The longest version
A 50-hour match, a natural No. 11, space-age clothes, morons with no conscience, and more
Siddarth Ravindran
24-Mar-2008
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Fifty-hour cricket
International players have long voiced concerns that too much cricket is causing exhaustion and could lead to burnout. Those claims now seem hollow as many "overworked" stars didn't hesitate before throwing in their lot with a new tournament, the lucrative Indian Premier League, introduced this year. But no one will doubt claims of tiredness from members of two Brisbane teams who played more than 50 hours of continuous cricket in an attempt to break the Guinness world record for the longest ever match. The duration of the game caused organiser Perry Le Petit to spin the cliché, "We're taking it one match at a time" into "We're going to take it shift by shift". There was plenty of drama, with several injuries and a pitch invasion by around 20 streakers. The teams had set a similar record in 2006 before losing it to UK club Chestfield last year, but Le Petit is certain the record will stay in Australia from now. "Fifty hours of sunshine in England without snow or torrential rain will never happen."
International players have long voiced concerns that too much cricket is causing exhaustion and could lead to burnout. Those claims now seem hollow as many "overworked" stars didn't hesitate before throwing in their lot with a new tournament, the lucrative Indian Premier League, introduced this year. But no one will doubt claims of tiredness from members of two Brisbane teams who played more than 50 hours of continuous cricket in an attempt to break the Guinness world record for the longest ever match. The duration of the game caused organiser Perry Le Petit to spin the cliché, "We're taking it one match at a time" into "We're going to take it shift by shift". There was plenty of drama, with several injuries and a pitch invasion by around 20 streakers. The teams had set a similar record in 2006 before losing it to UK club Chestfield last year, but Le Petit is certain the record will stay in Australia from now. "Fifty hours of sunshine in England without snow or torrential rain will never happen."
The trappings of fame
Two events last week provided some insight into just why the IPL's Chennai franchise shelled out the big bucks for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's services.
Two events last week provided some insight into just why the IPL's Chennai franchise shelled out the big bucks for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's services.
The Animal Welfare Board of India expressed an interest in signing Dhoni as their brand ambassador; nothing strange in that, except that they put in their request while also lodging their protest against the alleged sacrifice of a goat by India's ODI captain at a temple in Ranchi to celebrate India's win in Australia. And when Holi, a popular Hindu spring festival, came round, products bearing Dhoni's image were bestsellers. "I have already sold more than 10,000 masks, 2000 water guns and 7000 caps with pictures of Dhoni in the last one week," said a shopkeeper. Splash.
Carmelised cricket
With the cricket world abuzz with the developments in the two Indian Twenty20 leagues, an international Twenty20 tournament to be held in the UK this June is set to make history as well. Carmel and District Cricket Club, a Welsh village cricket club, is hosting and participating in an ICC-backed Twenty20 event featuring the national sides of Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia and Poland among others. Carmel's first-team captain said, "There are some players who have been at the club since the 1960s and I bet they thought their chance of playing international cricket had gone." The club, inspired by Harry Thomson's hilarious book on amateur sides on tour, Penguins Stopped Play, had been the first village team to take on national teams when they travelled to the former USSR.
With the cricket world abuzz with the developments in the two Indian Twenty20 leagues, an international Twenty20 tournament to be held in the UK this June is set to make history as well. Carmel and District Cricket Club, a Welsh village cricket club, is hosting and participating in an ICC-backed Twenty20 event featuring the national sides of Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia and Poland among others. Carmel's first-team captain said, "There are some players who have been at the club since the 1960s and I bet they thought their chance of playing international cricket had gone." The club, inspired by Harry Thomson's hilarious book on amateur sides on tour, Penguins Stopped Play, had been the first village team to take on national teams when they travelled to the former USSR.
A natural No. 11
During a practice session ahead of the crucial third Test between England and New Zealand in Napier, England decided to have a competition to decide who would buy dinner at the end of tour. The duel saw Andrew Walpole, the media manager, needing to see out six deliveries from Matthew Hoggard. An awful misjudgement saw Walpole not offer a shot to Hoggard's first ball which crashed into middle stump, causing much mirth all round. Like the proverbial bad workman (and good spinmeister), he had his excuse ready: it was "a shooter, a bloody shooter", he said.
During a practice session ahead of the crucial third Test between England and New Zealand in Napier, England decided to have a competition to decide who would buy dinner at the end of tour. The duel saw Andrew Walpole, the media manager, needing to see out six deliveries from Matthew Hoggard. An awful misjudgement saw Walpole not offer a shot to Hoggard's first ball which crashed into middle stump, causing much mirth all round. Like the proverbial bad workman (and good spinmeister), he had his excuse ready: it was "a shooter, a bloody shooter", he said.
Clothes maketh the cricketer?
A new five-year deal with supplier Canterbury sees Yorkshire cricketers donning a revolutionary new kit that is "guaranteed to keep the wearer cool or warm depending on the conditions". Another of Canterbury's products which Yorkshire intend to use "increases blood flow for improved performance and recovery" and "protects muscles and reduces the build up of lactic acid". The county's marketing director was quoted as saying, "Canterbury has designed a playing kit that we think will make our competitors envious." Wonder what Geoffrey Boycott will have to say on the matter.
A new five-year deal with supplier Canterbury sees Yorkshire cricketers donning a revolutionary new kit that is "guaranteed to keep the wearer cool or warm depending on the conditions". Another of Canterbury's products which Yorkshire intend to use "increases blood flow for improved performance and recovery" and "protects muscles and reduces the build up of lactic acid". The county's marketing director was quoted as saying, "Canterbury has designed a playing kit that we think will make our competitors envious." Wonder what Geoffrey Boycott will have to say on the matter.
Whither the spirit of cricket
The ICC aren't the only ones demanding better behaviour. Royton Cricket Club, a club in England, have been struggling to deal with vandals who have regularly been smashing benches and defacing their premises with grafitti. "We are dealing with morons with no conscience here," a committee member said. "We have been meaning to replace carpets for years but it's been on hold for a long time, because all the money has been diverted to deal with this."
The ICC aren't the only ones demanding better behaviour. Royton Cricket Club, a club in England, have been struggling to deal with vandals who have regularly been smashing benches and defacing their premises with grafitti. "We are dealing with morons with no conscience here," a committee member said. "We have been meaning to replace carpets for years but it's been on hold for a long time, because all the money has been diverted to deal with this."
Quotehanger
"In a country where there is such a huge debate on young (read youth) and experience it feels great to get an award with the word 'young' before it."
Sourav Ganguly on receiving the Young Achiever's award from the chamber of commerce in Kolkata
"In a country where there is such a huge debate on young (read youth) and experience it feels great to get an award with the word 'young' before it."
Sourav Ganguly on receiving the Young Achiever's award from the chamber of commerce in Kolkata
Siddarth Ravindran is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo