused of being a racist (India’s Harbhajan Singh was banned in 2008 for alledgedly calling Australia’s Andrew Symonds a ‘monkey’), cricket has to face up to issues of a political theme on a regular basis. It remains to be seen what and when the next international incident will be.

(University essay on Sport, Media and Culture, 2010)

Battling Solent overcome esteemed hosts

2010-04-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Team Solent's cricketers recorded a famous and moraleboosting 34 run victory over the Hampshire second XI, a team that featured first team players Kabir Ali and James Tomlinson.

In a landmark victory for the side, Solent showed remarkable character to overcome their esteemed opponents and are now in excellent form for the start of their upcoming season.

Team Solent coach Dave Yelling was proud of his players: "There’s not many sides who come here and get a big win. It was a really strong performance by a really strong university side."

Solent captain Will Adkin lost the toss and was invited to bat first by Hampshire skipper Tomlinson.

Mindful of the difficulty pacing a 50 over innings, openers Morton and Hill forged a solid opening stand, taking the score to 97 and seeing off the opening spell from one-time England Test player Ali.

Morton, something of a veteran in the Solent side, gave an excellent demonstration of his ability with a series of confident shots against the new ball.

He holed out for a splendid 66 soon after his partner had been trapped LBW but wicket keeper Cater arrived at the crease and played a calm innings, sharing fifty stands with skipper Adkin and middle order batsman Mohod.

He ground his way to an invaluable 69, mixing big shots with sensible running and drove Solent on to a hugely competitive total of 279-6.

Kabir Ali found himself in the unfamiliar position at the top of the order for Hampshire as they set about chasing 280 to win and immediately gave an indication of his class as he set about the wayward Solent new ball bowling. 10 extras were conceded in the first four overs of Hampshire’s reply and the fielders did not assist matters with a succession of dropped chances.

The partnership was broken by Morton with the score on 96, bringing regular number eleven Tomlinson to the crease at first drop. The established pair set about counter attacking Solent’s bowling with a series of explosive and assured shots.

More poor catching threatened to hamper Solent’s chances of victory but when Ali was dismissed 19 short of a hundred, Solent were back in the hunt.

As the required run rate skyrocketed, Hampshire players proceeded to throw away their wickets. Spinner Afzal picked up a match winning 3-47 as he dismissed Ali, Tomlinson and tailender Haggaty and also contributed a spectacular run out.

Skipper Adkin chipped in with three wickets, running through the Hampshire middle order and Solent bowled out their opponents for 245 with just under four overs to spare.

Opener Morton was immensely proud of his team’s accomplishment: "The future students at Solent will see that we play matches against Hampshire and it will attract them to the university.

"Comparing now to what it was four or five years ago, we have many more cricketers that come to the university then what we did back then."

(Solent Speaker Online, 2010)

Madchester scene revived..?

2010-03-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

Over the years, Manchester has produced a multitude of exceptional musical talent. Oasis, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, New Order, etc – the list of bands slowly emanating out of the northern city reads like a who’s who of musical rock royalty. Delphic, a Manchester four-piece, look set to continue this trend and their debut album Acolyte could well be the perfect springboard for further success.

Shortlisted as one of 15 acts for the BBC Sound of 2010, Delphic are set to take the UK indie dance scene by storm. Described by many an expert as ‘the new New Order’, Delphic are able to produce a sound eerily reminiscent of their Manchester forefathers and Acolyte is a magnificent first up effort, with soaring melodies and ridiculously infectious dance hooks.

Doubt, the second song on the album, immediately sets the tone for the rest of the piece with lead singer James Cook’s vocals taking the listener to euphoric highs and he matches the intensity of the chorus melody tone for tone. Red Light is another contagiously brilliant song in that as soon as the main riff kicks in it’s almost impossible not to get off your feet and dance along to the free-flowing beats. It’s a song typical of the entire album - not necessarily one for the ages but one to immediately set pulses racing.

Listening to Acolyte is one thing. Seeing them live, leading their audience on a trail of brilliant indie melodies, is another treasure altogether. Their recent UK tour culminated in an intimate but no less thumping performance at Southampton University and they wowed the packed in crowd with a flawless set. It’ll be interesting to see where Delphic can go from here. Following up an album as instantly popular as this one could prove to be a Herculean task. But for now, they need not worry. Acolyte has put them on a wave of immediate success and it’s difficult to see that wave dying out anytime soon.

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

Southampton voted friendliest city

2010-03-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

Prospective students moving to Southampton need not worry about settling in on the south-coast as the city has been voted the friendliest and most welcoming in the country.

The study was commissioned by hotel chain Jurys Inn, as part of National Tourism Week, and saw Southampton top a list of 30 UK cities. Fellow south-coast city Portsmouth was voted 10th on the list whereas capital city London came bottom of the pile.

4,000 people from the 30 cities were quizzed on their views and it emerged that Southampton citizens are viewed as having excellent etiquette and superb customer service skills. Residents in the south-coast city also believed it’s more important to have good manners than anyone else polled.

Student Chris Hilton, 20, studies at Solent University and has been a resident of Southampton all his life: “I think it’s excellent that Southampton has been named the friendliest city in the UK and it’s definitely deserved. I’ve lived here all my life and can’t imagine a nicer city. It’s an excellent environment in which to both live and study. It doesn’t surprise me at all that residents in this city are considered the most welcoming. Students coming to Southampton should look forward to living in such welcoming atmosphere.”

A spokesperson for Jurys Inn said: “With London’s spot at the bottom of the list and the Olympics only two years away, the capital may need some tips from the friendly people of Southampton. It’s interesting that the top five most welcoming places are all coastal cities. First impressions are so important when travelling to a city - a lot can be learnt about a place simply walking down a street, and carrying out daily tasks helps you gauge how receptive the people are.”

UK’S MOST WELCOMING CITIES

1. Southampton
2. Norwich
3. Exeter
4. Brighton
5. Plymouth
6. York
7. Oxford
8. Nottingham
9. Derby
10. Portsmouth

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

Carberry Makes Solid England Debut

2010-03-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

Hampshire’s Michael Carberry may not have stolen all the headlines on his Test debut this morning but he certainly made a positive impression and rewarded the selectors' faith in him.

Opening the batting with the stand-in captain Alastair Cook, Carberry wasted no time and immediately set about attacking the Bangladeshi new ball bowling. He took three fours in an over from Rubel Hossain and gave England an assured and fluent start that they would later build heavily upon.

With the opening partnership on 72 he was given out for 30, lbw to Mahmudullah attempting to sweep. But despite missing out on the big score his excellent start had merited, Carberry can be satisfied with his morning's efforts and will hope to progress further in his next England innings.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2010)

David vs Goliath: a south coast university rivalry

2010-03-09T05:58:00.000-08:00

Local rivalries are a curious phenomena. Born primarily out of geographical proximity, the hatred between opposing camps can verge from the jovial to the fiercely passionate. There can be other factors involved, too - factors that add extra spice to the already sizzling cauldron of dislike. Class wars. Sporting achievements. Academic pedigree. All of these contribute to the somewhat inherent nature of the standoff. And when it comes to Southampton Solent University and the University of Southampton, one can expect much of the same.

I’ve been at Solent for almost three years now and have only ever had sporadic encounters with ‘them lot up the road’. Not having been part of any University sports teams, I’ve had no personal experience of the sporting enmity between the two sides, even if friends have described the derby games as ‘unfriendly’. But I have discovered from my occasional meetings with students from the University of Southampton that there is an apathy between the two educational institutes.

It’s a rivalry so strong that nicknames have been coined by the opposing sides. Solent revel in their reference to Uni students as ‘V-Necks’ and the Uni doubtless have a similar choice nickname for Solent students. The V-Neck nickname stems from a class rivalry – the stereotypical Southampton Uni student seen to be privately educated, upper class and pompous. The belief is that Southampton Uni students look down on the Solent public - an article for their online paper Wessex Scene last year rudely described Solent students as the ‘Kaos rabble’.

However, it must be said that there certainly is a small element of an inferiority complex on the Solent side of things. Being only a recently established University, they fall under the considerable shadow of Southampton University’s long-standing reputation and accomplishment. It’s a hard old slog competing for acclaim when your neighbours are one of the most reputable universities in the country. But where Solent may fall behind in academic achievement, where else does the abhorrence come from?

Let’s examine it from a sporting perspective. Derby clashes between the two universities are the highlight of the sporting calendar. Many a Solent student has fond memories of the famous 2008 rugby varsity victory over the V-Necks – a win that sparked wild and vociferous celebrations from Solent fans in attendance. Third year student Tom Tainton has dined out on his last minute winning try in that game for almost two years now and he considers the derby to be of utmost importance to all Solent students. “It’s one of the games that everyone gets themselves up for. Beating the V-Necks is a special feeling and the players put in everything they possibly can, as I’m sure is the case across all the sports. Southampton take it just as seriously, I can assure you. I think they see losing to us as something of an embarrassment.”

But if sporting achievement is the yardstick by which bragging rights will be judged, then perhaps Southampton Uni still hold all the aces. Solent currently lie in 83rd place in the BUCS Overall Championship points table – a full 64 places behind their neighbours. The V-Necks have also enjoyed their fair share of derby success since that Varsity victory of ’08. The most recent Solent disappointment came from a rugby defeat administered by the Southampton University 3rd XV over the Solent firsts and relations were further strained by the dissolution of the previously merged American football team, the Southampton Stags. With the growing sense that the Uni are continually staring down their noses at their Solent counterparts, the rivalry isn’t set to go away anytime soon.

It’s an interesting subject. Southampton Uni is clearly the more established institution but the sense is that the power of this reputation may have gone to a few heads. The arrogant sneering of a number of their students towards Solent attendees has only served to cause further friction and their continual mocking of Solent’s recent history as an ‘institution’ and not a university is surely starting to get old. In a city that houses thousands of students there must be an element of the students being able to co-exist. I myself know some Southampton Uni students who live and socialise with Solent students. If this can be the case and the petty bickering can cease in these examples, it begs the question: why can’t we just all get along?

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

The Speaker comments... The fall and fall of Portsmouth FC

2010-03-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

There must be something in the water on the South Coast. Either that or just a long series of catastrophic business decisions.

Last week saw the spectacular fall from grace of Portsmouth FC who, after months of speculation and a season of terrible results, finally entered the dreaded realms of administration - the first Premier League team to suffer this fate.

Almost a year after the similar decline of fierce local rivals Southampton, Pompey have paid the price for a string of questionable financial moves. A multitude of inflated player wages and expensive signings have piled on the misery for the Hampshire club and the arbitrary nine point deduction has effectively sealed their relegation to the second tier of English football.

Their demise is eerily reminiscent to what Southampton suffered from last season. Administration brought about their relegation to League One and only a new owner and a mid season flourish have seen them partially recover. Fellow south coast club Bournemouth also entered administration two years ago. Now, with debts of over £60 million, Portsmouth have gone the same way.

So with whom does the blame lie? With their 2008 FA Cup success came the demand from the fans for further improvement. Then manager Harry Redknapp was told he had money to spend and promptly spent it. The likes of Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch were signed for tall fees and proportionally tall wages. Having a succession of unsuccessful owners can’t have helped matters either and all the promise of investment couln’t paper over the fact that staff weren’t getting paid.

Relegation will almost certainly see the departure of the handful of decent players Portsmouth have at their disposal. Fans will be praying that their club can recover quickly.

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

Study shows students cannot name Labour leader

2010-03-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

A poll has indicated that a third of students are unaware that Gordon Brown is the leader of the Labour Party.

The survey, carried out by student accommodation providers Unite, also showed found that a similar proportion failed to identify David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party.
The figures will come as a worry to those concerned about the level of interest in national politics amongst the nation’s younger generation.

And although The National Union of Students have denied students are completely unconcerned with political matters, the poll also suggests that almost half of students will not bother voting in the upcoming general election.

President of the NUS, Wes Streeting, told the BBC: "In many seats up and down the country the student vote has made a decisive difference in previous general elections and will do so again.

“There is a wealth of evidence to show that students care about politics and realise its impact upon their lives such as fees and housing, particularly when it comes to those who seek to charge them more for less.

"Last year, research by Opinionpanel showed that a political party's position on tuition fees would affect how 79% of students would vote in a general election. This is hardly indicative of an apathetic and out-of-touch student population."

In an interesting find, the survey also discovered a quarter of students believed actress Joanna Lumley and business mogul Sir Alan Sugar would do a better job running the country than the current candidates.

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

Lumb Century for Lions

2010-02-25T08:34:00.000-08:00

Michael Lumb delivered his finest performance of the England Lions tour by far as he fired a thrilling hundred to see his side through to a three wicket win over Pakistan A in Dubai.

Chasing 232 to win the match and level the series, the Lions stuttered on 56-3 but Lumb held firm and found a willing partner in Leicestershire batsman James Taylor. The pair put on a match-defining 109 run stand, swinging the game back in the Lions’ favour. Taylor departed for 61 but Lumb continued on to a superb 110, hitting 6 fours and a six.

The Lions nearly undid their good work in a chaotic final over. Needing just two to win, Lumb was dismissed before Steve Davies was clean bowled and Chris Woakes was run out. But David Wainwright and Adil Rashid held their nerve to scamper home via a leg bye and bring victory to the delight of the whole team.

Lumb said after the match: "It was a good win for the boys today. I thought it was a fair score on this wicket, maybe we could have put a bit more pressure on them at the death but thought we bowled pretty well. We knew we needed a couple of big partnerships if we were going to chase down that sort of total and it was pretty special getting a hundred.

"We're 1-1 going into the last game so we did the job today and Friday is a really big game for us. They're a good side and we'll need to play good cricket to beat them but we know that we're capable of it and it would be great to leave here with another series win."

The Lions had earlier put in a disciplined performance with the ball to restrict Pakistan A to 231-8. After Steven Finn had dismissed former Test opener Mohammed Hafeez, Pakistan A adopted a safety-first approach and the bowlers had to work hard for their wickets. Finn and Sajid Mahmood picked up two each and there was a wicket apiece for Wainwright, Rashid and Peter Trego. Despite a late assault, the Lions had given themselves an excellent chance - a chance that Lumb ensured was not wasted.

England Lions face Pakistan A in the final 50-over match of the series on Friday.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2010)

Hot Chip create hot new album

2010-02-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

In the world of British electro pop, Hot Chip stand out as one of the industry’s front runners. And their fourth album One Life Stand only confirms this ideal. Overflowing with infectious floor filling beats, the album represents some of the London five-piece’s best work.

Their aptitude for producing insanely catchy pop hooks is what keeps people streaming back for more and fans will not be disappointed with this latest offering. With every song brimming with energy, One Life Stand tells it’s story in the most synth-pop way possible. The story is that of the unique power of love and the album’s title track sees front man Alexis Taylor’s delicate and sometimes faint vocals tell that story in a perfectly suitable manner.

The middle part of the album has the band try their hand at a number of slower and more subtle attempts. Brothers, Slush and Alley Cats offer an insight into Hot Chip’s vast musical capabilities, still contagiously enjoyable but with less emphasis on disco beats and more on raw emotion.

But when it comes to what they do best, Hot Chip hit the proverbial nail on the head, as what they do best is provide music to dance to. We Have Love is an urgent yet somehow laid back number that forcefully picks you up and urges you onto the dance floor. For sheer impact, I Feel Better is one of the standout tracks. With the earnestly constructed vocals in the chorus and dramatic, sculpted beats that follow, the song is guaranteed to strike a chord with many a listener.

As one of the early releases of 2010, a lot of responsibility sits on the shoulders of these talented synth-poppers. With this mellow, mature effort, they’ve certainly released an album that’s force will continue to be felt all year long.

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

Cameraderie the key to success for Solent Hockey

2010-02-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

Solent hockey captain Matt Ireland has claimed the strong bond within the team is the reason for the side’s excellent form this season. The men’s team are yet to drop a single point from their seven league games so far and are in with a superb chance of winning the division.

Ireland said: “I think the main reason for the team achieving what we have this season is due to the vibe going around. Everyone gets on with each other really well and this makes us bond and communicate well on the pitch. We take care to play as a team, not as individuals, which is very important.”

Club captain Ireland has been an ever present for Solent over the last three years and feels the influx of fresh talent has been crucial to the team’s success. “We’ve had a number of really talented new players come into the squad this year which has definitely helped. In my three years in being here, I would have to say this is the best squad we’ve assembled so far. The team has progressed throughout the season in the best possible way, with seven wins out of seven and not dropping a point - you can’t really get much better than that.”

Despite disappointment in the cup, losing to Bournemouth in the quarter finals, the season has still been an overwhelming triumph for Solent. And Ireland says the season and the entire hockey experience has been extremely fulfilling. “It’s a good way to get to know people. We take our hockey very seriously but off the pitch, there’s always a big social scene with everyone mixing together. We’re hoping to go on tour to Bournemouth this year over Easter. It’s good to tour as a whole club as all the teams go together and the entire squad mixes together. I would say joining a sports team is definitely worth it to be able to play the sport that you enjoy and meet people who also enjoy it.”

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

Michael Lumb fires Lions to victory over England

2010-02-17T13:10:00.000-08:00

Michael Lumb continued his good progress with the England Lions, hitting two boundaries from the last two balls of his side’s run chase to seal an impressive victory against the full England side in Abu Dhabi.

Lumb, who had to depart injured midway through his innings, sealed the win in supreme style making a classy 58 not out off 35 balls. And it will fuel growing calls for his promotion to the full national side for the ICC World Twenty20 in April.

Adil Rashid’s three wicket burst had choked the England scoring rate and they required Luke Wright’s blistering late assault to carry them to a competitive but achievable 157 for 6. Lumb and opening partner Craig Kieswetter immediately set about hunting down the total with a flurry of early boundaries. But when Lumb was struck on the face by a Stuart Broad bouncer whilst on 40, he was forced to retire hurt and the Lions chase subsequently stuttered.

Kieswetter continued scoring despite the loss of captain Andrew Gale and Ian Bell. And when Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry also fell, Lumb rejoined his opening partner at the crease. Together they took the score to within 13 of the target when Kieswetter fell to Ryan Sidebottom. Lumb needed 14 off the final over from Wright and despite losing partner Peter Trego to the first ball, he struck an important boundary off the second and brought up his fifty the next ball.

With 8 needed off 2 balls, Lumb took control and sealed victory for the Lions in sublime fashion with two boundaries. The plaudits may well go to Kiewswetter for his brilliant 81 but Lumb certainly deserves equal credit. With 8 fours and 2 sixes Lumb played an integral role in the Lions victory and kept his cool when others may have panicked. His courage at having returned after injury will also have alerted the selectors to his temperament.

With every excellent innings it seems only a matter of time before Lumb is given his due rewards and is selected by England.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2010)

Drivers flagged up over window signs

2010-02-12T03:54:00.000-08:00

Southampton taxi drivers have been told they face being suspended if they do not remove St George flags that state they are ‘English-speaking’ drivers.

Drivers claimed that the signs were put up as some passengers complained that other drivers around the city were unable to speak English properly. But, despite drivers claiming the signs were not intended to be deliberately racist, ethnic minority drivers and members of the public have registered their complaints. City council officials have requested that the signs be taken down or the drivers face suspension.

Councillor Brian Parnell, Chairman of Southampton City Council’s Licensing Committee, said: “The drivers displaying the signs will be asked to take them down. If they do not do this, they will be given five days to do so. It will be looked at in a very serious manner.” Parnell also mentioned how the taxi drivers themselves had raised the issue in the first place. “It was the taxi drivers that brought it up at the trade consultation meeting rather than members of the public.”

Opinion amongst the city’s cab drivers is mixed, with some angry over the potentially racist nature of the signs. Ahmed, a driver for Radio Taxis, said: “I am really very angry, I can’t believe it. I can’t see what the idea behind this is. It’s very racist and it’s absolutely promoting an anti multi-cultural society. People should not encourage drivers who carry the signs.”

However, Tom, who also drives for Radio Taxis, disagreed: “The stickers in the windows aren’t racist. It’s a way for drivers to back at the council for letting standards drop with new employees.”

Council officers have spoken with several drivers and some have agreed to remove the signs. All prospective taxi drivers in Southampton have to pass a communications test to gain a licence and undergo a ‘knowledge’ test of the city.

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

Lumb top scores for Lions

2010-02-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

He spent last summer blazing the ball all over the park in the domestic Twenty20 competition in England. Now Michael Lumb has continued where he left off in the shortest format of the game, top scoring for the England Lions in their first tour match against United Arab Emirates A in Sharjah.

Coming in at number three after a reasonable platform had been set by openers Steve Davies and Craig Kieswetter, Lumb took the attack to the opposition in the manner that Hampshire fans have been accustomed to last season. He hit 3 fours and a six as he racked up 42 off 32 balls before being run out. His contribution allowed the rest of the England batsman to pile up an imposing total of 184 for 6, a score that UAE A were unable to even approach.

Lumb opened for Hampshire in domestic Twenty20 last season but adapted his game excellently to suit his new role at first drop for the Lions. And his assured performance will add to the growing calls for his inclusion in the full England side. A free flowing and naturally attacking batsman, Lumb could offer England a mode of attack similar to that provided by Eoin Morgan, another left hander, who has been wowing English fans over the winter.

Lumb’s talent is starting to be recognised on the world stage. His former Hampshire captain Shane Warne was quick to snap him up for the Rajasthan Royals for this season’s Indian Premier League, where he‘ll play alongside his current skipper Dimitri Mascarenhas. Lumb is one of only a handful of English players who will appear at the tournament, confirming his reputation as one of England’s top Twenty20 specialists.

More performances like the first one in Sharjah and Lumb’s international stock will continue to rise.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2010)

The Speaker Comments... New signings make Hampshire a genuine force

2010-02-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

With the 2010 County Cricket Championship fast approaching, attention will soon be turning away from England’s travels and on to the domestic game. And fans of Hampshire can be quietly optimistic with their chances this season.

With a plethora of new signings on board, the south coast county boasts a stellar line-up. Having secured the services of ex-England fast bowler Simon Jones, Hampshire coach Giles White quickly added Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis as the clubs overseas player for the season. Mendis is one of world cricket’s most promising young players and his capture can be seen as a huge plus for the county.

But they weren’t done there. The Hawks were also able to add explosive Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi as their overseas player for the Twenty20 Cup. Afridi is known to be one of the most dangerous players in the shorter form of the game and rival counties will already be dreading coming up against him in full flow. They also snapped up fast bowler Kabir Ali from Worcestershire and ex-South African opening batsman Neil McKenzie to complete what is shaping up to be a fearsome team.

Having won the Friends Provident Trophy and reached the quarter finals of the Twenty20 Cup last season, Hampshire already have a strong pedigree in limited overs cricket. But it’s the four day game that the Hawks want to master. Having briefly flirted with relegation last season, they fought their way to a sixth place finish. And with the shrewd additions to the squad, there’s every chance of success.

Along with the new signings, they have a fine group of current players, mixing seasoned experience with youthful promise. The likes of James Vince, Danny Briggs and David Griffiths represent a fine future for the club alongside the more veteran names like Nic Pothas and captain Dimitri Mascarenhas. If Hampshire can build on the steady progress of last season then it could be a interesting summer down at The Rose Bowl.

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

Ervine Rocks Zimbabwe

2010-02-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

With the off season winding towards a close, some of Hampshire’s players have been busy plying their trade overseas during the winter. A number have been involved with England’s various national sides. Others have been honing their skills in domestic competitions around the world. And someone has simply returned to their country of birth to rack up some big runs.

Sean Ervine, returning to his native Zimbabwe to play for the Southern Rocks franchise, made his mark immediately and in some style, crashing a glorious 208 in the first innings and a near match winning 160 in the second, on debut against the Mid West Rhinos.

In the first innings, Ervine made his way to the wicket with his side in dire straits having lost three wickets with the score on just 13. But despite that, Rose Bowl favourite Slug, put on a mammoth 178 run partnership with his brother Craig, who made 81, and took his side from the abyss to a healthy first innings lead.

It was his highest First Class score and rescued the Southern Rocks in an innings where they looked like crumbling into submission. Ervine had a successful 2009 season with Hampshire, scoring three hundreds and building on his reputation as a rock himself in the middle order. An average of 40 helped him become the Hawks’ fourth highest run scorer of the year. He was part of the ‘rebel’ group of cricketers that openly clashed with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union in 2004 and he left to start a new cricketing life in Australia and England.

Ervine’s debut innings for his new side will have re-established his status as one of his country’s finest cricketers. Joining his younger brother at Southern Rocks will give him a perfect opportunity to play himself into form and to get himself match fit for the upcoming English domestic season. With the plethora of new signings Hampshire have made Ervine will be aware that competition for places will be tough so his stint in Zimbabwe could be the perfect preparation for another high quality season.

Ervine also had a say with the ball on his first match back home. He took 1 for 37 in the Rhinos’ first innings, dismissing opposition captain Vusi Sibanda for just 10. After his considerable batting heroics, which earned his side an important 107 run lead, he claimed 2 for 63 as the Rhinos set about making up the difference. Ervine managed to remove the dangerous Brendan Taylor but only after Taylor had blasted his way to a thrilling 217.

Chasing 337 to win, Southern Rocks once again found themselves in trouble. However, Ervine once again responded in earnest. An audacious display saw Sean hit 17 fours and a six to register his second century of the match. A late collapse denied Southern Rocks victory with Ervine eventually dismissed for 160 in the dying stages and the game ended in a draw. But despite the match not going entirely his team’s way, he has put in a whole-hearted individual performance and this can be no bad thing for Hampshire fans.

The Rose Bowl will be hoping for much more of the same from Slug in the coming season.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2010)

Jamaica tour proves perfect preparation

2010-02-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Solent cricket captain Tom Morton claims that the January tour to Jamaica was he perfect preparation for the upcoming domestic season.

A 16-man squad travelled to the Caribbean island for a tournament organised by UTech University in the capital, Kingston. Solent played two Twenty20 matches, unfortunately slipping to defeat in both. But Morton feels the experience the squad gained the tour will be invaluable.

"We lost both games, the second game only by one ball. We all felt like we should have won the second game, it was a really close finish. It was difficult as we were in the middle of our off season and none of us had properly trained. In comparison, the sides we faced had alot of time to prepare and had played alot of competitive cricket in the process."

Morton insisted that the gulf in class between Solent and the opposition wasn't as great as the results suggest. "The league we played in last season would have been as good, if not better, than the standard of what we faced in Jamaica. But the sides out there were still very good. Each team had two fast bowlers which is different to what we face in the UK where there are more medium pace bowlers. These differences provided excellent practice for our batsmen and I feel the whole team handled the conditions and circumstances really well."

After the success of the event the previous year, the tournament was opened up to teams from around the world this year, although Solent were the only side from outside the Caribbean. Former West Indies Test bowler Courtney Walsh was an ambassador for the tournament and was present at the opening ceremony.

In their first game, Solent batted first and made 108-8 form their allotted 20 overs. Their opponents, GC Foster College, chased down the total winning with 6 overs to spare and a total of 8 wickets remaining. In the second match, Solent posted 111-9 and made opponents MICO University College work hard chasing the win but, despite taking the match to the last over, they were unable to stop the Jamaicans scoring the single they needed for victory.

Morton feels the trip provided a good opportunity for the team to play some competitive cricket before the season. "It was a fantastic experience. A lot of people hadn't played in conditions like that before because the surface was different. The wicket was literally rolled mud and it was good learning how to bat and bowl in different conditions, playing against different types of cricketers. Being in Jamaica and experiencing the culture out there was fantastic."

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

Solent students in Hampshire CCC link

2010-02-06T14:25:00.001-08:00

Reporting on cricket matches can be a tough art to master but for Solent University students there is a fine opportunity to hone such skills. Hampshire County Cricket Club last year offered the chance for a selection of Solent students to work on a voluntary basis at the club and the success of the scheme has resulted in the initiative being offered again this year to another generation of budding Solent journalists and sports writers.

Students provided live match reports from The Rose Bowl, post game interviews, video and other content for the club website, whilst under the watchful eye of cricket journalist Jane Cable and Rose Bowl Marketing Executive Kevin Latouf. Cable was unmistakable in her praise for the work of the students: "It is purely down to the writing skills of the students involved that the reports read so well. It was really gratifying to see personal styles evolve alongside the by-lines that would become so familiar to our Hampshire website audience and members."

Sports Journalism course leader John May, who was involved in setting up the scheme, said: "The initiative is a tremendous opportunity for students to gain experience and to earn by-lines which they can show prospective employers. This summer the club is looking to expand the operation so as many as 20 students could be involved. There's also plans to develop the project so students will be required to provide content not just for the website, but also to provide video coverage too."

Working in a live environment was clearly beneficial for the students as they were placed side by side in the press box with seasoned journalists and the chance to work in a professional environment was greatly enjoyed. Steven Woodgate, 22, said: "It was a real revelation as to how good covering sport can be. I've managed to meet and speak with a host of cricket players such as Alistair Cook, Michael Carberry, Chris Tremlett and Dominic Cork. It's been a great experience and one I will always have with me wherever my journalistic career carries me. I've developed my skills which I can utilise when I leave university and progress in a career in the industry."

Nick Howson, 21, was also grateful for the opportunity: "There's an ambitious team down at Hampshire, on and off the pitch, and to be part of that one way or another is fantastic. The most fulfilling thing is that you're respected like an established journalist and to be treated like you belong was pretty gratifying. The club seem to trust us with the content that we've produced for the website and they've put plenty of faith in us to deliver on their expectations."

(Solent Speaker, 2010)

2009 in a minute

2009-12-24T14:37:00.000-08:00

Jermain Defoe, New York in winter, The Corridor, Kaos, Florence + The Machine, Brussels, Tottenham 1 Chelsea 0, Six Nations, The Ashes, The Hangover, Boston, The Killers at Hyde Park, England 5 Croatia 1, Stuart Broad 5-37, Mumford and Sons, my Topman coat, Barbados, hanging out with the cast of Skins, Jesters, American Eagle, Alicante, Oasis at Wembley, early morning gym sessions, Gavin and Stacey, Ziggy, meeting Matthew Hoggard, Chicken Pizza Hot 2 U, The Plymouth Herald, Luka Modric, The Rose Bowl, Fifa 10, Eoin Morgan, Joanna Page, the tied cricket match at The Common, my 21st, Vodka Club, Frank Turner, The Business, Tottenham 9 Wigan 1, that night in Reflex with Chris Checkley, Twitter, FHM magazine, 4 Coventry Road, witty anecdotes, Purple Rain, sensationalism, everyone who played a part.

That was my 2009. What’s next?

Tabloid sensationalism and the dumbing down of culture

2009-12-15T09:37:00.000-08:00

Analyse and discuss to what extent tabloid journalism is ‘sensationalist’ in news coverage and whether it is responsible for ‘dumbing down’ culture.

Tabloid journalism has long been considered in popular culture as a medium for sensationalist reporting. But what is sensationalism in this context? And to what extent is tabloid journalism perpetuating this ideal? Sensationalism can be defined as a manner of being loud or attention grabbing. Essentially, it is to make a sensation out of something and, in the case of news coverage, to give a story more of an appeal and to make it more eye catching for the audience. Tabloid newspapers are often accused of carrying sensationalist stories or headlines - it is one of the defining stereotypes of this brand of publication. And with tabloid papers receiving daily nation-wide coverage, there remains a lingering fear that national culture is becoming ‘dumbed down’ as a result.

Perhaps tabloid journalism requires proper definition in order for it to be fully understood in this instance. Extremely popular in the UK, tabloid newspapers are synonymous with ‘junk food news’ - stories that tend to exaggerate and emphasise sensational stories, often regarding crime, and articles depicting the personal lives of celebrities, sports stars and those in the public eye. At the other end of the spectrum are broadsheet newspapers who tend to look down on the tabloid for the ‘down-market’ nature of their reporting. There is an element of sleaze when it comes to tabloid reporting - so much so that in order to avoid the potential stigma associated with smaller format papers, broadsheets (a typically larger scale size of paper) that released smaller versions of their papers labelled them as ‘compact’ to ensure that their reputation as purveyors of high standard journalism remained.

It seems there is certainly a down-market connotation when it comes to tabloid journalism. Referred to in certain circles as the ‘gutter press’, tabloid allegations about the drug use or sexual practise of certain people is always likely to be a touch defamatory. And in many cases, defamation charges brought against the papers have been successful, resulting in large cash windfalls for the aggrieved. Perhaps this is why many view tabloid reporting as sensationalist. The act of naming and shaming celebrities is hardly one of the defining principles of journalism and, whilst it can be argued that tabloids do more than simply that, it is with this brush that many newspapers are tainted.

But is sensationalism all that bad? Writer Mitchell Stephens puts forward the case that sensationalism opens the door to a new audience. In his book, The History of News, he states that sensationalism is aimed towards the lower class, as they have less need to understand heavy news stories, concerning politics, for example. Through this method the audience is encouraged to take more of an interested in the news and become further enlightened. A common ideal is that tabloid papers appeal to the lower class and that the more news-heavy broadsheet papers appeal to a higher social class. Using this theory it is easy to assume sensationalism is a tool used by tabloid writers in order to speak to their audience better and in order to convey a more interesting message.

If sensational stories pull in a greater audience then what is the problem with it? Tabloid editors will argue that the increased circulation that comes as a result outweighs the accusations that it just isn’t proper journalism. But at what cost does the increase in audience come? Is mass culture becoming dumbed down as a result?

The Metro newspaper, a free London daily, published the views of their audience on the subject of sensationalism and others areas such as celebrity culture trust in tabloids. The responses painted a vivid picture as to public opinion:

(on the subject of sensationalism)

- ‘I think they are overly sensationalistic, and are increasingly focusing on mundane trivial issues, and sensationalising every event.'

- 'I think they are overly sensationalist and very manipulative of the public opinion'

- ‘They forget how much influence they have over the public - at times they are guilty of spreading irrational fears over us e.g. the MMR virus, because of them we could have a measles epidemic - this style of reporting (in all newspapers) was irrational and irresponsible.’

- 'Don’t trust tabloids at all and broadsheets are getting worse. Cannot believe a word that is written in most papers as it's all spun for sensationalism. Papers are actually creating stories rather than reporting them.’

These rather scathing replies are indicative of the opinion that tabloid papers are too heavily focused on selling papers rather than providing good, hard news. Public distrust of newspapers is generally bad enough but the sensationalistic ideals being promoted in tabloid papers appears to be both influencing one set of readers and appalling another. When it came to the subject of dumbing down culture, the audience replies were just as critical:

- 'I'm annoyed by what I see as the increasing 'dumbed-down-ness' of newspapers, their using of slang and inappropriate language, and their sensationalist stories to gain attention.’

- 'British media falsely shapes the mindsets of the masses in way that often reflects fiction and their own political agenda opposed to actual fact. This often hinders rather than develops society as a whole.'

- ‘I'm appalled at the drivel the national tabloids spout on topics such as immigration and asylum, it amounts to thinly-veiled racism. They take glee in forming (bigoted) opinion amongst their readership and the masses whilst claiming to merely "reflect public opinion". They should stick to Page 3 and celebrity gossip and leave serious issues to the broadsheets!'

- ‘Getting my "grumpy young man" hat on, newspaper journalism is losing it's way ALMOST as badly as broadcast media. Too many column inches squandered on dumbed-down rubbish, sensationalised reporting with no factual context and the media continuing to indulge in openly narcissistic self-hype.’

So there appears to be a clear common perception that the majority of tabloid newspapers, with The Sun usually coming in for the heaviest criticism, are there simply to make newsworthy stories appear more glamorous. In essence, tabloid papers publish ‘vacuous’ news - stories that lack proper intelligence or any kind of real, investigative journalistic skill. And when tabloids do attempt to cover a issue actually deemed newsworthy, there is a definitive slant towards the sensational. When broadsheet and tabloid news stories are compared head to head, it is obvious there is a more sensationalist style of reporting in the tabloids.

In analysing stories published in both The Sun and The Times on November 21st 2009, both regarding a video released by two British hostages taken prisoner by Somalian pirates, there are unmistakable differences in the coverage between both publications. In examining the language used in the tabloid paper, it is clear that the writer is attempting to engender a sensationalist style.

In the opening paragraph of The Sun’s article, words such as ‘distraught’ and ‘hostage’ are used alongside the actual fee demanded by the captors for the couple’s safe return. The Times’ opening sentences are simple by contrast with no emotive language used and a calm statement of the bare facts. As the stories continue, The Sun dials up the emotion by employing phrases such as ‘harrowing footage’, ‘bounty’ and ‘…machine guns trained at their heads and rocket launchers.’ When put next to the broadsheet effort, The Sun’s use of language is clearly designed to have a big impact. The Times makes no attempt to scare the reader by describing the kidnappers pointing guns at the British couple’s heads as the tabloid story did. Whilst it could be argued that such facts are necessary for the story to be told, a read of The Times’ article shows that you don’t have to go for sensationalism in order to convey the facts.

Another interesting example of tabloid reporting in it’s sensationalist entirety is The Sun’s coverage of the Hillsborough football stadium tragedy. 96 people were crushed to death as overcrowded stands and police mismanagement of the crowd caused a mass stampede and one of the greatest footballing tragedies ever seen. It was commonly assumed that the failure of the police forces to properly control the crowd was the main reason for the incident and many of the national dailies ran with that as it’s angle. But The Sun, headed by the maverick Kelvin MacKenzie as editor, chose to follow up on unsubstantiated allegations that Liverpool F.C. fans were responsible for the disaster and that they had displayed appalling and grotesque behaviour during the unfolding of the tragedy.

Under the imposing headline ‘The Truth’, The Sun ran the full extent of the allegations, stating that a selection of drunken Liverpool fans violently attacked rescue workers as they tried to rescue people and that police officers and other helpers were attacked and even urinated upon. Whether the allegation were valid or not, The Sun came under intense criticism from both the city of Liverpool and the country as a whole. To this day, The Sun’s relationship with the people of Liverpool is at an all time low.

Respected journalist Roy Greenslade made light of the incident and highlighted the eccentric nature of MacKenzie the editor in an informative blog posting for The Guardian.

“The decision to publish unattributed allegations as if they were fact was made by the editor, Kelvin MacKenzie. He ignored the remonstrations of several members of staff, including the reporter who had written the story, Harry Arnold. They pointed out that there was no supporting proof of the police's claims.

The result was an immediate boycott of the Sun by the people of Merseyside. Several newsagents in Liverpool refused to stock the paper and thousands of readers cancelled their orders. That boycott continues to this day, despite MacKenzie having departed and despite subsequent editors having offered apologies. On 7 July 2004, The Sun admitted committing "the most terrible mistake in its history". It has made hardly any difference. Sun sales on Merseyside remain very low.

One of his (MacKenzie’s) prejudices was certainly a deep dislike of Liverpool, believing it to be largely populated by law-breaking, work-shy, socialist scroungers descended from the Irish (another prejudice). So the Hillsborough allegations confirmed what he always suspected about Liverpudlians. It fitted his own preconception perfectly.

The late 1980s were something of a "wild west" period for the tabloids, led by the Sun, and were the reason for the creation of the Press Complaints Commission and the drawing up of a code of ethics.”

Interestingly, Greenslade lays the creation of the Press Complaints Commission at the feet of tabloid newspapers. With the PCC being a vehicle for disgruntled readers to voice their concerns and complaints about published material that may be offensive or insensitive, it comes as no surprise that tabloid papers are held most liable to it’s rules and regulations.

MacKenzie’s insistence that the story be published is a clear result of his own prejudice and his determination to get a circulation boosting story out there. The fact that no other paper followed the same angle is satisfactory evidence that MacKenzie was acting out against the best wishes of both his staff and the evidence in front of him. It is this cavalier, brash attitude that many categorise tabloid reporters and editors in and why sensationalism remains a massive part of tabloid news coverage.

Whilst it is difficult to argue against the fact that tabloids are inherently sensationalist, there remains the issue as to whether how much this is responsible for dumbing down culture. The issue could be viewed as to the definition of whether tabloid journalism popularises or trivialises important news issues such as politics and world affairs. The example used earlier in this paper regarding differences in language of two articles covering the British couple being held hostage by Somalian pirates is a clear indication that whilst tabloid papers are prepared to tackle the hard news stories, there remains the ideal that they are perhaps ‘playing with the truth’ in a limited way. However, it is all well and good for broadsheet journalists to be believing in upmarket reporting and high standards; it means precious little in terms of circulation if the opposition are getting better audience figures.

One must consider the volume of readership for both types of paper: a study by the National Readership Survey found that between October 2008 and September 2009, there was a significantly higher number of readers for tabloid papers than there was for broadsheets. If tabloid papers are enjoying a greater spread of the readership population then it is logical to assume that they are conveying their message to a greater number than broadsheets are. Therefore, tabloid journalism has a direct affect on the opinions and beliefs of the public. Since public belief is central to the idea of culture, it can be deduced that there is a strong link between newspapers and mass culture. Also, the greater audience numbers for tabloid papers mean that when they do cover the more serious news stories, they are still being read by a vast number of people. Therefore, it would seem that tabloids are popularising hard news rather than trivialising it.

Perhaps the issue is best crystallised when analysing content in both forms of newspaper. In 2004, Peter Cole, a Journalism professor, wrote a piece in The Independent regarding the ‘skewed priorities’ of both tabloids and broadsheets.

“The saga continues. As with the war in Iraq a year ago, the Daily Mirror labels each day. In the Mirror calendar, today is "Becks sex scandal day 14". There are two universes out there, the one peopled by factions trying to drive the coalition out of Iraq and win the battle for power in the mess that would be left behind, the other occupied by the sleazy, the chancers, the manipulators, the fantasisers and the footballer. To those of us, the overwhelming majority, who have never been to Iraq, the White House or Number 10, and have never played football for Real Madrid, topped the pops or retained Max Clifford, it seems like serious unreal versus ludicrous unreal. One is serious because people get killed; one is ludicrous because its central character, the footballer, says it is.

Is it a simple either/or, a question of which sort of newspaper gives more emphasis to which story? During this past week, on my rough count, the Mirror and Sun have given about five times as much space to Becks as they have to Iraq, typically five pages a day of sleaze to a little under one page of Iraq chaos. The quality newspapers have given about six times as much space to Iraq as they have to Becks, typically three pages a day (tabloid or equivalent) of Iraq to half a page of Becks. And of course the content has been qualitatively different in the case of the Becks story, with alleged lovers kissing and telling in the red-tops while the so-called quality papers restricted themselves to such anodyne items as Posh and Becks consulting lawyers or Sky buying the TV interview with Ms Loos. The Iraq story covered the same ground in both market sectors.”

Cole’s honest and forthright assessment of the tabloid obsession with David Beckham’s love life and disregarding of the Iraq crisis paints a vivid picture as to the priorities of the ‘red-tops’ (tabloids). Whilst the broadsheet focused on the human interest stories occurring out in Iraq at the time, the tabloids chose to zero in on the private life of a sports star and dedicated many more column inches to this subject. Perhaps they knew it is what their readers wanted? After all, it would place tabloid readers in a better position knowledge-wise. Tabloid readers would be familiar inside out with the Beckham story and would have a reasonable grasp on the Iraq crisis whereas broadsheet readers, although knowledgeable over affairs in the Middle East, would remain clueless as to the ongoing scandal over England’s then football captain. But we are then forced to revisit an ongoing theme: would it really have been in the best interest of the public to be aware of every aspect of the Beckham story? Or was it just another case of tabloids dumbing down culture?

It is palpably clear that newspapers have a strong link to culture and that the opinions and angles portrayed in those column inches will more often than not directly shape the opinions of the public. If the masses are reading sensationalistic stories about general sleaze and celebrity, then they will come to view this as the norm for news coverage. And whilst tabloids may attempt to cover more serious news, there remains the feeling that they are still taking liberties with the facts and that any chance to exaggerate will be pounced upon.

In spite of this, it is harsh to assume that tabloids are the only outlet of sensationalism and are, as a result, directly responsible for the dumbing down of culture. Other reasons lie deeper in other forms of media such as reality television. Tabloid papers have obviously thought a great deal about their readership and are aware that sensationalism sells stories. And in the world of print journalism, extra circulation is never a bad thing, regardless of how it comes about.

The bottom line? Sensationalism is intrinsically linked to tabloid reporting and this isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Still, it is clear that tabloid journalism will forever carry a stigma among modern journalists and the attitude towards it is neatly summed up by Colin Sparks in the introduction to his book Tabloid Tales: Global Debates Over Media Standards: ‘The consensus among U.S. and British journalists is that tabloids and tabloidisation are a jolly bad thing.’

(University essay on Journalism, Media Communications and Culture, 2009)

Contesting War by Klaus Dodds

2009-11-10T04:40:00.000-08:00

In his chapter ‘Contesting War’, writer Klaus Dodds examines the British media reporting and coverage of the 1982 South Atlantic War (Falklands). He defines the management of the British media during the conflict as ‘a classic example in the history of journalism of how to manage the media in wartime’. Looking back on the event so of the war and how they were reported in the British media, he discusses how the delay in transmission of news copy affected the relaying of news and how the government had control over what was being told to the public.

Dodds cleverly uses the contrasting images of the Vietnam war to portray the differences in media coverage of both events. Where the Vietnam war was significant in terms of the reality provided to the US public through graphic and intense media coverage, the Falklands War was not a ’television war’, in that there were relatively few actual images being brought from the battlefield. Instead, the UK public had to make do with radio reports and what they read in their newspapers. An newspaper article can be easily edited, a picture cannot.

Critics have labelled the Falklands conflict as ‘the worst reported since the Crimea’, making reference to the delay in copy and images being received from the frontlines and to the general desire to censor from the British government. War reporting is a sensitive issue in any event, with mass debate being over just how aware the public should be made of the brutal horrors of war or whether the government should attempt to relay a positive message to improve moral. Bad news stories leads to an unhappy nation and that is the last thing any government would want in an already fractious time.

In the passage, Phillip Knightley concludes: ‘The Ministry of Defence were brilliant - censoring, suppressing and delaying dangerous news, releasing bad news in dribs and drabs so as to nullify it’s impact, and projecting their own image as the only real source of accurate information about what was happening.’ Knightley’s attitude paints the picture of an approval towards the media-political management system employed by the Thatcher government.

Dodds then examines the reasons for the conflict and the initial events that took place at the beginning of the war. His detailed insight into the various causes from both sides is both interesting and though provoking. He then discusses the media-political relations and the initial reticence of the military to allows reporters to accompany them. As Phillip Taylor points out in the passage, ‘Real war is about sounds, sight, smell, touch and taste of the nasty, brutal business of killing people… Media war, however, is literally a mediated event which draws on that reality but which, in and of itself, is confined to merely an audio-visual - and therefore inherently desensitizing - representation of it.’

Media war is an alternatively different prospect to actual war, in the sense that media war can be adapted or edited to suit a function. To protect the public from the harsh truth perhaps or to raise moral. It may be a desensitizing process but often it can be an effective one. Dodds makes reference to the reluctance from the government and military towards the media and uses a recollection from Bernhard Ingham, then press officer for the Prime Minister, in which it is stated that there was considerable hostility, even, from the Royal Navy towards journalists to accompany the task force being sent to the South Atlantic.

The Ministry of Defence eventually thrashed out an agreement with the media allowing 29 all British journalists to be sent to the Falklands. Task force commanders, perhaps alarmed at the potential of the media to interfere, were reluctant to fully accommodate the working needs of the reporters, which inevitably led to complaints. Throughout the conflict, the media accused the military of using technical excuses in order to prevent the transmission of material.

Another key issue with media reporting the war was the delay in transmission. The geographical location of the Falkland Islands meant that transferring film and images back the UK was a lengthy task. With zero means of direct transmission, film was transferred to Ascension Island and then flown back to Britain, providing a frustrating delay for journalists eager to dispatch their copy to their editors. As Dodds notes, the average gap between filming and transmission was 17 days, an unwelcome time lapse in the modern world of media news.

Dodds then provides extremely interesting examples of actual MOD censorship. He cites the example of the MOD beginning to withdraw accredited contact with journalists with the effect of denying access to additional task force information. As BBC journalist Peter Snow recalled in the passage, ‘And there was a sort of barrier building up between the press and the MOD that was really hurting both sides‘. The decision was reversed eventually but evidence continued to mount that the MOD was engaged in a deliberate policy of misinformation, especially when it came to releasing details of British casualties.

Many view the media coverage of the Falklands as the perfect example of how to utilise the media during a conflict situation. While other wars may have been more directly reported (Gulf War, Vietnam, etc), the geographical distance between the conflict (the South Atlantic) and the media audience (Britain), in this case, was a useful tool for the censorship and manipulation of news information. Dodds’ informative account of the situation and the problems that arose though the Ministry of Defence’s determination to release news as they wanted it to be released is a remarkable insight into the inner workings of a media system and of a government desperate to be seen in the correct light.

Media ethics paper

2009-11-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

Critically assess the following: ‘Is a good journalist one with high principles or one who brings his employer, within the deadline, stories that will boost circulation’?

In the book Journalism, Ethics and Regulation 2nd edition, the author Chris Frost attempts to fully examine and analyse the ideas and principles behind ethics and morality and how these themes can be applied to journalism. Frost looks at the arguments for media ethics and considers the question of whether a good journalist should be defined by the moral and ethical principles that they adhere to or the number of stories and the amount of circulation they provide.

He begins by applying the idea of ethics to a common journalism case: ‘At their most praiseworthy, the journalist’s tussles are going to be between the right of the public to know and some other moral tenet - perhaps the invasion of an individual’s privacy - which would militate against publication’.

Frost sums up the issue of media ethics quite succinctly in that he implies a common struggle. The very idea of journalism ethics revolves around the right of the public to know information. If a journalist’s duty is to report the truth then one can argue that the public have a right to know what is happening truthfully. However, the pursuit of these truths can be a difficult path for a reporter to take as it may involve, as mentioned, an invasion of privacy or a period of apparent harassment. It may not necessarily be about getting the truth to the people but about how the journalist gets that truth in the first place.

Frost then provides an argument against the right to know of the public and claims that this ideal has fundamentally led to the creation of what he terms ‘circulation-boosting journalism’. “All too often the right to know is used as an excuse to publish circulation-boosting journalism. Whether this is designed to appeal to reader’s prurient natures or pander to their prejudices does not seem to matter as long as there is a profit to be made from increasing sales.”

What Frost is trying to imply is that the rise of ‘soft’ news (e.g. entertainment/celebrity stories, ones that are considered to be trivial and insignificant by comparison) has been exacerbated by the idea that the public have a right to know absolutely everything.

Matthew Kieran, in his book Media Ethics: A philosophical approach, provides a plausible explanation by saying that light news stories do have a function. “At best, an entertainment story may serve as a light-hearted leavener between the real news of significant events and disasters. Thus a story about Princess Diana and her children going white-water rafting in Aspen might be a therapeutic sweetener at the end of a bulletin cataloguing the latest serial killing, the day's proceedings of the 0 . J. Simpson trial, the disasters in Bosnia, or some current dispute between the president and the White House.”

It is clear that these types of stories do serve a purpose. Frost’s insistence that they are written mainly to boost newspaper sales may be true but there is a public demand for them. It may not be considered ‘hard’ news and, in some quarters, it may not be considered as real journalism. But if it is truthful, well researched and in the interest of the audience then it should be considered no less a journalistic piece than any other.

Frost then discusses the difficulty of ethics in journalism, stating that a perfectly ethical journalist is very much an almost impossible concept. “A reasonable definition of a good journalist is 'someone who gathers, in a morally justifiable way, topical, truthful, factually-based information of interest to the reader or viewer and then publishes it in a timely and accurate manner to a mass audience'. However, all too often journalism falls far short of this ideal.” He opines that many see the ability to ‘get the story’ as the yardstick by which a good journalist should be measured.

He goes on to imply that the means taken to access the story aren’t as important. “How the news was gathered and sourced, together with the degree of accuracy, would seem to be secondary considerations in this definition of a 'good journalist'. 'Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story' is an instruction that has been heard in more than one newsroom.” This description of journalistic values would seem to point to the notion that a good journalist is simply one who provides stories time and again which boost circulation of the publication. This theory certainly removes credit from the idea that journalism is a noble and high-principled profession.

It’s a long running argument; is money the key factor and motivation in journalism or is it about seeking the truth? In an interview with ZENIT, journalist and author Gabriel Galdon, a professor of journalism at Madrid’s CEU St. Paul University, states clearly his belief in high-principled reporting rather than consumerism. “Journalism's mission is to proclaim the truth that is good and the truth that serves for the good of society. Obviously a newspaper does not cover everything that has happened in the world. There must always be choice. That choice can be made with various things in mind: trends, looking to satisfy a certain audience, economic interests, power, etc. It can also be made by following the criteria that to seek truth is good, which citizens need to know to be freer and have more dignity.”

Perhaps the answer is a simple one. Frost goes on to suggest that a good journalist needs to be a bit of both. They need to be able to gather news stories in a fair and accurate way yet they need to be able to provide as much circulation as possible at the same time. If there’s a lack of stories then people won’t buy the newspaper and if there’s no newspaper, then what purpose does the journalist have then?

In a perfect world, it would seem that the arguments for good ethics do seem are stacking up. A high principled journalist will do all the things that Frost mentions; gather stories fairly, report the truth as accurately as possible, be careful not to impeach on any strict harassment rules. As a result, the stories produced will be honest and the readers will form a trust with that reporter, which is an essential component in the relationship between reporter and reader. Without trust, the journalist loses credibility in what they are saying and could be deemed a ‘bad’ journalist.

Lecha Neace, in an article on helium.com, says, “You want to say, ‘a journalist has to be honest’ but this is not always the case. There are so many types of journalism in the world. Yes, there is the journalist that stands politically correct, and then there is the kind that writes about things that are not so true. Journalism should be completely honest, have integrity, they should be accurate, they should avoid stereotyping, they should give a voice for those who don't have one, make sure to tell both sides of the story (if there are two sides), and always show respect in their work towards everyone. Good journalism is something that is priceless.”

It certainly highlights the pressures in which journalists work these days. With all these apparent ethical requirements - honesty, integrity, identifying sources, etc - it’s a wonder that any are considered to be highly principled when they have to contend with so much when writing a story. And it lends support to the reporter who is more interested in churning out stories to tight deadlines (regardless of how they gathered the story) than taking the time to be 100% accurate and honest in order to please the reader. Frost sums up the situation succinctly in the quote, “All too often a journalist can forget his or her loyalties to the reader in the rush to show loyalty to his or her employer.”

It could just, however, be a case of what counts as high principles. What is regarded as good ethical judgment for a journalist? Is it simply an idea of moral obligations to do what is judged as ‘the right thing’?

The principle of utilitarianism is widely accepted as a valid ethical system and is one that can have sizeable appeal for journalists. People who believe in utilitarianism believe that an action that brings more beneficial effects than detrimental ones must be the right action. In essence, it’s a case of the positives outweighing the negatives. Frost uses the following example to demonstrate it’s pull for journalists: “It justifies, for example, ruining the life of a children’s home superintendent by exposing him as a child abuser on the basis that it has saved children of the future for a good deal of misery.”

There are problems with this system however, as Frost points out. “For instance, one could justify the killing of a homeless down-and-out who has no family in order that his organs could be donated to several desperately ill patients on the basis that four people could live with consequent benefits to their families for the loss of only one life.” By using utilitarianism, an evil act can be defensible, provided that as a result there is an increase in happiness.

Perhaps a significant ethical theory is the concept of duty ethics, developed by Immanuel Kant. Kant determined that a moral act was one that followed only obligation and duty to others. Frost goes into more detail on Kant’s theory, explaining the implications for journalists. “Kant's theory allows the development of a set of universal laws for journalists that can be applied in many varied circumstances. Kant also believed that one would have to examine the motives of a person to see whether their behaviour was good or bad. If they acted solely from a sense of duty and not out of self-interest, then their action could well be morally justifiable no matter what the consequences. If a journalist were to report something that was not true, despite thorough checking (perhaps he or she had been lied to), then the journalist could not be blamed for the consequences, even if these were damaging.”

However, Kant’s theory raises a problem when you consider conflicts of interest. Kant uses the examples of a journalist being asked by the police not to publish a story about a kidnap in order to protect the victims life. How could the journalist not publish a story of such public interest? Yet, it must also be a duty to protect the victims life? Frost sums up the situation with the quote, “Since much of the ethical debate within the media is balancing the right to publish against some other right, such as a person’s right to privacy, Kant is not always that helpful.”

The debate is set to rage on. There are compelling arguments to suggest that being a good journalist requires impeccable ethical standards, just as the need for circulation would paint the picture of a good journalist being one who provides as many stories as possible, with little regard to preparation. In many cases, a sense of context is required. It’s very easy to cling to principles and ethics when sometimes the truth just needs to be reported regardless of damaging consequences. Just as at times a sensitive and moral approach is required to gaining as much as one can from a story.

Perhaps the opinion of today’s journalists is the most important one and it would appear that ethics are becoming secondary concerns. Andrew Marr sums up the cynical view in My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism when he suggests that the phrase 'responsible journalism' should be ignored: “Responsible to whom? The state? Never. To ‘the people‘? But which people, and of what views? To the readers? It is vanity to think you know them. Responsible, then to some general belief in truth and accuracy? Well that would be nice.”

(University essay on Media Ethics, 2009)

Broad at seven and no Bell

2009-10-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

Not that I'm an England selector or have anywhere near the credentials required for such a role but here follows my gut feeling for the First Test in Centurion that's slowly creeping up on us in December:

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior
Broad
Swann
Sidebottom/Plunkett
Anderson
Onions

No, I don't like batting Stuart Broad at seven. I don't like it one jot. But the alternative is handing a debut to Luke Wright, a decision that seems a tad premature in my opinion, and moving everyone down a place. Ideally at this stage in his tender career, Broad would come in at eight, in front of the capable but not 100% reliable Graeme Swann. But the void created by Andrew Flintoff's departure means England need a stroke maker to come in after Matt Prior and, while Wright may have explosive potential, Broad is the safer option.

With Graham Onions and Jimmy Anderson as the other pacemen, the remaining spot is a toss up between the perennially injured Ryan Sidebottom and the reborn Liam Plunkett. Sidebottom's Test career is in the definition of word 'stagnation' at the moment and my instinct would be to avoid him. Having said that, it's a tough baptism of fire for Plunkett, who is known to have a wayward radar when things aren't going his way. Do the selectors opt for Sidebottom's experience and unique left arm threat? Or do they gamble on Plunkett's late swing and new found confidence?

With no Ravi Bopara in the squad, Paul Collingwood's spot is safe - for now, at least. Jonathan Trott should probably be entrusted with the troublesome number three slot over Ian Bell. His tough demeanor and knowledge of South African conditions will ultimately put him in better stead than the infuriatingly inconsistent Bell. With all the luck in the world, Kevin Pietersen will be fit and happy again to bat at number four, giving the line-up a touch more flair and firepower. Pietersen's achilles injury will hopefully have given him the chance to recharge his batteries and regain some enthusiasm for the game he admits he needed a break from.

On paper, it doesn't appear a hugely strong team and pundits have been predicting a series of leather chasing for tourists. But underestimate this England side at your peril. Australia made the mistake of being too blase with their attitude towards Andy Flower's men and paid the ultimate price. In Onions and Swann, England have two underrated bowlers who the South Africans have yet to face and whilst it'll be a mightily tough challenge, they will take with them the faintest glimmer of optimism and the firm belief that, on their day, they can upset anyone.

Ferdinand's failings exposed

2009-10-26T05:24:00.001-07:00

As much as I enjoy seeing Man Utd get beat, there was something quite disturbing about the casual ease in which Fernando Torres shrugged off Rio Ferdinand for his opening goal yesterday.

The Spain hitman, widely acknowledged as one of, if not, the best striker in the world, combined superb upper body strength with beguiling touch to keep Ferdinand (widely acknowledged as England's best defender) at bay and create space to lash his shot into the roof of the net. A fantastic goal and a joy to watch it most certainly was.

But it comes with mighty ominous signs for England followers; The nation's best centre half is having a torrid time at the moment. For the all the celebration of Torres' goal, fast forward nine or so months and put both players in their international kits. I very much doubt there'll be much euphoria when Torres has Ferdinand wrapped around his little finger in a World Cup quarter final.

Liverpool's gain, England's loss.

The morning after the night before

2009-09-10T05:08:00.000-07:00

Hands up if you don't care about this one day series?

After just three games, it's fairly obvious that this contest embodies the very meaning of the word 'anticlimax'. And there's a plethora of reasons as to why public interest in this arduous series is on the wane.

A lack of big names, some dire cricket, September-like weather, an outrageously long schedule and the fact that it directly followed a gripping Test series; you can take your pick from excuses to avoid the action. Injuries to Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff and the absence of Ricky Ponting have robbed the series of some of it's most reputable players meaning that there isn't as much of a pull to the general public as the Test series had.

If there is blame to be had, then a portion of it belongs to the administrators. Whoever decided it would be a good idea to schedule a seven match series ending on the 20th of September needs a change in profession. Ignoring the fact that audience focus would naturally be on the Test series anyway, seven matches is simply far too much. There's no urgency to it - a team could lose the first two games then still win the series (a team more competent that England, that is). I genuinely feel for the beleaguered bunch of players who will see out the series in the cold and bitter reaches of Durham in late September.

The fare on offer so far has been sub-standard. At The Oval and Lords, England bowled with great skill only to see their batsman let them down when chasing a relatively easy total. At The Rose Bowl last night, the batsmen again let them down, this time setting a mediocre score for the Aussies to chase. The games may have looked quite close on paper but the slow scoring and lacklustre fielding on display are deadly ingredients in the recipe for audience killing cricket.

This is all after England were making reasonable progress in the shorter form of the game. Consecutive series wins over the West Indies had manifested a degree of confidence - a confidence that has been rolled away by the combined efforts of Cameron White and Callum Ferguson and co. The powers that be will certainly panic and make widespread changes. Don't be surprised to see the likes of Eoin Morgan and Adil Rashid rudely dismissed from the squad, despite having genuine promise.

The failure of the series so far also points to the apparent decline of the one day game. With the ECB cancelling the domestic 50 over game from next season onwards, it would appear that public for demand is decreasing. And this series so far will have done nothing to re-awaken that interest.

So, frankly, it's a dire contest and not one that people are too concerned about. A 7-0 defeat is never desirable but there won't be too many tears shed if that's the outcome. It may sound harsh but, with players like Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood and Tim Bresnan, England are never going to be a thrilling side. Collingwood typifies the current malaise of the team; slow, a bit boring and unable to deliver when it really matters.

Is there anything else on?

Interview with Aaron Norton

2009-09-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

Breaking into the music scene can be a gruelling task and it’s certainly not one for the easy dissuaded. The glory and adulation provides a strong motive at first but, all too often, the time and perseverance required to make it to the top is all too much. But there’s one local musician who has his eyes firmly set on spreading his music to the masses and it’ll take a great deal to stop him in his quest.

Aaron Norton is a supremely gifted musician. Armed with his acoustic guitar, he’s been turning heads on the local music scene for some time now and it appears only a matter of time before he cracks the big time. With an army of local and dedicated fans, his gigs in and around the Kingston area are always popular events and as the biography on his website says, ‘His desire to perform and to entertain the world with his music is now unstoppable’.

Curious to learn more about the hype, me and a friend went to one of his gigs: an intimate performance at the Waggon and Horses pub in Surbiton. And we were not to be disappointed as Norton thrilled the closed in crowd with a variety of his own songs and some contemporary classics. Alone on a small stage with nothing but his guitar and a pint of Guinness behind him, he immediately captured the undivided attention of the assembled throng and didn’t lose it all night.

He wowed the audience with soulful renditions of well known songs such as Wherever You Will Go by The Calling and Fall At Your Feet by Crowded House. Later on in the night, he chose to present his acoustic take on some more alternative numbers such as Umbrella by R’n’B songstress Rihanna and the immortal reggae classic No Woman No Cry by the great Bob Marley. His choice of songs was a considerable success and clearly a big drawing point for his fans – by performing his renditions of crowd favourites, Norton immediately established a rapport with his followers and it’s clearly fundamental to his success.

So where does he see himself going in the big, bad world that is the music industry? “I look at artists like James Morrison and Paulo Nutini. That’s the kind of genre that I’m aiming at. It would have been nice to corner that market first but those guys have had success already so it’s just a case of emulating what they’ve achieved.”

The list of venues he has performed at reads like a where’s where of south London music scene haunts. From the Rose Theatre in Kingston to the grand London Palladium, he’s even managed to squeeze in two live performances on Capital FM radio. Norton has impressive and burgeoning CV to his name - so does he have a favourite venue? “The Oak (a Kingston pub) is always a popular place to play, I always enjoy it there. Every crowd you get is different. There’s a different atmosphere or a slightly different age group.”

Whether he makes it to the big time or not, no-one can fault the guy for attitude. When you speak to him or listen to him play, he gives off a powerful aura of relaxed confidence and determination. As we conclude our conversation, he tells me he’s confident that the opportunities will come if he keeps trying his hardest. And with talent and bravado like his, it’s difficult to imagine him not getting all he wants. Watch this space.

(Chessington Chat Magazine, 2009)

When the dust has settled: The Ashes 2009

2009-08-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

Innings of the series – Michael Clarke 136, Lords

Clarke was the outstanding batsman of the entire series and his superb, unfathomable rearguard innings against all odds was just about 100 runs shy of bringing his side an unthinkable victory. With the Aussies struggling at five wickets down and still a good 400 away from victory, Clarke found a willing partner in Brad Haddin and showed astounding courage. He played some brilliant shots whilst ensuring that England would not be able to get him out easily.

He frustrated them to the point where there was genuine talk of Australia actually chasing down their mammoth target. Jonathan Trott’s debut 119 on a tricky Oval pitch was just as impressive for effort but for combining sheer guts alongside audacity, Clarke takes the plaudits. What a remarkable batsman he has become for his side.

Bowling spell of the series – Stuart Broad 5-37, The Brit Oval

Whilst Andrew Flintoff’s 5-92 at Lords was one of the most awe-inspiring and terrifying spells of fast bowling in recent history, Broad’s effort was something miraculous. Written off in many quarters for an apparent lack of penetration, he arguably won the series for England in one electrifying and devastating spell of pace bowling. Combining deadly accuracy with inherent seam movement, he reduced Australia from a comfortable looking 73-0 to a match and series defining 111-7.

He got good players out, too: Ricky Ponting, not for the first time, outdone by Broad’s uncomfortable bounce; Mike Hussey leaving a ball that shaped back in and struck him plumb in front; the dangerous Clarke chipping straight to short extra cover. It really was a sight to behold and was a testament to Broad’s mental skill as well has his considerable bowling talent. The new Flintoff? Not quite yet but he’s showed tantalising signs of being even better.

Men of the series - England: Andrew Strauss, Australia: Michael Clarke

Strauss deserves accolade for both his gutsy and authoritative batting as well as his intuitive captaincy. He led from the front in every sense of the phrase – be it setting the tone at the top of the innings with the bat, his frank and honest assessments in post game press conferences or his knowledgeable use of the players. His utilisation of young Broad at The Oval was a perfect example example of brilliant man management.

As for Clarke, the statistics say it all. 448 runs at an average of 64 paints the picture of a sublime series and he played some of the tour’s most eye-catching innings. He became the prize wicket alongside the captain and when England didn't get him early, he invariably went on to punish them. Surely it must be only a matter of time before he is handed the captaincy.

Unsung Hero – England: Matt Prior, Australia: Marcus North

Prior had a fine series both with the bat, as we’ve come to expect, and behind the stumps. The fact that he went unnoticed when keeping alludes to the fact that he didn’t make any noticeable errors, especially when keeping to some diabolical bowling at Cardiff and Headingley. His alacrity with the willow helped inject much need momentum into England’s batting and he can reflect on a job well done all round.

North arrived as a batsman familiar to English conditions but with very little Test experience. He ended it with an average of just over 52, having scored two hundreds. His ton at Headingley went much unnoticed as the bowlers claimed much of the credit for Australia’s win. But he effectively set up their victory bid with a classy and uncomplicated 110. He even grabbed a few wickets on the spinner’s haven at The Oval and ends the series very much a fixture of the Aussie middle order.

Best commentator - Matthew Hayden

Aside from the always superb Mark Nicholas, Hayden stood out on both TMS and Five. Imaginative, wise, objective and was the voice of calm to Boycott’s age old fervour.

Rising star – England: Jonathan Trott, Australia: Ben Hilfenhaus

Trott’s debut hundred confirmed his golden boy status among the press. He’s already being primed as the next unfortunate candidate to take on the poisoned chalice of the number three slot. Still, he does appear the best qualified to take on the role at present. He played with a maturity that belied his limited international experience and hung firm with his mind focused on the task while all around him were throwing the bat and getting themselves out. He is certainly one for the immediate future and possibly longer.

It seems unthinkable that Hilfenhaus wasn’t tipped to make a single appearance in the series before Cardiff. But Brett Lee’s injury and doubts over Stuart Clark’s effectiveness saw the Tasmanian given a chance with the new ball and, boy, did he repay the faith shown in him. He ended as the leading wicket-taker with 22 scalps at an average of just over 27 and generally made England sweat every time with the new cherry in his hand. Not the quickest of bowlers but with an uncanny ability to swing the ball, he posed problems time and again to England’s fragile top and middle order. Quiet and unassuming by nature, Hilfenhaus must now be a cornerstone of the Australian attack.

Biggest disappointment – England: Ravi Bopara, Australia: Mitchell Johnson

Bopara was heralded as England’s number three saviour but ultimately he found the pressure to be a little too much. He was always likely to be targeted by the Aussies and as bad score followed bad score, England ran out of patience and replaced him for the final match. His time will come again for sure but his unfortunate failures remain a large regret for England fans. With any luck, however, he won't be written off quite yet.

Johnson had a ridiculously strange series. Wayward at Cardiff and unable to prize out the last England wickets, it obviously affected his mindset as he had a complete shocker at Lords. Be it spraying balls down miles down leg, firing them wide through the slip cordon or delivering wild ill-directed bouncers - he gave keeper Haddin an absolute nightmare. He improved marginally at Edgbaston and then was back to something like what he was capable of in the win at Leeds. But by the end of the series, he was back to his shocking worst as he completely failed to turn up when it really, really mattered. He suffered so many maulings at the hands of England’s lower order, he must still be having nightmares about seeing Swann or Broad stride to the wicket. Still managed 20 wickets but was a monumental letdown.

Comedy moment of the series – Ricky Ponting getting hit in the mouth at The Oval

You had to feel for him. Having witnessed his side toss away the series in a Broad-inspired collapse, Ponting and his beleaguered bunch took to the field again. And it wasn’t long before Ponting, fielding at silly point, was back in the wars as took a nasty looking hit on the mouth at point blank range. The crowd cheered unforgivingly but stopped when the extent of the blow was realised. Ponting shrugged it off but it was yet another painful Oval memory from a ground that has shown him nothing but contempt.

Moment of the series – Andrew Flintoff getting his 5-for at Lords on the last morning.

It was a moment that received a rapturous applause. Flintoff was peppering Peter Siddle from all angles before all of a sudden he turned and steamed in off a shortened run up. A full length ball nipped back and defeated Siddle’s tailender-like prod, shattering the stumps. Siddle, having been lucky to survive the amount of balls he did, smiled at his wicket’s inevitability and Flintoff went down on one knee, arms aloft, to celebrate only his 3rd Test match five wicket haul. In his final Test series, Freddie had secured his place on the famous honours board and it was a perfect Lords farewell for the great all rounder.

Biggest commentary overreaction – Michael Atherton

Iron Mike scared the life out of millions of viewers at Edgbaston when Graham Onions bowled out Hussey, seconds after trapping Shane Watson lbw. Anyone wishing to settle down to a quiet start to the morning was out of luck as Atherton’s over-zealous ‘BOWLED HIM!’ yelp could be heard all the way from Birmingham to Sydney.

The future...

Possible England side for First Test vs. South Africa –

Strauss (c), Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bopara, Prior (w), Wright, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Harmison

This is all dependant on Kevin Pietersen getting fit. My god, how we miss him. The best batsman of his generation, he was voted into Cricinfo's all time England XI, a testament to his sheer presence at the crease and outrageous talent. His absence proved England can win without him but the batting looked nervous and uncohesive. Frankly, he is simply unreplaceable.

Adil Rashid must now be groomed as England’s 2nd spinner. Monty Panesar’s performance with the bat at Cardiff was admirable but as a spinner he is good for nothing at the moment. Rashid needs to be slowly introduced to international cricket and touring with such an excellent spinning role model in Swann can only be a positive thing. Make no mistake, this kid is the future.

Steve Harmison may or may not tour. But should he take the gamble to continue his international career, one suspects England will need the firepower his bowling offers as it provides a better balance with the swing and seam of Jimmy Anderson and Broad. Onions is a more than credible alternative although there remains the fear that he may be slightly innocuous in less helpful conditions.

The all important all rounder slot could be filled by Luke Wright, who is maturing slowly into a medium/fast bowler and powerful middle order batsman. His batting is a concern, with a susceptibility to get himself out before getting set. But with Prior providing a safety net at number six, there is less pressure on whoever plays at seven. Rashid would provide a better batting option but England may not want to play him and Swann in a twin spin attack. We all saw how ~~well~~ badly that worked at Cardiff.

Bopara is too good a batsman to be left out of the England team but he probably lacks the ideal temperament and composure to bat at number three. His time may come at first drop but for now he should be utilised in the middle order, in place of the struggling Paul Collingwood. Oval hero Trott looks to have the ability to handle the pressure of a promotion to three and his steely determination and resilience gives England a balanced batting order. You’d have to say that in Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bopara, Prior and Wright you have a mixture of everything – solid defence, attacking flamboyance and resolute determination. Throw into the mix Broad’s increasing confidence and the carefree hitting of Swann and you have a competent top nine. Hell, even Anderson can play his shots when he applies himself.

England are taking great care to ensure they don’t go over the top in the wake of this triumph. The mindset is spot on, the players are more or less the correct ones and, in Andy Flower, they have a thoughtful and on-the-ball coach. The only thing remaining is genuine progress. It may take time and it may not be easy sailing but perhaps they’re finally on the right path.

The ECB's deal with the devil

2009-08-26T08:16:00.001-07:00

Much has been made about England's low key celebrations in the wake of their Ashes success, especially so when you consider the endless hullabaloo that surrounded the 2005 win. Gone were the open top bus rides, speeches to a packed out Trafalgar Square and clearly drunk cricketers falling head first out of hotels. Gordon Brown will have certainly rested easy on Monday knowing that no-one would be pissing in his 10 Downing Street garden.

Indeed, there's a different feel about this Ashes win and it's a world away from the carefree euphoria of 2005. The standard of cricket was inferior to last time though the level of drama was almost as thrilling. For the 2005 Old Trafford draw, read Cardiff in 2009. For England's dramatic win at Edgbaston, read the easier but no less exciting Lords win. There is a feeling this time around that England didn't deserve the victory as much as they had last time out. And, not to take anything away from Andrew Strauss and his men who did deserve their win, Australia are certainly easier to beat these days.

Lily Allen aside, this series win hasn't drawn the masses of newly found cricket fans that 2005 did. Perhaps there's another reason for the lack of national outpouring of emotion. Where last time everyone in the land had access to live pictures of Michael Vaughan lifting the famous little urn, this time only those lucky enough to have a Sky subscription could watch Strauss' turn.

The viewing figures do not do this series justice. Sky do a brilliant presentation and can only be commended for their cricket coverage. But the truth remains that many in the UK were unable to watch any of the series because they were saddled with plain, old, regular terrestrial television. What hope is there for cricket to take off again as a summer sport if children up and down the land have no basic exposure to it?

The ECB have their reasons for selling out to Sky and the revenue earned per year from the lucrative deal probably allows them to sleep a little easier each night. But as long as international cricket is only available for a subscription fee, then national interest in the game will continue to falter.

It's a sad truth that whatever heroics Strauss and his men achieve, their efforts may not be as universally recognised as those from years gone by.

The legacy of Freddie

2009-08-26T05:31:00.000-07:00

The King is dead, long live the King.

Yes, Andrew Flintoff has departed the Test match arena for the last time and England will have to do without the man whose Herculean efforts over the last 6 or 7 years have propelled his country to glorious heights, even if there were some forgettable lows scattered inbetween. Statistically, he won't be remembered as one of the game's great players and when you consider his all round talents, a feeling resides of what might have been. But the Lancastrian leaves a sizeable impact on England cricket fans and will be held in the highest esteem, regardless of how little five wicket hauls he took.

The memories are plentiful.

His spell to Jacques Kallis at Edgbaston in 2008 as he tried single handed to drag England back into a Test match; His pugnacious twin fifties at Mumbai in 2006 where he took on the responsibility of captaining an injury depleted side with aplomb; That breathtaking 95 at The Oval against South Africa in 2003, dragging England from simply a 'good' score into a match winning one. The list of memories Flintoff's cricket has created is both mightily impressive and lengthy.

And who can ignore his greatest moments, saved for the greatest enemy of all? Ashes contests brought the best out of Freddie, none more so than 2005 where he rose above himself time and again to deliver the most cherished of all cricketing achievements for his country. It's no surprise Adam Gilchrist spent his 2005 nights unable to think of anything else but the tall paceman steaming in towards him from around the wicket and delivering searing out-swingers time after time. If ever Flintoff did earn the term 'legend', it was in this series.

2009 may not have brought as much personal glory but he had his moments. The devastating spell on the final day at Lords, where he moved earth, wind and fire to bring victory for his country. The blistering 74 at Edgbaston where he batted as if to put the Australians back in their place. The fantastic run out of Ricky Ponting on that last day where he came from nowhere in the game to stamp his own influence on proceedings.

He may not be an all rounder to compete historically with the likes of Ian Botham, Imran Khan or Richard Hadlee, whose exploits are the stuff of cricketing legend. But what Flintoff leaves to the English game is a legacy of popularity and drama. His personality endeared him to many a worldwide cricket fan and he played the game in the best spirit possible. Rarely flustered, always with a smile on his face, Flintoff made cricket look fun more than any other player in his generation. Sometimes wickets fell as a result of his sheer force rather than cricketing skill.

No matter who eventually replaces him in the England set up, his all round talents will be greatly sought after for years to come.

Speaking of replacements, attention has inevitably turned to who should fill Freddie's giant shoes. Stuart Broad is in the process of being hyped up to gigantic proportions by the media but, at 23, he needs time to mature and develop. No one can doubt his potential but what England fans crave is a big hitting middle order batsman and a fast, relentless pace bowler. Broad isn't yet either one of these. He needs to spend more time developing his potency as a bowler and, in time, his batting can be worked upon to attain the middle order temperament he so craves.

There's another two young guns waiting in the wings who would seem in a possible position to assume Flintoff's role. Adil Rashid is a much talked about leg spinning all rounder with bags of promise. He has limited England experience, having played in the World Twenty20 earlier this summer, is a prodigious turner of the ball and can bat as high as number 7. He seems destined to have an England future sooner or later, having been touted to play in this summer's Ashes contest.

And for all the arguments that it's too soon to play him, there remains the distinct possibility that holding him back will do him no good. Perhaps it's time to see if he's as good as we all pray he is. He certainly ticks all the boxes in the all rounder category. His one 'limitation' perhaps is that he is a spinner and not a terrorising fast bowler in the Flintoff mould. Playing him would effectively mean England go into games with two spinners and three pacemen, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing on certain surfaces - it just may leave them short of express pace.

Another burgeoning talent is Sussex's Luke Wright, a dashing middle order batsman and improving seam bowler. Wright has been in and around England's one day setup for a few years now, having been tried in a number of batting positions and having failed to make a consistant impression. However, two County Championship centuries this year have led to calls for him to be given a chance to step up too Test level and, provided he learns to rein in the sometimes mindless stroke play that has inhibited his one-day batting, he looks like he can be a decent enough batsman. His bowling is coming along nicely - initially considered as medium pace, Wright is starting to hit the enviable heights of the mid 80's, in terms of mph. He already possesses a superb yorker length ball and, if he can step up in pace a notch, he could just be the bowler England desire.

However, with both candidates comes an element of risk. Whatever they achieve or fail to achieve will invariably be hung up next to Flintoff's imposing stature. And it will take time and steady performances to properly fill the void. But perhaps this is precisely the new ethos of this England team. Keep our feet on the ground, regardless of what we achieve, and build steadily towards getting better and better. Whoever takes Flintoff's place, it may be a case of giving them time to blend into the role and not getting too critical or too praising.

Still, it's an exciting time for this brilliantly inconsistent but promising England team, who head to South Africa in November to try and further the progress made this summer. It's a time for blooding new players and Wright and Rashid will almost certainly be on the tour at the very least if England want them to succeed. But for now fans should bask in the memories of the great Andrew Flintoff. He may not have been perfect but nothing should give fans greater pleasure than seeing reruns of him shattering Peter Siddle's stumps to gain his fifth wicket at Lords in the Second Test last month.

A fantastic player and a thoroughly decent bloke, Flintoff was and is one of a kind.

Thoughts from the Oval

2009-08-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

A few musings about the current Test match:

- I really like the look of Jonathan Trott. He looks solid, compact and able to dig in. These may all be traits of Paul Collingwood but where Collingwood sometimes decelerates the scoring rate with his lack of free flowing technique, Trott looks capable of playing a patient but sensible innings. One for the foreseeable future, no doubt and he will have a big role to play in South Africa this winter. Expect him and Bopara and Bell to form the backbone of England's middle order at the expense of Collingwood, at least until Kevin Pietersen is fit again.

- England were right not to pick Monty Panesar. Put simply, he's not a very good player. If you're struggling to play well for Northamptonshire at Division Two then an Ashes deciding Test match is beyond you. He did precious little when given the chance at Cardiff and though the pitch has shown signs of taking outrageous spin, Graeme Swann and the four seamers are more than capable of exploiting it. See Australia's first innings for evidence of that.

- Will the Australians give Andrew Flintoff a guard of honour? Or rather, should they? It's a toughie. Michael Atherton has argued in The Times that Flintoff cannot be classed as a 'great' player and surely such marks of respect should only be afforded to those of the highest calibre. But he is certainly a cricketer with a distinguished reputation and the Aussies make no secret of their admiration for him. Will they extend him the courtesy of a guard of honour in his last Test innings? We may well find out later today.

- Should Steve Harmison retire too? We all know we're watching Flintoff's last ever Test match but will it be the last for his close mate Harmy? A bowler that England cannot rely on anymore, Harmison's role in this series has always been slightly peripheral and as much as a threat he looks at certain times, the fact is the England management appear to have lost patience with his inconsistency, much like they have with Panesar. Perhaps he should go down the same route as Freddie and call it a day, on his own terms?

- If England do win the game and the Ashes, it'll be an outstanding achievement. It won't necessarily elevate England to the top of the world rankings and we'll still have a way to go before we can compete with best sides. But a victory in this manner will have required supreme mental toughness. People can harp on all they like about England only having one hundred in the series but the majority of their innings totals have been team efforts - a lot of the players getting 40's, 50's and 60's. Hundreds are better but if everyone puts in a collective effort you end up with a commanding score. It's a team game, after all.

- Andrew Strauss deserves a knighthood. Well, not really but regardless of whether he leads England to Ashes glory or not, credit must go to him for his responsible batting and, at times, astute leadership. Just call him Michael Vaughan mark 2.

Play on, lads. Play on.

Bring him back and make the people happy

2009-08-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

Barring a 1981-esque England comeback, it looks as if we’ll be heading to The Oval with the score at 1-1 and everything to play for.

England’s Headingley predicament is so dire it brings about horrendous memories of Australian batsmen carting James Anderson and co. all over Cardiff with nonchalant ease. Shot out for 102 then forced to watch the tourists rack up a lead of 343, you would have been forgiven for thinking the pain was temporarily over. But this England side has a special ability to bring delight and despair in equal measure and their collapse from 58-0 to 78-5 bordered on laughable.

It’s been a thoroughly miserable two days for England and the prospect of winning the Ashes looks a little further away on the horizon than it did in the wake of Edgbaston. The media have been quick to collectively jump on the ‘all England players are bad people’ bandwagon – it’s almost as if Ravi Bopara is purposely trying to play badly if you read the supposedly ‘professional’ garbage written about him over the last few weeks.

Still, never let it be said that this blog follows such a negative path. I’m all for the bright side of life even if Matt Prior will walk to the crease tomorrow morning with the company of the night-watchman and the steady reassurance of hardly any batting to come.

Going back to 1981 and Headingley, is anyone else dreaming of a miraculous turnaround? Does no-one think it remotely possible that Stuart Broad will discover his inner Ian Botham and blaze England to an unthinkable lead? I suppose when you put it like that it does seem rather improbable. But allow me to indulge for a second; in 1981, Botham took 6-95 as the Australians racked up 401 before beginning his quest to haul England back into contention with the bat. Today, Broad took 6-91. England are in just as calamitous a position now as they were then, if not worse. With history in mind, I wonder if Ricky Ponting will be tempted to have a punt on Paddy Power’s odds of 200-1 for England to win the match?

It’s majorly likely, however, that the Aussies will stroll to victory at some point tomorrow and take this Ashes series into a final Test decider at The Oval which, frankly, is the most entertaining prospect. With a series draw not good enough for England to bring the Ashes home, they’ll be going all out for the win. Expect a fired up (and probably hardly fit) Andrew Flintoff giving his everything in what is his last Test match.

How are England going to win? It’s painfully obvious that they’ll need a change in the batting order and, as much as I rate him, Bopara is going to have to be moved from the number three slot. He’s simply had more than enough chances. He could well make the position his own in the future but for now he needs to be either dropped or moved down the order. And for his replacement, here’s a left field selection that would get English pulses racing and bring the sweet smell of cricketing nostalgia: Marcus Trescothick.

Exciting, isn’t it? The veteran opener is still delivering a waterfall of runs down at Somerset and loves playing the Aussies. It was he in 2005 that provided the lightning fast, ultra confident starts to an innings that regularly got Ponting all hot and bothered. It’s he who would be perfect in this scenario, with England needing to play as positively as possible. Yes, he’s retired and can’t go five minutes outside of Taunton without getting homesick. But give him the chance to come in just for this Test match and play his natural, free flowing game and I bet he’d take it.

He can go in with Strauss and Cook can shift down to number three. Cook is a level headed, defensive batsmen and can be the anchor by which England build their innings around. He’s batted three for England before with a degree of success and, as mentioned, it’s only for one match. Trescothick can blaze the ball around like the days of old, Cook can play second fiddle and Matt Prior and Freddie can provide the middle order acceleration. It’s radical, it’s out of the ordinary and it could work. The Aussies will definitely not be expecting it.

If it happens, you heard it here first.

LVCC - Hampshire v Lancashire 6th August - Day 2

2009-08-07T09:00:00.001-07:00

Afternoon session

Hampshire began the afternoon session looking to accelerate their run rate and Sean Ervine quickly signalled his intentions as he walked down the track and hoisted Gary Keedy over long on for four. Lancashire took the second new ball and after several tight overs, Kyle Hogg induced an edge behind from Mascarenhas, who fell for 21. Ervine brought up his fifty soon after with a quick single before a powerful square cut brought him his seventh boundary.

Oliver Newby then bagged another wicket after wicket keeper Tom Burrows (0) edged one to VVS Laxman at second slip. Hampshire’s hopes of passing 300 and claiming 3 batting points now rested on Ervine’s shoulders. Perhaps sensing the need to take charge, he went hard at a short ball and sent a top edge over the head of the keeper for four.

David Griffiths then fell for a duck, bowled by a spinning delivery from Keedy. New man Imran Tahir (0) lasted only two balls before losing his off stump to a full length ball from Tom Smith. Running out of partners, Ervine steered Keedy through point where a fielding error from Mal Loye gave him another boundary. Lancashire brought the field in to deny Ervine the chance to steal the strike but he responded in magnificent style, crashing a mammoth six over midwicket to raise the Hampshire 300. And the entertainment continued with an audacious reverse sweep that sailed into the crowd for another six.

James Tomlinson, who was clinging on bravely at the other end, was then dropped at first slip off Newby. As Lancashire heads went down, Ervine lofted Keedy straight down the ground before steering him down to third man for consecutive boundaries to move to 98. Tomlinson joined in the fun with a nudge down to fine leg for four. Ervine then reached a heroic century, his seventh in first class cricket, with a dab down to third man for two. A few more boundaries off Newby saw him continue to frustrate the visitors before he holed out for 114 giving Hampshire a score of 337 all out.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2009)

Read the full day's report here.

LVCC - Hampshire v Lancashire 6th August - Day 1

2009-08-07T08:56:00.001-07:00

Morning session

Day one of the LV County Championship game Hampshire against Lancashire, a team Hampshire had never beaten at The Rose Bowl. The home side won the toss and elected to bat first. After a slightly slow start, Jimmy Adams opened his boundary account with an elegant straight drive back past bowler Oliver Newby. Partner Michael Carberry then laced Kyle Hogg to the square cover boundary before picking up two more boundaries off successive balls with a cover drive and a fierce pull stroke, in an over costing 12 runs.

Adams had a stroke of luck on 26 as he edged a Tom Smith delivery only for it to fall short of the slip fielder and run away for four. Carberry continued in a fluent manner, driving Newby to the cover fence. Adams was growing in confidence and flicked Smith out to midwicket for another boundary before unfurling an excellent on drive which gained him four more.

Lancashire then got the much needed breakthrough as Carberry (33 off 62 balls) perished pulling a Hogg delivery straight to Mark Chilton at deep backward square. New man John Crawley came in and immediately got going with a boundary down to fine leg. With regular boundaries hard to come by, both batsmen were on the lookout for singles to keep the score going along.

Crawley earned four more with a handsome looking cover drive before the visitors introduced the spin of Gary Keedy just before lunch. The veteran was unable to provide much threat save for a strangled appeal for lbw against Crawley that was turned down and the Hampshire batsman were able to take their team into lunch on 87-1.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2009)

Read the full day's report here.

Natwest Pro40 - Hampshire v Yorkshire 5th August

2009-08-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

Hampshire innings

Jacques Rudolph’s fine 79 had helped Yorkshire to a tough target but Hampshire’s openers began confidently with a flurry of early boundaries under the floodlights. Jimmy Adams lifted Tim Bresnan over square leg and both openers were picking up singles at every opportunity as the early momentum was with the home side.

Adams was growing in confidence as he hoisted Deon Kruis over long on for the first maximum of the Hampshire innings. Yorkshire introduced Matthew Hoggard to stem the flow of runs but Adams was in no mood to hold back, immediately finding the deep point boundary for four.

Hampshire were flying and had reached 77 for 0 when spinner Adil Rashid was introduced into the attack. And he got the vital breakthrough as Adams (44 off 53 balls), having looked so secure, top edged a sweep straight into the waiting hands of Bresnan at square leg.

Lumb reached his 33rd fifty after a powerful cut off Rashid gained him three runs and, although the boundaries had dried up, Lumb and Michael Carberry were picking up singles with relative ease. But David Wainwright then had Lumb caught behind for 53 off 66 balls, leaving the Hawks needing a further 111 runs to win.

New batter Sean Ervine flayed Richard Pyrah through the covers for a welcome boundary before pulling him for a meaty six out to square leg, just evading the despairing dive of Jonathan Bairstow. Carberry (39 off 57 balls) then edged to keeper Gerard Brophy off Pyrah to bring captain Dimitri Mascarenhas to the crease. The skipper heaved Bresnan over midwicket for a crucial six before launching him over deep point and the desperate leap of Rashid for another maximum to swing the momentum back Hampshire’s way.

Kruis was called upon to bowl the penultimate over and Ervine skied a simple chance only to be crucially dropped by Andrew Gale. However Mascarenhas was then run out off the last ball.

With 10 needed, Matthew Hoggard was entrusted with the last over. Chris Benham hit the first ball for a quickly run two before square driving an excellent four to send the crowd into frenzied excitement. A quick single was taken off the next ball before a mix up off the next saw Ervine run out. Liam Dawson arrived at the wicket with three needed off the last two balls and sprinted two off his first ball leaving Hampshire needing a single to win. As the field closed in, Dawson flicked the last delivery into a gap on the leg side and sprinted the winning run to seal a memorable victory.

(rosebowlplc.com, 2009)

For full game report, click here.

Sir Bobby Robson 1933-2009

2009-07-31T15:33:00.000-07:00

Below is a transcript from a speech made by Sir Bobby Robson upon accepting the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2007 BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony. May he rest in peace, a true and dedicated servant of the great game of football.

"Ladies and gentlemen,

I’m absolutely delighted to be here to receive this prestigious award. It’s a terrific honour - I’m totally flattered. It’s a privilege, it’s an honour that I respect. I’m grateful to you and thank you very much. I was completely unaware that Sir Alex (Ferguson) was here tonight to present this to me so it makes the evening ever more thrilling and staggering and I’m grateful to Sir Alex for coming like he did (applause).

You know, nobody wins everything on his own. Even Tiger Woods has a caddy. And this award really is an extension and an opportunity for me to say thank you very much to everybody that has supported me, everybody that I’ve played with, everybody that I managed. I’ve had a fabulous career, I’ve played with and managed some of the greatest players in the world - of that there is no doubt.

I remember my Fulham days, my West Bromwich days, my England days. I remember particularly Ipswich Town where I went first as a manager - some of the players are here tonight. I think Roger is here, tell me Roger, are you here? Well Mickey Mills is here, the captain, so I had a great time at Ipswich (laughter)… and I went to Barcelona and so forth but without the players, without the people I worked for and that I inherited, I wouldn’t be here tonight. I worked with some fantastic chairmen. I always had around me a great coaching and technical staff, a great medical staff, a great scouting staff. I didn’t suffer fools, this is for them of course.

I’d like to thank my mother and father. My mother brought me into this world, my father brought me to football - I think my father brought me into the world as well (laughter). But he would have loved this tonight. If he would have been alive, he would have been there in the front row. He wouldn’t have come by car, he wouldn’t have come by train. He would have somersaulted all the way from Durham to here. And I tell you this it would have taken him about 16 and a half minutes.

I’d like to thank my wife Elsie who has stuck with me for about 52 years. I thank her for her loyalty, her support, her patience, her understanding - without her I wouldn’t be what I am (applause).

And so it’s been an absolute joy for me to have worked in association football all these years, more than fifty years, and to have met and to have played with and to have worked with all these fantastic international footballers. I’d like to mention them all by name but it would take me 17 and a half years to do it. I’ve got that time but you haven’t (laughter).

So it remains for me to say thank you Gary (Lineker), than you Sir Alex, thank you to the BBC for this magnificent presentation and for giving me one of the greatest evenings of my life. Thank you very much indeed (standing applause)."

To watch a video of the speech, click here.

How going unnoticed can sometimes be a good thing

2009-07-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

England, dare I say it, are playing some electrifying cricket in this series, epitomised in its entirety by the devastating spell of bowling this morning that reduced Australia from last night's untroubled 126-1 to a worrying 263 all out.

That Graham Onions carried out the initial devastation speaks a lot for his sudden progression from county workhorse to international star. He's not just getting wickets, he's prizing out big name players too. Shane Watson lbw; Michael Hussey bowled; Ricky Ponting edged behind; these are not just tail end wickets. The backbone of the tourist's batting order was ripped out by Onions in a spell that perfectly demonstrated the value of hitting a good line and maintaining your accuracy.

The crowd were also treated to a five-wicket haul from swing merchant James Anderson as England's star bowler ensured Australia wouldn't recover from Onions' initial burst. Anderson's ascension to leader of the attack has been a joy to watch over the last year and his performances in the series thus far have confirmed he can work his magic against the very best. He may be a tad fruitless in less swing-condusive conditions but his value to the side is priceless - he is often of more worth than Andrew Flintoff.

Andrew Strauss continued his man-possessed style of batting, scoring runs in abundance as if he is personally responsible for England's fortunes with the bat. And it's just as well; with Kevin Pietersen out of the team, England need a batsman to be reliable nine times out of ten so they can play around him. With Alastair Cook unable to provide that consistency, Ravi Bopara still coming to terms with the spectacle of playing in the Ashes and Ian Bell now a three-time newbie in Test match cricket, Strauss could be the sole anchor with which England build their innings around.

But for all these wonderful things for which we should all be thankful for, amidst all the positive signs coming from England's play and in the middle of the fact that a few more good days and England could be on their way to winning the Ashes, one aspect is drifting along unnoticed.

Anyone seen any high-profile drops or spills from Matt Prior? Witnessed any sky-high figures in the extra's column? Caught sight of any byes racing away to the boundary having been missed by the England keeper? Nope. Not at all. Zilch.

Prior, a dashing batsman but a nerve-inducing wicketkeeper, has done his primary job to a very high standard so far this series. Gone are the mystifying dives across first slip to drop catches. Gone are the ugly fumbles behind the stumps as the ball darts away for bye after bye. Prior has done an efficient job and the best part about it is that no-one has mentioned it. For a wicketkeeper, the best piece of news can often be no news at all, especially a keeper with a chequered past such as Prior.

Before the series, a lot of focus was placed on Prior and the question seemed to be not whether he'll drop someone crucial but when. But the only column inches Prior has occupied thus far are for his brisk and superb batting. His punchy 56 helped gain England the iniative on the first day in Cardiff while his 61 at Lord's was imaginative, resourceful and thoroughly entertaining. Today he even pulled off a tremendous one-handed catch to dismiss Marcus North; he is continuing, day by day, to compound his critics.

I've no doubt jinxed the Sussex man - if at Headingley he drops Ponting who goes on to make a hundred, you can hold me responsible. But if he continues to perform in this vein then he'll face none of the questions over his long term England place that he's had to contend with in his career so far. As far as Prior is concerned, he'll be hoping to stay out of the limelight so long as he's crouched behind the stumps and not wielding the willow in front of them.

Time to say goodbye

2009-07-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not a massive fan of David Beckham and, frankly, never have been. It's not that I don't think he's any good - far from it. I fully appreciate and respect his achievements in the modern game. Some of my greatest memories in football revolve around the man with possibly the sweetest right foot I've ever witnessed.

The last minute free-kick against Greece in 2001 was about as heart-stopping and dramatic as, well, your heart actually stopping. His emphatic, if slightly badly directed, penalty against Argentina at the 2002 World Cup was one of only a few moments where I've actually leapt from my sofa during a game and 'gone mental'. In either case, it was as if I was celebrating right there and then with Becks himself. It's a unique ability that he and few others possess - as if he picks and chooses his most dramatic moments in concurrence with what his audience would want to see. He is simply one of the finest players to ever play for England.

Hell, he's played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan, three of Europe's best and most prestigious clubs. When he eventually retires, it'll be tough for him to look back and lament many aspects of what he did, although once suspects he'll wish he kept his temper in check that night in St Etienne just over ten years ago.

But that's where my approval of him unfortunately ends and there's a multitude of reasons why. In some countries, Beckham is better known for his celebrity image rather than his exploits with a football. 'Brand Beckham' is a commercial juggernaut, a limitless roll call of advertising and sponsorships deals that plasters his face on billboards and magazine covers all over the world. Long ago, Beckham outgrew the restraints of being a simple footballer and branched outside of the sporting bubble and onto the world scene.

His relationship with his pop star wife Victoria is possibly responsible for the archetypal footballer and musician relationship that tabloids and gossip magazines now thrive on. Beckham enjoys global recognition and his every move is covered, written about and photographed.

And it's all a bit much for me. I'm all for the bloke trying to make a bit of money outside of football - if you've a marketable image then why not make best use of it. But it strikes me as too much power for a mere sportsman. The second he is decorated for his celebrity achievements rather than bending a ball into the back of a net, then the football becomes superfluous and we're not just discussing a very good right midfielder, we're discussing a world symbol - an icon for an assembly of industries.

Ever since his move to Los Angeles, where he commands a lucrative salary playing for LA Galaxy, his face is becoming more and more recognisable on the other side of the pond but not exactly for sporting reasons. In the 'soccer-unfirendly' climate in the US, Beckham is known for hobnobbing with movie stars and attending award ceremonies.

The move to America was doubtless fuelled by the lure of money and I'm sure a word or two in his ear from Victoria would have pushed him into signing on the dotted line. The decision to choose substandard Major League Soccer football over the other offers he was considering at the time was difficult to comprehend and contributed to my slight disapproval of him.

Having said all of that, one can't help be impressed by his insatiable quest to regain his England place in time for next summers World Cup. And I suspect he needs to leave LA in order to both make that dream more concrete and for his own well-being. When he's played for England of late, mainly as an impact sub, he's done his job to the best of his ability. Gone may be the energy and pace of his youth but what remains is match winning experience and the ability to play pitch-length passes that many are unable to. He's not an automatic starter anymore and rightly so but he still offers value to the side and that cannot be underestimated.

When Beckham went on loan to Milan last spring, his motives were transparent; the standard of football was infinitely better than in the MLS and a good run of performances would ultimately impress his national coach and get him back into some kind of competitive shape. So it's entirely understandable that he would want to return to Italy should the opportunity arise or at least to another club back in Europe. Even he must realise now that his American experiment has not gone entirely to plan and that it's time to come home.

Beckham has made his desire to return east public in America and fans at LA Galaxy haven't taken to it all too well. Having already alienated himself from his team-mates, he's also made a few enemies in the stands as demonstrated by both the angry confrontation between himself and a group of fans last week and another altercation, this time with a man in an England shirt, ironically. Beckham was fined $1000 (£600) for the first incident and it appears he is fast running out of friends. Maybe he can give Tom Cruise a call for emotional support?

Hollywood buddies aside, it's hard to see how Beckham can continue plying his trade out in the States, with conditions how they are now. He knows the level of football isn't good enough for him and now he has lost the support of the public, he cannot flourish in such a potentially aggressive environment. A host of clubs would be happy to take Beckham on. Milan have stated their desire to see him back with them, Chelsea have been linked due to Beckham's relationship with new boss Carlo Ancelotti and Tottenham and Manchester City have also been named as potential suitors.

Beckham is, as always, not short of options. But, one things for certain, in order to thrive and to make the best of his waning years in the game, he needs to leave LA Galaxy sharpish. One can understand the fans frustration with his desire to leave but they need to understand, he's simply better than their league.

His World Cup dream could still be alive but nevertheless, it promises to be an interesting few weeks for Goldenballs.

Kevin Pietersen and the rather large void he leaves

2009-07-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

Much has been said of Kevin Pietersen ever since he was ruled out of the remaining three Ashes Tests and it seems those that constantly have it in for him are maximising the opportunity to stick the knife in regarding his form.

But, for someone who was apparently batting with all the fluency and cohesion of a blind man with no hands, it's not as if he wasn't scoring runs. Though so clearly hampered by his Achilles injury, KP still accrued 152 runs in four innings this series, at a pretty reasonable average of 38. Lest anyone forget that (brainless dismissal aside) it was his 69 that initially rescued England's first innings at Cardiff and even though he was clearly below his best at Lord's, he still churned out scores of 32 and 44 - hardly embarrassing.

KP's problem is that he sets such staggeringly high standards. Quite simply the most talented English batsman in eons, he walks to the wicket with a sky-scraping level of expectation on his shoulders. It's not necessarily a bad thing; it's likely that his status as England's best player has time and again motivated him to keep producing such vital innings.

But a few scores below fifty and suddenly the knives came out in full force.

Alistair Cook had a similar situation last year, when he was scoring fifties by the bucket load but couldn't buy a century - yet he was declared by the powers that be in the media to be 'out of form'. For the purposes of consistency, I'll say the same thing now that I said then: If these are the scores Pietersen makes when out of form then we should be eternally grateful when things are going better.

The void Pietersen leaves in the England line-up is worryingly vast. Whether he was playing badly or not, the absence of his name on the team sheet is eerily ominous. KP hasn't missed a Test since his debut, ironically, at Lords against Australia in 2005 and whoever is drafted to take his place the batting now looks thin. Pietersen's value was so enormous that in a team where the wicket keeper unusually bats at number six, the middle order still looked firmly resolute. With all due respect to the likely replacement Ian Bell, who on his day is an outstanding batsman, he won't fill fans with confidence in the way that only Pietersen does.

Still, it's best not to wallow or make too big a deal about it. The tourists are taking a different approach, however.

They've already decided to launch a feeble media campaign about their take on the loss of England's best batsman. Aussie bowler Peter Siddle, in his blog for The Wisden Cricketer, has made it clear that Australia couldn't be happier that KP is a goner and also that Bell will likely be taking his place.

"It looks like Ian Bell is going to replace him. He played against us for the
Lions and we assumed that if anything went wrong batting-wise he would be the
man to come in. He hasn’t had a lot of success against us in the past, and it
was pleasing that we were able to continue that by getting him out first-ball at
Worcester. When you take out a bloke that averages 50 in Test cricket for a
bloke that struggles against you it always makes you happier."

Yes Peter, he hasn't had a lot of success against you. And by 'you', I mean Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee. Best get him out at least once before shouting your mouth off. I'm nursing a rapid dislike for Siddle. I'm all for a bit of aggression and bravado on the pitch but Siddle is an international rookie and has about as much Test experience as I do (okay, maybe a game or two more). Might be time to earn a bit of respect for his bowling rather than his on and off field talking.

Still, Australia are naturally going to be privately buoyed that they won't have to bowl at Pietersen anymore. But gone are the days when they would publicly state their desire to play against an opposition's best player. When Andrew Flintoff was racing to be fit for the 2006/07 Ashes, a plethora of quotes came out from the team saying how desperate they were for Flintoff to take part so they could face the best possible challenge.

I suppose when you start losing your way it puts a different slant on things. It's all well and good trying to appear noble and sporting when you're in a period of sporting impregnability - not 1-0 down in a series you should be cruising. Say what you like about the decline of Australian cricket of late and whether they're still the best side in the world or not; their aura of invincibility both on and off the pitch is disappearing quicker than a Mitchell Johnson wide down the leg side.

So on to Edgbaston, a ground where England normally do the business. If omens from the past are of any use, then they can call upon that victory over the Aussies in '05. England are 1-0 to the good and are playing some effective, if inconsistent, cricket. They should head into the game relishing the chance to exploit some more Australian failings father than fearing the occasion. They should not focus on the loss of Pietersen no matter how much it may affect them.

I wrote previously that England could not win the Ashes without Pietersen in improved form. They're now going to have to find a way to win without him completely. It looks a tall order but the Ashes stirs something unique in English cricketers and I wouldn't write them off completely.

Bopara and Pietersen in need of quick repair

2009-07-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Anyone completely mystified by England's Ashes turnaround in performance from their Cardiff nightmare?

You shouldn't be. If the England team was a person, it's middle name would be 'inconsistent'. This is a team that can spend three days hammering South Africa all over Lords before struggling to take three wickets in the last two days. This is a team that can dominate a Test match in India, of all places, for the best part of four days, manage to set a massive total and somehow still lose the game. The negativity and doom-predicting in the press surrounding England's Cardiff performance was premature, a touch foolish and certainly naive.

In any eventuality, England have performed extremely credibly in the first three days at Lords - especially so when you consider just how dominant Australia were last week and how strong their record over England is at this grand old ground. England's openers batted with excellent authority and although the middle order weren't able to replicate that success, the tail wagged, just as it did in Wales, and England had a challenging score.

The attack, so maligned in the first Test, did their jobs perfectly this time, led by the irrepressible James Anderson and galvanised by a frighteningly quick Andrew Flintoff. Having confirmed his inevitable retirement from Tests, Flintoff tore in at the Aussies with controlled fury, touching 95 mph at times and resembling the pumped up, hostile Flintoff of '05. All the pacemen settled into their roles nicely with Stuart Broad improving on his poor show last time out (though he was, again, dreadful towards the end of the innings) and Graham Onions slotting into the fourth seamers role with a nagging and accurate line.

England have batted themselves into a match-winning position and should make up for the multitude of failures to convert winning positions from the last year. Lords against South Africa, Chennai against India, Antigua against the West Indies; three times England have lacked the application to put away the opposition when it matters and it's a criticism that will dog Andrew Strauss' captaincy until he sets it right.

Pretty much every department of the team has stepped up in the wake of the disappointment from the first Test - pretty much, at least. There are concerns over two England batsman and the worries were illustrated nicely today in a turgid afternoon session. Technically, Ravi Bopara and Kevin Pietersen are the two best batsmen in the side but the former has looked a touch out of his depth so far in both games while the latter's once formidable batting has looked scratchy and doubt-ridden.

Of course, there are valid explanations for both drops in form. Bopara is playing his first Ashes series and only recently inherited the much coveted number three position. His place is one that inherits great responsibility and requires great focus and ability under pressure - perhaps the reason Ian Bell and Owais Shah never succeeded there? It's understandable for Bopara to have been slightly overwhelmed by the occasion; anyone who thought he would come out and immediately peel off big hundreds would have been delusional.

He will get better eventually - he's too good a batsman to not. The question is how soon will it be? England need their number three to be scoring runs and having a nervous incumbent is undesirable. While it is crucial for Bopara to be given an extended run in the position, how long before that patience runs out? One suspects he just needs a bit of luck and time at the crease. After all, Michael Vaughan's form was severely questioned after four poor innings in the opening two Tests in '05. His fifth innings? 166 at Old Trafford.

Pietersen, aside from his 69 in the first innings at Cardiff, has looked thoroughly out of sorts. It's doubtless that his much documented Achilles injury is inhibiting his normally free-flowing batting and this is turning out to be a major problem, as anyone who witnessed his slow innings today will attest too. The good thing about Bopara and Pietersen's snail paced partnership today was that it gave them both time to bat long and get accustomed to the game, the opposition and themselves. One suspects that it'll do Bopara (27 off 93) more good than harm. Sure, he was dropped and had moments of fortune but it would have been better than a first ball dismissal. Pietersen will have the break between this Test and the next to assess his injury and recuperate - you'd have to say his fitness is crucial to England's chances of victory.

In fact, the fortunes of both these players are fundamental to England's Ashes campaign. Whether they win at Lords or not, they will not be able to triumph in the series with both Pietersen and Bopara out of nick. England need Pietersen, their best batsman, to be at his paramount and if Bopara keeps getting out cheaply, their top order loses vigour. It's possible for both players to bounce back and, whilst Pietersen has the experience to cope, one can only hope that Bopara is not subjected to the predicable media bombardment of criticism.

Until England get these two to play to their potential, England's hopes for the series are grim. As much as we'd like it, we can't rely on James Anderson with the bat for much longer.

Meanwhile, Simon Hughes has written an excellent piece for The Telegraph on the plight of Pietersen that's definately worthy of your attention and Oliver Brett has penned his thoughts on Bopara in his BBC Sport column.

Ponting's legacy in danger of being tarnished

2009-07-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

Ricky Ponting - a sublime batsman he may be but recent events and incidents from the past show him to have somewhat sieve-like memory and to be a player with a questionable ethical base.

The time wasting accusation that he childishly levelled at England in the wake of yesterday's thrilling draw really does takes the cake. Ponting, no doubt internally enraged at his team's inability to force the victory that they should have, chose to call into question England's sportsmanship after crucial seconds were eaten up by the involvement of England's physio and 12th man.

They appeared on the pitch in the 102nd and 103rd overs, despite little indication that James Anderson and Monty Panesar had called upon their services. There was nothing illegal in England's behaviour, even if it is quite obvious that the intention was for a little stalling. Whether they were right to do it or not, Ponting, inevitably, chose to bring his grievances to light of the media, no doubt in the hope that the moral high ground would firmly be his.

"I'm not sure what the physio was doing out there. I didn't see anyone call
for the physio to come out. As far as I'm concerned, it was pretty ordinary,
really. But they can play whatever way they want to play. We came to play by the
rules and the spirit of the game. A few guys were questioning the umpires, a few
guys were questioning the 12th man, but it's not the 12th man's fault. Someone
from upstairs was sending him out there. That's where it needs to be taken up.
We had to get them off as quick as we could and get a couple more overs. I was
unhappy with it, but it lasted a couple of minutes, and we got them off the
ground. I'm sure others will be taking it up with the England hierarchy, as
they should."

This is the same Ponting that was earlier in the day trying to con the umpire into giving a catch off England hero Paul Collingwood. As an LBW appeal was rejected, Ponting went haring off like a petulant child in the direction of the umpire, claiming that the ball had taken the edge of Collingwood's bat and had been caught by one of his fielders. Correctly, and thankfully, the officials weren't interested.

Ponting has a chequered past when it comes to sportsmanship - it's hard to envisage him being called upon to deliver the MCC's annual Spirit of Cricket lecture as former team mate Adam Gilchrist did last month. His expletive laden outburst after being run out by sub fielder Gary Pratt during the 2005 Ashes is now famous. Ponting was throwing a considerable amount of toys out of the pram and the incident only enhanced his reputation as a sore loser.

For the Australian captain to critique the gamesmanship of an opposition side smacks of incredible hypocrisy. The colossal row in with the Indians in 2008 is a sorry chapter in Ponting's history. On an incredible final day in Sydney, controversy followed him around; he was castigated for raising his finger in the direction of the umpire, as if to give the batsman out, when Michael Clarke took a disputed catch off Sourav Ganguly. He was also slammed in several quarters for reporting to the match officials his take on the Harbhajan Singh/Andrew Symonds race row.

Yesterday's Cardiff incident has illuminated Ponting's ability to whinge when things don't go his own way. It's natural - when your team is on top of the world for so long and things start going wrong, there's bound to be some residing animosity. But Ponting's antics are beginning to make him look more and more foolish. It'll be a crying shame for fans of the game if he ends up being remembered for his lack of sportsmanship rather than his phenomenal batting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a side note, there's been several striking similarities drawn between yesterday's match and famous drawn game at Old Trafford in 2005. And the matches are remarkably alike, especially in terms of great tension and entertainment. There were great individual innings played on both days; Ponting's 156 saved the game for Australia in '05 whereas Paul Collingwood's superb 74 was the glue with which England's batting was held together in Wales.

But, there is one significant difference. Ponting, in his post match interview, asserted that there would probably be some 'celebrating and jumping up and down' in the England dressing room. Perhaps, he was remembering the euphoric nature of Australia's celebrations back in Manchester.

Yet, upon Anderson blocking the last ball of the game, the England balcony offered a round of generous, standing applause for the two batsman and the whole team wore the look of extreme relief. There was precious little fist-pumping or back slapping - England realised that they had been extremely lucky to escape the game and that to have wildly celebrated would have been a tad farcical.

England may not be on a par with the Australian's when it comes playing the game but in the humility stakes, they might just have the edge. If only that meant a series victory.

The Cardiff climax - as told by the BBC's newest (possible) recruit

2009-07-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a frenetic day to say the least - my presence at Wembley Stadium to watch Oasis perform a scintillating set meant that I missed the heart stopping First Test finale at Cardiff. In hindsight, this was perhaps a relief. As James Anderson and Monty Panesar dug in spectacularly to deny the Australians a deserved victory, my nerves would have been torn to shreds.

Still, as it happens, I was kept informed of events through the medium of text messages. A good friend, who just so happens to be the author of Transfer Watch, kept me right on the edge of my seat with his excellent 'Twitter style' updates on what was happening as the overs and the minutes counted down slowly in the south of Wales.

Test Match Special have their own 'Twitter-er' in the form of Alison Mitchell. But should they ever need a replacement or a new over-by-over web commentator, they need to get this man in. Below are the updates he sent us, in chronological order, as England, against all odds, saved the match. Top drawer, son.

4.39 pm - 'Colly is battling away. Siddle is all over Swanner, battering him. 32 overs to hang on.'

5.27 pm - '20 overs left, 24 behind, new ball came in. 20 behind, Colly hit a four.'

5.30 pm - 'It's so tense, Johnson is not bowling well though. 19 left, Swann has gone lbw.'

6.00 pm - '7 behind, 12 overs to go, Jimmy and Colly holding on. You lose two overs for the change over if we set them a total...'

6.03 pm - 'Colly is gone, caught at gully. We're done for basically. Monty is in.'

6.09 pm - '10 left, 4 behind, Siddle is bowling at Monty. He just kept one out.'

6.13 pm - 'I don't know who Monty thinks he is but he just took a single and kept the strike. 9 left.'

6.19 pm - 'We're five ahead! 7 overs left. Take two away. Game on if Monty can hang in there.'

6.27 pm - 'Five overs to go, six ahead. Anderson on strike. We need to get to 6.40 still in!'

6.31 pm - 'Monty hits a four!'

6.37 pm - 'Two overs left, less than five minutes to play! 12 ahead!'

6.40 pm - 'Just about time for the last over! Anderson on strike. Madness! Hauritz is bowling.'

6.43 pm - 'We've bloody done it! We've snatched mediocrity from the jaws of defeat! Monty is our king! Ponting looks like a right muggy ****! Yes!'

6.47 pm - 'Just got a text from TMS, the job's mine if I want it. Unbelievable end! Brilliant.'

BBC, with all due respect to your current employees, you need this man on your staff. He'll even cut down on the foul language if you ask nicely. See to it.

An open letter to the England selectors

2009-07-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

To Geoff Miller, Ashley Giles, James Whitaker, Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss,

I've always been a big fan of you guys. Don't get me wrong; that's not to say I've agreed with all of your selectorial decisions but the majority of the time you're getting it spot on. If only they'd start repaying your faith in them, eh?

This Ashes business is a great time for cricket in this country. Success or at least a good fight and there could be a boom not seen since those heady days in 2005. People in this country are fickle when it comes to sport. Vis-á-vis successful England equals public interest. Which we all know effectively means more money. Since the ECB is these days heavily reliant on economical income (shouldn't have got into bed with that Stanford bloke!), you'd say that this series represents a pretty big opportunity for English cricket.

As selectors, you gentlemen have a big responsibility for that, although ultimately the burden will fall on the players. Still, the choices you make will have a significant impact on the coming summer. Like I mentioned before, you generally get it correct. Picking Rashid for the World Twenty20? Inspired. Promoting Bopara up to number three against the Windies? A masterstroke. We'll discreetly skirt past that Pattinson nonsense from last year - everyone makes mistakes.

And, so to your most recent piece of work: the 13 man squad for the First Test at Cardiff on Wednesday. And, I have to say I think you've more or less done a good a job. I'm all for the squad consistency argument and I think that since Andy Flower took over, team selection has given players the best possible chance to settle into their positions.

I think the decision to leave out Steve Harmison is fully justified, although I'm a big fan of the Durham paceman. Yes, he roughed up the Australians at Worcester but we all know what he's like - one session he's a lethal Curtly Ambrose, the next he's a disinterested Saj Mahmood. He'll come to fruition at some point in the series (Edgbaston or The Oval, perhaps?) but I'm sure in your infinite wisdom that you know that already.

I've previously advocated the inclusion of Adil Rashid over Monty Panesar but again, I can see your train of thought. Panesar is the more experienced and to have played Rashid would surely be throwing him into the deepest end possible. Still, this brings me onto the point of this letter.

I know the media are playing up the notion that the pitch at the Swalec Stadium is going to provide more spin than Alistair Campbell and it must be tempting to pair up Graeme Swann and Panesar in tandem. But I implore you to select Graham Onions instead and play four seamers. And, lest you question, I have my reasons.

I'm not Panesar's biggest fan, admittedly. I find his childish appealing to be, well, childish and the monotony and general uniformity of his bowling leaves me distinctively underwhelmed. The prospect of him churning out a 42 over spell leaving him with 2-140 as the Aussies pile up 560 in the first innings is not one I want to be realising come this week. And, it's not as if the conditions will definitely make him a more potent bowler. Remember that last innings in Chennai last December? Or how about Colombo the year before that? Ideal spinning conditions both times and precious little from Monty.

I'm not saying for a second that Monty's England hurrah is over, not by a long shot. But I question whether he's ready to face the Australians in this current stage of his career.

Onions is untested and inexperienced, yes. It's all well and good doing it at county level and against a shockingly poor West Indies side - the Australians are a different prospect althogether. But the impact he made a few months ago on debut was indicative of his talent. It wasn't just a flash in the pan (excuse the pun). I feel that he has the resources to make life difficult for the tourists and I'd much rather seen him play than Panesar because of the balanced nature his inclusion would bring to the attack.

Consider this: Anderson - swings it late both ways and at high pace. Broad - useful seam movement and can provide pace and bounce with his additional height. Flintoff - raw pace, plus an expert at utilising reverse swing. Swann - lethal to left-handers, bowls an attacking line to right-handers and can vary his pace intelligently. Add Onions, with his wicket-to-wicket style bowling and nagging accuracy and you have the make-up of a fine attack.

I think one spinner will be enough. Swann has shown his capability to flourish as a lone spinner and will be relishing the challenge. I genuinely feel that Panesar doesn't have the tools necessary to really threaten and if the Aussies get set then he isn't the bowler to break their rhythm.

I know you'll make the right call come Wednesday morning and whichever way you decide to go you'll, as always, have my full support. But do ensure that you consider every variable when choosing and don't be swayed by Panesar's high-fiving, back-slapping 3-10 against Warwickshire - tougher challenges await. Best of luck, chaps.

Regards,

The Last Word

The hidden meaning behind Peter De Villiers' comments

2009-07-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

De Villiers-gate. Like it? It's the term I've chosen to categorise the whole Schalk Burger eye gouging affair from the Second Test in Pretoria. Let's recap quickly: South African Burger was banned for eight weeks after it was judged that he tried to gouge the eyes of Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald. Video replays provide damning evidence against the flanker and everyone from Lions centre Brian O'Driscoll to former coach Sir Clive Woodward has had their say on the matter.

As has South African coach Peter De Villiers. Eyebrows were most definitely raised when De Villers launched an impassioned defence of his player - his 'it's rugby, not ballet' comments are now certain to be immortalised in the game for the next few years at least. His point was that rugby is a contact sport, perhaps more than any other, and that a little rough play is part and parcel of the game.

Putting my diplomatic tie on for a second, it is possible to see De Villiers' point of view. Having witnessed his side go 2-0 up the series and with the superior, 'we're morally better than you' attitude of the British media, De Villiers may have been wound up by the stinging criticism of his player. It's symptomatic of the media in this country to seize upon a controversial incident in the wake of a sporting defeat. Perhaps it speaks volumes for our inability to accept defeat - either way, that's our problem.

Having said that, De Villiers' comments were ridiculously out of line. While the replays are hardly definitive, there is more than enough evidence to suggest Burger is guilty. Contact sport or not, eye gouging can have no possible place in modern rugby. De Villiers' assertion that Burger was not capable of such an offence is understandable for a coach wanting to defend his man but the heat of battle can force players to do injudicious things.

One thing strikes me, however, and it's a point I haven't yet seen in the popular press. Whether he was right or not, De Villiers' comments have had a profound effect on events. By creating such a media storm, he has deflected attention away from Burger himself. He may have been controversial in his words but he has ensured that the majority of the criticism will now focus on him - at least until the furore dies down.

It's a classic case of excellent man management and demonstrates De Villiers' fine ability as a coach. As much as I hate to praise the South African coach in light of what has happened, I'm betting Burger is profoundly grateful to his boss for averting the media spotlight away from him. If only he hadn't seen the need to go for poor Fitzgerald's eyes, there'd be no need for any of it.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph have taken matters into their own hands with an open letter to De Villiers himself - well worth a read.

Procrastination

2009-07-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

As a soon-to-be third year student, the dreaded 'D' word is looming like a large cloud over my sun-filled summer - the 'D' word being, of course, dissertation. Having been told to research and come up with a proposal over said summer break, I've started scouring the web looking for media blogs and journals, anything that may give me a glimmer of inspiration.

I'll cut to the chase; during my searching, and please don't ask me how, I found Wordle. It's relevance to what I was actually doing is, shall we say, miniscule. But it gave me great pleasure in an otherwise prolonged affair. Here's their artistic take on words found on my blog, with the large words being the ones more consistently used. Click here for a better full screen image.

Cool? I think so. Dissertation study will continue ~~tomorrow~~ very soon.

"There was a time ages ago where England were unbeatable at cricket."

2009-07-04T06:04:00.001-07:00

Five days. Just five days are left until that first Ashes ball in Cardiff, barring a biblical downpour on said first day. In many ways, it's a crying shame. The start of the Ashes ultimately coincides with the end of all the waiting and build-up - the most enjoyable part of the whole shebang.

With that in mind, The Guardian have taken to providing their online users with a collection of YouTube videos all focused on the Ashes. The best of which is an animated Aussie-centric history of the old rivalry, created just before the series Down Under a few years back. It's bloody hilarious. I felt compelled to share it.

Five days to go.

Farewell to England's Ashes mastermind

2009-06-30T05:14:00.001-07:00

Michael Vaughan has retired from all forms of cricket, taking with him one of the most eye-catching and beautiful cover drives ever seen in the game. Having missed out on England's Ashes team, his one last objective in cricket, he decided the time was right to call it quits and it's hard to blame him.

England will certainly miss his unflappable leadership and exquisite stroke play, though having said that, they've had to cope without him for a while now. Injuries beset him directly after that famous Ashes triumph in 2005 as he missed the best part of 18 months. And when he did come back into the side, he lasted only another year before poor form led him to resigning the captaincy after the Third Test against South Africa - it was to be his last appearance in an England shirt.

Still, as sad as it is to bid farewell to one of England's finest, it's best to fondly reminisce at times like this. Vaughan's batting was wonderful to watch; very few players could time the ball like he did.

Several innings spring to mind. The 166 against Australia at Old Trafford in '05 came at a time when people were casting doubts over his form and it smacked of him stamping his considerable authority all over the series. Then that comeback hundred in 2007 on his home ground of Headingley against the West Indies. Having missed so much cricket due to injury, it was a relief just to get him back in the side. The over-zealous bear hug that Kevin Pietersen gave him upon reaching three figures was an indication of what his return meant to the team.

For me, two innings stand out. The first came in South Africa in early 2005 in the Fourth Test at Johannesburg. With the series level at 1-1 and England into their tail in the first innings, Vaughan dug in for his team and added 133 with the help of Ashley Giles and Steve Harmison, taking England from 278-7 to the riches of 411-8. He was on 82 not out when persistent bad weather ended the second day's play. Rather than waste time trying to reach a hundred, Vaughan declared, putting the team ahead of his own personal glory. England went on to win the game late on the last day, further vindicating Vaughan's choice and the timing of it.

The second was at Trent Bridge in 2007 against a rampant Indian side. Zaheer Khan and RP Singh had decimated England in the first innings before India built a size-able lead with the bat. England batted in the second innings knowing they'd need a gargantuan total to even have a chance in the match and against a dangerously swinging ball and some fine Indian bowling, batting was seriously tough. Vaughan produced another superb captain's innings, making 124 and taking England just into the lead. He was out in painfully unlucky circumstances, the ball clipping his upper thigh and rolling gently down onto the base of leg stump, just forcing the bail off. England subsequently collapsed and lost the game but Vaughan, as always, had done his utmost to lead from the front.

England have had to do without Vaughan for sometime now so any talk of a fresh start is redundant. He'll certainly be watching this forthcoming Ashes contest with great interest but purely as a spectator and fan, not a worried player. A career in coaching or possibly even commentary must surely await now for him - one can only hope that the game of cricket has more in store for this fine, fine player.

I'll end with a quote from the man himself, given in the immediate aftermath of probably his finest moment as England captain - the two run win over Australia at Edgbaston.

“I'm thrilled. I'm proud of this
team. If we'd gone 2-0 down in the series, against a team like Australia, we
couldn't have come back from there.”

Cook and Flintoff light up the summer sky

2009-06-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

This needs mentioning. The English Twenty20 cup was played tonight, with two particular innings not just catching my attention but grabbing me by the neck and forcing me to watch.

Firstly, to Derbyshire vs Lancashire and a certain Andrew Flintoff. Those who say he's out of form with the bat are justified and it's been years since a really significant innings from the big man. He scored a decent fifty last week against Hampshire but tonight he really lit up the stage. Coming in at 70-3, Flintoff blazed an incredible 93 off of just 41 deliveries. He whacked a total of 9 fours and 6 sixes as he completely dominated, looking very much like the all-conquering, big-hitting Flintoff of old. He was just denied an outstanding century by a staggering catch in the last over, predictably going for another gargantuan six.

Down at The Oval, England team mate Alastair Cook went one better. Not really considered as a Twenty20 player due to his patient batting style, Cook fired a blistering, unbeaten hundred off just 57 balls (hitting 4 sixes!) in an opening stand of 167. The innings comes as yet another unbelievable score in domestic T20 from Cook this season as he warmed up for the coming Ashes series is considerable style.

Both innings considerably defied belief. Flintoff's purely because you can just never be certain of a big performance from him with the bat. Watching those sixes sail into the crowd time and again was the most thrilling sight for English cricket fans. Cook has been confounding critics who say he can't play T20 this year with a collection of quite stunning innings. It's a marvellous achievement when any batsman scores a hundred in this format of the game - for the conservative Cook to do it is quite remarkable.

Hugely ironic that they should choose to do it now that the World Twenty20 has ended. Anyone watching these men bat would have been massively geed up for the Ashes. It's important no-one gets carried away, though. T20 is hardly the best indication of Test form and hopefully there will be none of the usual media hyperbole. You certainly won't be reading any here.

To hell with it. We're going to win the Ashes 5-0.

Should Adil Rashid play at Cardiff?

2009-06-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

The leg spinners union is out in full force at present. Shane Warne has tipped Adil Rashid to partner Graeme Swann in the first Ashes Test in Cardiff instead of Monty Panesar, should England go with two spinners as expected. After Rashid's impressive showing in the World Twenty20, many others are also clamouring for the young Yorkshire leggie's Test debut to be sooner rather than later.

Admittedly, unleashing Rashid on the Australian's spin frailties is a much more appealing prospect than Panesar churning out 34 identical and non-threatening overs. The boy has unique potential, this much is obvious. However, after Warne's authoritative calls, there are several things that strike me:

1) Are we rushing him? England have done incredibly well in allowing Rashid to develop with his county and to learn every aspect of his game before rushing him into the harsh and unforgiving grounds of international cricket. Stuart Broad was given time to grow before he played for England and the results have been largely positive. However, is this just a little too soon for Rashid? He was in the England squad for both winter tours this year so the experience gained there will have been crucial. But one gets the feeling that a chastening experience at the hands of Australia could scar him for life.

2) Is Warne just playing mind games? He doesn't even play anymore and you still feel he has a psychological edge over every English player and selector. Warne last week spoke of how he didn't rate Ravi Bopara and thought England were making a mistake in putting their faith in him. The great man was surely trying to knock Bopara over, confidence-wise. The trouble is his name is so well respected in the game, especially in the precocious art of spin bowling. So if he says England should play Rashid, the selectors are likely to take heed of his words. Could he be tricking England into playing Rashid even though he knows he's not ready? You wouldn't put it past him, even if he is working for Sky as a 'neutral' commentator.

3) Is the Ashes the right place to make a Test debut? Rashid is 21 and could have a monstrously good career ahead of him. But what would happen if he plays at Cardiff and gets absolutely collared all day long? He gets dropped, his confidence goes - in short, he becomes the new Chris Schofield. It's not a slight on his talent; good players can have bad days and Rashid could very well just turn up at the wrong time and get belted all around the park. But the effects of such a mauling would be devastating and the pressure-cooker atmosphere of an Ashes Test could possibly be too much for such a young player. Having said that, Kevin Pietersen made his debut in an Ashes series and look what happened there. And Warne was a similar age when he made his debut.

One thing's for certain: Panesar, if selected, has done nothing to justify his place. I'm not necessarily a Monty critic but his early season form for Northants has been awful and he's done precious little in an England shirt for a long time now. Rashid represents England's future more than Panesar. But does that justify playing him now?

After all, this Ashes series is about the present, not the future. It's a tough one to call and my instinct is to go with Rashid. But, thankfully, I'm not a selector.

South Africa once again fail to finish the job

2009-06-23T16:03:00.001-07:00

As bizarre as Pakistan winning the World Twenty20 was, having seen them get mauled in their first game by England of all teams, South Africa not winning the trophy was even more unfathomable.

Throughout the competition, they had been the team to beat. Strong in what seemed like every single department, they had been on the money right from the first ball. That they successfully defended scores of 130 and 128 was astounding, especially for Twenty20 cricket. When their batsman fired, they weren't so much finding the middle of the bat but locating the precise epicentre of their instruments and pummelling the ball to corners off of it.

Their bowling was irrepressibly strong, led by the menacing Dale Steyn and the frighteningly promising left armer Wayne Parnell. Time and again, they took early wickets to halt the momentum of opposition teams. Parnell picked up an incredible 4-13 against the West Indies and was one of the tournaments leading bowlers.

The brute force with the new ball was reinforced by solid, dependable pace bowling from Jacques Kallis and Albie Morkel. These two were utilised extremely intelligently by captain Graeme Smith - Morkel came on to bowl early against England, who were already two wickets down. He promptly bowled a wicket maiden, removing Kevin Pietersen, and retreated back to the field. He didn't bowl at all again in the innings, such was the strength of the other bowlers and Smith's desire to use him as a 'shock' bowler.

When teams needed slowing down, Smith turned to his spinners. Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe bowled quite exceptionally at times, placing a stranglehold on the batsman and taking crucial wickets. If ever they weren't working, and it was extremely rare that they weren't, JP Duminy could even bowl a tidy over or two.

The batsmen were led from the front by Smith himself and the arch accumulator Kallis. And with Hershelle Gibbs, Duminy, Mark Boucher, Morkel and the simply phenomenal AB de Villiers in the ranks, there were plenty of potential fireworks and, more importantly, strength in depth.

So why the hell did they not blitz this thing? Alas, it's a tired old story for South African cricket. No team is more worthy of the term 'chokers', not even the perennially disappointing England. Pundits and analysts have time and again tipped the Proteas for victory and nine times out of ten, they've looked like solid bets.

But, when it really matters, South Africa invariably fail in these tournaments. They can be brilliant in the run in, poleaxing teams into submission and dazzling everyone with their unquestionable ability. When the time comes to actually win something, they are incapable. They fail to do justice to their talent and billing and end up pointlessly wondering what in the world went wrong.

The list of near misses is endless and quite depressing; World Cups in 1999, 2003, 2007 - all should have delivered more. They even choked in the last World Twenty20, which they hosted. Having stormed past everyone, they were looking good to deliver the trophy in front of their own fans before losing what should have been a regulation game against India and bowing out.

Sometimes there's even a cruel comedy essence to their demise. 1999 and Allan Donald's needless run out handing Australia a semi final victory from the jaws of defeat. 2003 and the Duckworth/Lewis miscalculation - cue Mark Boucher calmly blocking the last ball of a Murali over, believing that they had reached the par score already (they were one run short).

Whilst they remain a fine team at present and surely a contender for the best in the world, there's a worrying trend in their tournament failures. Sure it's mighty impressive going to Australia and winning like they did in December. They're pretty much on top of the world and, frankly, deserve to be there. But for all the Test match supremacy they may be in line for, a trophy or two would be extremely welcome, especially for South Africa's limited overs-loving population.

Think of the supreme talents they've had in the last decade or so: Donald, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Smith, Gibbs, Makhaya Ntini. And now, the likes of de Villiers, Steyn and Parnell. Are they all to be tainted by the same tournament jinx? From a South African point of view, one hopes that, sooner rather than later, the Proteas can overcome this mental stumbling block.

LVCC - Hampshire v Nottinghamshire 12th June - Day 2

2009-06-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

Afternoon session

Hampshire began the afternoon session looking to build on their strong start. They initially found runs hard to come by against the veteran all-rounder Mark Ealham, fresh from his own batting heroics, though Jimmy Adams did reach his 22nd First Class fifty with a flick down to fine leg for his eleventh 4. Adams and Lumb took Hampshire past the 100 mark, with Adams continuing to impress, stroking a 4 through the covers off Fletcher. Lumb offered a tough chance off Ealham but Jefferson was unable to hold a one handed catch at second slip. In the next over Lumb finally got his innings going with a firmly struck cover drive for 4.

With Nottinghamshire striving for a breakthrough, Pattinson was brought on to bowl. However the boundaries only became more frequent with Lumb picking up two in one over from sweetly struck cover drives. Adams continued to move towards his century, square cutting Patel for 4, and the pair rotated the strike intelligently, frustrating the visiting bowlers.

Shortly before the tea break Lumb dented Patel’s tidy figures, drilling him for 4 before launching him over square leg for 6. However Patel got his revenge in his next over – Lumb charged down the pitch only to miss the ball and was smartly stumped by opposition captain Chris Read, having made 43. The dismissal ended a 109 run partnership and brought in James Vince for his first LVCC game.

After taking a good look at the bowlers Vince came impressively off the mark with a late cut through point for 4 before pulling Shreck through midwicket for two more boundaries. Patel continued to trouble at the Northern End, with an enthusiastic lbw appeal against Adams turned down.

Hampshire were 184 for 2 at tea.

Evening session

... Chris Benham (13) then perished, fencing at a rising delivery from Luke Fletcher and being caught by Jefferson at slip. Sean Ervine arrived at the crease with Vince as a runner, following his hamstring pull yesterday. Pothas drove Hampshire past the 250 with a boundary through the covers but Ervine (1) departed quickly after that, edging to Chris Read behind the stumps. New batsman Dominic Cork survived a strong lbw appeal early in his innings before getting off the mark with a well-timed drive for 4.

Hampshire’s hopes of passing Nottinghamshire’s total began to diminish when Patel had Pothas (36) caught at short leg by Shafayat then Imran Tahir (0) tried to hit the spinner over the top but succeeded only in finding the safe hands of Mark Ealham at mid on. Patel secured his maiden First Class five wicket haul, inducing an edge from David Griffiths which was well taken by Ali Brown at first slip.

Cork and James Tomlinson saw Hampshire through to the close of play, ending the day on 287 for 9, 39 behind Nottinghamshire’s total.

(rosebowlplc.com, June 2009)

Written in conjunction with Steven Woodgate. The above content was my personal contribution. See here for full day's report.

Update

2009-06-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Am in Boston. The weather is god awful. The food is, as always, plentiful.

In other news, I'm hopefully writing a review of a local musician soon, in my next journalistic outing for Chessington Chat. His name's Aaron Norton (Apparently, he lives just down the road from me. Who knew?) and, from what I've heard of him thus far, the boy is pretty damn good. According to the biography on his website, he's even performed live on Capital FM twice - smart man. He appears to be on the cusp of big things.

Have a gander at his website where you'll find said biography and be able to download some of his songs. My favourite? A Youtube video of him covering 'Fall At Your Feet' by Crowded House. Classic record, classing performance. What can I say? I'm a slave for powerful guitar driven melodies.

As I said, I should be doing that sometime in the next month, whenever his next gig I can attend is. Should be a 'right laugh'.

Back in the UK on Tuesday night (sniff sniff).

My 15 minutes (seconds)

2009-06-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share something vaguely media related. I managed an absolutely tiny, (some would say) insignificant moment of fame the other day. Anyone who was following the BBC's live web text commentary of the Australia vs Sri Lanka game at the World Twenty20 may have seen this e-mail, around about the start of the Sri Lankan innings.

From Mark, Chessington, TMS inbox: "Murali bowls four good overs, gets
nothing. And this young upstart Mendis gets Ponting, Watson and Hussey! Are
we witnessing the changing of the guard? How annoyed must Murali be?"

I'm sure Murali will forgive him if Sri Lanka win!

Yes, 'Mark, Chessington, TMS Inbox' is none other than myself. It appears e-mailing into these things does work sometimes, even if it is a sad indictment of how very little I had to do that evening. Thank you very much, Mark Mitchener.

Read my dazzling input in it's full context here. Warning: May require some scrolling.

Mendis setting new standards for spinners

2009-06-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

This time last year, a Sri Lankan spinner delivered a magical performance to win the final of the Asia Cup with 6-13 against an incredibly strong Indian team. But, for the first time in years, it was not mercurial spinning legend Muttiah Muralitharan who had performed minor miracles with a cricket ball for his country. It was a new spinning sensation in the form of Ajantha Mendis.

In just his eighth one day international, Mendis bamboozled the experienced Indians with his countless variations, making a mockery of his tender age. Called up to the Test side shortly after, he took 26 wickets in the three matches, earning a record for the best wicket return in a three match debut series.

But, it was yesterday, perhaps, when the entire world became aware of his pedigree. Playing against Australia in the ICC World Twenty20, in what was a must win game for the Aussies, Mendis bowled Ricky Ponting through the gate in his first over and subsequently removed Shane Watson and Mike Hussey lbw, to shackle the Australian innings to the tune of just 159-9 from their twenty overs.

Murali did get a bowl - his four overs went for just 29 but he was wicket-less. Mendis was accurate, economical and deadly. It was the first time the Australians had faced the young spinner and boy how it showed. Murali used to elicit a unique sense fear and trepidation from opposing batsman. Now, players are so wary of playing Mendis, they're taking singles to get off strike, even if it means facing the aging magician, who, let's be honest, is still quite brilliant.

So, as if we didn't know already, who is this Ajantha Mendis bloke and where is he going? There's a great deal of mystery regarding him, perhaps an indication of just how difficult it is to predict what he is bowling. Even cricket encylopedia Cricinfo isn't sure what to class him as, stating his bowling style as 'right arm off-break, leg-break'.

His action is almost as confusing as his deliveries; rather than the customary slow walk for a spinner, he runs up to the crease, almost as if he is bowling at medium pace. The second the ball comes out of the hand, it's a guessing game for the poor batsmen.

Indeed, it seems he is capable of bowling absolutely everything. He extracts serious spin whichever direction it goes. He bowls off-spinners, leg-spinners, googlies, top-spinners, flippers and even a unique mystery ball known as the 'Carrom ball', which comes off his middle finger, would you believe. He's got more deliveries in his locker than that Shane Warne fella. It all adds up to some serious arthritis when he's older.

And, it appears he is capable of bringing his magic to any format of the game. He gets his one day international wickets at an insane average of just 13.14. He has 34 wickets from just six test matches. He even finds the time to play Twenty20 for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. He is set for a staggeringly good future, there can be no doubting that.

The plaudits are raining in. Murali has had his say, stating after Mendis' incredible test debut, "When I started playing Test cricket, I was not as good as Mendis. He is exceptional. He is the future of Sri Lankan cricket."

Veteran cricket writer Tony Becca said of Mendis in the Jamaica Gleaner, "With a smile on his face as he caresses the ball before delivering it, he bowls the off-break, he bowls the leg-break, he bowls the googly, he bowls the flipper, he bowls a straight delivery, he bowls them with different grips and different actions, he bowls them with a different trajectory and at a different pace, and he disguises them brilliantly. The result is that he mesmerises, or bamboozles, batsmen."

Has he already replaced Murali in the Sri Lanka set up? Not quite yet. Mendis has some way to go before he can match or better the world's all time leading wicket taker. Murali has the benefit of years and years of experience allied with his freakish talent. But the signs are there for the changing of the guard. Mendis has been coming on to bowl before Murali of late, not necessarily an indictment of who Sri Lanka think is better, but a sign that they believe Mendis to have what it takes.

Mendis will eventually assume Murali's mantle as Sri Lanka's premier spinner. And with the career statistics he has already accrued combined with his outrageous and unique skill, whose to say he won't become the world's best ever spinner? Have a look for yourself.

England ticking along okay, thanks

2009-06-07T08:37:00.001-07:00

I'm about to do something I generally loathe doing in this day and age. I'm going to defend the England football team - I can hear the courtroom drama style gasps already. Last night's 4-0 win in the Eastern reaches of Kazakhstan was perfect, result-wise, and not so perfect performance-wise. And it seems that certain people have chosen to leap upon the latter point.

For much of the first half, England resembled the kind of slipshod, uncoordinated unit they were under Steve McClaren and struggled to get it going against what can only be described as amateur opposition. So much so that the plucky Kazakhs almost scored after 30 seconds after a mistake from Glen Johnson and then had the temerity to have a goal ruled out.

For 45 minutes, coach Fabio Capello cut an increasingly infuriated figure on the sideline, bellowing at his side in his angry Italian twang and imploring them to stick to what he told them to do. Thank heavens, in the end, that Gareth Barry and Emile Heskey were able to grab a goal each just before half time to pretty much ensure England the victory and give them peace of mind going into the break. As a sidenote, that Steven Gerrard was heavily instrumental in both goals speaks volumes for the class display the Liverpool man put in (about bloody time).

Yes, the performance was a bit nervous and, yes, letting them score in 30 seconds would have been a bit of an discomfiture. But surely a 4-0 scoreline renders all that pretty much insignificant. I mean, they didn't score that goal. So what's the problem?

Phil McNulty, in his match report on the BBC Sport website, said that England had a 'brief encounter with embarrassment' in Almaty. McNulty is generally an excellent writer; his blogs coming from the Kazakh capital thus far have been superb. But I cannot, for the life of me, see how England were embarrassed, even only briefly.

Let's be frank, had the home side scored, England would have likely come back to win the game. Conceding to minnow teams is nothing to be ashamed of - losing to them is. Lest we all forget Kazakhstan grabbed a goal at Wembley in the reverse fixture. Besides, it was made common knowledge that Kazakhstan start their games with pace, energy and vigour before dying out as the match wears on. I'm not at all saying that England used this as their game plan and let the Kazakhs on to them early but it does explain the fast-out-of-the-blocks start from the home side, to an extent.

England didn't play at their best, that much is obvious. But they got the three points, which is exactly what they came for. Was 4-0 a flattering score? Perhaps, but it does reflect the vast gap between the two sides and it's entirely for good teams to play poorly and still score goals.

There, I said it.

England are a good team.

The Three Lions have taken a hell of a beating from fans and the media since that nightmare night against Croatia at Wembley in 2007. Maybe, after all this progress, it's time we get off their backs a little.

Cool Hand Luke

2009-06-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

With the World Twenty20 literally hours round the corner, much of the professional analysis and punditry is focusing on predicting the winner of the tournament. The familiar names have been thrown into the hat; India, South Africa and Australia - the three best teams in the world (think the Premier League's top four but with more actual competition).

T20 is a format of the game where genuinely any team can win - so even underdog nations like New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka are also being tipped to have a dart for the final. Hell, even Pakistan aren't being totally written off, despite two big defeats in warm up games. So we're left with one question: what chance does England have?

T20, much like all limited overs cricket, is hardly England's forté. In fact, one could go so far as to say that England have a miserable record in this, the shortest format of the game. However, as with all German national football teams and Take That comeback albums, write them off completely at you peril. England are the hosts and will benefit greatly from the home soil advantage. And, for once, the selectors seem to have picked the best players, going with a mix of England's established test stars and promising, young, county players with good T20 credentials.*

A player of such example is Sussex's Luke Wright. Wright made his England debut in 2007 at the Oval against India, scoring a blistering, counter-attacking fifty. He has since struggled to make any kind of meaningful impact (one innings last summer against New Zealand, aside) being shuffled around England's order to as low as eight and as high as being asked to open last summer. Unfortunately, his lack of technique was exposed by some canny new ball bowling and many were left believing his abilities were more suited as a lower order hitter.

Wright has, once again, been promoted to open the batting alongside Ravi Bopara for this years tournament and in the first warm-up game with Scotland, one feared that the same mistake had been made. Wright scratched around uncertainly, slogged at a few balls and was caught out trying to impose himself. Wright's head dropped, his critics' knives sharpened.

How it all changed in England's next practice. Set just under 150 to win by a poor West Indies effort, Wright went ballistic, mixing controlled aggression with sensible shot selection. He whacked an unbeaten 75 off just 48 balls, slamming five incredible sixes and eight fours.

If ever an innings defined a cricketer, then here was a prime example. Wright is known for his attacking nature - if batting purist Geoffrey Boycott ever tried to coach him, he's pull what's left of his hair out in frustration at the Sussex man's incessant desire to hit out. This may have led to his nagging inconsistency in 50 over cricket but, in this shortened version of the game, it could work wonders for him and his team.

With his partner Bopara very much a more classical, shot playing opener, England need a cold-blooded aggressor at the other end, someone willing to take risks. It works for Sri Lanka with Sanath Jayasuriya. It works for India with Virender Sehwag. Even the Aussies are trying it, with big hitting David Warner at the top of their innings.

Slogging out may not work for the all-rounder all the time but if Wednesday's innings was any evidence, when Wright gets it right (cliché-tastic), the results are explosive and highly profitable for England.

The hosts start this tournament as anything but favourites. But if Wright is able to fire on all cylinders like we know and hope he can, they could surprise a team or two and writing them off is a mistake. That being said, though, my money (if I had any) is on South Africa.

* - Many apologies. Rob Key is anything but young.

Adil Rashid - a glimpse into the future

2009-05-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

When friends ask me just how good Adil Rashid is going to be, I'm generally stumped (see what I did there?).

Having read more than enough about him, I know enough to think he's going to be pretty damn special. However, I can never tell those asking with good authority that he's the answer to all our long standing prayers. English cricket fans have been crying out for their own version of Shane Warne for years now and the last thing Rashid needs is to be built up to those stupendous heights. He's 21, for goodness sake.

Finally, the other day, I had the pleasure to watch him bowl, live on TV in a Twenty20 game. Admittedly, T20 is hardly the best way to judge a cricketer's skills, let alone a young prospect like Rashid. Throw into the mix the fact that his team, Yorkshire, were defending an extremely modest total. Needless to say, it's hard to judge him on this sole performance. But, I digress.

Regardless of the context, Rashid was brought on to bowl the fifth over, with Lancashire rollicking away on 40 odd for no wicket. His first ball was a gem - tossed up high and dipping back down, the left handed batsman advanced down the wicket to heave it over midwicket, only to misread the pitch of the ball. Luckily for him, he got a healthy edge and the ball darted away for a couple of runs.

Very next ball, Rashid pitched it up a little higher. The batsman tried to repeat the shot, missed and the ball spun sharply back and bowled him through the gate. It caught everyone by surprise and delighted the hordes on Western Terrace at Headingley; it was a cracking delivery and completely out of the blue, given the consummate ease with which the batsman had gone about the first four overs. Rashid then bowled four dot balls, beating the bat twice more. In Twenty20 terms, the over was absolutely fantastic. In pure cricketing terms, it was still bloody brilliant.

I'm not one for grandiose statements and outlandish predictions but watching Rashid bowl was thrilling. He has a nice, natural action - slightly reminiscent of Warne but with his own unique style. The way the ball comes out of his hand, you sense that something is going to happen and that it won't be that easy to play, regardless of how set the batter is. If that three minute example was any indication, Rashid will be an immense force for the future, maybe not quite in the Warne category but definitely a match winner in his own right.

He even bats like a dream, from what I'm told. He has two first class hundreds and has shown a capability to bat in the middle order. I know what many may be thinking; an English leg spinner who can bat? Must be a dream. It's important to keep both his and our own feet on the ground regarding Rashid but if potential is good enough to go by then this kid is going to be a beauty of a player - potential is something he has in abundance.

Rashid is in England's Twenty20 World cup squad as a replacement for Andrew Flintoff and his all round skills could possibly see him get a game. However, those six balls I witnessed may have just been flukes (although I severely doubt it). Having praised the value of the over to my housemate, the first ball of his next over was dispatched for six.

I knew, almost immediately, that I had cursed the poor soul.

Not just for the kids - Chessington World of Adventures review

2009-05-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

There is a place nearby, where you can one minute be surrounded by the dark and mysterious reaches of Transylvania before finding yourself just a few moments later entrenched in the mystical Eastern wonders of the Orient. There’s even a chance to witness exotic wildlife in the flesh should you so choose. And before you think it, this place is not a fantasy or a work of fiction. It‘s actually extremely easy to access; it’s just down the road at Chessington World of Adventures.

Whether you’re a thrill seeker or simply after a wholesome family day out, you’re certain to be entertained. With a vast array of rides, amusements and animal exhibits, there really is something for everyone and many leave the place wishing that they had just a few more hours to spend there. CWoA is a local institution, known previously as Chessington Zoo. Since those early days, the park has undergone several facelifts, the latest of which saw the addition of a 150 room Holiday Inn hotel, enabling guests to extend their stay and make the most of their visit.

In 2008, CWoA opened the Sea Life centre, a 250,000 litre aquarium allowing visitors to come face to face with a range of marine wildlife such as miniscule shrimp, glowing jellyfish and even fearsome sharks. The Sea Life centre is a real treat for guests and is a new dimension of the park’s focus on animals. Of course, the land based creatures are just as impressive; Trail of the Kings showcases some heavyweight kings of the jungle such as the Asiatic Lions and Sumatran Tigers whereas the Monkey and Bird Garden features a selection of colourful and striking winged creatures and playful, mischievous monkeys.

The rides at CWoA vary from family oriented to the more adrenaline based. A compulsory visit must go to the Vampire, a rollercoaster that suspends you above the ground leaving your feet dangling and flies you rapidly through the air above the park. It’s a thrill-a-minute adventure and highly recommended but is certainly not a tame experience! Another highlight is Dragon Falls, a winding river adventure that comes with a big plunge at the end - it’s sure to leave you both excited and a little soaked.

But if fast and stomach churning rides aren’t you’re thing, there’s plenty to keep you going. Younger visitors can enjoy Beanoland, an area based on cartoon character Dennis the Menace and friends. There you’ll find the big spinning Billy’s Whizzer and the highly enjoyable Roger the Dodger’s Dodgems. If you’re looking for something less child focused then head to the Forbidden Kingdom and check out Tomb Blaster. Armed with a laser gun, you’re transported through an ancient Egyptian labyrinth where shooting little green lights earns you points which can be viewed in your seat.

Those who label CWoA as an attraction purely for children obviously haven’t paid a visit in a while. Whilst there is, admittedly, a strong family atmosphere, it is genuinely possible to enjoy yourself, regardless of your age. So if your in the area and your bemoaning the lack of things to do, bear in mind that there’s a massively entertaining theme park lying just around the corner waiting for you.

(Chessington Chat Magazine, 2009)

Lacklustre England Claim Crucial Win

2009-05-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

Stuart Pearce’s England Under-21’s laboured to a 3-0 win over Republic of Ireland Under-21’s at St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton last night - a result that virtually assures them of a play-off place for next year's European Championships.

On a cold, wet night on the south coast, England took to the field confident of victory, and were able to field stars such as Aaron Lennon and Theo Walcott, who were not included in the main national team. But Walcott, on his return to Southampton, struggled to make an impression as Ireland kept out the England attack in the first half.

Newcastle’s James Milner had a shot saved by Ireland keeper Darren Randolph as England found it hard going on slippery pitch. Premiership stars Tom Huddlestone and Mark Noble were unable to provide the killer pass and the sides went in at the break at 0-0.

Ireland came out strong after the break and Wolves striker Andy Keogh missed three wonderful chances to give his side the lead but each time he found England keeper Joe Hart in good form. On the hour mark, it all changed and in England’s favour. James Milner fired in an innocuous looking cross which cannoned off Southampton defender Stephen O’Halloran and dribbled into the net.

If it was a lucky breakthrough, England certainly took advantage. Eight minutes later and Milner found himself with time on the outside of the area before he drilled in a right footed shot which went in off the inside of the post.

England were flying and with ten minutes to go, Theo Walcott got the ball just inside the box and curled a beauty past Randolph for England’s third. The Southampton crowd warmly received Walcott’s goal before welcoming another local hero, Andrew Surman, onto the pitch.

It was not a convincing performance but it was a professional one and the watching Trevor Brooking and Fabio Capello’s coaching staff will have been reasonably happy with what they saw. With only a home game against Portugal to come, England will be confident of achieving the point they need to claim top spot in the group and guarantee themselves a play off place.

(RE:SUS Magazine, 2008)

Southampton vs Burnley, Coca Cola Championship

2009-05-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

Match Preview

Southampton go into tomorrow’s crunch game with Burnley in the knowledge that relegation to League Two is a certainty. The decision of the Football League to deduct ten points from the Saints is a massive blow to both the team and the fans and is the icing on the cake on what had been a desperately poor season.

Nevertheless, there is still much to play for. If Southampton are able to finish out of the bottom three this season, effectively avoiding relegation, then the ten point penalty will be effected immediately and they will drop down a division. Should Saints stay in the bottom three, the deduction will take place next season and they will start in League One with minus ten points.

It’s a bleak outcome regardless but that goal should be what coach Mark Wotte is drilling into his players. Saints are expecting a big turnout at St. Marys for what is the last home game of the season and the fans will want to make one last massive effort to raise the players and to show their love for the club. Wotte has spoken about the deduction and the effect it may have on his players. “We felt that there has been an injustice and it’s an extra inspiration for us to put in a good performance and leave the fans with a good feeling when they go home.”

Saints are able to welcome back Simon Gillet, who was back in training this week despite having surgery recently for a knee problem. However, the game has come too soon for defender Wayne Thomas who has just returned from a knee ligaments injury. David McGoldrick is expected to partner Bradley Wright Phillips in attack and continue the goal scoring form he has found himself in recently.

As for the visitors, they arrive well in the hunt for a coveted play-off spot. Having earned plaudits for their giant killing Carling Cup campaign in which they dispatched three Premier League sides in Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal, they came within a minute of reaching a Wembley final, almost beating Tottenham in the semi finals before two goals knocked them out. Their line will be lead by 33 year old talisman Robbie Blake who, despite his advancing years, is having a tremendous season
.
Their cup exploits this season have dramatically increased the workload for the players but manager Owen Coyle is in confident mood ahead of the game. “It’s in our own hands from here on in and as long as we continue to play at the sort of level we have managed for much of the season, we should get ourselves into the top six.”

It certainly promises to be a lively game on Saturday, with both teams chasing very contrasting goals. One thing’s for sure, expect the Saints fans to create a unique atmosphere as they try one more time to raise their side.

Match Report

Southampton will begin League One next season minus ten points behind everyone else after a 2-2 draw at home with Burnley consigned them to a bottom three place and relegation from the Championship.

Saints took the lead early on through Bradley Wright Phillips’ deflected shot after being played by Andrew Surman. However, Burnley levelled midway through the first half after a penalty that Graham Alexander slotted down the middle of the goal.

David McGoldrick put Saints back in front just before the break with a tap in after Burnley keeper Brian Jensen had brilliantly saved from Paul Wotton. McGoldrick had the chance to increase Saints’ lead with a penalty but his tame effort was saved by Jensen.

And Burnley made Southampton pay with an equaliser from Clarke Carlisle who blasted home after a corner wasn‘t cleared. Not even a post match pitch invasion from the home fans could lighten the mood encapsulating the St Mary’s Stadium.

Southampton began the game knowing that victory could help them avoid a ten point deduction next season and there was a touching pre-match speech from Saints legend Lawrie McMenemy, urging fans to get behind the team.

They began the game in control as Burnley struggled to hold onto the ball. And their early pressure paid off in the 10th minute after two successive corners weren’t dealt with by the visiting defence and Wright Phillips’ shot took a lucky deflection and nestled into the bottom corner.

Saints continued to dominate with Simon Gillett having his weak effort saved by Jensen when he should have made more of it. Wright Phillips then had a golden chance but dawdled when played through one-on-one and his shot was smothered by the keeper.

Burnley then hit back when striker Martin Paterson was tripped by Jan-Paul Saeijs and veteran Graham Alexander struck the kick firmly past Saints keeper Kelvin Davis. Southampton continued to press forwards, however, and got their reward in the 43rd minute when Wotton’s effort was expertly kept out by Jensen only for McGoldrick to slot home and send the home fans into half time satisfied.

Burnley rallied after the break and substitute Jay Rodriguez forced an excellent save from Davis. Nevertheless, McGoldrick had a chance to further the lead from the spot after Rhys Williams fouled Wright Phillips but his penalty lacked power and was saved.

Burnley then scored the goal that their second half pressure had deserved when Carlisle found himself with space in the area after a goal mouth scramble and smashed home. Rodriguez then got through one-on-one with Davis but the Saints keeper heroically kept him out.

The game then flattened out slightly with neither team wanting to take a chance, with only a late charge into the area for a corner from home keeper Davis enough to rouse the crowd. The final whistle sounded to a anti-climatic atmosphere amongst the fans with the realisation that League One football is coming to St Mary’s hitting hard.

Quotes led piece

Southampton boss Mark Wotte has slammed the decision of the league to deduct ten points from the club at the start of next season, saying that they were punishing the club’s fans. Wotte, speaking in the wake of his side’s 2-2 draw with Burnley at St Mary’s, stated that he thought the points penalty was unfair on the loyal fans who had played no part in the downturn of the club and that they should not be punished.

“For me, the league is punishing the fans that we have, the fans that turn up every week and support the club. It is not their fault,” said Wotte, as the stadium stewards were doing their best to safely remove those fans from the pitch following a final whistle invasion.

Wotte also spoke of his pride in the performance of his players and how happy he was with how they had composed themselves. “I can only be proud of my players and how they performed. They were competitive and aggressive and tried to pass whenever possible and scored some great goals. It was one of our best performances at home this year but the fact that we didn’t win the game probably shows the reasons why we are going down.”

Wotte made no secret of his team’s deficiencies on the pitch but took the time to praise their effort. “You have to take your chances and be clinical up front to really go and secure the win. It’s unfortunate and I really feel sorry for the boys because everyone was giving 100% and they played a terrific game with an excellent team spirit.

“We deserved to win the game. In the first half we were much the better team, created some good chances and scored some good goals. We had chances to make it 3-1 with Bradley Wright Phillips, Simon Gillett and the penalty from Dave McGoldrick.

“We allowed them to score the second goal after a poor decision from the referee but at the end of the day we didn’t take our chances and that’s why we didn’t win. We’ve seen this before of course, and it’s not the first time this has happened to us.”

The Saints manager was keen to praise the fans for their passionate support of the club during the recent hardships, and bared no grudges over the pitch invasion at the end of the game. “We wanted to go out onto the pitch and thank the fans for their support but it wasn’t possible which is a little sad. My message to the fans would be to come back and support us again like you did today.

“It made me proud to be the manager of Southampton Football Club because although we were relegated, the way we played and the way the fans supported us is the way we have to continue doing things to get back to where we belong.”

Reflective piece

At the end of it all, the ups and downs of Southampton’s 2-2 draw with Burnley at St Mary’s were a perfect mirror to the rollercoaster fortunes of the club this season, although this seasons ride for Saints fans was worryingly short on highs.

It is perhaps fitting that Saints should go down on the back of one of their best displays of the season but, that being said, it is also fitting that their improved display should bring them only a draw. Quite simply, Southampton have had a shocker of a year, lurching from financial crisis to some downright awful performances on the pitch. Whilst the core of the team is young and promising, the results haven’t been good enough. For all the resonances of good, attractive football seen by Saints, there is nothing to show for it and now that relegation has been confirmed, a great deal of those bright young things will surely escape the sinking ship.

The 24,000 strong crowd at St Mary’s on Saturday were treated to a pre-match rousing speech from Saints legend Lawrie McMenemy, who did his best to create a passionate atmosphere and implored upon the fans not to turn their back on the club. McMenemy’s speech may have had an effect on the players - their first half performance left many wondering why the hell they are languishing at the bottom of the Championship. The passing was crisp, the finishing was confident and determined and the team spirit was evident for all to see.

That Saints were unable to close out the game and, ultimately, only take a point from it speaks volumes for their mental fragility and vulnerability. The game flattened out, much like Southampton’s season, and there was no great push for a winning goal until captain and keeper Kelvin Davis sprinted forward for a late corner, to no avail.

The final whistle sounded like a death knell for Saints fans. With Paul Wotton injured on the pitch, the ref blew his whistle and the home fans streamed onto the pitch in a mass invasion, completely oblivious to Wotton on the ground. Manager Mark Wotte later spoke of his disappointment that the players could not thank the fans after the match but surely had they stayed on the pitch the baying Saints supporters may have lynched them.

All in all, there’s hardly much to shout about. Going down, ten points in the red, no money and little hope of keeping their best players, Southampton Football Club appear to be in dire straits.

But the old saying ‘it is always darkest before the dawn’ sounds sufficiently suitable for this situation and if Southampton can keep their loyal fan base and consolidate their financial position, the only way could well and truly be up. Avoiding going out of business completely looks to be the main priority for now.

It’s going to be a depressing few months for the men in red and white.

(University assignment on Sports Writing, 2009)

Wes Hall - Profile

2009-05-05T11:02:00.001-07:00

For many an international batsman in the 1960’s, the sight of a West Indian fast bowler steaming in towards you for afar with a shiny red ball in his hand and a steely determined look on his face was the stuff of nightmares. Surviving against them was hard enough, let alone the possibility of scoring runs against them. It took a great deal of heart and nerve to face them and those who took on the challenge would have often been left with the battle scars to prove it.

Facing Wes Hall in his pomp was no different. Frighteningly tall and devastatingly quick, Hall was a breed of fast bowler that the West Indies would come to rely on heavily over the next few decades. Famous for his extended run-up, Hall in full flight must have been quite a sight to behold. He ended his career with 192 Test match wickets in 48 games at an average of just over 26, paying tribute to his skill and natural ability.

But for such an aggressive and feared bowler, Hall’s off field persona paints a distinctively alternative picture. Known by fans of cricket in the Caribbean as ‘a man for all the people, all the time’, Hall’s life is fascinating in terms of his achievements and contributions to life in his native Barbados. After playing, he was team manager of the West Indies for three decades. He was a national selector and eventually became President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Outside of the sport, he was a politician, becoming a Member of Parliament in both the Upper and Lower Houses. In the 1980’s, Hall was the Minister of Tourism in Barbados and, even at the age of 71, he continues to serve, as an Evangelical Church Leader. Hall even found time to be on the board of directors for the ill-fated Stanford Twenty20 project.

When asked about his dedication service, Hall is philosophical.

"What is life if it is not a life of service? Cricket and life gave me so much, it’s only fair that I return as much as I can.” Wise words, indeed.

After all the authoritative positions he has held over the years, it is a figurehead one that he finds himself in these days. The Cricket Legends of Barbados museum is just across the road from the redeveloped Kensington Oval and Hall, as a chairman of the institute, is often found inside talking to visitors about his experiences and sharing opinions about the game which brings them all together.

The museum is steeped in Barbadian and West Indian cricket celebrity, with memorabilia and artefacts as far as the eye can see. One of Hall’s own contributions is a weathered and beaten cricket ball, protected in a large glass case. It is the ball he bowled with when taking the first Test hat-trick by a West Indian against Pakistan. It’s 60-odd years old now and is decorated with a signature from the man himself.

“My children, they don’t want it lying about the place, taking up room! So I thought that the best place for it would be here in the museum. That way it will have a legacy that will hopefully last a long time. Even if it is just an old ball!” Hall jokes, but it is clear that his achievements and those of Barbados cricket as a whole do mean something to him. What other interesting little nuggets of cricket history are in store?

“We’re waiting to receive the bat used by (Gordon) Greenidge in his last home innings, the 223 versus Australia, a wonderful innings. I think it’s another case of his family not wanting it lying around! We’ve also got signed pictures of other Bajan greats - Joel Garner, Desmond Haynes, Everton Weekes, the great Garry Sobers. All the guys are really interested in helping out and contributing to the place and really making it a kind of home for cricket legends in Barbados.”

Indeed, there are some eye-catching jewels on display; a large, looming picture of Sir Garfield Sobers stares at you as you enter a side room and you’re reminded that you truly are in the company of some historical greatness. But it’s the presence of Hall himself at the museum that impresses most. He is friendly, approachable, affable and more than happy to share his anecdotes regarding the great game.

On the field of play, Hall was a colossal opponent to face. In addition to that hat-trick, the Bajan great is also famed for bowling the last over of the first ever tied Test match with Australia in Brisbane in 1960. Australia needed six runs to win of the eight ball over (standard practice for Tests in Australia at the time) and were at 227-7. Hall had Richie Benaud caught behind early in the over and then saw Wally Grout ran out after a flurry of singles. With one wicket remaining and two balls left to bowl in the Test, Australia required a single.

“It was the strangest over I have ever bowled in cricket. Purely because of the tension. I just kept running in and tried not to think too much about what I was doing, what I was going to bowl him.”

Was he nervous?

“Yeah, of course I was, man! But you couldn’t let it get to you, you know? I had a job to do and I just ran up and bowled my best and hoped they didn’t hit it. From the second I let that last ball go, it was all a blur. A wonderful, wonderful blur.”

Hall’s seventh ball of the over turned out to be the last. With the scores tied, new batsman Lindsay Kline made contact with the ball and set off for a risky single. If they made the run, Australia would win. Joe Soloman stooped low to grab the ball and sent in a throw to the striker’s end. With just one stump to aim at, Soloman’s throw hit the wicket, running out the other batsman by a matter of inches. West Indies had dismissed the Australians and the scores were level for the whole match, thus rendering the match in a tie. To this day, it remains one of only two tied Test matches in history.

“It was amazing, the jubilation we felt at that moment was unparalleled. It was a landmark moment as well, you know, because cricket in Australia was going through a bit of a dull patch and audiences weren’t that good. I remember (Australia captain, Richie) Benaud and Frank Worrell, our captain, encouraging us all to play attacking cricket, to try and get the crowd going and just make things entertaining.”

Hall even managed a fifty with the bat in the first innings of the match.

“I was able to contribute with the bat which was something I was really pleased with. I only ever hit two fifties so it was good to get a chance to raise the bat. I think I got something like nine wickets in that whole game too,”

He did.

“I did? Damn that was a good game!”

Hall’s energy and stamina as a bowler made him an excellent option for his captains. His long run-up and searing speed would point to the opposite but he was able to bowl fast spells for long periods of time. In a Test match at Lords with England in 1963, Hall bowled unchanged in a marathon spell of over three hours on the final day. In a era where it seems like Andrew Flintoff cannot bowl more than five overs without tweaking his ankle and Ryan Sidebottom needing a two month lay-off in between Test matches, it’s surprising to hear of a fast bowler being able to go to such extremes.

Hall’s partnership with fellow quick bowler Charlie Griffith was a fearsome one and they were among the first in a battery of mind-bogglingly quick Caribbean fast bowlers, including the illustrious names of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Curtley Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Andy Roberts and many others. Those bowlers played in an era where West Indian cricket reigned supreme amongst the rest of the world. To face them was intimidating, the beat them was nigh on unthinkable.

Sadly, there has been a decline in the standard of West Indian cricket over the last few decades but with the recent series win over England, coupled with some promising recent performances, shows that perhaps the West Indies are developing slowly into a force again. How does Hall view the current crop of Caribbean cricketers?

“The series win over England was quite important because up to then we’d had some improved displays but not much success. I think we’re definitely moving in the correct direction. There’s some good young bowlers out there, the likes of Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor, who really look like they could be dangerous given the proper development. Taylor’s spell at Jamaica (5-11 in England’s 51 all out) was magical and shows how far he has come.”

Is Chris Gayle the right man to lead them?

“I think so. There was a long time where we moved from captain to captain all the time. First Lara, then Chanderpaul, then Lara again, then Sarwan, then even Daren Ganga! I don’t think it helped stabilise the team and now that Gayle is there I think there’s a stability again. Some of his decisions haven’t been too clever but he’s got them winning and he’ll learn more about captaining a side as he goes. Plus, he is a brilliant batsman and likes to lead from the front.”

The West Indies certainly do not look like pushovers anymore. It makes one wonder just where the ranks of fast bowling greats would fit in with today’s team and, in fact, today’s game.

“I think I’d get hit around a bit!” Hall says, unequivocally. “Batsman are much better at playing fast bowling then they were, what with the introduction of helmets and better protection. I think it’s still tough to play against; you look at the success of Brett Lee, Dale Steyn, Andrew Flintoff… But batsman have better coaching on fast bowling now so they are better prepared. I don’t know, I think I’d get a game but I don’t know how well the ball would come out!”

Hall’s responses paint the picture of a humble man. His successes have not gone straight to his head and its refreshing to see a sportsman with such fond memories of playing and with such a dedication to the sport after his playing days are over. Hall has a deep invested love of cricket and of life in general and takes nothing for granted.

He has certainly had to cope with adversity. In 2007, Hall’s eldest son John died after drowning on holiday. Just a few weeks before the World Cup took place in the Caribbean, Hall had to deal with the most distressing of emergencies. Having to deal with the ramifications was surely life’s hardest test on Hall as he strove to be strong and to help his family deal with their loss. Still, he has not let it dictate the rest of his life. Hall is a deeply religious man and continues to live as though he is still that young, fiery fast bowler with a glistening gold chain around his neck. Poor health forced him to resign as President of the WICB but to this day he remains fit and firing again.

Hall remains a cherished figure in the annuls of West Indian cricket, both for his formidable stature as a player and for his good-natured and distinctively Caribbean way of living. Tony Cozier wrote in The Wisden Cricketer magazine, ‘If he happens to be a little late, he is always worth waiting for. When he turned up at my 50th birthday bash at 1am, numbers were beginning to thin. Wes kept it going for another four hours.’

‘A man for all the people‘, they say on the streets of Barbados. He certainly is that.

(University essay on Sports Writing, 2009)

Evaluate how new media has revitalised the democratic participation in the 2008 US presidential elections

2009-05-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

The success of Barack Obama in the 2008 United States Presidential elections was historic and groundbreaking for a number of reasons. Notably, Obama’s race, which made him the first black man to lead the country. Obama’s political hooks and promises offered much hope to a beleaguered nation of people, tired of the war-ravaged and generally incompetent George W Bush administration hat had been in power for eight years.

However, the tools used by the various political masterminds of Obama’s election campaign were innovative and made fine use of the growing shift towards new media and the internet, in particular. Social media played an impossibly large role in the election outcome, with candidates using a variety of means to communicate with their voters. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, You Tube - all social networking websites that were cleverly used by both Obama and rival John McCain in order to get in touch with the people and secure more votes.

The turnout for the election was significantly better as a possible result. 62.8% of the voting age population turned out to register their vote, one of the highest ever figures, equalling the turnout for the 1964 election but narrowly losing out to the 1960 vote, where John F Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon. The numbers certainly make good reading when you hold them in comparison with recent years. In 1996, just over 50% of the voting population bothered to vote, a number that only slightly increased for the 2000 elections.

Now, one of the reasons for the surge in voters may have been Obama’s popularity and the fact that he was a new and different candidate but experts are crediting the use of new media for the revitalisation of democratic participation in the election. So just how did they do it?

A look at Barack Obama’s official Facebook page tells an interesting story. Obama currently has 6,072,317 ‘supporters’, meaning that those people are linked to his page and are made aware of any updates or communication coming from the page. It’s a heft amount of online followers, especially when compared to the 574,107 supporters for John McCain. The Facebook page is probably never updated by Obama himself (he likely has teams of people to do that for him) but it contains photos of him at key speeches and addresses and videos of him and his election promises. Now that he has been elected and inaugurated, the page is still updated almost every day, with news of his exploits and newsworthy moments. It’s an excellent device for getting media coverage and the brilliant thing about it is that Obama’s people were able to spin it whichever way they wanted.

On the information section of the page, Obama is even decent enough to provide us with a list of his hobbies and interests. He states them as ‘basketball, writing, spending time w/ kids’ before a list of his favourite musicians, films and books. It’s through this tool that his audience can relate to Obama and see a different side to him than the stern authoritative, political one that people are used to. It’s Obama’s way of showing that he’s, to borrow a popular phrase, ‘down with the kids’. In the job description section, it states, rather frankly, that he is ‘President of the United States’ from January 2009 onwards.

It’s a fascinating tool to use as it makes him seem just like any of the 6 million odd supporters he has. People would have looked at the information provided and related it to the information they had themselves provided regarding their own interests and employment. It may not have made people instantly want to vote for him, but it was a new tactic, devised to make best use of the growing demand around the world for new and social media.

Jesse Hirsh, in a interview with CBS News back in 2007, made the valid point that by using Facebook, candidates were able to access the locations of their supporters, by looking at their information. Hirsh cites the example that members in New Hampshire could be informed of a special announcement or speech from the candidate at the touch of a button. The point is also raised that the general desire of people for daily usage of Facebook and similar social networking sights means that there is greater chance for quick responses. In essence, the word can be spread faster and to more people and in a frenzied campaign such as the ‘08 Elections, that function could have be absolutely vital for Barack Obama.

However, it’s not just his Facebook page that won the election for Obama. The role of internet blogging will have had a huge and unprecedented effect on the election. With citizen journalism on an almost inexorable rise, it is doubtless that blogs covering the election would have been extremely popular. Blogs were a way for the media to gauge what the public were talking about regarding the election. For example if a large number of blogs were devoted to a particular address from a candidate then the media would know to post special coverage of that event. The advantage blogs have over mainstream media is that they can be posted out quicker. The Internet has the capability to make everything faster and more accessible to the people.

As a result of the probably deluge of political bloggers, the Obama campaign could have also had a better access to public reaction. Gone are the days when only opinion polls would give a true suggestion as to how well a campaign was being received. It’s possible that the rise in political blogging could have had a positive effect on the turnout for the election; anyone in their right mind can blog. It isn’t like mainstream media where only qualified people get to voice their opinions. The availability of blogs and the internet mean that the average Joe can convey his feelings and try to convince others of what they believe just by a few words and a click of a button. Essentially, the bloggers will feel like they’re involved in the political media process and the election will mean a whole lot more to them and to others.

The beauty of these new media functions is that the great majority can be anonymous; if, say, John Smith is posting a scathing attack of a candidate’s policies online from his basement in Nebraska, then no-one need know it is John Smith who is writing. That way he can be free to give his full opinion, however controversial or drastic it may be.

The anonymity of the Internet can mean that a campaign can manipulate the process in their favour. Blogs have a large influence on the public and would have a significant effect on undecided voters. Due to this effect, it is possible that pro-Obama blogs could have been written in order to raise a positive feeling in the Democrat Party and to generate more support for them.
One thing is for certain; Obama was definitely a popular blog topic. Statistics show that almost 500 million blog mentioned him since the end of August, just a few months before the election. During the same time period, only about 150 million blog posts mentioned his rival John McCain. Could it have been the increased publicity, both in the media and on the Internet, that won Obama the election?

YouTube is another new media vehicle that was utilised heavily by both candidates. And it’s interesting to note that the most popular election related video on the site is an anti-Obama one, attracting more than 11 million hits. Made by a soldier who returned from Iraq, the man talks about Obama’s stance on the war, saying, "When you call the Iraqi war a mistake you disrespect the service and sacrifice of everyone who has died promoting freedom... Because you do not understand or appreciate these principles Sir, I am supporting Senator John McCain for president." He then walks away from the camera to reveal he has an artificial leg and a typically tacky pro-America song is dramatically played as he leaves.

It’s extremely theatrical, almost, and has clearly been designed carefully to tug at the heartstrings and appeal to the undecided. Still, it’s videos such as this one that candidates used to get their messages across to the people and to a newer generation of people that used the Internet as their main source of information and knowledge. The Democrats themselves put out a video of several well known celebrities echoing Obama’s popular phrase ‘Yes we can’. These videos are all meticulously prepared so that the correct message and values are conveyed and can be an extremely useful tool.

Andrew Rasiej, from the Techpresident blog, which monitored the impact of the Internet on the election, says that YouTube played a big part in changing the political landscape. He said, in an interview with the BBC, “The power to control the message is no longer in the hands of the political parties and candidates or the mainstream media. It's now shared by the public at large. They can distribute a piece of media on YouTube faster in a 15-minute news cycle than traditional media can in a 24-hour news cycle."

Perhaps the greatest effect had by YouTube was that the majority of the videos watched were light-hearted and moved away from the intense, seriousness of Presidential debate. Julie Germany, from the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet at George Washington University, said that while serious videos such as a landmark Obama speech on race notched up millions of viewers, it was the lighter videos that the people were more into. She commented, "Some of the most popular videos are the ones which show a lighter side and tap into pre-conceived notions and bias. They tap into characteristics that we either find funny or we fear, and these sorts of messages help them become viral."

Certainly, YouTube realised that their site would be at the forefront of the rush on new media for political attention. They even launched a new sub-section of their site, ‘You Choose ‘08’, which focused solely on the election and featured official party videos, interviews with Obama and McCain and all the election information that you would possibly need to know. In the end, it benefited Obama the greatest, although it is worth noting that the McCain campaign, with an inferior budget to the Democrats, ploughed the majority of their resources into YouTube and away from television advertisements, a sign that they recognised the opportunity for new media to play a role in getting the message across.

Dr. Paul Haridakis, associate professor of Communication Studies at Kent State University, investigated the impact of all new and social media on the election and said, in an article for Sciencedaily.com, "Many people will watch videos and use traditional media like TV to acquire political information about the candidates, but they also are going to the Internet and using social networking sites to see who people they know support. The information gleaned from their social networks may be the information they find most credible and persuasive.

“They'll listen to their buddy on his MySpace page, not necessarily the traditional messengers that candidates employ to reach out to the voters, or even the candidates themselves. That exploits the power of social media pretty well. The candidates in this election season have not fully harnessed the power of these tools."

There are plenty of reasons why Obama's Presidential campaign gained a lot more attention and publicity on social networks, blogs and other new media forms than the McCain campaign. The demographics and ages of social media users tend to fall in line closer with those of today's common Democratic voters. Looking ahead to the next election in four years time, it seems abundantly obvious that all political campaigns will be taking advantage of social media trends and failure to do so could very well end up in defeat.

(University essay on New Media Contexts, 2009)

Staff-student relationships bring controversy to University

2009-04-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

A university has been forced to re-evaluate its student-staff relationship policy after two recent controversial incidents involving teachers and their students. Southampton Solent University was forced to sack one of the lecturers in question after a student brought their relationship to the attention of the university. The student feared discrimination after the relationship ended and she learned that the lecturer would have been marking her exam papers. The university confirmed that the teacher was not employed by them furthermore in the wake of the incident.

This happened after another incident involving staff had also brought controversy to the university. Paul Kavanagh, a lecturer in law, was last year convicted of harassing a criminology student by bombarding her with text messages and e-mails, having been instructed by the police to leave the student alone. Mr Kavanagh, who wasn’t even teaching the student, appealed against the conviction and his lawyer had claimed this client was only trying to make the student feel comfortable after the end of their relationship.

Mr Kavanagh now has a restraining order placed upon him that prevents him from contacting the student but he is still allowed on the university campus, though not in a teaching role at present. Mr Kavanagh had a previous police caution for harassing another woman before this incident and the student moved to criticise the university’s handling of the tense situation.

"The university seemed to be more interested in protecting (Mr Kavanagh's) rights as an employee than protecting me from him." She said, whilst also claiming that she intentionally did not appear on campus unless it was vitally necessary in her final year so that she could avoid Mr Kavanagh.

A spokeswoman from Southampton Solent said that they were proceeding with an internal review of the case. "Paul Kavanagh is suspended from all teaching duties," she said. "Southampton Solent University places great importance on the professional integrity of its employees and has recognised a need to review its policy covering staff-student relationships to safeguard all parties.

She added, "An updated draft policy includes clarified guidance on circumstances when disclosure is required, together with more stringent arrangements to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.”

(Ukstudentnews.co.uk, 2009)

The highs and lows of England's winter

2009-04-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

So England’s winter is finally over and after events in St. Lucia last Friday, a slight gloss has been applied to what was otherwise a woeful away season. Captaincy changes, managerial controversy and some truly dire results had left many writing off England in all formats of the game and, arguably, those critics were fully justified in their prognosis. But the one day series win against West Indies has altered the balance just a tad and will provide England fans with a cruel glimmer of hope and optimism.

With the home series return with the West Indies just weeks away, there is hardly any time for reflection on what state English cricket is in. But we can all try our best to analyse so let us have a brief look at the successes and failures of England’s mostly winless winter.

Successes:

Andrew Strauss - The main man. Strauss’ resurgence as one of England’s most important batsman started way back in early December with those twin centuries in Chennai against India, becoming the 10th Englishman in history to register three figures in both innings of a Test match. Elevated to the captaincy in the wake of the Kevin Pietersen/Peter Moores scandal, Strauss’ batting went on leaps and bounds as he blasted three big hundreds in consecutive games during the run fest against the West Indies. But it was in the one day arena where he really impressed both as a captain and batsman. With critics from all corners doubting his limited overs technique, Strauss scored a backs-to-the-wall hundred in Guyana before a rapid, match-winning 79 not out saw his team home in Barbados. England’s series win will be a huge fillip for Strauss as he looks to build on the slow progress his team are making.

Paul Collingwood - For a man who is supposedly on the brink of being dropped most of the time, he is a capable batsman. His century in India evoked memories of his maiden hundred in Nagpur back in 2006. But he really came to the party in the Caribbean, scoring two tons and falling agonisingly short of a third, trying to up the pace in Barbados. His one day exploits were crucial for the new captain Strauss. Perfect for keeping a lid on flamboyant scoring or for getting some important runs in a tight situation, Collingwood is England go-to guy in one day cricket and will be for a while yet.

Stuart Broad - For a while, Broad’s batting was threatening to overshadow his bowling. His performances with the ball in the Caribbean will have informed people that progress is being made. Broad wasn’t in the same verve as Harmison circa 2004 and at times he and the rest of the attack hardly looked like taking a wicket (those long spells in the field for England in Barbados and Trinidad spring to mind). But he did show promise; in Jamaica he took 5-95, his first five wicket haul. During England’s wicket hunt in Antigua, he bowled a superb spell to remove Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, ending their frustrating partnership. He has all the accuracy of a young Glenn McGrath and is developing a dangerous pace too. He is still a work in progress - but what a work he is.

Failures:

Ian Bell - From stylish fixture of the middle order to unused drinks carrier, all in one tour. Bell’s miserable winter has seen him lose his place from all formats of England’s side. Bell began in India at number three, hoping to secure the place vacated by Michael Vaughan. A desperately lean series was followed up by a poor performance in the first Test at Jamaica and with the selectors looking for a sacrificial lamb, Bell was replaced by Owais Shah. Cast aside for the time being, is Bell too gifted a player to be left out? It is frustrating watching him play for England. He looks technically superb and, when in the right frame of mind, can be a dominant, free scoring batsman. But he is light-years away from being consistent enough, especially for the coveted number three spot. His best hope for a recall would be in the middle order, where the bulk of his previous Test runs have come.

Ryan Sidebottom - Another player who has gone worryingly backwards in the last year. He ended last winter by taking a ridiculous number of wickets in New Zealand and becoming the leader of England’s blossoming attack. Frequent injuries have reduced him to a shadow of the bowler he was. Ailing, slow and unthreatening, Sidebottom’s performance in the Barbados Test match left plenty to be desired. He looked slow in the field and was frequently barracked by his team-mates for misjudgements. When bowling, his pace was down and he was generally off colour. His status as the teams most dangerous swing bowler has now gone to James Anderson, who is a great deal quicker too. One feels for him as the amount of injuries he has suffered has surely had a harsh effect but England cannot put up with his level of performance for much longer, especially with the Aussies rolling in soon.

Monty Panesar - From a claim to be the world’s best finger spinner to England’s number two - Panesar has gone through quite a turnaround in his international career. Dropped for the Antigua Test and replaced by Graeme Swann, Panesar had clearly exhausted the patience of the England selectors. His deficiencies are well documented; poor batting, awful fielding, lack of variation when bowling, etc. In short, Panesar had become an unthreatening spinner. His lack of success on a fifth day pitch in India was extremely exasperating, especially so given the success had by fellow spinner Swann, a Test match novice. Panesar was back quickly, though, as England opted for two twirlers at Trinidad. And, thankfully, he showed some imagination, bowling with a great deal of thought and variation. The jury is out for the Ashes, however. Swann is a fine spinner and at least offers something with the bat. Panesar will need a huge amount of selectorial faith and some early season accomplishment if he is to be trusted by England again.

Honourable mentions must go to Graeme Swann, who excelled after making his Test debut and had already bagged two five-fors after just a handful of games, and Andrew Flintoff, who played a fine, supporting innings to Kevin Pietersen in Mohali and really thrilled with the ball at times in the Caribbean, ending things with that hat trick. Dishonourable mentions? Steve Harmison didn’t really excel like we prayed he would in the West Indies and looks to be well short on pace and, crucially, confidence. Owais Shah finally had his long awaited chance handed to him and he promptly decided to keep everyone guessing with some inept performances. Whether his ‘extended run’ in the side will last depends purely on the early season form of Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan.

(The Corridor, 2009)

Flintoff proves his bowling worth

2009-04-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

Just how good is Andrew Flintoff ? At 140-6, needing 33 runs to win off just 16 balls, the West Indies were knocking down the door at England. Denesh Ramdin was thick edging for four, there were singles everywhere and the game looked to be headed right down to the thinnest of wires. Step forward, Freddie. Probably one of the best death bowlers in the world right now, Flintoff fired out Ramdin with a fast leg stump yorker. That alone may have ended the host’s pursuit but it wasn’t enough for Flintoff. He then trapped LBW new man Ravi Rampaul with a quick, full delivery before achieving both his hat trick and a five-wicket haul with another yorker to Sulieman Benn.

Flintoff, tired, battle hardened and at the end of a long, long tour, had won the game and, more importantly, the series for England in the space of three balls. His nonchalant celebration upon bowling Benn did a fine job of hiding the jubilation he was likely feeling inside. Injuries and defeat had ravaged Flintoff’s tour to the point where Kevin Pietersen was probably not alone in wanting to head home as soon as possible. His batting has come in for more criticism after, one innings aside, a painfully lean period. But his bowling is an impossibly vital component in England’s one day planning. He is frighteningly accurate, has the ability to mix up his pace to confuse the batsman and take crucial wickets when needed. The man really is worth his weight in gold.

He becomes the third Englishman to take a hat trick in one day cricket. The other two? You’d hardly believe it. James Anderson and Steve Harmison. The next time England are getting carted to all corners of the ground in a one day match, will you honestly believe that three of the bowlers on display have one day hat tricks to their names?

(The Corridor, 2009)

Strauss drags England back

2009-03-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

For all the criticism they have received, it was refreshing in the extreme to see Andrew Strauss and co. show us that there’s still an England cricket team out there. Yesterday’s win was something of a jolt to the system - it came out of the blue, especially when in the game’s infancy Chris Gayle was happily dispatching England’s best and brightest way back into the Bajan public in the stands. Once he was nipped out by the progressively angry Stuart Broad, it was as if the tide of the match had reversed completely.

England bowled cannily, with the possible exception of one Steve Harmison, and picked up key wickets when it mattered. Dimitri Mascarenhas bowled the medium pacer role to absolute perfection, wobbling the ball around at a deceptive speed, not so much keeping the lid on West Indian scoring but almost stopping it in it’s tracks. He picked up three wickets into the bargain, including the one everyone cherishes so when bowling at the West Indies, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Only the brilliant Dwayne Bravo really annoyed the tourists. At 173-7, England might have entertained thoughts of an easy win but Bravo played a whole host of textbook and more unorthodox shots on his way to a commanding 69 off 72 balls. Without him, West Indies would have had significantly less hope than they did after compiling an achievable but respectable 239 all out.

Andrew Strauss then demanded the centre stage. I mentioned previously that Strauss would have to lead his team from the front and inspire them in ways only a captain should. Well, he certainly achieved that goal and answered a hell of a lot of critics simultaneously. Chasing a revised 135 off 20 overs due to persistent rain, Strauss’ 79 off 61 balls was exactly the kind of innings you would want in the match situation. Bold, authoritative and assured, Strauss, with the understated and excellent support from Ravi Bopara, guided England to their target with time to spare and proverbially stuck two fingers up to those who had lambasted his one day credentials.

As hard as it is to believe, England have levelled the series at 2-2. Both sides head to St Lucia for the final game and it’s sure to be a nail biter (or an England collapse). Yesterday’s win will have surprised a fair few and shows that England, albeit an unconvincing side in all formats of the game at present, shouldn’t be written off. Even though at times watching them makes you want to question your love for the game. It’s an endless struggle, England fans, get used to it soon.

(The Corridor, 2009)

It's not getting any better

2009-03-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

My goodness me, England truly are appalling at one day cricket.

Check today's current scorecard for further evidence. Kevin Pietersen's 'mental fatigue' comments this morning can only add to the wretchedness of what has so far been a miserable tour. I don't think we're reaching the cavernous lows of Australia in 2006 but Andrew Strauss and his men are not a really happy bunch at present.

This is where Strauss' captaincy will be really pushed to the limit; that Guyana century aside, Strauss doesn't look like he suits the one day side. He's currently leading a weary bunch of unhappy and beleaguered cricketers and it's up to him to lift them, somehow.

Pietersen's admission that he "really and truly, can't wait to get home" only serves to exacerbate the dark mood surrounding the England camp. It's going to require a big, big performance to arrest this slide and I honestly don't know where that performance is going to come from at present. How's that for a defeatist attidude?

I'd rather watch Daniel Vettori perform minor miracles for New Zealand in their struggle with India.

(The Corridor, 2009)

Down Under Looking Rosier Than Ever For Brits On The Move

2009-03-25T04:26:00.000-07:00

Many Brits are using the dire economic climate on these shores as an excuse to move abroad to seek pastures new and Australia finds itself as a main target for disgruntled Britons. And, following the discovery that the cost of living in Australia and New Zealand is up to a third lower than it is in the UK, that trend is surely only going to increase.

Research carried out by foreign currency broker Foreign Currency Direct has shown that British citizens living in Australia are privy to a far lower cost of living than those living abroad in other countries that are popular with Brits, such as France and Spain.

According to a survey, living in New Zealand is around a third cheaper than living in the UK and Australia is not too dissimilar, having a 22 per cent lower cost of living than the UK. The facts are reinforced by these statistics; the UK cost of a Ford Focus car is £12,866 whilst it is £9,338 and £9,401 in Australia and New Zealand respectively. A bag of groceries would cost 34 per cent less in New Zealand and 23 per cent less in Australia than in the UK. Its figures like these that are driving the British to the Southern Hemisphere.

Peter S. Ellis, Chief Executive of Foreign Currency Direct, said, ''Relative to the Euro, exchange rates between the Pound and the New Zealand and Australian Dollar have remained surprisingly stable over the last six months. When considering a move abroad, Britons should not only consider the quality of life and cost of property overseas, they should also be aware of significant variations in the cost of living.''

It seems that not only is the weather significantly better over there, the financial situation is now superior too. If your thinking it’s time to pack your bags, then you’d be wise to consider heading Down Under.

(Startupoverseas.co.uk, 2009)

England men offer their congratulations

2009-03-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

Alan Tyers, who writes side-splittingly good mock diaries of England team members for The Wisden Cricketer, has been at it again, this time writing under the guise of Charlotte Edwards, the World Cup winning England women’s captain.

"Andrew Strauss congratulated us on our most recent win, although he did say we should have batted on for another couple of hours to really make things safe. I tried to explain that it was a 50-over game but he just got impatient and said that he was sick of hearing how his team haven’t mastered the one-day format and changed the subject.

He asked me what positives I was taking from our recent performances. I just said “well, we won, so that, I guess…” but he said that was rather a one-dimensional view and that often the positives were more important than the result."

(The Corridor, 2009)

South Africa and Australia yet to be separated

2009-03-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

If Australia’s series win in South Africa has taught us anything, its that they are not, repeat not, to be underestimated, especially by the English, ahead of this summers Ashes clash. Their mini resurgence has seen new players step manfully into the breach and come out victorious. Phillip Hughes, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Marcus North, etc; men who have been drafted in when the team was in a period of crisis and who have partially lifted their side out of the doldrums.

South Africa’s innings victory over the Aussies in Cape Town has levelled their six match rivalry spread across two tours at 3-3. If we were looking for any indication as to who is the best Test nation in the world, then it looks like we’re going to be kept guessing, at least for a little while longer. The manner of South Africa’s victory today suggests that the momentum is with the Proteas and it was the first defeat by an innings suffered by Australia since India crushed them in way back in 1998.

One could also argue that Australia’s defeat in India last year is further proof that they are in no shape to brand themselves the number one side. They are a team in more in transition than Martin Johnson‘s perennially developing England rugby side. Siddle and Hilfenhaus have done the jobs asked of them by Ricky Ponting and they have done them well but the imposing figures and reputations of Brett Lee and Stuart Clark must be looming large over them and predicting Australia’s line-up for the first Ashes Test in Cardiff in July is nigh on impossible.

South Africa, for their part, are also not 100% certain on a definitive starting team. Opener Neil McKenzie was dropped for the last Test, making way for debutant Imraan Khan. Khan didn’t have too memorable a debut but makeshift opener Ashwell Prince certainly did, ruthlessly blasting the small matter of 150 runs. Paceman Morne Morkel was also not called upon; brother Albie Morkel was drafted in instead, taking one wicket and scoring a helpful fifty in support of AB de Villiers. South Africa are not in crisis, not by a long stretch, but the series loss was unexpected in the wake of their heroics down under and they certainly have some improving to do before they can once more lay claim to being the top of the pile.

Three Test match victories each is a perfectly fair reflection of the two sides’ efforts against each other in both series. Australia looked dead and buried after defeats in Perth and Melbourne but have fought back in the manner of a wounded champion. The pretenders of South Africa were shocked by the resurrection from the Australians in the first two tests but their victory today has at least reminded doubting observers of their quality and potential.

By the by, how well is Mitchell Johnson playing at the moment? More wickets than he can possibly count and now a maiden Test hundred. The boy gets better and better with every passing game and he looks set to play an impossibly crucial role in the Ashes.

(The Corridor, 2009)

The dog days are over

2009-03-22T11:09:00.001-07:00

Well, I didn't see that one coming.

A quite brilliant performance from the beleagured and battle hardened Spurs and the Chelsea jinx that hung over Tottenham for so much of the last decade or so has been well and truly put to bed. Luka Modric's goal will live long in the memory; Aaron Lennon's pull back was beautifully dispatched into the corner of Petr Cech's goal and he celebrated with genuine exuberance in front of the home fans.

In fact, Modric's display was top class from first to last. He has attracted slight criticism this season for not having the impact many predicted he may have but Tottenham's early season plight would have made it extremely difficult for him to stand out, especially with the sometimes tough transition into English football. In recent months, he really has upped his game. From the neat flicks to the laser guided passes, Modric is a playmaker extraordinaire. Able to read the game better than most in the top flight, he is a real gem of a player and it is imperative that Spurs hold on to him.

Spurs are now more than likely out of the relegation battle and should be looking up the table rather than the opposite. The team are playing as a unit and the individual excellance of players like Modric, Lennon and Robbie Keane has been unlocked and allowed to flourish. Even Ledley King has managed to play more games than we would expect and he has performed superbly in them, like an injured warrior trying to reclaim his reputation.

The thing that impresses and pleases me the most about watching Tottenham these days is the buzz around the team. Watching the game yesterday, there was a genuine thrill in the stands when Lennon picked up the ball on his right flank. It was as if the whole crowd were feeding off his skill and they roared and urged him forward, willing him to create some more magic. A similar thing happened everytime Modric was fed the ball; those two players really are in scintillating form at the moment and I would not want to be the defender who faces them next.

The dog days are over at White Hart Lane. We've suffered all this season, through the relegation threat, through the lack of goals, through the ignominy of The Guardian publishing a whole page of jokes about the plight of our once great team. Those days are gone for now. Long live the future.

Well, until the start of next season at least.

(The Boys From White Hart Lane, 2009)

Just a few more moments

2009-03-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

One moment towards the end of the second day of the South Africa vs Australia that raised a chuckle. Jacques Kallis, on 99 not out, tried to work a ball into the on side for a single to take him to a deserved hundred. He inside edged the ball onto his pads, watched it run away safely and then scampered through for the run and raised his bat to the adoring crowd.

The fans applauded and batting partner AB de Villiers warmly congratulated the elder statesmen. However, the general feel-good atmosphere was suddenly ruined when umpire Asad Rauf abruptly signalled the run as a leg-bye! It shocked pretty much everyone watching and even Sky Sports had to stop their flashy, 'Kallis-hundred' graphic. It all seemed like a bit of a joke but it got even funnier seconds later.

Rauf then checked with the third umpire, who informed him that it should have, in fact been given as a Kallis run. Rauf then reversed the decision yet again and Kallis, having had to sheepishly put his helmet back on, was finally through to his first Test hundred in almost a year.

Ricky Ponting was moved to question the decision briefly with the umpire, wondering why the third umpire was consulted on a matter as trivial as the difference between a run and a leg bye. Still, it must have brought a wry smile to some of the Australians in a day that saw their bowlers get marmalised all over the park by a rampant South African batting line-up.

I wonder if even Bryce McGain was moved to have a little giggle, having spent the day seeing his first 11 overs in Test cricket disappear for 106 runs?

(The Corridor, 2009)

Jack’s Mannequin - The Glass Passenger (Album Review)

2009-03-19T04:56:00.000-07:00

The story of Jack’s Mannequin front man Andrew McMahon is an attention-grabbing tale and clearly reflects in his song writing. Following the powerful debut album Everything in Transit, McMahon was diagnosed with leukemia and the resulting chemotherapy and treatments meant that it was difficult for him to enjoy the traditional success that comes with such an impressive offering.

Three years later, McMahon and his band are back with long-awaited second album The Glass Passenger and the good news for fans of the band’s punchy piano-driven ballads is that none of the unique magic from the first record has been lost. It’s a more emotional reflection of McMahon’s life; the trials and tribulations he has suffered are self evident in the raw emotion of tracks such as Swim and Hammer and Strings (A Lullaby).

It’s clearly a slightly darker album but the powerful, fast-paced hooks are still there. Early in the album, we’re treated to the excellent Spinning, a swelling, rousing number that is definitely one of the highlights of the record. Additionally, The Resolution is a forceful, feel-good anthem, evoking memories of some of the finer moments from Everything in Transit.

McMahon’s journey from the first album to this one is fraught with emotion and he deals with some hard-hitting topics in his lyrics. What Gets You Off is a slow, swaying effort that discusses the recovery of his sex drive and Hammer and Strings (A Lullaby) is a classic, reflective piece where McMahon confirms his return to his fans and promises them his very best work.

All things considered, The Glass Passenger certainly lacks the free-flowing happiness of Everything in Transit but that certainly doesn’t make it an inferior album. There’s an honesty here, a genuine realisation that not everything is perfect and the truthful emotion emanating from McMahon’s voice makes it a first class effort and bodes well for the future of this talented band.

(reviewedonline.co.uk, 2009)

My new blog

2009-03-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Promise you'll forgive me if I do some shameful plugging? My new blog, The Boys From White Hart Lane, was launched tonight and I'm keen to get it off the ground that it's currently rooted to. Here it is:

http://boysfromthelane.blogspot.com/

It's based solely on my one true love, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Jam packed with opinion, facts and one or two things you maybe didn't know, I'd go so far as to say it's essential reading for fellow suffering Spurs fans out there and maybe even non-Spurs fans, who knows? I'm hoping to take it far, possibly gaining a cult following but I'd settle for just telling the world how much Tottenham annoy and thrill me in equal measure. In time, and if there is any kind of demand, I may get in a few additional writers (I'm open to bribes).

So, please head over there, give it a read and a comment or several. Recommend it to your friends - I'm sure they'll like it, or at least find it awful enough to comment and, in turn, tell their friends and assist in the whole 'getting off the ground' thing I mentioned earlier.

Many thanks. Come on you Spurs.

Strauss not right for Twenty20

2009-03-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Just a thought on England’s miserable Twenty20 performance tonight. As admirably and as brilliantly as Andrew Strauss has played and captained the side since his elevation to skipper, how can the powers that be possibly have included him in the team for this format of the game?

Yes, he’s the captain and in an ideal world, the captain should play across all formats of the game. But, this isn’t an ideal world English cricket finds itself in. Strauss, a massively talented batsman, is blatantly not a Twenty20 player. He may have a fine collection of shots in his locker and he may even have a good future in the 50 over version of international cricket. But he doesn’t really fit in with this format of the game.

His innings today wasn’t necessarily terrible. After all, in a lame England batting performance, Strauss notched up the second highest score. But his 22 came off 25 balls and featured just two boundaries. Twenty20 cricket is demanding and a strike-rate of under 100 is unforgivable in the majority situations. There comes a certain point where unless your partner down the other end is belting the ball to all parts, you're just wasting balls.

Surely, Paul Collingwood or someone else could have been asked to captain the side for just today’s game? Strauss will lead the team in the conventional one day series and rightly so but for this condensed version of cricket, why couldn’t someone else have done it? Was it really worth including Strauss in the side just because he is captain? Australia regularly choose Twenty20 games as an opportunity to rest Ricky Ponting and give Michael Clarke an opportunity to take charge. It baffles me as to why England have not done something similar here.

Strauss’ inclusion was not the sole reason for England’s defeat (you’d need about three blogs to cover their various Twenty20 inadequacies) but they aren’t doing themselves any favours at all with poor selection choices such as this one. People lambasted the England selectors for including Alastair Cook in the Stanford Series squad and by the same token Strauss should have been left out here. A great player, no doubt, but not the most innovative and Twenty20 is clearly not his forte. England, please take heed in the future.

(The Corridor, 2009)

Time to take stock and try again

2009-03-11T10:58:00.001-07:00

A great deal has been mentioned already on the subject of England's series defeat in the West Indies. It's an odd thing; England didn't necessarily play their worst cricket we've seen and, at times, dominated the West Indies. Indeed, Andrew Strauss can point to two key sessions where had his side picked up just a few tail-end wickets, then they would have won the series (the last wicket stand in Antigua and yesterday's tense finish in Trinidad). However, what is patently obvious is that good Test teams would have made more of those opportunities. Dominant sides like South Africa, Australia and India would have found the extra spark in those moments to do what was needed and win the game.

Tom Fordyce picks upon this point in his BBC blog. He also talks about the need for winning momentum in the run up to the looming Ashes series. Before that heart-stopping triumph in 2005, England won series in both the Caribbean and South Africa, as well as a summer whitewash over the New Zealand and West Indies in 2004. England had the mentality and the aura of a winning side. Under the astute leadership of Michael Vaughan, they were fresh, confident and effective.

One can argue that the quality of players back then was greatly superior than that of the current crop. But the bare facts still make for stark reading; England have now lost three consecutive Test series and are in poor, poor form. And whilst a few weeks ago some were saying that England need not worry about their own tribulations as the Australians were in a sharp decline of their own, those of that opinion need only look at the remarkable and supremely impressive resurgence of the Aussies down in South Africa. As much as I loathe to say it, they're back and they're looking ridiculously formidable.

As ludicrous as it sounds, there were precious few positives that England can reflect on in the aftermath of their defeat. Andrew Strauss embodies a man possessed with the desire to score as many runs as possible and it is clear that the captaincy of the side is driving him on and on. Alastair Cook finally got the 'no century in ages' monkey off his back and scored that elusive Test hundred, albeit in a nothing situation on a pitch more akin to a road that a competitive wicket. Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior and Paul Collingwood also notched up much needed runs, in a variety of situations, which will help their own personal form and confidence.

Stuart Broad bowled like a identikit version on a young Glenn McGrath. Naggingly accurate and massively consistent, he bowled to an immaculate line, picked up the prized wicket of Guyanese defensive wall Shivnarine Chanderpaul three times and bagged his first Test five wicket haul in Jamaica. He may not have the raw pace of Steve Harmison or Andrew Flintoff but a reliable, line and length bowler is just what England need and his runs at number eight are ideal for the the inevitable England batting collapse. Duncan Fletcher must rue not having him around when he was coach.

Regardless of individual promise, it is abundantly clear that England have problems - problems that require immediate and urgent attention if they are to ever get out of this decline and start becoming an competent Test side again. Will that era be shepherded in with a glorious Ashes victory this summer? At the moment, you'd pick up seriously long odds.

(The Corridor, 2009)

2009 Lions won't hear English roar

2009-03-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

The England rugby team is in a bit of a state. And unless something quite strange happens in the next two Six Nations games, it appears that few English players will make the Lions tour to South Africa later this summer. It’s been 32 years since just five England players went on the tour to New Zealand and with the current set of debacles regarding English performance, it would be tough to make a case for taking many more than that number.

It’s a sad state of affairs for Martin Johnson’s men and leaves many casting their minds back, way back, to that wonderful year of 2003. Sir Clive Woodward’s golden generation got their hands on the Grand Slam, including a memorable win final game win in Ireland, and then topped off an incredible year in English rugby by dramatically winning the William Web Ellis Trophy with that last minute Jonny Wilkinson drop goal to clinch the World Cup final.

England have tried and failed since then to recreate those illustrious highs. Injuries and retirements haven’t helped but it’s churlish to point at those as the lone reasons. The World Cup final appearance in 2007 helped to paper over some of the cracks but by the time the subsequent Six Nations campaign was over, England were back to being lamented by their fans.

There are many problems - most of which are fairly evident. Discipline seems to be a key worry at the moment; Martin Johnson’s reaction to the mindless sin-binning of substitute scrum half Danny Care against Ireland last weekend shows that England are at least trying to deal with the issue. But obviously something is getting lost in translation. England lost Phil Vickery early in the second half to another needless and frustrating yellow card offence. It seems England just aren’t learning.

The English contingent in the Lions squad will be in stark comparison with those from years gone by. In 2005, England had 21 players in the squad that was soundly beaten by New Zealand and 18 in both the tours before that. And very few English players can claim to deserve a spot on the back of personal performance.

Andrew Sheridan would be a good option although he remains a shadow of the man who bullied opposition last year. Paul Sackey has also had a good enough season, not quite setting the world alight but generally being a player that England can rely on. Mike Tindall has played well in this years Six Nations but for him to dislodge centres such as Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll or Wales’ Tom Shanklin would be nigh on impossible.

Others for Lions coach Ian McGeechan to generously consider are Delon Armitage, Phil Vickery, Lee Mears and Nick Kennedy, who have all stood slightly above the rest in a white shirt recently. But English names are sparse on the list of genuine candidates. It speaks volumes for the level of rugby that England produce these days and the results only serve to reinforce this point. Martin Johnson definitely has his work cut out - perhaps he should be looking at the other home nations for inspiration?

Khan to the rescue?

2009-03-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

The start made to Test cricket yesterday by England’s most recent pace bowling attempt Amjad Khan will have provided fans with a touch of consternation. Five no-balls, including three in his opening over, indicated a nervous start and Khan conceded 27 off his four overs in the fading Trinidad light. It was almost as if the man he has edged ahead of, Steve Harmison, had given Khan that same advice that Harmison himself was given on that fateful Brisbane morning in 2006.

What a relief, then, for England fans the next morning. Soon after Stuart Broad had removed night-watchman Daren Powell for a duck, Khan was brought on and picked up the prized wicket of West Indian run machine Ramnaresh Sarwan, bowling fast, full and, most importantly, straight. Not only were the nerves of yesterday evening gone, he had also removed Sarwan, a man who has not just been a thorn in England’s side but rather sticking right the way through them as he plundered run after run after run.

Khan’s spell this morning had all the verve and potential that England have desperately needed this series. The pitches have been slow, about as slow as a Brendan Nash over, and wickets have been hard to come by. Now I don’t assume at all that Khan is the sole answer to England winning this Test but his style of bowling is probably just what they need on these types of surfaces. There is also the possibility of reverse swing, which will have bowling experts licking their lips. Reverse swing - that key component that England have sought after ever since Simon Jones brutally harassed the Australians in 2005. Khan has also slipped in a few excellent short balls; fast, well directed and with just about enough controlled aggression to trouble the West Indians.

It’s still early on this third day but the wicket of Sarwan will have boosted England and they will be growing ever so slightly in confidence as a result. A long way to go still, but Khan may be on the correct path to helping bring England level in this series.

(The Corridor, 2009)

Economy shrink leaves Australia fearing a recession

2009-03-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Those who are considering a move Down Under to beat the recession in the UK may want to think again. The economy in Australia has shrunk for the first time in eight years, severely heightening the concern that the nation may be on its way to a recession of it’s own.

According to the Australian government, the economy shrunk in the last quarter of 2008 by 0.5% compared to the previous quarter. Experts were previously forecasting slight economic growth in the country but the contraction has raised fears amongst Australians that the credit crunch has finally caught up with them. Another three months of economic decline will officially force Australia into recession.

Australia’s economy is based on resources and has been heavily affected by the decline in commodity prices. The country’s mining firms have cut back their spending and future projects, whilst reducing staff numbers in order to save money. Nevertheless, Australia’s apparent turmoil is in stark comparison with that of other countries, at least according to Treasurer Wayne Swan.

"Our economy did contract in the December quarter, but by far less than other developed economies,” Swan says. “This is a sobering but unsurprising outcome, because I think it does illustrate the full impact of the magnitude of the global recession and how it's impacting on this country." The Gross Domestic Product of Japan dropped by 3.3% in the same period, while the United States and Great Britain saw declines of 1.6% and 1.5% respectively.

The BBC’s correspondent in Sydney Nick Bryant has said Australia had hoped to avoid the worst of the global financial crisis back in September but that this now looked impossible. “After surviving the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2000 dotcom bubble, Australia had hoped to complete the impressive hat-trick of not being forced into recession by the global financial crisis.” However, it appears obvious that Australia will not be able to perform financial heroics this time.

They may be better than us in every sport going and the weather may be enviable but unfortunately it’s not all perfect Down Under.

(Startupoverseas.co.uk, 2009)

Better to have loved and lost

2009-03-01T11:37:00.000-08:00

I speak with a somewhat heavy heart; allow me to just say that Tottenham's performance today flies viciously in the face of everyone who forecasted that Manchester United would walk all over us. And that includes myself. I wore my heart on my sleeve and predicted a drubbing for my beloved Spurs. And I was wrong.

Yes, United may have snatched today's Carling Cup Final in the cruelest of all manners, taking a penalty shootout by four goals to one. Yes, the extra time required will have only increased the fatigue and injury element that so plagues Harry Redknapp and his coaching staff. And, yes, the 120 minutes of nail-biting and adrenaline were eventually pointless after seeing Spurs lose in such ruthless fashion at the death.

Would I do it all again? You can bet Ledley King's big game ability I would. Every player in that white shirt today did us proud, with the notable exception of one David Bentley. To have fought and competed and matched United for that length of time is no mean feat at all, albeit a slightly weakened opposition. The heart and endeavour shown by the Spurs players was a sight to behold and evoked stirring memories of last years triumphant Wembley visit.

As Anderson slotted the winning penalty home, the inevitable sense of dread and heartbreak took over. Spurs came so close, so tantalisingly close to successive trophy wins, to another successful day at Wembley. That they were denied is only half the story. It pleases me that we were able to get to two finals in a row and to come so close to winning the second. Spurs have re-established themselves as a cup side, one who often struggle in the league but excel and thrill in the trophy format.

As for the players, the majority were exceptional. King and Michael Dawson were impregnable at the back. Didier Zokora had one of his best ever games as he marshalled the midfield against the considerable threat of Paul Scholes, Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo. Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric were outstanding, constantly looking for space and movement, always looking dangerous when on the ball. Lennon has had a great season and it is surely only a matter of time before Mr Capello gives him another shot for England.

Up front, Spurs lacked cutting edge as Roman Pavyluchenko had a poor game. This was a problem highlighted by Redknapp before the game but it was unavoidable, given the multitude of injuries and ineligibilities. Surely with either Robbie Keane or Jermain Defoe up front, things would have been different. Darren Bent tried hard but he is not up to standard.

Don't be fooled by the generally upbeat nature of this blog. This defeat hurts and it will hurt for a little while yet. But in times of hardship, it is sometimes comforting to view the bigger picture. Tottenham will now have to fight like heck to get out of the relegation battle and, though Europe will most likely elude them next season, it could just be a blessing in disguise. A season without distractions may be the perfect tonic to reinvigorate this famous club's fortunes.

I won't clutch at straws and try and claim a moral victory. After all, we only drew the game and lost in on a lottery when neither team could be separated. But instead of the end-of-the-world feeling you get when England get beat in big tournaments or when you lose to your nearest rivals, there is much to be proud of. Few Spurs fans would have expected a win and although that may be a defeatist attitude, many fans will be believing in the team and it's ability a great deal more as a result of this day.

At least we got to the final. I'd take that over anything. All the plastic United fans and anti-Spurs fans out there tonight should assess how well their own club did in this trophy and indeed other trophies before taking their inevitable and, quite frankly, laughable dig at Tottenham.

Spurs didn't have enough to do it, in the end. Neither did United but, alas, they were much better at penalties than us. God, I love Tottenham.

Strauss the captain

2009-02-28T06:20:00.000-08:00

‘I am the master of my destiny; I am the captain of my soul.’

I wonder if, by any chance, Andrew Strauss is a fan of William Ernest Henley? His above quote is entirely appropriate for the England captain. His sublime, bold innings of 142 on the first day of the Fourth Test wasn’t merely a sole brilliant innings, drifting alone in a sea of low scores. It was his second big hundred of the series following on from that majestic 169 in Antigua. Both innings have come just after his captaincy of the side has been announced - a coincidence? Not on your life.

Strauss’ world class form is fundamentally linked to him being appointed captain. When in charge of the team, he is as confident as the gargantuan slog sweep for six that brought up his hundred in Barbados. The Jamaica debacle aside, Strauss has been quite brilliant with the bat this series and it follows his twin centuries in Chennai earlier this winter, made in much trickier conditions. Yes, the pitches so far this series may be as flat and as batsman friendly as your local village green but take nothing away from Strauss. His batting is ridiculously formidable at the moment and will hopefully tide over into that small matter of the Ashes later this summer.

It is not the first time Strauss’ batting and his captaincy have had a concurrent relationship. Way back in the heady days of 2006, when Monty Panesar was still a hugely promising young bowler, running rings round the Pakistani batsmen, Strauss was made captain in Andrew Flintoff’s enforced absence. He duly cracked two counter attacking second innings hundreds in the series and helped himself to as much acclaim from as many quarters as possible. He even wedged himself into contention to captain that winter’s Ashes series down under; he lost out to Andrew Flintoff and we all know what happened there.

Strauss’ form dipped dramatically from that moment on, likely as a result of his casting aside from the England selectors. He had a poor Ashes series, registering only one score of over fifty in the drubbing at Melbourne and proceeded to be equally as profligate in the home series with the West Indies and India. Without a Test hundred since that Pakistan series, he was dropped for the series in Sri Lanka, where England took something of a pasting, and managed to scrap his way back onto the tour of New Zealand. He hit a staggeringly huge hundred, although he was hardly at his convincing best and then reinforced his position with some sporadically good performances over that following summer. All of which has led to the Strauss that we now find ourselves with.

Strauss isn’t the only man to see his batting flourish in the role of captain. Many lament Flintoff’s captaincy and his form during the brief and painful time he was in charge but perhaps those critics forget his first few Tests in charge. Four consecutive fifties in four innings in India helped England to a famous draw, immediately after he was tossed into the breach as captain. It is noteworthy that his bowling also earned him a whole dictionaries worth of superlatives.

And who can forget Kevin Pietersen’s hundred at the Oval last summer in his first game as captain? There were concerns that the leadership of the side would hinder his explosive style of batting but Pietersen combined attacking flamboyance with restrained defence to score a wonderful century (before getting out next ball). He also weighed in with a supreme 144 in India this winter, even finding the time to unveil his unique switch hitting abilities.

Captaincy of a side can drive a man to great things. One needs only observe Ricky Ponting’s single minded determination to win back the Ashes in 2006. Ponting, found liable by many an Australian media outlet for the defeat in the 2005 Ashes, embodied a man possessed as he scored a massive volume of runs, crushing English spirit and hopes and showing his own side the way forward. His 196 in Brisbane was a master class of batting and a pure example of a captain showing his team what is possible. And don’t forget Graeme Smith’s courageous, match-winning 154 not out at Edgbaston against England last summer. Here was a man and a captain so determined to win a game and a series for his nation that he closed his mind to the possibility of getting out or anything else and just batted and batted and batted.

Strauss’ performances so far as captain have only served to reinforce the theory that his batting form is inextricably linked with the captaincy. Maybe it is just an ego thing, a man desperate for his name to be up in lights. Or maybe it’s just a man charged with representing and leading his country by example. Maybe it’s the responsibility that sits so well with Strauss - the need to back up his position with good scores and the desire to not have his authority or his place undermined. Either way, it’s extremely refreshing to see Strauss in such good form and providing there are no more dramas regarding English captaincy between now and July, then he could be in the best possible position to perform his own version of Ponting’s 2006 heroics and seriously murder some inexperienced Australian bowling. Here’s hoping the rest of the team can follow the example.

(The Corridor, 2009)

The Abraham Project

2009-02-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Spread the world, people: Bristol is fighting back. In an era of trip-hop and lucid ‘Skins’ style raves, there is one act who are putting two fingers up to the norm musical genre of this great city. The Abraham Project, formed in the green Bristolian suburbs, have all the raw, untapped potential that you’d expect in a young band. But alongside the gritty, penetrating lyrics and the soaring, emotional live performances, there’s a unique youthful exuberance to this quintet that is quite endearing and makes you believe they really are destined for greatness.

Formed of Tom, Matt, Jamie, (Matt) Bates and James, The Abraham Project are set to lead the revival of rock music in this part of the country. Their one-of-a-kind, explosive yet harnessed sound has been heard in many a local venue in this neck of the woods and, sure, they’re rough around the edges but should their voice be spread to pastures new, they will surely be in a perfect position to usher in a new generation of Bristol rockers.

Ask anyone of their already staggeringly large fan-base; they’ll all tell you of lead singer Tom’s scintillating omnipresence on stage. They’ll wax lyrical over Jamie’s relentless and rhythmical drumming. They’ll enthuse over the captivating way in which these boys deliver their message; they’ve arrived and they expect to go places so get used to it.

There’s a mature swagger in which they carry themselves. Be it in the manner in which they blast out Tales of a Wilton Nightmare (their usual opening song) or in the way in which they know and understand just how good they really can be. Frontman Tom is clear when he states the band’s ambitions. “We’ve got nothing to be afraid of. We know how far we’re going to go and we’re fine with it.” Pure arrogance, without a doubt, but in an industry that chews you up and spits you out, it helps to have a mean streak.

They have an eclectic range of influences, citing Arcade Fire, The Cure, Portishead and Cypress Hill as some of their favourites. And if you listen closely enough, it is evident that their musical education has featured heavily in their song formation. The melodies are brutal in their sheer originality and in the way they force themselves into the audience’s psyche and transform the feel and atmosphere of the occasion.

The Abraham Project are destined for greatness - and they know it. Once you fall in love with the songs and the lyrics and image of this band, then it’s just the rule-the-world attitude that's left to disarm you. And believe me, it will.

(Unsigned band review, 2009)

The League, sorry, Carling Cup 2009

2009-02-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

On the verge of yet another Carling Cup Final for Tottenham, I found myself feeling the unrelenting need to preview the game. And when I got down to it, this* was the only thing that kept replaying itself, rather annoyingly, in my head.

Oh Pedro, you could have had the world but for a few more centimetres and a competent linesman. If the karma gods are reading this blog, then please take heed, do the right thing and carry out the appropriate retribution on Sunday at Wembley. Come on you Spurs.

* This and a painful image of Berbatov scoring a clinical hat-trick and nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders in celebration.

Leaving town in order to beat the credit crunch

2009-02-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

Winter is coming to an end; but the dark gloom of the recession still continues to loom large on these shores. As the economic situation shows no signs of improving, the notion of overseas opportunities is looking more appealing to many Brits. The credit crunch may be a global problem but, according to Kate Hughes in The Independent, there are some safer havens to choose from.

Several countries are nominated as good locations for moving funds. Oliver Watson, regional managing director of international recruitment consultant Michael Page, suggests that a "sound gross domestic product (GDP) and an economy linked to natural resources" are what should be looked for when searching for the best places to relocate your dwindling finances. Brazil is identified as a potential location - their economy is suffering but the effects aren't as bad as other countries. Brazil's global location means that it isn't privy to the sort of debts that Western countries have accrued.

Another interesting choice mooted is New Zealand. The steady nature of their economy means that they too have weathered the storm better than most and their newly elected government is dedicated to keeping the economy at such a level. Also, the financial situation has changed the national stance on immigration and immigrants with money to spend are highly likely to be allowed in.

A traditionally high savings rate means that China and Malaysia are suitable candidates. China's low level of government debt and the tendency for Asian banks to fund lending through deposits (‘the old fashioned way', as Hughes puts it), means that cash levels are still high in the part of the world, despite the strong link between Eastern and Western economies. The apparent strength in natural resources comes into play as well in Middle Eastern areas such as Abu Dhabi and Qatar. A large amount of oil reserves means that economic growth in this area should return quicker than most countries. Add that to the fact that great deals of businesses move out there for long term investment and you have a potentially booming market.

Are there places to avoid? You can bet your savings there are. Australia seems to be one to stay away from; just listen to Mark Bodega, of the currency trader HiFX.com. "The government has halved its economic growth forecast for 2008/09 to 1 per cent, and the central bank cut interest rates to 3.25 per cent, the lowest in 45 years." People are even being advised to avoid previous economic stronghold Dubai. Redundancies there are becoming more and more common and property values are dropping like flies.

All in all, it seems that there are options for even the most suffering of British money holders. It appears that proper, lengthy planning and research is the key to a successful move abroad. The economies of even the best options are hardly secure at the moment and there are other costs to consider if one is serious about leaving the UK for pastures new - think Visa's, healthcare, travel expenses, the usual. The bottom line? If you want to leave, don't just take into account the better weather or you'll end up with more problems than just sunburn.

(Startupoverseas.co.uk, 2009)

Lara’s Test record in danger

2009-02-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

A word on Younus Khan. The Pakistani captain stands on the verge of history going into the final day of the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In an incredibly high scoring game, Younus has contributed 306 runs to his side’s current score of 574-5 and needs another 95 to beat Brian Lara’s record score of 400 not out. The insanely flat pitch has helped but it’s a special effort to score that volume of runs and, record or not, Younus deserves as much acclaim as possible.

The statisticians will be having a field day whatever happens tomorrow in Karachi. Can Younus do it?

(The Corridor, 2009)

Just for one more wicket

2009-02-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

What a match. When everyone arrived at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium last Friday, you could have scarcely believed the turn of events that would progress over the next few days. In the end, we were treated to a fantastic Test match, culminating in a brilliant last day in which England tried and tried and ultimately came up short.

One can point to Andrew Flintoff's hip injury, which, despite his lion-hearted, heroic effort, slightly hindered his bowling. However, to say that it lost England the game is inaccurate. They bossed the game and the only time they let the West Indies get on top was the mammoth partnership between the high scoring Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. You can argue that having dominated the game and then not been able to win it shows England for the slightly weakened force they may well be nowadays but in the wake of the Jamaica shambles, the performance was pretty impressive.

Particular highlights? Graeme Swann's display in both innings was highly impressive and was exactly what England fans have been praying for from Monty Panesar in the last few years. His five-wicket haul was the focal point of England's first attempt at bowling to the Windies and was agonisingly close to picking up that final wicket in the dying moments of the match.

Stuart Broad also impressed. He's picked up Chanderpaul's wicket every time he has batted this series and bowled an inspired spell with the new ball on the final day. He batted brilliantly for a number eight in the first innings and Johnathan Agnew on the BBC website was moved to say that he thinks this series could be the making of Broad at international level. Andrew Strauss played a quite superb innings on the first day and was well supported by Owais Shah, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood. Alistair Cook played his part too although, infuriatingly, he was out in the 50's in both innings of the match.

All in all, England can be proud of their effort. Yes, the inability to pick up the last wicket and win the game was both heart-breaking and disappointing but the whole five days were a good way to bounce back from the shambles of 51 all out the week previous and Strauss will know a lot more about his team and their character. Both teams move on to Barbados next week for the fourth test.

(The Corridor, 2009)

England's bowling attack

2009-02-15T08:46:00.001-08:00

Is it just me or do England have a seriously good looking attack on display in the current Test match? Speed-wise, even the most skeptical of cricket fans would have to admit it's impressive. Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson and, to a slightly lesser extent, Stuart Broad are all genuinely capable of the odd delivery in excess of 90 mph and they give the captain a wealth of options.

Harmison is painfully erratic and may well be a spent force but he is still capable of rattling his opponents, even if his days are becoming increasingly numbered. Flintoff is as reliable and dangerous as ever and Broad is a developing into a threatening force, fresh from his maiden five wicket haul in Jamaica last week. Jimmy Anderson, like Harmison, can be inconsistent but his pace is an asset and he can be a genuine strike bowler, especially when the ball is swinging (anyone remember 7-43 against New Zealand in Nottingham?).

But the decision to replace Monty Panesar with Graeme Swann could also be the most important one. Panesar's recent struggles are heavily documented and he was out-bowled by Swann during England's toiling in India. Swann's ability with the willow also means England can potentially bat down to 9, so if he can turn it on with the ball in the way that Panesar hasn't been able to for a while, then England will surely be forced to give him a run in the side.

Far be it from me to play the role of England selector, but the current bowling attack would probably be my first choice to play when the Aussies come to town in July. I would allow a bit of room for change over the spinner, as Panesar, for all his troubles, is capable of being dangerous but if you pinned me down and asked me for a set of names, then I'd be happy to give you this lot. It's harsh on Ryan Sidebottom but he'd always be in contention to play, dependant on the conditions. The same goes for Simon Jones, although he may or may not ever be fit again.

Thoughts - would anyone rather see Monty back? Is there still life in Harmison? Answers on a postcard please.

(The Corridor, 2009)