40 Over Fix

Tonight the new local 40 over tournament has begun. 40 overs instead of 45! Powerplays around every corner! Extra batsman or bowler! Time outs! Half time strip tease by Brett Proctor!

What more could we ask for?

Apparently quite a lot, since there were more people watching Roscoe and I play street cricket with a tennis ball than there are in The Wanderers tonight.

The format is only half the battle. The other is the "give-a-shit-a-bility". During the Champions Trophy Roscoe told me, "It's great to finally give a shit about The Cobras again. And by the way, you're abs are tremendous, Darren."

Until they find a way to make the contest feel as though there is some drama and some stakes at play, they can mess around with the format all they want and it won't make any difference.

Stephen Cook becomes a man

Unfortunately, this story isn't about a young man remaining a virgin for far too long (for that story, wait for my autobiography). Instead, this is in acknowledgment of Stephen Cook's mammoth innings for The Lions this weekend.

Stephen batted for 838 minutes, which in more relate-able figures is 20 episodes of Dexter, facing 648 balls and managing 390 runs*.

That's the highest SA first class innings, absolutely smashing Cullinan's record of 337. It's also the 4th longest innings in first class cricket worldwide.

SA are looking for a test opener. Would it be too much of a knee jerk reaction to suggest we might have found one?

He's now experienced enough and his first class average of 39 and change is better than that of the heir apparent, Imraan Khan. Hmmm...

* Thami Tsolekile made 141 in the same innings. Make of that what you will.

Opener confusion

A few weeks back I think most felt that Prince would be given the chance to continue as an opener for SA in the upcoming test season. That was before taking to the position, for the Warriors, like a duck to lava.

He's now been dropped down the order and wouldn't you know it, his innings back in the middle order and he smashes a 150 against the Lions.

So where does that leave SA? Your guess is as good as mine. I see that Kallis is going to be given the job of opening in ODI's now. Would opening the batting in tests really be that wild of an idea?

Cobras vs Trinidad

The game is about to start and I'm genuinely excited about it. I just wish this could be the final. Twitter style updates as the match goes on...

- Christ balls! Gibbs is starting. Watch the bastard score a half century to try and make me look bad.

- Engelbrecht isn't playing. Pity, I was hoping to finally work out exactly what it is he does other than field like a Jonty Rhodes on crack.

- Cobras win toss and bat. Probably a good move but Trinidad do seem to chase particularly well.

- Gibbs helps the Cobras to 18 off the last powerplay over. What an ass!

- Gibbs should have been given out stumped but the cricket Gods intervened to remove his leg stump in the following over.

- Kleinveld vs Pollard. The battle of the happy meal champs.

- Kleinveld out but that little experiment worked out quite nicely. 180-200 is on the cards.

- Wow, great acrobatics on the boundary for Pollard. He chased down that ball like it was the last hamburger on earth.

- Duminy is pure class. I would literally have sex with him given the opportunity.

- Rampaul bowls an incredible final over to restrict Cobras to a decent 175. Will need to bowl out of our skins.

- Bloody hell, these guys can bat.

- Bloody hell, that was a stupid run to attempt.

- Henry just dropped the world cup. And gets a thumbs up from the bowler for his efforts. I think I would have used a different finger personally.

- And he drops another. Can't blame the guy, he probably just wanted another thumbs up.

- Ontong drops a sitter of his own. Someone give him a bloody thumbs down!

- Only Langeveldt can save the Cobras now.

- Well done Trinidad. I blame Gibbs.

Drop him

Enough is enough. 3 scores of nothing and pulling out of another game because his head wasn't right (when is it ever?) is all that Gibbs has had to show for the Cobras so far. Sure, we'll need some great hitting to overcome the fantastic Trinidad team in the semis, but Brand's fantastic cameo in the match against Victoria showed that he's no wilting flower with the bat in hand.

I'm so over Gibbs. And Hitler. They're both dead to me.

At what point do we get worried

As we mentioned before, Ashwell Prince is being groomed to open the batting for SA in tests this season. His debut for SA in that position against Australia was a huge success and at the start of this season he has taken to opening for his local team - Chevrolet Warriors. Smart move but so far its not exactly panning out. Prince's opening bat scores this season are as follows: 34, 0, 8, 1, 1

Not exactly very reassuring. There's still a long time time before the England test series begins but a few good scores from Imraan Khan might give the selectors something to think about.

CJ the real deal

Just witnessed the Eagles - Sussex game going down to the wire. Mclaren hit a 4 off the last ball to tie the game and send it to a Super Over. The champs league format is 6 balls with the team that can get the most runs off those 6 balls winning. However, if you lose 2 wickets then the "innings" is over.

So the Eagles bat first and they get a modest 9. Sussex come out to bat against CJ De Villiers. First ball of the over, off stump out the ground. Second ball of the over, off stump out the ground. Game over.

CJ is really becoming an amazing prospect. If he isn't in SA colours sooner rather than later, I'll shave Roscoe's head.

JP

99* off 52

Wow, what a knock. After the nerves in the field I didn't hold much hope in the Cobras, my home team, chasing down 181. Gibbs couldn't even rise to his usual level of "flatter to deceive", so the responsibility fell on JP Duminy's shoulders, and boy did he carry them over the line.

Having played key roles in South Africa's failure to get across the line in the T20 semi final and against England in the Champs Trophy, it was great to see him so in control and actually finish the job. Here's hoping that experience will be put to good use next time he's in the Proteas jersey.

South Africans can't look forward to Bopara

What a shame indeed. The test squad for England's upcoming tour to SA was announced today.

Andrew Strauss (Middlesex - captain), Alastair Cook (Essex - vice captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Steven Davies (Surrey), Graham Onions (Durham), Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Matt Prior (Sussex), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Luke Wright (Sussex)

Seems a decent enough squad. Bopara certainly needs a break from the firing line. Little confused about Luke Wright though. His first class stats are very average indeed.

Can't say I'm too scared of this squad, which probably means they'll crush us. Life hates me.

Champions League is here

In case you tuned in late.

Ravi Shastri: Blah blah blah.

Captains appear and leave hand prints in molds.

Cobra's captain Puttick is booed.

Lalit Modi: Blah blah blah ESPN Coca Cola Hero Honda blah blah blah.

Now there are dancers and music and flags... its the opening ceremony that nobody wanted! Can someone tell me when the bloody cricket actually starts?

Prediction competition winner

Okay, hopefully I've calculated everything properly. The results of our prediction competition for the champions trophy goes a little something like this...

Alex - 0 pts (not entirely unexpected)

Kissmycricket - 12 pts (22 pts if you don't count the late penalty)

Ben - 22 pts (the pre-tournament favourites let Ben down)

Sean - 27 pts (nailed Ponting as top run scorer but otherwise struggled)

Skroegerj - 34 pts (got a run scorer and a top wicket taker but semi finalist predictions didn't go well)

Roscoe - 34 pts (same story for Roscoe, who was the only guy to get two of the top runs scorers)

Q - 49 pts (got 3/4 semi finalists, joint top with...)

Darren - 51 pts (...me. If I had picked the overall winner I would have walked it. *sob*)

Krish - 53 pts (3rd place and all top 3 got Australia as winner)

Shaun - 56 pts (the pride of the SA blogosphere and would have won overall if he had gotten more than 1 semi finalist right)

Brian - 65 pts (hail the king)


Thanks to everyone who took part. It was good fun and a better competition than the one we did for The Ashes. Can definitely still be improved upon though.

Will definitely work on fine tuning points allocation for the next one (T20 world cup?).

Australia win for a change

Sigh.

Siiiiiiiiiiiigh.

Australia have just won the ICC Champions Trophy against the plucky Kiwis. They are crowned champs having beaten the West Indies 3rd team, a Pakistan team that didn't need to win, and England team that craps itself at the sheer mention of having to face Oz in an ODI, and New Zealand...who are a solid team but certainly not a great one.

If I sound jealous its because I am.

For a few years now they've been in decline, as all South Africans will tell you, having hammered this team in the home and away ODI series' earlier this year. But now they are back on top of the rankings, have won the champs trophy and have spanked England.

It begs the question, are Australia once again a very strong ODI team?