Tamim Can Fly

And he knows it.

Having seen Tamim Iqbal in action in NZ I reckon he is just what the Bangla Boys need - talented, aggressive and a character.

I just hope  they don't expect him to come off every time because that is not the nature of his game. He will make lots of hundreds but probably not too many doubles.

I Believe I Can Fly

Well, what caption would you give the young one?

A Slight Imbalance

Are The England team selectors heightist?

They keep finding these praying mantis like players who will insist on towering over teams like the Bangla Boys.

There must be an aggressive short arse or two running around county cricket. Some one who can follow in the footsteps of Darren Gough et al.

Give John The Job!

If there is one thing in modern sport that really gets me angry it is the twisted assumption that you have to have played at the highest level to have an opinion or know anything about it.

Now I am not one to jump quickly to the aid of my trans tasman cousins but for Zimbabwe to have any sway over the appointment (or not) of any official seems crazy. They need to get some actual cricket happening before they try and dictate what happens elsewhere.

The skill set required to run a country can't be too far off that needed to oversee the ICC and he did have his own team, which is more than Zimbabwe can say for the last few years.

And yes, he does look good in the hat.

Take It Lying Down

Just a plug for the folk at Test Match Sofa. These people can even make England v Bangladesh a riveting experience, and most importantly, at no cost!

Bunny Hunt

Cricinfo recently asked the question "what bowler has dismissed what batsman 19 times in test matches?".

The answer of course is McGrath and his beloved bunny Atherton. I offer this image as a reminder of how things went on a fairly regular basis and I think the facial expressions sum it all up very well.

Say What You Will About Pakistan Cricket ...

... it is rarely ever dull these days.

With these irrepressible funsters at the helm the modern tradition of "what the hell is going to happen next?" is very likely to continue.

I can't wait.

Back To Normal

... or as normal as I can be.

As I suspected the closest thing I could find to cricket in Sabah was this cute little creature.

Any thoughts on the cricket personality he most reminds you of?

We Apologise For The Loss Of Service

Normal service will be resumed when I can find a game of cricket on the island of Borneo. In the meantime I will just have to comfort myself with the view from my room. See you next week cricket heads.

A Study In Brown

Mark Ramprakash has just made another couple of hundred runs which has got to be a testament to a long time pro. Kind of the Tendulkar of county cricket.

This is not a shot from his recent big innings but a brown study from 2008. Not that it matters as he just keeps scoring runs, whatever the year.

C'mon Girls ...

... it's not like we haven't been there before.

Well Done The England

As I predicted, Ryan Sidebottom got to pull a face, and the rest, well it's just history now.

Can The Lion Roar?

An Ashes Series all in 40 overs? Well perhaps not, but there is no doubt it will competitive.

I shall be supporting the pride of Huddersfield as he never fails to deliver a worthwhile image.

Brothers In Arms

A touching Akmal brothers moment, and very well they did. What they couldn't account for was the mighty Mr Cricket who added yet another capture to Aussie cricket folklore.

Kumar From Number 4

Good player, nice fella, but as we say in the antipodes Kumar has the look of a possum in the headlights.

Sadly his team followed suit.

On Your Bike Son

And so another player, and team, leaves the arena.

Rudi always seems to take some sort of grim pleasure in his fireings, which I prefer to Billy's demented indifference.

Either way, your gone.

Oh The Pain !!!

Yes, we know it hurts.

If you want real pain, try being a cricket fan.

Wasn't it great of India to share their pain with the locals?

Kate Goes Bush

Now I believe in supporting my local girls. We in Taranaki are proud to have Aimee Mason, Rachel Priest and Kate Broadmore playing for NZ. I am also a big believer in "When in Rome..." but OMG Kate, what were you thinking?

She did bowl well against Pakistan but the 'do must go!

What A Difference A Day Makes

Not only does T20 compress the game in terms of overs, it also makes for even more rapid swings in form and fortune.

One day you are a fool, the next a hero. I guess the secret is to finish up in the hero role.

Taken

Good catch AB.

Doing this image got me thinking - T20 is really just Pop Art - so what would Warhol have done with the idea?

For Purna

As I suspected the Saffers where,

• too big (note the feet)
• too focused (the eyes)
• too fast (the action)
• too strong (the fist)

But it is not all over yet and I comfort myself with the knowedge that it is only T20.

Red and Black

One thing about T20, you do have to stay focused.

Concentration is evident on both faces in this image.

power and GRACE

Jayawardene and Raina illustrate an interesting point. It seems that raw power will get you 50 something in T20 but batting class seems to be required to make 100.

And yes, McCullum may be the exception that proves the rule.

Best Tressed

Merissa Aguilleira showing that win or loose the West Indian girls are committed to looking fine.

And, like all good captains, she is leading by example.

Keep The Flags Flying

Nathan McCullum gives the locals something to wave their flags about.