Blog It!

Never mind Ian, we all have days like that. After all, it does give you something to blog about.

Bhaji Packs A Punch

What a pity he didn't get to employ his straight right more often in the Napier Test. Still Wellington often brings out the best (or worst) in people.

7-4-PR

It is cast in stone - New Plymouth Old Boys won their record breaking 7th straight Taranaki Premier title on Sunday. Chasing Woodleigh's 248 NPOB amassed well over 400 and then left their opponents little time to do much of anything, so a first innings win to the good guys.

Even Gods Have A Bad Day?

The atheists and agnostics will tell you that you can't be a god and not be infallible.
The faithful will tell you that sometimes things happen for reasons beyond our understanding.
Jeetan Patel will tell you he and his mates are bloody happy to have that wicket.

Pretty Lady, Sharp Operator

Shilpa Shetty has a weak grip on the bat but an iron grasp of a photo opportunity. This lady may be more important to the IPL than any of the players - she certainly looks better than any of them.

Butter Fingers!

Yes the Black Caps where lucky at times, and the pitch looks benign, and the Indians didn't bowl with real intensity, and they missed MS, but the biggest problem was the fielding. Yuvraj dropped a couple but that Munaf Patel is to fielding what Chris Martin is to batting!

The Big Game

Forget about the Napier Test, the real Big Game this weekend will be the three day clash for the Taranaki Premier title at Pukekura Park.

The combatants will be the mighty New Plymouth Old Boys and the evil empire that is the Woodleigh cricket club. NPOB will be attempting to win the title for a record seventh consecutive time, but the title is most certainly not a forgone conclusion.

Pictured are two individuals who may both play important roles in the drama - Nicky "Tippa" Taylor, an occasional commentator on this humble blog, and The Phantom, umpire extraordinaire and bowler's nemesis.

We will keep you posted on how the drama develops.

Calm And Collected

You know India are dominating a series when Bhaji is a calm and zen like figure. How I would like to see it close enough for him to have one of his trademark brain explosions.

The Language Of Fruit

Now what might be the message in the Great One's gesture?

Food for thought and of course your insightful comments.

On Top Of The World

Well done the Ladies of England. While I would have preferred the Kiwi girls to create the upset there is something karmic about the best team doing the job. Unlike a certain rugby team I have been known to support.

High Emotion

You get the feeling this test is more than just the last in a dead series for the Saffer boys.

Manny To Play For Black Caps!?

And why not? He already looks more comfortable at the crease than Tim Macintosh, James Franklin, Ian O'Brien and Chris Martin.

Only one problem - even India couldn't afford his salary, so he is more likely to buy NZ cricket than they buy him.

Click Manny for more details.

Not Pretty

But effective.

There is a touch of the demented giant elf about Jesse and I for one want to see more of his magic.

Quietly Confident

And why wouldn't he be?

Rock Star Credentials

Brett Lee might back himself but is there any doubt that his is an old wave compared to the new kid on the block?

A Little Bit Of Lady

Miss Field has blogged today about the lack of detailed coverage of the Women's World Cup. While I would never contradict such an illustrious fellow blogger I would point out this is the third image in a row from that tournament, so I am doing my bit. Besides they all look a lot better than Jesse Ryder and Scott Styris!

Beating Australia

Is there any better feeling in cricket? Jhulan Goswami doesn't think so.

A Question of Form

Suzie Bates shows us the sort of delivery that her male countryman would do well to emulate.

Caption Time!

A great photo by Getty Images from the Hamilton ODI. This is about as exotic as Hamilton gets. Who has got a caption worthy of such a pic?

A God Of Weather

Rain, hail, sun, sleet, drizzle, gales or fog, Sehwag is a force of nature. This is not a normal cricketer, this is a man of power.

You Got To Be Quick

... to exploit that Aussie rebuilding period. Just goes to show again how important a strong first class home competition is in developing talent that can quickly come up to international speed. Worth remembering for some of those countries who seem to want to focus on the elite at the exclusion of all others.

Oooouch!!

And then to top it off the Kiwi's get lucky with the rain! We have seen a good many male cricketers make more of a fuss over an injury than Miss Perry did.

A Weather God?

I don't want to doubt any one's divinity but it seems to me a little power directed towards the heavens might just help VS stay at the crease longer and gather more followers.

Blondes Not Bombs

You go girls!

Let's hope the Women's World Cup can remind us of the game in a simpler time.

An absence of rain, flat tracks and gunmen would make a nice change of pace as well.

It's Just Bloody Sad!

... and I mean no disrespect to the Pakistan flag. I am also hoping Omar still loves cricket!

Lest We Forget

A great Cricinfo article on Ewen Chatfield by Sidarth Mongia a few days ago. Well worth a read and a ponder, especially for we Kiwis who grew up watching the "bowling machine".

Tete A Tete

Laurel & Hardy
Bang & Olufsen
Grump & Grumpier
Master & Commander
?

True North

I get the feeling this fella is going to generate a lot of cool headlines in the next few years.