Return of a Legend

Taken from Swinging Balls magazine, published 8/9/2011

For most former international cricketers, making a comeback is the last thing on the mind at the age of 48. However, for Martin Crowe, that is exactly what is at the forefront of his thoughts as he prepares for an unprecedented first season in 15 years. 

Since his retirement from the game in 1996, Crowe has tried his hand at both coaching and media work, but the ex-New Zealand captain is now in training as he looks to make a comeback for his local side Cornwall CC. Crowe began his cricketing career at the club when he was six years-old, but last turned out for the Auckland-based team in 1981, before making his international bow the following year.

The 1985 Wisden Cricketer of the Year believes that he is on track to make his return over the New Zealand summer whilst he hopes to possibly make a step up to the first-class game.

“If all goes well I hope to put my name up for something higher, but it’s a long shot given my age.”

Despite reports that Crowe’s motivation for making a comeback was that he wanted to reach 250 first-class matches and 20,000 first-class runs, he is keen to reiterate that his return is for more for personal fitness and enjoyment reasons.

“My motivation is to get really fit and healthy and to do what I enjoy the best of all; batting” he says. “I also want to go back to grassroots and give back, plus have some fun on a Saturday afternoon.”

Crowe admits the most difficult obstacle he has overcome since he announced his return to the sport are little niggles and strains in his legs, but as he approaches his own half-century in terms of age, that is very understandable.

The former Black Cap is one of a number of the cricketing fraternity who has embraced social media and Twitter. He used the popular networking site to announce his comeback, although he doesn’t feel that the use of sites like Twitter or Facebook have had a huge impact on the sport and how it is covered.

He says, “No impact of note, at this stage. I don’t have a personal PR department so I used Twitter to get a message out. It took 30 minutes to get the media buzzing, so it can work for an individual.”

Since Crowe retired in the mid-1990’s, New Zealand have struggled to consistently perform at the highest level of the game. Despite a World Cup semi-final earlier this year, their performances in all forms of the game have been largely disappointing. The low point came after a one-day series whitewash defeat by Bangladesh, and Crowe is worried about how his country’s cricketing authorities have prioritised, although he feels his comeback will have no effect on the fortunes of the national team or New Zealand’s young cricketers.

“Cricket in New Zealand is at a serious crossroad. We have wrongly decided to focus on T20 and our Test game is disappearing fast. My return will have no impact though, as its only at club level at this stage.”

Away from cricket, Crowe holds a keen interest in Rugby Union and the fortunes of his beloved All Blacks, who he is backing to finally shrug off their chokers tag and win the World Cup on home soil over the next few weeks.

“The All Blacks will get there this time, but it will be tense to the end. Australia in the Final would be an amazing event. Henry vs Deans is Trans-Tasman rivalry at its ultimate best. Richie McCaw the Number seven for New Zealand will lift the seventh Rugby World Cup.”

He also believes that hosting such a major sporting event will be a huge lift to his beloved New Zealand, saying “It will be incredibly positive for a nation that is going through a lot at present after the earthquakes in Christchurch, our second largest city. Overall apart from cost of staging it, the world will see New Zealand as a fine nation.”

The return of Martin Crowe to the sport of the cricket may seem, from the outside, to be a selfish act of a former professional who just wants to improve their career statistics and possibly take the place of a talented young player.

However, Crowe wants to give something back to the sport and help out at a grassroots level. Whilst he realises a return to first-class cricket isn’t something to which he has a divine right to, Crowe just wants to enjoy playing cricket for his local team and coaching the next generation of young Kiwi cricketers.

Diary of a Club Cricketer- July

Taken from Swinging Balls Magazine, published 31/07/2011

July could prove to have been a defining month in the season for the teams of Otley Cricket Club. Matthew O’Grady’s First Eleven now sit second in the league and have a real chance of claiming the title, whilst the Second Team have made great strides in their fight to avoid relegation for the first time.

O’Grady’s side picked up three victories in the month of July, including wins at title rivals Thackley and Bilton. New signing Micky Missett has scored some crucial runs at the top of the order, whilst Nicholas Benton has continued his fantastic form.

It hasn’t just been the batsmen who have contributed though, as Andy Rhodes now has nearly 40 wickets to his name in 2011, whilst off-spinner John Brough has been picking up wickets for fun, and at a very economical rate. The return of Anthony Giles after a two year hiatus has also boosted the bowling attack, and an end of season celebration could well be on the cards.

Wilkinson’s Second XI side have also picked up three positive results over the past four weeks, all of which were against their relegation rivals. 13-year old Tom Brady has shown talent beyond his years in scoring nearly 200 runs in July, and he has been ably supported by captain Wilkinson and his brother Paul who both recorded fifties. Liam Mulligan has also began to show his worth, picking up 13 wickets from the four matches played, and he now has an average which is better than that of perennial bowling hero Mick Gray.

Chris Keddle’s third eleven had a mixed month, as a win over Ilkley was sandwiched between two defeats. It was a month to remember, however, for 14-year old Joe Braham, who struck his maiden century against Olicanians.

For myself, July was a frustrating month, as after missing two matches through a holiday to Rhodes, I was then only able to play one match for the third team, although it did give me a chance to bat for the first time in two months. (Editor ~ and how did one bat?)

Hopefully August will see me take to the field more often.

Everything To Play For

Taken from Swinging Balls Magazine, published 31/07/2011

With under two months remaining in the season, things are beginning to hot up in all of England’s domestic cricket competitions. Whilst a small minority of teams may be seeing out the campaign with little to play for, many sides are dreaming of lifting a trophy or staving off the threat of relegation.

Durham currently lead the County
Championship, but that could all
change over the next few weeks

In Division One of the County Championship, it is Durham who lead the way by two points over Lancashire. Those two sides have easily been the most impressive in the four-day game this year, but Lancashire’s defeat to Nottinghamshire at Southport at the end of last month has set them back somewhat with only five matches to play. Warwickshire and Somerset sit in the next two positions, and both are ready to pounce if one of the top two slip up in the run-in. Marcus Trescothick has been in absolutely superb form yet again in 2011, and his batting will be key if Somerset are to make a late run to win the title on which they narrowly missed out last year.

At the other end of the table, Hampshire look doomed to relegation, especially after losing eight points for a poor pitch for their match against Nottinghamshire, and it seems that they will be joined by either Worcestershire or Yorkshire. Both have lost games which on other days they may, or should, have won, and both will be hoping they can pick up enough points from their upcoming matches so that they are not plying their trade in Division Two next year.

Whichever teams are relegated, it seems increasingly likely that they will be replaced by Northamptonshire. They have only suffered defeat once this season and would be worthy champions if they were to finish off what has been an excellent season. Middlesex and Gloucestershire sit just below them, and you would get long odds on a team other than these two joining Northants in the top tier of the County Championship next year.

In the Clydesdale Bank 40, it is the southern sides who are dominating. Durham are the only northern side who currently sit in the top two positions of one of the groups, whilst Surrey and Somerset are yet to taste defeat in this year’s competition, and alongside Group A leaders Sussex are the favourites for the competition.

Despite their four-day woes, Hampshire have been superb in this year’s Twenty20 competition. The spin trio of Danny Briggs, Imran Tahir and Shahid Afridi have seen them to a number of victories, and with a home draw for the quarter-finals, they look set for yet another finals day appearance.

If I were a betting man, I would put my money on Nottinghamshire, Kent and Sussex joining them at Edgbaston, but only time will tell.

Despite being near to its close, the 2011 season will surely have many twists and turns to come as the winners and losers are decided.

International Bright Young Things

Taken from Swinging Balls Magazine, published 10/07/2011

English cricket may well be at the best it has been for a number of decades. A first Ashes win in Australia since the 1980’s and the prospect of becoming the world’s number one Test nation sees the current crop of players being labelled as the new golden generation.

But all good things must come to an end, and the likes of Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and James Anderson may not be international players come the next time the Ashes are played for Down Under. The good news for the ECB is that there is a wealth of talent currently coming through the county scene, and this season especially has seen the emergence and growth of some of the talented individuals who could push for international call-ups in the coming years.

Durham's Stokes has been on fire so far in 2011.

One of the most impressive performers this season has been Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes. The 19-year old began the season by almost replicating the great Garfield Sobers after he hit the first five balls of a Liam Dawson over for six. However, the sixth ball only yielded a single as he narrowly missed out on joining a select group of cricketers.

Despite that disappointment, he went on to record a century and take career best figures in the same match, as he started 2011 with a bang, and hasn’t really looked back since. He has been described as the new Andrew Flintoff, and you can see why. His swashbuckling batting style and his bowling ability would remind anyone of the Lancastrian, and it may only be a matter of time before he is at least given a chance in England’s limited overs side.

Another that has caught the eye this season is 17-year old Reece Topley of Essex. The tall left-armer began the season with a bang and, despite missing some matches due to him preparing for his A-Levels, he has performed at a consistently high level. The fact that he out-bowled South African international Lonwabo Tsotsobe during his time at the county is testament to the talent that he has already shown, and those that have seen him in the flesh have gone on record in saying that England could have a genuinely great fast bowler on their hands in years to come.

A man who has also shown the potential to play for the national side in the future is Yorkshire wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow. He came into this season without a first-class century, but some great form has seen him reach three figures twice already this season, including one score of over 200. A promising debut for the England Lions side against Sri Lanka underlined the fact that he is on the England selectors’ radar and could well be the long-term replacement for Matt Prior.

As well as the afore mentioned trio, the likes of Chris Woakes, James Harris and Simon Kerrigan have all impressed with the ball in hand, whilst Alex Hales and James Taylor have been amongst the runs in the opening months of the English domestic season. For the time being, there seems to be a limited amount of spaces in the national set-up, but if these players or any others continue their recent form, the selectors will have to sit up and take notice.

Bringing through talent is what keeps teams at the top of the rankings. The fact that Australia failed to bring in any new faces during their golden period could be seen as one of the reasons that they have had their recent fall from grace, and if England are to avoid something similar, then young in-form players must be given a chance on the biggest stage

Diary of a Club Cricketer- May & June

Taken from Swinging Balls Magazine, published 10/07/2011

May 2011

May was a month of differing fortunes at the OCC, with the First Team staking their claims for title challenge, whilst the Second Team sit at the foot of their division.

Beginning with Matthew O’Grady’s first eleven, who are on a run of three consecutive victories in the league, and sit in second place, nine points behind leaders Thackley.

Overseas player Nicholas Benton has decided to stop attacking his own players and instead take on the bowling of the opposition, with devastating effects.

Quickfire half-centuries against Bilton and Beckwithshaw set up much needed victories, and he seems to be finding his feet in English conditions. A five-wicket haul in the win at Collingham underlined his all-round credentials, and everyone at the club is hoping he continues his progression over the coming weeks.

Other notable performances include the form of Jono Hughes, who has scored back-to-back fifties at the top of the order, whilst Stewart Smith scored his first half-century in the winning draw at Follifoot. Yorkshire Academy player George Ross also scored runs in that match, although he has only figured in that match thus far due to his commitments with the White Rose county. Andrew Rhodes has continued to impress with the ball, and figures of 6-45 against Beckwithshaw were his best of the season so far.

In stark comparison, Mark Wilkinson’s second team are on a horrendous run which has seen them not pick up a positive result since the first match of the season at Harden. Mick Gray has continued to take wickets and has 20 from the opening six matches, but he has found little support from either his fellow bowlers or the batsmen. The batsmen especially have failed to impose themselves this season, and the mere fact yours truly is topping the averages when batting at ten is proof of this.

Away from the league, both the Saturday teams safely negotiated themselves through the first round of their respective cup competitions against great rivals Guiseley. The second team were especially impressive in knocking out the current leaders in the first round for the first time in thirty years.

Chris Keddle’s third team are having a good season thus far, with the mix of youngsters and experienced heads proving to be the recipe for success. 14-year old Joe Braham has become the most recent of the club’s talented youngsters to record his maiden senior fifty, and the team currently sit at the top of their conference.

Finally, the club’s Twenty20 campaign kicked off at Ilkley when a side that brought together players from the top two teams as well as guests Josh Atkinson and James Davies (both former players) came out on top from the last ball of the match. The fact that the ball was a wide made the victory ever so slightly easier, if slightly less satisfying.

June 2011

June was again a month of ups and downs as Otley’s senior teams began to evaluate what the second half of the season’s aims were to be.

The First Eleven continue to push for their first league title since the 1980’s, with Matthew O’Grady’s side sitting in third place, eleven points behind leaders Thackley, who they face in their next match.

Victories over Green Lane and bitter rivals Guiseley were sandwiched between defeats to champions Burley and bottom side Rawdon, whilst a losing draw was obtained from a home match against Adel.

Australian Nicholas Benton continues to impress, and an unbeaten century against Guiseley was his undoubted highlight from his first few months in Otley. Another new signing Stewart Dobson has also begun to make his mark, as he took seven wickets in the ten-wicket demolition of Green Lane.

The Seconds on the other hand, are still struggling at the foot of the table, although performances are beginning to improve. Paul Wilkinson and recent signing Micky Missett have been amongst the runs this month, having both recorded centuries against Adel and Guiseley respectively. Wilkinson also picked up five wickets in the match against Adel, a game which saw the side take maximum points for only the second time this season.

Despite veteran Mick Gray now having passed 30 wickets for the season, the bowlers continue to struggle, and two points were obtained from the matches against Burley and Green Lane despite both times the opposition recording scores of almost 300 from their 50 overs.

In the cup competitions, both teams were knocked out in the second round after both fell fowl of Steeton. Poor batting performances attributed to both defeats, and it was extremely disappointing for the second team as the final of their competition is due to be played at Otley in August.

Chris Keddle’s third team were only able to play one match this month, although this did bring a victory as 13-year old Tom Brady made an unbeaten 47 to see off Knaresborough.

Swinging Balls- April Edition

I have again contributed to online magazine Swinging Balls this month.

The articles that I have written this month consist of the second entry of my 'Diary of a Club Cricketer', a look at modern-day cricket commentary and a review of whether the IPL is a good thing for world cricket or not.

Please take a look

Swinging Balls

Swinging Balls is available on the 1st
of every month

I have begun writing for new online magazine Swinging Balls. This is a monthly magazine which covers a huge range of sports, and is available on the 1st of every month.

For the April edition I have written a preview to the 2011 County Championship season, whilst also publishing the first entry of my 'Diary of a Club Cricketer', in which I will write monthly entries surrounding my time at Otley Cricket Club.

Feel free to read both, and if you are interested in writing for the magazine, contact Rohan Kallicharan.