No-balls: where do they come from?

OK, a quick plea. Does anyone there in blogland know where I can find a condensed history of the no-ball Law online. Don’t direct me to Wisden because it ain’t in there – or if it is I can’t locate it.

Selvey (& friends) talk more nonsense again

I’ve copied and pasted the following quotes from cricinfo just to emphasise that there is nothing more sickening than jounalists getting all self-righteous. Paul Newman takes the first prize for hyperbole, but of course, Mike Selvey, as ever, is in there. Even Simon Hughes has a go. Editors getting on your backs were they, chaps? [...]

Quiz question of the day UPDATE

Quiz sorts of fellows out there are put to shame by J-Rod, who doesn’t normally do quizzes but beat you all with his assertion that Curtly Ambrose’s mum did indeed run out on her balcony in the Antiguan village of Sweetes to ring a bell every time her son took a wicket.

PRATT: join the people’s revolt! (A guest writer writes)

Well, after days of cajoling over several pints in the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham, Jack S Pratt (his real name’s John and he lives in York if you want to look him up and rant at him down the telephone at his reactionary stance) has put pen to paper (acutally his partner [...]

Quiz question of the day

Here’s an easy one: How did Curtly Ambrose’s mum celebrate when her son took a Test wicket?

Disingenuous Smith way out of line

Good to see the Village Cricketer (see comments on Collingwood below) is of similar mind to me regarding the NZ Run-Out Incident. And he raises the very valid point about their treatment of Muralitharan a couple of winters ago – not the first time the Kiwis have indulged in a bit of underhand run-out business [...]

Collingwood right to act and ask questions later

After disappearing for a few days to work on a book and take in some tennis at Wimbledon, I return to cricket duty to discover a huge controversy erupting over a run-out in a one-day international. Apart from feeling grateful that England and New Zealand had provided such good copy for my forthcoming volume (you [...]

Quiz question UPDATE 2

Well, John McNamara provided the assist, but Walter ghosted in at the back post to nod home. Indeed, the unusual circumstance about Archie MacLaren’s dismissal from the first ball of a Test was that it was also bowler Arthur Coningham’s first delivery in a Test. It’s educational this, isn’t it?!

Quiz question of the day UPDATE

Well, Jonny Mac has answered the first part of the question correctly but there is another element to it. Come on, a bit or research on the cricinfo match/series archive should do the trick!

Quiz question of the day

And now for another gripping quiz question: What was unusual about Archie MacLaren’s dismissal in the first innings of his second Test against Australia in 1894. Clue: there are actually two unusual elements to this.