I've Always Said...

The Best there is, The Best there was?

2013-03-26T12:06:00.001-07:00

After a record breaking dig in on day five, England escaped from their test series with New Zealand with a 0-0 draw. After victories in the T20 and ODI series that proceeded the Tests, the final score is something of a disappointment. England's bowlers were out bowled by the hosts, especially in the spin bowling department, with Bruce Martin coming out on top over Monty Panesar in the battle of the stand ins (New Zealand were missing Daniel Vettori, while Graeme Swann missed the Test series after electing to his his troublesome elbow fixed). The batting honours between the two sides could be said to be even, with the Kiwi batsmen enjoying themselves with the freedom given to them by their bowlers successes in the first and third test, while England showed superior mental and technical fortitude to recover and see off the hosts in the final innings of the same tests.

The only area in which it could be said that England enjoyed a distinct advantage was at the position of wicket keeper. Matt Prior topped the series averages for both sides, his 311 runs coming at 103.66, with his seventh Test century saving the final test in concert with 2 more 50s. He also snaffled 10 catches. BJ Watling in comparison managed 9 catches, but only 99 runs at an average of 24.75.

Prior is clearly the best wicket keeper batsman in the Test arena at present. When you consider his rivals, there are weakness as well as strength. AB de Villiers is one of the worlds best batsman, and is a more than adequate keeper, but his ongoing back issues pose the question as to how long he can continue in his dual role. MS Dhoni is a plunderer of attacks on the subcontinent, but his keeping is often suspect and his batting has tailed off away from home. Matthew Wade of Australia continues to attract criticism for his glove work, especially to spinners, while Ramdin, Chanidmal, Kamran Akmal and Rahim seem unable to marry good form with the bat with sure handedness behind the stumps.

So the question must be asked : is Prior the best wicket keeper batsman OF ALL TIME?

He is currently third on the English list of keepers in terms of runs, with his 3637 runs behind only Alan Knott (4389) and that often reluctant custodian Alec Stewart (4540 as designated keeper). However, his runs have come in 50 fewer innings than his rivals, while he enjoys a healthier average (45.46 in comparison to Knott's 32.75 and Stewart's 34.92). If, as expected, he continues to enjoy form and fitness for the next five years, he will easily eclipse both of these totals. In the all time list, he ranks 8th in terms of runs, with the great Australian Adam Gilchrist leading the way with 5570 runs at an average of 47.60. Following him is recently retired South African Mark Boucher (5515 @ 30.30), Stewart, current England Team Director Andy Flower (4404 @ 53.70), Knott, Gilchrists predecessor Ian Healy (4356 @ 27.39) and Dhoni (4209 @ 39.70) . Prior has 97 Test innings, fewer than anyone else on the list (Prior's current boss Flower had 100 as a keeper batsman)

Focusing on the other aspect of "Keeper Batsman", Prior is 4th on the list in terms of catches held by English keepers, with his 180 catches (along with 18 stumpings) behind Knott (250, 19), Stewart (227, 14) and another Kent legend Godfrey Evans ( 173, 46). His glove work has improved immensely (after once being described as "a fielder with gloves on, and not a very good one" by your humble author) since a disastrous tour to Sri Lanka in 2007 saw him dropped in favour of former club mate Tim Ambrose. Ambrose enjoyed early success with the bat, but a poor series against South Africa in the summer of 2008 saw Prior return (and aside from a missed Test in the Windies in 2009 due to the birth of a child) and remain.

So back to the big question, is he the best EVER? In my opinion, no. He is undoubtedly England's best ever, and when he finally puts away his gloves he will own all the England keeping records. But for my money, Adam Gilchrist is still the yardstick by which the expanded role of keeper batsman should be judged by. Gilly changed the game in a way similar to that his frequent team mate Shane Warne, by reinventing a role within the game. Before Gilchrist, a keepers job was to catch the ball and chip in with the bat. AFTER Gilchrist, every nation immediately started looking for THEIR Gilly, a dynamic keeper who could turn a match in a session with the bat. Very few have found him, but it looks like England have.

However, it would be remiss of me to not point out that I write this the day after Prior played an outstanding rearguard counter attack to save England from defeat in the face of serious pressure from an underdog bowling attack, bearing its teeth against a "mightier" foe. This situation happened to Gilchrist in England 2005, as the far and away World number One Australian team were matched punch for punch by the hosts in one of the great Test series of all time. And how did Gilchrist fare in this environment? Five matches, 9 innings, 181 runs @ 22.62 with a high score of 49*.

So, could Gilly have done what Prior did? We'll never know now, but its always nice to wonder.

Rank Free Agency

2013-02-27T12:37:00.003-08:00

At the end of 1992 NFL season, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Reggie White became on the first and most high profile players to take advantage of the new Free Agency. It was a media merry go round, as everyone speculated as to where the most dominant defensive player of the age would end up in his quest for a championship, a quest that was destined never to be fulfilled in Philly. SI had a famous front cover, showing White in his pads, with various team jerseys pictured as cut outs to stick on to him as they "scrambled to give him the shirts of their backs." Eventually, he signed with the Green Bay Packers, and finally became the winner his talents deserved to make him, finishing with three sacks of New England QB Drew Bledsoe as the Packers routed the Patriots 35-21 in Superbowl XXXI.

Now, in the off season gap between the 2012 and 2013 NFL seasons, another stud free agent is available, looking for the best fit after several unfulfilled years, never truly settling anywhere since "his" team upped sticks and went away. Yes, NFL.com and NFL Network's Adam Rank is looking for a new team to root for.

Some may think its a simple matter of choosing between the 32 franchises, but in truth Adam is not looking at 32 teams. There are instant disqualifications. The St Louis Football Club (still bewilderingly referred to as "The Rams" by some misguided individuals) are an automatic no, as are the Oakland Raiders. Other teams, like Arizona and San Diego, have held Adams attention for a time, but are undesirable locations at this time. After careful consideration, and in honour of Adam's very own "Pick Six" column, I present the six most likely outcomes for Adam Rank for the 2013 season and beyond.

So, in no particular order, let us begin.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS
WHY A GOOD FIT? This would seem to be a very desirable landing spot. The Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in all of American sports, with a record breaking SIX Superbowl victories. They are a perennial powerhouse in the AFC North, and are never usually far away from a post season berth. It is doubtful that this side will ever undergo years of absence from the playoffs.
WHY STEER CLEAR? The Steelers have a loyal and vociferous fan in fellow NFL.com star Dave Dameshek, and there may be a danger of the hugely succesful Dave Dameshek Football Program podcast becoming a Steelers love in, which would almost certainly lead to a fall off in listeners from the Cleveland and Baltimore areas.

GREEN BAY PACKERS
WHY A GOOD FIT? Could Adam follow Reggie White to "Title Town"? There are plenty of reasons why this makes a lot of sense. Like the Steelers, the Pack have a long and storied history. Hell, the Superbowl trophy is named after a former Packers coach. They have the best QB to watch in the game at present, and put up enough points to warm the heart of any fans braving the near freezing outdoor conditions. Plus, it would give Adam a better opportunity to more frequently hang out with Packers linebacker and #DDFP favourite AJ Hawk.
WHY STEER CLEAR? Not many obvious reasons to go against this plan, other than it is VERY VERY COLD in Wisconsin, especially in playoff time.

DENVER BRONCOS
WHY A GOOD FIT? After having to watch the Arizona Cardinals suffer from crummy QB play and abysmal O line antics, it is expected that Adam will want to go and watch a team win, and win often. So where better to stop in than Denver, who are without doubt the cream of a pretty ordinary AFC West. John Fox has led the franchise to the playoffs in both of his years with the team so far, and after the hilarity of the Tebow experiment, the Broncos are the current home of one of the greatest regular season QBs of all time, Peyton Manning. A 11/12 win season, at least for as long as Peyton is around, seems certain.
WHY STEER CLEAR? It would be very difficult (nigh on impossible) to see/hear Adam getting behind Peyton Manning, knowing that every regular season win puts him one game closer to an inevitable post season failure. Plus, by his own admission, Adam did once attempt to nail his colours to the Broncos mast when Arizona QB Jake Plummer left for Colorado, so it is doubtful whether he would be up for a repeat.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
WHY A GOOD FIT? Philadelphia sports fans are highly passionate about their teams, and love to show how happy they are when things are going well. They also possess a healthy dislike of all things from New York and Boston, a trait already shared with Adam Rank. Under Chip Kelly, the potential is there for a new philosophy of offence in the NFL for years to come. Plus, it must be said, Philly lends itself to sports movies (especially football) in a way that Pittsburgh just doesn't. (Bane didn't go blowing up the Linc, did he?) The recent award winning "Silver Linings Playbook" centred on the Eagles, the semi biopic "Invincible" was the incredible story of Vince Papale, a man who went to an open tryout for the Eagles and somehow made the team, which is turn saved as the inspiration for the movie "The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon". Hell, where was Rocky set? Philly!
WHY STEER CLEAR? Prolonged exposure to the Eagles can lead to a high degree of anger and bitterness (see Jonathan Loughran's character in the movie "Anger Management" for an understated example of this). I mean, this fan base booed Santa Claus. As an Eagles fan, I'd love to see Adam join the Bird brotherhood, but I couldn't recommend it.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
WHY A GOOD FIT? After a decade or more in the doldrums, the last two years under Jim Harbaugh have been welcome fayre for yet another storied franchise. Undoubtedly the team of the 1980s, the team struggled through the 90s and early 2000s. But under Harbaugh they have been to a Superbowl (which they lost) a year after reaching the NFC title game (which they lost). The progression curve would indicate that if Adam gets onboard now, he could be enjoying a Superbowl victory at Metlife in the cold next February.
WHY STEER CLEAR? Geographically, its just too damn close to LA, plus longstanding feelings of rivalry between this time and Adams beloved (and sadly missed) LA Rams make this an unlikely happy marriage.

STAY FREE AND SINGLE
WHY A GOOD FIT? It is very likely that LA will soon have a team once again, and also increasingly likely (in this authors view) that the team will be the reborn LA Rams. And what could be cooler than turning up for that first Rams game in LA wearing an original "BROCK #5#" jersey (Dieter Brock Drop...)?
WHY STEER CLEAR? Being a fan of a team means supressing that rational part of ourselves. Pinning your hopes on a group of men, hoping that THIS week the corner will be turned, THIS year they'll go all the way, that THIS team is the greatest you've ever seen...this is why we love sports.

So what will Adam choose? We shall have to wait, and watch.

On Top, Down Under?

2013-02-23T09:33:00.005-08:00

The limited over jamboree has come to an end, with England successful in both the T20 and the 50 over contests against a spirited New Zealand side, no slouches in those formats. The Test series is now upon us, and the continuing journey back to the top of the world rankings under the captaincy of Alastair Cook begins again.

It is however the captaincy of our opponents that has overshadowed the build up to both the recent Kiwi tour to South Africa and this series. Ross Taylor, the mercurial middle order batsman and captain since Daniel Vettori stood down, was removed from office by the new head coach Mike Hesson after a series in Sri Lanka for the limited overs sides. Taylor was offered the chance to continue as Test captain, but felt aggrieved and chose to sit out the South Africa tour entirely. Hesson, sensing a public relations breakdown, tried to infer that the move was designed to increase Taylor's use to the side. The sporting public in New Zealand didn't seem to take this, and indeed some of the senior players were quick to show their support for "Rosco". Opening batsman Martin Guptill dedicated his T20 century during the South Africa series to the outgoing skipper. Hesson was not assisted by the teams bowling coach Shane Bond basically agreeing that Taylor had been screwed over. Taylor's replacement as skipper is limited overs keeper/batsman (but inconsistent Test player) Brendan McCullum, a former Otago teammate of...Mike Hesson.

During the 50 over matches, McCullum (batting oddly low in the order) seemed to be fighting a lone battle, especially since Guptill was ruled out of the whole series after batting on one leg in the first match. His explosiveness helped prop up a poor effort from the top order, but never really looked like taking the match from England.

This will be England's first Test action since winning in India, and it is likely that the side will show few changes from that last test. Cook and Compton look likely to be allowed to continue their fledgling opening partnership, while the new wonder kid Joe Root is expected to continue his education at number 6. After their "one or another" rivalry during the India tour, I'd expect England to reunite Broad and Finn, alongside Jimmy Anderson (who needs 12 wickets to go to 300 Test scalps) and the ever reliable Graeme Swann as the leading spin threat.

I can see no other result than an England series win, but that doesn't mean attention should be allowed to waiver. This series, followed by a return visit, is the starter to a meal that includes back to back series against Australia. There are question marks (some manufactured, some warranted) over several players. Can Compton cut loose, after showing his grit during the India series? Can Root continue to show his class, and deliver one or more big scores? Can Ian Bell, once again playing with the sword of Damocles over him, return to his ruthless form of 2010-2011 and finally put to bed doubts about his mental toughness? I believe the answer to at least two of these questions is YES. I'd like to say for all three, but we shall have to see.

Mock Draft 1.0

2013-02-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since last I committed any of my thoughts, half baked or otherwise, to paper. For those of you that have missed my offerings, I can only apologise. For the rest of you, those who's peace I am about to shatter, I again apologise.

This blog will feature my first effort at predicting the picks of the NFL teams for the upcoming Draft (Player Selection Meeting). We have been told again and again that there are no "studs" in this draft class, and that teams with high picks may seek instead to look for solutions elsewhere. However, the teams still have to draft, and in every class there is the hope that a roster will be improved with each selection.

This is the first time since 1999 that my beloved Philadelphia Eagles "earned" a high draft pick through their ineptitude in the 2012 season. The Eagles are in transition, with a new coach Chip Kelly coming in to try and turn around a Franchise that has not won a playoff game since the 2008 postseason under Andy Reid. But the first overall pick goes to the Kansas City Chiefs, who are now coached by...Andy Reid. They, for a "worst team in football" have very few glaring needs, but quarterback is certainly one of them. That is the reason why I suspect, despite the absence of an Andrew Luck, a Robert Griffin III...even a Nick Foles, they will still use the first pick on a quarterback.

So, without further ado, here is my first round mock draft.

KANSAS CITY - Geno Smith, Quarterback, West Virginia
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS - Jarvis Jones, Outside Linebacker, Georgia
OAKLAND RAIDERS - Sharrif Floyd, Defensive Tackle, Florida
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES - Luke Joeckel, Offensive Tackle, Texas A&M
DETROIT LIONS - Bjorn Werner, Defensive End, Florida State
CLEVELAND BROWNS - Dee Milliner, Cornerback, Alabama
ARIZONA CARDINALS - Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State
BUFFALO BILLS - Manti T'eo, Inside Linebacker, Notre Dame
NEW YORK JETS - Damontre Moore, OLB, Texas A&M
TENNESSEE TITANS - Chance Womack, Offensive Guard, Alabama
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS - Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan
MIAMI DOLPHINS - Cordarrelle Patterson, Wide Receiver, Tennessee
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS - Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
CAROLINA PANTHERS - Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS - Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
ST LOUIS RAMS - Kenny Vaccaro, Strong Safety, Texas
PITTSBURGH STEELERS - Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia
DALLAS COWBOYS - Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina
NEW YORK GIANTS - Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU
CHICAGO BEARS - Kevin Minter, ILB, Louisiana State University
CINCINATTI BENGALS - Eric Reid, Free Safety, Louisiana State University
ST LOUIS RAMS (from Washington Redskins) - Keenan Allen, WR, California
MINNESOTA VIKINGS - Deandre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - Datone Jones, DE, UCLA
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS - Cornellius Carradine, DE, Florida State
GREEN BAY PACKERS - Travis Frederick, Center, Wisconsin
HOUSTON TEXANS - Robert Woods, WR, USC
DENVER BRONCOS - Jonathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
ATLANTA FALCONS - Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - John Jenkins, DT, Georgia
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS - Matt Elam, FS, Florida
BALTIMORE RAVENS - Sam Montgomery, DE, Louisiana State University

My mock draft does not account for possible trades, nor does it try to guess what the 32 teams will do in free agency with their own and available players. I have merely attempted to identify urgent needs for all teams and assigned them the best available players at that position. I'm sure my next mock draft will contain many changes, but its a start, isn't it?

If you have any comments, please feel free to hit me up on The Twitter, @ndutton13 and don't forget to listen to my and Paul Mainwarings weekly rantings on "Waxing Lyrical with Mainz and Dutts", available on iTunes.

Where Have All The Wizards Gone?

2012-12-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

Days after hopping between hinting at a comeback for his country then dismissing such reports in a way that wasn't really a dismissal, Shane Warne served up a timely reminder as to why he has been retired from test cricket for nearly six years, as he returned figures of 0/41 for the Melbourne Stars against the Melbourne Renegades in the opening clash of the Big Bash League in Australia. In case the stupid names of the teams AND the competition were not enough of a hint, this is a T20 jamboree. And Warne bowled only two overs. Speaking as an England fan, I would heartily love to say Warney back in the floppy sun hat on that form.

However, the events of the week did get me thinking, not so much of Warne himself but rather of the trade he still, with a generosity of spirit his legendary status affords him, performs, namely that of bowling leg spin. I considered the prospect that, at aged 43 and a long time out of the international scene, Warne may STILL be the most prominent leg spinner in Test cricket.

Since the last Test of the 2006/7 Ashes series, when Warne departed the scene, 124 spin bowlers have bowled at least ONE ball in Test match cricket. 64 have taken at least one wicket, and of this number only 12 (TWELVE) bowled leg spin.

Leg spin is, as most cricket purists (snobs, like me) will tell you, is an art form. It requires a certain type of mindset to bowl it, knowing that while you are a wonderful wicket taking option for your captain, a bad day may see you become profligate, and swiftly dispatched to ponder your deeds in a secluded area of the field of play. It can be feast or famine. Leg spin was eschewed by most on the international scene by the beginning of the 1990s, with many teams preferring the economy and occasional threat of off spinners and orthodox left armers. Shane Warnes arrival on the Ashes scene, with his Ball of the Century to one of England's better players of spin at the time Mike Gatting, is alleged to saved Test cricket, with youngsters everywhere wanting to perfect this mysterious art. This may be so, but even with the great mans impact very few actually prospered at the highest level. Anil Kumble (who took 72 wickets after Warne retired before he too hung up his boots) is the second most successful leggie of all time with 619 scalps, but it must be pointed out that he was not a huge spinner of the ball, and got a lot of his wickets utilising his bounce and his googly, which did for many a tailender. Current England spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed took 185 wickets for Pakistan, which his successor in the Pakistan side Danish Kaneria took 78 of his 261 Test wickets in the period after Warne retired and before his fall from grace for his alleged involvement in match fixing at Essex. The great understudy, and subject of many a "If (subject A) hadn't been around, then (subject B) would have been a world beater" discussion, Stuart MacGill took 208 Test wickets, usually when Warne wasn't around, but took only ten in 4 matches as the number one leggie in Oz before he joined Warney in retirement.

In the last two years, it seemed that maybe leg spin was creeping back into the game, with South Africa utilising Pakistan born Imran Tahir and the West Indies unearthing the exciting Devendra Bishoo. India too, for so long the place where leg spin goes to die, looked like they had a new Kumble in Amit Mishra, after seemingly giving up on the Piyush Chawla experiment (2 Tests, 3 wickets in 2008) and maybe crickets most deadly art was on the way back. Erm...sadly no. Bishoos 11 Test matches have yielded 40 wickets, but at a cost of 39.55 each. He lost his place to "mystery" spinner Sunil Narine. Mishra has played 13 Tests since the end of the Warne Era, and he has taken 43 wickets at the high price of 43.30. He seems to have a problem with bowling front foot no balls, an unpardonable sin for a slow bowler, and a problem shared with Tahir, who has struggled both in England and recently in Australia, where he was dropped in favour of slow left armer Robin Petersen. Tahir has appeared in 11 matches, taking a disappointing 26 wickets at 50.19!

Since Warne made his debut, the one country most notable for its mission to remove leg spinners from Test cricket is, you guessed it, England, the team most tormented by Warne. Since Warne's debut in January 1992, English leg spinners have taken 20 wickets...all of these taken by Ian Salisbury, who last played Test cricket in 2000. Since Warne's retirement, English leggies have failed to bowl a single ball in Test cricket, let alone take a wicket. But it would be unfair to blame the English struggles of the 1970s/80s/90s for their reluctance to find, blood and persist with a leg spinner. In the history of their period playing Test cricket, 19 English spin bowlers have taken more than 100 Test wickets. Only one of these 19 was a leg spinner, Doug Wright, and even the annals of Cricinfo list him as right arm medium/legbreak googly rather than an out and out leggie.

The "mystery" once attached to purveyors of leg spin has now been given to bowlers with that sinister weapon (and far from heaven sent bowling actions) the "doosra", or "other one", or bowlers like Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka and Ravi Ashwin of India who have perfected the ball out of the front of the hand, or "carrom" ball. While Ashwin has enjoyed success since making his Test bow, Mendis is now seen primarily as a one day / T20 bowler. Maybe the age of the leg spinner is truly over, or maybe we just need Warne to give it one more shot...

Farewell To A Fighter

2012-12-03T10:58:00.001-08:00

The 4th Ashes Test in England in 1997 saw a resounding victory for the tourists, who followed their victory in Manchester in the 3rd test with a crushing innings and 61 run win at Leeds. Such was the way the series had turned, after England's incredible effort in the opening match of the series had been followed by a draw at Lords, but only with the weather saving the home side after they were bundled out for 77 in the first innings. The Aussies were on a roll, yet after the win at Old Trafford they made a change. The misfiring Michael Bevan had given the selectors little option but to drop him, after a run of low scores, and so it was that they entrusted the number six spot to a precocious young batsman from Tasmania, who, after three half centuries in his first six tests, seemed ready to be given a run. After 261 balls yielded a maiden Test ton (127), it was apparent that the name Ricky Ponting would be one that the English fans would have to get used to hearing, over the next decade or more.

Now, back to modern day. Ponting's international career has ended, after a remarkable 168 Test match appearances (equalling the Australian record held by Steve Waugh, no friend to English bowling himself), 13,378 test runs and another 40 hundreds to accompany that one at Headingley. It is fair to say that as a batsman, he has been amongst the very best in the world over the last 15 years. Pugnacious, aggressive and also at times pleasing on the eye, he spent much of the first decade of the 21st century punishing international attacks in a way that his compatriot Sir Donald Bradman would have enjoyed. In 2005 and 2006, he plundered an astonishing 2877 runs with 13 centuries. However, once 2007 came around, Ponting would never again average more than 47 in a calender year.

The longest standing argument concerning Ponting concerns not his appetite for and ability to carve out runs, but features on his record as Australia's captain. Was he a great captain, or was a captain blessed with a phenomenal side? I would tend to side with the latter. He was comprehensively out-thought by Michael Vaughan in 2005, while he was made to look inept as a leader in 2010/11 by the rampant Strauss-led England side. His batting record as a captain / non captain is interesting, in that while his average NOT as captain was better than his efforts as a leader, it is only by the very smallest of margins (52.18 versus 51.51).

His record (as a batsman again, I am not adequately full of myself to speak of his captaincy credentials for anything longer than a single paragraph) against England is indicitve of a man who, far from grateful that the Mother Country were his first major victims, took great delight in making the English fielders watch him bat and bat. In 35 Tests against England, he amassed 2476 runs with eight centuries. He saved his best performances however for matches against India, with his 29 appearances producing 2555 runs at an average of 54.36 (with again 8 centuries, including his career high 257). It is perhaps incredible to consider that he came oh so close to falling out of the Australia side in 2001! After an innings of 141* at Sydney in January 2000 (against India, of course!), he had gone 11 Test matches and 18 innings without a Test match century, with only a single half century when the Australian captain Steve Waugh tore a muscle at Trent Bridge during the 3rd 2001 Ashes Test. Simon Katich was brought in for the next match (again at Headingley, he loves Leeds), with the thinking being that a solid show from Katich would see him replace Ponting when Waugh returned. Katich mustered 15 and 0*. Ponting managed 144 and 72. He was safe.

As with most notable players, I like to look at people like Ponting and see how if at all I am similar to them. I can announce that I have one tangible similarity. Its not our choice of bat equipment (Ponting has been with Kookabura his whole career, whereas we ALL know I love GM), its not our favouring of the pull and straight drive. Its our birthday. Ponting came into the world December 19th 1974, while I followed six years later.

He leaves the game with the Australian team beaten at home by South Africa for the 2nd straight series, but with a captain hungry for runs. A win in the last Test would have seen the Aussies top the World Rankings, painting something of a false image concerning the Aussies current abilities. Maybe, under the stewardship of Michael Clarke, the Old Enemy will once again rise to the top of the charts. They must do so without Old Man Ponting, and the hunt for a new lynch pin begins. But don't worry England fans, while the Aussies do come to Leeds next summer, its only for an ODI.

Good Year For The Captain

2012-11-23T04:45:00.000-08:00

I awoke Saturday morning to the news that Graham Smith, the slayer of England captains, was sitting overnight on 111* (a total I am convinced he arrived at just to annoy my sister Nicky, who has a loathing for the number), the key innings in total of 217/2 for South Africa in reply to Australia's 550 all out. This large Aussie total owned much to their captain Michael Clarke, who when finally dismissed in this match had made 230, giving him his second double century of the series, and an astonishing FOURTH for the year (including a 329*).

Armed with this knowledge, I set about looking at how Test captains have fared with the bat in 2012, in comparison to how fruitful a year 2011 had been for those that lead their teams. The results were very encouraging.

There have been 15 Test centuries by skippers in 2012, Clarke leading the way with 4 of them (all at least doubles, remember), followed by his South African counterpart Smith who has three. Spread over the captaincy reigns of both Andrew Strauss and the current incumbent Alastair Cook, England captains have raised the bat and removed the lid three times, while New Zealands Ross Taylor and Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka both have two hundreds this year. Darren Sammy, perhaps the most maligned of all the captains when it comes to his place, led a hearty fightback for his side in England in 2012 with a maiden test hundred coming at Trent Bridge.

Of the test playing nations, the only sides whose captains failed to notch a century were Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Misbah-ul-Haq captained five matches for Pakistan with a top score of 84, while Mohammad Hafeez took the reigns once, with his best effort being 20. MS Dhoni (6 matches) and Virender Sehwag (1) mustered four 50s between them, while Brendan Taylor (top score 9) and Mushfiqur Rahim (43) did not even pass 50 in their combined 5 innings. The other man to lead a side in a test in 2012 was Tilakaratne Dilshan for Sri Lanka, who achieved a top score of 78.

Both Cook and Clarke average over 100 as captain, with Cook's achievement bettered by Clarke who has attained his average through 12 innings compared to Cook's two. Clarke is, unsurprisingly, the leading run scorer also with 1271 runs through the year. Taylor is at the bottom of this list, averaging a mere 5.5 runs.

So how does this compare with 2011? Well, there were only 13 captains of Test sides in 2011, and the results are different in many ways. Misbah is the leading run scorer with 765 runs and one century, but the leader in terms of number on tons is the same as in 2012. Yes, its Michael Clarke. Though "only" managing 618 runs at an average of 38.62, he did score three Test centuries. The owner of the best average in 2011 was, in a reversal of 2012, Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe, with his 358 runs coming at a lick of 71.60 (2 hundreds). The nations without a captain reaching three figures in 2011 are West Indies (Sammy, 325 runs @ 18.05) New Zealand (Ross Taylor, 228 @ 38) Bangladesh (Al Hasan and Rahim contributing a top score of 69 between them) and interestingly, the side that ended the year ranked number one in the world, England (Andrew Strauss 316 runs @ 28.72)

It would seem to be a good time to lead your side in Test cricket, if you enjoy batting. The only team over these two years without a century from a captain are Bangladesh, and this is hardly the only problem this team has at present. I will be intrigued to sit here a year from now and see how kind 2013 was to the men who captain at the highest level of cricket, especially with one completed Ashes series and another around the corner.

The Hot Seats

2012-11-20T04:44:00.000-08:00

Eleven weeks of the NFL season have now passed. The weeks that have passed have painted their picture of the 2012 season, and has left a number of deep impressions upon the psyche of those that follow America's favourite game.

Of the 32 franchises, I take a look at those teams that I believe will part company with their head coach at the end of the season, as well as casting a slight glance upon those teams whose coaches seat may not be boiling, but its certainly a bit warm.

San Diego Chargers - Head Coach Norv Turner. Record with Team - 53 wins 37 losses (as of November 19th)
This talented team has continually disappointed under the reign of Turner and GM AJ Smith. It was a shock to virtually the free footballing world that Turner and Smith were kept on after the 2011 season. With a record currently reading 4-6, it would be shocking if the Chargers owners repeated their generosity again.

Cleveland Browns - Head Coach Pat Shurmur. Record 6-20
The Browns have new owners, and despite them remaining "competitive" in many of their games this season, the facts are that they have lost 8 games, and new owners generally want to bring "their" guys in with them. There are some building blocks in place in Cleveland, but the franchise has known nothing since defeat since their rebirth in 1999.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Head Coach Mike Mularkey. Record 1-9
Mularkey is only ten games into his first season with the Jags, but 2012 has been little shy of a disaster. A lengthy holdout from star running back Maurice Jones-Drew during the offseason did little to aid the new coach, and the inept play of 2011 first round draft pick QB Blaine Gabbert has mortally wounded this team since day one. The Jags also have a new (ish) owner, and with a dwindling fan base coupled with the team being frequently linked with a move to LA, it would shock no one if the house was cleared in Florida.

Kansas City Chiefs - Head Coach Romeo Crennel. Record 3-10
Many predicted big things for the Chiefs at the start of the season. Many talented players were fully fit after injury, the team had rallied around interim coach Crennel when he stepped in towards the end of the 2011 season, and some (yes, including me) tipped them to perform well, maybe going even as far as the Super Bowl. This has not happened. The team has been plagued by awful QB play, abysmal defense and a frustrated fan base.

Dallas Cowboys - Head Coach Jason Garrett. Record 16-15.
Cowboys owners Jerry Jones has been vainly seeking a championship since the 1995 season, and is not renowned for his patience. Garrett was the heir apparent for the head coaching job when he was appointed offensive coordinator to head coach Wade Phillips, and took over when Phillips was fired during the 2010 season. The Cowboys have so much talent on paper, but poor play, bad clock management and a crippling amount of "dead money" against the salary cap has left the coach (and his oft criticised QB Tony Romo) on the brink on unemployment.

Philadelphia Eagles - Head Coach Andy Reid. Record 129-86-1
Reid has been in charge of the Eagles since 1999. He has taken the Eagles to 5 NFC Championship games, including a Super Bowl appearance. However, the team record since the Super Bowl has been mixed. Reid and the Eagles have drafted poorly, have made mistakes on free agents, and have made staggering personnel decisions, all things for which Reid has the ultimate say on. On the field, as with many of the other named coaches, Reid has suffered at the hands of his quarterback. A new one is clearly needed for 2013 and beyond, but it appears that Reid won't benefit from the new boys play.

Carolina Panthers - Head Coach Ron Rivera. Record 8-18
The Panthers were going to challenge the dominence of the New Orleans Saints in the NFC West. They spent money on running backs Jonathon Stewart, Deangelo Williams and free agent Mike Tolbert. Cam Newton, the rookie sensation of 2011, was going to take the NFL by storm and top his phenomenal displays of a year before. Yes, this was going to happen. It didn't. Newton has been inconsistent, the defence has been shoddy, the running backs not used. The team fired their GM, Rivera will probably be next.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS -
Ken Wisenhunt, Arizona Cardinals.
Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins
Detroit Lions, Jim Schwartz
New York Jets, Rex Ryan
Buffalo Bills, Chan Gailey
Oakland Raiders, Dennis Allen.

Wisenhunt, Ryan and Schwartz may have done enough in the past to convince their bosses that they deserve one more year. Shanahan may well rely on rookie QB RG3 getting his team up around an 8-8 record to save his job. Gailey's future would seem to be tied up with Bills GM Buddy Nix, while Allen is in his first year in Oakland. The old regime under Al Davis would probably pull the trigger, but with the team in a mess when he joined, he may just scrape another year.

A Tribute To Grit

2012-11-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

The first Test match between England and India ended this morning in what will seem a crushing nine wicket defeat for the visitors, with India chasing down a paltry 77 to win just after lunch on the 5th day. That the match lasted this long is a testament to a great partnership of 157 between wicketkeeper Matt Prior, desperately unlucky to miss out on a 2nd innings century after missing out on a fifty in the first innings, and England Captain Alastair Cook, who defied the home bowlers for 556 minutes and 374 balls for a marathon 176.

Since vehemently calling for Cook to be dropped during the 2010 home summer, I and all other England fans have watched him go from "satisfied with a 60" to "not quite pleased enough with 160". He of all the other England players have embraced batting coach Graham Gooch's "daddy hundred" mentality with the most relish. Since the first Ashes test of the 2010/11 series, Cook has scored 2408 runs in 24 matches (averaging 65.08), with 8 hundreds and 7 fifties. Of those 100s, for half of them Cook has batted past 150 with two of those four ending with him past the 200 milestone. He has developed that most wonderful trait of a successful batsman, that one thing that sets them apart. Greed. He wants to score as many runs as he can, and he is angry when he feels he has left runs "out on the field", as it were. At the age of just 27 (he will be 28 on Christmas Day, a birthday he shares with another left hander who has opened the batting for England in the last decade, Marcus Trescothick), he currently has amassed 6772 Test match runs for England. The English record is 8900, held by...Graham Gooch. Of the major Test playing nations, England are the only one that do not have a bowler with more than 400 Test wickets and/or a batsman with at least 10,000 Test runs. Cook should, baring injury, put that right before too long.

Like his South African contemporary Graham Smith, Cook is not the easiest on the eye of batsman. His style of batting is to grace what Pot Noodle is to the fine dining experience. He is content to leave the ball, waiting for bowlers to get too straight and stray onto his pads. If they learn this lesson and try and drop it short, he has a punishing cut shot and a decent command of the pull shot. He is by no means a big hitter (he has 777 Test 4s, and only 7 maximums), but he is aware that six singles dropped into the leg side carry the same value as one massive boundary clearing blow.

The First Test will disappoint him in its result, as it is the first time he has tasted defeat as Captain in a Test match (he won both matches during his caretaker spell in Bangladesh in 2010), but he may well be happy to reflect that he is the first Test captain EVER for ANY country to score a century in his first three Test matches, he has notched more centuries on the subcontinent for England than any other player (5), and he has just notched the highest score EVER by an England captain in a Test match in India (his 176 beat the previous holders 144. The previous holder was Kevin Pietersen). These three milestones are very nice, and will probably produce a wry smile on the captains still boyish face, but he will want the rest of team to follow his lead and find a method with which to combat the attack of India. If he doesn't pass fifty again on this tour, but England somehow pull out a win, then he'll be happy. But I suspect if England are to come back in the series, the captain staying at the crease will be crucial to achieving this. The voyage with Captain Cook is only just beginning.

Wow, Ain't It Been A While

2012-11-10T02:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome back everyone, its been FAR too long...

Since last I penned anything coherent upon these sheets, an awful lot has changed. From a self promotion point of view, my sometimes collaborator on this blog Mainzey and I have begun a podcast known as "Waxing Lyrical With Mainz and Dutts", which is available to download on iTunes. In other slightly more impressive news, I have discovered that, with a 95% certainty, I should become father to a daughter in March. All very exciting stuff.

In this blog, I want to take a slightly more in depth look at a topic that Mainzey and I discussed on the latest Waxing Lyrical, that is the England tour to India.

England's record in India since 1933 must be awful, mustn't it? Given how poorly we travel to the subcontinent, our awful record and style against spin, we must be absolutely terrible....Well, it may shock some of you to learn that if you dismiss the 1993 series (in which England were beaten 3-0 after an "expert" scouting party dismissed one of the Indian spinners with the words, after watching footage of him, "I didn't see him turn a single ball from leg to off. I don't believe we will have much problem with him" (Anil Kumble, who went on to take 21 wickets in the series while NINE England bowlers took 28 between them)) England have won 11 Tests in India, and have lost...11. Doesn't seem that bad all of a sudden does it? However three of those wins came in the 1976/77 tour, a further two in 1984/5 and NOW it seems bad.

There have been 51 tests between England and India in India, and 26 of them have ended in a draw. The fact of the matter remains that it is VERY hard for both teams to win in India, unless one team commits Harri-Kari. India very rarely do so (although they did in 2006, the now famous "Freddie's Lions" test), whereas even over the last four years of English success, there are still notable instances of collapse. (Jamaica 2009, Headingley 2009, Abu Dhabi 2012...I could go on.) Patience is very much the key, and England it would seem do have the batsmen to play the patient game. The new captain Alastair Cook made his debut in Nagpur in 2006, and followed up his first innings 60 with a century in the second. He will, along with Jonathon Trott, be the key men in blunting whatever new ball fire the Indians throw at England, hopefully allowing the more stylish Pietersen Bell and Prior to make hey.

After the shambles in the UAE on the last tour, it should be noted that while India have a very potent spin attack, it contains little mystery. Ravi Ashwin has been a sensation since coming into the test team, with both bat and ball, but he remains essentially a top spin bowler, with only a well disguised "carrom ball" as his major wonder weapon. Harbajahn Singh seems to be on the downside of his glittering Test match career, and Pragyan Ojha will no doubt have Kevin Pietersen in his sights (he's a slow left arm bowler, in case you didn't know), but from what little I have seen of him he seems to get an awful lot of wickets when the ball does NOT spin.

When it comes to the English attack, we will obviously fight fire with fire and pack our side with spinners also, like we do every subcontinental tour? Well maybe not. The recent Australia and South Africa victories in India have come when those sides stuck to their strengths, the Aussies in deploying three seamers and an attacking spinner, the Proteas with three quicks, Kallis and a holding man. There seems little point in trying to beat the Indians at THEIR game in THEIR house. Given the form he has shown with the bat in the warm up games, it seems certain that Samit Patel will fill (and he will FILL it, I assure you) the troublesome number six spot for England. He is a slow bowler who does not rip the ball, but could (with a certain generousity of spirit) hold an end down, allowing England to rotate their first choice bowlers. Obviously the real key man for England will be Graeme Swann, who England hope will come to the fore as he did in the recent Sri Lanka tour, during the second test of which he took his second test ten wicket haul.

Since England last played Test cricket against India, there have been some notable changes. Rahul Dravid, the lone shining light in 2011, has retired, and has taken the silky VVS Laxman with him. Virat Kolhi has emerged as the new star of the batting lineup, but there are still the old favourites of Yuvraj Singh (if he plays, look for Dhoni to get him the ball as soon as his nemesis Pietersen comes to the crease) the captain MS Dhoni and of course Sachin Tendulkar. Now aged 39, this will probably be the last time England face the little master in Test cricket. He has enjoyed English visits to his homeland, with 11 matches garnering 848 runs at an average of 60.57, a mere five runs greater than his career average. He is not in the greatest of form however, and has gone 25 Test innings since his last century, with only five 50s in that time also. His last century IN INDIA came in October 2010, eight Tests ago. Granted it was a double ton against Australia, but that will seem a long time ago. If England can once more keep Sachin from raising his bat and removing his helmet to acknowledge the applause of a nation that idolises him, they may go someway towards winning in India.

The First Quarter Ends

2012-10-03T03:49:00.000-07:00

Week 4 of the 2012 NFL season is in the books. In the latest of our blog conversations, Mainzey (@mainzey7) and I take a look at the state of the league a quarter of the way through. The NFC part of our review actually began before the week 4 matches, whilst the AFC discussion began straight afterwards.

DUTTON - I think it's time we looked at how things have started off. Who are the surprises, who are the slow starters, and who "are who we thought were", to quote Denny Green.

As usual, we start with the NFC and the NFC East. Three teams sitting 2-1, with only the Redskins apart at 1-2. The Eagles offence, and overall offensive strategy, makes me violently sick.

MAINZEY - Has it been three weeks already? Doesn't time fly when you fantasy team stinks...(as of writing, Mainzeys Marvels are a glorious 0-4)

NFC East has been a strange one three teams 2-1 but in many different ways I mean the Eagles haven't played a good game yet which has got to be good, but after the bad first week I still think the GMen could be the best team with the best QB in football never mind the East.

But the only story in the East is RGIII what a start and if this is what I can expect for the next decade I will be a happy man unless Shannahan gets him killed first

DUTTON - I think RG3 needs to take heed from Vick, and NOT copy him. Get rid of the rock, just because you CAN run doesn't mean you HAVE to run.
I have to presume the Eagles O will start matching or at least coming close to the Eagles D, which has been awesome. The ignoring of McCoy continues to baffle and anger me.
The G may well be the best team in the NFC, but so far EVERYONE looks beatable.

Moving now to the North, and this is not a picture I thought we'd see. Are the Vikings for real, or due to fall away?

MAINZEY - It's not RGIII its the Coaches who are putting him in the dangerous position at the moment. I think the Eagles offence will come around but will it be under the stewardship of Vick is another matter

The North is interesting. Are the Lions the worst team in it (possibly)? Green Bay were screwed on Monday night (the now infamous Inaccurate Reception) but they need to sort their offence and fast and seriously can someone get the Bears GM to get some Tackles and Guards for Cutler please!!!!

The Vikings have been impressive just not sure if they can hold it up all season.

DUTTON - Ah, Shanahanigans...

The Bears O line is up there with the worst units in professional sport, up there with Liverpool's shooting and Bangladesh's bowling. Doesn't help that they are not given confidence by Jay "Good Luck" Cutler. It's not always the Right Tackles fault that you throw into triple coverage Jay.

The Packers are just too explosive to struggle to put points on the board for too long, but my god they're O-line needs to stop copying the Bears. A-Rod can not be getting sacked 8 times a game, let alone a half.

The Lions can will and so score points, but their secondary is garbage. The Vikings have started well, but honestly don't see them winning more than another five games tops.

How bout the South?

MAINZEY - I think that should read as bad as the Liverpool first team shooting as the kids are doing alright (7 in 2 games!!)

If you don't think Coaches are more importantly leaders are important just look at the Saints. I know Ross Tucker doesn't agree but the loss of Payton is a big loss although he doesn't coach defence and so far neither has Spags

Atlanta look excellent but I m holding judgement until they win a playoff game and they will get the chance at home this year by the looks of things

Carolina flat out stank last week (against the Giants week 3) and Cam looks short on weapons good job they spent all the money on RBs for no reason. As for Tampa they are playing hard just not sure they can win 10 and although I don't think Schiano was wrong not sure its very professional what he is doing at the moment. (Mainzey speaks here of Schiano's decision to blitz QBs when they are obviously in the kneel down / victory formation).

DUTTON - Carolina were awful. I remember reading a tweet from Sky Sports David Tuchman saying that Ron Rivera was one of the worst coaches in football...and that was during preseason.

Atlanta will not draw comment from me until they win a playoff game.

I can't believe how bad the Saints have been. I mean, it's STILL Drew Brees at QB!! The defence stinks, you could argue Spags had a better defence at St Louis.

I just think Tampa will struggle on offence, it stinks. At this stage, if I'm Schiano I'm seriously questioning whether Freeman is the answer at QB.

MAINZEY - And now to the best division in Football (yeah I said it) the NFC West
Even with the loss on Sunday I think San Fran are the best team in this division although if they keep falling 2 scores behind we may see the end of Alex Smith

Arizona are the surprise with the record especially when they have played New England and the Eagles but their defence is for real and they look like a good team.

Seattle are also an awesome defence and Russell Wilson has a little magic in him although not sure how long this will last I mean he is smaller than Melia for gods sake.

If I am St Louis I am happy as well I may not be good this year but the Redskins defence sucks and I have their picks for the next 2 years which should mean I will be good for years to come.

DUTTON - Potentially, especially with the injuries the Redskins have suffered, the West boasts the best division for defences in the National Football League.

Arizona have some serious studs like Dockett and Campbell, I'd argue that Seattle has the best secondary around, St Louis are improving and San Francisco's defensive strength is well documented. It's just not a great division for QBs. On paper Sam Bradford is the best, but has very few weapons. If you can take the lead on the 49ers you take Smith out of his comfort zone, Kolb is crap and Wilson needs to learn when NOT to throw the ball.

MAINZEY - So to the AFC and the East specifically. Miami have thrown Tannehill to the wolves hoping he doesn't drown. Bills started OK as have the Jets although their offence is putrid and the 2nd best player ever in their franchise is out for the year. The Patriots have a losing record for the first time since forever but I still expect 11 wins.

DUTTON - Nice mixed metaphor there Paul...The Pats looked very good in the second half, and lo and behold could this be that they are throwing the ball to Wes Welker again?
Tannehill is not the worst rookie QB I've ever seen, he just has no weapons. Hartline may have just topped 250 receiving yards, but if he gets the same tally over the next four games, I'll eat my hat.

The Bills...my you are exciting to watch. As Katy Perry said, you're hot then you're cold.

The Jets offend my eyes. Simply the worst offensive unit in the NFL. No play makers, no confidence, and no QB. Sanchez is averaging less than 50% completion rate. Not good enough. Tebow won't help.

MAINZEY - So to the AFC North.

The Steelers are starting to look old and injured, need Harrison and Polomalu to play otherwise they won't be getting to the playoffs. The Ravens look very good on both sides of the ball if Joe keeps the ball they will go far. I like the big play capability from fellow Ginger Andy Dalton especially to AJ Green, if they shore up the defence might get to the playoffs. Cleveland can hope the league contracts them soon although their 'young QB' looked good on Thursday. Pity he is throwing to the a Maghull 5th's team I played for (this is not good btw)
(Editors note - Paul played for the 5th XI during a time when some youngsters where selected for whom fielding and catching was not deemed a necessary part of the game.)

DUTTON - Ravens could be the best team in the AFC, though I think Houston may disagree. Flacco is not getting any poorer financially with each passing game, believe me. Baltimore are going to have to stump up a LOT of cash when he sits down for his contract negotiations. Not big on Pittsburgh. Putrid O line, no difference makers on defence. Nah, not for me. Cincy have a lot of talent going forward, Dalton to Green is a great hookup. Cleveland...not wasting my breath. And my worst ever 5th team caught the ball better than Greg Little. He sucks, he single handedly is making Weedon look terrible, which he is not....not really.

MAINZEY - And now the West. I think this division has disappointing so far. Peyton looks like he is still struggling with his neck a little but I will say they have lost to the best teams in the League so far (Houston, Atlanta). San Diego have wins in September which is good for them and good for Norv, get Rivers to throw to San Diego receivers and I think they could be a playoff team. Oakland are awful although Carson is playing OK but they lack talent. As for Kansas City... they follow the same issue as New Orleans as they also don't have a coach, at least New Orleans have a QB (ouch x2)

DUTTON - That's a big ouch for Kansas, or as I like to call them "my Superbowl pick Kansas City". They have been quite simply awful. I thought their offence was Cassell proof. I didn't realise how awful he truly is.

Very tough division to comment on, apart from that. Oakland are what I think we thought they were. Granted they beat the Steelers, but I think that says more about Pittsburgh than the Raiders. Phil Rivers seems to be playing at his 2011 level rather than his 2010 standard, but they are in the hunt early. Denver are a weird team. Manning shows flashes of his old surgical self (a Manning drive is still a work of art), but he and his receivers are not always on the same page. Their defence is not what everyone thought it would be either. Very odd division.

MAINZEY - And finally the worst division in the league AFC South. They have Houston and Andrew Luck and that is it. I do not wish to discuss it further.

DUTTON - I would tend to agree. Best team in the AFC (perhaps), best young QB in the league. Otherwise bloody awful.
MAINZEY - They all stink but could easily have a Superbowl team go figure!!
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So there you have it. Mainzey and I would also like to express our best wishes to Indianapolis Colts heach coach Chuck Pagano, who it was announced this week is suffering from a treatable form of leukaemia. From everything that I have read, Pagano seems to be one of the good guys of the NFL, and there is tremendous confidence that he will overcome this illness and return to the job.

NFL Top Five and Bottom Five

2012-09-06T10:09:00.001-07:00

Welcome once again dear reader. Today I wish to share with you the thoughts of myself and Mainzey with regards who are, as we prepare for the 2012 season to start, the top and bottom five teams. It should be noted that these discussions took place ONE DAY BEFORE the season kicked off with the Dallas Cowboys thumping the New York Giants. This disclaimer has to be made, in order to prevent one of us being embarrased (not me...)

MAINZEY - Hey Dutts, With Liverpool being so crap and to celebrate the great news that the NFL is on Sky and Redzone is back (best invention ever) I thought lets to a power rankings blog conversation. As no really cares about the middle numbers I was thinking top 5 and a bottom 5. It may mean our teams aren't mentioned but you never know you may have had a drink.

For me number 1 is easy. You lose the Superbowl and get better on offence and defence and you have Bellichek and Brady. No brainer,  Pats number 1. I think they may even win a Super Bowl without taping other teams this year (hasn't happened yet)

Who is your number 1?

DUTTON - It's bad news when I have a disagreement with your opening line. Liverpool haven't been crap...they've been garbage.

I've not checked the Internet today, so I assume I've missed the Patriots signing a proper O line?

The best team in the NFL as we stand is the team with the best QB. It's a quarterback league, as we are frequently told, and that's why the Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay Packers are my number 1.

MAINZEY - Got a point on the O Line but not sure u can make that comment and then choose the Packers

That being said I will go Packers at 2. 15-1 last year and straight out of the playoffs would hurt. Surely their defence won't be as bad again actually I don't think it is possible.

DUTTON - True, the Packers O line isn't the best but ARod can make the plays with his feet.


To return the favour, I'll give you the Pats at 2. Brady is still Brady, they may now have a pass rush that eluded them in 2011, and the 0-2 since Spygate must annoy Palpatine...sorry, Bellichek.

MAINZEY - So for number 3 I am going to go back in time.


It's 2006, I say at 3 I am going to pick the most clutch QB in the NFL, who is also the best Manning and also has the most Superbowl rings in the Manning household and you say that's easy you are picking the Colts. 

Well back to today and it's still easy. But I not picking Peyton and the Colts, I am picking Eli and the New York Giants.

DUTTON - Ha! Not even mentioned in my top five!

Sticking with my "quarterback league" theme, possibly the ultimate field general, especially as he is essentially the head coach too, I go with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. Add the "the world is against us" mentality, and you have a potent offensive force.

MAINZEY - We have seriously diverged now! I am not sure the Saints are the best team in their league and I like to think coaches are important and they don't have 1.

At 4 the team that should have represented the AFC in the Super Bowl last year. The Houston Texans, solid all over the field and if they stay healthy very dangerous, also helps their division could be one of the worst ever assembled.

DUTTON - At last agreement!


The only real issue I have with the Texans is the damage they inflicted themselves upon the right side of their offensive line. Eric Winston is one of the best RTs in football, and they let him walk away...

The AFC South is the best example of why relegation should be introduced into the NFL.

MAINZEY - Yeah let's promote Alabama and USC and relegate Jacksonville!!!!

Number 5 is the 49ers great defence and added a few weapons on offence if Smith doesn't turn it over they will be very dangerous.

DUTTON - Agreed, this team is returning 11 starters on defence. So that's the same defence that dominated in 2011. Few more weapons, but I would be shocked if Smith is still the starter by the end of 2012. This team is being built for Kapernick.


OK, that's the cream of the crop sorted. How about the Crap of the Crop? For me, the worst team in football is Miami. The offseason has been one disaster after another, they have no talent on that roster. This, and maybe the next couple of years, will be painful for Dolphins fans.

MAINZEY - I hear what you are saying on the Dolphins but the worst team in football is the Browns. It's a close call but they also start a rookie QB (although he is about the same age as us) and I think they have less talent. Add to the fact they play Pittsburgh, Baltimore and the Bengals and they will have the worst record all said and done.

DUTTON - We can actually call Brandon Weedon "young man".

 
I take the Browns as 31st, as it were. Potentially they have some pieces on offence, with Weedon being protected by the best LT in football, Trent Richardson should be a stud (when fit) and second year wideout Greg Little should show improvement. The 2011 Browns D wasn't the worst, but they still will be picking early in the next draft.

MAINZEY - Interesting thing, think of the best left tackles in the game and then what teams they play for and you will notice something. It's the most overrated position in sports.


Dolphins at 31 for me they stink plain and simple.

DUTTON - Worst team in the best conference now, Minnesota. Banged up AP, aging defense (and that includes you Jared Allen), dump of a stadium. Nothing going for them.

MAINZEY - I think the Vikings are bad but to be 3 picks in and no AFC South team chosen did not seem right to me. I pick the Jags here. Their best player has been a holdout and their QB looked scared of people trying to hit him last year.

 
The sooner this team is the LA Cougars the better (copyright on the name)

DUTTON - I think my good friend Adam is rather hoping the Rams will have the LA prefix. (name drop alert, Adam is Adam Rank, NFL.com analyst and has on occasion conversed with me via Twitter.  A good egg.)

 
I give you Jacksonville now. Again not the worst defence, but they'll be playing from behind an awful lot this year and the scaredy cat hippy QB will need to man up against the inevitable pass rush.

MAINZEY - Did I tell you I got a retweet from Staines FC (in your face!!!)

 
Vikings for me now not sure on Ponder or the age and fitness of their star players. In that division could be a serious struggle.

DUTTON - I've just had a chat with YCCC allrounder Richard Pyrah...


I think there is a leap to the 5th worst, and that is the Colts. Their schedule means they could be 2-1, and while they will not get to the playoffs (far from it...) they will be better than most think.

MAINZEY - And I move from the Ipad to the laptop (don't you just love technology)

I think I am going to agree here Colts are still built to have a lead and I don't think they will have one enough

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So there you have it, two idiots look at the best and worst of the NFL.  I daresay Mainzey and I will speak again on this subject, and I have confidence that our answers will change!

The King is Dead

2012-08-29T12:52:00.003-07:00

May 19th, 2004. England captain (and personal hero to your humble author) Michael Vaughan has been ruled out of the opening test of the summer against New Zealand. The captaincy will pass to Marcus Trescothick, but what of Vaughan's spot alongside him opening the batting?

"Simple" says I to my good friend Mainzey. "Move Butcher up to open, Nasser to 3 and bring in Collingwood."

My decision seemed logical at the time. I was, remained and retain membership of the Paul Collingwood fan club. He had played Test cricket, albeit briefly, and Butcher had opened before. Apparently though (as I was to discover years later) Butcher was not keen to surrender his spot at 3, and so the selectors plucked Andrew Strauss to make his test debut. Some thought (and still think) that I bemoaned the pick, and didn't rate Strauss. Not true. And his debut ton, coupled with a wonderful second innings knock that ended when Hussain ran him out (the last victim of Nassers career) before Hussain rallied the side to victory (both innings I watched after calling in sick for work at the Odeon. Sorry, but its been 8 years, sue me) thrilled me.

Today, Wednesday August 29th 2012, Strauss announced his decision to stand down as England captain and retire from all forms of cricket after a test series defeat by South Africa (if this sounds familiar, its because both Nasser and Vaughan resigned in the same circumstances. Bloody Saffers....) He played exactly 100 Tests, 50 of them as captain, and scored 7037 runs at an average of just over 40, with 21 centuries. He also won 46 of the tests he played in, winning the first eight.

I cannot say that I have been a constant supporter of Strauss. In 2007, his annoying habit of driving at full balls and nicking to slip (or keeper occasionally, just to mix things up) infuriated me, and I was not upset to see him left out of a tour to Sri Lanka. His return for the next series away in New Zealand confused me, as did the call to bat him at 3. But he won me round with brilliant centuries in Napier and in a great run chase at Old Trafford in 2008. When events opened up the England captaincy on a permanent basis in 2009, I was very happy to see Strauss take up a role he seemed to have been born to perform.

I have also been a constant reminder to people that after his first day ton at Lords v the Aussies in 2009, he didn't reach three figures in a Test match again until the first test over 16 months later, and then after not until May 2012. He continued to chip in, but frequently seemed to get out when set, especially when a bowler came round the wicket to him.

However, in spite of these, I will miss him. England under Strauss were ruthlessly efficient, dominant in the field and constantly looking like 20 wickets could be taken with as little as 60 deliveries. England did not lose a series after his debut series UNTIL they had reached the summit of Test cricket, some three years later. England won with a regularity that never became boring. I will miss the late cut, the pull over midwicket, even the cover drive which seemed to desert him after 2009 will be missed. England will also miss him in in the slips. His trusty mitts snaffled 121 catches in his 100 Tests, probably none better than the wonderful one handed grab at Trent Bridge to get rid of Adam Gilchrist in 2005.

Alastair Cook has been groomed to step in to the breach ever since he skippered the "mini tour" to Bangladesh in 2010. He has played 83 tests, has only one fewer test century than Strauss and also has 73 catches. He will not REPLACE Strauss, he will succeed him. He will be a different type of captain, and it will be interesting to see if full time Test captaincy can FINALLY do something that Shane Warne, loss of form and even batting 13 hours has failed to do. Make Cook sweat.

Fare thee well Andrew. Enjoy the next stage of your life, but please remember. I never hated you, I just thought it was Collingwood's time. It was not then, and I'm glad that it was yours.

Defending The Crown

2012-08-23T12:06:00.002-07:00

England have named their squad for the World T20 tournament, to be played in Sri Lanka in September, a competition they enter as holders after winning the last tournament in the West Indies in 2010. There are a few notable changes from that 2010 team, as the captain, the leading bowler, and of course the Man of the Tournament are no longer part of the England setup for one reason or another. It will be tough for England to defend their title, but they are still the number one ranked side in T20, and will rightly enter the tournament with a high level of confidence.

The lineup for Englands last T20 game v the Windies was Kieswetter, Hales, Bopara, Morgan, Buttler, Bairstow, Patel, Swann, Broad (c), Dernbach, Finn.

All of the above 11 have been named, and are joined by Bresnan, Wright, Briggs and Lumb. Bresnan Wright and Lumb were key members of the 2010 squad. Lumb may have to back up Kieswetter and Hales, who smashed an England T20 record score of 99 v the West Indies in the last match. Briggs is something of a T20 specialist, with a career economy rate below 7 an over and a wicket every 16 balls. He is a specialist slow bowler, and not much of a spinner (much like Samit Patel, another slow left arm option). Luke Wright has been in and around the England setup since 2007, and has been hampered by having never found a specialist role (jack of all, master of....).

The key men for England are :
Eoin Morgan, one of the most destructive limited overs batsmen in the world
Graeme Swann, a wily campaigner who found Sri Lankan pitches to his liking in the recent test series (and his comeback International tour back in 2007)
Steve Finn, the fastest bowler in the squad with a proven track record of extracting life from even the flattest subcontinental wickets in the last year, and
Stuart Broad, entering an international tournament as captain for the first time, he must keep his temper and set an example for his mostly young squad (only two over 30s!)

Can England win? Yes, of course they can. They are a well drilled, well set squad. Will they win? I'm an England cricket fan, I'm not counting my chickens.

And Now...The AFC

2012-08-16T11:55:00.001-07:00

DUTTON - So, the AFC..

MAINZEY - The second best conference in terms of quality and Mannings (did I really just say that?), the AFC is like the Australian Olympic team compared the the GB team that is the NFC.

DUTTON - Yorkshire won more medals than Australia. There are, to my mind, NO outstanding Superbowl candidates in the AFC, but like the NFC lets start in the East.

MAINZEY - Ah, Mullins Division (NY Jets), and boy is he going to have fun this year with Timmy (God's personal representative in the NFL). My dads team should also have a blast with no QB until the boy Tannehill is ready, the Bills may surprise some people with their defence and a few skill players, but lets be serious. The Patriots win this division by a mile. Best QB in Brady, best coach in Bellichek...pretty easy one for me this.

DUTTON - Hard to argue, though I think the Patriots could use help at tight end.

The other three teams have passable defences, the Bills having spent big to improve. But the Dolphins will have a year of growing pains, and Tebow will be the starting QB by week five. Easy Patriots win.

The Powerhouse division would be the North, with three playoff teams in 2011. I have a feeling that the most talented team in this quartet is actually Cincinatti.

MAINZEY - Still sticking with the Jimmy Graham over Gronk joke I see

AFC North the one thing I do know is the Cleveland will be last. As for the others I think the best team are the Steelers they have Big Ben with Weapons and still have a defence. I am torn between the Ravens and the Bengals although I hope the Bengals win 10 games.

DUTTON - Sticking my neck out (never a task I'm afraid to do) in saying the Bengals finish above the Ravens in 2012.

The West is probably the most intriguing in the entire NFL. The Chargers are the perennial contenders, the Chiefs have a top defence and a few offensive weapons returning, Denver replaced a gimmick QB with some guy called Manning, and the Raiders begin a truly new era as they go into their first season post Al Davis. My money is on Kansas.

MAINZEY - Cincy and Kansas bloody hell Neil have you been drinking??

The Chargers may have Norv and they also have talent but I know who I am going with. The same person I have picked to win the AFC South since 2000. I am on the Peyton and Broncos bandwagon and I am sticking with it!!!

DUTTON - I don't think the Bengals will win their division, just finish above Baltimore!

I think Denver will push, but everything Kansas have done this offseason has impressed me.

MAINZEY - I may have missed what Kansas did, where they the team who signed Peyton Manning?

DUTTON - No, they have their own injury blighted QB, and they did sign another Peyton (the oft injured and 2011 Madden Curse victim Peyton Hillis).

MAINZEY - Ok just checking I hadn't missed something

DUTTON - Idiot.

So, potentially the worst division in pro football, the AFC North. Urgh...by all means, you can lead off on this one.

MAINZEY - AFC North is surely the poo division of the league this year.

That being said this is a no brainer for me Texans all the way the OLine may not be as good but with Foster and Schaub throwing to Johnson and Daniels they should have more than enough

DUTTON - I'll be prepared to controversial here, I think Johnsons days of "elite" are done. Can't stay healthy, Texans will ground and pound to lighten his load. Their receiving corps is a worry, but they are still the cream of this crap. Titans will compete, but Colts and Jags will stink again.

So Pats, Steelers, Texans and a disagreement in the West. Wild cards?

MAINZEY - May not be elite but better than the rest in that division.

Yeah my wildcards are going to be Ravens and Bengals. You?

DUTTON - I'm going with the Bengals...and the Denver Broncos.

So there you have it, all eight divisions broken down into idiot sized chunks. How will our selections pan out? You get to find out in under a month.

2 Idiots Take On The NFC

2012-07-29T08:39:00.008-07:00

In a concept stolen from noted American sports blogger and podcast host Bill Simmons, my friend Mainzey and I discuss the prospects for the NFC in the coming American Football season. Take a look, we may get sued before we can do another one.

Dutton - I think we should begin with the NFC Division that matters most to the pair of us, and coincidentally the home of the reigning Super Bowl champions, the NFC East.

No team has retained the East crown since the Eagles won 4 straight, ending with the 2004 title. I do not see this trend coming to an end in 2012. The Giants have not added quality to their roster, and in fact have several gaping holes where studs have departed. There is also the issue of Eli being the hunted rather than the hunter, his previous season as a Champion was not a triumph, for him or his team.

Mainzey - That Eagles team must have won a couple of superbowls with that record. I know you hate him but he is the best manning know with the best team resume. The team with the most talent has the star and the stupid owner

Dutton - The "Dallas has the most talent" argument is a myth, based on the same foundations as the Tooth Fairy. They have a serviceable quarterback, a good (but ageing) tight end and one great pass rusher. That's it.

The Eagles changed tack in 2012, by focussing on players they already had rather than high profile free agents. Vick is going to enjoy his first off season as the Eagles starting QB, he has two good receivers on the outside, a serviceable slot receiver, a top tight end and, potentially, the most complete back in the NFL.

Mainzey - Are we saying Ware is past it???

Can't believe I am defending my arch enemy

This is your best team since last years team which worked out well.... Seriously if you keep Vick upright you should win 10 games easily

But enough with these teams lets talk about the team of the future....

Dutton - Your "future" may remain much the same as your present, for the time being. Adding Robert Griffin III will make the Redskins a touch more dynamic, but the quality of help afforded to him is still not top tier. The Skins strength still lies in a more than adequate defence, with Kerrigan and Orakpo the studs.

Mainzey - We will win 7 I think. We were close in a lot of games I think RG3 helps us win a couple more

So are we saying Eagles?

Dutton - I would say so. Big play offence, solid offensive line, great strength in depth on the defensive line. I would very surprised if the 2011 total of 8 wins was not surpassed.

Mainzey - So we both pick the Eagles which may make Jerry Jones blow up the team which makes me smile.

So NFC North. I think this could be the deepest. Chicago still can play D and now Jay has someone to throw to I think they are serious this year

Dutton - Ah the NFC North, the land of the lost cornerback....

To compete in this division, you need to sling the ball around. There are three top arm QBs, we don't know what Ponder is yet. Chicago do indeed have that stud receiver they have been seeking for so long, but my worries with the Bears is an abysmal offensive line and an ageing defence. Briggs and Urlacher are not getting younger. They will be better than last year, but I don't expect them to come out on top in this division.

Mainzey - Yeah age is a concern but it is for me and you too

If we are talking about slinging the ball about then we have to talk about the best 1-2 in the league Stafford to MEGATRON!! The issue is can they keep the team out of jail and off the operating table. If they can they are a fantasy owners dream, if they can't I think Schwartz may have questions to answers

Dutton - Stafford to Johnson may well be the Manning to Wayne of this generation. The Lions are loaded on offence, built to use their front seven to generate pressure on defence. Like most teams in this division, their secondary is suspect (I'm being polite.)

Possibly owning the worst secondary, we come to the Green Bay Packers. While Stafford has his go-to-guy in Megatron, who is Aaron Rodgers favourite receiver?

The Open One.

Mainzey - Packers need to get to the QB on defence. If they can I think they are the best team in the conference. I have 2 out of here me thinks Green Bay and Chicago

Also did you know golf on TV cricket on the iPad is the future?

Dutton - Odd comment from someone who lives in the past...

Agreed. Packers to win, but I see a Wildcard for the Bears. Detroit will drop off from last season, but not disastrously so. I'm not even talking about the Vikings.

How about the NFC West, for so long a joke division but not any more?

Mainzey - Only when it comes to my sports teams...but Yeah the Vikings without AP could have a long season.

This has the makings of a serious division for a change. St Louis intrigue me under Jeff Fisher, really need a big season out of Bradford but the defence should be solid

Dutton - This division is one of underrated (and talented) defences. San Francisco showed last year that they had a serious front seven. Seattle and Arizona showed flashes of improvement. The Rams have added talent to a talent starved roster, but don't expect them to climb away from the basement too far

Mainzey - The Seahawks are interesting to me. Will they progress or fall back a little? Not sure the offence can keep up with the defence especially with Lynch probably missing some games.

Dutton - So we have the 49ers winning this division then?

Mainzey - They were the best team in the division and I think they have gotten better so I can't see it being any other way

Dutton - Agreed.

Now the real head scratcher in the NFC, the South. For so long the preserve of the Saints, can they put Bountygate and the loss of their head coach behind them and retain their crown?

Mainzey - I suppose the answer to this is do they still have Drew Brees? As the answer is yes I think they still have 10 plus wins on them although they hopefully lose game 1 to RG3

Dutton - I think that's quite enough trips into fantasy land for you.

Yes, Brees is still the straw that stirs the drink in this team. I see the Bucs improving, though they could hardly regress, and I expect last years RG3 (Cam Newton) to continue to show signs of class. For me, I see Atlanta falling away. Not a Matty Ryan believer.

Mainzey - I like the signings by Tampa just not sure they have overtaken New Orleans. If I am honest give me Cam and the original Steve Smith

Dutton - Yep, can't argue.

So we have Eagles, Packers, 49ers and Saints topping their divisions. I have wildcards for the Bears and...New York Giants.

Mainzey - I am with you on the Bears and I think I will throw a curve and go for..... Carolina Panthers

Dutton - You on board the Cam Newton train I see?

Great discussion Paul. We must do this again soon, as we discuss the ugly sister that is the AFC.

Mainzey - There is always one team who sneak up on us and I just have a feeling Cam can do it.

Yeah join us soon for the AFC version!!

End Of ANOTHER Era

2012-07-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

Since I began writing this blog, I have been able to write about the end of Rahul Dravids Test career, the end of Peyton Manning's time as an Indianapolis Colt, and the calling of time on the career of one of country crickets hungriest run getters in Mark Ramprakash. It is with a degree of sadness that I find myself writing once again about the end of a great era, as the news filters through of the end of the international (and probably cricketing) career of South African glove man Mark Boucher.

STANDING OUT, STANDING UP

In terms of sheer numbers, Boucher stands apart from all other wicket keepers. In Test cricket alone, his trusty mitts gobbled up an astonishing 532 catches in his 147 tests, and he backed these up with 23 stumpings (no mean feat, considering the lack of a quality spinner for virtually his entire Test career). Both the number of catches and the number of matches played are records for a Test wicket keeper.

He was also a nuggety lower order batsman, capable of rescuing his side (his first test century came as a nightwatchman), establishing a dominant position with some lusty late innings hitting or saving his side with the same grim determination. In terms of runs, he is the second highest run getter for all test match wicket keepers, his 5515 at an average of 30.30 (5 centuries, 23 fifties) a mere 55 runs behind that great freak of nature Adam Gilchrist (though Gilly got his 5570 in fewer matches at a higher average and with more centuries). He stands up well against other prominent keeper/batsmen of the modern era, with the same number of centuries as Knott, Dhoni and Dujon, a higher average than those great Aussie glove man Healy and Marsh, and more not outs than any other keeper.

He finishes his career after a freak incident in a tour match at Taunton, warming up for his 4th and last tour of England. An Imran Tahir googly hit the stumps, sending a bail up into the white of Boucher's left eye. A sad end to a golden career, and one that saw him win, lose and draw a series in England. His 1st series was in 1998, and he was to play a leading role in the match best remembered for the epic duel between Mike Atherton and Alan Donald at Trent Bridge. Early in England's chase of 247, an Alan Donald short ball slammed into the glove of Atherton, and flew through to Boucher, who began the celebrations of a prized wicket. Astonishingly still to this day, the umpire declined to advise Athers that his innings had ended. Donald was incensed. So began a spell of fast bowling rarely seen since the days of Bodyline. Round the wicket Donald kept coming at Atherton, shorter and quicker. The test match rested on this duel. In a rare respite, Atherton watched from the non strikers end as Donald induced a nick from Nasser Hussain. The ball flew through to Boucher...who dropped it. Donald screamed, the muscles in his neck looking like they were ready to pop. The spell was broken, Donald was done. At the end of the over, prior to his taking up his fielding position at fine leg, Donald made a special effort to console his young teammate, a sporting gesture every bit as powerful as Flintoff and Lee's chat at Edgbaston seven years later. England, famously, hung on to win by 8 wickets, and Atherton (ever the scamp) gifted Donald the glove, with his signature barely covering the red ball mark.

Apparently, Boucher retires on 999 international dismissals (998 of which are as a wicket keeper).The two mentioned above would have taken him to the awesome tally of 1000. But they didn't. Such is life. Farewell Mark, maybe after this series we can take time to dwell on how truly great you are. One thing is for sure, I'm happy you are not playing, but I wish you'd played again.

Prolific, Unfulfilled, Finished

2012-07-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

December 29th 1998. Australia need 175 runs to go 3-0 up in the Ashes series against the Old Enemy, and seem to be well on their way to doing so. After both openers had been dismissed with only 41 runs on the board, Justin Langer and Mark Waugh have forged a partnership that seems to have taken the sting out of the England attack. The 105th delivery faced by the obdurate Langer is bowled by Alan Mullally, and is short. Right in the slot for Langer's pull shot, which he plays with power and authority. All eyes turn to the boundary, where the ball must surely be heading. But the ball is not there. The ball is instead in the hands of the square leg fielder, who incredibly reversed course and dived back to his right to take a wonderful catch. The wicket transforms the match, as the Aussies collapse to a 12 run defeat.

For all of his 35,659 runs, his 114 first class centuries, his 261 first class catches, it is this moment that I will always remember when I think of the name Mark Ramprakash.

Ramps retired from first class cricket on Thursday July 5th, after 25 years at the highest level. His 2012 season had not been a success, and he had found himself out of the Surrey Championship XI. A conversation had taken place between Ramps and the Surrey management regarding his "future", which seemed to a way of hastening the end of one of the most prolific domestic run scoring careers of the modern age.

Ramp's appetite for runs against county attacks was insatiable. In 2006, his twentieth season on the county circuit, he averaged over 100 and scored over 2000. Against Yorkshire at Headingley in 2008, he became only the 25th (and more likely than not, the last) player to register 100 first class centuries. As impressive (and damn near incredible) these stats are, it should be noted that they took place five and seven years after the last of his 52 test matches, a spell that saw him score only two hundreds and average 27.32 against a career first class average of 53.14.

His debut test series came against the still awesome West Indies side in 1991. He made 27 in both innings of a match best remembered for Graham Gooch's superb 154*, and in the remaining seven innings he only failed to reach twenty twice. However, he only bettered 27 once, and then only by two runs. The Windies would be his most frequent opponents for England, playing in 16 Tests against them. His first, and many hoped coming of age, England hundred came in Bridgetown in 1998, a test match he scored 64* against the same opponents. These would prove to be the only two times he would pass 50 against them.

Perhaps hinting at an aptitude for the big occasion, his best England days came against the Australians. He averaged 42.40 against England's oldest foes, with one century (his last, at the Oval in 2001) and six 50s. His average IN Australia jumped further, just a tick under 50, and five of his 50s were on Australian soil. However, his average against all other opponents ranged from 31.80 (versus India) to 7.75 (his record in three matches against Pakistan).

Many "experts" use the excuse that Ramprakash was not helped by the England regime at the time, showing little sympathy for this prodigious talent and quickly cutting him aside after every "failure". Indeed, he did begin his international career in an era that most who played in it would agree that individuals worried more about their personal achievements rather than the teams. It is noticeable perhaps that his most consistent time in an England shirt came just as the powers that be began to instill a notion of "Country First" in the players, and under the captaincy of Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain. But this argument fails to take into account that he did keep "failing", and just couldn't score the mountains of runs against national attacks that he feasted on every summer in England. Interestingly, Ramps won 16, lost 22 and drew 14 of his 52 tests. He averaged 22.15 in wins, 25.95 in defeat, and 38 in drawn matches. He was never a match winner for his country, but he was more than able to help save them. Maybe this was down to a nagging knowledge that defeat would require scapegoats, and scapegoats usually meant him.

The game will never see the likes of Ramps again, the amount of first class cricket played these days simply will not allow a player to get up to 100 centuries. But also, with the new "Team England" mentality, a player as talented and special will never go as unappreciated by his management. But I have a feeling this last point will offer little comfort to a man who leaves the first class cricket scene for the last time.

Old Faces, New Surroundings

2012-07-04T06:17:00.002-07:00

As the Transfer Window crashes open, I thought I would take this opportunity to speak of player movement in a completely different sport. In 1993, Free Agency was granted to players in the NFL, meaning players were free to move to different clubs for much better money. Here I take a look at the five players I consider to be the greatest of these movers and shakers.

SHANNON SHARPE
One of the best to ever play at his position of Tight End, Sharpe had already won two Super Bowls during his time with the Denver Broncos with quarterback John Elway. After an injury plagued 1999 season, he moved to the unfancied Baltimore Ravens. In his first season with the Ravens, he amassed 810 yards from 67 receptions with five touchdowns, helping Baltimore into the playoffs. In the post season, Sharpe produced possibly the greatest play in franchise history, as he raced 96 yards for the games only touchdown in the AFC Championship Game v Oakland. The Super Bowl was one of the worst offensive matches of all time, but the Ravens were victorious, giving Sharpe his third Championship. After a further season in Baltimore, Sharpe returned to Denver to play out his career. He finished with 815 receptions, 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

CURTIS MARTIN
Curtis Martin, or Cumar as Mullin loving referred to him, was a star running back for New England after his first three seasons in Foxboro. He had won the Offensive Rookie of the Year and been voted to two Pro Bowls, so when division rivals New York Jets offered the restricted free agent Martin a six year $36m contract, many were stunned that the Patriots chose not to match the sheet. Over the next eight seasons for the perennial underachieving Jets, Martin amassed a franchise record 10,302 yards on the ground, but never made it to a Super Bowl. He became the oldest winner of the NFL rushing title when he won the award by ONE yard after the 2004 season. He retired in 2007 with final totals of 14,101 rushing yards, 90 rushing touchdowns and a career rushing average of 4 yards a carry.

DEION SANDERS
"Prime Time" and "Neon Deion" are just some of the nicknames given to one of the most dynamic personalities EVER to grace the NFL. Sanders is the only person to ever play in both a Super Bowl AND a baseball World Series. After five seasons with his first team, the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders left for San Francisco, where he won his first Super Bowl in his only season with the team. He fell out with star wide receiver Jerry Rice, and promptly moved to Dallas. In his first season with the Cowboys, he won his second consecutive Super Bowl. He stayed with Dallas, playing to a level perhaps unsurpassed by a corner back in the NFL, until the end of the 1999 season. He then became one of the first high profile free agent signings of the Dan Snyder Washington Redskins, but retired after one season. He was coaxed back four years later by the Baltimore Ravens, adding five more interceptions and one more defensive touchdown to his awesome statistics. Sanders is the only modern era NFL player to have scored six different types of touchdown, and his 19 defensive and return touchdowns are NFL records.

DREW BREES
The 2005 season had been one of the most traumatic in the history of the New Orleans Saints. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the Saints had been forced to abandon their Superdome home and go on the road for the whole season. They finished 3-13, and fired head coach Jim Haslett. They appointed Sean Payton has head coach, and lured free agent quarterback Drew Brees from San Diego. Brees had posted back to back impressive seasons with the Chargers, but after they drafted Phil Rivers, Brees time in San Diego was numbered. Expected to sign for the Miami Dolphins, Brees instead joined the Saints. In his first season with the team, now back at the Superdome, the Saints went 10-6 and won their second ever playoff match, before losing in the NFC Championship game. The Saints were now the feel good story of America, providing a banner for a city in which thousands were still suffering the effects of Katrina. Brees next two seasons were equally impressive, but in his 4th year with the team he took them to the Super Bowl, where he put in a stellar performance to win the games MVP award and take New Orleans to its first Championship. He continues to perform at a high level, breaking Dan Marino's single season passing yardage record in 2011. In his time in The Big Easy, he has not only thrown for 28,394 yards and 201 touchdowns, he has transformed the franchise into one of the modern offensive powerhouses.

REGGIE WHITE
White was one of the most dominant defensive players of his or any other generation during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, notching an astonishing 70 sacks in his first 57 games with two sack leader titles in his first four years. His dominance however did not translate into a success, with a championship proving elusive in the City of Brotherly Love. After 124 sacks in his eight seasons, he surprised football by moving to the once fabled, but now beleaguered, Green Bay Packers at the start of the 1993 season. By the end of his 4th season, he finally became a Champion, as the Packers beat the New England Patriots (featuring Curtis Martin) 35-21. White sacked Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe three times, including two on consecutive plays. White played two more seasons in Green Bay, losing a further Super Bowl the season following his victory, and ended his career in Carolina, retiring after the 2000 season with a (then) NFL record of 198 sacks.

On December 26th 2004, Reggie White died aged just 43. He was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. His number 92 jersey has been retired by both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Packers.

White is to me the greatest Free Agent of all, as he was one of the first, and certainly the first to go and excel elsewhere. The game, and the world in general, is the poorer for his loss.

Little Things

2012-06-29T02:48:00.001-07:00

Welcome back! So glad you decided to read this, I know other blogs are available and I thank you for choosing this one.

EURO 2012

For the most part, the tournament in Poland and Ukraine has been very enjoyable. We didn't get a 0-0 until the last quarter final (bravo England), Holland provided great humour by collapsing like a flan in a cupboard, and Roy Hodgson gave hope to a nation by taking England to the quarter finals (I wonder if Fabio had taken us to the quarter finals, would it have been a success or a failure...). Its been a good few weeks on the whole. The only major smelly guy in a crowded train? The commentators.

By the term commentators, I mean an umbrella term encompassing the analysts in the comm box and also the experts in the studio. ITV, BBC, listen up. You've been a disgrace. Just because someone played the game of football does not mean they are an expert. It usually means they are a tosser who love the sound of their own voice. Mark Lawrenson accused the England players of lacking national pride. Mark Lawrenson, born in Penwortham Preston but played for the Republic of Ireland, accused the England players of lacking national pride. He then "amusingly" inferred that people who use Twitter are "sad". The only thing sad is that he got paid to do a job that most of the football watching public who have NEVER played professionally could do better.

I highlight "Lawro", as he is the easiest figure to rally against, but both networks deserve criticising heavily for the tone of they all used whenever England played. Oh sweet Jesus, CHEER UP. What a heavy task it must be to watch England, at least I imagine so for the amount of pissing and moaning all concerned did.

I know I may be strung up for this, but the sooner Sky has all sports the better.

AMERICA'S TEAM

Since I have watched the NFL, I have always been puzzled by the self appointed nickname of the Dallas Cowboys of "America's Team". The team only began in 1971, so it can't be THAT great. But of course, that is an English mentality attached to an American sport, where the attention span is shorter. In the 1990s, Hall of Fame trio Troy Aikman Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith led the team to three Superbowl victories, Aikman winning 90 games in the decade (an NFL record for any decade). But since 1997, the Cowboys have won 1 playoff game. ONE! Yet every season this team is talked up as "THE team to shock/rule/win it all".

GIVE IT A REST.

They are a team that deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as Arizona, Buffalo and Cincinatti. They may have a good year, but they won't win it all. So if the term "America's Team" means "the team America is most likely to over rate and be disappointed by", keep calling them it. But they suck.

Reflections

2012-06-21T03:35:00.003-07:00

There have been a few newsworthy events of the last few days, and I feel like adding my ha'pennys worth to some of them. Read on, dear reader.

TOM MAYNARD

The English cricket scene was rocked by the untimely death of Tom Maynard on Monday morning. Maynard, 23, was the son of other England batsman and coach Matt Maynard, one of a large list of great county players who never cracked international cricket. After impressing since joining Surrey, hopes were high that Tom would not have the same troubles as his old man at the highest level.

The details surrounding Tom's death are very hazy, with only a few actual facts clear. For myself, I do not wish to know anything more. It is sufficient for me to know that this talented, popular and highly promising player has been lost to the world at a devastatingly early age, and that Surrey CCC, English cricket and of course the Maynard family will be all the poorer for the loss.

Though a Surrey player when he died, Tom started his career at Glamorgan. During a recent off season, some underhand backroom intrigue saw captain Jamie Dalrymple and coach Matt Maynard ousted from their roles. Rather than stand by and accept what had happened, Tom showed family loyalty of the highest order by asking to leave the county he had been with all his life. I would hope all of us would be able to stand by our principles, and our own flesh and blood, in such times.

Rest easy Tom Maynard. You will be missed, but most importantly of all you will be remembered.

LADAINIAN TOMLINSON

Monday also saw the retirement from the NFL of running back Ladainian Tomlinson, after he signed a one day contract to retire as a San Diego Charger (a curiously American thing to do). Though his last two years were spent with the New York Jets, LT (a nickname both simple and historically significant with greatness in the NFL) will always be remembered as a Charger, who he spent the first 9 seasons of his career with.

LT ends his time in the NFL 5th all time in terms of rushing yards, his career tally of 13,684 putting him behind only legends of the game like Curtis Martin, Barry Sanders (both of whom, like Tomlinson, never won a Super Bowl) Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith. But as with all numbers, they only tell some of the tale. LT was perhaps one of the most dynamic players of all time, a consistent threat on the ground from anywhere on the field, an accomplished pass catcher out of the backfield (in 2003, his 1645 rushing yards were joined with 100 catches for a further 725 yards) and also as a gimmick passer, finishing his career with 7 touchdown PASSES from 12 attempts.

As I've already mentioned, he ends his career without ever appearing in, let alone winning, a Super Bowl. This is a cruel oversight, but by no means a unique one. The absence of a Super Bowl ring is for many players a barrier to greatness, and perhaps a key block to their entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I have little doubt that this will not be the case with LT. I fear that my generation of NFL fans will not be able to truly appreciate how good Tomlinson was, as his deeds are too close. In time, thanks to posterity and our memories, maybe we'll see how good he actually was.

REST, RECUPERATION, ROTATION...DROPPED?

Following on from James Anderson (and ultimately Stuart Broad) missing the 3rd Test for England against the West Indies for reasons of "rotation", England have again announced that Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad will not play in the final ODI against the same opponents at Headingley on Friday. This has led to uproar from some quarters, players media and punter alike. Many of the old guard angrily bemoaning how the greats like Fred Trueman used to play every game for club and country, and would deem such rotation as insulting and consider it a dropping. Fans are angry that they have to pay such high prices to watch a game in which a second string XI will be playing.

For myself, I can see reasons for and against the argument. With the greatest respect to the Windies though (who certainly in the Test series put up a much better fight than many expected), they are not the attraction of the 2012 summer. They have been a starter, a warm up act, a prologue. Sure, enjoyable in parts, but what we really want is the main course, the headline band, the story itself. That, in this instance, is the clash with South Africa. I think I speak for all when I say we would prefer to have the best bowling attack in the world (a tag England richly deserve) fully fit and fresh for this series.

Understandably, fans who have paid good money are angry, and will feel short changed. My answer would be to not be angry with the England team, coach or selectors. Focus instead your anger at the blinkered short sighted administrators, with their still wonderfully well thought out and planned 5 match ODI series against Australia. Take those five matches away, and England would be playing their full strength team throughout the Windies series. This series is the biggest insult to the fans, and tellingly, the West Indies.

A Look Back at Two South Africans

2012-06-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

The main cricket news of the week has been the retirement from International Limited Overs (50 over and T20) of Kevin Pietersen. I looked forward to writing a blog about this, looking at the distinct phases of KP's time as a limited overs player. The whirlwind start, the poor to middle middle, and of course the explosive end...then I found out that Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan at Cricinfo had already covered it. And in much more flowing terms than I am capable of. The git.

For the record, his offering can be viewed at http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/566823.html
and I strongly recommend you do so, if you like your numbers.

For my own part, I shall simply say that Pietersen has clearly decided that the current ODI format (50 overs) is not for him. He wished to concentrate on the two forms of the game best suited to his uinque talents, Test and T20. However, the mandarins at the ECB, obviously not a Turkey that votes for Christmas, would prefer KP to be available all summer long, especially to headline a meaningless and unnecessary FIVE MATCH ODI series against Australia. Australia are England's premier opponents, and every match v the old enemy should be crucial. BUT...next year is Ashes year. This preposterous dilution has been arranged, taking five days out of the International calender that could have been used to stage a 4th test match between England and South Africa, a fixture I'm sure many more people would prefer to watch. Now, with no KP against the Aussies, straight away this "diet Ashes" series has lost a considerable amount of fizz. I believe that, for the second time in his International career, the ECB and Pietersen have been guilty of bluffing each other (the first time was the messy end to his captaincy). Pietersen will have asked to miss the ODIs so he could be fit for the Tests v South Africa and the World T20 in Sri Lanka. The ECB will have said "You don't pick and choose, play all or none at all." KP will have said "Fine, none at all.", and so ends the limited overs career of one of our greatest South African imports.

CRONJE

On Wednesday night, BBC 5 Live aired a documentary about disgraced former South African captain Hansie Cronje, who died ten years ago today (June 1st) when the light aircraft he was flying on crashed into mountains near his home. The documentary looked back on his life, the aftermath of his death, and most strongly on the issues that he will forever be linked, his associations with bookmakers and his confessions that finally opened the worlds eyes to the level of corruption in the game.

For those who may not remember (he last played an international match in March 2000), Cronje WAS South African cricket. He was captain of the Test and ODI side from 1994 to the time of his "capture" in 2000, and was seen by no less than Nelson Mandela as the figure head for the game for his country, ravaged by years of violence, racial segregation and that most hated for words, apartheid. On the field, his team lost only 11 out of 53 Tests, including one at Centurion in 2000 that would go some way towards sealing his fate. South Africa also won 99 (and tied one) of the 138 ODI's he was at the helm for. He was, it must be said, a slightly negative tactician, setting very heavy off side fields and instructing his bowlers (Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock amongst them) to bowl very wide of the off stump, hoping the batsman would make a mistake out of sheer frustration. Himself, he was a phenomenal player of spin bowling, and is one of the few batsmen in world cricket to have fully imposed himself upon Muttiah Muralitharan. He loved cricket. But he had another deeper, more encompassing love. He worshipped money.

The documentary featured an interview with Henry Williams. His is a name that many have forgotten when it comes to international cricket, yet he has a key part in the Cronje story. Williams and Herschelle Gibbs were two players that Cronje approached in a match v India in 1996 and asked them to under perform, for which they would receive a "consideration". Gibbs, an enigmatic opening batsman with a flair for the dramatic, was to get out before he reached 20, and Williams, a bowler, was to concede more than fifty from his alloted overs. It didn't happen, as Gibbs (who claims he "forgot about the deal") scored 74 and Williams was forced to end his spell prematurely after conceding 11 runs and taking a wicket from his less than two overs work. But the sad fact of the matter is that Cronje, this icon of his country and sport, and deliberately picked two "coloured" (neither black nor white, by the still disgraceful terminology used to define these players) young players to cheat, all so Cronje could pocket a "little something".

The Test at Centurion was covered by Messrs Chapman and Agnew at some length, this weird match whereby Cronje offered to set England a chaseable target so a result was still possible after three days had been lost by rain, if England Captain Nasser Hussain would agree to forfeit an innings. At the time, Cronje was applauded by many (including Hussain himself) for his gesture, ensuring a meaningful days cricket. But some involved in the match were never truly happy. Mike Atherton has always had his doubts re the game, not surprising given Athers extensive knowledge of gambling, that it was "too easy". The documentary reveals, through Alec Stewart (who scored 73 in the run chase) that senior South African players like Marc Boucher, Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis were not happy after the game, thinking something had maybe happened that shouldnt have. It had. Cronje had been given 50,000 Rand and a lather jacket to ensure that there was a positive result.

The programme is available as podcast, and I implore you to download it. It offers a great insight into one of the games most tragic figures, and hopefully jogs the authorities into ensuring that scenes like Cronje's tearful final confession at the end of the King Commission are never repeated again.

The Truth will always, always, set us free.

Tim Bresnan...the new Whats His Name?'

2012-05-30T12:05:00.002-07:00

Much has been written, said and of course tweeted with regards the place in the England side of Yorkshire all rounder Tim Bresnan this summer. Before Lords, it was accepted that he was worth his place in the side as the 3rd seamer due to his ability to score runs, something that The Peoples favourite (and by people I mean a majority led Southern press) Steven Finn has shown little capacity to do in his short England career. He followed this glowing vote of confidence up by registering a five ball duck at Lords in a match in which he seemed to struggle with the ball on a surface that Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad made look perfect for them at times. The match did end in a win, the 12th consecutive of Bresnan's Test life (already extending his national record for the best start to a Test career). And so the same grumbling seemed to come from those hacks for whom a winning England side provides nowhere near the amount of fresh meat needing to satiate their appetite for criticism. If not Finn, then surely Graham Onions must be recalled for the 2nd Test at Trent Bridge. Fortunately, Geoff Miller (head of England's selectors) does not have an office in Fleet Street, and so England were unchanged.

At the end of the 1st Day, it may have looked to some that the sound of sharpening knives had finally hit Tim too hard. His figures at the end of an exhilarating first day were 1-78, and he had hardly troubled the batsman save for his one success in dismissing the poor Dinesh Ramdin. Within an hour and a half of play starting on Saturday, the doubters were nowhere to be seen. Bresnan took 3 of the last four wickets to fall, getting the ball to reverse swing in a manner that Broad and Anderson were struggling to replicate. Not satisfied with this, on Sunday he finished 39* after a partnership with Broad rescued England from a position where they may have ended up trailing the visitors after an old school England middle order collapse, and then ended day 3 with 3-10 (all lbw decisions) as the Windies were reeling on 61-6. Monday saw him take his 4th wicket of the innings (Sammy, lbw) and collect the man of the match award, as England cruised to a 9 wicket win. 13 out of 13.

Those in the media and those who know nothing about cricket (this is not essentially two separate groups) like to call Bresnan "England's Lucky Mascot", as if he is being brought along by Andrew Strauss to help his side pick up wins after his turning up at the ground one day suddenly led to a revival of England's fortunes. His career record to date suggests otherwise. He is well deserving of the title of "International All Rounder. As we see here ;

Played 13 Runs 362 High Score 91 Average 40.22 Wickets 52 Average 25.46 Catches 6.

Compare these figures to the two recognised all rounders currently in the England side with him in their first 13 Test matches.
Graeme Swann
Runs 441 High Score 85 Average 36.75 Wickets 53 Average 31.32 Catches 7
Stuart Broad
Runs 422 High Score 76 Average 28.13 Wickets 35 Average 38.68 Catches 4

Though scoring fewer runs than both of his two mates, he boasts a better batting average, and though he has taken one less wicket than Swann, his wickets come so much cheaper than both of this. Now compare them with these numbers from the first 13 Tests of another England player.

Runs 396 High Score 137 Average 18.85 Wickets 15 Average 46.46 Catches 7

Who gave us these numbers at the beginning of his Test career, figures that show little but flashes of talent and promise? They belong to Andrew Flintoff.

Obviously Freddie was taking his first steps in Test cricket into a mostly awful England side, and had to combat a lot of injuries and slagging from the media (only seems to happen to the Northerners, doesn't it?), but Bresnan's figures stack up marvellously well against these other prizes of English cricket.

There was a time during the early 1990s when the media and fans alike cried out for a replacement to their lost figurehead, one of the four great all rounders to dominate the game for much of the 1980s. A whole host of promising youngsters were saddled with the tag of being "The next....(I'm not even going to mention his name, but he does lots of walks for charity and his quite friendly with Sir Viv), including Darren Gough, Dominic Cork, David Capel, Ronnie Irani (Jesus Christ....). As England's recent successful run continues, the calls for a new saviour seem to be quieter, allowing the next generation to continue in their own sweet time. I would not dare use this article to saddle Tim Bresnan with the weight of being the next "___ ______", or even the next Andrew Flintoff. I am merely happy that he continues to be the best Tim Bresnan he can be.

But lets compare his figures to English crickets foremost Knight of the Realm anyway! Remember, these figures are merely for his first 13 Tests.

Runs 590 High Score 108 Average 39.33 Wickets 70 Average 18.48 Catches 13.

Bres doesn't have THAT far to go, does he?

When People Answer THIS Critic

2012-05-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Listening to Test Match Special on Friday, I was able to hear the moment that England captain Andrew Strauss finally reached three figures for England, 18 months after his last century and nearly three years since his last one in England. Stopping short of calling for the head of our run less (by comparison) skipper, I had been very critical of Strauss and the seemingly easy ride he was being given by the media, remembering the treatment meted out to my hero Michael Vaughan leading up to his 2008 relinquishing of power. Now he seems to be safe, and a safe bet to probably be in post not only for the upcoming South Africa series, not to mention the tour to India and probably next Summers Ashes series.

The achievement of Strauss led me to think about the current England XI, and made me realise how many of them I have, shall we say, not exactly backed 100% (wanted them out and away from the Test side) at one stage or another of their careers. Here, I take a look at the low and high watermarks for the England side, in my eyes.

Andrew Strauss - After a lacklustre 2007, highlighted by Strauss nicking off to first slip to an endless number of back of a length deliveries, I felt it was time for him to sit out. Indeed, I was quite happy with the prospect of Vaughan moving back up to opening with the new wunderkind Alastair Cook. He was dropped for a three match tour of Sri Lanka. Cook and Vaughan were not a disaster, but the middle order failed to fire, so Strauss returned to bat at 3 for the New Zealand tour. The first two tests produced very very close to bugger all, but he saved the 3rd test with 177 to set up a win. By the time the Kiwi's toured England a few months later, he was back opening the innings. Less than a year later, he was England captain.
Alastair Cook - After a run of failing to convert starts into big scores was halted during his caretaker captaincy trip of Bangladesh, Cook seemed to have regressed again during the summer tests in 2010 against the same opponents and Pakistan. I made no secret of the fact that I felt Cook should be left out of the 3rd test at the Oval. He was not, and produced an innings low on quality but big on heart, scoring 110. I remained unconvinced, and bemoaned the fact that this knock had guaranteed him an Ashes berth. Well, we all remember what happened then don't we....
Jonathon Trott - I have never actually called for Trott to be dropped, though I did voice a concern that he should not be batting at 3 after a torrid tour in South Africa, and should maybe be moved into the middle order. Wrong again...
Kevin Pietersen - After losing the England captaincy, KP had endured a rough time with the bat, going from March 2009 to December 2010 without a test century. His double ton at Adelaide went a long way towards winning the match, but he failed to significantly contribute for the remainder of the Ashes. I don't recall ever seeking his removal (though I recall saying Ian Bell may be a better choice at number 4...), but I was keen for him to get his bloody head down and start scoring some runs when it mattered. In 2011, he averaged 78 in Test cricket, including a blistering 202* against India at Lords.
Ian Bell - I called for Bell to be dropped after the Ashes 2005, in which he performed an excellent impression of a minesweeper being horrified to be caught nicking other peoples drinks, tormented as he was by Warne. He returned the following summer, batting at six, and performed admirably. For the next few years he flitted between five and six, before moving up to 3 after Vaughan retired. After playing a shot best described as "f***ing awful" in Jamaica, sparking a collapse that would see England bowled out for 51, I demanded he be consigned to the scrapheap again. He was, but once again returned soon after. His form since then has been nothing short of exceptional, but he should never ever be allowed to bat at three again.
Jonny Bairstow - England Test debut. Can't really call for him to be dropped, plus he's a Yorkshireman.
Matt Prior - After a summer of solid batting and amusingly laughable wicket keeping in 2007, Prior produced an absolutely garbage level of performance away in Sri Lanka, leading to his dropping for Tim Ambrose. Ambrose's keeping was slick and steady, but he looked very much out of depth with the bat. Prior returned in 2008, and has shown a dramatic improvement in his keeping. More, he has shown that he is without question the best keeper batsman in the world at the moment, with six test centuries (three at Lords.) And my word what a beard.
Tim Bresnan - Never called for him to be dropped. (see Bairstow) Plus he has won 12 out of 12. And he bowled Ricky Ponting.
Stuart Broad - Broads self appointed role of "enforcer" of the attack in 2011 seemed to consist of him bowling a succession of poorly directed bouncers at the Sri Lankan batsmen, none of whom seemed in the slightest bit scared/bothered/to even notice. Added to a stagnation of his batting skills, I was quite vociferous in calling for his head prior to the Indian series in favour of Bresnan. My call was not answered, and Broad proceeded to enjoy a Flintoff-esque series against the poorly labelled best team in the world, highlighted by a hat trick and six wickets at Trent Bridge, helping England to climb to the top of the world rankings.
Graeme Swann - Never EVER want to see him dropped. He gave the world The Sprinkler Dance.
Jimmy Anderson - Ah, Jimmy, where do I start...wanted him dropped during the South Africa series in 2003 (he was). Wanted him dropped in 2004 in favour of Martin Saggers (he got injured instead). Couldn't believe he was called in for Simon Jones for the 4th test in South Africa (he bowled like a drain). Wanted him dropped after allowing Sehwag to get off to a tremendous start to an epic run chase in Mumbai in 2008 (he was out by the time England travelled to the West Indies for the first test). Its quite strange when I think about it, but it is not a bowling performance that finally won me over for Jimmy, but it is instead his epic last wicket stand with Monty Panesar in Cardiff in 2009. Since then, he has of course become one of the best bowlers in the world, culminating in a 24 wicket series in Australia. He now has over 260 test wickets, and if he remains fit he should become the first England bowler to 400 test wickets.

So what do I know? Not a lot, but will this stop me ranting raving and posturing?

Hell no.

Not a Clue

2012-05-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

In the absence of any NFL news, and also the damp weather conditions impinging on my cricket season, I have decided to write about something that has starting to particularly bug me lately. Its probably been around for a while, but I've only just noticed it. It is the seemingly low IQ of people who go on quiz shows.

This will be an angrier blog than my more recent writings, but I shall endeavour to keep the language clean.

Many years ago, there was a Norman Lovett skit where he plays a contestant on Mastermind. His chosen specialised subject was "Extremely Easy Questions That Have Existed Since The Beginning of Time", and included such taxing queries as "Red Blue Yellow and Orange are all what?" (they're all colours, in case you're confused). He scored 26 in the first round. At the end of the general knowledge round, his score was...26. On a recent edition of Mastermind, at the end of his specialised subject, a contestant had scored, from his 90 seconds, 1. His two minutes of general knowledge pushed his score up to a staggering...9. Why did he bother? I'm sure many of us would like to be on telly, and would no doubt tell all our friends to watch out for us, but to appear on the gogglebox and make a total tit of yourself must be the career ambition of a total shit for brains.

And speaking of shit for brains brings me nicely to the entertaining Saturday night Lottery gameshow "In It To Win It", hosted by the ageless (well, he's looked 50 odd for nearly twenty years) Dale Winton. Aside from the weekly hilarity whenever Dale banishes a constesant to his "red area", the show has an impressive production line of morons. The standard response when asked a question about ANYTHING seems to be "Oh I don't have a clue Dale". ABOUT ANYTHING!!! I saw a man on this show wearing a cricket sweater, and when asked a question about what the prize fought for between England and Australia at cricket was called seemed intent on going with "the Calcutta Cup" before he "suddenly remembered". (The Ashes, in case any wannabe IITWI contestants are reading). The scary thing is how many of these cretins, when asked what they'd like to do with any money they win on the show, answer "start my own business". The economy of the United Kingdom is on its arse, the last thing it needs is dickheads entering the market who don't know how many events constitute a decathlon (Ten).

Of course, sometimes the poor buggers are shafted by the questions before they have a chance to embarrass themselves. I don't know many (well, ANY if I'm honest) 70 year old retirees who know that Rhianna sang Rude Boy. But the special girls out there who not only like sport but also know a bit about it have their credibility destroyed whenever a question about football comes up and a brassy blonde tart (usually from London, and a particular area in London) answers "I don't know a fing about football Dale, I'm a girl!"

My dad and sister take great pleasure in watching that incredibly pointless show Deal or No Deal (a quiz show with only one question - where does Noel Edmonds buy his shirts?) and seeing someone blow a fortune having ignored the bankers last tantalising offer. I take a similar delight in watching some idiot who has fluked his way into the hunt for (usually) £20,000 blow it by revealing a total lack of knowledge regarding post World War One peace treaties. Maybe I'm just an angry bitter man. Maybe I'm just a know it all who is proud of the amount of information I've learned over the years.

Maybe I'm both.