equatorIt may be too early to say Andrew Strauss can captain.
But he can toss.
And he can bat righteously.
Lets look at this toss, everyone wanted to bowl, Curtly Ambrose was limbering up, Harmy was brought in, and both captains were going to bowl.
Gayle wins the toss, England gets to bat, and about 22 minutes in we all realise this is a pitch that we could make runs on.
It takes a special captain to lose the toss that matters.
Then his batting, yet again he sticks up for English cricket.
Last time it was matching hundreds for the victims of terrorism and to prove the English are scared of India.
Now he has made a big ton as a personal slap around the chops to the top order for their 51.
The other hundred was a stiff upper lipper.
This was a hundred of righteous indignation.
And while he made the runs, the other top order did what they both always do.
Unofficial Vice Captain Alistair Cook made another fifty without any great intent, and then lost it.
Owais Shah made a 50 with lots of intent before playing tippety and running himself out.
He was given a special plaque at the close of play, was the 358th time he has run himself out.
Andrew was never going to run himself out, there were things needed doing, and he was the man for the job.
Plus what sort of batsman gives their wicket away on a pitch like this.
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Staussy did seem to live a charmed life — he will probably not make another run for a month.
Shah — what a silly billy.
do you realise that all the mofos that you bagged over the past 6 months have suddenly turned themselves into lovable bastards, through some ballsy cricket and diplomacy, to finally get the CWB approval – smith, strauss, grant elliot, clarke, guptil, mitch johnson, the list goes on.
prediction 1: any time u slam someone, they come back and bite you in the bum.
prediction 2: collingwood is gonna make a 100, take 2 wickets, 2 catches and a runout and gonna end up the hero of this match. One more to the list!
He is not what is traditionally called a “useless tosser”
Corp ‘ho, I’ll give you Smith, Johnson, and Clarke. I think I am the reason all of them are now better players and more well liked.
Not sure about the others, Strauss, I ignored. Guptill, have I ever bagged him, he made a ton his first game, and to be fair, i still think Elliott and Collingwood are still shit.
You forgot Brad Haddin, and Sourav Ganguly, I actually helped him make a hundred against a real opposition in a winning test match, many played for 13 years, and only did it twice, so he owes me a beer.
yeah, looks like the break from the natl team did wonders for straussy. overseas tons are always valuable. somehow i don’t think belly is going to have the same rich form when (and if) he gets back. and collingwood knows exactly when to score a big one to delay the axe.
i read an analysis somewhere (maybe it was one of athers’ infrequent bout of common sense) that the english batting lineup averages roughly 40 with the exception of one player (no points for guessing who). this in an era where an average of 50 is the new 40. and there is no talent to replace this under performing lot. pretty much the english batsmen have grown mentally flabby because there is no competition for their spots.
and Katich…
hell yeah, i forgot haddin and katich.
And shane wanton, ian bell, in fact evryone in “the villains list”
These are them at the CWB purgatory waiting judgement. Probable results below.
AB Devilliers – pass
ashley noffke – fail
ashwell prince – fail
beau casson – fail
brad hodge – fail
brad hogg – fail
dale steyn – pass
dwayne bravo – fail
geoff lawson – fail
graeme smith – pass, double pass
harbhajan singh – fail, double fail
jacques kallis – fail
jimmy anderson – fail
mark ramprakash – fail
matt hayden – FAIL
michael kasprowicz – fail
mitchell johnson – pass
monty – fail
paul harris – pass
rikki clarke – fail, unless this is ricky ponting + clarke
shane watson
shaun pollock
shoaib ahktar
simon katich
sourav ganguly – pass, especially in his last exam
sreesanth – fail, slap the bastard
steve harmison – FAIL
stuart macgill – fail
tim ambrose – fail