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Category Archives: South Africa
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
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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
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
Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, One-Day Cricket, South Africa
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The Curse of Number One
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
Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Test Cricket, West Indies
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Ascending Mount Vernon
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
Posted in Cricket, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Test Cricket
Tagged Dale Steyn, Marchant de Lange, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander
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Slaughter!
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
Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Test Cricket
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The Mighty South Africans
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
The Fight to Be Number One
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
The Old Ones
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
Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, India, South Africa, Test Cricket
Tagged Jacques Kallis, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Rahul Dravid, Ricky, Sachin Tendulkar, V. V. S. Laxman
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All Hail Sri Lanka!
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
Posted in Cricket, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Test Cricket
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Right Off the Bat 