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.

Finally, the Big One

Tomorrow (Thursday), it begins: the Test series that all cricket fans have been waiting for—England vs. South Africa in three mouthwatering matches to determine which is the best side in the world. Although the series should have been five games, … Continue reading

Posted in Cricket, England, South Africa, Test Cricket | Leave a comment

Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding

Frank Loesser said it best. “Ask me how do I feel,” chimes the ostentatiously virtuous Sarah Brown (rhetorically) to the covertly virtuous Sky Masterson in Loesser’s musical-without-equal Guys and Dolls, “Well sir, all I can say, is if I were … Continue reading

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The Calling

  Tatenda Taibu, the captain and wicketkeeper for the semi-resurgent Zimbabwean cricket team, has announced that he will no longer be stumping batsmen but will be stumping for the Lord instead. He’s retiring from cricket (in his prime, we may … Continue reading

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The Cruelty of Cricket

A couple of days ago, Mark Boucher, the South African wicketkeeper, was injured when a ball ricocheted after hitting the stumps behind which he was standing and caromed into his left eye. Boucher was taken to hospital and the wound … Continue reading

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Right Off the Bat at One

This Thursday, July 12, Right Off the Bat celebrates its first birthday as a regular book as well as an e-book. We thank all our readers of the book: in either format as well as via this blog. But there … Continue reading

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Just What Is Wrong with Mitchell Johnson?

When Mitchell Johnson, the Australian left-arm fast bowler, is good, he is very, very good. Unplayably good. Fiersomely, multiple-wicket-takingly good. He can also hit clean and hard and score runs very quickly. When he is bad, though, which is (to … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Cricket | Tagged | 4 Comments

The Contest before the Contest Is a Contest

The Australian cricket team begins a series of five one-day internationals against England. It’s an anomalous series in many ways, since it doesn’t come on the back of a Test match series between the old rivals (called the Ashes), and it’s … Continue reading

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Florida: Future Home of Cricket?

After hosting a couple of Twenty20 games (New Zealand versus Sri Lanka) in the aftermath of the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup, Florida will be hosting a couple more: this time between West Indies and New Zealand. The two teams contain … Continue reading

Posted in Cricket, New Zealand, Sri Lanka | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Clemens: He’s Not the Pope but He’s Innocent

Ecclesiastical jokes aside, as if to prove our point that one of the greater glories of cricket and baseball is that they’re three parts purity to one part sleaze (or should that be three parts sleaze to one part purity?), … Continue reading

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The Marks of Cain

The last couple of days have displayed—in extremis—why we at Right Off the Bat love cricket and baseball so much, and why they will never stop pitching us curveballs or bowling balls that rear up from a good length. On … Continue reading

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