Stories from 99.94
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The Final Over of the Week in World Cricket December 11 2011
99.94 &bull Dec 11, 2011
Ball One - One of the most exciting trends in world cricket over the last decade has been the willingness of teams to chase big fourth innings targets - the least useful stat in cricket is the "Highest fourth innings… Full Story »
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Topics:
- Cricket
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The Final Over of the Week in World Cricket December 4 2011
99.94 &bull Dec 4, 2011
Ball One - One of the pleasures of researching this column is stumbling across snippets in the backwaters of cricket that only the all-seeing eye of the web can reveal. Wondering whether Theunis de Bruyn was any relation of solid pro Zander, I came across a Bradmanesque run of scores. The young Saffer's innings over the last month for Northerns Under-19s read - 101, 32, 7, 48, 109, 169, 93, 81 and 139. A man on the move. Ball Two - After India's much vaunted top order failed in the Tests in England and South Africa's 96 all out being… Full Story »
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Get the balance right
99.94 &bull Dec 3, 2011
Balance is beautiful. Whether found in sport (how about this from Diego Maradona or this from Alberto Juantorena) or art - if you've never seen contemporary dance up close, you should - or closer to home - my five-year-old son simply sat on his bike and rode it first time, as if every kid did it, as I watched, mouth agape. Yet in cricket, balance finds its most beautiful manifestation, as it lies at the heart of all three skills. I was first aware of the genius of David Gower not through his sublime batsmanship, but through his fielding. He… Full Story »
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The Final Over of the Week in World Cricket November 27 2011
99.94 &bull Nov 26, 2011
Ball One - A good week, as they often are these days, for Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, whose cool head saw his side secure a 4-1 ODI series win over Sri Lanka, backing it up with a comfortable win in the only T20I. Pakistan's cricketers usually look unfeasibly young, thrown into the fray when schoolboys (or at least claiming to be schoolboys), but Misbah looks unfeasibly old, well into his 38th year. It's not just Tendulkar and Dravid who are defying Lord's famous Old Father Time, dealing with international cricket's merry-go-round with some success. Ball Two - Younger than… Full Story »
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For Mr Sammy
99.94 &bull Nov 26, 2011
At the end of yet another captivating Test match, it is churlish to criticise anyone involved, especially the young captain of a young side, but Test cricket is a very hard school. So, Mr Sammy, here's a bit of tough love all the way from South London. And please forgive the presumption. The flipside of "catches win matches" is that if you drop catches, you won't win matches. As captain in a tight match, you have a hundred things swirling through your mind, but when the bowler starts to run in, all your concentration must be brought to bear on… Full Story »
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Debutants having a ball
99.94 &bull Nov 22, 2011
Patrick Cummins' outrageous performance on debut in an outrageous Test immediately following an outrageous Test in an outrageously short series - yes, enough outrage, I know - set me reflecting on other glorious debuts and what became of the cricketers as fate worked its subtle and often cruel magic. Back in 1972, I can remember the shock amongst cricket's cognoscenti at Bob Massie running through England, not once, but twice at Lord's with 8-84 and then 8-53 in… Full Story »
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The Final Over of the Week in World Cricket November 20 2011
99.94 &bull Nov 19, 2011
Ball One - At the Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament underway in Bangladesh, there have been a few mismatches (as you get in the Men's World Cup) but it's always good to read of a close and hard fought match.… Full Story »
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Basil D'Oliveira 4 October 1931 - 19 November 2011
99.94 &bull Nov 19, 2011
It will be for others who saw more of his play to write of Basil D'Oliveira the cricketer and the man, so I shall largely confine my remarks primarily to Basil D'Oliveira The Idea. To anyone under the age of… Full Story »
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The Final Over of the Week in World Cricket November 13 2011
99.94 &bull Nov 12, 2011
Ball One - The First Test between South Africa and Australia produced two hard fought days of typically tough Test cricket. On a shortened Day One, Australia, led in every sense by Michael Clarke, made 214-8 off 55 overs in tricky, but hardly unplayable conditions. Day Three, also shortened, saw South Africa progress serenely to their target, making 155 runs for the loss of one wicket from 33.2 overs. Day Two - as surely everyone reading this knows - was the cricketing equivalent of the first twenty-four hours of the Battle of the Somme, with 294 runs scored for the… Full Story »
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The Final Over of the Week in World Cricket November 6 2011
99.94 &bull Nov 6, 2011
Ball One - Sydney Sixers, Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Stars, Sydney Thunder, Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades, Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes. Not, as one might imagine, the last six notches on Tiger Woods' bedpost, but the eight franchises to contest the Big Bash League. Of course it's easy to be a little precious about sport, but, even in a format as new as Twenty20, context matters and where is the… Full Story »
