Thanks for all your entries, and very well done all round. Here are the answers to our latest quiz. 1. Whom did Steve Waugh accuse of dropping the 1999 World Cup? South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs, during a crucial Super Six match at Headingley. Waugh was 56 at the time Gibbs dropped him, went on to make 120, and Australia won. They then tied with the Saffers in the Edgbaston semi-final (but went through because they were placed higher in the table) before beating Pakistan in the final. 2...
Net benefit?
The English domestic season is nearly upon us. You could argue it’s already started if you count the counties’ annual fixtures against the hungover students. The sun is out, at least for now, and club cricketers across the land will start their preparations for the new season. Some will begin rigorous fitness training (the sad ones), whilst others will simply oil their bats and start doing some preliminary stretches – hoping that last season’s ailments won’t resurface as soon as they take a...
Irish stew over World Cup exclusion
Think of Ireland and sport, and what normally comes to mind is either rugby union, or Roy Keane complaining about sandwiches. But after their national side’s spirited performance in the World Cup, it’s cricket which has the put the emerald isle in the sporting spotlight. Specifically, their omission from the next shindig in 2015. The ICC confirmed over the weekend that only the ten full test nations will compete in four years’ time, and there’ll be no reversal of their...
That was the World Cup that was
It was better than everyone expected We were hardly alone in writing the obituaries for the World Cup, and for 50 over cricket in general. And we were probably wrong. The tournament confounded expectations by proving rather more absorbing than we feared. With no one team dominating, and just enough close matches to satisfy neutrals, there was at least some sense of unpredictability and surprise. This World Cup captured our imagination far more than either its 2003 or 2007 predecessors. There...
The Full Toss quiz
In case you missed it before, here’s a reminder of the questions from our latest quiz. Add in your answers below, or e-mail to maxie@thefulltoss.com . Good luck! 1. Whom did Steve Waugh accuse of dropping the 1999 World Cup? 2. If Middlesex have three seaxes, and Warwickshire have a bear and a staff, who has (a) three pears, and (b) a blue shield with a yellow cross? 3. Graham Gooch famously made 333 against India at Lord’s in 1990. But despite England racking up a first innings 653-4 in...
Final pits the master against the maestro
There’s probably no such thing as a true neutral in cricket, as all fans have the teams they love to hate. But if real impartiality did exist, the matchup for Saturday’s World Cup final would be the dream final. It’s Sachin Tendulkar, the best batsman of the modern era, against Muttiah Muralitharan, the best spinner the subcontinent has ever produced. It’s enough to get even Duncan Fletcher excited. Whatever happens, the match will have a fairytale ending. But who do you want to win? As an...