Protected: Part 2 – Not Out Innings and Batting Averages – Demystifying Rarefied Solutions & a Searchlight on the Straightforward

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Protected: Epilogue – Not Out Innings and Batting Averages – Demystifying Rarefied Solutions & a Searchlight on the Straightforward

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ROOT CRITICIZES HIS TEAM AS AUSTALIA DEALS WITH HAZLEWOOD INJURY

England captain Joe Root has sharply criticized his team, picking apart the experienced bowling attack in particular. The England captain says his bowlers did not throw the right lengths in the second Test loss that all but sunk his team’s Ashes hopes. Much to the delight of fans whose precious kampanjkod was wasted on a defeat in Adelaide, Root spoke to the media with some much appreciated vitriol.

Craig McDermott, Australia’s fast bowling champion, criticized England’s “horrible” tactics with the ball and called the entire bowling squad “baffling.”

Australia claimed a 275-run victory Tuesday night at the Adelaide Oval, extending their lead in the Ashes series to 2-0. Not since 1936/37, when Sir Donald Bradman’s Aussies staged a remarkable comeback, has a team rallied from a 0-2 deficit to win a five-match Ashes series.

In Adelaide, England failed to bowl out Australia in either inning, as England’s Pace attack drew blanks and was unable to threaten the host’s frontline. Chris Woakes scored 1-149 runs in the match, and the veteran duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad scored just five wickets together in Australia’s two innings, despite an impressive economy rate.

Speaking to BBC radio after the match, Root described it as “frustrating” to see how many times his bowlers had overshot the outside edge of the Australian batsmen in the second Test. According to the English captain, the bowling group only had to throw the ball “half a meter” higher to have more success.

While Root did not put names to the criticism, he made it clear that England’s frontline attack played too short and did not learn from their loss to Australia four years ago.

“With the ball in hand, we didn’t play the right length,” Root told the BBC, “We should have shot harder. As soon as we did in the second set, we created opportunities. It’s frustrating. We did this four years ago, and we didn’t learn from it. We need to improve.

“We weren’t brave enough at times to bring the ball up. We have to do better in the next game.

We have to be braver.” We had to try to play like we did in Brisbane [in the first Test]. Once we do that, that’s the benchmark we have to look at. We need to look at these stretches of play and play them longer. We need to take advantage of the conditions.”

Root also spoke to reporters after the game and spoke in an “angry tone,” according to George Dobell, the leading British cricket writer.

Josh Hazlewood is in a race against time to prove he is fit for the Boxing Day Test as Australia takes steps to cover his possible absence.

Hazlewood suffered a lateral strain in the first test, which knocked him out of action last week in the second match at the Adelaide Oval.

Now, Australia have added Victoria’s speedy Scott Boland to the list of players for the second Christmas Day test, as Hazlewood is still hampered by injury.

Boland would take a place in the squad after scoring 15 wickets in two matches this summer at Sheffield Shield, averaging a low 10.

According to reports, Australia would not want to take any unnecessary risks with Hazlewood given their commanding 2-0 lead in the series.

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Ashes Series; Too many “cooks in the kitchen” for England as team loses second test.

It feels like four years ago all over again for England, but this time with an even more desperate sense of powerlessness against an Australian side that just seems to have the number of their Commonwealth counterparts. Fans were thrilled but not for long as they held on to their bonuskod bet365.

England captain Michael Vaughan, who won the Ashes Cup in 2005, says that the problem of England is that there are too many cooks in the kitchen.

“Sometimes there can be too many heads. Too many people looking at the data. There’s nothing better than playing in the present moment,” he said.

England slowly lost the second test at the Adelaide Oval on Monday, while Australia looked victorious from the first day’s tea break.

England used a fast bowler as spinner during the test while their real experts Jack Leach and Dom Bess sat on the sidelines and were not called into action.

Nathan Lyon turned the ball to the right when England had almost 50 per cent left-handed players and were up against a right-handed off-spinner. Lyon finished 3/58 and 2/55.

James Anderson and Broad, who failed to get over their target in the day-night test, combined to take five wickets and score 33.2 runs each.

England may have had a master plan, but it certainly wasn’t it.

After Sunday’s match, fast bowling coach Jon Lewis admitted that the team had miscalculated both the swing and spin that would be on offer in Adelaide.

“The pitch is clearly spinning,” Lewis told reporters. “And we thought the ball would move a bit more in light conditions than it did.

“In hindsight, you could say we should have picked a different team. But at the time we felt we had picked the team that would win the game.

After four years of planning, England didn’t pick their best quicks on Gabba’s green seamers or spinners on Adelaide’s spinning wicket.

Day and night trials usually promise an extra boost for the quicks, but England got carried away with the offer and failed to reap the benefits.

The Adelaide Oval pitch has been spin-friendly even on the fourth and fifth day. It’s always been that way – playoff or no playoff.

The lateral movement of the quicks on the Gabba course during the day is akin to being in the light with a pink ball.

England are guilty of over-thinking and sports research and analysis.

The team was playing for the future and not for what was ahead.

“Last week it was green tops, you needed at least one or two of your best bowlers and that’s Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad.”

He added: “If they’re 2-0 down, they’re out.

Careful but deeply flawed planning has been replaced by hasty improvisation led by coach and sole selector Chris Silverwood.

That it didn’t work is a gross understatement.

Some pundits believe Silver wood is a good man, but just not the man for the job.

“He should be the manager who organises everything, but nowhere near the decisions that affect cricket,” a former player said.

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Majid Khan: The Prince of Wales

These days Majid Khan’s name seems in the main to attach itself to that item of cricketing trivia that records that his is one of the two families that have given three generations to Test cricket, not to mention two cousins and an uncle. This is a great pity because at his best Majid was as brilliant a stroke maker as there was in world cricket, and he was in the vanguard of the influx of overseas players who broadened the appeal of English county cricket from 1968. .

Majid’s father, Jahangir Khan, was an all-rounder who played in India’s inaugural Test, at Lord’s in 1932 and, whilst at Cambridge University, all three Tests in the 1936 series. He achieved nothing with the bat in any of them, and took just four wickets, all in the second innings of the 1932 match, but they were a useful quartet; Percy Holmes, Frank Woolley, Walter Hammond and Eddie Paynter. Son Bazid had just a single opportunity, against West Indies in the Caribbean in 2005, innings of 9 and 23 in a 276 run defeat not being enough to keep his place.

A prodigious young talent Majid was, initially, primarily a fast medium bowler, although his ability as a batsman was also clear from the beginning. He made his First Class debut at just 15, and began with figures of 6-67. When his side, Lahore B, replied they had slumped to 51-5 when the teenager came to the crease. An unbeaten 111 later and they were on course for victory. Pakistan’s selectors have never been backward in giving youth a chance and there was talk of the teenager being chosen for the party that toured England in 1962 under his cousin, Javed Burki, but in the end the selectors decided against that and his first visit to England was delayed until the following summer when he was a member of a young Pakistan Eaglets side for whom he did enough to earn praise from Wisden. 

After 1962 it was more than two years before Pakistan played another Test, a one off at home against Australia and, by now 18, Majid was called up. He celebrated his selection by inviting his friends to an ice cream party and in the years ahead would gain a reputation as something of a trencherman. In his first Test innings he batted at eight. He was out without scoring and did not get to the crease in the second innings. He opened the bowling with another Pakistani batting star of the not too distant future, Asif Iqbal. There were three wickets for Majid in a match that Pakistan emerged from with an honourable draw. Twice Majid dismissed Bill Lawry and his other victim was Brian Booth. All three wickets were taken with short pitched deliveries.

Despite those results the end of Majid the strike bowler was nigh. There were doubts expressed about the legality of his action, particularly when he bowled the bouncer, and he never attempted to bowl fast again. The remainder of the 27 Test wickets that he ended his career with were taken with either medium pace or off spin. It is a shame about the kink in his action as he was clearly pretty sharp, teammate Shafqat Rana saying of that bouncer; it was really nasty, quick and coming straight at your eyes.

There followed a return trip to Australia and New Zealand which, because of his bowling travails, Majid missed out on. Pakistan drew all of the Tests that they played, but only Hanif Mohammad and, to a lesser extent, Saeed Ahmed excelled with the bat, and once the New Zealanders followed the Pakistanis back for a three Test home series Majid, having scored plenty of runs domestically in the meantime, found his way into the side as a front line batsman. He did not achieve much on his return but, his side enjoying a big win, he kept his place and in the second Test cemented his position by contributing 80 to a stand of 217 with Hanif, and adding another 44 in the second innings.

In 1967 Pakistan returned to England for a three match series. They shared the summer with the Indians who, unfortunately for them, had the first and damper half and although they put on a brave performance in the first Test after conceding a first innings lead of 386 they lost their series 3-0. Pakistan at least managed to draw at Lord’s, courtesy of a nine hour marathon from Hanif with staunch support from Asif, but they lost the other two Tests and Majid managed just 38 runs in six innings. 

On the tour as a whole Majid did rather better, finishing second to Hanif in the averages with 42.30. He also played one particular innings that changed the course of his career. At Swansea between the first two Tests, in a mere 89 minutes at the crease, Majid scored an unbeaten 147 including as many as 13 sixes, then a record for an innings in England. The match itself was drawn but the Glamorgan club and their supporters were captivated. The club’s secretary, the autocratic Wilf Wooller, had been at Cambridge with Majid’s father and he persuaded the committee that Majid was their man for the new era of overseas players.

In 1967 Glamorgan had finished fourteenth in the County Championship, as they had the season before. In 1968 however their fortunes changed and, Majid second only in their batting averages to Alan Jones, rose to third in the table and recorded the same number of wins as the Champions, Yorkshire. Had they not lost of each of their last three matches the Welsh county might have lifted the title. Of Majid Wisden commented; By July he had found his touch and the power of his batting was beginning to thrill the crowd. His quick and natural reaction made him a joy to watch, and he played some brilliant innings.

Majid’s ready acceptance by his teammates and public alike was no doubt made easier by his calm approach to everything he did. He never got rattled by events on the field and treated everything on its merits and not by the reputation of whoever was bowling. Certainly in those days Majid neither smoked or drank although, an orthodox Muslim, he did not express any disapproval of those who chose to. He was also a great believer in the spirit of the game and throughout his career would immediately leave the crease if he thought he was out. No doubt that Test average of his would have crossed the threshold of forty had he been less scrupulous in that respect. 

There were three Tests for Majid against England during the hastily arranged series in the following winter of 1968/69 in which his best score in four innings was 68. He then returned to Wales for a season that began slowly but ended with Glamorgan winning the title by 31 clear points and going through the season unbeaten. Once again Majid was second only to Jones in the averages and his efforts earned him recognition as one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year. The best example of the way he could play came in the penultimate Championship fixture of the season against Worcestershire, a match that would almost certainly have been lost had not, in a Glamorgan first innings of 265, Majid not looked in a different class to everyone else on show – he scored a century before lunch and ended up on 156, with no one else scoring more than 37.

The following season Majid followed in his father’s footsteps and went up to Cambridge. Had he not done so and been available for the whole season Glamorgan would almost certainly have made it back to back titles. As it was they had to be content with just half a season from their overseas star and the runners up spot. Again the batting averages were headed by Jones and Majid, the distance between them now reduced to just a single run.

In 1971 Pakistan visited England again. His studies prevented Majid joining the party, although he was available for the first two Tests. He got to the crease twice, and while innings of 35 and 9 were better than in 1967, he had still failed to do himself justice in the Test arena. He did however play a leading role in the other tour game in which he took part, and was the main reason for Pakistan’s defeat. Majid played for Cambridge against the tourists, top scored with 94 in his side’s first innings and captained the light blues to a ten wicket victory.

His academic year and the tour over Majid returned to South Wales, but had a disappointing time as he was well behind skipper Tony Lewis and the second overseas player the county were now permitted, West Indian Roy Fredericks, in the county’s averages. To make matters much worse the county tumbled to sixteenth in the table. They didn’t do a great deal better the following summer, but for Majid at least the 1972 season was a memorable one. He was the only man in the country to score more than 2,000 runs (1,332 at 66.60 for Glamorgan) and was well ahead of Fredericks, Lewis and Jones in the county’s averages. In the country as a whole only Geoffrey Boycott and Rohan Kanhai averaged more than Majid’s 61.00.

By December of 1972 Majid was 26 and had been a Test player for eight years. Despite that he had played only a dozen Tests over that time and had managed just a couple of half centuries. It had been seven years sine Pakistan had played a Test against anyone other than England, but finally that winter in the space of just over three months they were to play three Tests in Australia, followed by three more in New Zealand, and round that off with three at home against England.

The Pakistanis lost all three Tests in Australia, but at least Majid had the consolation of finally scoring a Test century in the second match at the MCG. His 158 helped Pakistan to a total of 574 and a lead of 133, although in an exciting match they were all out for 200 in the fourth innings chasing 293 for victory. Majid impressed all the Australians, and Dennis Lillee in particular. Lillee describes Majid as;  a fantastic player, one of the best I ever bowled to, a true stroke player. He had as much grace as anyone I had ever seen. Everything was done with style and elegance; he was like my image of a prince, and everything was just majestic.

It is Lillee who also gives rise to one of the enduring stories about Majid, whose appearance at the crease was always distinctive as he wore cream pads and, throughout his career, a wide brimmed white canvas hat. In reality that too, although it was no doubt white when new, over the years became anything but. Lillee made it his mission to remove the hat and came close on a few occasions in 1972/73. Majid promised him he would give him the hat were he ever to do so and when, four years later, Lillee eventually succeeded Majid’s immediate reaction was to pick up the hat and hand it to Lillee. Sadly for those who are fascinated by such items of memorabilia Mrs Lillee did not know what was going on, and later threw the treasured trophy into the washing machine causing it to rather lose its magic.

In New Zealand Pakistan were more successful, winning that series 1-0. There was another century for Majid in the third Test, and he also scored 79 in each innings of the first Test thus failing to make a significant contribution only, rather oddly, in the match his side won. Returning home to face England Majid almost made it centuries in three consecutive series when, in the last of three draws, he was one of three men (teammate Mushtaq Mohammad and Dennis Amiss were the other two) to be dismissed for 99. Majid had led Pakistan in this series, but there was a feeling that despite the way he batted his captaincy was rather pedestrian and that the series should have been won. In any event when Pakistan played their next series, in England in 1974, Majid was back in the ranks.

Appointed county captain for 1973 Majid’s leadership of Glamorgan was no more successful than that of his country. In the end in 1976 his tenure ended and with it his association with the county. He had carried the batting through the years 1973-75 and it was not his fault that the bowling resources at his disposal lacked penetration. Nonetheless a whispering campaign against him gathered pace amongst supporters and eventually he could take no more, resigning the captaincy in 1976, a summer when he also suffered a loss of form. It was a sad end to an association that had given so much pleasure to so many.

Whilst his county career had its troubles Majid had found a new role for Pakistan, taking over as opening batsman for the second Test with England in 1974 and forging what proved to be a solid partnership with Sadiq Mohammad, the youngest of the famous brotherhood. He just missed a century at the Oval in 1974, scoring 98, but made his first century from the top of the order at home against West Indies the following winter.

If Majid wanted a distraction from events in Glamorgan he certainly got it over the southern hemisphere summer of 1976/77 with a visit from New Zealand followed by tours to Australia and West Indies. The New Zealanders were beaten 2-0, and only dropped catches prevented the Pakistanis taking a clean sweep of the three Tests. Majid’s tendency to get out when close to a century struck again in the second Test when he scored 98, but he got over the line in the drawn third Test with a magnificent century before lunch, adding another 50 in the second innings.

It was during the Australian trip that Majid surrendered his hat to Lillee, but a great Australian side, beginning to age and no doubt distracted by the forthcoming World Series Cricket adventure could not repeat their 3-0 triumph of four years before, both sides enjoying one big win with an interesting draw in the first Test meaning the series was shared. There were no big scores for Majid but he averaged almost fifty to ensure he was in the right frame of mind for the trip to the Caribbean.

The series between West Indies and Pakistan, only the second ever between the two nations and eighteen years after the first, was an excellent one. The West Indian pace battery was not quite at its most fearsome, but Colin Croft, Joel Garner and Andy Roberts were a formidable combination. In the end the home side won the series 2-1, but their last pair had to hang on amidst great tension to save the first Test. For Majid there were 530 runs at 53.00 and his six hour 167 in the third Test, destined to remain his highest Test score, ensured a draw in that one.

At 31 Majid was at his best in the West Indies and it is hardly surprising that Kerry Packer wanted him for WSC, nor that the was attracted by the financial rewards that came with it, and he was one of five Pakistanis who signed (the others were Imran, Asif, Zaheer Abbas and Mushtaq Mohammad). Majid did not however enjoy a great deal of success. Only selected for two Supertests he had a single half century to show for those. In fifteen ODIs he never once passed fifty, and had the miserable average of 11.21. 

Once peace returned to the world game in 1979 Majid resumed his Test career and played on for another three years. He wasn’t quite the player he had been although there were still some highlights, including a final century against Lillee and Australia at home in Lahore. After that however major innings eluded Majid and his last important knock was one of 74 against Australia at the MCG in December 1981 which helped set up a face saving innings victory. That apart there was little to celebrate for Majid whose relationship with cousin Imran became strained as the latter came to the view that Majid was no longer worth his place in the side.

After leaving Glamorgan in 1976 Majid had been back to England, but had not played any First Class cricket. At 35 he had a last opportunity when picked for an experienced side, led for the first time by Imran, who toured in the second half of the 1982 summer. Sadly Majid was patently not the player he had been and he struggled for runs, only coming in to the Test side for the third and final match after first Wasim Raja and then Haroon Rashid had been discarded. In a close match Majid scored 21 and 10. In the course of the first innings he became his country’s leading scorer, but there was no fluency and he never looked at ease. He passed fifty just once during the tour, although that would have given him some satisfaction as his 88 came against Glamorgan.

His many supporters would have hoped that Majid would go out on a high, and with nine home Tests scheduled for 1982/83, including six against India, the opportunity was certainly there, particularly as Pakistan took three of the first four Indian Tests to move into an unassailable 3-0 lead. Despite Imran’s views Majid came in for the fifth Test. He survived nine deliveries but was then adjudged to have feathered a Kapil Dev delivery to Syed Kirmani behind the stumps. He chose to stay put, perhaps just disappointed, or perhaps hoping that his reputation as a walker would come to his aid and the umpire would not end his innings before it had started. In any event the Majid who walked back to the pavilion for a final innings duck appeared, for once, to be less than happy with the decision that had sent him on his way. Rain made sure that he did not get a second opportunity to go out in style.

His playing days over Majid remained in the game with, at times, both Pakistan and the ICC. The most controversial of his administrative roles was after he was appointed to the position of Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board in 1996 a position he resigned three years later after making allegations of match fixing against the side following their unexpected defeat by Bangladesh at the 1999 World Cup in England. Significant as Majid’s off field contributions to the game were they paled into insignificance when compared with his majestic batting. He was a fine batsman at Test level for Pakistan, but even then was not quite the man he had been in the valleys of South Wales in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

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Worcestershire in Print

The history of Worcestershire, who joined the Championship as late as 1899, has been well covered by writers, and in particular thanks to Andrew Thomas the history is all but up to date. The early years of the club, before its First Class days, are covered in Bernard Bridgwater’s Early History of the Three Black Pears. 

The Reverend WR Chignell produced two bulky volumes of Worcestershire history. A History of Worcestershire County Cricket Club 1844-1950 was the first, and Worcestershire Cricket 1950-1968 was the follow up. Another reverend gentleman, Mike Vockins, then produced a slim volume in 1980 entitled A Pictorial History Of Worcestershire Cricket before the Worcestershire volume in the Helm series appeared in 1989, written by David Lemmon.

More recently, to mark the 150th anniversary of the formation of the County Club in 2015, Andrew Thomas produced Pears 150, a real heavyweight of a book, and a distinctly unconventional one, and only last year he produced a supplement, Pears 155, which carried the story through to the end of the most recent ‘normal’ summer of cricket, 2019.

Remarkably few Worcestershire players have been the subject of biographies, and the first seven all had the same surname. For a variety of reasons Reginald Erskine ‘Tip’ Foster is the best known of the famous brotherhood and he is, as are his six brothers, fully considered in Anthony Collis’s privately published 2018 book, Fostershire.

The Fosters apart the only Worcestershire cricketer from before the Great War who has been the subject of a book is the Australian all-rounder Jack Cuffe. Only last year Pat Rodgers’ The Perplexing and Tragic Life of Jack Cuffe dug deep to uncover a fascinating story.

With just the Fosters and Cuffe from prior to the Great War the next era in the county game, between the wars, saw only one Worcestershire player go into print. It was 1937 when Fred Root’s autobiography A Cricket Pro’s Lot appeared, a book of some importance and one that remains of interest today.

And at this point, due to the limited number of eligible volumes, I will mention a monograph on the subject of Australian Roger Kimpton. An amateur who played two thirds of his sixty First Class matches for Oxford University and just fourteen for Worcestershire. He is nonetheless the subject of an interesting booklet that was privately published by Philip Molyneux in 1998, RCM Kimpton: A Gifted Amateur Cricketer.

Don Kenyon joined the county’s staff in time for the 1946 season, and did not retire until the end of the 1967 summer. All told Kenyon appeared in 643 First Class matches, eight of them Tests although he was never able to reproduce his county form for England. Tim Jones wrote Don Kenyon: His Own Man, a biography that appeared in 2015.

In 1950 right arm medium pace bowler George Chesterton first appeared for Worcestershire. A career schoolmaster at Malvern College for a few years Chesterton appeared a few times each summer as an amateur with some success albeit not to the degree which would ordinarily justify the publication of a biography sixty years later. Chesterton’s long time teaching colleague and former Hampshire player Andy Murtagh made him the subject of his first biography in 2012, A Remarkable Man.

Wicketkeeper Roy Booth joined Worcestershire in 1956 after finding his opportunities at his native Yorkshire limited by the emergence of Jimmy Binks. He stayed until 1970 and in 2014 Richard Walsh privately published an interesting monograph, Roy Booth.

One of the most controversial figures in the history of the game was a Worcestershire player through the 1960s, albeit none of the issues were of his own making. Basil D’Oliveira was to write three autobiographies, in D’Oliveira: An Autobiography (1968),  The D’Oliveira Affair (1969) and Time To Declare (1980) before, in 2004, an excellent biography, Basil D’Oliveira, appeared from Peter Oborne.

1960 brought with it a big new signing for Worcestershire, Tom Graveney. The move was not welcomed by Graveney’s first county Worcestershire and caused something of a stir, but Graveney’s arrival certainly coincided with the county’s rise to the top. Two of Graveney’s autobiographies appeared whilst he was with Worcester, On Cricket in 1965 and Cricket Over Forty in 1980. In 1992 Christopher Sandford’s Tom Graveney: The Biography appeared. Later on in 2005 another book about Graveney appeared, Tom Graveney At Lord’s by Stephen Fay dealt primarily with his tenure as MCC President.

New Zealander Glenn Turner plied his trade at Worcester between 1967 and 1982. Turner is a man who has written a number of books, and all of My Way, (1975), Glenn Turner’s Century of Centuries (1983), Opening Up (1987) and Lifting The Covers (1998) have autobiographical elements.

In 1975 footballer Phil Neale joined Worcestershire as a batsman and was a consistent performer for the next seventeen seasons, ten of them as captain. His autobiography, A Double Life, was published in 1990. One of Neale’s men during his years in charge was Graeme Hick. Never can a cricketer have been burdened with quite as much expectation as Hick, and although he enjoyed a good career he never fulfilled his promise. To date only his My Early Life, published when he was just 25, has found its way into print.

After a couple of disappointing years with neighbours Warwickshire Moeen Ali joined Worcestershire in 2007 and went on to become an England all-rounder. His autobiography, Moeen, appeared in 2018. A rather less celebrated all-rounder of recent years is Jack Shantry, who played for Worcestershire between 2009 and 2017. Shantry’s Match by Paul Edwards is an extended monograph that was published in 2019.

The Tempus 100 Greats book on the subject of Worcestershire was written by Les Hatton, who also put together a book in that publisher’s Images of Sport series. The two books appeared in 2001 and 1999 respectively. Prior to that a Who’s Who of Worcestershire Cricket had appeared in 1990, the work of Robert Brooke and David Goodyear. As to accounts of seasons there are two for mention. In 1988 Worcestershire won the Championship and the Refuge Assurance League. Double Triumph by Frank Watson appeared the following year, and when the county retained the Championship in 1989 Patrick Murphy assisted Graeme Hick and Graham Dilley to write Hick ’n Dilley Circus.

And my two choices for Worcestershire? The first is easy and for many years I was confident it would appear, but as time goes on without a full autobiography from Graeme Hick I begin to think that perhaps it won’t. The second choice is trickier, but in the end I’ll plump for a book about the men who made Worcestershire’s back to back Championship wins in 1964 and 1965 possible. 

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CRICKET UNIVERSE IN A NUTSHELL

This year was supposed to be a return to normalcy for sports after two obstructed seasons due to the pandemic, and it has been for the most part and many disciplines around the world, except for cricket. The world of cricket is taking a hit at the moment as a new COVID-19 variant threatens all the fun in store for the end of the year. But that is not the only news around the cricket universe and fans will be delighted at the possibility of taking advantage of their bonuses on bonus-kampanjkod.se for all their loyalty to their team and hot takes on the site.

We take a look at what is going on around the cricket universe.

South Africa and Netherlands ODI postponed

First stop, in South Africa, after the postponement of their three-match ODI series with the Netherlands due to concerns over the new variant of COVID-19. South Africa has been badly hit by the virus and it continues to show no signs of slowing down after this latest development.

The ODI looked jinxed from the beginning when the first match ended in a no-result due to interruptions by the rain. The second and third ODI are only hopeful as the new variant poses more serious problems, and threats for not only the players but the country as a whole. The ICC Futures Tour will end in 2023, and missing this ODI mat well mean the teams will not meet again.

The women’s world cup qualification competition takes a big hit from COVID-19

Still, in the southern part of Africa, the women’s world cup qualifier has been cancelled as the new variant continues to rear its head. The game between the West Indies and Sri Lanka was the latest to be cancelled after a member of the Sri Lankan team tested positive for the virus. The tournament was set in Harare, Zimbabwe, with nine teams set to participate after the qualifications of Pakistan, Bangladesh and the West Indies.

Chris Gayle will soon retire from cricket

Chris Gayle has played 103 tests, 79 T20Is and 301 ODIs in a career that stretches over 22 years. The West Indian has been a reliable batter over the course of his career for the Cricket West Indies (CWI). Nothing is set in stone yet, but the hope is that the CWI can have one game, most likely a T20I, at Sabina Park, in Gayle’s hometown. The veteran has said as much that he would like to bow out by thanking fans on home soil, while the CWI chief Johnny Grave, has hinted at the possibility of that happening, though no commitments to the decision have been made.

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SPORTS BETTING MECHANICS: SELECTION, WAGER, RETURN, STAKE, AND ODDS

You will find this article helpful if you are intimidated by the terminology and mechanics of sports betting.  Once you learn the basics, sports betting is quite simple and easy to understand. Hopefully, you’ll find the information in this article helpful in your career as a football gambler.

Selection

Simply put, the selection refers to your choice of games. For instance, you can select win or draw. If Liverpool were to play Chelsea for example, then the three most basic predictions are Chelsea to win, Liverpool to win, and a draw. If you don’t want to select any option from this game, you can select two teams from another different league entirely, perhaps even another sport. Essentially, your selection is your prediction of the outcome of any sporting event.

Wager

Nowadays, saying you want to make a wager is an old-fashioned term, but it is still used. The term refers to the bet and every condition that it contains. Alternatively, the wager consists of the odds offered, the selection, the stake along the bet. You can get more information if you have a look here.

Return

The Return refers to how much a given bet pays out. The amount is based on the odds of your win and how much you get in return on your stake. In the case where a gambler makes a wrong selection, they will lose their stake and get no return.

Stake

A stake is simply the amount you want to bet on a particular selection. When you have chosen a specific outcome to bet on, you then have to determine how much you wish to wager. Therefore, if you want to wage $10, your stake is $10. When it comes to high stakes betting, the value of the bet is usually high.

For table games, a casino may set a maximum and minimum stake, and bookies may do the same for the sports bet option. Generally, online betting gives you a lot more flexibility when it comes to what you decide to stake.

Odds

Odds are the price you will pay for your selection. In theory, it is the chance that the event you selected will occur. In other words, if your chances of scoring a goal are 5/1, then for every 5 shots you take, one should come off. You should also know that the odds offered by not be the same as the chance of your selection happening. That’s where gambling comes in.

If the odds offered for your selection to happen doesn’t fall within your beliefs, then you may have spotted a bad or good bet. As a general rule, bookmakers are excellent judges of odds and appraise them accordingly. Look out for these bookies’ odds.

To put in Perspective

To win $1 in a 1/10 price, you need to stake $10 on the game. In this case, $10 would provide $11, The return is made up of your $10 stake plus the $1 you won. A bet of $1 would win you $10 if you placed it at an odd of 10/1. The return you get from your $1 bet combined with the $10 would be $11. In all cases, if a bet wins, the stake plus the amount won will be returned.

Conclusion

With the understanding of how a sports bet works, you’re ready to bet. It’s okay to make a few single bets before moving on to multiples and accumulators, but understanding these terms will help you know how to gather your bet accumulation.

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Melbet App: Instruction to download APK for Mobile Betting

Melbet app allows Indian players to enjoy daily cricket and other sports betting anytime, anywhere. By downloading the app on your Andoid or iOS, you can get a great bonus of up to 8,000 rupees, which you can use for betting.

Mobile Client Features

Download the mobile app on your phone, you will be able to bet on dozens of sports, as well as count on such features:

1. Results. In this tab, you can view past events and the results of them, which will help you to create an effective strategy for betting.
2. Support service. Support chat is available in the application, as well as a request for an official call. Technical support is available 24 hours a day and efficiently solves user queries related to the application operation, transactions, etc.
3. Live Betting. In the live betting section you will be able to bet directly during the matches. The ongoing matches will be streamed directly in video or text format.
4. Bonus. For registration and first deposit every new player can count on a bonus of up to 8000 rupees. It will be credited to the bonus account and will be available for wagering within a week.

How to download and install the Melbet mobile app on Android

You will not be able to download Melbet Apk it in the usual way from Google Play, because the store is prohibited to post gambling applications. But you can easily download the program on the official site. To do this, you need to:

1. Go to the official site from your cell phone. If necessary, use VPN and other methods to bypass blocking.
2. Select the link to download the file on Android by scrolling down the page.

To successfully install the application, go to the settings of your device and allow it to install files from third-party sources.

Системные требования для Android

In order for the application to work without crashes and other failures, your device must have certain characteristics, which we will now list:

• version of the operating system Android 4.1 or higher;
• 1 gigabyte or more of RAM
• processor from 1.2 GHz;
• 100 megabytes of free memory, so that there is room for future updates.

Even if some parameters do not match your device, try to download the application. If you are not satisfied with its performance, you can always use the handy mobile version.

How to download and install the Melbet mobile app for iOS

But Apple users can easily install Melbet for iOS in the official store, which makes the process a bit easier. There are two ways to download the client.

First:

1. Go to the official website of Melbet. If necessary, use VPN and other blocking methods.
2. Scroll down the page until you come across the “Mobile apps” section. Click on it.
3. A new page will open. There, you’ll need to select the link with the App Store download.

You will automatically be taken to the official store and will be able to install the application.

Second way:

1. Go to the App Store.
2. Enter the name in the search box.
3. Install the app.

The client can be installed on both smartphones and tablets.

System requirements of the Melbet app for iOS

In order for the app to work well, your device must have certain characteristics, such as:

• iOS version 8 or higher;
• 1 gigabyte or more of RAM;
• Processor from 1.2 GHz;
• 100 megabytes of free memory, so that there is room for future updates.

The mobile version of the official Melbet

If you for some reason can’t or don’t want to download the app, then the mobile version is available for you. Official website, app and mobile version have the same design and functionality.

At the top of the site you will find the login and registration button, as well as the advanced button with all the functions of the site. At the bottom there are banners with promotions, and a little further down – the usual sections.

How are they different?

In the appendix: 

• all interface elements load immediately
• the quality of video streaming is good here;
• slow consumption of the device’s power;
• the required amount of RAM is required for the fast operation of the application;
• Betting in the app is much faster than in the mobile version;

The mobile version of the site::

• consumes a small amount of RAM;
• it does not require updates;
• In the mobile version, the quality of audio and video streaming is quite low;
• loading of elements is slower;
• the battery of the device is quickly consumed.

As you can see, the app has more advantages, but if there is no other option, the mobile version is also a good option.

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Iconic Ashes moments can get everyone hooked

Will we see something dramatic in the upcoming Ashes series?

As we’ll see throughout this article, The Ashes series has provided many iconic moments during its long and varied history. From an English perspective, many fans are dreaming of a successful winter down under even if they all believe it’s a tall order. One particular cricket betting website seems to suggest that Australia are strong 3/10 favourites to keep the Urn at home.

However, following his exploits at the previous series, some of the latest cricket tips indicate that the inclusion of Ben Stokes in the squad could have a positive impact on England’s chances. Who will ever forget his contribution in one famous match from the last series?

A memorable Sunday afternoon at Headingley

Whilst England didn’t manage to regain the Ashes in 2019, one of the highlights from the series came on day four of the third test. 

After some awful batting throughout the second innings, England collapsed to 286/9 and still needed 362 to win. Stokes then took it upon himself to drag his side back to the series. He ultimately won the match with a boundary, sending the fans in Leeds crazy and giving England some hope of retaining The Ashes.

Botham’s Ashes

The above wasn’t the first ‘miracle of Headingley’. This moment and match are still spoken about by fans of the sport. 

By the time the third test of the 1981 Ashes came along, England were trailing and struggling to get a foothold in the series. Step forward all-rounder Ian Botham. His remarkable batting and bowling figures brought his side back into the series This inspired everyone within the team and unlike in 2019, England would go on to win the Ashes.

The best test in Ashes history?

We have already mentioned the memorable 2005 series once. The summer of cricket was encapsulated by the sheer drama and tension on display in the second test.

England had lost the first match of the series and went into this knowing they needed to win. Australia had to chase a big total and early dismissal of their stars meant many thought England would see it through comfortably. They needed a fairly substantial 107 runs with only two wickets in hand. However, these Australian tailenders stood firm for a period. After a nervy period for the home side, they just edged it. The celebrations in the crowd summed up the feeling of an entire nation.

The pinnacle of the sport

Test matches between England and Australia are seen as the pinnacle of the sport. This ultimately means that moments from the series can extra weight amongst fans of the sport and the general public. A player like Ben Stokes can once again become a hero for the general population if he replicates his performances from 2019. 

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An audience with James Southerton’s biographer – Adrian Gault on “The Man of Three Counties”

I’ve got a notebook full of questions here. The first is about Southerton the man—his personality, his character. He seems, from his writings and from the public record, to have been a pretty sober fellow—certainly by comparison with a few of his professional contemporaries, who led rather wild lives. In fact I recently came across the manifest for the Alhambra, the ship that conveyed Lillywhite’s 1876-77 team from Bluff to Melbourne for the inaugural Test Match, and it made for pretty fascinating reading (more fascinating than ship manifests tend to be). My favourite detail that is every member of this all-professional side lists his occupation as “gentleman.” That’s a sweet touch. But then there’s the fact that they all lie about their marital status: All of them are hitched, but all claim, with exception of Southerton, to be single gentlemen. On top of that, all lie about their ages as well! So Southerton really stands out—knowing what we do, even aside from the above, about their complicated domestic arrangements and some of their on-tour antics.

Yeah, he does seem to have been a pretty well-balanced and sober bloke. By all accounts he had a very happy marriage, and he would have been quite a long time married at the point of that tour. There are stories that he would race home after cricket games. Although he spent an awful lot of time travelling around the country in different places, he was always quite keen to get home.

If he had to put an occupation down, then certainly in the censuses he’s recorded generally as a hairdresser. That was the other way he made most of his money.

In terms of his character, I would say he got on with people very well, so he was very well liked. Despite falling out with some people at certain times, they still remained friends in the longer run.

And I reckon he comes over as pretty stubborn. If he thought he was right on something, he wouldn’t give in. It would be very hard to change his mind. Even on some things where he was probably in the wrong, if he believed he was right he would just maintain that position, whatever the facts.

Perhaps you’d like to elaborate a bit on that point. He had a few clashes with authority.

He did. He had some time with Sussex early in his career that ended in a bad way, but it’s not quite clear why. Subsequently he fell out with the South Hants Club in Southampton, where he had a contract, and left them—broke his contract—to go to play for Surrey, where he could earn more. But he was the one who took South Hants to court, saying that they owed him money, despite the fact that he’d broken the contract. It’s pretty clear that he was in the wrong, and the case was found against him, and he was ordered to pay costs, but the South Hants club didn’t pursue it. They footed the bill and remained on friendly terms with him. So there’s something there: If he thought he was owed money—and he was a professional—he would pursue that. But he seemed to do it in a way that did not cause personal problems for him. He remained friends with the people at South Hants.

Reading about that episode in your book, I was put in mind of Sydney Barnes and his independence of spirit. There are a few commonalities there—but without the same surliness of character. For Southerton seems to have been universally loved. You tell a great anecdote, via Charles Alcock, about what a warm and kindly figure he could be.

Yes, he brought back from one of his trips to Australia a pill box and gave it to Alcock as a present. It had been inscribed for him. Alcock didn’t want to take it, but Southerton insisted. He wasn’t a rich man, but he did give these gifts away. Alcock treasured it, and it seems that many years later he still carried it on his body. They liked and respected each other, and that seems to be a general position: Southerton was respected for his cricket, but also for his manner.

Another clue as to his independence of spirit we get in the subtitle of your book: “The Man of Three Counties.” Pretty self-explanatory, but give us a précis of his various engagements.

Basically Southerton would play cricket for whoever would employ him. He played lots of games for many, many different clubs. He was born in Petworth, so he was eligible to play for Sussex, and they could claim him as the home county; he played for Surrey on the basis that he lived most of his life in Mitcham; and he played for Hampshire, because he had that contract which took him to South Hants, and Hampshire were on the brink of resuming a first-class county career. He started his first games with Sussex, then played for Surrey and then South Hants, and then went back to Sussex and Surrey. He ended up in one season playing for all three counties in the same season: for Sussex, firstly, because they had first call on him, but also for the others. In that season he was playing against teams that a couple of weeks earlier he had played for. So it was quite a remarkable career.

Do you not say at one point that he was partially responsible—that his example, at least, was partially responsible—for the tightening up of qualification rules? The sort of thing that made Lords Harris and Hawke infamous in later years.

Yeah, I think he was one of the players who was responsible for the changes. He was in a position that one week he’d be playing for one team, and then a couple of weeks later he’d be playing for the opposition. He played against teams like Kent, for example, week after week, first in Sussex’s ranks and then in Surrey’s, and it caused a bit of bad feeling. It was one of the things that contributed to the fact that the regulations were changed. Eventually he had to choose his county. At that point he chose Surrey.

There’s another side to his life, of course (less appreciated than it should be, I think): his journalism. Would you tell us about your forthcoming project, which ought to do a bit to resuscitate his reputation in that area?

He wasn’t a particularly highly educated man, but he was, I think, reliable. He was employed firstly by The Sporting Life to write back to England on WG Grace’s tour of Australia in 1873/74, and then in 1876/77, on Lillywhite’s tour, he sent reports back to The Sportsman. Every couple of weeks these letters, these long screeds about the tour and about the matches, would appear in those newspapers. Personally I think they are better written than you might have expected from someone of his background.

They’re certainly more interesting and more entertaining than James Lillywhite’s (submitted to one of the rival papers, and slightly expanded for publication in his annual).

Yeah, I think so. I mean, they give you some details of the games, but they also tell you a bit about what they were doing and the places they went to and their sometimes horrendous travel experiences, so I definitely think they’re worth a read, and relatively well written. He seems to have gotten a reputation in some quarters for <i>not</i> being very interesting. I’m not quite sure where that comes from, because there’s a lot there—a lot about social history as well as the cricket—and I find that fascinating.

Of course he passed on that writerly competence to his son, didn’t he?

He did. Sydney Southerton became an editor of Wisden.

Now, it’s often claimed that Test cricket’s oldest record—its most enduring one, at any rate—belongs to Charles Bannerman, famous for his 165 retired hurt in the inaugural Test, which comprises more than 67 per cent of the very first Test innings. But in fact that’s not the case, is it? James Southerton, when he stepped out onto the pitch the day before the conclusion of Bannerman’s innings, established a record which stands to this day: At forty-nine years and 119 days, he remains Test cricket’s oldest debutant (although I should say that he, too, lied about his age on the Alhambra manifest, claiming to be forty-six). And it’s appropriate that he should hold this record, because as your book shows, he was a very late bloomer.

Yeah, I think he does remain the oldest male debutant. (I think the record may have been broken in the ladies’ game in recent years.) He holds the record of the first Test cricketer to die as well.

In terms of the development of his bowling ability, it did come very, very late. He started out as a batsman, and had a reasonable reputation—that’s how he was first chosen in county cricket—and when he bowled in his early years, he was a medium-fast bowler. He developed his slow bowling after the regulations were changed in the early 1860s to allow bowling from a greater height. And he developed a new style of right hand off-spin, which previously wouldn’t have been allowed. He was he was very old when he came back and started with that new bowling, and he had great success.

It kind of stands to reason, doesn’t it? Anyone who tries to bowl off-spin will find that a high action is a pretty much requisite. You simply cannot bowl it round-arm.

Yeah, absolutely. Spin bowling, in effect, was something that was new. He had a number of hugely successful seasons, as players were trying to get used to this new style of bowling and the spin that he put on the ball. By reputation he wasn’t quite as accurate as Alf Shaw, but he put a lot of spin on the ball, and he changed his style and his speed an awful lot. It seems he was a thinking bowler. He was always thinking about how to get someone out.

“Bowled with his head,” as the Victorians liked to say.

Yeah, absolutely. He had huge success for a number of years through the 1860s, taking more than 100 wickets every season. I think he was the first bowler to take 200 in a season. And he was in his forties at the time.

One by-product, of course, of his late blooming as a bowler is that his reputation as a batsman has suffered. In his youth he was fairly handy, but now he’s judged on what he was doing in his mid-to-late forties. And he really quite fancied himself with the willow…

He did. There are quotes from him where he was really quite disappointed about the fact that his batting wasn’t rated, and he obviously thought he was better than that. I think even Charles Alcock acknowledged at one point—Southerton was complaining to him—that, yes, he did rate him as a batsman. And Southerton did have times, even late in life, when he would go in and score some useful runs. I think he also managed to hit the ball out of the Oval at one point, so obviously he could bat. But increasingly he was regarded as just a bowler.

A mighty smite, to hit it out of the Oval in those days. George Bonnor famously lifted one into the deep, 120 meters, only to get caught on the fence. So you had to give it a fair tap.

One of the most famous stories about Southerton actually involves his batting. He was once retired in rather interesting circumstances…

In fact, something similar happened last summer. I don’t know if you saw Temba Bavuma’s dismissal during the Sri Lanka series in South Africa: He missed the ball by a margin of inches, and was the only man on the field who thought he’d hit it. I remember thinking to myself, as he tucked his bat under his armpit, Surely that should be “retired,” too? If the umpire doesn’t think you’re out, and the fielding side doesn’t think you’re out, and you’re the only one who does, you’re “retired,” aren’t you?

Well, in Southerton’s case, it went down in the scorebook as “retired, thinking he was caught.” This was around 1870. He was playing for Surrey against the MCC, and it seems that he hit a ball pretty much into the ground in front of WG Grace, who claimed the catch. Grace always said this was just a joke; he was having Southerton on, because he thought that Southerton often batted with his eyes closed. But Southerton walked off, and although Grace and the other players and the umpires tried to call him back, he kept on walking, and wouldn’t come back.

This is another instance of his stubbornness, I think. If he thought that something had happened and he’d made his decision, he stuck with it. But yeah, it’s an unusual occurrence.

Just as he was the oldest Test debutant, he was ironically also the first test cricketer to die. There’s a morbid appropriateness about that. He was only fifty-two when he passed. Perhaps you’d like to say a bit about his final years?

Yes, after that tour with Lillywhite to Australia and New Zealand in 1876/77, he came back to England and resumed playing for Surrey for another couple of seasons, and then he had he had a benefit, after which he finally retired. But that retirement lasted less than a year. He was engaged at Surrey as a net bowler, and it seems that he caught a chill. He died quite quickly, in 1880, of pleurisy, and was greatly mourned, by Mitcham people in particular. There was a long trail, a procession, of Mitcham locals, who followed the coffin to the parish church. A great many cricketers from Surrey and elsewhere attended. It seemed to have happened pretty quick, but things like that did in those days.

Maybe you’d like to say a bit about the origins of your own interest in Southerton. I know you have a connection to the Mitcham club.

Yes, I’m currently treasurer at Mitcham Cricket Club, and also one of the coaches for the junior sections. On Mitcham Cricket Green there is a memorial to famous Mitcham cricketers of the past, and it includes James Southerton. That sparked my interest a number of years back, when I was trying to write up some brief lives of the cricketers recorded on that stone. And seeing that Southerton had played in that first ever Test Match, and also that he had owned The Cricketers pub just across the way from the Cricket Green, I delved into it and found out that he’d written these various articles for the newspapers. That just kind of developed into writing up more about his life. I was surprised that there wasn’t a biography of him to be honest, and I thought he deserved one, so that’s what I proceeded to produce.

Talk about your writing process and research, and the challenges you encountered in their course

There are elements of his life which are a bit difficult to get into—I couldn’t find anything in terms of living descendants and personal writing—but there is a lot in his articles back to the newspapers. He was well liked by contemporaries, so you have writing from WG Grace and others. And obviously there’s a huge amount of material in terms of the matches he played, but the scorecards are very dry, so I’ve tried to supplement that kind of material with what you can get from his writings and other sources. So it still means there are parts of this that are a bit of a gap. It’d be nice to have more about his personal life, but I think you can get enough to see something of the man he was and why he was so well respected and liked.

Is there anything else you you’d like to bring to our attention?

[Adrian:] I think we’ve covered the key stories about him. I think that the really interesting thing for us is his position as a Mitcham cricketer. He played frequently on Mitcham Cricket Green. Even at the end of the season, he’d come back and play in games like “Fathers against Sons.” As you said, one of his own sons, Sydney, went on to become an editor of Wisden, but he also had others, who continued to play for Mitcham for many years.

Through Mitcham, of course, he retained a pretty close connection with his Australian opponents. They were apt to begin every tour there.

Yeah, you’re right. I think the first Australian tour (other than the Aboriginal one) was in 1878. After beating Surrey in two days, they were driving on the third to Epsom for the Derby, and stopped en route at Southerton’s pub in Mitcham for a few drinks with the proprietor, who had written very favourably about the standard of cricket in Australia. I think they were quite well disposed to him. Thus began the tradition of the Australians, whenever they came to England on tour, going to Mitcham Cricket Green for their practice. That went on into the 1890s. It’s unlikely to resume, but it was there for quite a while, and they clearly liked and respected Southerton as a cricketer and as a man.

Where can readers get your biography of Southerton, and when will your anthology of his writings be available?

The book about Southerton, James Southerton: The Man of Three Counties, is available through Amazon. You can buy it online through that source. The next book is his writings about the 1876/77 tour: the letters that he sent back to The Sportsman, with some notes that I’ve added. That is very near completion. As you know, it often takes a while to get these things finalised, but I hope it will be available towards the end of this year, or the start of next. That will probably be available through the Mitcham Cricket Club . In each of these cases the profits, over and above the publishing costs, go back to Mitcham Cricket Club. So that’s likely to be made available fairly soon in the next few months. I hope that people will find it interesting.

---

Thanks, Adrian. Do keep in touch. And I’ll let you know when his diaries show up. I’ve managed to give the people at Nottinghamshire a physical description of them, courtesy of Greg DeMoore, who worked on them a few years ago. By his account they’re tiny, barely A5 sheets of paper, so I imagine they’re at the back of some shelf in the club library.

Yeah, it would be nice just to have a chance, wouldn’t it, just to look at them and see if there’s anything else in there? They’ve been mined mainly for what they say about WG Grace, I think.

Well, maybe you should you should relay what they say about WG for the benefit of our readers.

Well, they do say that WG Grace was “a damn bad captain.” I think partly this was Southerton feeling that he hadn’t been bowled enough on the 1873/4 tour, and of course there were all those problems with the amateur/professional distinction. But there’s clearly also a great deal of respect between the two. I mean, obviously WG Grace was and is renowned in terms of batting ability, and was a huge draw for people. And he did play in Southerton’s testimonial game. He had good things to say about Southerton—even if he thought he batted with his eyes shut.

In fact, we owe to those diaries one of one of the least flattering vignettes we have of WG. On the voyage out to Australia, we have him drinking enough to drown a calf, while mowing down flocks of birds with a shotgun.

Yeah, he doesn’t come out well in some of those stories.

No, he does not.

But I think WG Grace was someone who you didn’t want to be too disparaging about. I mean, Southerton says these things in his diaries; they don’t appear in the written articles in the press. Grace’s contemporaries knew where their bread was buttered, and that Grace was a great draw and an attraction for crowds—someone you wanted to be on the right side of.

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Which are the Most Profitable Markets For Cricket Betting?

Presumably invented by children, the homeland of cricket is England. Nowadays, cricket is the second most popular sport after soccer. It is a beloved sport in one of the most populous countries in the world – India. Figures show that cricket attracts the attention of over 90% of the sports fans in India. The sport also enjoys great popularity in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Australia.

Cricket’s fanbase amounts to over 2.5 billion people. Considering the massive following cricket has amassed, it only makes sense that it is a preferred sport among bettors. Online bookies did not miss the opportunity to add cricket to their lists of supported sports.

Punters will notice that some online sportsbooks offer a wide range of betting options, and this complete guide about the cricket betting market will provide them with detailed information about all of them. To help rookie cricket fans make informed choices, we compiled a list of the most profitable betting markets.

Match Winner

Many punters opt for betting on the winner of the game. But if the game ends in a tie, your bet is considered void. In other words, the bookie will return your original wager. If you decide to bet on the winner of the game, you should know that the team with the higher paying odds is the underdog (the team expected to lose the game).

Toss Winner

Half an hour before the commencement of a cricket competition, the home captain will flip a coin in the air, and the visiting captain has to select either head or tails. The captain who accurately predicts the result of the toss has the right to decide which will be the first team to bat on the field.

Some cricket fans believe that this is one of the key moments in the game. That is why many bookies accept wagers on the toss winner. Cricket punters have to keep in mind that the result of the flip-a-coin game is based on pure luck, and wagering a lot of money on it is not advisable.

Top Batsman

The top batsman betting market allows punters to predict the player with the most runs in the game. Some bookies offer this betting market under the name Top Runs Scorer. Even though this is one of the most exciting bets, sometimes it is really hard to determine the top batsman, especially when both teams are equally good.

Top Bowler

In cricket, the major actions are batting and bowling. If you are into cricket, you might be interested in betting on the top bowler – the player to take the most wickets. Another name for this betting market is Top Wicket-Taker. The bowler’s performance depends on various factors such as the weather and the country in which the competition takes place.

First Wicket

The first wicket is another fan-favorite betting market. Players have to guess the method of dismissal for the first wicket. The most widespread of them are caught, bowled, stumped, run out, and leg before wicket (LBW). Before betting on the first wicket, punters have to take a close look at the playing patterns of the batsman and the bowler.

Most Sixes

In cricket, a team can score six runs when the batsman hits the ball, and it does not touch the ground before crossing the boundary in the air. Punters have to predict which will be the team to score the most sixes. Sports fans need to understand the tactics each team plans to use to improve their chances of success. 

Man of the Match

Man of the Match is a title given to the player adjudged to have contributed the most to the team in a given match. Usually, a player from the winning team gets the title. In rare cases, the title might go to a player from the losing team. Betting on the Man of the Match is fun, but requires knowledge about the players’ recent performances on the field.

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The Terms and Conditions that you should know about prior to using some of the cricket betting bonuses

Regardless of which sport you want to bet on, you will probably have the chance to use at least a few different betting promotions. Even though cricket is not one of the sports that can provide you with loads of rewards, there are a few intriguing proposals that you may have the chance to test. The number of available rewards depends on the bookie you’ve chosen, which is why you should choose a suitable iGaming operator.

Before you start looking for a brand that has a lot of cricket betting proposals, there are a few intriguing things you need to know about them. Similar to other bonuses, the ones for cricket have specific conditions that users have to adhere to, so let’s check them out.

Most bonuses can’t be utilized unless you make a deposit and use a promo code

Once you decide which iGaming operator you want to use, head over to the bonus section to see if it has a welcome promotion. The majority of online bookies where you can wager on cricket will provide you with this reward. In fact, after visiting Silentbet, you can find the latest 10cric promotions here, and they are available for new customers + no deposit bonus. If you check the proposal for new signees, you will see that that it requires you to make a deposit and use a special promo code. Therefore, users who are not willing to fund their accounts or forget to use a promo code can’t avail themselves of this reward.

The good news is that the minimum deposit requirement is usually around 1000 INR, which means more people can put it to the test. Keep in mind that this rule changes depending on your preferred betting platform.

The rollover requirement and how much time you have for it

Using an online betting bonus to wager on cricket is fun and can be rewarding. However, you won’t be able to pull out your winnings unless you complete the rollover requirement. The latter is a number that shows you how many times you need to use the bonus funds to place bets. 

One of the important things you should know about the wagering condition is how much time you have to complete it. Even though most online bookies will give you several weeks to adhere to this regulation, you may only have the chance to use your bonus for a couple of days.

You have to avoid using some of the Handicap markets, as well as Draw No Bet

One thing that makes some of the cricket betting websites preferred by many people is the number of markets. Besides the 10cric promotions by Silentbet, this iGaming operator also allows its punters to choose from an abundance of betting options. Unfortunately, they won’t be able to utilize all of them while having an active promo.

While it is true that you will have the option to wager on some of the popular alternatives, you will probably have to avoid the Handicap options and Draw No Bet. If you choose these options using your bonus funds, it won’t help you complete the rollover requirements.

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The bonuses that every cricket bettor should have access to

Cricket is one of the popular sports in Asia that brings together millions of people from different countries. Despite the fact that it is most popular in India, cricket is gaining more popularity in other countries as well, which is why some of the best online bookmakers started to offer more options for the sport.

Nowadays, you can punt on cricket on every online sports betting website. However, some brands offer better odds, more markets, and extra features, which makes them the preferred option. In addition to those things, you can also find different kinds of cricket betting bonuses that you can put to the test. Not all of them are worth your deposit, but some proposals stand out, so let’s check them out.

Deposit bonus for new cricket players

In order to punt on your favorite sport, you need to have funds in your account. Since every new customer has to make a deposit, some of the best iGaming operators decided to reward their new users with additional bonus funds following their successful transaction. Although not every bookmaker provides these benefits, if you check Nostrabet and this detailed bonus information about 10cric welcome bonuses with and without promo codes, you will see that one of India’s most prominent brands will allow you to put this bonus to the test.

There are different kinds of deposit promotions for new players that you can put to the test. Most of them will allow you to get a 100% bonus after making a deposit, as long as you use a proper promo code. However, you may find different modified versions that could provide you with even more additional funds.

The wagering requirement is the important thing that you should know about the deposit bonuses prior to getting them. Even though most sports betting brands won’t require you to wager your reward more than 15 times, there are always exceptions.

The Cricket Jackpot promotions

The second bonus that makes some cricket players excited is called the Cricket Jackpot bonus. Even though it is rare, punters who go read Nostrabet’s detailed information about the 10cric bonuses will see that this operator provides this proposal. In order to take advantage of it, you have to predict certain pre-selected events successfully.

Although most of the cricket jackpot bonuses require you to guess the final outcome of every match, you could win a smaller prize if you make just one mistake. Make sure to read the applicable Terms and Conditions for more information.

Cashback Cricket proposals

Even though most people who wager on cricket have previous experience with this sport, they can make mistakes. That’s why some of the platforms that will allow you to punt on this sport will provide you with a cricket cashback offer.

There are all kinds of cashback proposals, but all of them will give you a certain amount of the money you’ve used if you don’t predict the bet successfully. Sometimes, these offers may have additional requirements, such as having to wager over a specific amount.

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Important factors cricket bettors should consider before they start punting

If you are tired of wagering on football and the other popular sports, one of the options that you should definitely take a look at is cricket. This is one of the fastest-growing sports in Asia, which means that millions of people tune in to watch their favorite teams and players on a daily basis. That’s why you can punt on cricket on almost every online betting operator, including brands that are not accessible in Asia.

Even though wagering on this sport is easy, there are some things that you have to keep in mind before you give it a try. Here are some of the important factors that cricket bettors should take into consideration.

Unless you choose one of the better cricket betting sites, you won’t have access to a live streaming option

One of the reasons why some people prefer to bet online instead of visiting a land-based bookmaker is because of the live betting options. Having the chance to wager on matches in real-time is exciting and can be rewarding, as long as you know what you’re doing. With that being said, unless you use these betting sites for cricket ranked by efirbet, finding an iGaming operator that offers a live streaming feature for this sport is not going to be easy. Even though there might be a few brands that provide this feature, you have to spend countless hours until you find them.

Every online bookmaker offers an In-Play section where you could wager on live cricket events. However, only a few brands have a live streaming feature that includes cricket matches from India and several other countries. Needless to say, having access to a live stream while wagering is should have a positive impact on your results.

Unlike football, cricket is a sport that has different formats

If you decide to punt on soccer, the rules stay the same, regardless if you bet on Serie A, the FIFA World Cup, or any other big event. However, this is not the case when it comes down to cricket. That’s why most of the betting sites for cricket ranked by Efirbet will provide you with more information about the different formats.

Speaking of the devil, there are several options that you may have the chance to test. The first one is known as a “Test Match”, which is a game played over the course of around five days. Some people prefer these types of cricket matches because they can bet on either team to win or that the game will end in a draw.

The second popular format that you may come across is known as “One Day Cricket”. As its name suggests, this game is played in one day, and it has 50 overs per team. If that doesn’t seem interesting, you can also experience the T20 cricket format, which has become popular in the last twenty years. 

Regardless of which cricket format you choose, you need to have a betting strategy to be successful. This means that it is a good idea to learn more information about the teams, check the most appropriate markets, and so on.

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Here is what you need to look for when choosing a cricket betting website

Even though cricket is not often the first option for online bettors, this is definitely one of the most popular sports in the world. It may not have that many fans in Europe or the U.S., but cricket is one of the fastest-growing sports in Asia, especially in countries such as India and Pakistan. Needless to say, this has a massive impact on the iGaming industry because many of the world’s best gambling operators started paying more attention to this sport.

Despite its growing popularity, some online betting platforms do not offer as many options and advantages to people who want to wager on this sport. That’s why it is important to find an iGaming website that will live up to your expectations. With that being said, here are a few things that you should look for when choosing a cricket betting site.

You need to find a place with a solid range of events you can bet on

One of the biggest problems that you have to deal with when choosing an online bookmaker for cricket is the fact that it won’t offer that many events. In most cases, the iGaming operators allow their clients to punt on cricket events in India but forget that there are many other intriguing leagues out there. Fortunately, after you read this 10cric review by betenemy, you will see why cricket fans prefer to use this operator instead of its counterparts. It offers almost every cricket league and event in the world, which means you will have plenty of options to pick from.

Keep in mind that not every cricket league is the same when it comes down to the available options. Naturally, some of them will offer more things than others, so make sure to check the most popular competitions before deciding which one to bet on.

The best cricket betting website needs to have at least a few features

The fact that you will have multiple events to bet on is a plus, but it is not enough to make a given gambling website worth it. Another thing that will definitely have a positive impact once you decide to punt on cricket is the different features. Some of the leading iGaming operators may allow you to test four or even more options. For example, people who skim through the 10cric review by Betenemy will see that one of the leading bookmakers in India offers Cash Out, Live Betting, and more. These options should help you maximize your winnings because they allow you have full control over your bet.

The iGaming operator that will allow you to bet on cricket should offer good odds

Whether you want to punt on cricket, football, eSports, or something else, the iGaming site you are after needs to offer good odds. Most of the cricket betting platforms you will come across are known for providing punters with good options. Needless to say, you need to compare the different sports betting platforms prior to choosing one of them. Usually, some of them will offer better odds than others.

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Five potential problems you have to deal with when choosing a cricket betting site

oosing a cricket betting website is usually not as easy as people think, especially in some parts of the world. Although this is one of the biggest sports in the world, many online bookmakers don’t offer that many cricket betting options. That’s because most of their clients prefer to wager on other things, such as eSports. With that being said, here are some of the five potential problems you may face when choosing a cricket betting website.

1. It may not be available in your country

Unfortunately, the most common problem people have to deal with when choosing a betting site to punt on cricket is that the given bookie is not available in their country. Fortunately, the recommended cricket betting sites for this year from Betenemy are known for having licenses that allow them to work under numerous jurisdictions. In other words, you should be able to access them, even if you live in a country with strict gambling laws.

Keep in mind that you can always download and install a VPN client and use it to access a given website. Of course, before that, you need to make sure that you won’t breach any of the local laws.

• Some bookmakers offer plenty of bonuses, but none of them can be used for cricket

Besides the fact that you may not have the chance to access the bookmaker you are interested in, you may not be able to use any bonuses. As you know, some of the world’s best iGaming websites offer different kinds of proposals for their customers who wager on sports. However, since cricket is not the go-to option for most online bettors, some bookmakers don’t provide any rewards for it. So, don’t be surprised if the bookie has more than 10 bonuses, and neither one works if you want to punt on this sport. 

• No betting features for cricket

One of the things that made some iGaming websites more popular than others is the different betting features. Despite the fact that the different cricket betting sites found at Betenemy are known for their unique options, most bookies don’t offer anything for this sport. Even some classic options, such as Cash Out and Live Streaming usually can’t be used, even by people who want to punt on live cricket matches. Therefore, check the specific bookie and test its features before you start betting.

• Worse odds compared to those available to other sports

The odds are one of the most important things that people consider when choosing a cricket betting site. Some brands are aware that their cricket betting customers want better odds, but others don’t pay much attention to this sport. Consequently, the odds may not be as good as those found in other sports. 

• Lack of betting guides

Despite the fact that not everyone needs cricket betting guides, some people are more than happy when they can read a few tips and tricks. Unfortunately, only a few iGaming operators will allow you to read betting tips about this sport. Most online bookmakers only provide tips and tricks for punting on football.

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Cricket betting tips that you should be aware of prior to punting on this sport

Despite the fact that cricket is a popular sport, not everyone has a lot of experience when it comes down to betting on it. Since cricket is most popular in India, Pakistan, and a few other countries, online bettors based in Europe or the U.S.are yet to discover the advantages of punting on this sport.

Before we share some of the betting tips you should be aware of, it is important to know that some of them apply to every sport. In other words, you can use some of the information in this article if you decide to punt on ice hockey, football, tennis, or something else.

Check the pitch conditions before you start wagering

Even though this might seem obvious, many people forget to check how the pitch looks before they start punting. Since cricket is a sport that is played outside, things, such as the weather may have a serious impact on the two teams. So, once you find out which are the best cricket betting sites online thanks to Nostabet and its team of experts, check the available matches and make sure to read more info about the weather forecast. If you see that it will rain, the pitch will be wet, which has to be taken into consideration. Needless to say, you should avoid wagering on some of the markets that involve scoring over a certain number of points. 

Learn more about the format of the league/event you bet on

One of the common mistakes people make when betting is not learning more about the specific league or tournament they are interested in. While it is true that most bettors usually know the rules of sports, such as football, this isn’t the case when it comes down to cricket.

The good news is that you can learn more info about a specific league or event in a matter of seconds. All you need is to type the name of the event you are interested in, and you can learn the specific rules. Even though most cricket tournaments are similar, there might be some exceptions, depending on where it is held.

Don’t bet on teams or markets that you are not familiar with

Regardless of which sport you are interested in, it is usually not a good idea to wager on markets or specific teams that you are not familiar with. If you take a good look at the best cricket betting sites from Nostrabet, you will definitely come across many new markets and teams that you haven’t heard of. Although some of them may offer exceptional odds, it is usually not a good idea to punt on them unless you have previous experience.

One of the easiest ways of learning more about those things is by reading cricket betting tips. Sadly, finding a reputable source for these things usually takes time, which is why some people decide not to take advantage of them.

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Warwickshire in Print

First Class status came Warwickshire’s way in 1894 and, to date, the county’s history has been chronicled in full in three books. The first was a slim volume by Edgell and Frazer that appeared in 1946, Warwickshire County Cricket Club: A History, before Leslie Duckworth produced the magisterial Story of Warwickshire Cricket which, published in 1974, took the story to 1972. The Warwickshire volume in the Helm series was the last of the three, published in 1990, and written by former player turned writer/broadcaster Jack Bannister.

Three men who appeared for Warwickshire in their first summer as a First Class county have been the subject of books. One is the mighty SF Barnes, looked at under Lancashire. The other two are less well known today. The eldest, at 33, is John Shilton. Past his best by 1894 slow left arm bowler Shilton only played for the county at First Class level 19 times, but he was an interesting character and a 64 page ACS published booklet, John Edward Shilton’s Book by Robert Brooke appeared in 1984.

AFA ‘Dick’ Lilley was the county’s wicketkeeper in their first summer, and by the time he retired in 1911 had played 35 times for England, yet he is not much remembered today. His was a big name in 1912 however and Twenty Four Years Of Cricket, a very early autobiography from a professional, was an impressive production for the time.

Lilley’s successor behind the stumps for England was his county colleague ‘Tiger’ Smith. The Tiger played on until 1930, became a top umpire and later coached the county. He was the oldest surviving England Test player when he died in 1979 and lived long enough to co-operate fully with his biographer, Pat Murphy. ‘Tiger’ Smith of Warwickshire and England was published in 1981.

In 1911 Warwickshire unexpectedly won the County Championship. Their captain was a talented young all-rounder who went to Australia that winter and continued his fairytale by playing a major role in England recapturing the Ashes. Sadly for Frank Foster however his career was over at 25 and his life after that was an odd one. An autobiography, Cricketing Memories, was published in 1930 and an excellent biography, Frank Foster: The Fields Were Sudden Bare came along in 2011 in the ACS Lives in Cricket series, authored by Robert Brooke.

With Foster in Australia in 1911/12 was batsman Sep Kinneir, although he played in just a single Test. Along with ‘Big Jim’ Smith of Middlesex Kinneir is one of the two subjects of David Smith’s 2000 published Corsham’s Two Test Cricketers.

The Championship year marked the first full season for Jack Parsons. He began as a professional, went to war and won a commission and the Military Cross before returning to the county as an amateur. Parsons then turned pro again and, on being ordained, returned to the amateur ranks. In a career that lasted over a quarter of a century he was a fine batsman and in 1980 was the subject of a biography by Gerald Howat, Cricketer Militant.

Percy Jeeves, whose name was used by PG Wodehouse for his famous literary character, was a hugely promising all-rounder who enjoyed three seasons at Edgbaston between 1912 and 1914 before losing his life on the Somme in 1916. Almost a century later, in 2013, Jeeves was the subject of a fine biography by Brian Halford, The Real Jeeves: The Cricketer Who Gave His Life for His Country and His Name to a Legend.

Four men who made their debuts for Warwickshire between the wars have been the subject of biographies. All were international players, albeit one of them, Peter Cranmer, played Rugby Union for England rather than cricket. Cranmer was a good batsman, and led the county on either side of World War Two. His biography, ‘Tiz All Accordin’ by David Goodyear, was published in 2000.

Bob Wyatt also led Warwickshire and also, in fifteen of his forty Tests, England. One of the most durable batsmen of his era Wyatt was also a good enough medium pacer to take more than nine hundred First Class wickets. There was an autobiography from Wyatt, Three Straight Sticks, that was published in 1951. An excellent biography by Gerald Pawle, RES Wyatt: Fighting Cricketer appeared in 1985.

Reading born Tom Dollery began his career in 1934, and in time led Warwickshire to their second Championship title in 1951. His autobiography, Professional Captain, was published in 1952. 

One of the most important members of Dollery’s side, and the man who famously bowled Don Bradman in his last Test innings, was leg spinner Eric Hollies. Hollies, who had debuted in 1932, like Dollery penned an autobiography, I’ll Spin You A Tale, in 1955. He was later the subject of a biography by Norman Rogers, Eric Hollies: The Peter Pan of Cricket, that appeared in 2002.

In 1946 the New Zealand born pace bowler Tom Pritchard joined Warwickshire and stayed for ten seasons. His commitments to the county meant that Test cricket was not an option for Pritchard and his name is a forgotten one today. He was a top class bowler though and a biography, Tom Pritchard: Greatness Denied, was published in New Zealand in 2013, when Pritchard was 97! 

Another Tom, this time Cartwright, started at Edgbaston in 1952. A supremely effective medium pacer and more than useful batsman we are fortunate that Cartwright’s life appealed to the greatest modern cricket chronicler, Stephen Chalke. The Flame Still Burns was published in 2007.

Future England captain Mike Smith, generally known just by his initials, MJK, first played for Warwickshire in 1956. His second and final retirement came in 1975 and, eventually, a very good biography appeared. MJK Smith: No Ordinary Man is one of the best of the ACS Lives in Cricket series. Written by Douglas Miller it was published in 2014.

In 1958 a fifteen year old batsman arrived at Edgbaston. It would be 29 years and 102 centuries later before Dennis Amiss left, and even then he rejoined the county as CEO in the 1990s. Amiss gave his name to a modest autobiography, In Search of Runs, in 1973. Later he was the subject of a book by David Goodyear in 1985 and, just a few months ago, a very good follow up to the 1973 book arrived, Not Out At Close Of Play.

Bob Willis moved to Edgbaston in 1972 after spending his earliest years with Surrey. His best days almost invariably came when he had the three lions of England on his chest, but Willis was always popular in Birmingham. He published an autobiography, Lasting the Pace, in 1985 and before that there had been three diaries, one of the 1979 season and two covering his tours in charge of England in 1982/83 and 1983/84. All were put in the shade by an excellent appreciation published in 2020 in the wake of Willis’s untimely death, Bob Willis: A Cricketer and a Gentleman, edited by brother David.

All-rounder Paul Smith spent fifteen summers with Warwickshire between 1972 and 1987 and has had an interesting and, for a cricketer, unconventional life. He wrote a very readable autobiography, Wasted?, published in 2007. A possibly more tortured soul and contemporary of Smith’s was Dermot Reeve whose book, Winning Ways, appeared in 1996 a time when life was still going well for him. 

Batsman Wasim Khan spent three summers with his native Warwickshire, three with Sussex and one with Derbyshire without ever quite fulfilling his early promise. He seems an unlikely candidate for an autobiography but in 2007 Brimful of Passion was very well received, his work in the community as CEO of the Cricket Foundation’s Chance To Shine campaign bringing him rather more recognition than his batting had done. 

The last Warwickshire player, to date, to be the subject of a book was Jonathan Trott, whose 2016 book Unguarded is testament to Trott’s honesty and integrity, and to George Dobell being one of the very best of today’s writers on the game. 

The Tempus 100 Greats book on Warwickshire was published in 2001. The fact that it was written by Robert Brooke means it is, perhaps, a cut above the rest of that estimable series. A couple of single season books are Brian Halford’s The Year of the Bear, which covers the county’s title winning summer of 2004. A decade earlier, in 1994, the county had come within the toss of a coin of landing all four of the trophies that the counties then had to compete for. Pat Murphy’s The Greatest Season, published in 2019, is a splendid retrospective on a remarkable year. Finally in the catch all category is a little known gem, A Warwickshire Cricket Chronicle, a book published by Barry Griffiths in 1988, and which amounts to a history of the club from its formation to the outbreak of the Great War.

And my two choices? Despite the modern game not being my favourite cricketing subject I would like to read an autobiography from Ian Bell, so that would be one. The other would be a nod back in time to 1911 and an account of the men and the matches that produced that unexpected County Championship. Having written Tiger Smith’s biography, and The Greatest Season that one must surely be a retirement project for Patrick Murphy?

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