Tributes to great cricketers seem to be a frequent task of late. Sachin Tendulkar, Graeme Swann and now Jacques Kallis, a sign that the face of cricket has changed dramatically in 2013.
Superlatives are easy to come by when discussing such an illustrious career, but what Kallis has achieved in his time as a representative for South Africa is far easier to express with numbers.
With 13,289 Test Match runs to his name, he is, without question, one of the greatest players the game will ever know and his departure marks the end of an era for the game.
Kallis announced his retirement from Test cricket on Christmas Day, but, unlike Tendulkar, was able to finish his Test career in what can only be described in a 'Blockbuster Hollywood' fashion.
By reaching his 45th Test century, Kallis became the third highest Test run-scorer of all time and is bettered only by Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting.
Whilst the result of the of the second Test Match between India and South Africa remains unsettled, it is clear that many parallels are beginning to emerge between Kallis and Tendulkar's respective departures, due to the ovation Kallis has received upon every opportunity over the past few days.
Of course, the key difference between the two being that Kallis was able to grab the fairytale ending which evaded Tendulkar, but the South African's efforts stem far further than merely his efforts with the bat.
Certainly, there have been, and still are many players who typify what it means to be a quality all-rounder, but Kallis is, and for many years will be, the greatest cricketer to grace this term.
Putting his efforts with the bat to the side for just a moment, the 38-year-old has taken 292 Test wickets, a total which he is yet to increase in the current match and with 200 catches to his name he is second in the all-time rankings behind Rahul Dravid.
The modern perception of the game is one which often thrives upon cricketers who have the ability to be an all-rounder. A batsman who can bow a few overs, or a bowler who is handy with the bat.
But with Kallis, instead of potential and capability, South Africa have had a constant performer, one which is almost impossible to replace.
In ODI cricket his achievements are similarly staggering to the eye. The Proteas veteran sits sixth in the all-time records for runs scored in limited overs cricket, with nearly 12,000 runs to his name and has made 86 half-centuries in 325 appearances, a feat which is beaten only by Tendulkar.
It would be foolish to diminish the achievements of the Little Master. Only a handful of weeks ago the critics were celebrating a similarly impressive contribution to the game.
Kallis has however played 138 fewer matches in ODI's than Tendulkar and, retrospectively speaking, he ought to be assessed for his average contribution, as well as his overall statistics.
His absence will certainly bring sadness to those who have appreciated his presence for nearly two decades now, but when your time is up and you can reflect on such a magnificent career, little can be done but celebrate the achievements of such a remarkable cricketer.
Sunday 29 December 2013
Saturday 21 December 2013
Moore signs for Derbyshire.
 |
| Moore will prove very useful in limited overs cricket. |
The acquisition of Stephen Moore proved to
be a shrewd piece of business from Derbyshire, who were in dire need of a
quality top order batsman following their immediate return to Division Two.
The former Lancashire opener struggled for
form last season and ended a three-year stint with the 2011 county champions
after failing to regain his place in the team.
The 33-year-old’s task became much harder
due to the immediate success of youngster, Luis Reece, who became the first
Lancashire player to score seven consecutive half-centuries since 1959.
Reece’s success alongside the recently
appointed Lancashire vice-captain, Paul Horton, added to his challenge, as the pair
made five
hundred-run opening stands after six different opening combinations were
trialed by the Red Rose outfit.
Moore’s departure was difficult to accept, due to
his extensive role in the club’s success in 2011, but his form in the following
season, like many other players, called his contribution into question.
However, while many of Moore’s fellow players
regained their form in the second division, he failed to rediscover his former
self, and it took just two matches for Lancashire to decide they had seen
enough.
The former Worcestershire and England Lions man was
once regarded with such high promise and, perhaps it is this pedigree, which
Derbyshire are hoping to tap into in order to increase their chances for
promotion in 2014.
The popular opinion was that Moore would return to
his mother-county, Worcestershire, but the nature of his departure may have
left a sour relationship between the two parties.
His performances in the 2009 season became
overshadowed by Worcester’s failings and, alongside Surrey
wicket-keeper-batsman, Steve Davies; Moore sought a method for escaping, a
decision which may have excluded them from the race for his signature.
Derbyshire had the lowest number of batting bonus
points in the first division last season and the recent departure of head
coach, Karl Krikken, added to the club’s sorrow.
 |
| Moore featured in many one-day games, but his form in the championship led to his exit. |
Wayne Madsen scored the second highest
number of runs in the first division last season (1,221) but was left holding
the baby, as the likes of Peter Borrington and Billy Goddleman failed to offer
substantial support.
Chesney Hughes, who thumped 270 versus
runners-up Yorkshire, fours runs shy of a club record, would have only made 342
runs had he not had this incredible innings.
Even in this game Derby still somehow
managed to lose by an innings and 39 runs after making a first innings total of
475 and this fixture perfectly summarised the clubs problems.
Contributions from Hughes and Madsen in the
first innings in a 258-run partnership, and a cumulative total of 363 runs
between them, but the rest of the team added just 112 for the loss of eight
wickets.
Certainly, if we use this game as an
example, Derbyshire will also have to make further acquisitions to their
bowling department, but the signing of Stephen Moore promises to be mutually
beneficial for both parties.
The extension to Ben Slater’s stay at the
club suggests that he and Moore could become Derbyshire’s new opening
combination, but the 22-year-old also failed to impress with the bat last
season, making just 335 runs at an average of 19.71.
Despite Moore’s failure to impress in the
longest form of the game, he continued to impress on the one-day scene and
Derby will certainly benefit from his presence in the shorter forms of the
game.
Playing in all eleven of the Lightning’s
twenty20 fixtures, he
He also featured in Lancashire’s
enthralling win over Roses rivals, Yorkshire, in front of an elated Emirates
Old Trafford crowd, scoring 66 of 35 balls as the Lightning won with nine overs
to spare.
However, his failure to impress in four-day
cricket led to the announcement of his departure prior to Lancashire’s final
match of the season versus Kent in late September.
With Derbyshire aiming to return to the
first division, Moore will need to rediscover his form next season, but this
will not be easy with an average of just
17.88 in the last two year’s of the county championship.
Tuesday 17 December 2013
Ashes hammering is a wake-up call for England.
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| Stokes was one of few players to truly earn their place. |
Cricket can be a very fickle affair at times and nobody knows this harsh reality more than Alastair Cook and Andy Flower.
In late August, England had cemented a 3-0 series win at home and it seemed as though the team and its spirit could not have been better.
And now, just a matter of days before Christmas, England have had to swallow three heavy defeats, with the prospect of a series whitewash beckoning.
A great deal of credit and respect must be handed the Australia before we delve too deeply into England's many failings, and believe me, there are many.
The humiliation facing England will have come as a surprise to quite a few people. But in reality the results which have unfolded are merely a magnification of the problems which have been in the England camp for some time now.
After England had thumped Australia, retaining the Ashes on a dreary day at Old Trafford, the view amongst traditionalists was that we had won the important competition and that the One-Day series and Twenty20 matches were just a 'bonus'.
Fair enough. Ask anybody, 'Would you rather beat the Aussies in a Test or in a knock-about?' and the results would be resoundingly in favour of the former.
But what these matches did do was allow the Aussies to regain confidence. Shane Watson received a battering from the English media about his inability to face James Anderson and when, essentially a 'B Team' was fielded, the Australian camp seized the opportunity to regain their confidence.
The number of changes England made between Test and One-Day cricket was initially celebrated. People were saying things like 'We have such strength in depth, we can field two completely different teams and rest players.'
And to that I say one word. Consistency.
Watson came through his series of LBW dismissals and helped Australia to win the ODI series 2-1 and this meant more to Australia than was properly accounted for at the time.
England came into the second Ashes instalment knowing that they were not going to be handed victory as simply as they had a few months earlier, but the odds were still in favour of England retaining the Ashes.
People were initially worried as to how England would cope with the scorching heat and the bounce of the Australian wickets.
Never fear, we have Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett and Boyd Rankin at our disposal! Three players who were invariably used but were, in all honesty, never really going to be our first choice, as was demonstrated by the ease with which Tim Bresnan came back into the side.
England's policy became very clear. Unless a player was an outstanding outright bowler or batsmen, or captain, they would struggle to get into the team.
Hence, the decision to play Ben Stokes, who proved to be the only glimmer of hope with an impressive 120 in England's second-innings.
England's batting card contained 11 players who could all bat, but very few who were ready to do so, and were served poorly by the modern mentality of every player needing to be able to perform in all three arts.
The Durham all-rounder fitted the bill perfectly. He could clearly bat, although unproven at this level prior to his maiden test century, he was capable of bowling around 90mph and when it came to fielding he worked tirelessly in the heat.
The attitude demonstrated by Stokes is what every England player needed to have. So often you see debutants playing an innings with care and hesitance in order to maintain their place in the team. But Stokes played with a care-free attitude, as well as a lot of application and this served him well.
Stokes was the perfect example for what England wanted in their team, as opposed to what they actually had.
Having said that, it should never have got to the stage where he was needed, or at the very least, with such a lack of certainty over who would fill the void, which he seized with absolute certainty.
The issue however, lies in this aggressive policy exercised by England and no player demonstrates this better than Kevin Pietersen.
A Test innings should demonstrate a cricketers ability to build an innings slowly and this was severely lacking in England's ethos.
Pietersen makes a quick-fire 45, scores a few boundaries with a strike rate approaching 80 and in an ODI this is acceptable. But not in a Test match.
Stokes has fundamentally embarrassed players like Pietersen. Having played over 100 tests you would think by now they would be an example to the younger players, but instead it is the other way round.
When KP finishes an innings lasting no more than an hour and a half he trots back to the dressing room thinking that he has served his team well, but the true heroes are Stokes and Joe Root who can bat for time and try to launch a serious comeback.
When it comes to justifying why England have under-achieved so badly in this series, it is possible to write dozens and dozens of books over the matter, but put quite simply it comes down to their attitude.
Whether thats complacency, self-doubt, poor tactics, the hotel the players are staying in, whatever. The simple truth is that seniority is not installing a great deal of confidence and this has, and will always be, the backbone of a successful team.
England do not strike fear in to the opposition anymore, but if eleven of Ben Stokes walked out on to he field then perhaps the Aussies might be more worried.
Just like Australia in the Summer months, England have become scared, not just because they are losing so heavily, but because they don't know why, or more importantly, how they are going to bounce back.
Thursday 12 December 2013
'Tactical' Horton given vice-captain role.
 |
| Horton's seniority has been vital amongst a number of younger players. |
England coach's reign, as a good opportunity for the Lancashire opener to learn the duties of a leader, in preparation for his future at the club.
Horton captained the team on four occasions last season in the Championship and YB40 campaigns and his experience of the club has given him good reason to undertake the responsibilities given to him.
 |
| Horton made 645 runs in just ten LVCC matches last year. |
Coach, Peter Moores, said: “We just felt it was a chance to get Paul a bit more involved in the discussions we have to try and help him develop his leadership style.”
“To be a good captain you need exposure. It will be good for Paul to be involved in some of the meetings me and Glen have. It gives him an opportunity.
“Captaincy is about leadership and sometimes making tough decisions, and this gives him more of a chance to tap into Glen’s knowledge. He’s been doing that anyway, but this just makes it more official.
“Vice captains are there to support the captain and be a key player within that dressing room to make sure it stays focused on the task in hand. He is a set of ears for the captain who finds out if there are any issues around. It’s a big role.
“Tactically, Paul is very sound. He’s got a good pedigree having captained sides at all stages of his career. It’s exciting for him and for us.”
 |
| Horton made three centuries in 2013 and captained Lancashire in their last two matches of the season. |
Certainly, the decision to give Horton the role of vice-captain suggests that he is part of the club's future plans, but Moores insists that no decisions have been made regarding Chapple's successor.
“He’s got a great chance, but that doesn’t mean he will be. You can’t say to somebody ‘you’re going to be the next captain of a club like Lancashire.
"It’s a tough position. You look at some of the captains of this club, and it’s a hard position to earn. Glen played for a long time before he got given that chance.
“We still have a lot of people in that dressing room who will be ambitious to captain Lancashire, which is a great position for us to be in.”
Wednesday 11 December 2013
Lumb extends Nottinghamshire stay.
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| Lumb scored 330 runs in this seasons t20 format. |
England international Michael Lumb has
agreed to a new three-year contract at Nottinghamshire, in a deal which will
secure the future of the South-African-born opener until 2016.
Lumb is best known for his role in England’s
success in the ICC World Twenty20 World Cup and opens for the Outlaws alongside
current England batsman, Alex Hales.
 |
| The partnership between Lumb and Hales has been integral at Notts. |
The 2013 season highlighted the important
role he plays at the club, scoring just over 1,000 runs in the Championship at
an average of 47.14.
But it is the shortest form of the game
where the former Hampshire batsman continued to impress.
His score of 96 versus Durham became the
highest score by a Nottinghamshire player in the Friends Life t20 and his
accumulation of 330 runs throughout the tournament was bettered only by partner
Hales (365).
It was this highly successful combination
that saw Notts overcome all challenges, finishing top of the North Group, but
the Outlaws were eventually beaten by Essex Eagles in the quarter-finals.
Director of cricket, Mick Newell,
said: “Michael has become a key figure for us in all formats and we were very
keen to secure his commitment.”
Highly regarded from an early age, Lumb’s
continued form was a vital element to Nottinghamshire’s Championship survival
last season, avoiding relegation to Division Two by just 24 points.
He is approaching 10,000 first-class runs
and has 22 centuries across all forms of the game.
The 33-year-old joined Notts on a
three-year deal for the start of the 2012 season and has played for a total of
seven domestic teams in his career.
Monday 9 December 2013
Chapple to retain Lancs captaincy.
 |
| Chapple is beaming after he removes Jimmy Adams at Southport. |
Paul Horton will undertake the role of vice-captain after a successful 2013 campaign which saw the Australian-born opener score 645 runs in just ten matches.
The opening bowler was an instrumental figure in Lancashire's return to Division One of the County Championship taking 53 wickets at an average of 20.74.
 |
| Paul Horton celebrates his century in the final home fixture of the season. |
Horton enjoyed a run of good form upon his return to the first team, after a finger injury had forced him to miss several of the Division Two Champions fixtures.
The 31-year-old has scored over 8,000 first-class runs and will commence his eleventh season at Lancashire with the role of second in command.
Scoring three centuries and as many fifties, Horton's partnerships with youngster Luis Reece gave Lancashire an incredible finish to the 2013 season, with the pair already sharing five hundred-run stands after six different opening combinations were tested.
Chapple has been captain of Lancashire since 2009, after Stuart Law left the club.
The 2014 season will be Chapple's 23rd at the club, where he hopes to build on what has already been a formidable career.
Chapple is one of only five players to score 7,000 runs and take 700 wickets for Lancashire, overcoming a number of injuries throughout his later years.
Tuesday 26 November 2013
Lancashire fixture reflection.
Lancashire will commence their return to the top-flight of the County Championship with a trip to Trent Bridge on Sunday 6th April, as they take on a fellow former holder of the Division One title, Nottinghamshire.
The expansion of the t20 format has meant that the tournament starts a little earlier this season in mid-May and Nottinghamshire will also have the honour of hosting the Lightning for the curtain-raiser of the shortest form of the game.
The most exciting prospect this season for Lancashire fans was the promise of five, yes, five matches against Yorkshire across all formats.
The Tykes visit Emirates Old Trafford for a Championship match in the closing stages of the season, the match commencing on the 31st August, with the reverse fixture at Headingley taking place in late May.
Yorkshire will also visit Old Trafford for the first of Lancashire's 50-over matches in the newly named Royal London Cup, which starts much later than last seasons 40-over contest in late July.
There is a possibility for 11 matches in a single month, August, for Lancashire, eight of which are in the RLC competition.
All 11 of Lancashire's home one-day matches will be floodlight, with 6.30pm starts for NatWest T20 Blast and 2pm for Royal London Cup games, which promises to entice big crowds from the local area.
The only marginally disappointing aspect to these fixtures is the confirmation that, in Lancashire's 150th season, just one match will be played at an out-ground, either Liverpool or Southport, when Nottinghamshire visit the Division Two champions.
The clash of the Champions will take place on 15th of June and August respectively, with Lancashire travelling North to Durham first for what promises to be an interesting match.
The last time Lancashire travelled to this ground they snatched a narrow win by two wickets as Ajmal Shahzad and Kyle Hogg guided the Roses outfit over the line against a challenging bowling attack.
2014 fixtures released.
| APRIL | ||||||
| Date | Days | Comp | Opponents/Report | Venue/Tickets | Start/Res/Score | |
| Sun 6 | 4 | LV=CC | Nottinghamshire | Trent Bridge | 11.00 | |
| Sun 20 | 4 | LV=CC | Warwickshire | Emirates Old Trafford | 11.00 | |
| Sun 27 | 4 | LV=CC | Northants | Northampton | 11.00 | |
| MAY | ||||||
| Date | Days | Comp | Opponents/Report | Venue/Tickets | Start/Res/Score | |
| Sun 4 | 4 | LV=CC | Sussex | Emirates Old Trafford | 11.00 | |
| Sun 11 | 4 | LV=CC | Middlesex | Lord's | 11.00 | |
| Fri 16 | 1 | NWT20 | Notts Outlaws (F) | Trent Bridge | 19.00 | |
| Sat 17 | 1 | NWT20 | Worcs Royals | Emirates Old Trafford | 18.30 | |
| Mon 19 | 3 | UNI | Loughborough MCCU | Loughborough | 11.00 | |
| Fri 23 | 1 | NWT20 | Derbyshire Falcons (F) | Derby | 19.00 | |
| Sun 25 | 4 | LV=CC | Yorkshire | Headingley | 11.00 | |
| Fri 30 | 1 | NWT20 | Warwicks Bears (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 18.30 | |
| JUNE | ||||||
| Date | Days | Comp | Opponents/Report | Venue/Tickets | Start/Res/Score | |
| Sun 1 | 4 | LV=CC | Somerset | Emirates Old Trafford | 11.00 | |
| Fri 6 | 1 | NWT20 | Yorkshire Vikings (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 18.30 | |
| Sun 8 | 4 | LV=CC | Warwickshire | Edgbaston | 11.00 | |
| Fri 13 | 1 | NWT20 | Leics Foxes (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 18.30 | |
| Sun 15 | 4 | LV=CC | Durham | Durham Emirates ICG | 11.00 | |
| Fri 20 | 1 | NWT20 | Northants Steelbacks (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 18.30 | |
| Sun 22 | 4 | LV=CC | Northants | Emirates Old Trafford | 11.00 | |
| Fri 27 | 1 | NWT20 | Yorkshire Vikings | Headingley | 17.30 | |
| Sun 29 | 4 | LV=CC | Somerset | Taunton | 11.00 | |
| JULY | ||||||
| Date | Days | Comp | Opponents/Report | Venue/Tickets | Start/Res/Score | |
| Fri 4 | 1 | NWT20 | Warwicks Bears (F) | Edgbaston | 19.00 | |
| Sun 6 | 1 | NWT20 | Worcs Royals | Worcester | 14.30 | |
| Fri 11 | 1 | NWT20 | Leics Foxes (F) | Leicester | 19.00 | |
| Sun 13 | 4 | LV=CC | Nottinghamshire | Home | 11.00 | |
| Fri 18 | 1 | NWT20 | Derbyshire Falcons (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 18.30 | |
| Thu 24 | 1 | NWT20 | Durham Dynamos (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 18.30 | |
| Sat 26 | 1 | RLC | Yorkshire Vikings (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 14.00 | |
| Sun 27 | 1 | RLC | Hampshire Royals (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 14.00 | |
| AUGUST | ||||||
| Date | Days | Comp | Opponents/Report | Venue/Tickets | Start/Res/Score | |
| Fri 1 | 1 | NWT20 | Quarter-Final 1 | 17.30 | ||
| Sat 2 | 1 | NWT20 | Quarter-Final 2 | 16.15 | ||
| Sat 2 | 1 | NWT20 | Quarter-Final 3 (F) | 19.00 | ||
| Sun 3 | 1 | NWT20 | Quarter-Final 4 | 14.30 | ||
| Tue 5 | 1 | RLC | Essex Eagles (F) | Chelmsford | 14.00 | |
| Thu 7 | 1 | RLC | Derbyshire Falcons (F) | Derby | 14.00 | |
| Sat 9 | 1 | RLC | Worcs Royals | Worcester | 10.30 | |
| Tue 12 | 1 | RLC | Gloucs Gladiators | Bristol | 10.30 | |
| Thu 14 | 1 | RLC | Northants Steelbacks (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 14.00 | |
| Fri 15 | 4 | LV=CC | Durham | Emirates Old Trafford | 11.00 | |
| Thu 21 | 1 | RLC | Leics Foxes (F) | Emirates Old Trafford | 14.00 | |
| Sat 23 | 1 | NWT20 | Finals Day | Edgbaston | 11.15 | |
| Tue 26 | 1 | RLC | Quarter-Final 1 | 10.30 | ||
| Thu 28 | 1 | RLC | Quarter-Finals 2 & 3 | 10.30 | ||
| Fri 29 | 1 | RLC | Quarter-Final 4 | 10.30 | ||
| Sun 31 | 4 | LV=CC | Yorkshire | Emirates Old Trafford | 11.00 | |
| SEPTEMBER | ||||||
| Date | Days | Comp | Opponents/Report | Venue/Tickets | Start/Res/Score | |
| Thu 4 | 1 | RLC | Semi-Final 1 | 10.30 | ||
| Sat 6 | 1 | RLC | Semi-Final 2 | 10.30 | ||
| Tue 9 | 4 | LV=CC | Sussex | Hove | 10.30 | |
| Sat 20 | 1 | RLC | Final | Lord's | 10.30 | |
| Tue 23 | 4 | LV=CC | Middlesex | Emirates Old Trafford | 10.30 | |
| Key: LV=CC - LV= County Championship Division 2 (4 days) RLC - Royal London One-Day Cup NWT20 - NatWest T20 Blast MCCU - University Centre of Excellence match (3 days) SEC - 2nd XI County Championship (3 days) SET - 2nd XI Trophy (1 day) SEt20 - 2ndXI t20 ACAD - Academy Match EAt20 – Emirates Airlines Twenty20 RC – Roses Challenge T20F - Twenty20 Friendly (1 day) TOM4 - Tourist Match (4 days) TOM1 - Tourist Match (1 day) F - Friendly (D/N) - Day/Night Floodlit Match |
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