Category Archives: South Africa

The Curse of Number One

Posted on March 29, 2012 by

Amid the endless rounds of bi- and tri-lateral tournaments that dominate the cricket calendar, there are really only two honors that the major cricket-playing nations covet. One is to win the quadrennial World Cup, which uses the one-day (50-over) form … Continue reading →

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Ascending Mount Vernon

Posted on March 26, 2012 by

With his six-wicket haul in the third Test match against New Zealand, South African bowler Vernon Philander has taken over fifty wickets in only seven Test matches: the quickest to that feat since—wait for it!—1893. Unlike his bowling partners in … Continue reading →

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Slaughter!

Posted on February 6, 2012 by

In May of last year, India were ranked the best cricket team in the world at the longest form of the game, Test cricket. England were a close second. What a difference nine months make! Shortly after triumphing in the … Continue reading →

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The Mighty South Africans

Posted on January 22, 2012 by

For the last couple of years, a joke has been muttered by those begrudging the England team’s success that the only reason it wins is because of all the South Africans in the side. Captain Andrew Strauss, batsmen Kevin Pietersen … Continue reading →

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The Fight to Be Number One

Posted on January 20, 2012 by

It is a truth universally acknowledged (or at least it is in the world of international cricket) that teams visiting the Indian subcontinent are as unable to cope with the mysteries of spin generated by pitch and weather conditions in … Continue reading →

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The Old Ones

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

At the end of 2011, much of the talk in cricket was over what Australia, South Africa, and India should do about their aging titans. Should Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey (Australia) gracefully leave the stage? Were Jacques Kallis’s days … Continue reading →

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All Hail Sri Lanka!

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

Sri Lanka has had a bad 2011. How bad? Well, as a commentator on espncricinfo.com puts it: Sri Lanka have hurtled from one low to another after a sizzling run to the World Cup final. Their board ran into losses, … Continue reading →

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Hemispheric Pressure

Posted on December 28, 2011 by

While our baseball friends in the U.S. huddle around their stoves and await the first sprigs of spring training to appear in February, cricket lovers are enjoying a sun-drenched, beer-fueled banquet of competition in the southern hemisphere. After an inconclusive … Continue reading →

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The Series that Never Was

Posted on November 27, 2011 by

After losing an astonishing game in Cape Town, the Australian cricket team pulled off an improbable victory in Johannesburg in another closely fought Test match with South Africa, to tie the series 1-1, with . . . wait, it’s a … Continue reading →

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Basil D’Oliveira (1931–2011)

Posted on November 19, 2011 by

The South African–born England cricketer Basil D’Oliveira has died, having battled Parkinson’s disease for several years. Aside from his capable batsmanship and usefulness as a bowler, D’Oliveira will always be known as the man who encapsulated the racism within cricket … Continue reading →

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