(Part six.) A new era. Despite being partly driven by commercial concerns, cricket in the early 1970s was nothing like the environment 30 years later. The arrival of the T20 format and subsequently T20 Internationals triggered the franchise boom and, therefore, fixture congestion which remains one of the biggest challenges …
Read More »1975 CWC: An unforgettable accident—how bad weather led to the world’s first ODI
(Part five.) History by accident. Tuesday 5 January 1971 is one of cricket’s historic days, with the first-ever One-Day International being played. As with the first-ever Test match, which bowled off on 15 March 1877, the ODI was staged at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and matched hosts Australia against England. …
Read More »1975 CWC: “These were parlous times”—when limited-overs cricket hit England in 1960s
(Part four.) English abundance. Having established that the first limited-over cricket tournament was played in India in 1951, it was at the home of the inventors of the game, England, that the variation of the traditional format first took root more than a decade later, and eventually earned wider appeal …
Read More »1975 CWC: From India to the world—how limited overs cricket bowled off
(Part three.) It started in India. Given the duration of the traditional game—in most cases spanning between three and five days—it was inevitable that at some time, someone would formalise the idea of a game of cricket played on a limited-over basis, starting and finishing on the same day. So, …
Read More »King keeps it simple as Maroon Men romp to 5-wkt win and 2-0 series lead over Netherlands
In Game Two of the three-match ODI series against the Netherlands at the VRA Ground in Amstelveen today, Brandon King kept his head while other West Indian batsmen around him were losing theirs. The talented right-hander reaped multiple rewards: an unbeaten 91 to go with his 58 not out in …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Hope, Hetmyer, Walsh are in Persaud’s WI dream team but Simmons out starting XI
“[…] My opening batsmen will be Evin Lewis and Shai Hope. I say with utmost confidence that no one will argue with my selection of Lewis to lead the charge. The left-handed opener has the proven capability to destroy any bowling attack that he may be faced with. “The right-handed …
Read More »Hetmyer, Cottrell and Chase are back for West Indies’ ODI series against Australia
Left-handed top order batsman Shimron Hetmyer, left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell and right-handed all-rounder Roston Chase have been recalled to the West Indies One-Day International (ODI) squad for the upcoming CG Insurance ODI series against Australia. The West Indies will play three ODIs at Kensington Oval in Barbados on 20, …
Read More »PITT STOP: ODI numbers don’t lie; WICB must stop running its own cricket team out!
“The supply of cricketers is not nearly as great here in the West Indies as in Pakistan, say, with its almost 195 million or India (1.2 billion) or even England (55 million). “Inexplicably, however, we have found a way to reduce the supply of players available for international cricket by …
Read More »PITT STOP: Our high, low game; would new rules and roles help WI win more matches?
After the big 7-wicket WI victory in the third of the four T20s against Pakistan at the Queen’s Park Oval last weekend, former-ace-pacer-turned-broadcaster Ian Bishop reminded listeners that the hosts tend not to repeat victories. Carlos Brathwaite’s side duly lost the last match, giving the visitors a 3-1 win in …
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