April 2009

Remember Hajnal Ban?

In the "smash or crash" mentality of the mutant strain of Twenty20 called the Indian Premier League, I was curious to see how many scoring shots in the current IPL have been worth three runs.

Was this another of those dark moments in history that they don't want you to know about? I could hardly believe it when I read the following news item in my daily email from Radio Australia:

"Concern over re-opening compensation case for 1927 Solomons massacre

A good wicket for the Mork and Mindians, as Matty Hayden swats Jayasuriya to Zaheer Khan who takes a good low catch. Hayden 44(35b, 6x4 1xDLFMx).

At what point can we proclaim a Twenty20 game a GOTLD? As I speak CSK need 75 to win from 42 balls at a RRR of 10.7.

This is my last post of the evening, maybe I'll see this game out and maybe even see some of Warnie's Rajasthanis. Or maybe not. Adieu for nieu.

Toilet break time for Not-so-IPL viewers the world over, CSK 70 for 3 needing another 97 to win. No DLF Maxima yet for Matty Hayden, he's 30*(26). Can he beat his T20 PB of 81, also scored against Mumbai last year?

Oh there's some chap called MS Dhoni 0*(0) at the other end.

Already this game is three hours old. Gimme baseball any day!

Congratulations to James Hildreth, the first triple-centurion of the 2009 county season. Somerset has declared on 672 for 4 with Hildreth on 303 not out. His partnership with wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter (150*) yielded 318* for the fifth wicket.

Meanwhile, Matthew Hayden is playing for a draw at Newlands.

Somerset currently 653 for 4 in reply to Worcestershire's 500 all out on day four of the County Championship Division One game at Taunton. James Hildreth 290 not out.

(Freddy Flintoff edges a DLF Maximum over slips off Bravo.)

"Today I'm announcing my retirement from representative cricket effective immediately."

- Matthew Hayden, 13.1.09 (source: ABC)

Simon Doull an Official IPL Commentator. What Is The World Coming To?

Tendulkar's career best T20 score of 69 is yet to be conquered as he completes a neat 59*(49) despite not achieving a single DLF Maximum.

The big question now... will the Change of Innings be longer than the Ten Over Toilet Break?

It's no longer a six. It's a DLF Maximum. And we had to wait until the eighteenth over of the Mumbai innings for the first DLF Maximum of the 2009 Not-so-IPL, tonked by Abishek Nayar off Andrew Flintoff.

Not content with that, Nayar clubbed another two DLF Maximums (or is that DLF Maxima?) off Flintoff later that over.

And if that's not enough, Mark Bloody Nicholas was the commentator.