All About Cricket

Tendulkar A Genius! - GREG CHAPPELL

2009-05-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

HERE'S WHAT GREG CHAPPEL HAS TO SAY ON TENDULKAR:

When I watch Sachin Tendulkar bat I find myself wondering how Don Bradman would have coped with the modern game.

The Indian genius was at his imperious best when he delivered a match-winning innings for India in the humiliation of Sri Lanka at the Wanderers Stadium.Would Bradman's insatiable appetite for scoring runs have been diminished by so much cricket, especially the endless stream of one-day matches? How would he have handled the modern method of individual game plans and field placing?Suppose he experienced some of that with bodyline bowling and field placing and it curtailed his rampant run making. Would Bradman have automatically batted in a helmet and would he have graduated to heavier bats?

These are all imponderables, but it is natural to fantasise about such things when watching another blitzkrieg from the modern genius. Make no mistake Tendulkar is a genius!

Tendulkar's combination of deft touches and raw power is virtually unmatched in the game today.

Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Brian Lara probably go closest to him. They can certainly match his power though they don't quite match his exquisite skill and versatility.The versatility is an innate, instinctive skill. It must have been learned somewhere because I doubt that it was taught. Something in Sachin's environment early in his cricket development allowed for the acquisition of this skill.Bradman developed his similarly exquisite skill on his own, with the help of a golf ball thrown against a tank stand, and played with a stump.

Had Bradman learned to bat with the heavy bats in vogue today he may have played very differently?

While there is only a difference of 6 or 7 pounds between the bats used by Bradman and Tendulkar, the extra weight can make a difference in balance and style.Bradman controlled the bat with his top hand. This would have been more difficult with the heavier bat.In place of the glides, glances, pulls and cuts that he favoured, all along the ground of course, we may have seen more of the modern bludgeoning.Bradman used the laws of physics better than anyone else, then or now. He used the energy created by the bowler and redirected the ball with brilliant footwork and incredible wrist work.

Tendulkar goes closest to emulating him, but has the added advantage -- delivered by the heavier modern bat -- of being able to block the ball back past the faster bowlers more quickly than it was delivered.Tendulkar's innings of 97 was as intimidating to most of the Sri Lankan bowlers, as it was for the Pakistanis at Centurion Park.Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan were the only Sri Lankan bowlers who seemed capable of withstanding the Tendulkar-led tornado that comprehensively blew them away.The Indian bowlers, led by Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra then delivered the knockout blow which may have destroyed Sri Lanka's World Cup hopes. Just maybe!

I am not sure some of the bowlers will ever recover from the brutality of the assault.

India has made a remarkable recovery from the tour of New Zealand and the mauling by Australia on February 15. Confidence is a remarkable thing and it is difficult to play well without it. The difference in the team now is noticeable in all aspects of their cricket, not least of all in the field.

The intensity of commitment and quality of fielding has risen commensurate with the improved results. In this form India can seriously challenge for the title.

It will need the same level of commitment shown since the loss to Australia and it will need a team effort.

Tendulkar has shown them the way out of the gloom that had descended on the team, and their supporters, over the poor form leading into the World Cup.

He is one of the best four batsmen I have seen and he is the best player of his generation. What is it that makes Sachin Tendulkar so good?

He has an exceptional physical talent. He has outstanding balance. He is very competitive. He is very strong. He has exceptional speed. He has great presence and an excellent temperament. He has a huge desire to be the best and he has an extraordinary mental ability.Batting at the highest levels of the game is as much about mental skills as it is about physical talents. The better players may have a greater range of strokes than the rest but you can bet they also have a greater mental capacity.

Sir Donald Bradman was the best batsman of all time because he was the most determined and mentally strong batsman there has ever been. I am sure I have seen batsmen who have had as much physical talent as Bradman but they have not had the same ruthless drive to make big scores.Bradman had the ability to treat batting in matches the same way as he batted in the middle. He seldom felt the same pressures of batting that mere mortals feel. This allowed him to concentrate for long periods.

What exactly is concentration?Concentration is the ability to focus on the important things at the right moment while blocking out the rest. Some things are more relevant than others at different times.At the point of delivery the only thing that a batsman should see in his field of vision is the ball leaving the bowler's hand. Just prior to the point of delivery the batsman should see the full view of the bowler as he folds up into the delivery position. The ability to be able to track between the two at the appropriate times separates the men from the boys.

Testing that was done with Bradman concluded that his eyesight and reflexes were within the 'normal' range.

What he did better than the rest was to pick up the cues from the bowlers' action just prior to, and at the point of, delivery better than all the rest.I have no doubt Bradman, a well organised man, had a process of concentration for each and every delivery. His instincts were well trained from hours and hours of hitting golf balls with a cricket stump as a young man.His brain will have had a greater capacity for storing information than the most complex computers that man can build.The most important part of a batsman's development happens in the early stages of learning the game. The instinctive skills that are learnt at this stage are relied upon when under pressure in a match situation.These instinctive skills are learnt rather than taught.

A good coach will create the environment in which the young player will train these instincts.

The early environment in which Sachin learnt his skills must have been excellent. His instincts are outstanding.

I have been lucky enough to see all of the best batsmen of the past 50 years.

Some of those whom I rate in the very top bracket of the elite group of players in that time would be Peter May, Ken Barrington, Neil Harvey, Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Graeme Pollock, Sunil Gavaskar, Clive Lloyd, Barry Richards, Doug Walters, Viv Richards, Javed Miandad, Gordon Greenidge Ian Chappell, Allan Border, the Waughs, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Brian Lara and Tendulkar.

Each one of these players had slightly different methods and styles but each had great instincts.If I had to pick the best of all of these I would choose Sobers, closely followed by Pollock, Viv Richards and Tendulkar in no particular order. They all possessed 'genius' quality and could win matches on their own. Each hit the ball with incredible power. Sobers' record has stood the test of time for he made runs under all conditions against all types of bowling.

Tendulkar's record is also exceptional and he has played well against quality pace and spin. His clashes with Shane Warne in recent times, especially the past two Australian tours of India, have provided some excellent theatre.I have also seen him take on Saqlain (Mushtaq) and (Muttiah) Muralitharan in Sharjah and Sri Lanka respectively and he has taken them on and come out on top nearly every time. Tendulkar's record in the games India must win is excellent and stamps him as a true champion.His footwork and brute force are awesome to see and his range of strokeplay makes him the most awkward of customers against whom to bowl. I love to watch him bat because he has two or three options to the same delivery and he is just as likely to hit the best balls for four, or six.

If there were a weakness in his armoury some would say it is against quality fast bowling on the bouncy wickets of Australia. If that is true it doesn't make him Robinson Crusoe! All good players have been troubled by quality fast bowling on bouncy wickets at one time or another.As the pre-eminent batsman of his time, Tendulkar is always targeted by the opposition and has been tested on innumerable occasions. He has come out on top more often than not and his successes have usually carried India's fortunes with them.Few of Tendulkar's predecessors have played as much one-day cricket as he has and few, Bradman apart, have had to endure the pressure of mass adulation at home as he has.

The fact that he has endured the adulation, and the pressure of expectation of one billion fans, and has been able to maintain his equilibrium and his passion for the game is a great credit to him and his parents who obviously set an excellent foundation for him.

He cannot last forever so I make every effort to see him bat whenever I can for he is a rare gem, the like of which does not come along very often.

The Indian Cricket League (ICL) Another Kerry Packer?

2009-05-08T05:45:00.000-07:00

By: Iftikhar Rasul
"Discovery" "Diligence" "Display" is a 3D strategy of the Indian Cricket League (ICL)!

Will it work? Or die as many hypes end? Million dollar questions need historic answers.

But there is no doubt that the ICL has played another Kerry Packer. You know the sports are a multi million dollar enterprise all over the world. Sporting activities also much verified channels for advancing business interests. Keeping in mind the lucrative advantages, the Indian Cricket League (ICL) has invited acquaintances to go forward in this direction. Moreover sports are an area where diligent performance and achievements create an international image of success .The ICL wants to attain this status for India .It wants India to be a global giant in the field of cricket. The authors of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) claim that they are striving to get the superman status for Indian cricket. This aim has urged them to establish an independent and free organization to develop cricket.

Motto of ICL

Discovery, Diligence and Display is the slogan of the ICL and it is the ultimate aim of its creation too. Indian Cricket League (ICL) aims at discovering a pool of such cricketers who are able to become champions through diligence and display of good aggressive cricket. Cricket is a national obsession and has achieved the eminence of a religion in India. It has become a symbol of national pride. Cricket is the only sport where India has the prospective to become a champion of the world. So many former cricketers laid heads together to sort out a device to obtain supremacy in this field and they created ICL or the Indian Cricket league the first private professional international cricket league.

Why ICL?

ICL Claims following reasons of its creation:

• About only 20 players are on the contracts of BCCI and these are not enough to produce high quality cricketers. Reserve bench production is the main problem. The solution to this problem is only possible by upgrading the domestic cricket. The ICL will help the youngsters to bear the rigors of cricket world.

• There is a wide chasm between the facilities provided to the national and local players. To minimize the wide difference in facilities provided to the national team and the local or regional teams will be very useful for reaping the crop of good cricketers. These differences are a major hindrance in the way of the youngsters to show their real worth. The regional players lack facilities and chances to become tycoons of cricket only due to lack of funds and guidance. The Indian Cricket League (ICL) will fill up this gap.

• The regional cricket boards only have the BCCI as a provider of funds, infrastructure and nursery. That is why the regional players are devoid of all the benefits in spite of possessing extraordinary talent. The ICL would start developing cricket from grass root level.

• Performance of the Indian team in the recent past was not up to the mark. The proponents of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) claim that it was only due to the non availability of the proper resources and facilities to the players. The private league would provide the players with all the possible resources and would try to boost up their performance.

• For Indian fans who worship their heroes and especially the cricketers the poor performance are only due to the political influence .The ICL promises to keep the politics and cricket wide apart.

Conspiracy theories?

The antagonists are not of the same opinion as is put forwarded by the officials of the Indian Cricket League (ICL). They have their own arguments. The first and foremost argument in this regard is that:

o Essel group wants to exploit the Indian fans who are disappointed by the performance of the board and infrastructure of the BCCI.

o Essel group is the partner of the ZEE telefilms and wanted to take revenge from the BCCI of denying the rights to telecast the previous world cup. The BCCI denied them the cricket content so they had to create their own content.

o The ICL has planned to utilize the opportunity to make both ends meet. Indian team's failures have led to minimum earnings to the broadcasters, advertisers, sponsors and travel & tour operators.It is the best time to fish in the troubled waters.

o The Essel group pecuniary aims only and has taken these initiatives to establish ICL.

What the cricketing world thinks about the ICL

ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) which is the governing body of world cricket has not accepted or rejected the ICL eyt. It says that it would follow the footsteps of the Indian cricket board.

BCCI

BCCI the board of control for cricket in India has taken harsh steps to prevent the success of the ICL. It has decided to ban the players as well officials who would take any part in the management of the league. Kapil Dev was their fist victim. On the contrary they have launched the Indian premier league with pomp and show. The BCCI says that it would use all its resources to stop the progress of the ICL.The BCCI has taken many parallel steps to mitigate the effects of the Indian Cricket League (ICL). It is offering very warm welcome to the IPL while denying and hindering the ICL. ICL filed a petition against BCCI in the Delhi High Court and the Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Indian Cricket League ICL directing that players should not be suffered in this battle of giants.

PCB

Pakistan cricket board has also decided to oppose the involvement of its players in the ICL.It has also announced many stringent measures for the players who would participate in the ICL.

Public opinion

The lovers of the cricket in India and all over the world have appreciated the formation of ICL. They are of the view that it would free the cricket from the clutches of mafias and monopolistic attitude of the officials. Various government bodies have supported and boosted the league. Many states and their Chief Ministers are also in favor of the ICL. The cricketers themselves have welcomed its creation and have shown great interest for its success. Damien Martyn, Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Chris Read, Darren Maddy, Vikram Solanki, Paul Nixon, Chris Harris, Chris Cairns, Hamish Marshall, Nathan Astle, Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje, Boyd Rankin, Niall O'Brien and Dinesh Mongia are a few names that have registered themselves in the ICL. A lot of others are in the waiting line.

Format of ICL

The ICL was set up with Rs. 1 billion, and has prize money of $ 1 million for the winner. Initially the ICL would be comprised of six teams. The number of teams would be increased to sixteen in next three years. Each team will be coached by an international cricketer and will be consisted of four international, two Indian and eight blooming domestic players. BCCI has been told that it is free to hire from ICL's talent pool. The league was materialized in November 2007 with matches in the Twenty20 format.

Board of ICL

An expert panel of ex-cricketers headed by Kapil Dev has been appointed as the board of ICL. The other members include Tony Greig, Dean Jones and Kiran More. The board positions will be paid position. A lucrative package has been announced for them. An ombudsman has also been appointed to look into the grievances of the players.

Conclusion

ICL announced its expansion, with a fifty over tournament in February 2008, and then the ICL Indian Championship with eight teams in September and October 2008. Subhash Chandra the owner and the maker of the ICL had vowed that the ICL will go ahead in spite of all the oddities. Though many government bodies have opposed ICL, the players of international repute have joined it, "Mayajal" a private Indian sector has provided infrastructure.

Yet future of ICL brings many speculations. Would it be able to sustain the official pressure of different boards? Or it would die like many other private cricket leagues? Is a big question. Would it last for few years like the league of Kerry Packer of Australia or other such leagues or it would be a forerunner for the other cricketing countries as a success story. Time is the best judge!

About The Author
Iftikhar Rasul offers critical details on International and Pakistan Cricket, Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Team Players Performance at http://www.pakistan-cricket-guide.com/ His spiky opinions may be disagreed but can't be disregarded.

Role of an Umpire in a Cricket Match

2009-05-08T05:42:00.001-07:00

by: Prasanna Moorthy
A bat – ball game that entertains the whole mass of people gathered and also the ones who watch it live in the televisions. Cricket a world class game captivates hearts and souls of many individuals across the world. People die to watch the game, literally starve to enter the gates of the ground in which the game is played. The fans all over the world know that cricket is definitely an entertaining game.

But in this game of cricket, can you guess who are the important players without bat and ball? They are the decision makers of the game who can make happiness or break it amongst teams. They ought to the good informers. They ought to be keen watchers of the game. They will have to be the wise decision makers irrespective of their favorites. They can earn good names if they are perfect. They are vulnerable to fans' critical comments. Their decision is very crucial for the match. The guess can never be as simple as this one is. Of course, they are umpires. Umpires are the most important players in the field. They are different types and they are three in number.

An umpire in the game of cricket plays crucial role. This word 'Umpire' is from the Old French word 'Nompere' which means not equal, i.e. not a member of one of the teams. He is the person who has the authority to make decisions on the cricket field, according to the International Laws of Cricket under ICC. Apart from making decisions about wicket appeals, delivery laws, legalities involved, conduct and the manners in the game, the umpire has a track of all the records. It involves all the deliveries and announcements of the completion of an over.

To preside over the match, there are two on-field umpires present. The umpires are different in the positions and that makes the difference. There is one umpire who stands just behind the bowler's wicket. He is the most important umpire and he decides and acts as a judiciary for most of them. There is another umpire standing with a side view from the batsman's view. He is called the square leg umpire, the reason of the name being the filed position is called square leg. He helps the main umpire for many decisions that concerns his views. If he is able to see better, then he helps the umpire. The professional matches have the other option called third umpire. Third umpire has the technology to support him. If there is a condition for the umpires on field to make flaws or if there are any difficulties, there is a third umpire who has an access to television replays.

About The Author
Prasanna Moorthy is a cricket coach having intense knowledge in the field.To contact him mailto:prasanna.moorthy@gmail.com and for further cricket shop, updates, info and to buy best cricket equipments,cricket bats,cricket balls,cricket gear visit http://www.procricketgear.com

The Beauty of Cricket

2009-05-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

by: Sunil Jajodia
Cricket is a traditional pastime enjoyed by a large number of amateurs and professionals alike. The game attracts people due to its general atmosphere as well as the level of skill needed to play, many spectators go to matches every year and thoroughly enjoy themselves. This has been the case for a great many years, especially in England where cricket is a traditional summer pursuit, with players dressed in their white garments to be seen on many a village green and the sound of cricket balls being hit audible from quite a distance. The image may seem romanticised, but it can certainly still be seen in a number of areas. For many people it is impossible to think of cricket without thinking of summer days and, of course, delicious strawberries and cream!

Nowadays people from many different countries and cultures are united by their love of cricket. The sport is inspiring people from all walks of life in all sorts of places, despite its sometimes stereotyped image. It is no wonder that this sport has caught on, despite its differences to other extremely popular sports such as football and rugby, it has the key elements that make a game great. These are of course skill, suspense and there is an art to playing that creates great beauty to the observer.

The equipment used for cricket needs to reach certain standards and follow strict criteria in order to be deemed suitable for play in professional matches. Even for those who are learning to play seriously, it is advisable to get some practice with the proper equipment. Clothing used for different games is usually quite recognisable, but so are the balls used. Cricket balls need to match a certain specification to be suitable for proper games, cricket balls used in men’s cricket will weigh between 5.5 and 7.5 ounces and measuring 224 to 229mm in circumference, with women’s and children’s weighing slightly less and being a bit smaller.

Traditionally cricket balls have been red, and still are for the most part, leaving the characteristic red staining on the trousers of some players. Good quality cricket balls can be quite expensive, and some beginners use alternatives for both economy and added safety, especially in children’s games. There are a number of rules about the use of balls that vary between matches, adding to the well of information that a cricket fan will need to know to understand the game fully!

Cricket fans generally think it is the best sport there is to play and watch, they often point out the difference in atmosphere and attitude between players and spectators of cricket than of other sports such as football or rugby. It is easy to see why more and more people are deciding to follow cricket more closely and wish to share the mood of a cricket ground and all the details that accompany it. If you have not thought to look much further into cricket before, then learn all you can and set about enjoying this wonderful sport!

About The Author
Established in 1973, Morrant Group Ltd is a family run business with over 35 years experience in mail order team sports equipment. Father, Daughter, Son and staff are working hard every day to ensure that our company achieves its aim.For further information, please visit http://www.morrant.com

Cricket News Must Be Fresh And Instant

2009-05-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

by: Satendra Jain

Passion and Cricket are synonyms. Cricket sport is unique when it comes to selecting a team and it has its own unique team selection process that is not found elsewhere in professional sport. It is the passion of cricketers for legendry performance, who keeps on supporting their favorite team in all ups and downs of their game. People, who can not get cricket sport updated news and manage to watch live performance of their favorite team or players. Today www.iplnewsonline.com is a good resource to get updated information about ongoing match.

Not only Indian Premier League may be 17 games old, but also its impact is already being felt in the Bartercard Power Rankings with four IPL teams bursting through into the top ten. With the worlds best players participating the IPL can lay claim to not only having the biggest stars in the world but having the best team too, the Chennai Super Kings lead by Mahendra Singh Dhoni have swept all before them winning four games out of four to enter the rankings in first place. www.iplnewsonline.com and www.crickhabar.com are cricket sport websites that can give you all types of updated news of cricket sport such as live cricket score and IPL Cricket ratings.

There are many resources available for cricket sport news but there is nothing like live cricket score. www.iplnewsonline.com may prove to be friendly and can used for updates about the score of the match and the various other details of the match. Cricket News Must Be Fresh And Instant .One can select any one of the medium available to gather the live cricket match score according to their access and their preferences to the available sources. www.iplnewsonline.com , www.crickhabar.com and www.cricfield.com are the latest convenient mediums that have made everything easy for people to get complete information of the live cricket score.

Cricket sport is one of the most famous games of the world that draws the attention of cricket players from all over the world. Today, one can find live cricket score telecasted and broadcasted on television and radio channels. Television, radio. Websites, newspapers and magazines are the easiest mediums to keep on flashing the live cricket score for its viewers on any particular match that is going on. Live cricket score has become a lifeline for any cricket lover as it offers main important information on which team chose to bat first, the runs that have been scored, the number of wickets taken and the bowler who has taken the maximum wickets.

About The Author

Satendra Jain is the author of Cricket news must be fresh and instant. He is experienced writer, who explains latest cricket news such as IPL Cricket ratings, BBC Cricket news and cricket score.

Latest IPL Cricket News

2009-05-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

by: Satendra Jain
The board of control for cricket in India launched the Indian Premier League on September 2007 that is a twenty 20 cricket competition created by BCCI. The board of control for cricket in India taking inspiration from English Premier League started the idea of Indian Premier League where the support of cricket boards of several countries has been sought. http://www.iplnewsonline.com provides all the latest cricket news such as India cricket news, live cricket scores, current cricket news, interviews of players, world top scores, IPL ratings and others information about cricket.

People have the golden opportunity to represent their countries by participating in the sport activities. The formation of the IPL cricket league is certainly not the result of the Indian win over the Twenty 20 World Cup that was initially termed as “a waste of time” by high officials in BCCI. This is due to the formation of the Indian Cricket League by some former Indian cricket players who wanted to move the monopoly of BCCI over Indian cricket that the concept of the IPL came around. http://www.iplnewsonline.com and http://www.cricfield.com are the best resources to know about India cricket news to keep track of all that is going on in the world of cricket.

Indian Premier League is chaired by the Chairman & Commissioner IPL, BCCI vice president Lalit Modi.Televisions news channels, sports channels and http://www.iplnewsonline.com are also great resources to know about India cricket news, live cricket score,IPl cricket news and IPL cricket ratings. Today all channels provide news coverage of 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, so there is absolutely no chance that fans will miss out on any cricket update if they follow these regularly. Visual media like television, magazines and newspapers are also great sources to know about cricket update news.

We always try to keep in touch with the game of cricket in every possible way. http://www.iplnewsonline.com gives all types of information such as India cricket news, tournaments and series and player’s news. Cricket update news is wonderful information, when a match is going on live. Today, we all know that it is not possible for many people to catch up with live action on television. Latest IPL Cricket News is the finest source for them to know all about the status of a match where their favorite team or player must be playing.

About The Author

Satendra Jain is the author of latest IPL Cricket news. He is experienced writer, who explains latest cricket news by http://www.iplnewsonline.com

IPL T20: cricket, glamour and much more by Sonal Arya

2009-05-08T05:22:00.001-07:00

T20 has given a new meaning to cricket. Cricket started with test matches and went till one day and now, its brand new format is twenty20. With the victory in Twenty20 World Cup Cricket Tournament in South Africa, this format has become India's beloved game. After seeing so much praise, BCCI has tried and given it a new dimension in India with IPL T20.

Indian premiere league proved itself last year. In order to start this idea BBCI has taken the support from cricket boards of various countries, so that they allow their players to play in the IPL Cricket League. They are being paid heavy sums for doing so.

Auctions of the players and the state teams have attracted many big business houses, bollywood stars and millionaires from all around the world. These big names that are paying certainly do make a difference in the game.

In India, people consider cricket as a religion than just a sport. This passion for the game has written the success story of this format and league. This league has not given only cricket but lots of entertainment also through Bollywood stars, cheerleaders, music, etc.

In this league there are eight teams representing various regions of India and these teams are combined with international cricket stars and domestic players. They play matches in the twenty20 format against each other. Every team will be playing two matches against another team and the four highest winners will be playing two semifinals. The semifinal winners will then play the finale of the game. This gives the lot of action to the cricket lovers all around the world.

IPL T20 is a league which gives a chance to the domestic players to improve their game and learn from their seniors. In this, every team has to play only 20overs. This is shortest form of cricket which has given tallest of height to cricket.

About the Author

Sonal Arya has completed her Ph.d in Archaeology. She is an author and offering advice for quite some time. She provides useful advice through her articles that have been found very useful. Please visit here to information on IPL T20, Indian cricket league, live score and icl cricket league.

Cricket Weather Is On Its Way To The UK

2009-05-08T05:20:00.001-07:00

The weather’s slowly starting to improve as spring progresses, the days are getting longer and the sun is in evidence more often. The unexpected snow in the UK recently does not seem to have put the flowers off! Daffodils, narcissi, crocuses, and snowdrops are all coming out in force, adding some early colour whilst most trees are still only budding. It’s the time of year when many of us feel compelled to be outdoors, gardening, visiting a local country park or taking the dog for extra long walks. In fact for many, the weather is ideal, neither too hot nor too cold. It is also nearing the start of the cricket season in Britain, and up and down the country enthusiasts of all abilities are eagerly anticipating the sound of the ball hitting the willow bat.

A number of people who enjoy cricket have never actually played, but they enjoy attending matches for the atmosphere, many feel their summer is not complete without going to at least one cricket game. Most will be aware of all the rules of the game, but this is not necessary to enjoy yourself as a spectator. For those who play cricket, whether as amateurs or professionals, this is of course not an option! Learning all the rules of play is one of the very first steps to becoming a good player, as is getting to know your cricket equipment. If you decide that you would like to replace any of your kit this year, from bats and wickets to caps and socks, make sure you purchase your cricket equipment from a reputable source. The cricket equipment that you choose will of course depend on your budget, especially when the current economic situation is taken into account, but as with most items, you get what you pay for and getting the best you can afford.

As the weather continues to improve, it can really help to lift spirits. Research suggests that exercise is also beneficial to people’s mood, those suffering from excess stress, anxiety and depression should certainly consider whether being more active is a possibility. Learning new skills can also be rewarding, so anyone looking to learn a sport should certainly consider cricket. Another benefit of becoming involved with your local team is that you can get to know new people with whom you share an interest, giving a perfect talking point.

Whether you are in the process of deciding which sport you would like to try in the coming year, or whether you have been enjoying the game for some time, cricket is a great pastime to have. Getting prepared for the game is part of the excitement, preparing yourself and making sure all your kit is in good working order, and replacing any cricket equipment you need to can all help to build your enthusiasm. No matter what you hope to gain from cricket this year, as a spectator, an amateur or even a professional, make sure you are prepared and have a great time!

About The Author

Established in 1973, Morrant Group Ltd is a family run business with over 35 years experience in mail order team sports equipment. Father, Daughter, Son and staff are working hard every day to ensure that our company achieves its aim.For further information, please visit http://www.morrant.com

Gautam Gambhir-The Saviour

2009-03-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Gautam Gambhir continues to showcase his class ,by helping India draw the second test against New Zealand.After New Zealand enforced the follow on,India were in deep trouble at 47-1.

Gambhir ,know for his attacking style and charismatic displays played a not-so-elegant yet patient innings to finish day4 at 102*.His style was more reminiscent of Rahul Dravid whom he outlasted.

On day 5,Gambhir built on his innings,so that by Tea India were sure of drawing(read:saving ) the test.His knock of 137 lasted 643 minutes and 436 balls, 93 minutes and 56 balls than his pulsating 201 in front of an adoring crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla against Australia last year.

on Day 4,Gambhir built on his 14 runs from the previous day.survived a couple of lbw appeals and a big shout for a catch when a Jeetan Patel delivery hit his pad and flew to Jesse Ryder at short leg. He went on to bring up his 11th Test 50 with his eighth boundary of the innings a short time later. He was on 60 by lunch and Dravid, who resumed on 11, had inched his way to 34. Dravid reached his 56th Test half-century with an off drive that earned him two runs off Daniel Vettori a couple of overs before drinks in the afternoon. His fifty took 180 balls and included only four fours and one six.

The next over Gambhir, who was on 73 at the time, gave Patel a caught and bowled chance, but the ball flew just out of reach of the spinner's outstretched hand. Then in the over after drinks Franklin wasted another run out opportunity when he opted to throw to the non-striker's end instead of to the wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum. But the partnership was eventually broken when a Vettori delivery flicked off Dravid's pad and Jamie How took a diving catch at short leg. The batsman was stunned by the umpire Ian Gould's decision and replays showed that the ball went nowhere near his bat or gloves. It brought to an end a 63 over, 133-run partnership for the second wicket in which Dravid faced 220 balls in four hours for his 62.

Gambhir and Tendulkar then survived the remaining 7.4 overs to tea to leave India trailing by 134 runs at 180 for two. Gambhir hit his 14th boundary to bring up his 265-ball 100. The pair then carried on with their patient work to see India through to the close.

Day 5 show Gambhir make 137 runs before departing,by which India had sealed the game.After Gambhir's wicket,After the fatigued Gambhir had departed, New Zealand's bowlers, undoubtedly tired after toiling for three consecutive days on a flat pitch, were attacked by Yuvraj and Laxman after tea. In all, the pair added 120 runs in 122 minutes, and allowed Yuvraj, who up to that point had a wretched match with two dropped catches and a duck, to build some confidence ahead of the Third Test with a breezy unbeaten half-century. At the other end, VVS Laxman, who often appears to lack concentration when playing against teams other than Australia, made a polished 124 not out to end the match with exactly 200 runs in seven hours of batting.

In proving his ability to adapt to the situation, albeit in favourable batting conditions, Gambhir has exhibited that he can be a world-class batting spearhead for the next decade.he continues to be the most promising younster and the most valuable jewel in the crown of India Team.

Way to go, Gambhir.