Nutley to Nagpur: cricket blog

What's in a poll?

2007-12-06T09:00:00.000Z

This the latest poll from the Herald Sun, just one of a plethora of Australian newspapers in huge admiration over Murali's Test record, I'm sure you'll agree! What is strange are the results over the last few days. Perhaps a case of sub-continent ex-pats refreshing the page, or have the Aussie public suddenly realised the freak nature of Kandy's spin king over their own Shane Warne? Below left is the same poll from two days ago, from After Grog's Blog.

But then there is this quote from former Cricket Australia chairman and Test umpire Col Egar, who once no-balled Australian paceman Ian Meckiff for throwing. "I couldn't care less about him. As far as I am concerned they should have a separate record for bowlers with illegal actions. Warne deserves the record and in my book he will always be the record holder. I've got a photo at home of Murali's arm bending at 48 degrees. The tests they did on him were rubbish. The only tests that matter are those conducted under match conditions. The administrators of the game have got to take the blame for letting his action go."

Cricket Ceefax style

2007-12-06T08:53:00.000Z

Waking up on the dot of 5am has been a burden this week. That is until my brain starts kicking in and realise it must be for a reason. Of course, it's TMS. So in memory of yesteryear when listening in constantly to the Ashes Down Under meant little else, here's another piece of nostalgia which is occasionally posted. Click here and enter 340 to go back in time.

Ten of the best

2007-12-06T08:35:00.000Z

A press release circulated "on behalf of eBay India":

This once in a lifetime opportunity to face the ace cricketer Murali is available to all cricket fans and eBay users worldwide. Log onto eBay India (www.ebay.in/charity) to bid on the charity auction between December 4 and December 11, 2007. The highest bidder will face 10 deliveries from the master spinner on December 16, 2007 at the Seenigama Oval in Galle, Sri Lanka.

After his nine wickets in Kandy perhaps Murali can now claim all ten against the hapless, but no doubt happy, winning bidder. *A note to the highest bidder: Remember that Murali just loves a maiden over, so if you fail to register anything from your first six balls, just be prepared for the next four. **Note to ICC in Dubai: Like the ICC Super Series, this is non-Test status so should not be counted towards Murali's wicket haul.

Tweaking it

2007-12-06T07:27:00.000Z

Monty Panesar's book may have been a snore, but the Nutley is abuzz with the England spinner's line this week on his former boss...

“Spin was not his speciality” - Monty Panesar joins the criticism of former England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher.

Gilchrist's runner

2007-12-05T19:30:00.000Z

His name is John, he lives in Melbourne and he has ten days to return a red cricket ball to that Australian bludgeoner Adam Gilchrist. The Tonk has more information on the saga surrounding Gilchrist's 1ooth six and the mystery man who ruined the party by running off from the Bellerive Oval. It actually reminds me of a sketch from the excellent Paul Hogan Show, which I remember being screened on Channel 4 in the UK. It features Hogan waiting for a bus somewhere in Australia - a scenario I can imagine John doing after sweating it for a few miles a few weeks ago.

I've seen this before

2007-12-05T18:57:00.000Z

For all England supporters who know the situation. Insert/pick your England captain then... England are batting second, they have a whole day to stave off defeat. Three wickets fall before a partnership is formed and paying supporters dream of a great escape. All the hard work is undone by one lapse in concentration and the team crumbles, losing three wickets in next to no time.

That's pretty much how it ended up today in Kandy. It's just a shame that England couldn't hold on. After all, they thwarted Murali's attempts on recording his 21st ten-match haul while the top-order all got out to seam bowling.

On the face of it, England's performace today mirrored many second innings cards. Take England's series in Pakistan in 2005 which I remember had similar tones... Do you remember any other notable matches of this calibre?

All-round party pooper

2007-12-05T18:51:00.000Z

I missed this one, but the trans-Tasman rivalry continues in earnest. Word has it that the Black Caps' greatest all-rounder Richard Hadlee was overlooked by Cricket Australia and not sent an invite to the upcoming Chappell-Hadlee series. Oh well, at least he was invited to bulldoze the infamous Bay 13 at the MCG a few years ago; he must have done such a good job back then that CA have finally got one back on NZ's chairman of selectors.

Nevertheless, this is a chance for the Nutley to relive some classic anecdotes involving Hadlee and Australians:

He once received a letter from an inmate in Auckland jail asking for some memorabilia. He wrote that it was difficult to get to the grounds at weekends because they preferred to keep him in on both days. Hadlee then said the letter finished: "P.S. If it helps, the house I burgled was owned by an Australian." Another Hadlee anecdote involved a lady who went up to the Kiwi a couple of times during an autograph session. "Haven't I seen you before?" said Hadlee. She said: " Yes, but when I get 10 of yours I can swap it for one Dean Jones."

What to do with spare cash...

2007-12-04T21:09:00.000Z

Sir Allen Stanford may be doing thing with his earnings in the Caribbean, but this piece has slightly perplexed me.

The Stanford Super Stars match which was scheduled for June next year has had to be cancelled after India could obviosuly find no place for it in the team's busy schedule.

According to the piece, US$5million match was up for grabs at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Antigua, but now Stanford and his 14 legends of West Indies cricket "have decided that the money would best be spent in grassroots cricket in the West Indies." With such a staggering amount on offer in the first place, surely the priority would be to give the funds to grass roots in the first place or do I miss the point?

Healy magic moment

2007-11-12T09:54:00.000Z

From the Sydney Morning Herald's The Tonk blog:

Fifteen years and 702 Test wickets have passed since Muttiah Muralitharan made his Test debut against Australia in Colombo, but Ian Healy remembers the occasion well. When Muralitharan was introduced into the attack for the first time, the then Australian wicketkeeper was positioned at the non-striker's end as Border took strike. According to Healy, Border played and missed throughout the over, then sought a centre wicket conference to discuss the rookie "leg spinner" and his unorthodox action. "Umm, I think he's an offie, mate," Healy retorted, much to Border's bemusement.

Grow a Mo update

2007-11-12T09:51:00.001Z

Regular readers of this blog will be aware of your correspondent's current obsession with moustaches. Yes, The Nutley is currently growing one and is into his second week. For all the latest info, news, interviews and photos, go to : http://www.lovecricket.net/page2.htm.

All money raised from this facial extravaganza goes towards Male Prostate Cancer.

It's a lock out

2007-11-08T08:43:00.000Z

The Australian writers who were locked out of the ground in Brisbane need not worry if the media dispute over images and online use makes it to parliament. Old John Howard will surely sort it out. Cricket has a funny habit of making the headlines when it comes to disputes such as this. Perhaps it is the slow pace of the game that allows the splash, as opposed to the Rugby and Soccer World Cups when governing bodies relent and everyone is happy.

The bottom image is Aggers famously reporting from Galle.

2007-11-08T08:23:00.000Z

Left-arm Chinaman has a 'guest blogger' writing a post on Freddie Flintoff's desire for the odd tipple. Obviously this stems from Big Dunc's media furore over his recent autobiography, while Chinaman delivers the verdict on the ex-England captain through the following scoring system:

- Do you feel you are a normal drinker? Yes
- Do relatives or friends think you are a normal drinker? Yes (he is northern)
- Have you ever attended a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous? No comment for legal reasons- Have you ever lost friends because of drinking? Yes (Duncan)
- Have you ever got into trouble at work because of drink? Yes
- Have you ever neglected obligations, your family, or your work for 2 or more days in a row through drink? Yes
- Have you ever had delirium tremens (DTs), severe shaking, heard voices, or seen things that were not there after heavy drinking? No
- Have you ever gone to anyone for help about your drinking? No
- Have you ever been in hospital because of your drinking? No
- Have you ever been arrested for drunken driving? No

So it can be pretty well assumed that Fred scores at least 6 which makes him an alcoholic..."

Multi-tasking Mancunian

2007-11-08T08:12:00.000Z

I'd have to admit to missing Mike Atherton's Sunday column when he moves to The Times after England's tour to New Zealand. The former England skipper will combine reporting duties as well as his Sky Sports contract. Can he do both? What about breaking stories with a commitment to both parties? These are questions answered by Ted Corbett in a pieces for Sport Star. I can't see a problem with it. I've been lucky to interview Athers enough times to realise he needs no prep in front of the camera and he is well capable of pulling off 1,000 words before deadline. As Ted says, however, it will be when there is a major controversy that things might get a little frantic. But that's what journalism is all about.

Where's all the writing?

2007-11-05T09:44:00.000Z

It seems a touch bizarre that 2007's Sports Book of the Year only features one cricket book.

Serialisation after serialisation after... sorry, got to stop there it's a serial after all... seems to have been offered to newspapers this year. Autobiographies of course, nothing else would give papers more money.

This year's award features only Simon Wilde's hardy attempt on Shane Warne's life: a biography without interviewing the player. Surely there are more cricket books worthy of a mention? Read those in contention here.

The house that Jacques built

2007-11-05T09:22:00.000Z

I met a South African on Saturday night who told me about his reasons to come and live in the UK. Lack of work opportunities were the main reason before we touched on quotas in rugby and then tequila.

It seems Jacques Rudolph is doing the same. The talented 26-year-old has just signed a Beckham-esque contract with Yorkshire (last week mind, but there were no blogs). He wants to represent England, look for a house next year and probably run the Dales with Hoggie at some point. Rudolph's quotes upon signing must also rate as the longest:

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my first season with Yorkshire , both on and off the pitch. Everything about the Club is professional, supportive and focussed on getting results. The infrastructure and administration is first-rate and it has allowed me to concentrate all of my efforts on playing and enjoying my cricket, which has been very important to me. The quality of coaches, players and facilities is superb and there are exciting times ahead. I’m really pleased to have signed the new contract and look forward to seeing the Yorkshire lads again in March next year for pre-season training. We can then concentrate on winning some matches and trophies for Yorkshire . In the mean-time I am focussed on playing for Eagles in South Africa where we are looking to build on a winning start to the domestic season over here.”

Can't be ar$ed

2007-10-26T08:17:00.000Z

From Charlie Randall's cricket site:

"Peter Roebuck, Somerset’s captain, complained about Hampshire’s runner during a NatWest Trophy match at Southampton in 1988, holding up play with protests that Paul Terry was exceptionally quick and much faster than the injured batsman Chris Smith could ever have been. Umpires Jack Bond and Ray Julian calmly informed Roebuck that the Law on runners did not specify speed.In 1994 Warwickshire sent out the heavyweight Andy Moles, already tired from his own innings, to assist Brian Lara at Scarborough as a humorous protest against the West Indian’s request for a runner."

MacGill back in the mix

2007-10-25T17:09:00.000Z

Previous posts on Australian cricket have highlighted the Test opening partnership as one area of concern. But how about Stuart MacGill's return to the Test arena?

I'm glad the wine-loving leggie is back and free from the burdens of having to cope second fiddle to that other leg-spinner of some repute.

MacGill needs two more victims for 200 Test wickets if he is picked for his 41st Test. Warne made the landmark in his 42nd Test, which goes to show just how good MacGill was and what could have been if Australia had picked two spinners more frequently.

What are your thoughts on MacGill's career? To give you a recap, here he is mowing through England in 1998/99.

The Trent story

2007-10-25T17:03:00.000Z

Good news for Irish cricket fans with the news that Trent Johnston will be continuing as skipper until at least 2009.

It has been a terrific year for the Aussie and in true spirit has launched a book of the Irish experience in the Caribbean. Raiders of the Caribbean is penned by Johnston and journalist Ger Siggins. The 58,000 words were also written in 58 days straight after the Irish team landed in Dublin.

Legends' cold feud continues

2007-10-24T08:28:00.000Z

"Ian Chappell worries me about as much as a cold... I couldn't care less what he says." And so continues cricket's great feud.

The former Australian Test player has reacted to claims in Botham's new book about a bar-room incident in Melbourne 30 years ago where the Englishman recalled how he had flattened Chappell and sent him "flying over a table and crash-landed on a group of Aussie rules footballers..."

The pair haven't spoken since, remarkable really since they both work in broadcasting. In fact, this summer was especially interesting as ESPN and Sky Sports usually had their studios next door to each other.

Anyway, here's Chappelli in another of cricket's controversies:

Lambeth gas Oval project

2007-10-24T08:05:00.000Z

Lambeth Council has buffed Surrey's grand hospitality scheme thanks to the iconic gas works stationed close to the Brit Oval.

The Council has distanced itself from any impending explosion that may occur in Vauxhall and rejected Surrey's proposal for a 170-room hotel. The four star venture would replace the ugly banqueting suites by the pavilion and open up the ground's Victorian architecture for all to see.

The OCS stand by the Alec Stewart gates has made the Oval into a fantastic venue. I love the stand and the top balcony at mid-off is one of the best views in cricket in my opinion. In fact, my top five is: 1. Watching from Galle Fort 2. OCS Stand at The Oval 3. Tavern Stand at Lord's 4. Anywhere at Adelaide 5. A full-house at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

What's yours?

Warne gets Six appeal

2007-10-24T07:51:00.000Z

The Hong Kong Sixes takes place this weekend. A sell-out which features some competitive countries and the obligatory All-stars Six.

This tournament, held since 1992, has seemingly grown each year, while Shane Warne and Brian Lara have obviously given the ex-pat community even more reason to venture to the Kowloon Cricket Club to enjoy some ice beers in the humidity.

The All-stars team is: Geraint Jones, Anil Kumble, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath, Craig McMillan, Heath Streak and Shane Warne.

The England team is: Darren Maddy, Luke Wright, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Tim Bresnan, Kabir Ali, Alex Gidman and Steve Davies.

Aussie archives analysed

2007-10-22T13:47:00.000Z

As the Australian Test summer edges closer, so too the plethora of press releases from Cricket Australia, complete with its daunting 'HUNGRY FOR IT' logo.

One such email was read with interest though: CA have opened its archive for two prominent cricket authors who have turned the opportunity into a book.

“Inside Story: Unlocking Australian Cricket’s Archives”, analyses the decision-making behind the Australian game’s major controversies, with a forward by Richie Benaud.

And as the email was about to be deleted, the last two lines about Richie caught my eye:

"... He notes that the two questions he is today most often asked are: did you play first-class cricket; and has the game changed since you first played? (The answer is “yes” in each case)."

CWC pains and memories

2007-10-22T08:53:00.000Z

It looked at one point as if the International Rugby Board (IRB) was going down the same murky road as the ICC in how not to run a World Cup, after rugby's governing body wrangle with the media over use of match images on websites.

Nevertheless the Rugby World Cup was a sensational tournament and only serves as a reminder to the painstaking weeks it took to complete cricket's version.

Another reminder is still firmly simmering after the Nutley's continuing saga over claiming back its media deposit from CWC finance department. I'm sure the big organisations have received their $250 deposits back (could be a story in itself), but for a freelancer this is one of the scenarios of the job and another cog in reminding myself of the worst sporting event of all time.

Mumbai meltdown

2007-10-22T08:49:00.000Z

Last copy from The Australian's correspondent in Mumbai:

"Twenty20 is perfectly suited to India's young men who smash the ball with incredible ferocity and can sustain such efforts for the short period needed, although they do find themselves exposed over longer forms of the game.

"Australia fielded badly and conceded 24 extras - and that didn't include the two fives the fieldsmen gave Gambhir in run-out attempts that resulted in overthrows.

"The visitors looked tired and eager to get home and drove the route to the airport a few hours after the game. The Indians drove the reverse route four weeks back in front of a million or so people.

"It was an amazing scene then and one that steeled a couple of the Australian players to take them down a peg or two.

"Those celebrations were reprised to a lesser extent when the Indian players clambered aboard Gambhir's new car and did a lap of honour of Brabourne stadium.

"If you looked up in the stands as they did you could almost see the ghost of English captains past, wondering what on earth these colonials had done to the game."

Cars n' cricket

2007-10-22T08:17:00.000Z

Who gets to keep the cars and motors won by opposition players for man-of-the-match on foreign soil? These are questions going through my mind when, say, the likes of Matthew Hoggard picked up a motorbike in Nagpur a few years ago.

So local manufacturers would have been pleased when Gautam Gambhir picked up a white Maruti for his 52-ball 63 on Saturday in the first Twenty20 in India.

And here are two more classic images of past players with their booty. Ravi Shastri for his Champion of Champions performance in 1985 in Australia.

And the West Indies receiving a vehicle-of-its-time for an unknownTest victory.

Grow a Mo update

2007-10-22T08:00:00.000Z

Lovecricket.Net, home of Nutley to Nagpur, is getting nearer to hosting its England 'Mo' XI for November.

The XI will be getting tips from the 2007 winner of the World Beard and Moustache Chapionships, while Graham Gooch will be announcing the best tache winners at the end of the month.

Keep reading over the coming weeks for all the news.

Hussey's the man

2007-10-17T08:56:00.000Z

Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer mustered many a run against Test bowlers throughout their time together. Now it's the turn of Australian Test selectors to find a replacement for Langer as they approach their summer and I'm sure looking ahead to the Ashes 2009.

Over the last few seasons a few names have been thrown into the hat: Mike Hussey, Phil Jaques, Chris Rogers and even South Australia's Mark Cosgrove, but his time might be scuppered since he was once suspended for being a touch overweight.

Now the time has come to make a decision and The Nutley, although one to keep its thoughts away from the Australian selectors, thinks that Hussey has the credentials to partner Hayden, considering that the burly Queenslander has yet to mention another emotional retirement.

Hussey has opened for Western Australia for the best part of a decade and his move up the order wouldn't really leave a gap in Australia's middle-order. Would it?

Grow a Mo

2007-10-16T08:32:00.000Z

With just under two weeks to go, The Nutley is getting ready for Movember. Now this is a great cause as it involves growing a moustache throughout November and raising as much cash as possible for male prostate cancer. The Nutley's home website, www.lovecricket.net, will be showcasing the best moustaches next month, as an England select XI takes on Australia and New Zealand XI's. At the moment, England look to have a healthy XI, but email correspondence with my Australasian mates are proving difficult - I wonder why? Anyway, we hope to get Graham Gooch to reveal the best tache at the end of November, while the 2007 winner of the World Beard and Moustache Championships will give his tips on getting the best out of your mo.

True identity

2007-10-16T08:11:00.000Z

Having recently watched top five film True Romance, this lookalike gem was too good to miss. For those not in the know, it is Hollywood actor Chris Penn on the right, next to England's new wicket-keeper find Phil Mustard.

The day when Beefy caught in a stew

2007-10-10T07:30:00.000Z

Further to the last post on Ian Botham's knighthood comes this ironic story from the 1992 World Cup.

The Australian press picked this up from sportasylum, a sports history site, obviously more than happy to relive the story 15 years on. Beefy reveals that he is still incensed over the pre-World Cup final dinner and the infamous Queen impersonator.

The all-rounder and Graham Gooch both walled out of the dinner when the comic joked that the royal family was to be sponsored by Fosters and was to be privatised.

Watch the ITN news item here.

Sir Loin of Beef

2007-10-09T07:20:00.000Z

Ian Botham is all set to be knighted at the Palace. And as England's greatest all-rounder admits, this will be the greatest day of them all.

Not content with glorious memories of whipping the Australians into submission, Botham will be at his happiest when the Queen's sword is placed on his shoulder.

No doubt a small gathering will ensue afterwards to celebrate, along with the usual congratulatory/rude text messages.

Click on the Ian Botham tag below to see how this blog has tried to keep up with Beefy's life.

Hayden overtakes Waugh (M)

2007-10-08T15:23:00.000Z

Memories of Matthew Hayden taking bowlers apart during the World Cup has been no one-off for the burly Queenslander this year.

Hayden has passed 1,500 runs in a calendar year after his knock in Chandigarh. And despite defeat, he has at least become the highest Australian run-scorer, since Mark Waugh scored 1468 from 36 matches in 1999.

Remarkable really how that record has not been broken, such has been Australia's dominance in the one-day game since the '99 World Cup Final. Then again, it does show Australia's great all-round capabilities.

Even more remarkable when you consider that Hayden was actually dropped from the ODI squad last year.

Anyway, here's Waugh taking that blinding catch during his run-spree year.

It's a jungle out there

2007-10-04T14:40:00.000Z

It's been a tough introduction to the England ODI captaincy for Paul Collingwood. Dour defeat to the West Indies before an exultant one against India and then a bump down to earth during the Twenty20 in South Africa.

Over in Sri Lanka, it was a dismal first display in Dambulla. Off the field, Colly has been found in unsatisfactory places in South Africa, while on Asia's teardrop the Durham man has been mixing with all sorts of unsavoury characters.

Writing in a column for fanbanta, Colly has seen the largest ever cockroach, been chased by wild horses, had a bat (flying one) on his shoulder, been followed by a five-foot long snake and been stared at by a potentially poisonous frog.

Word also has it that Colly and co-columnist Ian Bell are being paid per word what it costs to eat breakfast in Sri Lanka. That might mean stretching out a few words to give readers a glimpse of the beauty of the island. Or even using full names. Watch out for full analysis of Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas over the coming weeks.

Good to be back

2007-10-04T14:24:00.000Z

... and in that time: India won a thrilling Test series; lost an equally exciting ODI series 4-3; won the inaugural Twenty20 and are currently back in India and already back on the ODI bandwagon.

That's the size of the current international calendar and the Nutley can't afford too much time away as it struggles to understand coding and html. I'm the acronym Pebkap someone once told me: problem exisiting between keyboard and person. Anyway, this blog is tentatively back and running and will form part of a new website called lovecricket.net.

This will be launched in the next few weeks during an exciting time for all facial haired cricket lovers. The Nutley will be involved in Movember this year, which aims to raise money for male prostate cancer. More later

Going for a redesign

2007-07-20T07:11:00.000Z

It's a sour post for those precious few Nutley readers who have this blog as a favourite. The Nutley is going underground over the next month as it contends with various freelancing jobs for the India series.

You're thinking that I probably can't be bothered to update the site which must take 10 minutes each day.

Well, the good news is that the Nutley is going in for a facelift (www.lovecricket.net) and will be relaunched in time for the end of the season in September. Now that's scheduling! At least it will be launched in time for the cricket season Down Under.

I'll keep you informed of any news, but for now feel free to leave your comments on what kind of content you would like to see on the new site.

Could have been a Cairns

2007-07-16T06:53:00.000Z

Who is New Zealand's highest paid sportsman? That old pub banter question will be no more after Steve Williams, the Tiger Woods caddy, was usurped by Ryan Nelson.

Kiwi Nelson's five-year signature deal with Blackburn Rovers means he will earn £3.1m a year, earning more than the whole of the Black Caps squad put together. And why not throw in the All Blacks squad as well.

The reason for this post? My Kiwi spy tells me he gave up a burgeoning cricket career for soccer in 1999, when Nelson was seen as the next great hope in New Zealand cricket. Like many multi-talented Kiwi sportsman, however, Nelson could still make the Black Caps if he retires from soccer around the average 35 mark.

Jeff Wilson, the former All Black great, was included in New Zealand's Twenty20 squad two years ago, after a 12-year hiatus from cricket internationals.

Fixtures galore

2007-07-11T06:51:00.000Z

Nevermind the Open Championship being scheduled slap bang in the middle of the Lord's Test against India, September and October is set to become a TV sporting extravaganza. And to stave off boredom, the Cricket World Cup might learn a thing or two by having two other major sports having important fixtures entwined in its scheduling. It all starts on 8 September, that's if your an England fan...

8 Sep
England v India, Lord's, 10:45

England v Israel, Wembley, 1700

England v USA, Lens, Pool A, 1700

12 Sep

England v Russia, Wembley, 2000

14 Sep

England v South Africa, Stade de France, 2000 BST

Australia v England, Cape Town, Twenty20, 12:00

22 Sep

England v Samoa, Nantes, 1500

24 Sep (that's a Monday!)

Inaugural Twenty20 Final, J'burg,

28 Sep

England v Tonga, Parc des Princes, 2000

01 Oct: 1st ODI, England in Sri Lanka

13 Oct: England v Estonia

20 Oct: Rugby World Cup Final

Toil and trouble

2007-07-09T10:55:00.000Z

It looks like Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe has swapped quidditch for cricket as the film actor grows out of the long-lasting JK Rowling sequels. Radcliffe has been having dreams relating to a current outcast of the England team.

"I've dreamt I'm being stalked by an England cricketer. I don't know what prompted it - although I've been watching huge amounts of cricket - but for some reason Andrew Strauss was being paid to stalk me," he is quoted as saying.

"I woke up with a cricket bat in my hand," he added.

Prince Charles is a funny man

2007-07-06T08:20:00.000Z

I was up in Scotland with colleague Richard Sydenham, a Reuters journo who also runs bigstarcricket.com. We interviewed Shoaib Akhtar after the match against India had been cancelled and were left happy with his honesty and quote-friendly answers, despite the media uncertainty over recent doping case.

Read the whole interview here, but here was the best line when he met Prince Charles in Glasgow:

"It was good to meet Prince Charles; he’s a funny man and is a very easygoing person. I met him for the second time, he’s a fantastic human being. He asked me if I have any family in London and I told him that I have been living in England (on and off) for the last ten to 15 years, so he asked if I was brought up with English friends and I said ‘Yes Sir, a bit of my upbringing comes from England'. He also said to me ‘So you’re the fastest (bowler) in history', and I said ‘Yes I am, it’s an honour’. It was good fun and good meeting him."

Scotched

2007-07-06T08:10:00.000Z

A lack of posts this week from the Nutley, to go with the lack of cricket being played. I've been in Glasgow where the India and Pakistan one-off charity game was due to be played.

All that was managed were handshakes with Prince Charlie from both teams before the rain came down and the match cancelled. A shame for the Clydesdale Cricket Club, who had worked tirelessly for three months to get the game on. If it had been played the following day it would have been played in near sunshine.

Anyway, listen to the podcast of the event as I try and make 10 minutes of audio from a game that never happened.

Why Beefy was the Bogside hero

2007-07-06T08:07:00.000Z

Martin McGuinness has been harbouring a secret for many years. While he was fighting for the end of British rule in Northern Ireland, he was quietly but passionately following one of the most colonial sports of all - cricket.

He wasn't alone. 'I know for a fact that there are many closet cricket fans among the nationalist community,' he says at the Parliament Buildings at Stormont, Belfast, where he now serves as Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister. The Ireland team's good form at the World Cup led to his own 'outing' as a fan. 'My wife came downstairs in her dressing gown and found me in front of the television.'

At the height of the Troubles, McGuinness's imagination was captured by a particular favourite. 'We had all heard of Ian Botham and followed his career closely. He and Freddie Trueman stand out in my memory as great players,' he says. How the staunchly patriotic and newly knighted Botham would feel about the support of a former Irish dissident is open to question.

Growing up in the Catholic Bogside area of Derry, McGuinness's opportunities for playing the game were limited. 'We would play on a field above our house with stumps, a bat and a tennis ball. We never had a proper cricket ball. I was useless.'

He believes the Ireland cricket team, which shone at the World Cup and is selected from the whole island, could be a model for football. 'We're better when we're together,' he says. 'Our cricketers and rugby players have shown how powerful we can be when we are united.'

A day of Trotts

2007-06-29T08:44:00.000Z

It really was a day of Trotts for me yesterday: Trott this, Trott that. Let me divulge.

I was working in the Lord's media centre yesterday. During my brief spell up there seven tour groups came through, where the old boys on guide duty talked tourists through the history of the media centre, the eight foot sloping turf and how no one has yet hit the media's glass window (which can withstand a 75mph bludgeon).

It was interesting stuff, each guide mixing and matching their speel but always including one story. Namely Albert Trott, an Australian, who is still the only player to have soared a cricket ball over the famous pavilion when he achieved the feat in 1899. The guides also had a nugget to throw the tourists yesterday as a relation of Albert was going to be playing for England that night. Namely Jonathan Trott, a South African, who came to Warwickshire to further his cricket career and is a family relative.

A side for the future

2007-06-29T08:28:00.000Z

1. Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Devon Smith, 3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Runako Morton, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Dwayne Smith, 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Dinesh Ramdin (wk), 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Daren Powell.

Finally. Even before the West Indies secured their first victory on tour, I thought that this was a side that could finally win a game. The XI had a refreshing look to it and this was translated into the fielding and batting yesterday at the Oval, Powell apart. For once the West Indies looked like they wanted to win something. Or could it be the old 20-minute attention span thing in class, where the West Indies are prone to the same after 20 overs? Nevertheless, this young side could be together for a long while yet. And if that's the case, who is to say that the West Indies can't be the team to dominate in the 2010s like they did in the 70s and 80s?

Picturesque Pukekura Park

2007-06-26T07:09:00.000Z

Radio New Zealand has scooped a huge cricket ground story, learning that Pukekura Park (right, below) in New Plymouth is to be named by Wisden as one of the six best in the world.

According to Radio NZ: "Wisden editor Tim de Lisle says he was surprised the secret was out before he had even finished proof-reading the book." Is there a Kiwi spy working in the Wisden Cricinfo office?

Or maybe it has something to do with another Pukekura story. The real estate has just been named as 'Mayfair' on a local Kiwi edition of Monopoly, costing gamers $4m (GBP1.5m) for the prime postion. Perhaps Wisden staff are buttering up Pukekura governors and the local tourist board for a swanky stay ahead of England's tour to NZ next year?

Big-hitting podcast

2007-06-22T15:27:00.000Z

A fast-paced podcast this week with the next few weeks being dominated by Twenty20 action. Click here.

We've got Andy Flower on the art of placement in the 20-over affair, Goochie explores the benefits of the tournament and there's also a feature on Kerry Packer, the billionaire magnate who instigated night cricket, coloured clothing and cash in the pocket's of the world's best cricketers in the late Seventies.

Genuine Mexican?

2007-06-20T11:17:00.000Z

A pearler from yesterday's Test Match Special, the last produced by outgoing Peter Baxter. The legendary Tony Cozier had his colleagues in hysterics after being conned by a spoof letter from a Mexican calling himself Juan Carr.

Cozier was reading out emails during the lunch break in Durham, and when the team is usually at its best when they make it up as they go along. He said: "One listener says he is trying to introduce cricket to Mexico but is finding it hard as it's very mountainous and there are no flat areas at all. That's from a Mr Juan Carr."

There can't be too many better places to be than on live radio in the TMS box when genuine laughter takes place. Viv, Aggers and Blowers lost it before Aggers eventually told Cozier, who didn't get the joke: "I think you've been done there Tony."

Happy days

2007-06-20T09:38:00.000Z

Can anyone recall this photo and after what match? It certainly looks like Jimmy Adams on top and Curtly at the wheel in the photo... (Getty Images)

Embassy embers

2007-06-20T09:16:00.000Z

A Kent pub is saying farewell to the smoking ban in true cricket style.

Before the teams play a Twenty20 weekend in August, the Rose in Ashford is preparing a replica Ashes urn the day before the smoking ban with the ashtray remnants of four local pubs who will be battling for it two months later.

I'm sure there will be Silk 'Cuts' and B&H Cup memories aplenty.

Beefy v Nutley

2007-06-17T18:36:00.000Z

Ian Botham's impending knighthood has got the Nutley thinking how difficult it might now be to track the great all-rounder down for future interviews.

The job I used to do had me phoning across four continents in pursuit of Sir Beefyness and his world exploits don't look like stopping in the future either. Into his fifties, the '81 Ashes hero's zest for life continues: once he's off commentary there's no stopping his pursuit of the high life. The future Lady Botham only gets pestered when he's home so he keeps the body busy with golf, fishing and much else besides.

I once phoned him straight after Steve Harmison's last ball brilliance against Michael Clarke during the Ashes. "Sorry mate," came the reply. "Missed that one. Half way across the Pennines on my way to a function." There's more to life than cricket with Beefy.

And the Nutley's Ian Botham tags aren't boring either. There's Beefy's boat during the World Cup, his wine label with Bob Willis, tracking Beefy down across a mountain pass in Pakistan and then on a boat to Ravi Shastri's joint in Bombay and the Beefy v Lillee Trotting race in 1983.

Where de fans?

2007-06-13T15:41:00.000Z

Catch the latest podcast which can be heard here. There seems to be a regular theme in recent weeks: namely negative thoughts on West Indian cricket. Lack of fast bowlers, fielding and now the decline in West Indian fans have all been covered.

This week I explore the association between West Indies and the Kennington Oval in south London. Once a spiritual home to the London Caribbean fraternity, now there isn't even the traditional last Test in the Wisden Trophy. Blame the convoluted fixtures calendar as India play there later in the summer. Anyway, I'm on the case of Alec Stewart and Rodney Hinds, the Voice newspaper's sports editor, for reason.

Know of any positive Caribbean stories before the tourists go home?

Who pays to watch umpires?

2007-06-13T15:28:00.000Z

Daryl Harper's website is always one of those sites you stumble across accidently from time to time.

Daryl's last entry is the day before the World Cup Final. Writing about the two men in white and the third umpire that day, he left it until the last line to perform this ironic gem:

"As umpires we know that the focus will correctly be on the players as I know of no person who pays to enter the ground to watch the umpires perform."

Dambulla back on the map

2007-06-13T15:01:00.000Z

Good news reaches Nutley concerning the return of international cricket to the controversial Dambulla stadium, north of Colombo.

The stadium has been starved of cricket for two years after a dispute between Sri Lanka cricket and the country's buddhist ministry, who claimed that the monks who owned the land the stadium was built on did not have the right to lease it.

The usual shenanigans occurred thereafter, when allegations of financial irregularities against former SL Cricket president Thilanga Sumathipala filled newspapers. But it is thanks to him that the ground was built.

It actually only took 167 days to build the 30,000-seater stadium in the middle of the jungle - not bad when you consider it also took 30 days to ship over the steelworks and the project members had never met before.

At a cost of under GBP3 million, it is also a first-class venue with awesome views of the surrounding area from the press box. The Nutley attended the inaugural game there in 2001, when England were shot out for 90-odd. As the sun went down, to the left of the ground hot air balloons ascended over the nearby lake and jungle.

England play a few ODI's there this winter.

Sammy and George

2007-06-10T17:46:00.000Z

Will this be another classic West Indian story?

Darren Sammy's seven wickets no doubt sparked party scenes on the beautiful island of St Lucia: it will also be one of the talking points if West Indies hold out for an amazing win. If that happens it will only further jettison his already famed status as St Lucia's top sportsman.

There is isn't much association to cricket where Sammy comes from. Born in the south of the island, his first bat was made of coconut frond stems while he couldn't play at weekends because he was a Seventh Day Adventist.

St Lucia's second best sportsperson is Nadine George. The MBE and bludgeoning opening bat for West Indies Women's also holds down a job as a marine coast guard, tracking down drug smugglers by day. If only the WICB would pull their finger out and get more international games then she might break more records. Read more here.

Mike Gatting and the barmaid affair

2007-06-10T17:30:00.000Z

This post proves just how much the Test cricket calendar has progressed since the Eighties.

Well into the third Test in 2007, the first Texaco Test match of the summer against West Indies in 1988 was held 19 years ago last week at Trent Bridge. It will also be remembered for Mike Gatting's supposed shenanigans with barmaid Louise Shipman in his hotel room.

Gatt strenuously denied the incident but it wasn't enough to get him sacked by the TCCB bigwigs at the time. Sportasylum has ITN news footage and Gatt's views on the incident with their own sensationalist headline:

EXCLUSIVE: Mike Gatting and the barmaid - the REAL story. Watch it here.

Podcast mayhem continues

2007-06-06T15:02:00.000Z

Another podcast is up and running: click here.

This week, there's part two of the great West Indian fielders of the past. And it wouldn't be the same if an Englishman wasn't featured so I get the views on Derek Randall - that eccentric madman in the field. Also find out what Julian the Old Trafford worm and former Lancashire and India wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer had in common.

Fat cats and small clubs

2007-06-06T14:48:00.000Z

A Welsh cricket club is facing an GBP11,000 bill to erect fencing close to a new housing development.

The Pontarddulais club in Carmarthenshire has been told by insurers to foot the bill or face the wrath of Persimmon Homes, the housing developers, who say it is the club who should pay the costs.

The Nutley has done some digging on Persimmons Homes and this isn't its first connection with cricket. Persimmons was chosen as one of the key developers in partnership with Kent County Cricket Club, so you would have thought that the company would have learnt that some cricketers can hit the ball along way.

As the company stated on the Kent project: "All of the development partners are mindful to ensure that their contribution to the overall scheme is complementary to the other aspects of the plan."

Afghan makes NW8

2007-06-06T14:36:00.000Z

Afghan cricketer Hamid Hassan, who spent time last summer with the MCC Young Cricketers, has been selected to play at Lord's for the first time tomorrow. He has been named in an MCC team to play a 50-overs game against a Europe XI.

Hamid was first spotted by the MCC when he represented his country in the inaugural MCC v Afghanistan match in Bombay in March last year. The MCC, captained by Mike Gatting were soundly beaten by 179 runs.

The Nutley was present that day in Bombay. I don't think I have seen a ball being sprayed around the ground quite as much as that game: into the pavilion, onto Marine Drive, straight down the ground into a disused building site and, too finish all four sides off, onto a railway track. If memory serves me right, Gatt was out first ball, too.

Cricket's popularity in Afghanistan gained impetus after many of the refugees, who had fled the country in the early 1980s after the Soviet invasion, began to return from Pakistan, where they witnessed the game and started to play. In the last decade the membership of the Afghanistan Cricket Federation has grown from 500 to 12,000 members, according to Prospect magazine.

Two random links

2007-06-06T14:31:00.000Z

"... players who take care over their appearance - and their equipment - invariably do well." Sports column from the Cornish Guardian.

The day Jock Stein's Lisbon Lions took on East Kilbride CC.

Dizzy gets into bed for PR

2007-06-01T10:27:00.000Z

"I need my sleep after a hard days bowling and on this bed I get it." I always love reading sportsmen's one-liners when they front a PR campaign. The latest one to catch the Nutley's eye is Australia and Yorkshire's Jason Gillespie who has gone right up there with Ian Botham's Shredded Wheat quotes to support a leading bed company. Below this wonderful PR photo is an equally amusing press release in full.It's official! Active people would rather sleep in a Sealy bed than any other bed brand.Research conducted by the world's leading bed manufacturer found that the type of people that buy its products are more likely to be the type of person that leaps out of bed every morning than the type that lies in 'til noon.

The research categorised consumers according to how they viewed sleep. The categories included The Science of Sleepers, Functional Sleep Lovers, Premium Bed Lovers, Affordable Style Seekers, Uber Premium Comfort and No Nonsense.

Most of Sealy's customers fall into the Science of Sleep category, includingYorkshire County Cricketer and Australian Test Cricketer, Jason Gillespie, who recently took delivery of a Sealy Mirrorform bed and commented: "I need my sleep after a hard days bowling and on this bed I get it."

When laziness was a bad word

2007-05-30T13:49:00.000Z

Another West Indies podcast is up: click here.

This week, I'm on the case of former greats of the game to discuss the great Caribbean tradition of churning out brilliant fielders. Now, you wouldn't have thought that fielding is a West Indies trademark by looking at the current West Indies lot, but there have been some fine fielders in the past. Panther, stealth and electric have been just some of the words to describe the likes of Lloyd, Richards, Logie and Harper.

And in the 1930s, Lord Constantine, perhaps the pioneer of Caribbean fielding, even made crowds turn up before the game had even started after they heard of his ability to knock stumps down from 30 yards and catch balls behind his back.

Cricket the catalyst for break-up

2007-05-30T13:41:00.000Z

More hot cricket-loving gossip from Mumbai... It looks like the international touring calendar has been responsible for another break-up in the world of cricket as Indian Yuvraj Singh and Bollywood actress Kim Sharma have split.

Best excerpt from Sharma interview:

Did you become friends with any cricketers during your relationship with Yuvraj?

I am sick of cricketers and I don’t want to talk about them. I am over with that stage of my life.

A tighter affair back then

2007-05-30T13:23:00.000Z

Just a few years after the great tied Test between Australia and West Indies in 1960, many of the Windies side played in an equally thrilling match against England at Lord's in 1963.

Watch the video here with some commentary from Sobers and wait for the bit about Wes Hall "... sending down the atomic stuff".

Summer of 88

2007-05-25T10:32:00.000Z

One of my favourite cricket books is the one on the right called West Indian Summer - The Test Series of 1988. It's full of fantastic writing and shots from Patrick Eagar: a smiling Viv Richards; crazy-eyed Curtly Ambrose appealing; the Windies celebrating in floppy hats; Robin Smith fending off sharpish deliveries.

Of course, there hasn't really been a good book involving the West Indies since. This series finished 4-0 and may well have finished a whitewash had it not been for a rainy Trent Bridge in the first Test.

This was when cricket hit me (as a ten-year-old) as hard as Marshall, Ambrose, Walsh and Patterson throwing down 100mph deliveries at the same time. Spellbound as to who these players were with the tenacity to bat with floppy hats against the might of DeFreitas, Jarvis, Dilley and Pringle; too young to realise what England skipper Mike Gatting was reportedly doing with the barmaid when it was splashed all over the tabloids.

It was a pretty hot summer that year, too. Becker and Edberg were gracing a Wimbledon final, Gabriella Sabatini's legs were also out in force and it was an era when London's West Indians treated the traditional fifth Test at the Oval as a home ground for the tourists.

Recall the series here.

Brawls and bans

2007-05-25T10:07:00.000Z

Video footage of Mark Vermeulen's on-pitch shenanigan's last year was more a case of a troubled man than an outburst of head-on passion for the game. The Zimbabwean was ultimately given a 10-year ban, but later reduced to three years.

News of another cricket pitch fight - this time involving two league players from south Yorkshire - has shown that league officials are unrelenting when it comes to light.

Just take a look at their punishment: Dearne CC player Darren Edmundson has been banned until December 31 2009, while Rotherham Phoenix's Mo Raza has been suspended until May 31 2009. Now, that's a lengthy ban so it would be interesting to see exactly what propelled them to their actions.

Any ideas? Edmundson finished the last cream cake? Raza told Edmundson to "mind the windows"?

Silly bowling tricks

2007-05-23T17:28:00.000Z

Nice anecdote from Charles Randall's cricket site:

John Barclay mentioned to a taxi driver in India during the England Schools tour of 1970 that the umpires never gave anything out. “Ah, that’s easy,” said the driver. “What you must shout loudly, instead of ‘howzat’, is ‘where’s Allah?’ and then the umpire will instantly point his finger to the sky and say ‘up there’.” Didn’t work, but Barclay tried it again for Sussex at Ilford in the 1981 season. “Not out,” said umpire Shakoor Rana. “Not that silly trick again,” he whispered later.

Podcasting summer

2007-05-23T17:26:00.000Z

Nutley's podcasting summer got under way today. Listen to the first airing at history website sportasylum by clicking here.

There's Sir Garfield Sobers talking about Headingley and Gatt, Nasser and Gooch on the great Caribbean fast bowlers of old. Listen out for more audio over the coming weeks as I explore the great West Indian fielders from the past: Learie Constantine, the panther Roger Harper and Clive Lloyd.

How it used to be

2007-05-21T08:02:00.000Z

I pressed my red button to flick through the weekend cricket scores on BBCi last night - for the first time this season. Easy though it may be to scroll and enter, I am still left with ceefax memories of 340... then a good 15 minutes trawling through 341 to 350 for the county scores.

Nude cricketers

2007-05-21T07:52:00.000Z

The Nutley has kept a close eye in the Lincolnshire press on the fate of a group of nude cricketers who were reported to the authorities after a late-night game last week.

The six university students woke up local residents when they laid bare for an impromptu game at around 4am. Now, this blog is all for this kind of revelry and if students are getting involved in the game then that's only a good thing - whatever kind of cricket they're playing,

The only sour point, however, came in previous reports that one of the students showed his b*m in the face of one of those complaining residents. Considering they were already nude, I doubt they have anything further to worry about. Hand-delivered warning notes have been sent to those involved.

Lest we forget

2007-05-21T07:48:00.000Z

Picture: James Whittaker @ Bermuda Sun

on and on and on...

2007-05-19T06:37:00.000Z

The below from Brian Viner in The Independent. The frustrations are summed up perfectly. I have got over Graeme Hick's continual domination in county cricket, but they still remain with the ever-bludgeoning Mark Ramprakash: he is indeed a batting genius. With my sponsorship post below, would Duracell not be doing a wise thing to sign these two fellows up?

...Mark Ramprakash and Graeme Hick, who made their Test debuts in the same match against the West Indies in 1991, and who this week frustrated England fans with further reminders of the batting prowess they never consistently demonstrated at international level. At Old Trafford, Hick scored his 133rd first-class century; at Hove, Ramprakash hit his 13th first-class double-century, putting him in the august company of W G Grace, Graham Gooch and Brian Lara. The man's a batting genius, damn him, and I would applaud an England recall, though there's more chance of Jose Mourinho's pooch scoring the winner for Chelsea this afternoon.

Now that's a deal

2007-05-19T06:27:00.000Z

As Matt Prior was racking up the runs at Lord's, his bat sponsor must have been rubbing its hands with glee.

Prior to the Lord's Test, Slazenger had signed a kit deal with the Sussex wicket-keeper as well as getting Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid on board.

Prior had scored five at tea yesterday. To score well over 100 runs in the evening session is remarkable in itself. All that remains is for Rashid to be called up for debut home Test over the bank holiday, bag five wickets and leave Slazenger reaching for the aspirin on the Tuesday.

Faintly amusing

2007-05-16T08:01:00.000Z

It seems that the sports desk on Australia's Daily Telegraph has secretly been having fun with English cricket for some time now. No doubt it has been some cheeky work experience lad who has been entering cricket stories to media monitoring service NewsNow termed as English "cricket".

NewsNow Previous Top Stories
English "cricket": Flintoff comes crashing down
The Daily Telegraph, Australia 16:22 14-May-07
Sehwag told to cool it Sky Sports 14:28 14-May-07
'Woolmer was not strangled' The Times 17:00 14-May-07
Racist slur follows PM on Zimbabwe The Herald Sun 16:03 14-May-07

Travel & Tour Nowhere

2007-05-16T07:22:00.000Z

Has cricket tourism reached its saturation point? The news that Travel & Tours Anywhere, the Barmy Army's licensed operator, has ceased trading with its membership revoked last month by ABTA will surely change the way travel groups do business in the future.

Poor World Cup sales forced TTA to close, but the Ashes Down Under also proved to be a loser. This also applied to the many travel groups who sold packages to Australia. The prices were simply too extreme to follow all five Tests. The initial mass demand for tickets never materialised and individual travellers from the UK cottoned on to this after touts were left holding batches of tickets for the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final. For those wise independent fans, it was the same for the first four Tests in Australia where it was more than easy to obtain face value tickets for every day of the Tests.

Tourism industry insiders have revealed to this blogger that saturation point has already hit tour companies and the news that cricket's biggest army has just lost its tour arm only proves that.

*It remains to be seen if the ICC see sense, too, in making the group stages of the 2011 World Cup free entry. Only then will fans afford the 40-day jamboree proclaimed by Malcolm Speed for the Asia tournament.

Hotspot warms up UK

2007-05-14T09:21:00.000Z

Sky Sports will be showing another new addition to its cricket production when Hotspot is unveiled on TV screens during this week's first Test of the summer.

It's a great tool. Channel Nine first unveiled the technology during the Ashes whitewash and it is complemented by a decent chill out track, too.

In fact, the technology couldn't be more contrasted as to its uses elsewhere on the globe. From the serene quarters of a cricket pitch, Hotspot is mainly used to tracker fighter jets and tanks. Channel Nine spent months secretly looking into the technology before they purchased the rights from a French company.

Read the Ashes Hotspot post here.

What's in a name

2007-05-11T16:25:00.000Z

"My name is Younus Khan. I tell people that everywhere, but they don’t listen."

So said Pakistani batsman Younus, or to most people Younis, before he confirmed to Yorkshire by text message that this was how he would like to be written. Presumably this was ammended before the Tykes printed their squad shirts for the season, so ending a minor 'King of Spain' saga.

And the club may yet have to print more shirts for the club shop. A few who were present at the Rose Bowl last week for the Hampshire v Yorkshire game believe Younus's knock was the best they had seen.

Life after cricket

2007-05-10T09:27:00.000Z

Your home is at risk if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other loans secured on it. Or how about: Your wicket is at risk if you do not keep up with the pace or bounce or other deliveries bowled on it.

Word reaches Nutley that former Australian one-day legend Michael Bevan is following in the footsteps of other players and going into the mortgage business.

There seems to be a trans-Tasman thing going here with mortgages as Bevan's new career path mirrors that of Kiwi Adam Parore who has already established himself in the market. Michael Bevan Mortgages aims to launch a minimum of 130 franchises in Australia within five years.

Perhaps Parore and Bevan will outshine another former Kiwi cricketer who had a successful venture until closing business in January. Chris Cairns had a fudge packing business which he set up in 1998 but the former all-rounder is now concentrating on interests abroad.

Sexiest cricketers

2007-05-10T08:49:00.000Z

What better way than to reward users with a recent Barbados Daily Nation poll of "The Sexiest men in cricket". Click to enlarge each one (and Chris Gayle's muscles) as well as a close-up of Lasitha Malinga's hair. The Sri Lanka paceman has also courted debated back home with his looks and locks, with many fans unimpressed. One fan even suggested that he is "not a decent-looking gentleman". Read more here. And surprising there's no mention of either Shahid Afridi or Sachin Tendulkar for all those millions of female cricket fans out there.

That's it for now

2007-05-02T11:55:00.000Z

The Nutley is resting its weary typing hands until next week and is going back to my wife. In the meantime, why not scroll down and relive some memories of the 2007 World Cup or peruse the Caribbean photo library (as above). Or you could even boost my future career as the podcast man for the Daily Mail by clicking and listening to the collection here.

I highly recommend St Lucia as a holiday destination but I would aslo combine it with Barbados. Hire a car, get lost and experience island life in one of the most relaxed environments in the world. And if you experience an old Bajan laugh, remember to tell me about it sometime.

Top 10 of a different sort

2007-05-02T00:30:00.000Z

Here is a random Top 10 over the last six weeks in the Caribbean:
1. Why do you see non-finished houses from the outside every so often? Cunning Bajans dodging property tax that's why.
2. The only living National Hero is Garry Sobers. His time playing for Barbados police still warrants a salute whenever a copper is in the presence of the great all-rounder.
3. Seeing Umpire Bucknor get off the cheap run-around mini-buses in Bridgetown, pay the driver and walk into the Kensington Oval to survey the ground. One cool Jamaican.
4. Ian Chappell's comments on the ICC: "As I've said before, they've got a hotel under the sea there and a ski resort in the desert. It's too far away from reality."
5. The ironic moment when the ICC advertising boarding nearly engulfed CEO Malcolm Speed was quite funny.
6. When you walk into a rum shack, be prepared for a "good night". I felt like getting out quick when this was said, but in fact it's just the Bajan "good evening".
7. Pakistan v Ireland and we're in a taxi. Our driver gets an instant cricket update text message and relays "very surprisin' developments takin' place in Jamaica..." We knew we were in the Caribbean then.
8. Interviewing music legend Eddy Grant.
9. Witnessing the Bajan Guiness Book of Records and how the main attraction couldn't make it. The 12'' pizza eating holder had trouble firing up his ovens (he owns 12 outlets on the island!) that morning and so had to cancel.
10. Glenn McGrath gets a wicket with his penultimate ball of his spell. When he fails with his last ever international delivery he kicks the ground in customary fashion and curses to himself. And there sums up the brilliance...

The Top Five World Cup moments

2007-05-01T23:51:00.000Z

It may be obvious but a post is necessary to highlight some positives:

1. Adam Gilchrist's blistering World Cup Final century. 149 off 104 balls and I have never seen such clean hitting from one man's blade.
2. Paul Collingwood's catch v the West Indies. A slashed shot from Devon Smith to point looked to be going over the Durham's mans head until he pulls out a high-jump move and catches the ball behind himself.
3. Herschelle Gibbs and his six sixes. You knew he was going to do it and that's not because the highlights have been shown countless times. Rank bad bowling from the hapless Dutchman's last two balls gifted the South African World Cup history.
4. The fielding. I can count how many close games there were in the World Cup unlike the amount of throw-downs, stumps flying and close shaves there were from all teams. Great stuff.
5. Lasitha Malinga's four in four. As match situations stand, a fifth for the slinger and it would surely have been the greatest turn-around ever. I think it was Ntini when he was bowled by a ripping yorker... it reminded me of the classic fast bowler's dismissal from the 80s and then the quick turn-around from the batsman: bat under arm and gloves off before he'd even passed the wicket!

Headline catch

2007-05-01T23:40:00.000Z

Researching a piece on Malcolm Speed and the ICC, I came across the following headline from September of last year:
Malcolm Speed On 3rd Blind Cricket World Cup
Of course, the 'Blind' in this case follows on from the '99 and '03 editions, to the 2007 edition from an ICC perspective. Doesn't it, Malcolm. Malcolm?

The Final fiasco and Dwayne's back

2007-04-30T18:49:00.000Z

I am still pondering that World Cup Final you know. Speaking to a few colleagues out here and the same thing sweeps over them, too. How can five officials get it so wrong?

Anyway, I managed to clear my head after the Final to do another podcast direct from the ground. Click here to listen to Podcast 17. I deal with the show chronologically for this show. I start at 6am by speaking to my taxi driver, then it's both sets of fans before hearing from Percy, Sri Lank's most-loved cricket supporter, who always has a story each time I meet him. And Mike Gatting gives us some ranting to end the show. The best is saved until last, as I bump into our man Dwayne Leverock. We were going to the press conference when I spotted this look-a-like in a XXL Bermuda shirt. On closer inspection it was Dwayne. After Bermuda were knocked out, he rested his tweaking arm and has been holidaying around the islands which culminated in watching the World Cup Final.

Australia dominate once more

2007-04-30T17:02:00.000Z

Click here for more Nutley photos.

End of the road

2007-04-29T21:49:00.000Z

The only shining light facing Malcolm Speed at his press conference today was the glitter still remaining on the outfield from the closing ceremony last night.

It was always going to be a testing examination for Speed and the three-over debate from the World Cup Final farce only added to the questions fielded to the ICC's chief executive and Dave Richardson, the governing body's general manager.

And with the media set to dig into the ICC's handling of the tournament, Speed nearly faced the ultimate irony from his own logo. The ICC background banner lost its balance and only thanks to its media manager was Speed saved from being completely engulfed.

As to the Final, there really was no explanation as to why five experienced officials let the game descend into darkness when the required overs for a result had already been completed. Richardson looked understandably miffed.

To be fair to Speed he did answer all the questions on the Final and the tournament as a whole in a detailed manner. What is in doubt, however, is whether the ICC will fully understand the missing link between fan and money-obsessed governing body.

When questioned on the longevity, Speed cleverly pointed to the 2011 tournament in Asia (spread across four countries) and how there is a need to keep logistics in hand. He went on to say that the tournament could be cut to 38 days at a minimum which is still too long for a tournament in my view. And with Speed also knocking back suggestions of cutting the number of teams, the next World Cup already looks a sure-fire sponsored bore.

Nutley live updates from Bridgetown

2007-04-28T16:10:00.000Z

08:45 A huge cheer goes up for the Australians as they begin their warm-ups. As anticipated there is local cheer for the Sri Lankans as they emerge. The pitch, by all accounts, is a belter.

09:30 Rain and rain. Is this tournament cursed? An epic final would have done little in my mind to appease the critics, but if rain continues to lash down... A few colleagues are hopeful of a start - they have a flight to catch on Sunday night!

12:08 The players emerge for the 38-over Final. Lasitha Malinga goes to his third man position and receives a massive ovation from the Hewitt and Inniss stand. I can see English, Indian and, of course, Sri Lankan fans down there.

12:45 So this is what Caribbean atmosphere is like. I haven't heard a cheer like it as the crowd think Hayden is caught. It is a bump ball. Let's wait for the first wicket to really see the Kensington 'Mecca' erupt.

1:05 Gilchrist is on fire. He is also giving poor Fernando a terrible time. The lanky Sri Lankan looks miffed with Gilly's outburst. A straight four down the ground which whizzes past Hayden, then a monumental on-side six. It doesn't help when old hands Jayasuriya and skipper Jayawardene are fielding either side of Fernando. Anyway, on comes Murali as the score goes to 63-0 off 11.

1:20 This is turning into a sensational partnership. Fernando is hapless again as Gilchrist brings up the 100 partnership with a towering off-side six. Hayden greets his partner with a huge hug half-way down the wicket. Gilchrist 79 not out off 59 balls.

1:45 It's all happening here in the 21st over. Gilchrist brings up his 100 off 72 balls: cheers aroudn the Oval and applause even in the press box. Then, Sangakarra is given a chance from Gilchrist's blade. It would have been a pearler of a catch. Vaas is on and is having a torrid time: pulled by Gilchrist, four wides and four byes in succession. 260 looking likely which is stll too much.

2:10 192-1 off 26 overs. Wow! 300 looks on the cards if they manage 100 off the last 10. I think that would be way too much for even Sri Lanka's batsmen. And a Gilchrist double ton is not out of the question either. What a toss to win.

3:15 So 282 to win. Oh how the tournament needs at least a climatic finish to end this prolonged 47 days of World Cup cricket. I've spent the last 30mins with the Sri Lankan supporters and interviewing Percy, the country's flag-waving fan of 50 years. He nicknames his grandson Garfield after the great left-hander. Can Jayasuriya emulate that?

3:45 The sun is beating down here at Kensington, Shaun Tait has been hit for 16 off his over and Tony Cozier looks resplendent in his sun hat sitting a few down from me. All is well in Barbados, now for a few stunning overs for the Sri Lankans.

4:20 The ground has really come alive. The 13th over produced three wondrous shots from Jayasuriya. In the next, partner Sangakkara hit 6,4,4. The Sri Lankan Lion flags are out, the noise is deafening and the colour of a cricket match is there for all to see. Sri Lanka 82-1 off 14.

5:25 Dark clouds and ultimately rain has left Sri Lanka behind on the D/L method. 150 for 3 off 25 and a mountain to climb. The umpires have done a grand job in continuing the game as quickly as possible. Perhaps Billy Bowden, who has been marching around with headphones on since the rain, has had an SOS call from Malcolm Speed to get the game going to appease the fans?

6:10 Okay it is very dark now: this is about the time of day when sundowners are taken let alone finish a cricket match. The players are back on the field and I believe they are attempting to finish the game otherwise they are back tomorrow for the remaining overs. But if they are off doesn't the D/L method constitute a game after a certain amount of overs (not the usual 20 overs?). No one knows what is going on.

Australia have won and celebrate in near darkness. An ICC official is up in the press box and clearly has no idea what is going on, as he attempts to find an explanation. What a farce!

Daily Nation cartoons

2007-04-28T14:47:00.000Z

World Cup podcast

2007-04-26T14:34:00.000Z

Download another World Cup special podcast here. I'm in St Lucia where I spoke to Mike Gatting at possibly one of the world's greatest airport departure bars... on the beach. I also ventured to the premiere of Hit for Six - the first Caribbean film based on cricket and the biggest film release to date to come out of Barbados. It has its moments but the $700,000 budget often shows up. Anyway, I spoke to music legend Eddy Grant and Rudolph Walker, otherwise known as Patrick from Eastenders, at the red carpet affair.

Click here for your last chance to win a signed England shirt from SEVEN former England captains. Asnwer an easy question to enter and be in with a chance. Click here for more info.

Colombo calling

2007-04-22T20:53:00.000Z

Sri Lankan legends will be phoning Jamaica on Monday for a good luck conference call before their semi-final clash the following day.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I had a quick think and couldn't come up with any other country other than Sri Lanka who could muster a bunch of legends in a room to phone up select members of a current squad.

Imagine Beefy, Athers, Nasser, Gooch, Gatt, Gower and Lamby in one room ready to phone Michael Vaughan's hotel room on the eve of a big game. It'd be mayhem as Beefy would no doubt take control to talk about changing the batting line-up. In Australia, it might be a little different as Border, Matthews, Alderman and Boon would be thinking if there would be any point as Ricky's men are going to win anyway.

Yup, I can just hear the sound of Aravinda and Arjuna giving some warm good-lucks down the phone from Colombo to Mahela Jayawardene and Co.

Powar spinner

2007-04-22T20:26:00.000Z

As ever, India are imminently back on the cricket scene. Their tour to Bangladesh early next month excludes a few big names but this blog is overjoyed with the inclusion of right-arm off-spinner Ramesh Powar.

The 28-year-old has been an on-off ODI player for three years now (24 wickets at 27 from 18 matches) without even a sniff in the Test arena. The image of Powar in India's light blue one-day kit, sporting trademark red shades to complete his rather portly figure has always left the Nutley running for the remote whenever he is playing. Perhaps he is the Test arena's answer to our man Dwayne Leverock.

He seems to have this ability of how the game should be played, too: a great fighter coupled with a smile or two after a ripping delivery. He also gives the ball good flight and it is refreshing for India to have an off-spinning talent in the making after years of left-arm slow bowlers and leggies.

Has he the potential to succeed at Test level?

Two legends in matter of months

2007-04-22T02:33:00.000Z

So another legend bows out of the game. Brian Lara's last press conference predictably went on for a while and the left-hander answered the plethora of questions with consumate ease. When asked who was the best bowler he faced, he spoke most of Shane Warne. Although, he said, that Warne wasn't the "best" bowler and that Lara found him easy to play against, he explained that he always made him think, while the Aussie always seemed to be one step ahead in the heat of the battle.

Lara audio tribute

2007-04-20T04:35:00.000Z

Catch my latest podcast (by clicking here from 12pm BST) with a tribute to Brian Lara's career.

Take out the negatives of dealing with the WICB's political wranglings, sponsorship fiascos and general Carribean malaise which dogged Lara in his captaincy, and you are left with memories of a player who, on his day, did things no other batsman could live with. He was also a menace to captains who tried to produce fields for the left-hander as his touch and skill mustered the Prince of Trinidad run after run.

Hey, and I even get to speak to Caribbean music legend Eddie Grant. It's official, the Electric Avenue singer is one cool customer.

Why not subscribe to the remaining World Cup podcasts? Click here for itunes links.

Do you have any memories of Lara the player except perhaps the world record knocks he produced? Comment below...

Two contrasting affairs

2007-04-20T04:12:00.000Z

Andrew Strauss may have indicated as much with the Kensington Oval pitch, but today's World Cup was indeed a "strange" one.

The match schedule showed a meaningless match between West Indies and Bangladesh. It was anything but off it as ECB chairman David Morgan spoke of Duncan Fletcher's resignation and, as the last question was asked in the Brian Lara press conference, the day concluded with the news that the great left-hander would be retiring from the international scene.

So, two highly contrasting conferences. In the morning, Morgan buffed most of his questions to John Carr, the board's cricket operations man, and there was barely any sentiment given to Fletcher after he effectively took England from the pits in 1999 to Ashes winners seven years later. That the ECB made a mess of the previous day (when they should have told the media) was clear to see as Morgan apoligised for not only the board's handling of the issue but also England's World Cup failure.

Fast forward to the end of play and Lara was wrapping up talking about the West Indies win over Bangladesh. He took one more question and, looking visibly peeved, then jaw-dropped everyone by saying he was to quit all forms of cricket.

Press conferences are usually dour affairs: today saw both sides of the coin.

Blog exclusive: Lara kidnapped

2007-04-18T19:48:00.000Z

Pah! Not quite - but in hindsight it might actually do some good for the West Indies team if Brian Lara went missing. Ramnaresh Sarwan's fresh approach to captaincy could be a start at least, as Caribbean cricket looks to begin a massive overhaul of its approach to the game.

Anyway, the Barbados coast guard's counter-terrorism unit was called to sea yesterday as (simulated) kidnappers attempted its daring bid to snatch Lara from either a casino, a St Lawrence Gap club, his luxurious property or the golf course.

"And within 30 minutes, at least seven perpetrators were held, some falling victim to the assault team's semi-automatic gunfire while others were badly wounded. The good news, however, was that the Special Operations Group had achieved their goal – rescuing an unharmed Lara."

I wonder what they would ransom now he's set to play his last few matches?

World Cup podcast

2007-04-18T04:37:00.000Z

Another WC podcast will be up and running here at 12pm BST. On this week's show I speak to Nasser Hussain at the Kensington Oval as Michael Vaughan becomes the latest in line of failed England ODI skippers to flop at a World Cup. I also catch up with South African legend Barry Richards. And to top it off, I went to the Barbados Guinness Book of Records Festival to hear why Bajans just love to run backwards.

Hammered

2007-04-18T04:22:00.000Z

Could England ever produce bowling figures to what Andrew Hall, Shaun Pollock and perhaps Andre Nel concocted in one innings?

I've never witnessed such a flat and abject performance from one team. 28 for one after 10 overs. Yawn! Is this the cricket that was meant to win a World Cup? Michael Vaughan taking 20 balls to score his first run? Graeme Smith managed 20 in next to no time. In fact the Proteas skipper and de Villiers effectively showed Vaughan the door with their explosive opening partnership.

Or is this post just backtracking on the opening line about England's bowling?

Caribbean records

2007-04-18T04:15:00.000Z

Today marks 13 years since Brian Lara broke the 365 achieved by Sir Garfield Sobers.

A new joker?

2007-04-16T16:36:00.000Z

We all know about former Kiwi opener Mark Richardson who used to sprint-off against opponents wearing his lycra. Well it looks as if current opener Lou Vincent has taken over his mantle - but in a slightly different way.

During their St Lucia leg, Vincent is seen in the background sporting the famous Borat kit during a run-of-the-mill interview. Watch the hilarious YouTube clip here.

On another note, there are more photos up on flickr. Including the below one from the ground urinals. Spot the manufacturer's name? Thought not. The famed ICC tape has seen to that to thwart non-tournament sponsors from appearing anywhere in the vicinity.

Back to Business?

2007-04-15T00:47:00.000Z

So it is now a virtual quarter-final between England and South Africa after the Proteas loss against New Zealand.

After a few weeks of prolonged Super 8s games, the English media and fans will finally know on Tuesday the team's fate in this tournament. Luckily I'm not just following the daily rigmorole/monotony of the English cricket team and focusing on more global cricketing matters. So it must be frustrating for English fans out here and back home that Duncan Fletcher's team are even still here after all this time.

I don't now what will be worse: England losing from a winning position against the talented chokers of South Africa or somehow managing a semi-final birth and losing comprehensively to New Zealand in St Lucia.

Anyway, Mike Atherton has been keeping betting tabs on the World Cup and predicts this week's outcome. As he says, it's time for the big-hitters to come to the party. Thoughts?

Garner does the beach

2007-04-15T00:19:00.000Z

A Media Moguls select team took on a random assortment of Barbadian 'Legends' today courtesy of those fine people at the Barbados Tourist Authority. Everything was on hand: Mount Gay Rum; some fine microphone commentary and Big Joel Garner bowling the first over. Nutley's correspondent managed a big one before his dismissal - no guessing which legend he managed it off? Click here for more photos.

India v Pakistan?

2007-04-13T22:30:00.000Z

Sunday was supposed to be earmarked as one of the biggest games in cricket. India v Pakistan in the Super 8s at Kensington Oval. But two of the few positives this World Cup has seen scuppered that. Instead, it's Ireland v Bangladesh.

And my new podcast centres around Mike Gatting on Bangladesh, before I speak to Ireland's 6'7 Boyd Rankin. I also bump into Antigua's fervent fan Gravy and speak to the Kensington Oval's head groundsman. Listen to the lastest one by clicking here.