County Championship 2012, a frosty relationship.

The batsman could be in for a 'frosty' reception for the start of the 2012 Championship.

Before I start to digress on the forth coming County Championship for 2012, I must rise from my chair, unhinge my helmet and point my willow towards the imaginary pavilion that resembles my office door, as this blog has finally reached 100 posts!

There is that old tale, of a certain tree, falling in a certain woods and lots of people wondering if anyone heard it fall, and the same must be said about reaching 100 posts. I like to think that I am not the only one that reads my drivel on cricket, but you can never be too sure.

The county cricket season is where I fell in love the sport, warm after school evenings on tarmac suburban roads is where I learned the game, but it was here in England with my Uncle watching Hampshire where I saw its beauty.

Andrew Symonds: Peak Failure

Thumbing my way through the pages of sport, from local rags to the international columns, it was hard not to notice the lack of news stories beyond who would manager England's football team. Yet squeezed between last nights ice hockey results (they play ice hockey here?) & the winners from some far flung race track was the retirement of Andrew 'Roy' Symonds.

Big Average Bash

Nursing homes were doing a 2 for 1 deal in January 

The Big Bash and all it's fireworks of big sixes, and the return of retired greats has finally been put away into the cupboard for another year. 

Cricket Australia's attempt to lure the T20 Cash Cow into the paddock was from maybe a marketing point of veiw a complete success the influx of those dusting off their old creams and rubbing a little linseed oil on the  bat created quite a storm, some more than others. Including Shane Warne making sure either he or Liz Hurley weren't very far away from a Herald Sun reporter. 

Shifting sands of Australian cricket.

Change is said to be as good as a holiday, and after watching the Australians lose focus, foresight and fundamentals in a tormenting Ashes series last winter it seemed the cricketing world had finally flipped itself against the once mighty giants of the cricketing globe.

England proved a worthy opponent on the batter friendly tracks of its southern cousins, racking up progressive leads on day three and pounding the aussies into submission with a cross section of seam and end tying spin bowling.

Willow Dreams

He weld his blade like a dark knight slaying the hate filled dragon, driving and cutting him away from where he stands, swerving only to see the rush of blood race through his hands to the weapon. His memory evoking thoughts of his by-gone heroes that once graced the hallowed turf of his home ground.

Bill Jacobs

This week saw the passing of legendary cricket administrator and football broadcaster Bill Jacobs, aged 93. Bill had been battling a bout of pneumonia.

Bill Jacobs with fellow doyen Richie Benaud. Picture: Stuart Milligan Source: Herald Sun

Bill Jacobs was a fine keeper-batsman, playing 266 consecutive matches for Fitzroy between 1937-38 and 1955-56, capturing 448 dismissals (279 catches and 169 stumpings). This places Bill fifth on the all-time list of wicketkeepers for dismissals, although nobody effected more stumpings in a VCA career. He played in 6 VCA Finals for the Lions, resulting in 3 premierships (1938-39, 1939-40 & 1953-54).

Following his retirement as a player, Bill moved into cricket administration and served as a VCA Delegate from 1957-58 to 1968-69, as a State Selector from 1959-60 to 1971-72 (and 1982-83), and as Assistant Secretary of the VCA in 1973-74. Bill managed Australian teams to South Africa (1966-67) and the West Indies (1973), as well as managing the Rest of the World team in Australia (1971-72) at the request of the Australian Cricket Board. He was awarded Cricket Victoria life membership following his retirement as a delegate in 1969.

KFC Big Gamble League

New Uniforms for the launch of the Big Bash t20 League in Australia. They all look like bike riders from the Tour de France, not cricketers.

This week saw the rebranding of the new t20 cricket league in Australia, splitting it’s once rich in heritage State sides in colorful step-children of its former self.

Cricket Australia see the rebranding and revamping of the league as a huge step forward into gaining a stronger foothold in the already saturated market of professional sports leagues in Australia, with this now being the fourth in as many as years, with soccer, netball and baseball all going though a similar process of late.

What is different? Just about everything, for starters there are now two sides based out of Sydney and Melbourne, players are not auctioned off or even placed in a NBA style draft – but sold as free agents for a 7 game slogfest now known as the KFC Big Bash League. The title of the league gives it a cartoon dusting of a real competition with no mention of the words Australia to help identify it with the region for which the cricket is actually being played.

With the above issues it would seem that I’m on a punshing article of negatives headed straight for throat of Cricket Australia, but I’m not, well not quite.