Category Archives: Cricket

International cricket is divided into three forms of the game, which are becoming more distinct with each passing year. The shortest, and newest form, is Twenty-20 (or T20), which is less than a decade old, lasts about three hours, and consists of 120 balls for each team. The next form is One-Day cricket, which has been in existence for nearly forty years and lasts about eight hours, consists of 300 balls for each team. The third, and oldest form of the game, is First-Class or (when played between nations) Test cricket, and can last up to five days. This site divides its blogs into these three categories, and then sub-divides the categories between the rules of each form of the game and news and thoughts about each form.

The Quiet Men, Part 2

I (Martin) cannot heap enough praise on this South African side. Through a process of remorseless professionalism and incredible team discipline, the Proteas have marched their way up the world rankings until they now sit—uniquely—at the top of all three … Continue reading

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The Quiet Men, Part 1

I (Martin) am not someone predisposed to the flashy player—the one who hits the big shots, grunts the loudest, or likes to rile up the fans with big pronouncements and faux outrage. I prefer the quiet professional, the guy who … Continue reading

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South Africa Ascend to Number One

It was only a matter of time before a team of such quality would take the top position among Test-playing nations, and when South Africa defeated England in a gripping final Test match at Lord’s in London, to take the … Continue reading

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England v. South Africa, Second Test (or, The Kevin Pieterson Show)

I (Martin), having been otherwise occupied with another little sporting event (or, more accurately, massive Olympic-sized occasion) occurring in England over the last couple of weeks, have not been faithful to my plan to blog on every day of every … Continue reading

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Ask Your Cricket Questions Here

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll notice that on the whole we don’t spend a lot of time explaining the rules and nuances of cricket on this site. That’s because (a) we think that you can easily get bogged down … Continue reading

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England vs. South Africa, First Test, Day 5

Final result. England 385 & 240. South Africa 637-2 declared. South Africa win by an innings and 12 runs. As expected, England succumbed to defeat in the first Test match today. Only Ian Bell and Matt Prior put up any real resistance to the … Continue reading

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England vs. South Africa, First Test, Day 4

End of day score. England 385 and 102-4. South Africa 637-2 declared. As I (Martin) suspected yesterday, South Africa put their large, hobnailed boot on England’s neck and only lifted it in order to kick the supine body in the … Continue reading

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England vs. South Africa, First Test, Day 3

End of day score. England 385. South Africa 403/2. Every now and again in Test cricket a team experiences not merely a bad day but total demoralization. Because the Test match may go on for five days, a side can not … Continue reading

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England vs. South Africa, First Test, Day 2

End of day score. England: 385 all out. South Africa 86-1. The great glory of Test cricket is that a side can be dominant at the end of one day’s play and by the end of the next day’s play … Continue reading

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England vs. South Africa, First Test, Day 1

End of day score: England 275-3. The hero for England was Alastair Cook, who scored his twentieth century at the age of only twenty-seven. Cook is not an exciting batsman; I (Martin) think even he would admit that. But he’s … Continue reading

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