It has been ten years since the ninth edition of the Cricket World Cup, which began in the Caribbean on 13th March, 2007 and featured a record 16 teams. The tournament drew considerable flak from many quarters for its long-drawn format and overpriced tickets, not to mention the embarrassing gaffe by the umpires in […]
Read More Specials – Recalling the best of the 2007 World CupTen years ago, a motley crew of amateurs from the Emerald Isle embarked upon a life-changing expedition to the Caribbean. They had among their ranks a teacher, an electrician, a postman, a fabric salesman and a handyman. Little did they know that over the next month and half, they were to become the new […]
Read More Specials – When a bunch of amateurs nearly capsized the table-toppersIndia’s first two home series against Australia, in 1956-57 and 1959-60 respectively, had ended in disappointment as they managed to win just once in eight Tests. Their tormentor-in-chief was the legendary leg-spinner Richie Benaud, who snapped up a total of 52 wickets at 18.38 across both the rubbers. Thus, Bob Simpson’s Australians embarked […]
Read More Famous Test Matches – India v Australia, Bombay, 1964-65Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, who passed away on 18th January at the age of 77, was a pioneer of women’s cricket and an undisputed great of the game. Due to her noteworthy achievements as a successful captain of England, an administrator and a vocal crusader of gender equality, she has left an indelible mark on the […]
Read More Specials – Revisiting the best of Rachael Heyhoe-FlintThe silly season is upon us, and in keeping with the festive spirit, let us look at a team of eleven first-class cricketers with names having a Christmas connection. Here’s presenting our all-time Christmas XI. 1) Jacques Rudolph He may not be red-nosed, but South African southpaw Jacques Rudolph is an apt choice […]
Read More Specials – Cricket’s Christmas XIPakistan’s 13th Test tour of New Zealand is underway, with the first of two Tests having been played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. New Zealand has been a happy hunting ground for Pakistani teams over the years – prior to the start of the ongoing series, they have won ten and lost five […]
Read More Specials – Best of the Tests: New Zealand v PakistanTasmania got its first taste of Test cricket in December 1989, when Hobart’s Bellerive Oval hosted the second Test between Australia and Sri Lanka. Since then, the ground has been an occasional fixture on the Australian Test calendar, having hosted a total of 12 Tests – four against New Zealand, three each against Pakistan […]
Read More Specials – Best of the Tests at the Bellerive OvalWith India’s 500th Test match underway at Green Park in Kanpur, the time is apt to relive a significant result achieved by them at this venue, more than half a century ago. This was the second Test of Australia’s second visit to India; the visitors having won the first Test at Delhi by a […]
Read More Famous Test Matches – India v Australia, Kanpur, 1959-60The West Indies were scheduled to tour Australia for a much-awaited Test series just four months after winning the inaugural World Cup in England in 1975. Australia, led by Ian Chappell, had been their opponents in the World Cup final at Lord’s, a memorable match that ended in a 17-run win for Clive Lloyd’s […]
Read More Specials – When the World Cup champions touched down in Papua New GuineaComing into this five-match series, New Zealand had not played Test cricket for nearly three years. They had lost ten consecutive series dating back to 1950-51 and had won just one Test in 32 years and 52 attempts – against the West Indies at Auckland in 1955-56. New Zealand’s first tour of South […]
Read More Famous Test Matches – South Africa v New Zealand, Cape Town, 1961-62
The Cricket Cauldron 