Quick Singles

my cricketing highlights, strictly no insects var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-12491893-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

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Oh to be four again. Hugs all round.

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Bankers’ Award for Self Policing: Michael Vaughan Vaughan doesn’t need a newspaper column or a commentary gig to express who he thinks should be playing for England – simply consult ISM Sports Management’s list of clients and you’ll get a fair idea who he holds in high regard.

The Badgers 2014: annual awards I whole heartedly recommend you subscribe to Cricket Badger

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Shush Mitchell, Jimmy is bowling.

[carisi-rollins]

[missfrodo]

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missfrodo:

So Bangladesh is hosting the Cricket World Cup. It’s a big deal. We followed these guys for a bit, loving life!

Party on!

[salvacarmona-blog]

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101 Cricket bats

Hanging on the wall

101 Cricket bats

Hanging on the wall

And if one Cricket bat

Should accidently fall

There'll be....

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England's World Cup Plan (Version 25b, WIP)

At the end of the English summer we thought Andy Flower and a plan™. England would build on their World Cup campaign on a similar basis to their Twenty20 success story, 5 bowlers, 5 batsman (including a wicket keeper) and 1 Luke Wright. Time has however made fools of us all, it's quite clear that England have many plans for this World Cup and can't quite make up their minds what which one is their favourite.

Wicket Keeper Opener?

Instead of working out who the best one day opening partner for Andrew Strauss is England have recently stuck the keeper in and hoped for the best. This seems to have rapidly backfired just in time for the the World Cup, having selected Matt Prior on the basis that he's the better all round cricketer and keeper they forgot he's not really an opening bat. Prior is not a power hitter and he's certainly not the stay around type, more of a finesse player Prior excels when the fields are spread exploiting the gaps and running hard.

In the absence of a specialist opener or pinch hitter, England have shoved Kevin Pietersen up the order. At first this seemed almost desperate but I'm beginning to think it will be seen as one of the more intelligent selection moves made during this World Cup. Pietersen has been steadily going stale in the one day middle order, he hasn't hit a one day international hundred since 2008 and as of late his contributions seem to be more fleeting than substantial. The move up the order will focus his mind on a new task, no longer will he be 'protected' or treated like a prima donna during this World Cup Pietersen will have to take responsibility. Something that I think he's craved since he lost the captainancy.

Bit 'n' Pieces

England's batting line-up just seems to get longer and longer, since the selectors have now worked out that Luke Wright seems to serve no useful purpose in England's batting or bowling line-up we've had a steady string of weird and wonderful solutions to maintaining the balance of the team. Collingwood selected as a bowler or even weirder actually playing Tredwell. The decision however seems to be a simple one; Bopara or Yardy?

Can Collingwood be used for a full ten overs? Will the big hitters go after him?

How good are the bit n pieces bowlers (Trott, Bopara, Pietersen)? Can they cover for Collingwood or an injury?

Who is the better batsman Yardy or Bopara?

On the basis that we're playing on flat sub continent wickets which we will often yield run no matter who is bowling it would seem to me to come down to that final question as England will need to maximise their batting. Bopara might have the edge in class; test match batting pedigree with hundreds to his name, I don't believe he has the guile of Yardy who is very much capable of playing a match winning innings.

Andy Flower it's your call, not one I'd wish to make.

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Stumpy says the Cricket World Cup begins tomorrow, excited yet?

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Olympic games eat your heart out; an elephant transported by cycle and trailer, elite athletes waving from rickshaws and Bryan Adams. Can't really top that now can you?

[effyeahcricket]

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effyeahcricket:

Stuart Broad marked his return from injury and illness with a 5-wicket haul to save England from an embarrasing loss to Canada in their warm-up match in Fatullah.

Broad is well rested and has a boat load to prove since his Ashes replacement Chris Tremlett out performed him, he should be performing well let's hope he can take this form into the competition proper. As per England's performance against Australia, the batting let England down they should be scoring 300+ against  teams like Canada.

[effyeahcricket]

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Training is one thing, now do it for real.

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Madame Tussauds gets some cricket based competition

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This time I'll try to bat 50 overs if I can.

Virender Sehwag's aim for the coming ODI World Cup is to bat fifty overs. Fifty overs in the whole tournament, really that many! Don't overstretch yourself there Virender.

Cricinfo: Batting long is Virender Sehwag's aim

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While James Tredwell and Michael Yardy floundered in the ODI against Australia and made excuses about their bowling not being suited to Australian conditions, one English bowler was ripping it up. Adil Rashid spear headed a three pronged spin attack for South Australia as they bamboozled their way to winning the Big Bash. Rashid really was at the centre of it all, often opening the bowling and putting together an impressive selection of variations.

This does come some what of a surprise, Rashid's figures for Yorkshire point to greater success in the longer form of the game and his performances for England in ODI and T20 were lacklustre to say the least. It appears however with the right tactics and coaching that Rashid has exceeded all expectations with South Australia. It will be interesting to see if Yorkshire make use of their extensive spin options to "surprise" English counties in Twenty20 cricket this summer, let's face it they haven't got a great deal to lose Yorkshire's Twenty20 record leaves a lot to be desired. Rashid though is starting to realise some of his promise, poorly managed by the England set-up in 2009 he is starting to regain some of his confidence, next summer promises to be a big one for him.

(Video via Last of the Summer Whine)

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I'd love to hear the justification for this, does this company not realise that they are undermining any deterrent that the sentence passed by the ICC might provide? The whole cricketing family should be behind the purge of corruption from our treasured game. I urge everyone in Pakistan to find another way to watch the World Cup, we should not stand for this. 

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Compton Cricket Club from the mean streets of LA with the aim of reducing the effect of gang culture in LA. The team is made up of former gang members, they are currently touring Australia.

"The aim of playing cricket is to teach people how to respect themselves and respect authority so they stop killing each other" -- Team Founder, Compton Cricket Club, Ted Hayes

Compton Cricket Club - H&Pz

Video and Report also on the BBC.

[fuckyeahenglishcricketers]

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fuckyeahenglishcricketers:

The Ashes have returned home…