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Category Archives: South Africa
Hemispheric Pressure
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
Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Test Cricket
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The Series that Never Was
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
Posted in Australia, Cricket, South Africa, Test Cricket
Tagged Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Vernon Philander
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Basil D’Oliveira (1931–2011)
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
What the Hell Just Happened in Cape Town?
Just when you think the world of cricket couldn’t get any weirder or upside down, a Test match comes along that defies all expectations. Such an event occurred yesterday. The Australian cricket team is visiting South Africa for two Test … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Cricket, South Africa, Test Cricket
Tagged Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Literature, Michael Clarke
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Test Match Cricket Is Back
After a frenzy of one-day internationals, Test match cricket (the version of the game that separates the men from the boys, and the women from the girls) is back! And it’s providing some interesting stories. Zimbabwe, once (late 19990s) an … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Test Cricket, Zimbabwe
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The Missed Opportunities Caused by Racism
ESPNCricinfo has a fascinating article about Krom Hendricks, a southern African cricketer of color in the late nineteenth century, who was known for his terrifying pace as a bowler, and whose career was squashed by racist attitudes in South African … Continue reading
England Crash Out
Until this morning, the England cricket team had provided the crowds at the World Cup cricket tournament with heart-stopping, nail-chewing, fingers-in-front-of-the-eyes entertainment for six matches in the row. All well and good, except the team lost almost as many games … Continue reading
Posted in Cricket, England, One-Day Cricket, South Africa, Sri Lanka, T20 Cricket, Test Cricket, West Indies
Tagged Sri Lanka, World Cup
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Favorites Trounced in World Cup
A day after the much-fancied India beat the current world champions Australia, comes the shocking defeat of the equally fancied South Africans by New Zealand, perennial underdogs but smart one-day outfit. Defending a very modest total of 221, the Black … Continue reading
All Hail Jacques Kallis
For years, the South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis has been compiling stats that would be the envy of some of the greatest batsmen who ever strode to the crease. As of today, he has scored nearly 12,000 runs in 145 … Continue reading
Posted in Cricket, South Africa
Tagged Gary Sobers, Jacques Kallis, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag
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In Praise of South Africa
I fear that I give short shrift to South Africa in Right Off the Bat. Partly this is because during the 1970s and 1980s, when I was growing to love the game of cricket, the South Africans were excluded from … Continue reading
Posted in South Africa
Tagged A. B. de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis, World Cup
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Right Off the Bat 