This is a must see cricket related blogsite, has player/country profiles, links to cricket scores/tournaments/schedule of matches etc, as well as random articles on anything relating to cricket. Feel free to ask me for link exchange by commenting on posts
Just would like to make a special tribute to all of the members on my blogroll, I appreciate you maintaining my link on your sites and have already increased the number of visitors and readers for this blog, and also the Google Page Ranking. Much appreciation goes out all members on my blog roll! :)
Also I have exceeded my own expectations for this site. Am well on the way to exceeding 10,000 visitors for the site, and have also done more than 100 posts, and have a Google Page Ranking (which I know will definetly increase in time). I was expecting to achieve all these goals on the 1st anniversary of my site (which is on 13th January 2009), but as I have said I am exceeding all expectations. Now I can keep the momentum going and hope for much more success.
If you have a cricket related website/blogsite etc and want to become a valued member of my blogroll feel free to send an email to me at whoplayscricket@gmail.com.Please include the name and web address of your site (also tell me the name you would like your link to appear as on my blogroll- usually your site's name) in the email. You must place my site on yours as part of the exchange. My sites details are below:
Site name: Cricket, the Brilliant Game! Web: www.whoplayscricket.com Link name: Cricket, the Brilliant Game!
Also just a friendly warning any spam won't be tolerated. I know of particular software that scans sites for email addresses and spams them or sells them to email farms etc or something like that. It is a criminal offence and anyone that it happens to has the right to take action. This is not a threat but just a friendly warning :)
Would also like to make a special mention to all the visitors that have maintained their patronage and visits to this site. It is very much appreciated and only encourages me further to maintain this site and keep it going. I originally created this site because of my love of the game and it is really great to see so many people out there also interested in cricket in general :). I hope you all keep coming back and sharing your important ideas with me.
In the meantime wherever in the world you may be, be it India, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, USA, Canada or anywhere else, I hope you keep your eyes out for a cricket game near you. This could be a club game or even in your very own backyard battling your friends for cricketing supremacy. All in all I hope you all keep enjoying cricket, the brilliant game!
*Acknowledgements to the owner of the picture used.
Stick Cricket is an Adobe Flash cricket game website. The game was developed originally by Cann Creative, a company from Sydney, Australia. Cann Creative later partnered with Advergamer, a company from London, England to further develop Stick Cricket into an internet phenomenon. The principles of these two companies formed Stick Sports in July 2006 to expand their stable of free online sports games. Stick Cricket runs from any web browser which has the Adobe Flash player plug-in and Internet access. The website also publishes news and other articles about cricket. In Australia, the Stick Cricket website forms part of the Fox Sports (Australia) site, owned by News Limited.
The current version of Stick Cricket is version 8. Released in November 2008, the scorecard has drastically changed to feature in the top corners instead of along the top of the screen. The scorecards are now also animated and as with every summer, fast food giant KFC release their sponsoring on the Stick Cricket website. Head2Head has also undergone a transformation.
Current versions of Stick Cricket have human batsmen. However, the batsmen were really sticks before the Stick Cricket game was moved from the servers of Cann Creative to its own website. Other websites have a modified (usually outdated) versions of Stick Cricket, though some are now offline, for those feeling nostalgic.
Game Modes:
All Star Slog: Play a 5, 10 or 20 over match against the Stick All Stars team, made up of cricket greats. Registered users have the ability to play as their own created team, and play 50 over matches, saving at 10 over intervals.
World Domination: Version 7 saw the return of World Domination where you have to beat 16 international teams in 20 over matches, starting with the easiest team (Bermuda) and finishing with the hardest (Australia). Registered users can use their own created team in World Domination.
Multiplayer (BETA): Released on 12th December 2007, Multiplayer pits you against real opposition from around the world. Players log in to the "clubhouse" and play 5 over matches against people from all over the world. The aim is to get your skill as high as possible, keep your reputation and be the best Stick Cricketer in the world. Multiplayer can be used by both registered users and guests. Quitting a game lowers your rep and you are temporarily banned for 15 minutes. Racist or abusive comments means your I.P. address is banned for life or until further notice.
Head2Head: Play the current matches going on right now. You now compete in every match in the current series rather than just one. Twenty20's are 5 over matches, ODI's are 10 overs, and Tests are 20 overs. Head2Head is only playable when the actual match is going on at the time of real life. Whoever wins the most times for their selected country wins the match and points are added to the Head2Head table.
Super 8: The knockout stages of the "Stick Sports World Cup" where you choose your country and lead it to glory. 5 overs for each game and was especially created so you could "win the World Cup in your lunch break." Club Challenge: A completely different game mode where you choose a domestic side from anywhere in the world and get 10 balls to hit as many runs as possible. If you don't hit a boundary, you lose a ball and wickets cost a ball and -5 runs.
Other options:
Live Cricket Scores: Live scores from domestic and international matches around the world.
Cricket Fixtures: Takes you to the same page as Live Cricket Scores.
Community: The Stick Sports forum, where you can talk about all the Stick Sports games if you have an account.
Help/FAQ: A help page where normally only the stupidest questions make it through. It is pointed out that it is very unlikely they will actually answer your question.
Hall of Fame: The Stick Cricket honour board featuring records from the All Star Slog game mode including Highest Team Total, Highest Individual Innings, Highest Strike Rate, Most Perfect Overs and Most Sixes Hit.
My Stats: If you have an account you can view your career batting stats from All Star Slog and World Dom as well as your career run rate chart.
My Team: Registered users can here create their own team's players, kits, name, skin colour, and what hand they bat with as well as view their stats.
My Leagues: You can join leagues from around the world if you have an account. 5 or 6 Public Leagues are normally open for anyone to enter but Private Leagues can be created for just you and your friends to enter, needing a League ID and password. In a league you normally have 4 or 5 days to submit a 10 or 20 over All Star Slog score. Once all scores have been submitted using a custom scoring system a ladder is created and points are awarded to the best players.
Shots: Up arrow or "W": Straight drive, defend, let go. Left arrow or "A": Cow corner, pull, hook. Right arrow or "D": Cut, off drive. Down arrow or "S": Duck (used for bouncers)
The Kenya national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Kenya in international cricket matches. They are considered one of the strongest of the associate member nations of the International Cricket Council, especially since reaching the semi-final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup. They currently have One Day International status until the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier.
Early days: Kenya's international cricket started in 1951 when regular matches against Tanzania (then Tanganyika) and Uganda began. Touring teams of varying standard continued over the years, including a team of South African Non-Europeans captained by Basil D'Oliviera in 1958. The South Africans won both matches against Kenya on the tour, in addition to a match against East Africa.
East Africa team: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda combined to form the East Africa cricket team, which became an associate member of the ICC in 1966. They continued playing amongst themselves, and were joined by Zambia in a quadrangular tournament played annually between 1966 and 1980.
India toured East Africa in 1967 and played a three-day match against Kenya on 5 August, which was drawn. Various tours of, and by, East Africa continued, including a tour of England in 1972 and a first-class match between East Africa and the MCC at Nairobi Gymkhana Club in 1974 before East Africa took part in the first Cricket World Cup.
The 1975 Cricket World Cup took place in England, and East Africa were one of two non-test teams invited to the tournament, the other being Sri Lanka. Kenya provided half of the fourteen man squad for the tournament. After warm-up matches against Somerset, Wales, Glamorgan and various club sides, they played in the same first round group as England, India and New Zealand, losing to all three. The World Cup was followed by a first-class match against Sri Lanka at the County Cricket Ground, Taunton.
East Africa then took part in the 1979 ICC Trophy, the first ICC Trophy tournament, but did not progress beyond the first round, thus missing out on qualification for the 1979 World Cup.
ICC Membership: Long considered the strongest part of the East Africa team, Kenya broke away in 1981 and joined the ICC in their own right as an associate member, shortly after a tour of Zimbabwe in 1980/81. They played two three-day matches against Zimbabwe on that tour, losing both. Kenya played in the ICC Trophy in their own right in 1982, 1986, and 1990, also playing their first first-class match against Pakistan B in September 1986.
1996 World Cup: The 1994 ICC Trophy was hosted in Nairobi and Kenya finished as runners-up to the UAE, thus qualifying for the 1996 World Cup. Kenya then played at home against India A in August 1995, and went on a tour to South Africa in September/October that year, before playing in the World Cup, which was to bring Kenyan cricket to a much wider audience, and catapult them into the spotlight.
Kenya were in the same group as Australia, India, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Zimbabwe. In what at the time was described as the most startling upsets in the history of the World Cup, Kenya bowled out the West Indies for just 93 and won by 73 runs.
ODI status: Following their World Cup performance, Kenya were given full ODI status by the ICC, and hosted a quadrangular tournament against Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka in September/October 1996. The Netherlands toured in December, playing four one-day matches, with the Kenyans winning them all. They played in the quarter finals of South Africa's Standard Bank Cup in March 1997, losing to Natal by 104 runs at Kingsmead. Following this was the 1997 ICC Trophy, hosted in Malaysia. Kenya reached the final, where they lost to Bangladesh by two wickets. This was followed by a tri-series against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in October the same year in Nairobi.
England A were the first opposition in 1998, touring Kenya in January. A three-day match was drawn, with England A winning the only one-day match that was not abandoned due to the weather. After this was another spot in the quarter final of the Standard Bank Cup, this time losing to Gauteng by 8 wickets. Kenya visited India in May, playing a triangular ODI series against Bangladesh and India. In the final match of the round-robin stage, Kenya beat India by 69 runs. Kenya then competed in the cricket tournament at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Drawn in the same first round group as New Zealand, Pakistan and Scotland, Kenya only beat the Scots, and finished third in the points table for the group.
Kenya warmed up for the 1999 World Cup with a triangular series in Bangladesh against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. In the 1999 World Cup itself, they were placed in the same first round group as England, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Following warm-up games against Somerset, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan, they lost all five of their games in the tournament proper. Following the World Cup, they played a quadrangular tournament at home against India, South Africa and Zimbabwe, again losing all their games.
The 21st Century started for Kenya with a visit to Zimbabwe to play in the ICC Emerging Nations Tournament against Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Scotland and Zimbabwe A. Kenya won the tournament and took this form onto a seven match tour of India on which they lost just one game. Pakistan A toured Kenya in July, playing a five match one-day series and a four-day first-class match. The four-day match was drawn, and Kenya won the one-day series 4-1. The 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy was played in Nairobi in October, with Kenya falling to India at the first hurdle.
The first opponents for Kenya in 2001 were Sri Lanka A, who toured Kenya in January, playing two first-class matches and four one-day matches. Both first-class matches were drawn, and Sri Lanka A won the first two one-day games, with the final two being abandoned. The West Indies came in August for two first-class games and a three match ODI series. The first first-class game was won by the West Indies, with the second being drawn, and the three ODIs all went the way of the visitors. Kenya then played an ODI triangular tournament in South Africa in October, playing against India and the hosts, and picked up a second ODI win over the Indians. Zimbabwe A toured Kenya towards the end of the year, losing a first-class series 1-0 and a one-day series 3-2.
Kenya toured Sri Lanka in early 2002, playing three first-class and three one-day matches against Sri Lanka A. Sri Lanka A won all three of the first-class games, but Kenya won the one-day series 2-1. The MCC toured Kenya shortly after this, playing one three-day match and six one-day matches against the national side. Five of the one-day matches went the way of the Kenyans before the sixth one-day match and the three-day match were abandoned. Kenya then played in the ICC 6 Nations Challenge tournament in Windhoek, Namibia, playing against Canada, Namibia, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka A and Zimbabwe A. Kenya won the tournament, beating Sri Lanka A by 3 wickets in the final. In August/September, Kenya hosted an ODI triangular tournament against Australia and Pakistan, losing all four of their matches. This was followed by a place in the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, though Kenya lost to the West Indies and South Africa, failing to progress beyond the first round.
Namibia toured Kenya in November, playing four one-day games. Kenya won the series 2-1, with one game being abandoned. Kenya then toured Zimbabwe to round off the year, playing three one-day matches against Zimbabwe A, and a three-match ODI series against the full Zimbabwean side. Zimbabwe won the ODI series 2-0, with one match finishing in a no result, and Zimbabwe A won their series against Kenya 2-1.
2003 World Cup and decline: The 2003 Cricket World Cup was to be Kenya's finest moment in international cricket to date. The tournament was to be held in South Africa, with Kenya hosting their two matches against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The tournament started with a defeat to South Africa, but Kenya bounced back with a four wicket win over Canada in Cape Town. New Zealand forfeited their match against Kenya in Nairobi due to safety concerns, but Sri Lanka did visit Nairobi and lost by 53 runs. The tournament continued, back in South Africa, with a win over Bangladesh and a defeat to the West Indies. Kenya had done enough to qualify for the Super Six stage, becoming the first non-test nation to progress beyond the first round of the World Cup. In the Super Six stage, they lost to India and Australia, but beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets, qualifying for the semi-final, where they lost to India by 91 runs.
Kenya's World Cup success was rewarded with a spot in a quadrangular tournament at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, but they lost all three of their games.
Kenya's failure in the above tournament is perhaps indicative of how they failed to capitalise on their World Cup success, though it must be said that not all of that failure was on the field. Although Kenya were given plenty of matches against national A sides, and played in the Carib Beer Cup in the West Indies in 2004, Kenya only played two ODIs in the three years after the Sharjah tournament, against India and Pakistan in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy.
Off-field setbacks also occurred. Maurice Odumbe was banned for match-fixing in August 2004, and a series of strikes by players led to a weakened Kenyan side being eliminated from the inaugural ICC Intercontinental Cup at the semi-final stage by Scotland. By the end of the dispute in 2005, Kenyan cricket had no sponsors and was in virtual international isolation. At that stage the governing body had dissolved internally and Kenyan cricket opportunities were limited and international cricket for them had virtually ceased.
Rebuilding: A rebuilding process began in 2005. The player strikes ceased, and Kenya again reached the semi-finals of the Intercontinental Cup. They warmed up for the semi-finals in Windhoek with a tour of Zimbabwe, to play two first-class and one one-day match against Zimbabwe A. They won all three of those games, and drew against Bermuda in the semi-final of the 2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup but lost to Ireland in the final, despite scoring 404/4 in their first innings.
In early 2006, the Kenya Cricket Association was disbanded and replaced by Cricket Kenya. The rebuilding process was in full swing as Kenya began playing ODI cricket again. Their return to ODI cricket was a five match series against Zimbabwe, which was drawn 2-2 with one match abandoned. This was followed by a four match ODI series against Bangladesh, with Kenya losing all four matches in that series. Their 2006 ICC Intercontinental Cup campaign got off to a poor start with a draw against the Netherlands and a defeat to Canada, but they bounced right back with two ODI wins over Canada at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. Bangladesh toured Kenya in August, winning all three ODIs, before an Intercontinental Cup draw against Bermuda and three ODI wins over Bermuda.
A triangular tournament in Mombasa against Canada and Scotland began Kenya's 2007 and Kenya won the tournament. They then hosted Division One of the World Cricket League at three grounds in Nairobi, playing against Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland. Kenya also won this event, beating Scotland in the final. This was followed by the 2007 World Cup, Kenya's fourth World Cup. Kenya beat Canada in the first round, but lost to England and New Zealand, thus missing out on the Super Eight stage.
In October 2007, either side of Intercontinental Cup games, Kenya hosted Canada and then Bermuda in ODIs. Kenya won five straight matches, with strong bowling performances setting up relatively comfortable chases batting second.
In August 2008, after a break of 9 months without an One Day or Twenty20 International, Kenya toured Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands for various series. Rain and poor Kenyan batting performances were the main theme and overall it was a disappointing tour for Kenya.
Kenya initially participated in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the associate qualification tournament for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. One of the favourites at the start of the tournament, Kenya finished second in Group B with a loss to the Netherlands and a win over Canada, before crashing out at the knock out stage to finish fourth with losses to Ireland and Scotland and Kenya failed to qualify for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20.
Following the Twenty20 tournament Kenya participated in three ODI series across Europe. Kenya had two ODI wash outs against Scotland, before losing a rain affected one off match to the Netherlands and a three match series 1-0 to Ireland with two matches affected by rain.
Since the World Cup, a team known as Kenya Select has taken part in Zimbabwe's Logan Cup competition, but did not win a game, also losing to Zimbabwe A.
Jason John Krejza (born January 14, 1983, Sydney, Australia) is an Australian cricketer. He also plays for the Tasmanian Tigers and Leicestershire. Krejza's father was a soccer player from Czechoslovakia and his mother was born in Poland. His nickname is "Krazy".
Krejza is an all-rounder, contributing to the team mainly as a right arm off-break bowler, but also as a right handed lower-middle order batsman. He became a regular in the NSW team in 2004/05 but lost his place in 2006/07. However solid form for Sydney Grade team UTS-Balmain led to his inclusion in the NSW limited overs team towards the end of 2006. On December 21, 2006 Krejza announced that he would leave the New South Wales Blues to join the Tasmanian Tigers due to being considered 4th choice behind spinners Stuart MacGill, Nathan Hauritz and Beau Casson in the selection process.
After crossing over mid-season to Tasmania [2006-7 season], Krejza played in 2 Pura Cup games, claiming 5 wickets and scoring a disappointing 17 runs in two innings. In the Ford Ranger Cup competition, however, he made his mark, taking 8 wickets in 4 games whilst also scoring 83 runs, with a top score of 53 not out.
During the off-season, his cricketing career was placed at risk after being caught speeding and drink-driving by Hobart police. He was subsequently suspended from Tasmania's pre-season training and warned to stay away from alcohol by his team's leadership group.
His renewed dedication to cricket saw him excel in the 2007-8 season. In the Pura Cup, he played 7 games and scored 289 runs at an average of 36.12, with a high score of 63. He also took 18 wickets at 47.11. The only downside to his season was that he did not break into the one-day side, with incumbent Xavier Doherty being Tasmania's sole spin bowler in the one-day arena. He played only one game, and was named 12th man in Tasmania's competition victory against Victoria.
Before being named to Australia's A Team tour to India in August, Tyler Bedurke claimed him and then he was selected for Australia's Test tour of India. With his selection, Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said, "Jason Krejza had a good season for Tasmania last year but is a selection very much for Indian conditions. The selectors felt right-arm finger spinners would perform well in India and Jason now has a chance to prove himself at the international level."
Krejza was seen as the second spinner in the squad behind Bryce McGain. However, McGain was sent home injured. Krejza was attacked by the Indian Board President's XI in a tour match, conceding 0/199 in 31 overs, and he was then excluded from the first three Tests at the expense of McGain's replacement, Cameron White. This was despite captain Ricky Ponting frequently hinting that Krejza would play and predicting that India's senior batsmen would not have the gumption to attack him.
Krejza eventually made his debut in the fourth test in Nagpur, which Australia must win in order to draw the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He came in at the expense of fast bowler Stuart Clark. Rahul Dravid became his first wicket. He went on to claim 8 wickets for 215 runs in the 1st innings. In the process, he became just the 14th Australian to take 5 or more wickets in an innings on debut and also created the unenviable world-record of conceding the most runs for any bowler on debut, while also taking most wickets in his first test match innings. It has also beaten his best first class bowling of 4 for 91. In the second innings he took a further 4 wickets for 143 runs, leaving him with figures of 12 wickets for 358 runs in his first test.
To view Jason Krejza's Cricinfo profile click HERE, also his supporters' site at www.jasonkrejza.com is a must see.
*Acknowledgements to Wikipedia.com, Cricinfo.com and the owners of pictures and videos used.
Has Australia's dominance in world cricket come to an end? - 11-11-2008
With the 2- nil series loss to India in the Border-Gavaskar series it appears the Aussie's dominance in world cricket may be coming to an end. They have had a good stronghold on the game since the mid 1990s when players like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and co came onto the scene and began strengthening their sublime mix of skill, accuracy and consistency and thus putting in elite performances for over a decade.
With these players retirements and new blood coming into the side it appears the Australian cricket is entering a rebuilding phase. While people might not think this when they start their 2 test series against New Zealand later on it will be against stronger, more experienced opposition that many people might think their dominance on the game is loosening its grip.
It is a fact of life, that people grow old and become a bit slower, more susceptible to injuries, and feel like they need to devote more time to their families, and it is upto the new team players coming into the side to hone the skills and knowledge of their predecessors to carry on their sides legacy. As every cricket fan must know, Australia has a big legacy in world cricket, and they are more than capable of fighting out of some precarious situations and newer players building upon the legacy the side has created and then build a strong legacy of their own.
Every side seems to experience their rises and falls. For instance, remember the great West Indies side of the 80s, New Zealand having a dream decade in the 80s as well (when Richard Hadlee was dominating batsman all over the world with his bowling), and even Zimbabwe before politics caused the exodus of famous players like Heath Streak, Grant and Andy Flower, Paul Strang and co. It is up to players coming into the side to strive for excellence and to carry the side through the good times and the bad.
Here is some links to the Aussie's recent results in India:
The Scotland national cricket team represents Scotland in the game of cricket. When they play in the English one-day Friends Provident Trophy, they compete as the Scottish Saltires. The Scottish Saltires play their home matches at The Grange, Edinburgh (and occasionally at Titwood in Glasgow, in the past having been Hamilton Crescent).
They were elected to associate membership of the International Cricket Council in 1994 after having severed their cricketing links with the England cricket team two years earlier. This allowed them to qualify for the Cricket World Cup in 1999 but they lost all their five matches.Furthermore, the team were unable to qualify in 2003.
In 2004 the Scotland cricket team competed in the inaugural ICC Intercontinental Cup. They first played Ireland and the Netherlands, and then on the back of those results progressed to the semi-finals in Sharjah. They overcame Kenya in the semi-finals, and then won the Cup by beating Canada in the final. They also competed in that tournament in 2005, but failed to progress past the first round. By qualifying for the semi-finals of the 2005 ICC Trophy on 7 July 2005 they have gained One Day International status from 1 January 2006 to the next ICC World Cup Qualifier in 2009. Scotland played their first One Day International outside of World Cups against Pakistan in June 2006, with the European Championship matches against Ireland and the Netherlands during August also being classed as full One Day International games.
The current captain of the side is Ryan Watson, of Forfarshire, who has held the role since April 2007. The coach is currently Australian Peter Steindl, succeeding Peter Drinnen, who was forced out of the job in somewhat controversial circumstances.
Before ICC Membership:
The first recorded cricket match in Scotland took place in Alloa in 1785. It would be another 80 years however, before Scotland played their first full match, against Surrey in 1865, where they won by 172 runs.
The first Scottish Cricket Union was formed in 1879, and the national team beat Australia by 7 wickets three years later. The cricket union became defunct in 1883, and Grange CC took over the administration of the game until 1909. The first match against Ireland took place in Dublin in 1888, with the Irish emerging victorious. They also played South Africa, the West Indies, an all-Indian team, and New Zealand before the start of World War 2.
1948 saw Australia visit Scotland for two games at the end of their tour of England. These games, both of which were won by the Australians, were to be the last international games for the legendary Don Bradman. The Don signed off in typical style, making a fine unbeaten 123 in the innings victory.
Scotland first competed in English domestic cricket in 1980, when they competed in the Benson & Hedges Cup for the first time. 3 years later, they took part in the Nat West trophy. Their first B & H win would come against Lancashire in 1986.
ICC Membership:
In 1992 Scotland severed their ties with the TCCB, and England, and gained associate membership of the ICC in their own right in 1994. They competed in the ICC Trophy for the first time in 1997, finishing third and qualifying for the 1999 World Cup, where they lost all their games. The 2001 ICC Trophy saw them finish 4th, losing a play-off game to Canada, but they won the 2005 tournament, beating long-time rivals Ireland in the final. 2004 saw Scotland first confirm themselves as one of the leading associate nations by winning the inaugural Intercontinental Cup. They didn't progress beyond the first round in the 2005 tournament, however.
Ryan Jay Sidebottom (born 15 January 1978 in Huddersfield) is an English cricketer who plays international cricket for England and domestic cricket for Nottinghamshire. He is a primarily a left-arm fast-medium bowler. Sidebottom played his first Test match in 2001 against Pakistan, but failed to take a wicket and was dropped for six years. In 2007 he was brought back into the side following an injury to Matthew Hoggard and took four wickets in his first innings. Since then he has become a prolific bowler for England. He took the 37th Test cricket hat-trick in his 11th match for England against New Zealand, becoming the 11th English player to do so, on 8 March 2008, and on 23 March he took his third five-wicket haul in the same series, breaking the previous record for an Englishman in New Zealand. His father, Arnie Sidebottom, was also a cricketer, and played one Test match for England in 1985 against Australia.
Sidebottom made his debut for his native Yorkshire in 1997. The winner of the NBC Denis Compton Award two years running, (in 1999 and 2000), he finished as the leading domestic English-bowler at the end of 2000, conceding only 12.5 runs for each of his 24 wickets, and capping this with a nomination for Cricketer of the Year by the Cricket Writers' Club. Injury problems took away much of his 2000 season, but, during the winter, Sidebottom toured the West Indies with England A, taking 16 wickets at a bowling average of 16.81. He made his international debut the following summer against Pakistan in place of Matthew Hoggard. He played in two ODIs in October 2001 against Zimbabwe.
Sidebottom left Yorkshire to join Nottinghamshire at the end of the 2003 season, having taken 163 wickets for Yorkshire at an average of 25.12. At Nottinghamshire, he took 50 wickets in both the 2005 and 2006 seasons, helping them to the County Championship title in 2005; he had also won the title with Yorkshire in 2001.
He sports a flamboyant hairstyle which has led to the dressing room nickname of "Sexual Chocolate". Sidebottom's long hair indirectly led to a second nickname, "Stringfellow", after a hapless Henry Blofeld repeatedly confused him with long-haired nightclub impresario Peter Stringfellow during the first Test match against New Zealand in 2008.
New Zealand Cricket Test, ODI and Twenty20 schedule - 06-11-2008
Here is a schedule of the games that are going to be played by New Zealand at home during the 2007/2008 home summer season. Make sure you proudly show your support for your favourite teams and make this summer of cricket an entertaining occasion, and who knows, you could be made famous by showing some enthusiasm and dedicated support for your team.
If you are a BlackCaps supporter lets attend the games' dressed in black and on mass and let Bangladesh, West Indies and India know that we are a force to be reckoned with!
Here is the Black Cap's home schedule for the home summer season of 2008/2009:
2008:
West Indies in NZ
Test Dec 11-15: New Zealand v West Indies Dunedin Dec 19-23: New Zealand v West Indies Napier
Twenty20 Dec 26: New Zealand v West Indies Auckland Dec 28: New Zealand v West Indies Hamilton
2009
One-day matches Dec 31 New Zealand v West Indies Queenstown Jan 3 New Zealand v West Indies Christchurch Jan 7 New Zealand v West Indies Wellington Jan 10 New Zealand v West Indies Auckland Jan 13 New Zealand v West Indies Napier
India in NZ
Twenty 20 Mar 6 New Zealand v India Wellington
One-day matches Mar 8 New Zealand v India Napier Mar 11 New Zealand v India Hamilton Mar 14 New Zealand v India Auckland Mar 17 New Zealand v India Wellington Mar 20 New Zealand v India Christchurch
First class match Mar 22-24 New Zealand v India Lincoln, Canterbury
Test Matches Mar 26-30 New Zealand v India Hamilton Apr 3-7 New Zealand v India Wellington
Gautam Gambhir (born 14 October 1981, in Delhi) is an Indian opening batsman. He has been a member of the Indian national cricket team since 2003 (ODIs) and 2004 (Tests). Gambhir had been a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket with an average of over 50 but his two successive double-hundreds in 2002 (one of them against the visiting Zimbabweans) made him a strong contender for India's opening slot. He became only the fourth Indian batsman to score a double century in a tour game at home; the previous three being Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar.
Gambhir was selected in 2000 for the first intake of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.
He made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in the TVS Cup in 2003. In his third match, he scored 71 and was named Man of the Match. His maiden century {103 off 97 balls) came against Sri Lanka in 2005. In 2004, he made his Test debut against Australia in the fourth and last Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy but did himself no favours by getting out for 3 and 1. He made amends in his second Test, however, scoring 96 against the South Africans. His maiden Test century came against Bangladesh in December 2004. Gambhir then made a number of starts in the home series against Pakistan in 2005, but was able to make only one half-century in six innings. He made 97 in Zimbabwe later that year, but failed to reach 30 against Sri Lanka at home, repeatedly struggling against Chaminda Vaas, and was subsequently dropped from the Test team. He was replaced in Tests by Wasim Jaffer, who made a double hundred and a hundred in seven Tests. He has often been criticized as not being able to convert his starts of 20 and 30 into larger scores and his string of poor scores is continually cited as evidence for this assertion.
While he has been out of the Test team, he has played a number of One Day Internationals for India between 2005 and 2007. However, he was not selected for the 2007 Cricket World Cup as the selectors opted for a top-order of Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, and Sachin Tendulkar. After India's first-round exit from the tournament, Gambhir was selected for the One Day International on India's 2007 tour of Bangladesh. Gambhir scored his second century on that tour and was subsequently selected for the One Day International on India's tour to Ireland in 2007. He scored an unbeaten 80 against Ireland in the first game of that tour and was awarded the man of the match award for that effort. In the post-match interview, he indicated that performing more consistently was a top priority for his career as he had done so in the past. If he does become more consistent, he could cement his place as a One Day International opener in the Indian cricket team.
Gambhir was selected in India's squad for the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, which India went on to win in South Africa, beating Pakistan in the final. Gambhir performed well in the shortest form of the game, ending the tournament as India's top run scorer, with 227 at an average of 37.83, including three half-centuries which included a crucial 75 runs off 54 balls against Pakistan in the final.
2008 started well for Gambhir. At home, he scored an unbeaten 130 in the Ranji Trophy final to help Delhi beat Uttar Pradesh by nine wickets just two days before the team for the ODI tournament in Australia was to be announced.
Gambhir was forced to miss the Test series in Australia due to a shoulder injury. In the 2007-08 CB Series, he scored an unbeaten 102 at the Gabba against Sri Lanka in a match washed out due to rain. Three weeks later at Sydney, he scored a career-best 113 off 119 balls against Australia, in a high scoring match which India lost by 18 runs. He finished the CB series as the leading run-scorer with 440 runs.
Gambhir scored a double century in the Kotla Test against Australia in October 2008.
*Acknowledgements to Wikipedia.org and owner of Youtube Video.
As you can probably tell I have been away for over two months now, due to moving town, career changing stuff, work, and spending many hours up late watching the cricket on satellite tv. I am in the process of getting my internet connection set up again and as it is easier (not to mention far less expensive) for me to write articles to this site from home I will be back to writing 3 to 4 articles a week, within the next two weeks.
In the meantime I have seen some great cricket action, including the Aussies getting walloped by India in the 1st test of the current October series over there, and of course the famous victory the Bangladeshi's scored over the Black Caps (by 7 wickets in Mirpur, Bangladesh). It shows they are able to pull off some suprise wins (also refer to the 5 wicket win over the Aussies at Sophia Gardens in 2004) and do have the ability to pull together as a team and put in a good cohesive performance.
Also played my first beach cricket game of the "season" and just about got washed away by the sea as the bowler didn't tell me there was a wave coming in! Though that didn't really bother me. Am looking forward to many more games of recreational cricket and to perhaps emulate some of cricketing's greatest.
Also many thanks for the cricket site's owners that still have me linked to their site, I really appreciate your patience and I have seen a steady flow of visitors coming in from your site to mine. Thankyou!
Also I checked the other day that my site has climbed to a Google Page Rank of 3, I know its still low but I have a lot of time yet to apply tweaks to the site and update content etc. It's why I appreciate all the comments I have been getting, they really help with the development of the site, thankyou!
Keep your eyes taped open for more content and hope you enjoy!
Should Cricket have been in the Olympics? - 08-08-2008
Well the 2008 Beijing Olympics have finally arrived. As I am presently watching the opening ceremony and watching the masterful displays pieced to gether by meticulous choreography, I ponder to myself one question, one question that has made me write this post...Should cricket have been in the Olympics?
I bet there are many cricket lovers that are wondering the same thing. Is it because China isn't a leading cricket nation? It shouldn't really matter if China is or not. Cricket is fast gaining interest in this hugely populated country and because of its huge population there is a huge market for cricket in the country.
Perhaps the Twenty20 would have been a crowd favourite at the Olympics, as a Twenty20 game lasts around 3 to 4 hours, and most crowds would be able to watch a game of cricket for this long. Baseball lasts about the same duration.
Just imagine what if cricket was at the Beijing Olympics? It would've catapulted China furtherer up in the cricketing world and the sport itself would've got enormous amounts of exposure (as I have just heard on the commentary that there is approximately 4 billion people watching). Imagine that if cricket was in the Beijing Olympics there would be thousands and thousands of Chinese cricket teams sprouting up and forming a very stable foundation for the future of cricket in the country. Could you imagine that if cricket was in the olympics, it might have been a catalyst for, lets say an example, a major ODI/Twenty20 or a Super Test series being played beside the Yangtze River in the picturesque Gorges region? Or perhaps a super series involving all major cricketing nations including China in the modern metropolis of Beijing itself? The possibilities are endless and are only limited by the vastness of ones imagination, which are infinite.
Of course many people would have their views on whether cricket should've been in the Beijing Olympics. Feel free to let your opinions be known by voting in my poll which asks the very question.
In the International Spotlight...Japan Cricket - 09-07-2008
The Japan national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Japan in international cricket matches. They have been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 2005, having previously been an affiliate member since 1989. They are currently ranked at equal 37th in the world and at fourth amongst non-test teams in their region.
Cricket was first played in Japan in 1868 when a group of English merchants living in Yokohama founded the Yokohama Cricket Club, playing their matches on what eventually became the Yokohama Stadium. The club, now renamed as the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club, still plays cricket today.
Cricket did not become organised until the 1980s, when the Japan Cricket Association was formed. They became an affiliate member of the ICC in 1989, and the national team first played in the 1996 ACC Trophy, losing all their games including a 380 run defeat by Fiji. They continued without success in the 1998 tournament and the 2000 tournament.
After the 2000 ACC Trophy, they left the Asian Cricket Council and became part of the ICC's East Asia/Pacific region. They played in the East Asia Eights tournament in Australia in February 2002, finishing as runners up to an Australian indigenous team. Indonesia and South Korea were the other teams in the tournament. In 2004, they hosted the East Asia Pacific Cricket Challenge tournament as part of qualification for the 2007 World Cup, finishing third after beating Indonesia in a play-off.
In June 2005, Japan were promoted to associate membership of the ICC and that year they played in the 2005 ICC EAP Cricket Cup in Vanuatu, winning the tournament after beating the Cook Islands in the final. The following year they played in the 2006 ICC EAP Cricket Trophy in Brisbane finishing last in the three team tournament that also involved Fiji and the Cook Islands.
This is Borat learning how to play cricket! - 09-07-2008
Thought you guys may be interested to see the infamous Borat (that funny Kazahkstani guy acted out by Sacha Cohen) trying to play cricket, hope you enjoy the hilarity of it :)
Graeme Craig Smith (born 1 February 1981 in Johannesburg) is a South African cricketer, and the current captain of the South African cricket team, having succeeded Shaun Pollock after the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
A tall and attacking left-handed opening batsman, on the 2003 South African tour of England he made double centuries in consecutive Test matches: 277 at Edgbaston, and 259 at Lord's. The 277 is the highest individual innings ever made for South Africa, and the 259 is the highest score ever made at Lord's by a foreign player.
Known for the success of his opening partnership with Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa's most prolific ever opening partnership, Smith has the distinction of having been part of all four of South Africa's opening partnerships of over 300 runs: in three of them he was partnered by Gibbs, and in 2008 Smith added 415 for the first wicket with Neil McKenzie against Bangladesh, a world record opening partnership.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, Smith was educated at King Edward VII School.
Smith played three Under-19s tests and seven one day internationals for South Africa Under-19s, of which five were during the Under 19 Cricket World Cup. He scored one fifty in the test matches, but scored five half centuries in the one dayers. Smith was also awarded the South African Cricketer of the Year award for his performances in the 2001?02 South Africian cricket season.
Graeme Smith has played for a number of cricket teams in South Africa. He currently plays for Western Province cricket team but due to his international commitments, his appearances for them have been limited, his last game for them being on October 28, 2004. In total he has played 17 games for Western Province scoring 1,312 runs with four centuries at an average of 46.85. He has also played for other teams in South Africa including United Cricket Board of South Africa Invitation XI and Western Province Boland.
He has also played county cricket for Somerset in the 2005 English cricket season, captaining the club for part of the 2005 season, and he scored a century in a tour match against the Australians in preparation for the 2005 Ashes series. Against Leicestershire at Taunton he scored his maiden first-class triple hundred (311 off 255 balls). He also hit 105 in the Twenty20 Cup match against Northamptonshire, which is currently the 11th highest score in the domestic Twenty20 Cup competition. Smith also captained the team to victory on finals day to secure the Twenty20 Cup trophy, making 64 not out from 47 balls in the final.
In 2008 Graeme Smith played in the inaugural Indian Premier League for Rajasthan Royals. His opening partnership with Swapnil Asnodkar achieved significant success.
Smith made his Test debut for South Africa in 2002 in Cape Town against Australia, batting at number three and scoring 68 in the second innings. Promoted to open the batting with Herschelle Gibbs against Bangladesh in his third Test match, Smith scored 200. In the following home series against Pakistan, Smith (who scored 151) and Gibbs (228) shared a first-wicket stand of 368, a national record until bettered by Smith and Neil MacKenzie's 415, and at the time the fourth highest opening partnership in Test history. Following the 2003 Cricket World Cup and Shaun Pollock's subsequent resignation, Smith was selected as captain for South Africa's next Test. The decision was criticised as it was felt that he had shown 'few leadership credentials': he had played only eight Test matches and 22 ODIs before being given the captaincy. Graeme Smith was only 22 years and 82 days old when he captained his first match against Bangladesh, the youngest ever South African captain.
During the tour of England in 2003 he made double centuries in consecutive test matches: 277 (and 85 from 70 balls in the second innings) in the first Test at Edgbaston, and 259 in an innings victory in the second Test at Lord's. His 277 was the highest individual Test innings scored by a South African, surpassing the previous record of 275 held jointly by Darryl Cullinan and Gary Kirsten; his 259 at Lord's is the highest score at the ground by a foreign player, breaking the record of 254 by Sir Donald Bradman. These performances prompted Alec Stewart to call him "the most impressive 22-year-old I have seen in cricket". This outstanding run of form could have continued but for an unusual dismissal: in the third Test at Trent Bridge Smith, on 35, played back to Andrew Flintoff and trod on his stumps to be dismissed hit wicket. Smith did not pass 20 again in the series as a galvanised England won the match and fought back to draw the series 2?2, but Smith nonetheless finished the series with an aggregate of 714 runs at an average of 79.33, and was named player of the series (jointly with Flintoff).
During the year 2004 South Africa had a significantly less successful run in ODI cricket than they would have expected, with a 5?1 series loss to New Zealand and a 5?0 series loss to Sri Lanka. They had beaten the West Indies 3?1 earlier in the year, but South African cricket was described as being in a state of 'freefall'. In Test matches also South Africa suffered a poor run with series losses to England, India and Sri Lanka. They did nevertheless win a home Test series against the West Indies (with Smith and Gibbs sharing their third 300-run opening partnership).
Although initially regarded as an inexperienced captain, his growth in the role was evidenced when he was selected to captain the ICC World XI in the ICC Super Series Test Match between the ICC World XI and Australia in October 2005.
South Africa won a Test series in the West Indies in 2005, with Smith scoring centuries in three consecutive Tests: 148 at the Queen's Park Oval, 104 at the Kensington Oval and 126 at Antigua. However, their tour of Australia, and Australia's subsequent return tour in the 2005?06 season were disappointments for Smith, as they succumbed to a 2?0 defeat in Australia, and a 3?0 whitewash at home. Pride was restored when Smith led his team to victory in South Africa's win over Australia in a One Day International at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on March 12, 2006. Australia set South Africa a world record 434?4 from 50 overs, which was successfully chased by South Africa who reached 438?9 with a ball to spare. Smith scored 90 runs off 55 balls in the chase, and shared in a second wicket partnership of 187 runs with Herschelle Gibbs. The result gave South Africa in a 3?2 series victory over the Australians.
In the first ODI against Pakistan on February 4, 2007, Smith hit an over bowled by Naved-ul-Hasan for 27 runs, and became the first player in ODI history to hit six fours off an over; Smith scored 72 from 47 balls as South Africa totalled 392?6, the highest ODI total ever made against a Test nation (excluding Zimbabwe) apart from the two innings of the aforementioned Wanderers match between Australia and South Africa. As captain he led the South African cricket team through 20 consecutive undefeated matches in One Day Internationals in 2005. In early 2007 Smith's South Africans replaced Australia on top of the official ICC rankings for ODI cricket but returned to second place after mixed results in the 2007 ICC World Cup thus far after losing to Australia by eight wickets. In the 2007 World Cup he started the tournament with four successive 50s, a feat never before achieved by a captain.
During the second Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong in begun on February 29, 2008 Smith (who scored 232) and Neil McKenzie (226) put on a world record 415 for the first wicket. The partnership beat the previous first-wicket record of 413 which had been set in 1956 by Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy. They had finished day one with 405 runs on the board which was the most ever put on by a pair in a single day of Test cricket without losing a wicket. The partnership was Smith's fourth opening partnership of over 300 runs, and his sixth of over 200 runs, both Test records.
Smith was once accused by West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo of racial abuse, but was cleared of those allegations. He has however, been punished several times by the International Cricket Council for various infringements, mostly for dissent and slow over rates.
He has had a difficult relationship with South African-born English batsman Kevin Pietersen. Graeme Smith once said "I'm patriotic about my country, and that's why I don't like Kevin Pietersen". This refers to Pietersen who was brought up in South Africa leaving there to join England. Pietersen has described Graeme Smith as an "absolute muppet" in his book Crossing the Boundary.
Smith has also had problems with the current Test England captain Michael Vaughan during the 2004?05 England tour of South Africa over a dispute concerning bad light during the 4th test in Smith's native Johannesburg. In Vaughan's second book Calling the Shots Vaughan refers to Smith as "the witness".Vaughan lost his entire match fee for the match after the dispute.
Just would like to let you all know if you have a cricket blogsite that you would want to do a free link exchange with me feel free to comment on this post with the details of your cricket site and subject to you adding my site link on yours I will add yours A.S.A.P, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Am approaching 5000 visitors now and looking at my stats I see people visiting my blogroll regularly, so your site will get visitors via mine :)
Many thanks to everyone that is already on my blogroll and that have added my site on theirs, I greatly appreciate it! If your site isn't on the blogroll, nows good....
ESPN commemorated the start of the 3rd Millennium by forming an eminent panel to arrive at the list of Top 25 Legends of Cricket. The list was finalized in August 2001 and named as the ESPN Legends of Cricket.
TOP 10:
Players of the 1970s & 1980s are the most heavily represented, with Vivian Richards, Sunil Gavaskar, Dennis Lillee, Imran Khan.
No. 11: Sir Ian Botham No. 12: Sir Richard Hadlee No. 13: Keith Miller No. 14: WG Grace No. 15: Graeme Pollock No. 16: Malcolm Marshall No. 17: Greg Chappell No. 18: George Headley No. 19: Sir Frank Worrell No. 20: Sir Leonard Hutton No. 21: Wasim Akram No. 22: Kapil Dev No. 23: Steve Waugh No. 24: Barry Richards No. 25: Allan Border
26 Through 50:
No. 26: Sydney Barnes No. 27: Everton Weekes No. 28: Wilfred Rhodes No. 29: Herbert Sutcliffe No. 30: Bill O'Reilly No. 31: Courtney Walsh No. 32: Mike Procter No. 33: Fred Trueman No. 34: Brian Lara No. 35: Clyde Walcott No. 36: Richie Benaud No. 37: Joel Garner No. 38: Andy Roberts No. 39: Curtly Ambrose No. 40: Michael Holding No. 41: Glenn McGrath No. 42: Jim Laker No. 43: Clarrie Grimmett No. 44: Javed Miandad No. 45: Ray Lindwall No. 46: Victor Trumper No. 47: Alan Knott No. 48: Allan Donald No. 49: Alan Davidson No. 50: Bishan Bedi
Timothy Grant Southee (born 11 December 1988 in Whangarei, New Zealand) is a New Zealand cricketer. He is a right-arm fast-medium bowler who plays international cricket for New Zealand and State Championship cricket for Northern Districts and plays for Northland in the Hawke Cup. He made his first-class debut on 19 February 2007 at the age of eighteen.
After an impressive start to his career with Northern Districts, Southee was picked to play for a New Zealand side in a Twenty20 match against a Bangladesh side on December 23, 2007. The game was a charity match for cyclone relief in Bangladesh.
On 30 January 2008, Southee was named in the New Zealand squad for two Twenty20 International games and three One Day International games against England. New Zealand Cricket Selection Manager, Sir Richard Hadlee said:
"Why delay producing a player of some talent? Perhaps I could compare him with Brendon McCullum when he started (in 2002) - he had a lot of potential. It might take a lot of time for Tim to find his feet but why wait two or three years when someone is in a special category? The feed back we're getting is that this guy has got it. "He runs in relatively straight, he gets through his action nicely and he moves the ball, particularly away from the batsman."
He made his official international debut on 5 February 2008 in the first Twenty20 match. In the second match, Southee was New Zealand's best bowler with figures of 2/22 from four overs.
Southee then traveled to Malaysia to play in the 2008 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where he finished as Player-of-the-Tournament after taking 17 wickets at 6.64 with an economy rate of 2.52 runs per over.
After an injury ruled Kyle Mills out of the third Test match of England's tour, Southee was picked to make his Test match debut on 22 March 2008 at Napier. He had an immediate impact in the first day's play, dismissing Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss in his second and third overs, and then later claiming the wicket of Kevin Pietersen. On the second day's play he took the two wickets needed to complete a debut five-wicket haul, finishing with 5-55. During New Zealand's second innings against England, whilst chasing an improbable target of 553, Southee launched an attack on the England bowlers hitting nine sixes and four fours, with his debut fifty coming off twenty-nine balls. The fifty was the fastest in New Zealand test history, replacing Ian Smith's previous record of thirty four balls. He eventually finished on 77* from 40 balls. Only four other test cricketers have hit more sixes in an innings, Wally Hammond, Nathan Astle, Matthew Hayden and Wasim Akram.
See more info on the talented Tim Southee by right clicking HERE
The Dutch cricket team is a national cricket team representing the Netherlands. It is administered by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond (Royal Dutch Cricket Association) which is based in Nieuwegein in the centre of the country and is older than many renowned cricket clubs in the West Indies, Australia, and New Zealand.
Cricket has been played in the Netherlands since at least the 19th century, and in the 1860s was considered a major sport in the country. Many other sports (notably football) have long since surpassed cricket in popularity amongst the Dutch, and today there are around 6,000 cricketers in the Netherlands, making it the 25th most popular sport. The first national association, the forerunner of today's Royal Dutch Cricket Association, was formed in 1883 and the Netherlands achieved Associate Membership of the ICC in 1966.
The Dutch team has taken part in all eight ICC Trophy tournaments, winning the competition in Canada in 2001 and finishing as runners-up twice (in 1986 and 1990). The Netherlands have also participated in the 1996, 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cups, and from 1996 onwards entered the English domestic NatWest Trophy competition (and its successor, the C&G Trophy). In 2004 they played first-class cricket as part of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, drawing with Scotland in Aberdeen and then going down to an innings defeat against Ireland in Deventer.
In 2005 the Dutch team beat the UAE to finish fifth in the ICC Trophy, a slightly disappointing result but one which meant that they qualified for the 2007 World Cup and would gain full One Day International status from 1 January 2006 until the 2009 ICC Trophy.
HISTORY:
19th century- Cricket was introduced to the Netherlands by British soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th Century and the Cape Colony in 1856. Further clubs came into existence in the 1870s. The Netherlands national team played their first game in 1881. They fielded 22 players against an Uxbridge Cricket Club XI, but still lost by an innings. The Dutch Cricket Union was formed in 1883, with 18 member clubs, four of which are still in existence today.
The first national tournament was held the following year, and was won by Haagsche CC. English touring teams then began visiting in 1886 including one in 1891 that featured Sherlock Holmes author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
In 1894, the Gentlemen of Holland became the first Dutch team to visit England. The tour included a game against the MCC at Lord's, which the MCC won by an innings and 169 runs. Tours by English sides continued for the rest of the 1890s, which also saw the emergence of Carst Posthuma, who was to become the first Dutch player to play first class cricket. He was eventually to take 2339 wickets at an average of 8.66 in his career in the Netherlands.
1900s to 1910s- 1901 saw another visit to England by the Gentlemen of Holland. They played five games on the tour, drawing two and the losing the remainder. 1905 saw the first international game against Belgium, which finished in a draw.
In 1910, the Dutch team visited Belgium to take part in an exhibition tournament, which also featured the MCC, Belgium and France. They lost to the MCC by 2 wickets, and to France by 63 runs, but beat Belgium by 116 runs.
During World War I, in which the Netherlands remained neutral, large numbers of British officers were interned in the country, and many of these joined local cricket clubs. A team made up of these players even won the Dutch championship in 1918.
1920s to 1940s- The Flamingo's, a Dutch touring side, was formed in 1921, they would go on to make several tours of England. Tours by English teams would continue in this period also. The 1930s are said to be the decade in which Dutch cricket thrived the most, with cricket curtailed somewhat after the German invasion in 1940, due to its association with the British military. In 1934, the first Dutch women's league was formed, and the women's national team played two games against Australia in 1937, losing heavily in both. Cricket was curtailed somewhat after the German invasion in 1940.
1950s to 1980s- The 1950s saw visits to the Netherlands by Australia and the West Indies, in addition to the first match against Denmark. In 1958, the Cricket Board received a Royal charter, and became the "Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond", a name which it retains to this day.
1964 brought the Netherlands first victory against a Test-playing nation, with a 3 wicket win over the Australian team. They were rewarded with associate membership of the ICC two years later.
The first two ICC Trophy tournaments, in 1979 and 1982 brought little success to the Dutch, not progressing beyond the first round in both tournaments. But in the 1986 tournament, they finished as runners up to Zimbabwe. The same year, Paul-Jan Bakker became the first Dutch player to play county cricket. In 1989, the Dutch beat a strong England XI that featured two future England captains in Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain by 3 runs.
1990s- 1990 would once again see the Dutch finish runners up to Zimbabwe in the ICC Trophy, a tournament they hosted. (The first outside England) Test nations would be beaten again in 1991, which saw a 5 wicket win over the West Indies, in 1993, which saw a 7 wicket win over England, and in 1994, which saw a 9 wicket win over South Africa. 1994 would also finally see the Dutch qualify for the World Cup, after finishing third in that year's ICC Trophy. In the World Cup itself in 1996, they didn't progress past the first round, but performed with some credit in their game against England.
1995 saw the Dutch enter the NatWest Trophy for the first time, and they would spend 10 years in the tournament, their best performance coming in 1999, when they progressed to the 4th round, beating Durham along the way. 1999 also saw a World Cup game come to the Netherlands, but sadly for them the Dutch were not involved, after a 6th place finish in the 1997 ICC Trophy.
The Netherlands competed in the first European Championship in 1996, coming second. They have competed in every tournament since, winning in 1998 and 2000.
2000s- 2001 finally saw the Netherlands win the ICC Trophy, beating Namibia in the final in Toronto. They thus qualified for the 2003 World Cup. They again failed to progress beyond the first round in the tournament, but recorded their first ODI win over Namibia during the tournament.
In the 2005 ICC Trophy, the Netherlands finished 5th, qualifying for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, and gaining one-day International status until the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier. Their first ODI with this new status was intended to be against Kenya in March 2006, however this match was cancelled due to a Kenyan tour of Bangladesh. Instead their first ODI with this status (and their twelfth overall) came against Sri Lanka in what was their first ODI at home. This ended in disappointment though as the Dutch conceded a record ODI score of 443/9. They lost the two match series 2-0.
The Dutch played their first Intercontinental cup game of 2006 against Kenya in Nairobi in March. The game finished in a draw, with the Netherlands gaining six points for having a first innings lead. In August, the Netherlands competed in Division One of the European Championship. They beat Denmark and Italy, but lost to Scotland and their game against Ireland was rained off. They finished third in the tournament.
In November, the Dutch travelled to South Africa. They first played an Intercontinental Cup match against Bermuda, with David Hemp scoring a then competition record of 247 not out in the drawn match. This was followed by a triangular series against Bermuda and Canada, which they won. Their final game of 2006, also in South Africa, was an Intercontinental Cup game against Canada. They won the match by 7 wickets, with Ryan ten Doeschate setting a new competition record individual score of 259 not out.
In early 2007, they travelled to Nairobi, Kenya to take part in Division one of the World Cricket League, finishing third in the six team total. This was followed by the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, where they did not progress beyond the first round, though they did beat Scotland along the way.
Following the World Cup, they underwent a period of transformation. Captain Luuk van Troost retired, as did Tim de Leede and their coach Peter Cantrell. Daan van Bunge also opted to take a break from international cricket, and the new coach opted not to retain the services of bowling coach Ian Pont.
In June 2007, they visited Canada, first winning an Intercontinental Cup match against Canada in King City, Ontario. They then won the first ODI by 117 runs, with the second one being abandoned. They then played a quadrangular series in Ireland, losing by ten wickets to the West Indies, and by one run to Ireland, with the game against Scotland being abandoned due to rain.
FAMOUS PLAYERS:
Several Dutch cricketers have also played at first-class level elsewhere, the most successful of these probably being Roland Lefebvre who played for Somerset and Glamorgan in English county cricket as well as for Canterbury in New Zealand. The Essex all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate and Worcestershire batsman Alexei Kervezee are the only current members of the Dutch team to be playing county cricket.
Other Dutch players to have played first class cricket outside of the Intercontinental Cup are:
Paul-Jan Bakker - who played for Hampshire from 1986 until 1992.
Bill Glerum - who played one first class game for the Free Foresters in 1957.
Carst Posthuma - who played five first class games for London County Cricket
Club in 1903.
Daan van Bunge - who played for Middlesex in 2004.
Andre van Troost - who played for Somerset from 1991 to 1998, and for Griqualand West in the 1994/95 season in South Africa.
Bas Zuiderent - who played for Sussex from 2001 to 2003.
A portal to Cricket in the Netherlands can be viewed by right clicking HERE
Eddo André Brandes (born March 5, 1963, Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) is a former Zimbabwean cricketer who played in 10 Tests and 59 ODIs from 1987 to 1999, spanning four World Cups.
He took a hat-trick in an ODI against England in January 1997 that is still regarded as the highest in terms of total average of the batsmen dismissed. The Mirror ran a headline proclaiming "Clucking useless!; England lose to chicken farmer" to mark the occasion, making Eddo Brandes perhaps the most famous chicken-farmer to ever play cricket. Only two months short of his 34th birthday, he remains the oldest player to have taken an ODI hat-trick.
As of 2003 Brandes has moved to Australia to pursue a coaching career, and is currently coaching the Sunshine Coast Scorchers who play in the XXXX Gold Brisbane Grade Competition/ Tewantin-Noosa Thunder.
He is also known for this quote:
-Exchange between Glenn McGrath, the Australian bowler, and Eddo Brandes after McGrath gets frustrated at being unable to dismiss Brandes.
1.McGrath: "Why are you so fat?" 2.Brandes: "Because every time I f*** your wife she gives me a biscuit."
The Zimbabwean cricket team is a national cricket team representing Zimbabwe. It is administrated by Zimbabwe Cricket (formerly known as the Zimbabwe Cricket Union or ZCU).
Zimbabwe is a full member of the International Cricket Council (I.C.C.) with Test and One Day International status, although it is currently inactive in Tests (see below).
In common with all the other full members of the I.C.C., Zimbabwe had a cricket team before it achieved Test status.
A brief summary of key moments:
Zimbabwe(formerly Rhodesia) was represented in the South African tournament, the Currie Cup, between the wars, and then again from 1946. Following independence in 1980, the country began to play more international cricket. On July 21, 1981 Zimbabwe was elected an associate member of the ICC. Zimbabwe then participated in the 1983 cricket World Cup, as well as the 1987 and 1992 events.
TEST STATUS: Zimbabwe played its first Test match in 1992 (against India at Harare resulting in a draw), becoming the ninth Test nation.
Zimbabwe's early Test performances were consistently weak, leading to many suggestions that they were undeserving of that status. In the one-day arena, however, the team soon became competitive, if not particularly strong. In particular, world respect was gained for their fielding ability.
1990s: In spite of his team's difficulties, wicket-keeper/batsman Andy Flower was at one point rated the best batsman in world cricket. During this era, Zimbabwe also produced such cricketers as Flower's brother Grant, allrounder (and later national captain) Heath Streak and professional chicken farmer Eddo Brandes, who achieved considerable fame as a bowler. Murray Goodwin was also a world-class batsman; following his retirement from international cricket, he has scored heavily for Sussex. Sometime captain and middle order batsman Alistair Campbell, leg-spinning all rounder Paul Strang, and pace bowler/opener Neil Johnson were other important contributors for Zimbabwe on the world stage at this time.
With the appearance of some quality players, a breakthrough was achieved in levels of performance in the late 1990s where the Zimbabwean team began winning tests against other nations, which included a series win against Pakistan. Unfortunately, the political situation in Zimbabwe declined at around the same time, which had a detrimental effect on the national team's performances.
THE 2003 CRICKET WORLD CUP: Increasing politicization of cricket, including selectorial policy, along with the declining situation in Zimbabwe disrupted the 2003 cricket World Cup, which was jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and South Africa.
England forfeited a match scheduled to be played in Zimbabwe, risking their own progress through the competition, citing "security concerns" as their reason.
Zimbabwean players Andy Flower and fast bowler Henry Olonga wore black armbands, for "mourning the death of democracy" in Zimbabwe. Both were immediately dismissed from the team and applied for political asylum overseas. This public political protest caused considerable embarrassment to the co-hosts and disrupted team harmony.
Since the 2003 World Cup, with a succession of Zimbabwe's best players ending their international careers early, a new side began to develop, featuring the likes of Travis Friend, Andy Blignaut, Craig Wishart, Ray Price, Sean Ervine, Mark Vermeulen, Douglas Marillier, and Barney Rogers. Whilst not of the same calibre of Streak, Goodwin, and the Flower brothers, this new breed of predominatly multi-disciplined players formed a solid backbone to a competitive, if usually unsuccessful, side.
In late 2003, Zimbabwe toured Australia in a two-match series. The series was more memorable for Australian opener Matthew Hayden's innings in the first Test - in which he overcame a back strain to score a then record 380 runs - than for the Zimbabwean performance.
THE STREAK AFFAIR: In 2004, captain Heath Streak was sacked by the ZCU, prompting an on-field streaking by 14 other players during an Australia-Zimbabwe match in protest of political influence in the team's selection.
Because of this, the ZCU accepted that Zimbabwe were to play no further Test cricket in 2004, though its status as a Test nation was unaffected.
In early 2005, Heath Streak was reinstated into the national side, but the political situation in Zimbabwe involving Operation Murambatsvina disrupted the Zimbabwean team. During overseas tours, the players were often said to be buying necessities which were unavailable - or prohibitively expensive - at home, as opposed to the souvenirs which other touring teams would purchase.
In 2005 an agreement was signed which led to the return of many of the rebels to the Zimbabwe side. However, results failed to improve as in March Zimbabwe lost both their Tests on tour against South Africa by an innings. Worse was to follow in August, when they were crushed on home soil by New Zealand, in a match that was completed in just two days, instead of the usual five. In the process, Zimbabwe were humiliated; they became only the second side in Test history (after India in 1952) to be bowled out twice in the space of one day. Then they lost both their tests to India at home later in September. After the series against India, Streak announced his retirement from international cricket, dealing yet another blow to the beleagured team.
By November 2005, the players were once again in dispute with Zimbabwe Cricket over political interference in the management of the game as well as contract negotiations, and the new captain, Tatenda Taibu, resigned from international cricket.
By January 2006, 37 Zimbabwean cricketers had failed to receive any offer of renegotiation talks from Zimbabwe Cricket after their contracts with the board had expired. This body of players demanded that the chairman and managing director of Zimbabwe cricket, Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute, be removed from office for there to be any hope for the players to return to the international stage.
On January 6, 2006, the Sports and Recreation Commission, a division of the Zimbabwean government, took over the offices of Zimbabwe Cricket. The apparent takeover has resulted in the firing of all whites and Asians among the board directors, because of "their racial connotations and saving their own agendas and not government policy" according to Gibson Mashingaidze, an army brigadier and chairman of the government's Sports and Recreation Commission.
An interim board was appointed as the new leading party of cricket in Zimbabwe, with Peter Chingoka appointed as the committee's head. Given Chingoka's close ties to Bvute, it is likely that the latter will continue in his post as well.
SELF-IMPOSED TEST SUSPENSION: On 18 January 2006, Zimbabwe Cricket announced that they were suspending the playing of Test cricket for the rest of that year. Zimbabwe's coach Kevin Curran has said that Zimbabwe are aiming to play their next Test against the West Indies in November 2007. It is currently felt by observers that the Zimbabwean national team is not of sufficient Test standard, and that competing against Full Member sides would do little to improve standards, given the likely one-sided nature of the games. Bangladesh, for a long time seen as the 'whipping boys' of Test cricket, recorded their first win against Zimbabwe, and are now generally regarded as being of a superior standard.
Domestically, the Logan Cup - Zimbabwe's first class competition played amongst the provinces - was cancelled in 2006 for the first time since its inception over a century ago (though the Cup was not played during some of the years of the World Wars). This was widely seen as due to concern by ZC that the standard of play would be so poor as to be both not worthwhile and potentially harmful to the external image of cricket in Zimbabwe. The one-day trophy, the Faithwear Cup, was contested, and drew complaints from observers that the quality was less than club level. As well as player exodus, the main reason for this catastrophic fall in standards was put down to wrangling within Zimbabwe Cricket, where internal politics motivated the removal of the historic provinces and their replacement with revamped, newly-designated provincial teams.
In a further harmful incident, ex-player Mark Vermeulen was arrested after attempting to burn down ZC's offices, and successfully destroying the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy's premises. In a nation in increasing social and economic turmoil, such facilities are hard to replace, and their loss has proven difficult to manage for a cricket administration already short of top quality facilities.
The ICC has not supported Zimbabwe's return to full Test status until the national team can perform consistently at that level and compete competitively against other test sides.
2007 CRICKET WORLD CUP: In the period coming up to the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, and to stop a similar exodus of players after the 2003 World Cup, the selected players were asked to sign a new contract. The players were summoned to meet Ozias Bvute, Zimbabwe Cricket's managing director, a week or so before they were due to set off and given an ultimatum - sign the contract on offer or be removed from the squad. It is understood that they were not allowed to take advice and were told they had to make the decision there and then.
One player told his team-mates that there were certain things contained in the contracts that needed clarification. He was summoned back into Bvute's office and warned that it was a take-it-or-leave -it offer: this player was later revealed to be Anthony Ireland. Another said that when he told Bvute he wanted to consult with friends, Bvute picked up the phone and called Kenyon Ziehl, the head of selection, and told him he wanted the player replaced in the squad. Unsurprisingly, the player backed down and signed.
In light of the poor state of Zimbabwe's finances, and that Zimbabwe Cricket had to borrow around US$1 million in early 2007 pending receipt of monies from the World Cup to help them over an ongoing cash crisis; the board agreed to pay match fee's in US Dollars. The players are being paid US$2000 per appearance and a series of US$500 bonuses based on wickets taken and fifties scored. The maximum payment was believed to be capped at around US$8000. However, fee's will not be paid until June 2007 to stop the exodus and help cash flow.
The spectre of continued problems with the ZC board has influenced some players to cut their losses and seek to finish their careers abroad: Ireland accepted a contract to play for Gloucestershire during 2007, while opener Vusi Sibanda also left. More are thought to be considering following suit.
TWENTY2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Zimbabwe upset Australia in its opening match of the Twenty20 World Championship in Cape Town, defeating them by 5 wickets. Brendan Taylor led the way for Zimbabwe, with first class wicket keeping (a catch, stumping and run out) and a crucial unbeaten 60 from 45 deliveries. He was man of the match. They then lost to England by 50 runs, meaning they exited the tournament at the first stage due to their net run rate being inferior to both Australia and England after Australia beat England in the other group game.
2007-8 SEASON: There was more encouraging news in October 2007, when it was announced that Zimbabwe would compete in all three domestic competitions in South Africa as part of Cricket South Africa's attempts to improve the standard of cricket in Zimbabwe. However, their participation in the above competitions was thrown into doubt when the plans were postponed pending a Cricket South Africa board meeting. A compromise was reached in late November, meaning Zimbabwe will take part in the MTN Domestic Championship and the Standard Bank Pro 20 Series, but not the SuperSport Series as originally planned.[6] Instead, they played three first-class four-day games against a South African Composite XI made up of franchise and provincial players. The three games, in Paarl, Potchefstroom, and Kimberley were all won by Zimbabwe.
In between those games, they played a five match One Day International series against the West Indies, scoring an upset win in the opening match before losing the series 3-1. The final match was abandoned due to rain.
FUTURE: The immediate future does not look too promising for the Zimbabwean cricket team. The effects of the player exodus can be seen in repeatedly poor on-field performances, which have been perpetuated by the failure of domestic cricket to provide sufficient quality replacements. Whilst the likes of Streak, Ervine, Price, Goodwin, the Flower brothers, Friend, and Johnson have been awarded first-class contracts abroad, it is highly unlikely that many of the players remaining in the national side could do so, such is the gap in ability. Even ex-skipper Tatenda Taibu, a rock for the new Zimbabwe before being forced out, failed to find a first class club. In the aftermath of the 2007 World Cup, opener Vusi Sibanda and seamer Anthony Ireland both announced their departures, as rows over player contracts and representation rumbled on.
On the bright side, however, with most of the squad now aged about 20-23 years there is a good chance that by the 2011 Cricket World Cup, the team will be of reasonable strength, providing that they continue to have exposure at international level and there are no further player retirements. The batting of Sean Williams and off-spin of captain Prosper Utseya have stood up well to international-class scrutiny, while Brendan Taylor has shown promise as a reliable wicketkeeper-batsman. Terry Duffin and Hamilton Masakadza are two young players who have demonstrated their fine potential at different stages, whilst quick bowler Ed Rainsford is developing into a serious new ball threat. Whilst Zimbabwean resources are not as great as their international rivals', this group of players represents a starting point from which a revival can be staged.
The national team's eventual re-introduction to Test matches will give some clue as to the strength of Zimbabwe cricket in relation to the rest of the world. Most commentators predict that results, at least initially, will be poor at best, so more emphasis will be placed on individual performances, team-building, fielding, and squad cohesion than on winning matches. Realistically, it will take a long time for Zimbabwe cricket to recover from its current state to a level of respectable competitiveness, last achieved during the late 1990s/early 2000s.
NOTABLE ZIMBABWEAN CRICKETERS:
Eddo Brandes (chicken farmer who stunned England with a hat-trick in 1997)
Alistair Campbell (former captain and opening batsman)
Kevin Curran (former coach)
Andy Flower (quality wicket-keeper batsman and black arm-band demonstrator. Once ranked as top batsman in Test cricket. Former captain)
Grant Flower
David Houghton
Anthony Ireland - retired post 2007 Cricket World Cup[11]
Neil Johnson
Murray Goodwin
Henry Olonga (quick bowler, musician and black arm-band demonstrator)
Heath Streak (former captain and leading wicket taker for Zimbabwe in both forms)
Tatenda Taibu (regarded as one of Zimbabwe's few current international class players. First black captain)
Brendan Taylor (current wicket-keeper batsman)
John Traicos (spin bowler who broke records for longevity of Test career)
Guy Whittall
* Acknowledgements to Wikipedia.com, Cricinfo.com, Owners of pictures and videos.
** Personally I would like to say that if we can all somehow get the major cricketing nations to help Zimbabwean Cricket rebuild a solid foundation and maintain its stability then it will definetly provide a challenge to the cricket teams in the top echelon in world cricket. Maybe the whole team could be based at a neutral venue elsewhere in the world? It isnt the cricketers fault that Zimbabwe Cricket has declined so badly, it is the political situation that has gripped the country in recent years, in my opinion politics shouldnt have a place in sport, especially when you look at this situation and see what it has done to a once very proud cricketing nation. Lets hope that somehow they can return to what they once were and us help them help themselves achieve that status again. Any ideas are welcome to be left as comments.
Ricky Thomas Ponting (born December 19, 1974, in Launceston, Tasmania) is a professional Australian cricketer and current captain of the Australian cricket team in One Day International, Twenty20 International and Test cricket. Ponting also represents the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian Domestic cricket, a side he plays for intermittently due to international commitments. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very occasional right-arm medium pace bowler.
Ponting reached international standards at a young age for a batsman, making his One Day International and Test debuts in 1995 at the age of 20. However, his progress was not unhindered. He lost his place in the team several times due to lack of form and discipline issues, before rising to the One Day International captaincy in early 2002 and becoming Test captain in early 2004. As of March 2008, he is the third highest ranked batsman in both One Day International cricket and Test matches in the official ICC ratings.
Ricky Ponting is considered one of the best cricketers in modern cricket, and is ranked 3rd, Graeme Smith and Sachin Tendulkar are the only ones to lead him at the moment, in the One-Day International Batting chart and only Kumar Sangakkara, team mate Michael Hussey and Jacques Kallis ahead in the test rankings. He has scored over 10,000 Test runs at an average near 59, but since the February 2002 tour of South Africa (when he was elevated to the ODI team captaincy) he has scored 24 of his Test centuries and averaged above 74, leading to comparisons with Sir Donald Bradman.
Ponting is also Australia's leading ODI run-scorer and century maker he has the second most centuries ever, behind only Tendulkar. His century against the West Indies in Jaipur at the 1996 Cricket World Cup made him the youngest ever World Cup centurion, and his unbeaten 140 against India in the 2003 Cricket World Cup final was the highest by a captain in a World Cup final. In 2007 Cricket World Cup match against South Africa at St Kitts, Ponting became the first Australian to reach 10,000 runs in ODI Cricket and the 7th in world cricket to achieve this distinction.
Like many Australian batsmen, Ricky Ponting is particularly strong against pace bowling, with the full array of back foot shots, including the pull, hook, and square cut. Early on, he was regarded as a near-compulsive hooker, but he has lately moderated this tendency. He tends to move across his off stump, and has therefore been regarded as vulnerable to LBW early in his innings. He is less adept against spin bowling, particularly on very helpful spinning pitches such as those in India where his average is just 12.28.
After his first 30 Tests in just under four years his average was 38.62, and after rising into the mid-40s had dipped again to 40.50 after 45 Tests. Since that time his average has consistently risen; his averages in recent calendar years are 70.93 in 2002, 100.20 in 2003, 41.00 in 2004, 67.13 in 2005 and 88.86 in 2006.[5]
Ponting occasionally bowls medium pace, and has also experimented with off-spin. He is an outstanding fieldsman square of the wicket or at silly point, with fast reactions and hand-eye coordination and (especially in the one-day game) a reputation for hitting the stumps to run out opposition batsmen. In a test against West Indies in 2008, Ricky Ponting scored his 10000th run.
CAREER RECORDS:
Batting Records-
Most Test runs in a calendar year by an Australian: 1,544 in 2005. Ponting has passed 1,000 test runs in a calendar year on four separate occasions, in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006.
Most Test centuries in a calendar year by an Australian: 7 in 2006
Most Test centuries by an Australian: 34
Most ODI runs by an Australian: 11,594
Most ODI centuries by an Australian: 26
Most ODI fifties by an Australian: 63
Most runs by an Australian in World Cups: 1,537
Most sixes in a World Cup innings: 8, shared with Imran Nazir and Yuvraj Singh
Most centuries in World Cups: 4, equal with Mark Waugh, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar
Most Test runs on Australian soil: surpassing Allan Border during the Third Test in Perth against India, 16-19 Jan 2008.
Captaincy Records-
Most victories as ODI captain: 122
Highest victory rate as ODI captain in more than 20 matches: 77.90%
Highest victory rate as Test captain in more than 20 matches: 77.14%
Most Cricket World Cup victories as captain: 22
Most Cricket World Cups won as captain: 2, shared with Clive Lloyd
Most consecutive Test victories won as captain: 16, shared with Steve Waugh
INDIVIDUAL HONOURS:
Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World: 2003
Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 2006
Allan Border Medal: 2004, 2006, 2007
Australian Test Player of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2007
Australian ODI Player of the Year: 2002, 2007
ICC Player of the Year: 2006, 2007
ICC Captain of the Year: 2007
ICC Test Player of the Year: 2006
ICC World Test XI: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
ICC World ODI XI: 2004, 2006, 2007
Cricket World Cup winner: 1999, 2003, 2007
Ponting had earned 14 "Man of the Match" awards in 110 Tests; he also has 25 such awards in 285 One-Day Internationals (including the joint award which he had declined from the Johannesburg match).
Named Vice-Captain in Australia's greatest ever ODI team.
PERSONAL LIFE:
With the large financial rewards of international cricket, Ponting is a full-time professional cricketer, although he is involved with Stride Sports, a sports management business which is well-known for man
