All Padded Up

Yeah, I haven't gone out of my way to report the Ashes! Why?! Cause English - Aussie rivalry really holds nothing for me, and the quality of test cricket generally was poor, making most of the matches one sided!

But that was not the case in 2005! And that wasn't the case last night!

One thrilling contest was that, last night, that it could put most of the shorter formats, to shame!

[Score Card]

England had begun the last day of the first test at 20/2, still left to cover a huge part of the deficit and a huge amount of time!!

And Paul Collingwood played a gem of a test match innings! Paul Collingwood scored a 245 ball 74, and more importantly stayed at the crease for 344 minutes!!

Mr. Martian : " What is so thrilling about a slow and painful 74?! Agreed, it is test match like, but thrilling?!"

Well, Mr. Martian, what was thrilling was the fall of PC's wicket! PC was the ninth wicket to fall down, at 233, England were still short of Australian lead by 6 runs, and more importantly still had 11.3 overs spare in the day! With James Anderson and Monty Panesar at the crease!

And thrilling that was! It was thrilling to watch James Anderson edge to a boundary to erase the deficit, and then add a four through covers, to build a 'lead'! It was thrilling to watch Monty Panesar, defend balls and then hit a four himself!

Yes, England found unlikely batting heroes last night! Batting heroes in James Anderson and Monty Panesar!

Of course, Ricky Ponting is cribbing, about England not playing in the 'Spirit of Cricket' by using time wastage tactics! Yeah, we could also expect the Australian experts in the commentary panel to go out of their way to blast the English in the next match!

What matters is that England saved the first day and saved the blushes!

Everybody on the Cricket Blogging World does a little bit of facts! And so begins All Padded Up!





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You ask me what is this old Hindi Film song doing in a Cricket Blog? Well, the reason could be only one!

This song has been done by one of the oldest names in Hindi movie music industry, Shri S. D. Burman!

Yeah, that is Sachin Dev Burman!

Sachin Tendulkar Fact No. 1:

Sachin Tendulkar has been named after S. D. Burman, one of his father's favorites!

John Buchanan has informed Knight Riders that despite his hard work over the past two seasons, he has not achieved everything that he set out to and has not been able take the franchise into the future as per his vision for this team. I would like to state that John is a great coach. He had a vision for Knight Riders and did not waver from this vision. Unfortunately, it has not brought the results that are so necessary to this franchise.

Obviously, I am very disappointed in not being able to continue with the Knight Riders and complete the work I started some 18 months. I think we have the makings of a very good IPL franchise, and the foundations are there for 2010.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

India lose to England last night, and are out of T20 World Cup!

[India v/s England Score Card]

There is a lot to say on this one, but the emotions are over powering! You could read All Padded Up's blogroll for some analysis!

All I can now add is Bye Bye T20 World Cup!

Would that be what MSD would be saying to Smith and Younus?!


May be, for what happened last night at the T20 World Cup 2009! After all, Pakistan gifted a huge defeat to New Zealand yesterday, and the Saffers did the same to the Windies!

[Pakistan v/s New Zealand Score Card]

• Yuvraj hits six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad!
• Virendra Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir give India, a pretty solid start! The first wicket fell on 136!
• Robin Utthapa was still a part of the team!
• Yuvraj hits six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad!
• After the initial start India got, India were 155/3, I told you Robin Utthapa was a part of the team!
• Flintoff got into an argument with Yuvraj Singh, thanks to a sledging match, with captain MS Dhoni, urging Yuvi, or was he?!
• Yuvraj hits six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad!
• Thanks to Yuvraj's blitzkreig effort of 58 in 16 balls and in 14 minutes, India finished with a total of 218 on board!
• England's top order fired, as much as English batsmen can!
  
• England were 171 for 5 after the 18th over. At the same stage in their innings, India were 171 for 3 after which Yuvraj hits six sixes in an over Stuart Broad!
• India won the match by 18 runs!
• Yuvraj hits six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad!

Yeah, I have had to write this in a hurry!