Posted by Remember Ajantha Mendis? That’s kind of died down a bit, hasn’t it? He isn’t even in the Sri Lanka squad.
There seems to be an assumption that India will win the second semi-final. They’ve been playing very well and they look the stronger team with a greater number of high quality batsmen, but Sri Lanka are not to be underestimated. For many years now it’s felt like the end of a Sri Lankan era, but somehow it’s never quite happened. Their middle-aged core has not yet spoilt.
That said, Sri Lanka’s main bowling weapon is Lasith Malinga and if there’s one nation that is entirely unarsed by Malinga, it’s India. Not only do they know him from the near-daily one-day internationals these two sides for some reason choose to play, but he’s also been one of the central figures in each season of the IPL.
Which side will get to sit inside playing darts and studying Duckworth-Lewis charts on Sunday before finally accepting that there’s going to be no play and getting stuck into the pints of mild instead? In just a few short hours, the answer will be revealed.
The tournament rules state that in the event of a washout, the winner will be decided in a game of Cricket Darts (http://www.kingcricket.co.uk/twenty20-cricket-darts/2013/01/08/)
So the question we need to be asking is – Is Graeme Swann better with the arrows than James Tredwell? I tend to think yes, based on his face.
Also, bear in mind that this brings Dilshan back into the equation should SL win today, as he can play sitting down.
If darts is the way of it they should bring back Steve Harmison. Deadly with the arrers, I believe.
By the way, we’ve covered bathos, euphemisms and intricate emoting in this week’s Twitter round-up.
It has zero tweets, zero Facebook likes and zero comments written all over it, so you guys might actually enjoy it.
mickey arthur reckons the aussies have the world’s best all-round bowling attack (hence presumably he is implying that nathan lyon is a world-class spinner, interesting claim in itself)…
… he also says that if you’re not “street smart” when touring england, the media and ECB will have a field day with you – referring to the warner incident here of course – as if he’s somehow suggesting that the only thing wrong in what happened was that it took place over here, where it couldn’t be covered up. and what does the ECB have to do with anything?! they couldn’t no-comment fast enough.
oz do have a good bowling attack (when fit!), but so do pakistan, and… (no real need to finish that sentence)
The “street smart” comment was certainly odd. He’s almost saying Warner would have got away with it if it weren’t for those pesky Poms.
Pretty sure ‘street smart’ just means ‘not doing knobheadish things’.
When in the UK during an Ashes summer, Australian cricketers simply can’t afford to do knobheadish things.
As if it’s ok to punch an opposition player in the face at any other time.
Sam, I can only hope that was said in a moment of weakness. It’s ALWAYS okay to punch an opposition player in the face. Don’t tell me you don’t approve.
Except in rugby. It’s NEVER OK to punch an opponent in the face in rugby. That’s the sort of thuggish behaviour that gets thugby a bad name.
I highly recommend Banks’s mild for the two teams who fight it out with arrers in Birmingham on Sunday.
Anyone care to recommend differently?
Warwickshire used to be sponsored by something called ‘Brew XI’. As a young Bears fan I never knew what it was. By the time I was old enough to drink they had changed their sponsor. Once I banged my head on the bottom of the old members’ stand where I was waiting for Allan Donald to take the final wicket to win the championship. Ah, happy days.
Oakleaf’s Maypole Mild (which I notice they don’t brew anymore) used to be delicious. I’ve only ever had it bottled, mind you.
Harvey’s do a pretty good mild. Think you can get it on draft in some parts of London, definitely in the Royal Oak in Borough. You don’t often see it round our way except as a guest beer.
Dark Star do a ruby mild, which I’m not wild for.
This Indian team is too proffessional for me to be comfortable with it
Indeed, two-f-ing professional, Uday.
We don’t want any of that professionalism in cricket. That’s virtually cheating where we come from.
I wondered when the old “gentlemen and players” argument would raise its head round these parts.
back when i lived in birmingham (early nineties – and mid-seventies, but that doesn’t really count as i was too young to drink) i was very partial to batham’s, but iirc there weren’t (aren’t?) many pubs selling it. naturally i do remember banks’s as well, perenially popular…
maybe a charity ashes boxing match should be arranged? give warner a chance to have a proper go, but pair him up with someone a bit less boyish than joe root. chris tremlett, perhaps 🙂