There's a cricket test going on in Africa at the moment between New Zealand and Zimbabwe, not that Radio Sport is carrying any commentaries; another black mark.
But it was a big day for the Black Caps' cult figure opening bowler Chris Martin on Day Three. He joins a select band of New Zealand bowlers with 200 test wickets. "Tom" as he's now known (hint: his nickname used to be Marto) is just the fourth Kiwi into the 200 Club behind Sir Richard Hadlee, Daniel Vettori and Chris Cairns, and he deserves every accolade.
Tom already holds the world record for most test ducks, and is one of the few players in test cricket with more test wickets than runs; he has just 109 of those, at an average of 2.53. He's just over a month away from his 37th birthday, so his time at the top is limited, but he's earned his place in the pecking order of New Zealand cricket, and we salute him.
As far as the cricket goes, New Zealand has the advantage after three days; a lead of 141 runs with eight second innings wickets in hand, and a deteriorating pitch in Bulawayo. It'd just be nice if we could listen to it in the dead of night!
8 comments:
Watched for work avoidance purposes a couple of hours of the test the other nite.
It was dire.
While I am an eternal optomist regarding things cricket we are going to get spanked by the Aussies through the summer.
On a related note, it looks like Wormwood Scrubs Prison will have a pretty good cricket team next year.
Quite so Toad; you wouldn't bet against it!
Will be blogging on that later
Toad, Comment of the day so far!
It's been on television I2 so turn the volume up, go to bed and listen to the (frankly bloody awful) commentary. ;-)
Actually, IV2, Chris Martin is only 5th on the list of most Test ducks, with 31 (including the one in the 1st innings of current Test).
He's still some way off Courtney Walsh's world record of 43.
@ Tinman; your comments on the telly commentary are right on the money!
@ Toad; I stand humbly corrected.
Martin is still arguably the worst Test batsman ever though. Walsh batted in 185 innings for his 43 ducks. Martin's 31 ducks come from only 90 innings.
And no-one who has played any significant number of Tests has a batting average as low as Martin's. Even Bhagwat Chandrasekar who batted with an arm withered by polio averaged 4.07.
Post a Comment