Category Archives: Sri Lanka

Cricket Comes to Citi Field Revisited

The crepuscule of early November settles in Citi Field. The World Series is over, tho there are still faded signs stenciled outside the first-and-third-base lines proclaiming it. The mound has been flattened and covered, and there is a mostly dirt … Continue reading

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Kumar—Cricket’s Great Hope

Cricket may be losing a player of a generation, but it could be gaining one of its great administrators. Numbers do not lie. He was right up there with all the plaudits, marching proudly with the greats of any era. … Continue reading

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The World Cup Quarter Finals: No Surprises

The cricket World Cup has finally moved into the business—i.e., knockout stage—end of the competition, and, so far, the quarter finals have offered up no surprises. Not even the mighty resistance of Kumar Sangakkara could prevent Sri Lanka from being defeated by a South … Continue reading

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Kumar’s Vintage Years

This site has already had cause to wax lyrical about Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara. At an age (37) when most players are well into their decline—the muscles tightening, the hand–eye coordination slackening, the hunger gone—Sangakkara has not only had an … Continue reading

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Crickball

The Don. The Babe. South Korea. What do all these have in common? According to the Guardian last year, plenty. Martin and I touch on the two 1930s Cricket-and-Baseball Summits in something of a coda to Right off the Bat—minus … Continue reading

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Oh, England!

It is now with great regret that we are compelled to talk about the England cricket team—soundly trounced, thrashed, taken to the cleaners (choose your metaphor) by New Zealand in the World Cup on Thursday. Now don’t get me (Martin) wrong; … Continue reading

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The Cricket World Cup: Day 2

Martin here: We’ve now had four games in the World Cup 2015 and the shape of the tournament is already pretty clear (at least in my judgment). Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and India are, barring miracles or meltdowns, going to cruise through … Continue reading

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The Cricket World Cup: A Preview, Part 1

Every four years, the world’s top cricket teams gather to play a series of one-day internationals (ODIs)—the 50-over form of the game—to determine who is the best. It’s the nearest thing that cricket gets to a competition that the entire … Continue reading

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What the Hell Happened to India?

Reader: Consider two cricket teams—India and England—both alike in dignity. Both sides are in transition: even though their star players may have departed to the skyboxes and commentary positions, both teams are blessed with plenty of youthful talent—to wit, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya … Continue reading

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Matt Prior—Unsung Hero

Like his teammate Jonathan Trott, England’s Matt Prior is not a sexy cricketer—not least because their stocky, balding frames makes them character-actors rather than leading-man material on the cricketing stage. True, Prior’s not as dour and workmanlike as Trott; but … Continue reading

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