Tag Archives: World Cup

A Singed Phoenix

Posted on August 28, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

To England fans of many years (such as Martin), the team’s 3–2 victory over the Australians in the 2015 Ashes bears all the hallmarks of a very English success story—partial, inconsistent, worryingly incomplete: the eggiest of curate’s eggs. All the narratives proclaiming a resurgence … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Test Cricket, West Indies | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fun and Games at the IPL

Posted on July 15, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

The news that the owners of two Indian Premier League franchises—the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals—have been suspended for two years for betting has been greeted in my (Martin’s) neighborhood in Brooklyn with a shrug and a yawn. I’m blessed to encounter many … Continue reading →

Posted in Cricket, India, IPL | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Motherland of Baseball

Posted on April 11, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

In Right off the Bat, Martin and I trace the contours of international-baseball competition. Such count the Olympics (including Hitler’s infamous 1936 Games), the World Baseball Classic, and the far older European Baseball Championship. Some of the all-time largest crowds, … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Cricket, Right Off the Bat Book, Right Off the Bat Website | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Boring Cricket World Cup in the End—Possible Changes?

Posted on April 3, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

I (Parth) write this as I watch the first half of the 2015 World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand. As the sands of time play tricks on our memories in the future, we will remember this world cup … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Cricket, England, Right Off the Bat Website, South Africa | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On Bell-Ringers and Cricket

Posted on March 30, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

In the wake of England’s ignominious, deeply embarrassing, nay humiliating exit from cricket’s World Cup—won this last weekend by a resurgent Australia—I (Martin) find myself reading Can We Have Our Balls Back, Please? How the British Invented Sport (And then … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Cricket, England | Tagged | Leave a comment

Cricket for Americans

Posted on March 28, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

Greg Conley likes sports—a lot. When he discovered that the cricket World Cup is the third most watched sporting event in the world (after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics) he bought tickets to games in New Zealand and a couple … Continue reading →

Posted in Cricket | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Big Thump

Posted on March 26, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

If the heart-palpitatingly exciting semi-final of the cricket World Cup—between South Africa and New Zealand—was a battle between two underrated sides who are known for their sportsmanship and a tendency not to get involved in some of the nastier aspects of gamesmanship, then … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Cricket, India, IPL, Right Off the Bat Book, T20 Cricket | Tagged , | Leave a comment

March Madness . . . Cricket Style!

Posted on March 23, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

We have now reached the semi-final stage of the cricket World Cup, and as some of our readers may remember, we predicted the final four teams on Day 2: India, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. These teams were so much … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Cricket, India, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The World Cup Quarter Finals: No Surprises

Posted on March 19, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

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 →

Posted in Australia, Bangladesh, Cricket, England, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kumar’s Vintage Years

Posted on March 12, 2015 by rightoffthebatbook

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 →

Posted in Cricket, Sri Lanka | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment