Amazing piece of wicket keeping

Dieses «dismissal» von Raul Dravid (IND) durch Brendon McCullum (NZL) ist ein wahrhaft brillantes «wicket keeping» Beispiel. Schlicht genial in Ausführung und  Antizipation.

Another little history in cricket

Die «Rockstars of Cricket» aus Indien hat also den Test (inkl. ODI's) gegen New Zealand mit 1:0 gewonnen und wieder einmal Cricket-Geschichte geschrieben. Congratulations: A job well done by professional India.

Hier eine Zusammenfassung von Sidharth Monga, die ich euch in englischer Sprache poste. So kommt es meiner Meinung nach einfach viel besser «rüber»:

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The final Test of the series summed up where India and New Zealand stood with regard to history and Test rankings.

India, not having won a Test series in New Zealand for more than 41 years, shed the daredevilry that has become their trademark of late and went for safety first. It showed how much series wins outside the subcontinent, rare as they have been, mean to an Indian team. You can't really dump all the historical baggage.

With a little help from the weather, New Zealand hung on, which will give them some satisfaction, a mini-milestone for a team on a long road to recovery after sudden retirements and an abrupt changing of the guard. The emergence of Jesse Ryder and the return of Chris Martin will be their biggest gains.

The series confirmed the ICC Test rankings, but in Napier, New Zealand showed they could not be written off as a Test side. After their capitulation in Hamilton, a 3-0 result had become a distinct possibility. In application New Zealand might have lacked, in talent they didn't. But as usual they left their followers wondering which was the real New Zealand: one that almost won in Napier or the one that almost lost next week in Wellington? Did they play above themselves in Napier, or did they under-perform in Wellington? We will know over the next year or two.

The series overall wasn't one that made neutrals sit up and take notice, as did Australia and South Africa in back-to-back series. New Zealand fought over seven days out of the 14 days of cricket. But those seven days made for compelling viewing, Ryder and Daniel Vettori thwarting India's charge on day one, Ryder and Ross Taylor setting up a huge total in Napier, and Martin and Co surprising India on the first day in Wellington. That India survived those days was crucial to the 1-0 result. And those should be the days to remember the series by.

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Go Blackcaps!

Smart Stats

Beim zweiten Test in Napier hat das New Zealand Cricket-Team einen hervorragenden Start hingelegt. Nach zwei Tagen steht der Score im ersten «Innings» für die Blackcaps bei 619 für 9 (610 runs for 9 wickets). Hervorragendes «batting» von Ryder (201), Taylor (151), McCullum (115), Vettori (55) und Franklin (52) waren die Grundlage für diesen «Mammut Innings».

Da wie im Baseball, auch im Cricket ohne Statistiken «nichts» geht hat diese hervorragende Leistung ein paar interessante Resultate zu Tage gebracht, welche ich euch in der Originalversion natürlich nicht vorenthalten will:

• New Zealand's total of 619 for 9 declared is their third-highest in Tests, and only the third time they've topped 600. It's the fifth 600-plus score in New Zealand, and the first in ten years.
• It's the 12th time a team has scored 600-plus in the first innings against India. Of the 11 previous occasions, India have lost seven games and drawn four. The last time it happened was against Sri Lanka in Colombo last year, when India lost by an innings and 239 runs.
• There were three or more centuries in an innings for New Zealand for only the fifth time in Tests.
• Jesse Ryder's double-century was the first by a New Zealander since Stephen Fleming's 262 against South Africa in Cape Town nearly three years ago. That was also the last time New Zealand batted more than 150 overs in an innings.
• Harbhajan Singh averages 53.82 in the first innings of overseas Test. In 18 innings he has taken 29 wickets.

New Zealand batting I 2nd Test, 2nd Day, Napier


New Zealand batting II, 2nd Test, 2nd Day, Napier

You go, girls

Die Frauen des englischen Cricket-Teams haben in Australien den 9. ICC Womens World Cup gewonnen. Die haben im Final die White Ferns aus Neuseeland mit 4 Wickets geschlagen (ODI). Den 3. Platz belegten die Frauen aus Indien welche gegen Australien mit 3 Wickets gewonnen haben. 

Die englischen Cricket-Spielerinnen waren eine Klasse für sich und haben ausnahmslos alle Spiele gewonnen. Meine Favoritinnen aus Neuseeland haben leider das wichtigste Spiel, den Final, verloren. Schade... 

New Zealand batting

England's chase

Nun hoffe ich natürlich, dass die Blackcaps die nächsten 5 Tage den 2. Test gegen Indien für sich entscheiden können damit wir doch noch eine Serie gewinnen. Go Blackcaps!

New Zealand's Kate Pulford «schneidet» den Ball Richtung «Point» 

England's Wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor schaut hinterher...

So «schön» kann Cricket sein... Isa Guha Englands Top Pace Bowler