|
|
Post by Wicked Cricket on Jul 24, 2019 9:32:35 GMT
If, like myself, you are a Kevin Pietersen fan, don't miss out on this.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Cricket on Jul 25, 2019 10:42:53 GMT
Sussex v Hampshire T20: Hove: July 24th
________________________________________________________________
On and off the field it was all change for the first home T20 game against Hampshire. Sussex won a match at Hove, a refreshing alternative to the recent series of depressing and mind-numbing defeats in the Championship, where those gloom-ridden cobwebs were swept aside as, under the auspice of Luke Wright, the Club’s most successful format put the genie back in the bottle by defeating a team that has been a thorn in the side for Sussex over the years. The game was not without incident which will be discussed later. Off-the-field there were new sights aplenty. The catering company Space and Thyme who dominated the ground in recent years were gone and in their place a number of independent food outlets titillated the palates from Thai Food and Pizzas to Crepes and Hog Roast Buns. Prices for a wholesome portion ranged from £7.50 to £12. Sussex have a new house-band for all home T20s this season called The Marching Skaletons. This 10-piece have been a part of the local music scene, in one form or another, for many years. Dressed in Club colours on the night, skeleton-like costumes are their more common attire. They describe their music as ‘horn-powered Ska’ where all members are competent musicians and know what a Tristan Chord is.  Close to Greig’s Cafe was Andy Maclay and associate Faye marketing a new sparkling drink called Coco Fuzion 100. Add to fizzy water a touch of mango and coconut, then say abracadabra, and you have a delightful zingy thirst quencher in an orange tin, ideal for a balmy evening. Andy who is the Chief Customer Development Officer for C7 Brands, explained they were giving out 1,000 FREE tins that night. The drink alongside other coconut-based ones can be be bought in most good supermarket chain outlets. I am not a keen coconut advocate, but this drink was delicious and has all the important gluten-free, no preservatives, 100% natural and naturally isotonic ring to it. Even better, Andy is a genuine Sussex supporter and lives not too far from the ground. Close by were Alan and Angie Locke whom each season sell programmes for the T20 games while at the back of the ground were the regular face-painters, Sea-Life stall and The Sussex Cricket Foundation encouraging youngsters to play cricket.  Back on the field, it was a night of surprises. The wicket of Evans being a good example. Will we see another like it? It aroused SKY commentator Rob Key to pronounce a series of Victor Meldrew-type phrases. No, Laurie wasn’t stumped, but bizarrely run-out (see video footage) which caused a supporter close by to say with contempt, “That was cheating!” Then there was the long-forgotten Reece Topley who had ended up on the crock’s table, then managed to haul himself up to fitness, only to sign for Sussex, getting a fourfer in-front of the SKY cameras. His golden ball to get Northeast was a peach of a delivery. Another stand-out for Sussex was Phil Salt scoring 73 off 46 balls (how long before he regularly joins Archer at England?), interlaced by a brilliant cameo from Rashid Khan scoring 22 runs off one over and Wiese’s 44 off 29 (one almost expects such an innings from him) which helped Sussex reach a competitive score of 188.  After Topley’s assault on Hampshire’s top order, Sussex were always in the driving seat except for that dangerous former South African international Rilee Rossouw. Not even being biffed on the head by a rising ball from Wiese which led him to be taken off the field for ten minutes stopped the cricketer from trying to win the game single-handedly. But a Rashid Briggs combination ended his attempts when he was caught in the outfield for 60 off 38 balls and led to a 14 run victory for 'The Sharks'. Onward to that all important home game on Friday against Surrey. Already a sell-out, let us hope the weather doesn’t ruin what should be a great match. www.ecb.co.uk/video/1293004/highlights-sussex-start-vitality-blast-with-win-over-hampshire?latest=yes&title=Latest%20Videos
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Cricket on Jul 25, 2019 15:14:58 GMT
One forgets the war of injuries 25 year-old, 6'7" tall Reece Topley has suffered during his cricket career. His stoic answers to Adrian Harms' questions clearly shows a man who has not only accepted his past misfortunes, but found the courage to overcome them and move on. This began famously in June 2009, aged 15 years-old, when Topley made the headlines after being injured bowling in the nets at Loughborough University by England batsman Kevin Pietersen. Pietersen flat drove a delivery, which ended up striking him on the side of the head, knocking the youngster to the ground. He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary where Topley required stitches to his ear and was kept in hospital overnight. Following the incident, Pietersen, whom Topley cited as his favourite player, gave the youngster a signed cricket bat.  A product of the Essex youth cricket system, Topley made his first-class debut for the county against Cambridge MCCU in the 2011 season. He impressed on Championship debut against Kent, taking a maiden five wicket haul of 5/46 in the second-innings. In the following game against Middlesex he took a second five wicket haul, with figures of 5/64 in the first-innings. In May of that year, he signed a one-year professional contract with Essex. That month also saw Topley make his OD debut against the Unicorns in the CB40 with Topley claiming his maiden wicket in that format of Robin Lett. Interestingly, mid-season Topley took a break from county cricket to return to the Royal Hospital School to revise for his summer exams. A medical future was still and ironically on the cards. However, during this break he was called up to play for England U19s in their Youth One Day International series against South Africa. He then returned to action for Essex in August, proving that any future medical career was over. His professional cricket began well drawing praise from Michael Vaughan who stated that Topley could become a future Test cricketer. On 1st September 2015, Topley signed for Hampshire and a rosy and successful future beckoned. Later he made his IT20 International debut against Australia on 31 August 2015 and his ODI debut, two weeks later, taking figures of 0-33. Topley kept his place for an ODI series against Pakistan and picked up his first international wickets in the first match finishing with figures of 3-26. He played in the 1st T20 international between the two sides, and finished with figures of 3-24. He continued his role in the ODI side for the tour of South Africa, and again played every game in the series. He took figures of 1-43 in the first game, as England won by 39 runs on the DL Method. In the next game he took figures of 4-50 to help England to back to back wins. England lost the next three games of the series, although Topley performed well, taking figures of 2-39 in the fourth match of the series and 3-41 in the final one, which South Africa won by 5 wickets. He played in both T20 internationals, although he didn't take a wicket in either game. He kept his place in the England side for the T20 World Cup, but was expensive in the first game against the West Indies, taking figures of 1-22 in 2.1 overs. He was costly too in the next match against South Africa, bowling two overs for 33 runs. He was replaced in the side by Liam Plunkett and did not play in the tournament again. The team went on to the World Cup Final in India, but were defeated by the West Indies. Then, the curse of the fast bowler struck. A series of back injuries including four stress fractures (two separate breaks that have subsequently recurred) led him to much pain and frustration. In July 2018, as a bid to save his career, Topley underwent back surgery. Last night's game was the first non-friendly one since then. He had signed a white-ball contract only with Hampshire last summer, but even that lowered workload made no difference. He had to inject a hormone in his stomach daily and once a month had an anaesthetic in his spine. He left Hampshire (2018) after playing only 21 games in three years and chose to go unemployed as a free agent in order to take control of his own recovery from this latest injury. Topley spent a month in Australia at the start of 2019 where he was invited to step up his recovery training with the Melbourne Renegades BBL side. He then spent two weeks bowling with Middlesex and later training with the Sussex squad. “I never thought this was the end of my career but last summer I reached the point where I couldn’t be bothered to go through it anymore because I was in so much pain,” he told Nick Hoult of The Telegraph. “Just to bowl I was having to inject myself every day with a hormone in my stomach and once a month I had to come up to London to get an anaesthetic put in my back and then I would have to go to the gym for an hour before I bowled just to prepare everything because I was playing with a crack in my back. “If I had a match the next day I would be scared of the pain I would have to go through. It was unfair and I was thinking ‘why do I have to go through all this?’ I thought ‘who is benefiting?’ I was not playing as well as I could, and I knew I could get another stress fracture and be out for a long time. I just thought ‘let’s stop this and I can pick it up again when I’m better.’” Players are taking more control of their careers either by signing white-ball only contracts, like Nottinghamshire’s Harry Gurney, or in Topley’s case, waiting to see what offers come along once fit again. He was fed up of being rushed into playing because physios had put a time frame on a return from injury that was either too optimistic or risked further injury. Topley continues, “I feel when you are contracted to a club they listen to physios. The physios report to the coaches that Reece can do drills in six weeks but that is always in a perfect case scenario and if I was not ready in six weeks the coaches and people paying my wages wondered why. ‘Do you not want to get fit for us?’ When it is a stress fracture and bone injury it is hard. You just have to sit and wait. There is no way to hurry it up. It looks like you are being lazy but you have to be patient.” As a left-arm swing bowler with a good array of slower balls and cutters, Topley would have been a World Cup contender this summer had he stayed fit. “I have the intention to play red-ball cricket again because I’m good at it and when I had a white-ball contract last year I would end up playing a three-day second team game, anyway, so what is the point?” he said. “I have so much confidence in my ability and if you look at the numbers I have produced, my ability speaks for itself. The only thing I have struggled with is two back injuries, but I have gone to war with this one and I will win it.” Therefore, last night Topley must have felt on top of the world and SKY Sports were there to witness this phoenix rising from the ashes. The one season contract with Sussex could also be a coup for the Club, because if he remains injury-free, Topley might have a major impact on the final four Championship games. sussexcricket.co.uk/news/reece-topley-joins-sussex |
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Cricket on Jul 25, 2019 22:01:52 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Cricket on Jul 26, 2019 8:59:36 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Cricket on Jul 27, 2019 11:18:17 GMT
Sussex v Surrey T20: 26th July: Hove
________________________________________________________
What a peculiar and anomalistic Friday evening it was. Rain was on the mind of those attending and the judicious had brought umbrellas and raincoats after flirting with the weather-forecast that stated heavy rain was due at Hove by 8pm. In fact, a few were so affected by such doom they never made the trip preferring to discard their paid ticket to the bin. The new star of English cricket, Jofra Archer, experienced a welcome return to the cheers of the home crowd and emblazoned his rich talents by bowling left-arm slow/medium during the pre-practise. Perhaps, he was worried about enflaming his side-strain before the biggest Club match of the season against the greatest foe? The game was a sell-out (what was the actual figure this time: 6,400, 6,500 or 6,750?) The term “sell-out” is down to the whim of the local Council and their Health and Safety Officer. A beer-swilling Friday evening against Essex, for example, can be a lower figure deemed than a cosy family Tuesday with Glamorgan. As the queue at the main gate burgeoned around 5pm, rain arrived and the judicious smiled at their prudence. Yet, this was fake news. The wetness was light and short-lived and for those who had arrived in T-shirts and shorts, hustling and bustling in the Cricketers Pub garden, they were not even aware of such English delights. As that old Punch joke goes: (Husband to his wife walking together down a country lane). “Autumn is drawing in.” (Wife) “How do you know?” (Man) “The rain’s getting colder!” Sami and Mo Off-the-field, the house band duly brassed and Ska…rd, the various and eclectic food and drink stands’ custom gathered apace and only the same judicious stared to the heavens, awaiting for the clouds to open. Luke Wright lost the home toss, now two in a row, and as Surrey had one ear to the forecast duly elected to bowl. Experience shows that in a DLS scenario, the chasing team usually wins. After their free-flowing batting on Wednesday, Sussex stuttered and spluttered, where Salt was dropped off the first ball. There were no cameos from Khan, no sixes from Wiese, and only Captain Wright remained solid throughout as players came and went like confetti. Q: Has Archer forgotten how to bat since being in the England ranks? A: Put Jofra in the nets and remind him what a willow is. Sussex supporters were in general agreement, 144 runs wasn’t enough against a strong Surrey team, especially with Aaron Finch as their opener. And anyway, the rain was due (the forecast had now changed to 9pm) and DLS would be a formality. Yet, it was nip and tuck throughout the second innings where spectators had one eye on the DLS score, another on the runs required, and a third on the deepening dark sky. A superb boundary catch by Rawlins brought a roar from the crowd as Aussie danger man Finch was despatched by Archer for a lowly six. After a golden against the same bowler in the World Cup semi, is Jofra his appointed Ashes executioner? Outstanding Bowling Performance Reece Topley, once again, showed promise, but a poor third over upset his bowling figures. Briggs had a mare, Khan was ordinary, yet Mills, no doubt his resolve sharpened by the presence of Topley, bowled superbly, mixing it up with slow and fast balls and a variety more seen at The London Palladium. His figures of 2-16 were outstanding. Archer meanwhile was Archer. More chilled than an eskimo’s nose, Wright brought him back to despatch danger man Pope and after being struck for four, duly did so with a snorter of a next ball that smashed down the stumps. By 9.45pm, the rain still hadn’t arrived and the judicious realised that DLS was finally chucked in the bin and now it was down to the last over. 12 runs required with Batty and Tahir at the crease. But there was a major problem. Wright had gambled all. The main bowlers were ‘overed out’ and because of Briggs mare and only bowling three who was Wright to entrust the final six balls? Cometh the Hour Cometh the Man Enter David Wiese, whom while playing brilliantly for Sussex in recent seasons, has shown the world that faltering under bowling pressure is an unwelcome bedfellow. What a gamble by Wright, but 'cometh the hour cometh the man'. As Wiese trudged to his mark, the body language suggested someone about to face the firing squad. This was the World Cup super-over all over again. And it was going swimmingly until Imran Tahir struck a six. Three runs needed off the last ball. Batty Pakistani-born South African cricketer flailed his bat. The ball flew into the outfield, the batsmen skedaddled between the wickets, but there was no Roy to pick up and throw, no Buttler to pounce and smash down the stumps. Two runs only and the match was tied. Afterwards, Tahir was so furious that he thrust his hand down his pants, dragged out his box and promptly threw it on the grass. This was a point lost by Surrey, but a point gained by Sussex. As a rather confused crowd, still pinching themselves over the result, streamed out of the ground, the heavens opened. www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9434BoGkNQ
|
|
|
|
Post by joe on Jul 27, 2019 11:38:23 GMT
Batty hit the final ball for 2 not Tahir.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Cricket on Jul 27, 2019 11:55:02 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by joe on Jul 27, 2019 13:43:30 GMT
I know I’m correct, I was there watching the game. |
|
|
|
Post by flashblade on Jul 27, 2019 13:56:16 GMT
Hey guys, shouldn't all this be on the match thread?
|
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Cricket on Jul 27, 2019 17:57:27 GMT
It already is.
|
|
|
|
Post by flashblade on Jul 27, 2019 19:19:30 GMT
After your report was posted, future discussion of the match became diverted away from the match thread - is perhaps what i should have said.  |
|
|
|
Post by liquidskin on Jul 27, 2019 20:39:51 GMT
Looks like someone is after the mod job - CV's perfect.
How did you manage to get a photo of Weise from 2035 S&F?
If you're wondering why a cat like me is online at 9.30 in the evening it's not because I'm sad, it's because I got thrown out of a pub for harassing women, I'll have you know.
Knock Knock?
|
|
|
|
Post by longstop on Jul 27, 2019 21:03:26 GMT
After your report was posted, future discussion of the match became diverted away from the match thread - is perhaps what i should have said. You turn your back for a day and then the match thread ends up here. I can't see a way to move some of it back to the match thread, so I'll leave it here this time, but let's try and keep the match thread stuff on the match thread and general cricket stuff on this thread. |
|
|
|
Post by Wicked Cricket on Jul 29, 2019 21:48:15 GMT
Adelaide Strikers TwitterSome Sussex Sharks debut for Kez overnight, smashing 78 (46) in a 13-run victory over Somerset...One notes that Alex Carey's nickname is 'Kez' and not Archbishop, Bish, Archie, Bashy, Georgie or any other silly name associated with former Archbishop George Carey, but then in Australia why would they have heard of this name anyway? At least, a lot better than 'Caresy', for example. 
|
|
Yep, just checked via ESPNCricinfo. You are correct.
