Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Blowers, exclamation mark!

A great story reaches Nutley concerning the indefatigable Henry Blofeld, Test Match Special's commentator. Now I've watched countless James Bond movies in my time but never thought of linking evil, piranha-keeping Blofeld with cricket's own version.

According to this month's OSM, Bond creator Ian Fleming named the villain after Henry's dear-old dad. Says Blowers:

"My Papa and Ian had known each other at Eton. When Ian was working on the novel that would become Thunderball in the early Sixties, he wrote to Papa telling him that he had come up with a new villain, that he wanted to name him Blofeld and would he mind. Exclamation mark, exclamation mark! Papa thought it mildly amusing and wasn't in the least bit worried. Mind you, that was before any of the films had been made, so he had no idea how notorious Blofeld would become."

The days when England players cajoled around Australia (late night casinos with Kerry Packer, flying Tiger Moths) may be long gone, but what are the chances of Kevin Pietersen reliving the good times of Beefy, Gower and Lamby with some spear diving on the Gold Coast as pictured above?

Friday, October 27, 2006

Big Apple for India, Australia?

Are there too many ODIs played in the ICC's current schedule? What credibility the shorter game has is certainly curtailed when the likes of India and Pakistan start to play five-match series on a regular basis.

But the news that the Big Apple has been cited for the Indian cricket team to play a series of ODIs is an exciting one for the thousands of Indian ex-pats who now live in New York.

Read the exclusive piece here at Cricket World. What do you think? (UPDATE: link broken, go here instead)

As much as I feel the Champions Trophy a waste of time, I'm all for new venues being opened up in non-Test playing nations and the odd ICC-sanctioned ODI being played (take the recent DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur). South America has a seemingly thriving cricket scene, European cricket is becoming increasingly popular and as much as the administration in America is frustrating, potential is there for further development in the game.

New York has always struck me as a great venue to play cricket. Word has it that many businessmen have tried to lure international teams there in the past, although the only real cricket of any substance to date has been the now-defunct Pro Cricket league a few years ago.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Ashes cricket set for media-rich content

With the media watching every move (Cricket Australia said 2000 applied for accreditation) and different forms of reporting being explored faster than a Brett Lee bouncer (after being hit for three boundaries in a row), let's look at some of the sites worth perusing during the jamboree Down Under.

It's amazing how I didn't notice cricket blogging last summer, but that's proved how popular the term has become and how addictive it can be if you have one; with the time difference working to the internet's advantage over written media this time around, it only looks set to continue.

Two sites which blogged throughout the last Ashes were first-stop shop The Corridor, written by Will Luke at Cricinfo, and The Ashes Blog, which re-enacts key moments in a Brisbane back garden to by-pass image copyright laws. Both top stuff.

Of the other blogs, The Times' line and Length is the best. Patrick Kidd also linked Nutley on one of his posts, so that's definitely worth its weight! Others worth a gander include King Cricket, the BBC's TMS Blog, Cricinfo's Tour Diaries and Aussie-written The Cricket Blog and Sportnation.

From the Aussie media view, Fox Sports and Sydney Morning Herald's The Tonk are the two most likely to provide creative and lively debate amongst both sets of supporters. Most of the UK's broadsheets will no doubt provide an Ashes Diary along the way: only The Independent's Stephen Brenkley seems to keep these off-beat type stories going on a regular basis.

On the new media side, The Analyst will be providing his short, concise Telegraph podcasts, while Cricket World will be featuring live audio and real time footage throughout the Ashes. Matthew Hoggard will be pesterng team-mates during his video diaries for the Times, while the BBC will be showing brief highlights after each day's play.

A Classic Gold Aussie radio station phoned a few of us up last summer for a breakfast link, so keep your eyes peeled here if they do the same again. BBQ Bob, the host, was a typically lively, early morning DJ. One colleague always seemed to get one over him though, especially when he said that Glenn McGrath falling over the ball and chain at Edgbaston was England's gain. So with this in mind, check out this site and each venue's local radio station to see if any Barmy Army fans have infiltrated the live phone-ins.

And of course, Nutley to Nagpur will be posting from Down Under!

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Facts, stats and rugby tunes

I feel a return to form from Shahid Afridi today. Failing that, I've heard good things said about Jacob Oram. On a decent batting wicket in Mohali there should be some runs found from someone out there.

The PCA Stadium in Mohali is a well-built ground, although the concrete slab opposite the pavilion looks out of place. At least it gives a true reflection of how India goes about its architecture. Click here for some random facts.

Mohali neighbours Chandigarh and, as mentioned in yesterday's post, is home to Kapil Dev, the great all-rounder. The Haryana Hurricane (pictured) has his own boutique hotel-restaurant in the city; there are 10 rooms all named after his achievements like 'Tied Test' (India v Australia, 1986), '432' (World record Test wickets) and 'Four Sixes' (ask Eddie Hemmings).

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A Nutley post from earlier this year:
"Chandigarh is reputed to have one of the largest rose gardens in Asia. There are road lanes, speed limits (of sorts) and the PCA stadium here resembles Hampshire's Rose Bowl. Even Jerusalem rang out over the tannoy before play today; all sweet memories of England. So it was even more of a comfort when I passed a local whose mobile ringtone rang out the BBC's Rugby Special theme tune."

Monday, October 23, 2006

Betting with balls in Mohali

Champions Trophy games move to Mohali this week, home of Kapil Dev and a memorable story involving a British punter caught betting online in the press box earlier this year.

During the second Test between England and India in March, a young British 'journalist' sat down in front of myself and the man from Wisden. His laptop was always half-closed although enough to show the Betfair website. I briefly chatted with him at tea being a fairly novice reporter abroad myself; he was shaking and I took it as rookie nerves, not betting ones.

On the second day, we watched as he was escorted out of the press box by stadium officials and into the hands of the television cameras; tipped off by the journalist who reported him in the first place. He attempted to leg it but found a dead end and so the barraging of questions began.

It emerged that he was 22-year-old Rajeev Mulchandani, an Oxford graduate turned professional gambler, who was rumoured to have won £21,000 over three days. After gaining media accreditation and the use of wi-fi access, it meant he was always one step ahead of the bookies.

Just before he was turfed out we put our mobile numbers on a piece of paper, which was circulated among the press box, for a party at the British High Commissioners that night. A genius idea from one Indian journo as it contained Mulchandani's name and number. Calls to his home in London ensued and stories all over the Indian media the next day. Mulchandani - I'll never forget the name.

Click here to read how events unfolded further.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Bodyline goes big-budget

At last! Soon, my Hindi copy of Lagaan might not be the only cricket-related DVD in my collection.

According to the Herald Sun, a search is under way to find an actor to play Don Bradman in a big-budget version of the infamous 1932/33 Bodyline series. Former Aussie Test stars will be hired to help out in perfecting the resulting actor's Don-like technique. Russell Crowe has been touted to play Australian skipper Bill Woodfull, while ex-Neighbours hottie Holly Valance will play Bradman's wife and no doubt use her own bodyline for box office appeal.

'The Bloody Ashes' is being produced by Matthew Vaughn, who was behind the smash hit Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Expect plenty of slow-motion beamers, Vinnie Jones sledging at first slip and The Guv'nor chomping on fat cigars from the MCG member seats.

To get the authentic brylcreem look, I also expect the English team to be fronted up by Toby Stephens and Damian Lewis, with Colin Firth as team manager or all-rounder depending on how much weight he loses for the part.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Are you in for Plug 'n' Play?

Two cracking games. Pakistan and Sri Lanka finally gave some life into this Champions Trophy yesterday; Australia and West Indies have also shown the ICC that there is a tournament to play for.

But with Christmas around the corner, it was a link to an interactive cricket game I have been drawn to. Now this either looks like hours of fun or £40 consigned to a dusty cupboard.

At first, I couldn't seem to make out the logistics of Plug 'n' Play, which sounded more akin to Axl Rose's children. Maybe it was how the review was written, maybe I read it as Jerome Taylor was grabbing his hat-trick, I don't know.

Money well spent or keep to the Christmas cricket books?

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Who to drop from England 'dream' XI?

Freddie Flintoff's 100th ODI match against India raised an interesting 12-man team of capped England centurions in the shorter game. I haven't really put that much thought into it as it's only ODI's and England are suspect anyway, but here goes. Actual capped matches are in brackets:
1. Trescothick (123)
2. Gooch (125) C
3. Knight (100)
4. Lamb (122)
5. Botham (116)
6. Hick (120)
7. Collingwood (101)
8. Flintoff (100)
9. Stewart (170) W-k
10. DeFreitas (103)
11. Gough (158)
ICC's defunct, silly super-sub: Gower (114)
It's actually quite hard to get the balance. Is Flintoff batting too low? Should Gower be left out, although Hick can add some spin? Is Gooch the right captain? Does the top-order work? Will anyone ever get to 200 caps like most other int'l teams? What do you think?

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Cricketers in hotel mix-up

Strauss calls the tune, Onions brings tears to Kent, Re-Joyce for Middlesex. All good player headlines for today's sub-editor, but how newsrooms early last century must have wished for something special during Jack Crapp's short England career, born this weekend in 1912.

However it is this gem from Cricinfo which he will be more fondly remembered... "When Crapp reported to the front desk, he was asked "Bed sir?" Presuming he had been mistaken for Alec Bedser, he replied, "No, Crapp." The receptionist duly directed him to the first door on the right."

There are some classic cricket anecdotes out there. Add all the sledgings from over the years and it amounts to a sport which is untouched from others in terms of characters, humour and, er, quips like Crapps.

Cricket makes characters too. Graham Gooch was a shy lad when he first joined the Essex dressing room; now he can mix it with the best of them. Here's another hotel anecdote from Goochie:

"We came to the Taj Hotel during one tour and I was sharing with Derek Underwood. We had flown in quite early and a practise session had been fixed for that afternoon, so most players got in some sleep beforehand.

"In those days you had to ring down for any orders, and of course not everything worked perfectly, even though the Taj was the best hotel there. Anyway, we were eventually able to order tea for two for around ten o’clock, which then never arrived.

"We never thought anything of it and after a joke we both went to sleep. We were due to get up at about two when there also happened to be a knock at the door. I opened up and there were four waiters outside, each holding huge trays with beautiful cups on each one.

"They all marched in and said: "Here sir, tea for ten at two!"

I read in Goochie's autobiography the same kind of story involving a Caribbean taxi company and 10 cars turning up, but with all those cricket dinners to attend, I suppose it's how you tell 'em.

Anymore out there?

Friday, October 13, 2006

The right stadium to choose

There is a hotel in Mumbai which houses one of the best views of the bustling, chaotic city. The Ambassador is situated just off Marine Drive and overlooks the CCI Brabourne stadium (below), host to the Champions Trophy Final.

I stayed there in March on England's tour and didn't actually recognise it from the outside (right) - perhaps just saying "oil refinery, please" to a taxi driver would have sufficed - but it still retains its 70s charm and character inside.

On top of the hotel's 'refinery' sits the 360° Pearl of the Orient restaurant; look up the coast to the imposing, politically-built Wankhede Stadium, while just below on the other side is the CCI. If I was ticketless for the Final, eating a Chinese in the restaurant would be the next best thing, although if you are a CCI member, it is possible to watch from your bed inside the ground.

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Speaking of oil, Christopher Martin-Jenkins has had his spills in India too. 30-odd years ago, a spritely CMJ jumped into a taxi and ordered: "All India Radio." A couple of hours later he found himself by a refinery in the middle of nowhere. "Oil India, sir," replied the driver.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Sachin's other role

With cricket news in short supply - even with the ICC Champions Trophy - let's focus on Sachin Tendulkar's return to the India side and two clips which might be a reason for his technical brilliance at the crease.

Click on Sachin making a mockery of opposition bowling with his skills or Sachin pulling himself back into form. They're both really rather good.

Elsewhere, read how David 'Bumble' Lloyd's dad is still entertaining folk up north - at the age of 93.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Fever evokes painful snail memories

A deadly threat is hanging over the world's top cricketers in New Delhi, and for once it is not the force of Grievous Bodily Harmison. To date, 55 people have died in India (22 in Delhi) after an outbreak of dengue fever across the region.

Although there is no effective vaccine to cure the fever, the ICC have sought medical advice and told players to take precautions against the aedes mosquito, which bites during the heat of the day. As a result, players have been seen coming down to meals in long-sleeved clothing covered in repellent.

I doubt whether players are on malarial tablets too. My wife and I risked the wrath of this recently in India to be free from random dreams and weird thoughts that some anti-malarial's produce, and we are still living very happily.

I haven't been so lucky in the past. I picked up Bilharzia (a friend thought it was a bloke) in Malawi a few years back which also managed to make it into FHM's top 50 worst diseases. This was the only good thing to come out of it as - block your eyes - a nasty parasite enters the skin and starts making a family. These 1cm worms (diagram procedure pictured) feed on red blood cells in your stomach and generally make life a misery. My mate got another form of it, Katayama's fever, and ended up with spots all over him and a front page photo in the Norwich hospital rag.

Do you know of any worse diseases out there which cricketers' would be better off without?

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Political pawns, late nights

When Toiletgate first emerged in the news recently, my first thought was George Michael, let alone an important chess match. Since then I have been glued to events unfolding in southern Russia, where the $1m world championships are being held between Veselin Topalov, a Bulgarian, and Vladimir Kramnik, a Russian.

In events not too dissimilar to the Oval fiasco, the Bulgarian's manager started the dispute when he claimed that the Russian made too many visits to his personal toilet during one of the best of 12 games. The Russian's toilet was subsequently locked, the governing body's committee saw fit for Kramnik to forfeit the game, he protested and then his toilet was reinstated - all this while the Chess Federation president was away at a conference hosted by Vladimir Putin. How can you focus when all that's gone on? (except on the toilet).

All the former Grand Masters (Kasparov and Britain's music teacher lookalike Nigel Short) thought he would abandon the match. But a hasty call from Putin changed events and put Kramnik back to the table; mirroring events in 1972 when Henry Kissinger urged the reclusive Bobby Fischer not to abandon his match with Boris Spassky.

And, as the match gets into its last stages, if one manager is at it then why not involve two; Kramnik's manager has since claimed that the Bulgarians were planning to plant a microchip in the Russian's toilet. Love it.

NOTE: These chain of events are not as confusing as Adam and Joe's excellent quizzlestick.

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With the late night shenanigans in southern Russia, it would only be fitting that the latest finish in ATP Tour history has been smashed. Germany's Benjamin Becker and Jiri Novak slugged it out until 3:24 am in Tokyo earlier this week.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Col Sanders to the rescue

Chris Gayle may be hitting form with the bat, but it is metaphors with the ball which could make for healthy (or unhealthy) reading over the coming Champions Trophy games.

If you thought waking up after an all-nighter on the sofa with a KFC family-sized bucket beside you was bad enough, spare a thought for Gayle, the spinner, if he turns in some 'finger lickin'' performances.

News reaches Nutley that KFC, the world's largest chain of chicken restaurants, have stepped in to replace Digicel as the team's sponsor thanks to the ICC's strict marketing rules during the tournament.

The US company, who also sponsor a Caribbean tournament, have gone on promotional overdrive as well. 50 lucky Indian winners will be given the chance to dine with Brian Lara et al. No doubt Lara will be regaling his quotes from earlier this week: "Very early in life, we tell our fathers that we want to play cricket for the West Indies, and the next thing we want is a box of KFC chicken."

Team-sized mega buckets at the ready.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Teams touch down for Trophy

As the teams arrive in India for the ICC Champions Trophy, there is the view that this tournament is actually quite important.

A few months ago the Trophy was an unwanted nuisance for England in their preparation for the Ashes. Now it's a serious pointer towards the World Cup side when Fletcher's men will fall at the Super Eight stages.

The last Champions Trophy in England was clearly a nuisance for its party-pooper organisers as well; just like the '99 World Cup when the ECB made chilly May its start date and Tony Blair set off damp squib fireworks.

Scheduled in September two years ago, few spectators made light of the cold weather, USA were playing and the highlight in the early stages was a frenetic pitch invasion by Aussie and Kiwi supporters trying to get to the middle without being caught.

And then there was the final. As run by run was chased down by the Windies, an England result was never in doubt until Browne and Bradshaw held off in the dark. If anything, the result and following scenes gave back to the West Indies supporters memories of when the Oval was packed with the Caribbean community and, more often than not, victory for their team.

Can the Windies retain the trophy?

Monday, October 02, 2006

Family ties

Hadlee - perhaps the most famous name in New Zealand sport after Tiger Woods' caddy. But before Richard came his father Walter, who died on Friday aged 91.

Walter was pivotal in the development of Kiwi cricket and who knows where the island may stand today in the ICC rankings if it weren't for the family name?

He captained New Zealand on a successful tour of England in 1949, when tours took six months and getting there took six weeks, before turning is attention to cricket administration and bringing up three sons who all played international cricket. Read more here.