The Reverse Sweep

Wayne Rooney, County Cricket, the IPL, Luke Wright and loyalty

We've managed to get all of the above-titled motely crew into our latest piece for All Out Cricket. It's essentially a piece about loyalty, or the lack of loyalty and how the preference for mammon over honour and loyalty is becoming increasingly prevalent in cricket.

It's not as profound as we've just described but it is timely as Sussex kick off the county season shorn of their top all-rounder in Luke Wright, who is instead enjoying the balmy conditions in India, a wad of cash for his contract with Pune Warriors and the attractions of IPL Nights and assorted Bollywood actresses, not that we're jealous you'll understand.

Anyway have a read of Is Home No Longer Where The Heart Is? and see what you think...

PS: Since we wrote the article we've discovered that Paul Collingwood isn't in India with Rajasthan Royals after all, but is effectively on stand-by in the event that they need him, but the sentiment of the point we are trying to make still holds.

Where next?

County Championship preview: Our XI to watch in 2012

Read our Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Division 2 previews: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

A conjurer, some chokers & a new pair of pants

Any England supporter asked to refer to their side's darkest hour in the last few years will point to Adelaide 2006 when Shane Warne conjured up some magic to inspire a collapse to demoralise the losers to such an extent that the series ended up as a 5-0 whitewash. Ponting may have been captain in name on that day, but have no doubt it was Warne who bowled, cajoled and marshalled the Australians to victory.

Having watched some of Rajasthan's games this year, Warne the bowler looked a shadow of his former self and his shoulder appears to be close to completely falling out of its socket. That is hardly surprising as Warne is now a part-time cricketer and full-time poker player and underwear salesman with his Spinners brand. Indeed, like Mike Brearley before him it seemed that Warne was only in the side as a specialist captain. Until last night that is.

Defending 159, Warne looked in trouble as his fellow Australian and part-time cricketer Adam Gilchrist got the Deccan Chargers off to a lightning start. But Warne does not have a reputation as the best test captain Australia never had for nothing and he was not prepared for Rajasthan to lose their record of always successfully defending a score of 150 or more in the IPL.

Warne delayed his introduction until Deccan needed only 68 from 54 balls with seven Chargers still in the hutch and proceeded to roll back the years with a tremendous exhibition of legspin. First, he produced a slider to take Anirudh Singh's outside edge. Then knowing that he had to attack to have any chance of stealing a win, he put a slip and silly point in place and was rewarded with the wicket of the dangerous Dwayne Smith.

The Wizard of Oz was now in his element and despite Deccan needing only 23 off the last 18 balls with five wickets remaining, Warne applied more pressure in his final over (the 18th) by taking out Azhar Bilakhia and Ryan Harris to  produce his best T20 bowling figures of four for 21. Deccan still looked strong favourites though with Rohit Sharma going well and when 13 were taken off the penultimate over from Morne Morkel to leave six required off the last six balls, Warne's heroics looked in vain.

But as so often in the past, Warne's magic rubbed off on others and with the pressure reaching boiling point Siddharth Trivedi proved his mettle whilst Sharma and Deccan disintegrated before everyone's eyes just like the English batsmen at Adelaide. Sharma took a single off the first ball and with Trivedi penalised for a bouncer with the next the equation was down to four off five. RP Singh then swished and missed before miscuing the next to Morkel at mid-on. Sharma then attempted a suicidal second to run out Harmeet Singh and then completed his woe slicing a lofted drive to Abhishek Raut.

Warne had done it again and no doubt he also made some extra cash into the bargain as the shattered Sharma and many of his team-mates will have probably required some new underwear judging by the way they choked.

Denial of freedom of speech, Lalit Modi & a tale about pigs

Can you spot what is wrong with the following as opined by Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi Daredevils captain following his side's facile 67 run win over Rajasthan Royals the other night?

"I think Rajasthan was never a threat. Except for Yusuf Pathan, the other guys were pretty ordinary. We weren't really worried about anyone else."

No, nor can I. Maybe it is the sort of comment that could come back and bite you on the bum; especially given that Delhi still have to play Rajasthan at least once this season. But otherwise it is a refreshingly honest comment given the usual blandness of post-match interviews (and pre-match for that matter).

Unfortunately, Lalit Modi did take offence and reported Gambhir, with the Delhi skipper ending up pleading guilty to a level one offence, although escaping a fine.

This all seems rather sinister to me. Most IPL watchers would probably describe Rajasthan as ordinary - they are. And surely we don't want draconian sanctions handed out to players for just saying what they think.

Some would suggest Modi's "reporting" of Gambhir to be very 1984 or Brave New World, and it is. But it is another George Orwell book that should be looked at to provide an apt comparison with Modi. Napoleon from Animal Farm, anyone? Well he was a fat, greedy pig.

And certainly judging from the exclusive picture of the last IPL executive meeting, the similarity is becoming spooky - Modi is in the middle.

 

 

IPL half-term report & semi-final tips

As those of you that read this blog will know, this is the first season that I have tuned into the IPL, in part thanks to ITV4 (and that's the only time I will utter gratitude in that direction) but mainly out of curiosity to see if the reality lives up to the hype.

Of course it doesn't live up to the hype, but considering it is promoted more than the second coming of Jesus would be, that is hardly surprising. The television coverage and commentating is awful, there are far too many adverts and the renaming of a six as a DLF maximum is a crime; and a serious one at that. The hyperbole surrounding the tournament annoys me too with Shane Warne's assessment of Yusuf Pathan's 37 ball century against Mumbai Indians as the best ever perhaps being the worst example.

 

But taking all that into account, the cricket itself has at times been undeniably exciting even if tilted a little too heavily in favour of the men wielding the willow. The best aspect of the tournament is the fact that the teams are so evenly matched; apart from two exceptions. Mumbai Indians, with Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga to the fore, are cruising towards the semi-finals having lost only one of their first eight matches. Kings XI Punjab on the other hand are the Bangladesh of the IPL with their only victory coming fortuitously in a Super Over triumph over Chennai Super Kings. Since then they have simply disintegrated with the low probably being the shambolic fielding in their last match, which saw a self-inflicted defeat against Bangalore.

That the other six sides are so close in the table is a vindication of the salary cap and perhaps the auction process too. Of these, Bangalore has been the most impressive with a good balance between bat and ball. Jacques Kallis has been imperious, as have Anil Kumble and Dale Steyn, and with Kevin Pietersen and Ross Taylor recently arrived, plus Robin Uthappa scattering bullets, Bangalore look a good bet for the semi-finals.

Delhi Daredevils also look set for the last four and despite a three game losing streak seem to have recovered their poise. Like Bangalore, Delhi look well balanced with the batting strength of Sehwag, Warner, Gambhir, Dilshan and secret weapon Paul Collingwood complimented by Dirk Nannes and Amit Mishra. 

The battle for the final semi-final place is too close to call. Rajasthan Royals looked out of their depth at the start of the competition and likely winners of the wooden spoon, with the failed Damien Martyn experiment seemingly summing up their woes. Despite a recovery of sorts, I tend to agree with Gautam Gambhir's assessment of the Royals as ordinary and predict that they won't make the top four. Reigning champions Deccan Chargers also look off the pace with Adam Gilchrist looking every bit the retired first-class cricketer that he is.

That leaves Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. Both have improved after average starts and both have been reinforced by antipodeans; Doug Bollinger and Brendan McCullum respectively. I've a hunch that Bollinger will continue his excellent form and that consequently Chennai will pip Sourav Ganguly's team for the final semi-final spot.

So it is Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Chennai for the semi-finals for me, but given the closeness of the competition I wouldn't be surprised if I end up with egg on my face. 

Take a bow Doug Bollinger

The main talking point from yesterday's slugfest between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals wasn't the machine gun frenzied batting of Murali Vijay or Albie Morkel for Chennai, nor for that matter was it the response from Shane Watson or Naman Ojha for the Royals.

No in a game where bowlers were effectively kidnapped, tortured and beaten to within an inch of their lives, one man stood tall. That man had only recently stepped off a plane from New Zealand and was playing his first IPL game of the season.

Step forward Doug Bollinger, who in a game that saw a colossal 469 runs in its 40 overs, returned figures of two for 15 from his four overs. It reminded me of a Rambo film, where the hero against overwhelming odds, single-handedly fights off hoards of enemy soldiers before emerging as the victor.

If it hadn't been for Bollinger, then Rajasthan would have incredibly overhauled Chennai's massive 246 for 5. Vijay's 127 off 56 balls with 11 DLF maximums (God, I hate that phrase) was a magnificent T20 innings (as was Watson's 60 from 25), but it should surely be taken into the context of a game where the balance between bat and ball was so tilted in favour of the men with the willow that it was ridiculous. If it had been a war, the army of bowlers would have found that they had only blanks to shoot at a foe that outnumbered and totally outgunned them.

So, for valour in the face of adversity, take a bow Doug Bollinger.

 

Delhi Daredevils revival continues thanks to Karthik

Just as they had done on Monday against Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils recovered from the loss of three early wickets to post a decent total and then rolled over the Rajasthan Royals to ease to another IPL victory.

In the win over Kolkata, it was David Warner with support from Paul Collingwood who led the recovery. This time it was Dinesh Karthik's with support from captain Gautam Gambhir. Karthik's 69 off 38 balls was a well timed innings that exploded towards the end.

Things seem to turnaround quickly in the IPL. Last week, Bangalore looked the pick of the pops, but have now lost their last two games. Delhi and Rajasthan meanwhile had looked also-rans before sudden improvement has put them both in the mix for the top four.

Yusuf Pathan is Rajasthan's not-so secret weapon and he was held back until the Delhi spinners entered the fray when his side had already slipped 32/4. Pat Man was unable to eat all the bowling monsters this time though and when he departed for 24 off 14 balls, Rajasthan subsided to a 67 run defeat. Amit Mishra shone again as he took three wickets.

So my adopted side Delhi are now second behind the standout Mumbai Indians and with Virender Sehwag hopefully still to fire and Dirk Nannes to come back from injury, I am confident that they will now make the final four.

Perennial underachievers? Huh! Let's hope they don't do a Liverpool and flatter to deceive from here on.

Shane Warne, a Rajasthan revival and a big helping of humble pie

Last week I confidently predicted that the only thing that Rajasthan Royals were going to win in this year's IPL was the wooden spoon.

I've got nothing against Rajasthan and I've especially got nothing against Shane Warne. Admittedly, I loathe PowerPoint presentations, marketing and brand management and all these were in evidence at the Royals global franchise press conference a few weeks ago at Lord's.

But my confident prediction was based on Rajasthan's dreadful performances in their first three matches culminating in the embarrassing defeat by 10 wickets to Bangalore, where they were hustled out for 92 and then Jacques Kallis and Manish Pandey chased the target down in just over 10 overs. With twoof their best players, Graeme Smith and Dimitri Mascarenhas injured and out of the tournament, and the Damien Martyn experimenthaving failed at the cost of over $5,000 per run, Rajasthan looked a shambles.

But Shane Warne does not have a reputation as an inspirational leader for nothing and the Royals now look like a galvanised unit. Michael Lumb, who would be in my England squad for the World T20, has stepped into Smith's shoes and done well. Yusuf Pathan, repeated his incredible hitting exploits against Mumbai, with another six laden innings yesterday against last year's winners Deccan Chargers. Shaun Tait has found his straps along with Sumit Narwal and with Shane Watson to come in, Rajasthan suddenly look buoyant.

Deccan followed in the footsteps of Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab as Rajasthan have now recorded three wins in a row. Maybe a repeat of their victory (see above) in the inaugural tournament is not now out of the question. If they do achieve what would be an incredible turnaround then you can bet that poker addict Warne will be the one playing the wiliest hand.

And me, I'll enjoy eating my humble pie. Can I have some custard on it please?

One match and 24 balls for $100,000

I hear that Damien Martyn's brief sojourn in the IPL with Rajasthan Royals is over.

It amounted to one match and 19 runs off 24 balls. In that match against Bangalore, Martyn looked like a shadow of his former self and considering he was once such an elegant strokemaker it was quite sad to behold.

Martyn is being replaced in the Rajasthan squad by Shane Watson once the second test between Australia and New Zealand has been concluded. That's if the man that is made of glass doesn't suffer another injury.

I suppose it is a bit embarrassing for the 38 year old Martyn, but I am sure that the $100,000 pay cheque he is reputed to have received will soften the blow. That's over $5,000 per run. Not bad work if you can get it.  

The only prize that Rajasthan Royals will win this year...

That's unless Shane Warne's redoubted captaincy skills can prompt a turnaround...

Delhi Daredevils and Yusuf Pathan steal the headlines on day 2

I wrote yesterday that my first real taste of the IPL was a bit disappointing; rather like an overdone rib of beef. The opening ceremony was too long and the actual cricket was mundane. Yesterday was much better.

Firstly, we had Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals pitting their wits against Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians. It was a fantastic match with Mumbai prevailing by four runs after hitting a mammoth 212/4 in their 20 overs. This was harsh on Yusuf Pathan, whose 100 off 37 balls for the Royals was a quite remarkable knock with brutality and subtleness dovetailing seamlessly together.

These days, the IPL is the only chance we get to see Warne and Tendulkar on the same pitch and Pathan's knock is what T20 is supposed to be about.

The second game was just as good, if only because it saw my adopted side, the Delhi Daredevils beat the Kings XI Punjab. England's forgotten man Ravi Bopara looked in good touch and it was thanks to him that Kings were able to post 142/9. I understand that despite having the likes of Gambhir, Sehwag, Dilshan, De Villiers and Nannes in their ranks, Delhi are the serial underachievers in the IPL. Being a Liverpool fan I know just how that feels, so it seems I have picked the right side. As befits this tag, Delhi made a bit of a dogs dinner of chasing their small target and they were indebted to a captain's knock of 72 from Gambhir that saw them over the line in the final over.

So my second taste of the IPL was much better than the first. Yesterday the beef was cooked to its succulent perfection.

Who should I support in the IPL?

I didn't take much notice of the first two seasons of the IPL. Being a traditionalist, T20 cricket is not my favourite form of the game. If it was a woman it would be Cheryl Cole - good to look at, exciting even but without much substance and something you would tire of quite quickly. Whereas test cricket is more like Scarlett Johansson. Beautiful too but with depth and mysterious, unpredictable and always fascinating.

But the odd night with Cheryl is not something to be sniffed at and having enjoyed Trinidad and Tobago's progress in the inaugural Champions League, I have decided that I will tune into ITV4 for some of the third instalment of the tournament. But, T&T are obviously not one of the eight teams participating, so who should I support as a non-Indian?

Well if I was a Manchester United fan, I could go down the glory supporter route and simply pick the reigning champions, the Deccan Chargers. But as I regard United and its manager Alex Ferguson as the antichrist that's a non-starter.

Likewise, I also have to rule out the Rajasthan Royals due to the recent 'worldwide franchise' press conference replete with hideous PowerPoint presentations. This is the sort of arrogant move reminiscent of Chelsea. It's a shame in some respects as I could easily follow a side captained and coached by Shane Warne. He may be happy to punt anything nowadays including pants, but the sense of theatre he creates when he bowls is something special. But I hate PowerPoint presentations...

So, what about going down the name route? Unfortunately, most of these are pretty good with the Kolkata Knight Riders in particular standing out. However, this route does enable me to rule out the two worst names of the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians. The former sounds like a pack of cigarettes and the last lacks imagination.

Four down, four left to choose from. Having no particular affinity to any city or region in India means that the final decider will come down to the player roster at each of the remaining sides. The Bangalore Royal Challengers have Dravid, KP, Eoin Morgan and Prince Kumble but also have Boucher and Kallis. Delhi Daredevils have the God that is Sehwag plus his apprentice Dilshan, Paul Collingwood and Dirk Nannes, but also have Andrew McDonald. Kings XI Punjab are captained appropriately by King Kumar, which is nearly a reason in itself. And Kolkata Knight Riders have Chris Gayle.

Deities overcome mere mortals anytime, so for me it's a straight choice between Delhi Daredevils and Sehwag, and Kings XI Punjab and King Kumar. And Delhi shade it for me with their plethora of opening batsmen (Viru, Gambhir, Warner and Dilshan - wow!), the last gunslinger in town in Nannes and my favourite England player Colly.

So Delhi Daredevils it is for me then. I cannot see it becoming a big love like that I have for Liverpool, England and Sussex or even Scarlet Johansson, but a few nights with Cheryl could be good fun. In three days time, I'll find out.

  

Is Shane Warne's latest endorsement a step too far?

In the last couple of weeks, Shane Warne has almost been omnipresent endorsing more products than the Queen has given the Royal Standard to. Is there nothing that this man would not hawk? It would seem not.

Naturally, Warne has been one of the main faces promoting the return of the IPL to India. Although, having the notoriously tubby leggie doing press-ups was a novel concept.

Then we had the snore-a-thon that was the Rajasthan Royals 'worldwide franchise' press conference at Lord's complete with ghastly PowerPoint presentations.

Speaking of pants, Warne has also launched his Spinners underwear - hear him talking with a straight face about this venture here.

But now he has maybe gone too far. I know it is topical Shane, but capitalising on Shahid Afridi's strange dietary habits is too much...

I just can't see this edible cricket ball thing taking off...