Les Favell was an inspiration to many – one lad in particular

Mike Coward04-Sep-2010These words, like so many before them, are being assembled at an old Blackwood desk beneath a portrait of Les Favell.In a sense, I suppose the striking, weather-beaten countenance of my favourite cricketer in oils is something of a shrine. Mind you, no bells are rung, incense burned or performed. There is no need for ceremony. It is what is carried in the heart that matters most.Les may be a muse, I don’t really know. Certainly he has been an inspiration and always will be. That he has been dead nearly 17 years now doesn’t change things.It is 32 years since I covered my first Test match for Australian consumption, and in that time I have had the good fortune to see and meet, and in many cases get to know, some fine men who have also been wonderful cricketers. Indeed, some are quite famous and boast records of extraordinary distinction. Fond as I am of some of these men and the memories they have provided, they will never supplant Les in my affections.Leslie Ernest Favell is my favourite cricketer, for I came to cricket because of him. He was that great. Born in Adelaide, South Australia, immediately after World War II, I have no recollection of cricket without Les Favell. It is simple as that.Of course, there have been greater cricketers than Favell. After all, if Test cricket is the gauge in such matters, he made only 19 appearances for Australia for 757 runs at 27.03 with one century and five fifties.It is true that as an adolescent I was incapable of an objective observation or a reasoned argument about Les. He was without peer and that was that. Even now, as retirement beckons, I will not give ground. Indeed I still haven’t quite forgiven Norm O’Neill for running out Les for 45 in the tied Test in Brisbane in December 1960. Les had just struck Alf Valentine for successive sixes and was at the height of his powers.Three Test matches later he was dropped, and he never played for Australia again. I was there for his last Test and how I wished that Gerry Alexander had not held on to those catches. How I still wish that he had not held on to those catches off Frank Worrell and Wes Hall.Les was, first and foremost, a good bloke with an abiding affection for cricket people whether they were players, administrators, journalists, spectators. He was principally an entertainer, and it is no coincidence that his autobiography was entitled . He was the people’s cricketer and when he died from cancer of the kidneys in June 1987, more than a thousand people placed flowers on his coffin.Alongside the coffin was a table on which was placed a photograph of him wearing with customary pride his South Australian blazer. Resting against the table was the Les Favell Stuart Surridge bat by which he had lived and died.While it was always a joy to worship Favell, doing so was not always easy. As an opening batsman and gifted captain, his impulsiveness often tested the faith of his devotees just as it did the tolerance of the national selectors and the patience of the critics.Like his good friend and ardent admirer and supporter Sir Donald Bradman, Favell began his career with the St George District Club in Sydney before moving to South Australia to pursue a first-class career in the summer of 1951-52.In the foreword to Les’ book, Sir Donald wrote: “Throughout his long career Les set an example as a player and as an individual which can only be the envy of others. His vast accumulation of runs in first-class cricket are a record of his prowess, but they do not tell of the personality and character which were stamped on those performances. He never scorned a challenge, rather did he welcome it. The most frequent criticism heard of Les during his career was that his batting was too risky. What a pity all players didn’t have the same fault.”Les’ first-class career lasted from November 1951 to February 1970, and in all he amassed 12,379 runs at 36.62 with 27 hundreds and 67 fifties. He captained South Australia on 95 occasions, leading them to the then Sheffield Shield in 1963-64 and 1968-69, and was skipper of the Australian Second XI to New Zealand in 1967.His one Test century came at the Corporation Ground in Madras in January 1960 when, with commendable if somewhat uncharacteristic patience, he batted throughout the first day.I’m certain that it is the rich recollections of Les and his humour and generosity of spirit as well as his daring batting and intuitive, aggressive captaincy that help to keep me young at heart and passionate about the glorious game.I remember as a schoolboy jumping from moving trams and running through the heart of Adelaide, across the elegant city bridge spanning the River Torrens and into the Creswell Gardens on the south-eastern side of perhaps the most beautiful Test-match ground on earth. Breathing uneasily, I would look through the heavy, bending boughs of the Moreton Bay fig trees to see if Les’ nameplate was at the bottom of the lovely old scoreboard and a dancing white light beside it. If it was, I would burst with joy much as I do now at the many wonderful memories of my favourite cricketer – Leslie Ernest Favell, MBE, 1929-1987.

There was no drama. No last minute dash past the tape. Instead it was a compelling performance from a confident team led by a spirited leader

Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston06-Jul-2010There was no drama. No last minute dash past the tape. Instead it was a compelling performance from a confident team led by a spirited leader. It is funny that despite being the world champions in the format twelve months ago questions were being raised at the outset today about Pakistan finishing on top of this two-match series against Australia. Yes, there is no denying the fact that, like Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal, Australia possess the skill and mental discipline to crush any opponent any day but based on Pakistan’s aggressive performance Monday evening there was never a doubt about who entered the arena more positive.Australia seemed cagey from start to the finish. Pakistan seemed more sure and precise in what they did. In the end Michael Clarke fell short of reasons behind Australia’s defeat. Shahid Afridi, his opposite number, glowed with pride in the gloaming, as he was more decisive on both evenings while defending a par score. He was the single biggest reason behind Pakistan’s self belief and it is easy to forget his tactical nous considering the enfant terrible he has been in the last decade.For Afridi, in addition to his own performance, the biggest challenge was to get every player in the squad to read from the same page – something Pakistan teams have never been famous to do. But once the Pakistan Cricket Board had dealt firmly with the happenings in the aftermath of the disastrous Australian tour and given Afridi the captaincy; he has not wasted time to make his mind clear. Together with his coach Waqar Younis and the selectors, Afridi charted a plan which encouraged the inclusion of youngsters. And despite his eccentricities, Afridi remains a good mentor.Importantly, Afridi knows his winning unit. Shoaib Akthar might not be completely fit to consistently feature in all the three formats but Afridi has shown faith in the maverick speedster. Hence it did not matter that Shoaib had been taken to the cleaners by the Davids – Warner and Hussey on Monday. He returned today charged by the vociferous crowd and steamed in with a renewed vigour that brought back memories of the bowler who once could hold an entire stadium enthralled. Today Afridi did not break Shoaib’s rhythm with a three-over first spell. Though Shoaib managed just one wicket, he troubled the batsmen with bounce, with movement with changes of pace.At the other end the exemplary young talent of Mohammad Aamer continued to flourish as the left-armer got a wicket in first over for the second evening in a row. With his ability to control the swing and also bend the ball at will at optimum pace Aamer is easily one of the most destructive bowlers in cricket. Afridi had worked out his plans precisely where he knew he would save his three best bowlers – Aamer, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal – for the final five to six overs. These are his go-to men.Australia needed 52 runs off the final six overs with the Hussey brothers looking dangerous. Ajmal straightaway got in his most favourite weapon – the doosra – which the younger Hussey (David) failed to read and returned a simple catch. Afridi was unhappy when Ajmal sent a long hop to debutant Steve O’ Keefe, who duly smashed it past the cover boundary. But O’ Keefe was involved in a run out a ball later and Ajmal finished with impressive figures of 1 for 26. Next over Gul kept his nerves, despite being hit by Michael Hussey for two fours off the first two balls, bouncing back with a a lethal yorker from round the stumps and wide off the crease, which the Australian erroneously tried to reverse sweep and was declared plumb. Aamer took his second three-wicket haul in two days first delivery of the next over, trapping Mitchell Johnson leg before.Like a babysitter Afridi never left the bowlers alone – he walked towards them virtually after every ball, cajoling them, patting them and at times directing them what to do when the bowler failed to carry out the instructions. Obviously the twin victories have now put Pakistan in a positive frame of mind ahead of the two-match Test series, starting at Lord’s next Tuesday. But this result will hardly have a bearing on that, something the Pakistan think tank is well aware of. Waqar was understandably guarded. “[It is] still early days. It is a good start. A win always gives us the momentum,” he said. Still the opponent will be wary now.”We can learn a lot form the way they bowled at the death,” Clarke said in praise of the Pakistan bowlers, before going on to single out Gul who he felt was “outstanding”. “They missed him during the World Cup. You have to be at your best to beat a team like that,” he said.It takes a lot to stir Australia. For the moment, without getting carried away, Pakistan can be proud.

He is just the No. 5 you want when you are dominating and looking for a declaration, challenging himself to score fast and beating the deep fields

Sidharth Monga at SuperSport Park18-Dec-2010At 1.35pm on a sunny Saturday, when Jacques Kallis flicked Jaidev Unadkat to set right one of the biggest statistical anomalies of our time, something more instructive happened at the other end. AB de Villiers, already two double-centuries to his name in less than half as many Tests as Kallis, raised his arms even before he finished running the first run. de Villiers knew it had been flicked fine of fine leg, and reacted as if he had himself reached the double-century. de Villiers has always been like that, with the bat, in the field, behind the stumps, keeping the spirits up, as happy for his team-mates as they are for themselves, just being Jonty Rhodes.And it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he had a part to play in Kallis’ smooth progression from 102 overnight to 201 not out – 62 more than the latter had ever added to an overnight score of 100 or more. Kallis acknowledged that at the end of the play. It was fantastic. “He took the pressure all off me,” Kallis said. “I could carry knocking it around. One of the best knocks I have seen . An absolute honour to stand at the other end and watch it. To see how far he has come in his career, and how he has developed as a player, he has got the consistency now, which is something we all work towards. So fantastic innings again.”de Villiers is no stranger to stomping on the Indian attack when it has already been ground into dust. He did that in Ahmedabad in 2008, in almost similar circumstances. The six he hit off Harbhajan Singh – falling over as he smashed it – onto the roof of the stadium is one of the biggest seen in India. He is just the No. 5 you want when you are dominating and looking for a declaration.It can be boring to come out with your team 200 ahead, and with little personal challenge out there. The fields are spread, the bowlers are trying to stop runs and not take wickets, and the game is meandering towards a declaration. It can be a bit boring for the crowd too. Not with de Villiers around. He takes the domination to a next level, challenging himself to score fast, beating the deep fields. He also keeps the crowds involved, and sets up declarations. And going by the way India went in their second innings, South Africa needed as many spare runs and as much spare time they could get.India would have looked to establish some control and check the flow of runs once they got Hashim Amla out fairly early in the day, but with de Villiers around they started haemorrhaging. He made you watch a spell of play when you would normally switch the TV off and run some errands. And it started with a copybook straight push-drive. Then he unleashed the cut, both through square and in front of it. The pick, though, was the sweep of both varieties. One of the reverse-paddles, played so fine as to beat the fine short third man, sent Harbhajan into a curse-feast. If the fielders were dejected already, now they were dejected and running helter-skelter.So fast was de Villiers that no anxiety was felt around Kallis’ double. He could coolly keep chugging along at the other end. Kallis was 107 when de Villiers came out to bat. de Villiers took a few deliveries to settle down, then started hitting, and by the time he reached 105 with back-to-back sixes, Kallis had added only 47. From 93 to 99 de Villiers went with a six over midwicket. MS Dhoni bucked his trend of letting batsmen get to centuries with singles to long-off and long-on, and brought the whole field up. Didn’t make no difference. The next ball was in de Villiers’ striking zone, and he went over midwicket again, to become the fastest South African centurion, to follow up on having scored the highest individual innings by a South African, in the previous Test.At the time of writing this, about half an hour at the end of the third day’s play, there was thunder and lightning in the air, and the Indians had put up some sort of fight. If it becomes a matter of time in the end, and if South Africa do manage to finish this one off, they will know who to pat in the back.

The Chennai pitch was dry, crusty and rough, as unwelcoming for batsmen as a cold, sniping wind on a frosty day

Firdose Moonda at Chennai06-Mar-2011With three men around the bat, Graeme Swann turning it square on a crumbling pitch and two lower-middle order batsmen fighting to survive, it could have been the final, deciding session of a Test match. A sight so pleasing to a cricket connoisseur’s eye is not often on show in one-day cricket. It’s the format for flat pitches and high run-chases, where the batsmen’s fluency and the bowler’s accuracy are usually the two elements of competition.It’s rare that there is, in the space and time that a one-day match allows, an innings can be built from the ground up as a batsman is tested against bowlers baying for blood on a pitch that is offering something for them to bait with. It’s rare that those who use spin, not merely slower bowling on helpful tracks, and reverse swing to trap their prey are able to show the beauty of their trade in those 100 overs that make up the ODI. Rare things are always valuable, but just how valuable is only apparent when they are on display.The Chennai pitch was the stage for such a performance. It was dry, crusty and rough, as unwelcoming for batsmen as a cold, sniping wind on a frosty day. There would be turn – that was evident from ball one when Robin Peterson, whose ability to spin the ball is often laughed at in his home country – did just that. There would be reverse swing, as James Anderson, searching for redemption after the totals England conceded in their first three matches, showed with such aplomb. What there wouldn’t be were easy runs and that meant a low-scoring tussle, which produced a set of skills that don’t often have to be on display in this format.”There was a lot on offer for bowlers: reverse swing, spin, bounce. It was a bowler’s day,” Graeme Smith said. Andrew Strauss and the two batsmen who followed him back to the changeroom, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell, were walking illustrations of that. Strauss fell trying to play a glory shot, having faced just three balls before that. Had he waited a little before doing that he would have seen that, in this case, the best form of attack was defence.Pietersen’s problems against left-arm spin stem from things beyond the pitch, but Bell went the same route. Peterson’s catch off his own bowling was the work of an adrenaline-fuelled man at the peak of his confidence, but Bell’s mistimed attempt at a drive was not the kind of shot that would enable success on this surface. Ravi Bopara and Jonathan Trott’s innings were better examples of how to craft a knock on a tricky surface.Hashim Amla showed the necessary patience for a tough surface, but his dismissal left too much for the tail to cope with•Getty ImagesTiming and placement were the building blocks of their strokes. Both of them scored slightly more on the leg side, with deft flicks and guides around the corner, and although they unleashed a few cuts and Bopara had one, glorious cover-drive, most of their runs came from nudges, pushes and playing with soft hands. Patience was their stand-out characteristic, as runs had to be worked for and did not just present themselves. “On a flat pitch we would have looked to score a run a ball, but that would have been really difficult on this pitch and you have to realise that early doors,” Bopara said.Once the pair had left, the rest of the England batsman were incapable of transcending the conditions. Inconsistent bounce, which made Morne Morkel dangerous, and turn, which Imran Tahir manipulated like putty in his hands to bowl googly after googly, saw England exit for a score that was, despite evidence to the contrary from South Africa, chaseable. Not easily chaseable, but with more of the Bopara-like approach, patiently chaseable.The first 15 overs of South Africa’s reply may even have vindicated that statement, when the sheer numbers are taken into account. A third of the target had been ticked off, at 68 for 1, and with time on their side, South Africa should have, from a purely statistical perspective, cantered home. The action spun a different tale, however. Graeme Swann, who was spinning as incessantly as a nauseating ride at an amusement park, had Smith feeling like he was on one. The South Africa captain was unsettled and scratchy and it was only a matter of time before he gave way.He opened a crack, the size of which Stuart Broad, who was bowling tight lines, wicket to wicket, could widen, as he did with the dismissal of Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis. Swann was the architect and Yardy and Pietersen the apprentices but it was Anderson who was the master. He broke the back of the South African middle-order by twisting it out of joint as it couldn’t cope with his swing. “They bowled really well with the reverse swing,” Smith said. “There are many batters who have mastered the art of playing that.”Having batted on the pitch first and seeing the runs dry up, Strauss knew that that would be the way to go. “There was a lot of turn and bounce there. You need to ask questions of the batsmen and all credit to the bowlers for being able to do that for us. It’s tough for the tailenders to come in when the ball is reversing or spinning.” It was so tough that South Africa lost 7 for 41, compared to England’s 6 for 58.Although Strauss said the pitch, “broke up a bit too much,” he stopped short of criticising it, because there probably wasn’t much to fault it for. It didn’t ask the same questions as one-day surfaces usually do, but difference should not be scorned at. It kept the intrigue of captaincy alive as bowlers were rotated quickly and it produced a thriller which tested areas of the game that are not usually up for scrutiny in such a match. As Strauss put it, these kind of pitches, “sometimes make for good, entertaining cricket.”

ESPNcricinfo presents six of Shoaib Akhtar’s best bowling performances

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-20114 for 71 v India, Asian Test Championship, Kolkata, 1999
Two balls that silenced 100,000 spectators. Indian fans weren’t too familiar with Shoaib Akhtar but he introduced himself in a manner that left a packed Eden Gardens shell-shocked in a minute. He broke through Rahul Dravid’s defences with a fiery inswinging yorker that uprooted leg stump but what followed was unfathomable to the crowd then. India’s best batsman strolled to the crease to wild cheers and walked back to the pavilion to stunned silence. Facing Shoaib for the first time, Sachin Tendulkar was at the receiving end of another inswinging yorker, which he failed to keep out and which sent the middle stump cartwheeling towards the wicketkeeper. Shoaib had well and truly arrived. He bagged eight wickets in a match-winning performance.3 for 55 v New Zealand, World Cup semi-final, Manchester, 1999
Shoaib lit up the World Cup semi-final in Manchester in front of a partisan crowd to give his favourite opposition their first taste of what would be a regular diet from him. He hit 90 mph consistently and, though he went for a few, he aimed correctly and just at the right time to prevent New Zealand from posting a challenging score in what turned out to be a one-sided knockout. Shoaib bowled three spells, and dislodged a batsman in each. Nathan Astle was his first victim. Stephen Fleming had just slashed him to third man when Shoaib returned from round the wicket to fire in a 92mph yorker that cleaned up leg stump. And, in his final spell, pace gave way to subtlety as Chris Harris was undone by a superbly disguised slower ball. New Zealand were kept to 241 for 7, and Pakistan chased that down with no difficulty.6 for 11 v New Zealand, 1st Test, Lahore, 2002
New Zealand were steamrolled with both bat and ball in Lahore and Shoaib joined in the hammering. New Zealand were up against it after Pakistan had piled up 643 in the first innings, and Shoaib’s spell shut them completely out of contention. His six victims were all either bowled or lbw as his fiery pace and toe-crushing lengths simply proved too hot to handle. In a spell of fifty deliveries, Shoaib bagged 6 for 11 and skittled out New Zealand for 73, towards a massive defeat.5 for 21 v Australia, 1st Test, Colombo, 2002
Australia’s pre-eminence had rarely been challenged in the late nineties and the early noughties, but one Shoaib spell threatened to cause a major upset against a young Pakistan team. Pakistan were looking to limit the damage after conceding a lead of 188 in the first innings but Shoaib sprung the Colombo Test back to life in a spell that made a nonsense of an unfavourable pitch with searing pace. Called on to bowl for a second spell after Australia had been well-placed at 71 for 1, Shoaib fired in a series of inswinging thunderbolts that crippled a powerful line-up. Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh and Steve Waugh were sent back in a matter of five deliveries and Adam Gilchrist was knocked off with a missile from round the wicket. Australia lost nine wickets for 53, of which Shoaib nipped out five, to collapse to 127 all out. The Pakistan batsmen, for their part, suffered a collapse of their own to lose by 41 runs.5 for 25 v Australia, 3rd ODI, Brisbane, 2002
Shoaib starred in another significant win for Pakistan, this time helping them seal an ODI series in Australia. He had the cushion of a competitive score and derailed an Australian line-up that struggled to put up a challenge. Ponting fell to pace, Darren Lehmann was bowled round his legs, Michael Bevan was caught behind while the tail offered little resistance. Shoaib followed up three wickets in three overs with a couple more down the order to finish with 5 for 25 and catch Australia short by 91 runs.6 for 30 v New Zealand, 2nd Test, Wellington, 2003
Shoaib’s love affair with New Zealand’s batting continued in Wellington, the hosts caving in to a devastating spell to set up a memorable victory for Pakistan. His pace acquired greater potency with the movement and swing in a windy Wellington and the New Zealand batsmen failed to measure up to that. Shoaib had picked up a five-for in the first innings but his batsmen had let that effort down, conceding a lead of 170. New Zealand looked good to put it beyond the visitors in the second innings before Shoaib struck. He removed a stodgy Mark Richardson and Scott Styris off successive deliveries, and combined with seamer Shabbir Ahmed to clean up the tail. New Zealand lost seven wickets for eight runs in 10.4 overs and Pakistan’s batsmen stepped up in the second innings to chase down 274.

The cricket was of high quality but the same can’t be said about the music and entertainment. Are such gimmicks required?

Benjamin Golby19-Jan-2011Choice of game
I’ve trundled along to all of the Big Bash matches at the WACA this season. I try to make it to as much of the domestic contest as I am able but the sheer amount of cricket, coupled with Western Australia’s doleful performance in recent years, takes the zest from being one of those few faithful who sparingly dot the stands at Shield games. There is a sense of occasion about the Big Bash though which draws not only me, but thronged crowds to the series. Unfortunately Western Australia’s miserable outings in their previous two home games have done little to justify such strong support. They were embarrassingly crushed by both Tasmania and South Australia in defeats not merely demoralising, but utterly dull cricket, the sort which makes you question whether there is even any merit to the Twenty20 format.So then my expectations were low setting off for the match. However having witnessed Victoria crush Western Australia in the first one-day fixture of the season I imagined that at least the visitors might provide a performance of interest. I was proven quite wrong for Western Australia bowled and fielded magnificently to curtail the Victorians to a modest total. The hosts then carried on to achieve the target in cool and convincing manner.Team supported
Holding a partisan attitude within Australian domestic cricket is a practice which has dulled over the ages. While I hold a lingering devotion toward my home state of Western Australia, supporting our cricket team is a disappointing past-time. I can’t claim the feeling to be entirely absent but attend with a more objective air to observe those who would make claims to national selection or otherwise distinguish themselves. I did not expect Western Australia to win, or at least certainly not in such an emphatic manner. While I am glad that they did so, I am far more pleased to have been treated to what was a fairly decent cricket match.Key performer
Shaun Marsh was the deserved Man of the Match with an elegant and salient 93 not out. Marsh was sublime, his innings dignified and composed with a succession of textbook dispatches to the boundary along with shrewd singles and twos. This was in sharp contrast to his team-mates and particularly his only partner of any length, Luke Pomersbach. That gentleman was hit-and-miss in his slapdash 35, a few clubbed sixes to mask his more ungainly moments of desperate and unsuccessful power hitting. This latest proof of pedigree from Marsh in what has been a summer of some promise not merely elevates him above his team-mates, but stands him in good stead for his national call-up which will, in good faith, occur on Friday in Hobart.The other two players of distinction in tonight’s match were Aaron Finch and Michael Hogan. Finch’s determined 61 was impressive in an otherwise inglorious innings. Hogan, who replaced Sajid Mahmood, was wonderful from his first ball, an inswinging yorker to dismiss Brad Hodge. He took four vital wickets to stamp Western Australia’s authority upon the game. One feels a deal of sympathy for Mahmood. His career has been plagued with a certain amount of bad luck and now his cushy jaunt to Australia, which must be a welcome reprieve from bleak Bolton in January, has come to an ignominious end.Player watch
Such is the cosy atmosphere of the WACA, where the visiting team descends to the field through the Eastern Member’s Stand, one is able to observe a good amount of players’ personalities. When Victoria were here last Cameron White lustily sung along with The Temper Trap but unfortunately the captain was absent today to fulfill his national duties. However it was nice to watch Dwayne Bravo unwearyingly pose for such a lot of photographs, and the entire team was very gracious in the manner they went about interacting with the crowd. I was tickled to watch James Pattinson walk up to some young lad who had pad and pen in hand but was completely oblivious to the player, and ask him if he would like his autograph.Late in the match Matt Prior dropped a howler of a catch from Pomersbach after he nearly collided with Bravo down the ground. He was heartily endorsed from then on by those seated near to him on the boundary and warmly applauded in every return made. It greatly pleased me to see that Prior revelled in the humour of the situation and wore a broad grin. For some reason I had him down as rather a lout and I was glad to be proven wrong.In Western Australia much focus has centred upon Chris Gayle who has unfortunately been fairly underwhelming. I do hope he stays with the team for it is such a delight to have him regardless of his batting. I have just enjoyed trying to decipher his Twitter which is a wonderful haze of “LOL”, mention of Nandos, and other endearing adventures within Perth.The Western Australian player I would set down to watch is the youngster Tom Beaton. He did not bat today but I feel he has a future ahead of him. He first caught my eye as an aide in warm-up practices with the Australian team during the Test due to the hideous rat’s tail which is his unfortunate chosen coiffure. He impressed me with his brutally strong and accurate arm though and was promising in his debut Twenty20 against Tasmania.Shot of the day
It is hard to bypass Marsh’s majestic array of shots but I believe the honour for this in fact goes to Finch. Finch has a tendency to bludgeon in an unattractive manner, on brutal display in his impressive pair of games for Australia just recently. In fact when circumstance does not dictate it, he is a fine player of sophistication and gentility. This was on crystalline display for what was my shot of the match. During the seventh over Finch but merely feathered a wayward delivery from Gayle in a stunning late cut shot to the boundary. Amid the slaughter and truncheon of the format, here was divinity.Crowd meter
Tonight’s match was one of quality and beguiling interest. However the most prescient and enduring quality of the evening was its atmosphere. Perth turned out in large numbers to the first two home matches of the Big Bash but such support was clearly lacking tonight. The western grass embankment and Inverarity Stand, shaded from the discomfiting late afternoon sun, were crowded but the member’s was sparse and the eastern part of the ground was desolate. The official attendance was not announced but I doubt it was more than 7000, a far cry from the nearly filled ground earlier in the series. It certainly had its impact upon the match and lessened the spectacle and trumpery associated with the 20-over format. I must say though that this was a thoroughly good thing and drew the focus of the ground on to the cricket rather than some sort of dreary and extroverted theatre. It was a pleasant rather than exciting atmosphere with something of the air of a weary but glowing Sunday afternoon.While this was very agreeable to me I must admit that it gave way to some grave doubts on my behalf for the future of the series. As Twenty20 settles down and becomes cricket, there will be inevitable dullness which dwindle the masses. The fervour that accompanied the incorporation of international players two seasons back has begun to fade and it seems an endless wave of gimmicks are required to maintain interest. Attempting to garner greater interest for cricket is a worthy task but I fear that the series is perhaps unsustainable. Such is the only conclusion to be drawn from the eerie atmosphere of this evening at least.Entertainment
I struggle to grasp what sort of target audience is attempted for in the entertainment put on by the WACA. It seems to be lowest common denominator, something which is entirely unsuitable for the game. Mercifully their garish and embarrassing excuses for diversion were somewhat mollified for the early part of the evening in recognition of the underwhelming crowd. It seems that the cretins put in charge of proceedings cannot help themselves though and they began to make their presence felt as the game progressed.The chief object of hate is the muppet who has featured as emcee of the matches this season. This portly fool is successor to Ryan Campbell but lacks that gallant’s winning charm no matter how commercial it may have been. The heir instead roams the ground making a loud nuisance of himself, saying nothing of interest about cricket but everything else that might be obnoxious and lousy in booming tones over the loudspeaker. He is that sort of abject, loathsome object who makes a fool of himself in public spaces thinking himself a font of humour but in reality a mere extroverted and annoying lump.It is the music which is the most jarring aspect of the event though. Music was used initially in cricket to rally batsmen to their favourite tune or mark the change of bowler. It was perhaps coarse but acceptable and indeed revealed an interesting facet of cricketers. In Twenty20 music becomes a constant invasion, numbingly loud and divorced from its surroundings interrupting between every ball. The chief make-up of a cricket match is middle-aged men and their sons. In the case of Twenty20 families sometimes attend. One would think then that the music chosen would be of the inoffensive but comforting sort – the Beatles, Kinks, Troggs etc, perhaps some Motown, Michael Jackson and whatnot. The DJ is a bizarre tastemaker though weaving a hideous blend of that sort of weak and noisome hit found on beer-drinking anthem compilations along with completely inappropriate selections from the Eurodisco catalogue and the weaker kind of dance trash which fills the more desperate type of nightclub – David Guetta, Black Eyed Peas etc. It’s unnecessary, un-enjoyed, and should be reviewed.Overall
It was a pleasure to watch such a good match of cricket and have my faith in the format justified. I certainly feel the mark has been missed somewhat in the Big Bash but hope that measures will be taken to steer it back to optimistic waters. There is more that is good in the 20-over format than that which is annoying and Cricket Australia should draw upon these strengths for the future when the fads run dry.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the IPL eliminator between Kolkata and Mumbai

Sriram Veera25-May-2011Stop and stare at the umpire – I
Manoj Tiwary was trapped in front by Dhawal Kulkarni, but he couldn’t believe it when the decision went against him. He froze. He stared. He remained frozen. He eventually stirred and left the scene.Stop and stare at the umpire – II
Ambati Rayudu was gobsmacked when he was given out caught behind. It was a bouncer from Jacques Kallis and the ball flew over the flashing blade to take refuge in Shreevats Goswami’s gloves. Kallis kept on running towards the keeper who too had started his celebrations. A puzzled Rayudu had a wry smile, perhaps wondering what all the fuss was about. He had a quick look across at the umpire; so did the rest of the field. Asad Rauf’s index finger went up. A stunned Rayudu yanked off his helmet and looked again at Rauf, with his mouth wide open. At long last, he left the crime scene.Bounce, bounce till you succeed
Everybody knows that the best place to bowl at Yusuf Pathan is at the head. His Indian team-mate Munaf Patel didn’t shy from trying out that strategy in the 13th over. He bounced once and it flew off the top edge over the keeper. The second bouncer was swatted uncomfortably to fine-leg and third was mis-hit over midwicket. Yusuf reclaimed strike for the final delivery and Munaf banged it short again. Yusuf tried to flat-bat it out of the park but couldn’t clear long-on.Times, they are a-changing
Munaf used to be a poor fielder. Used to be. Nowadays he gets irate when his team-mates slip below his standards. The proof of the pudding arrived in the 16th over when Kulkarni chose not to go for a risky catch at third man, preferring the stop the ball on the bounce. Munaf, the bowler, wasn’t impressed. He stood there, hands on the hip before slowly turning and suggesting to another team-mate that he thought Kulkarni should have gone for the catch. Later, in the final over of Kolkata’s innings, when Brett Lee steered a short ball to his left at short third man, Munaf rushed across and threw in a dive to prevent the boundary. Now Kulkarni, that’s how you do it.Protection can get you a boundary
Mumbai needed 15 runs from 12 when Lee hurled a bouncer at Harbhajan Singh. It had pace, the awkward height, and the uncomfortable line to fetch a game-turning wicket but it went away for a game-breaking four. Harbhajan was late on the pull, and not only were his tooth saved by the helmet, he also got some vital runs. The ball flew off the edge, crashed into the helmet grille and flew down to the fine-leg boundary.

New Zealand’s new captain, Ross Taylor, wants more players to step up, and is keen to retain his attacking batting style, and to use Vettori’s experience to take the team forward

Interview by Brydon Coverdale23-Jun-2011″I have a good relationship with Dan. He’s always good to get some ideas from, on the way the team is tracking”•AFPNew Zealand have only won two of their last 21 Tests. How can you turn this around?
We’re always striving for consistency and we haven’t quite found the right balance. That’s the ultimate test of any captain of New Zealand – to get the team performing on a consistent basis – and I’m no different. We’ve got the talent in our squad and we just have to get the best out of individuals. If we can get a good core of senior players and get them up the world rankings, we’ll be a better team for that.Do you think the team have sometimes had the mindset that a draw is as good as a win?
I think sometimes we probably did feel that way. The way Test cricket is going, there are not a lot of draws these days. The only time there are draws are if the wicket is really flat or if the weather plays a part. The way Test cricket is played, Tests are won more often than not. We need to have that mindset. If we go out there just to draw series, we’re going to get ourselves into trouble. If we go out there to win, it’s a nice positive mindset to have.Your first Test series as captain will be in Zimbabwe. Will there be extra pressure, knowing you are expected to win?
It’s probably not a bad thing. We’re not favourites against many teams. We went over as favourites against Bangladesh and the result was different. But it’s an exciting time for New Zealand cricket. We’ve got a good core of young cricketers coming through the ranks, and I’m sure over the next couple of years these players will get some exposure, and it’ll be a good time for New Zealand cricket. I’m looking forward to leading the team out against Zimbabwe.When you’ve been stand-in captain, your batting has lifted. Is that a conscious focus – to lead by example?
I think so. It’s one of the things I’ve taken from Dan’s captaincy. He was always leading from the front, and I think one of the biggest things with leadership is to lead from the front. If you do that, others will follow. I’ve been happy with the way I’ve batted when I have captained the team, and I look forward to doing it when I’m captain full-time.Is there part of you that thinks as captain you need to rein in some of the big, risky shots?
Probably a little bit of that comes into it with a bit more responsibility. But I’ve got to this part of my career with the way I play, and I can’t see why I should do anything differently. The older you get, the more experienced you get, and the better you’ll hone your technique and mental skills. The biggest thing I can do is still play the way I know how to play.What have you learnt from the various captains you’ve played under?
They’ve all had their own way of going about things, but they’ve all been good. I’ve learnt a lot from Stephen Fleming, one of the best captains in world cricket, and Dan Vettori – the way he led from the front. In the IPL it was brilliant to play under Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid and see the way they went about things, and Shane Warne and the aggressive nature that he had. Warnie is one of the most aggressive captains. One of the things I learnt from Warnie, and admired about him, was trying to get the best out of the team and individuals, and just winning from anywhere. If you have a mindset of winning from any situation then more often than not those tight games will go your way. There’s a lot of hard work but I was very fortunate to play with those captains.Will it feel odd captaining Daniel Vettori after he has done the job for so long?
I think it will be a little bit strange, but I have a good relationship with Dan. It will be nice to have his presence in the dressing room as well. He’s got huge respect amongst the players. He’s always good to get some ideas from, on the way the team is tracking. He’s still undecided on whether he’s going to play one-dayers this year, but at least we’ll have him in the Test arena.

“If we can be somewhere from fourth to sixth in 12 months I think that would be a realistic goal”

There has sometimes been a feeling the side has relied too heavily on Daniel. Does that need to change?
If we’ve only got one or two players we rely on, we’ll keep being inconsistent. We need to breed some leaders, and some players who need to step up. We can’t afford to only have two or three. We need a good core of seven or eight players to stand up on any given day, and the more players we can get, if we can extend that out to eight, nine, 10, 11, then I think we’ll be a strong team.Who are the young guys who can step up?
The first name that comes to mind is Kane Williamson. He’s got a big future with New Zealand. He’s playing county cricket, and I’m sure he’s learning a lot. There are also some players who haven’t played for New Zealand, or who have only played a couple of games. We’ve got some exciting young fast bowlers coming through. Adam Milne was clocked up to 150kph against Pakistan in the two Twenty20 games he played. He’s an exciting young talent. There are some others like Doug Bracewell, Ben Wheeler, Bevan Small coming through the ranks. They are exciting young prospects. Something that we haven’t had a lot of is depth in our fast bowlers, but the group of players coming through is very exciting.What do you enjoy about working with John Wright?
He had a lot of success with India, but he’s very passionate about New Zealand. He likes to bring a lot of passion to the team. We both respect each other, probably have similar views on a lot of things, and are probably a little bit old-school in some respects. We both hate losing. I had a good relationship with Wrighty when I was a vice-captain, and I look forward to working with him more.New Zealand are eighth in the Test rankings, ahead of only Bangladesh. What is your long-term goal for the side?
The ultimate is to sit up at No. 1 or 2, and not that long ago – probably at the start of my career – we weren’t too far away from that. But we’re down the bottom, and in some ways that’s probably a nice thing – the only way to go from here is upwards. We’ve got some big series coming up, against Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. If we play like we know we can play on a more consistent basis, then I’m sure we’ll go up those rankings.How far do you think the side can progress within the next year?
We go to Zimbabwe, then to Australia, then Zimbabwe come here, then we’ve got South Africa here, and we go to the Caribbean after that. We’re eighth in the Test rankings. If we can be somewhere from fourth to sixth in 12 months, I think that would be a realistic goal. That’s something I think we can attain in the next 12 to 18 months.

Jos Buttler’s thoughtful manner is at odds with the dynamic, explosive brand of batting that has turned heads on the county scene for the last two seasons and has now led to further honours in the international arena

Liam Brickhill26-Aug-2011Grounded, calm and realistic are not words one would usually associate with a 20 year old, but Somerset’s Jos Buttler – called up by England for the first time on Friday – is all of the above. Buttler’s thoughtful, almost self-deprecating manner is also at odds with the dynamic, explosive brand of batting that has turned heads on the county scene for the last two seasons and has now led to further honours in the international arena.”I know there are a hell of a lot of good players in English cricket, English cricket is very healthy at the moment and there is a lot of competition out there,” Buttler told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s obviously nice to be thought of in that context.”Indeed, Buttler has been thought of as a future England cricketer for some time, and that with less than two full seasons of county cricket under his belt. His call-up seems to be the culmination of a veritably meteoric rise, Buttler’s senior Somerset debut having come as recently as the end of the 2009 season, but even a cursory glance at the performances that led to his apprenticeship as a professional cricketer show that there’s always been something special about him.He broke several records at King’s College in Taunton, thrashing 227 not out in a national schools game in 2008 – an innings that Dennis Breakwell, the former Somerset allrounder and coach and groundsman at King’s College, said “warrants every accolade it can get” – and, almost inevitably, found his way into Somerset’s Second XI. By the following year, a full-time county career beckoned and England Under-19 had come calling.It was not until 2010, however, his first full season with Somerset, that his talents began to reach a wider audience. His maiden first-class century arrived against Hampshire in May, and in one-day cricket his clear-minded and quick-footed batting helped him to 440 runs, including a 37-ball 64 against Lancashire and a blistering 33-ball 90 in Somerset’s annihilation of Glamorgan, at 55.00 in the CB40.And then there were the Twenty20 knocks, most notably his 23-ball 55 in the midst of an unbroken 75-run stand, in just over six overs, with Kieron Pollard in the semi-final win over Nottinghamshire at the Rose Bowl. It wasn’t the first time Buttler and Pollard had combined with explosive results, nor was it the last – their barnstorming 66-run partnership at at Trent Bridge carried Somerset through to Finals Day this season.”Kieron is obviously one of the best if not the best Twenty20 player,” said Buttler. “He goes around and he just does his thing. It’s been brilliant to have a few partnerships with him. You know you can almost play with no pressure when you’ve got a guy like that at the other end. He’s very cool and calm obviously and he passes that effect on to me and keeps me nice and calm.”Obviously we’re very different batsmen. Kieron can hit you pretty much anywhere, and hit you a long way. He can really put the bowlers off their game, which helps me too. It’s been good fun batting with him, I’ve enjoyed it.”There’s certainly something complementary in Buttler and Pollard’s contrasting styles, and while Buttler has no trouble clearing the ropes when the situation demands it, he also has the priceless ability to manipulate the ball in virtually any direction. He’s used the paddle scoop – a shot that he watched Tillakaratne Dilshan and others play with increasing regularity as a teenager – over the wicketkeeper’s head to good effect in virtually every one of his match-turning limited-overs innings, and it’s a shot he’s worked very hard to perfect.”I practice it, a lot. It started from just playing around in the nets, trying to work on different shots, and with one-day cricket you’ve got to have a good range of shots. One of those shots is trying to scoop it over the keeper’s head, which I’ve had some success at. I want to be able to hit the ball through 360 degrees, so whatever field the bowler sets I can find a gap in it.”There aren’t any fielders behind the keeper, and if you can play that shot against yorkers, you take the yorker out of the game for the bowlers, and that’s probably the most bowled delivery at the death of the match. Cricket has evolved, innovation has become a huge part of one-day cricket. So you pick things up, you try to copy them, and then use the shot to the best of your ability.”Having found his natural groove so early, Buttler has time on his side to expand his game – readily accepting that it could be 10 years before he realises his full potential – but there is already an enviable completeness to his limited-overs game. “He knows his game inside out, knows where he wants to hit boundaries,” Andy Hurry, Buttler’s coach at Somerset, has said. “His one day game is nailed on.””I’ve had more success in limited-overs cricket so far,” agrees Buttler, “which you might say is natural for a youngster who doesn’t have much experience in the first-class game. But once I play a few more games I’ll be able to find a way of going about a first-class innings and setting my own tempo. I think in one-day cricket the situation dictates to you how you have to play, so that’s the way I look at it. Once I become a bit more mature with my four-day game, certainly I could have success in that as well.”His willingness to soak in ideas and lessons will surely stand Buttler in good stead, and he has a fine cricketing brain to pick and learn from in Marcus Trescothick, his captain at Somerset. “Having watched Marcus play for England, and now to be sharing a dressing room with him was quite surreal, to start with,” admitted Buttler. “But he’s a down to earth guy, a brilliant team-mate and a good captain too. He’s great to talk to about different things and he’s only too happy to help me and the other youngsters try and develop our games. He’s been a huge asset for me and the other youngsters, and Somerset, as our captain.”Trescothick has spoken of his young charge in glowing terms, as has virtually every county hack on the scene, but the encouragement of others means nothing without self-belief. Fortunately, Buttler isn’t lacking in that department either.”I definitely feel ready [for the next level]. Why not? If someone’s picking me for that, they obviously believe in me. And why shouldn’t you believe in yourself as well? You have to.”Playing for England is where you want to be. I’m no different from any other county cricketer, we all want to play for England. And Test cricket is the pinnacle of that. I’d definitely want to be involved in that. I know I’ve got a long way to go and a few things to work on, but if I can put in a few good performances and score some runs, hopefully that can happen.”

History is completely in favour of the hosts but New Zealand will fancy their chances against an Australian team trying to cope with multiple injury worries

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan30-Nov-2011The Trans-Tasman rivalry, in contrast to many other famous ones in international cricket, has been extremely one-sided. Except for the mid 1980s, when Richard Hadlee’s superlative bowling helped New Zealand win home and away series, Australia have been by far the more consistent and dominant team, winning 26 matches and losing just seven (win-loss ratio of 3.71). Stunningly, the last Test defeat for Australia against New Zealand came way back in the 1992-93 series in New Zealand. In Australia, it was 26 years, and 17 Tests ago.Since then, Australia have gone on to win 13 out of 18 matches. In 50 Tests played over between the two teams, Australia have a batting average of 38.94, compared to New Zealand’s 27.07. The gulf is even wider in matches played in Australia, where the difference in averages is 14.40. Five of New Zealand’s seven wins have come at home, and the last time New Zealand won a Test in Australia was way back in the 1985-86 season.That was the period when Australia were on the wane following the retirements of most top players while New Zealand were in the middle of their best run. New Zealand won their first series in Australia in 1985-86 and went on to win two home series in the next four years. Statistically, this was the only phase that New Zealand matched and often bettered Australia. In the ten years between 1984 and 1994, both teams won five matches each and Australia were only slightly ahead on averages. However, since then, during an outstanding period of success, Australia have completely dominated New Zealand. The difference in averages between the teams has been a massive 19.55 in Tests since 2000, and 26.87 in the last four series. Although Australia have done well in their last two series in Sri Lanka and South Africa, New Zealand will fancy their chances of troubling the hosts, who are beset with multiple injury problems.

Australia v New Zealand in Tests

PlayedAustraliaNew ZealandDrawnW/L ratioAustralia (avg)New Zealand (avg)Avg diffOverall50267173.7138.9427.0711.87In Australia26142107.0041.6927.2914.40In New Zealand2412572.4036.2226.829.401980-199926106101.6635.1128.456.662000-2011151104-46.3726.8219.55Last four series9801-51.5424.6726.87A surprising stat is that New Zealand have played just 17 Tests since the beginning of 2009. This is far fewer than most teams have played in the same period. Australia have fallen from their perch but have still managed to maintain a fairly healthy win-loss ratio of 1.50, which is behind only those of England and India. While their batting average of 36.14 is fifth on the list, their bowling average (32.88) is second only to that of England. Their average difference of 3.34 is slightly better than India’s (2.82) but lower than England (13.74) and South Africa (6.33).New Zealand’s position in the table is quite the opposite. They have a terribly low win-loss ratio of 0.37, which is only marginally better than West Indies’ 0.25. Their only Test win against a major Test-playing nation came against Pakistan in 2009. New Zealand have a better batting average than Pakistan and West Indies but on the flip side, they also have a bowling average of 42.23. This has meant that their average difference (-9.80) is the second-lowest among top Test teams.

Batting and bowling stats of teams since January 2009 (except Bangladesh and Zimbabwe)

TeamPlayedWonLostW/L ratioBat avgBowl avgAvg diffEngland362054.0044.4930.7513.74India311472.0040.5237.702.82Australia3115101.5036.1432.883.34South Africa20771.0039.6933.336.36Sri Lanka26661.0040.5741.46-0.89Pakistan277110.6330.2433.44-3.20New Zealand17380.3732.4342.23-9.80West Indies283120.2529.7639.90-10.14Australia go into the first Test with a new opening pair following the injury to Shane Watson. Watson and Phillip Hughes shared a 174-run opening stand in the second Test in Johannesburg. This was the first century opening stand for Australia since the one between Simon Katich and Hughes against New Zealand in 2010. In the last two years, Ricky Ponting’s poor form has meant that the partnership average for the second wicket has also fallen. New Zealand, on the other hand, have continuously had problems at the top of the order against major teams. Their average for the first two wickets (28.39 and 29.44) is well below par. While the fifth-wicket averages for both teams are very similar, the numbers for Australia are much better for the fourth and sixth wicket.

Partnership stats since January 2009 (Avg, 100/50) – excluding Bangladesh/Zimbabwe

Partnership wicketAustraliaNew Zealand150.82, 7/2028.39, 2/3241.33, 7/829.44, 1/2337.39, 4/1336.29, 2/6445.75, 7/1132.44, 1/2542.21, 6/942.48, 4/2650.06, 5/1538.92, 2/6Michael Clarke, who took over the captaincy in Sri Lanka, has had a fairly successful start leading the side. He scored a fighting century in the final Test in Sri Lanka and followed it up with an outstanding 151 on a difficult pitch in Cape Town. He has also had tremendous success against New Zealand, scoring over 476 runs at an average of 79.33. Michael Hussey had a poor tour of South Africa, but has been Australia’s stand-out batsman since the Ashes series. He, however, has struggled against New Zealand, scoring 198 runs at an average of 33.00 with just two fifties. Ponting has been fighting for runs recently, and has had his problems against New Zealand too, averaging only 28.16 in his last four Tests against them.For New Zealand, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum have impressive stats against Australia, and will need to maintain that form for their team to do well. They also ave fine records in Tests over the last three years, averaging more than 45. Jesse Ryder, another vital player in New Zealand’s batting line-up, averages over 42 since the beginning of 2009 but is yet to demonstrate any form in Tests against Australia.

Batting stats of batsmen for both teams (matches, average, 100/50)

BatsmanSince January 2009v New Zealand (since 2006)Ricky Ponting29, 35.76, 2/144, 28.16, 0/1Michael Clarke31, 43.88, 7/94, 79.33, 2/2Michael Hussey31, 44.98, 6/134, 33.00, 0/2Ross Taylor17, 48.74, 3/104, 45.75, 1/1Brendan McCullum17, 47.46, 4/74, 44.14, 1/2Jesse Ryder10, 42.61, 3/22, 17.50, 0/0In the absence of Mitchell Johnson and the impressive Pat Cummins, Australia’s attack could be tested. While Johnson has 24 wickets at 16.57 in four Tests against New Zealand, Cummins bowled with great pace and aggression in his debut game against South Africa in the recently-concluded series. Peter Siddle, who will play New Zealand for the first time, will lead the inexperienced pace attack.New Zealand’s pace line-up is likely to be led by Chris Martin and Tim Southee. Martin, one of only four New Zealand bowlers with 200-plus wickets in Tests, has barely troubled Australia in the past. In his last four Tests against Australia, he has picked up just seven wickets at an average of 68.71. Doug Bracewell had an excellent debut against Zimbabwe picking up a five-wicket haul in New Zealand’s close 34-run win. Daniel Vettori is easily the most experienced bowler for them, but even he has fairly ordinary stats in Tests in Australia, averaging almost 40 per wicket.Brisbane, the venue for the first Test, has been Australia’s stronghold. They have not lost a single Test at the venue since their defeat against West Indies in 1988. Brisbane’s bouncy conditions have generally favoured Australia’s attack and the result percentage has been fairly high. However, in the recent Ashes series, the pitch at the Gabba was completely out of character as the match ended in a dull draw with England scoring over five hundred runs for the loss of just one wicket in their second innings. While the batting averages in the first and third innings in Brisbane have been high, the corresponding numbers for the second and fourth innings are much lower. Pace bowlers, who have 240 wickets at 34.29, have easily outperformed the spinners, who have just 64 wickets at 42.56.Hobart, on the other hand, has played host to just four Tests since 2000. As in Brisbane, the batting averages are high in the first and third innings. The venue, however, has been a far more successful one for spinners, who have picked up 37 wickets at 37.91. In contrast, pace bowlers have struggled picking up 61 wickets at an average of 47.91.

Venue stats for Brisbane and Hobart (matches since 2000)

VenueMatchesResult %1st inns2nd inns3rd inns4th innsPace (wickets,avg)Spin(wickets,avg)Brisbane117342.7831.5940.9525.18240, 34.2964, 42.56Hobart47557.0332.3244.8833.0461, 47.1437, 37.91