Filed under: Cricket | Tags: Ajantha Mendis, Andrew Flintoff, Dale Steyn, Gautam Gambhir, Greame Smith, Kevin Pietersen, Lord megachief of gold, Mitchell Johnson, MS Dhoni, Ryan Sidebottom, Sehwagology, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Splendid Mendis, Virender Sehwag
Greame Smith.
This should be obvious. Scored shitloads of runs, is the best 4th innings batsman in world cricket. If you had a run chase, you’d want this man in there.
Virender Sehwag.
Is the leader of the Church Of Sehwagology, and no more needs to be said. Any that disagree on this selection, get burned at the stake like the witches they are!
Gautham Gambhir
Averaged over 70 for the year. Was not out under 55mins once this year. Scored at a clip of at least 3 rpo in every innings.
Kevin Pietersen
This was a tough choice. It was either KP or Sachin. Sachin’s probably appeared in a billion others top test team, so I went with KP. KP averaged a couple of points higher, scored about 50 runs less, it was that close. KP gets it, for being more innovative. That switch hit, is a thing of beauty.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Lord Megachief of Gold averages 105 for the last two years. More difficult to get out, than bloodstains on a fresh white carpet. Is part of the holy trinity too, so you burn, if you disagree.
M S Dhoni (Wk) Captain
Dhoni, is actually the worst wicket keeper out of the top five sides. Boucher, Haddin & McCullum all had more dismissals than him. Even wanky wicky Ambrose has a higher percentage of dismissals per innings. So as a keeper, he’s a bit shite. But… The boy’s got balls of steel, can bat beautifully, and is a marvellous captain. So for that reason, he’s in.
Andrew Flintoff
He get’s the all-rounder nod, because I love him, and want his children. The 10 deliveries that scared shitless, Jacques Kallis, one of the worlds best batsman, at Edgbaston should be enough.
Dale Steyn
74 wickets at 20. Fast, accurate and strangely for a South African, humble and pleasant.
Mitchell Johnson
Is easily the best bowler in Australia, and was second highest wicket taker in world cricket this year. If he can learn to swing the ball at his pace, he will be unplayable.
Ryan Sidebottom
Easily forgotten, since his injuries, but was amazing all winter, and most of early summer. He picked up 47 wickets in 8 test matches at an average of 20.2, that my friends is quality bowling. The boy can swing it too. Let’s hope that the bad back sorts itself out, and that he’s firing for The England again soon.
Ajantha Mendis
Because he’s a freak. Because he’s Splendid Mendis, and as he’s part of the Holy Trinity of The Church Of Sehwagology, you have to have him in the side.
12th Man.
I’ve gone for Hashim Amla. So improved this year. Was a lovely batsman to watch.
So there you have it. Suave’s suavest XI. You can disagree if you like, just add your comments.
Remember though, if you do disagree, I will have to hulk smash you!
Much love.
Filed under: Cricket | Tags: Adil Rashid, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Andrew Strauss, Cricket, England, Ian Bell, jimmy anderson, Kevin Pietersen, Michael Vaughan, Monty Panesar, paul collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Ryan Sidebottom, South Africa, Steve Harmison, stuart broad, The Broken Family Band, The England, Tim Ambrose
After a pretty abject summer, barely beating New Zealand and losing to South Africa, here is my summer test review.
In it, I decide through Suave’s hulk smash phenomonen, who survives and who feels the pain.
Alastair Cook
Eyeliner escapes a two handed hulk smash, as he actually scored a decent amount of runs. The one handed hulk smash comes about because the Little shithead has forgotten how to get past 60.
Andrew Strauss
full on hulk smash for Wing Commander. Scored nothing until he was under scrutiny again, and to be honest looks shit against all world class attacks. Should be sent to the local boozer to regale young fellows with stories of his heroics in The War. Fucking posh twat.
Michael Vaughan
Nothing to add really, as the straight ball missing, weird mulleted former skipper, seems to have hulk smashed himself. Lucky boy cos he was gonna get it big time!
Kevin Pietersen
New Skipper, top run-scorer, all-round talented fucker. He gets a little David Banner type hug. Keep it up big man.
Ian Bell
Semi smashing again, as the 199 at Lords was a cracking knock. Only two of his test centuries have come in a winning side, and he never scores one without someone above him doing it too, which when you look at our opening pair, is proof enough that he’s no number 3. Not mentally tough enough, ginger, weird snarl thing when concentrating. Fuck it, he’ s convinced me to proper hulk smash him!
Paul Collingwood
Partially redeemed himself with his last two knocks, but gets the full HULK SMASH with extra cheese. Send him to the glue factory. Not good enough, and we need to bed in a young buck. I reckon Adil Rashid or Ravi Bopara should get the nod. Both are excellent fielders, both are decent bowlers and they ain’t too shabby with the bat either.
Andrew Flintoff
I will never hulk smash big lad. I love him, his passion, his lovely wife, his pace, even his woeful foot movement. He can do no wrong.
Tim Ambrose
Fucking hell, I’ve got a family sized can of whupass just for this little shit for brains. This is the worst hulksmashing you’ve ever seen, cars being tossed, huge holes in the ground, and little wanky wicky dying a slow, painful death! Fuck off now. Read and Foster are far superior with the gloves and a bit better with the bat, and Prior is miles better with the bat.
Stuart Broad
He’s big, he’s bad, he’s better than his dad. Or at least we hope he is. Bats lovely, bowls OK. Got better as the summer went on, but is no Simon Jones. First change bowlers need to take wickets, and constantly apply pressure, and he’s not doing that yet… I have resisted hulk smashing, but reserve the right to do so at a later date!
Ryan Sidebottom
Not good enough, but still miles better than most of our bowlers. Back problems meant he was farily innocuous towards the end of summer. Should have been dropped earlier for health reasons.
Stephen J Harmison
Still gets the hulk smash I’m afraid. As Duncan Fletcher said, you’ve got to take wickets in your first spell (he was unlucky, with eyeliners drop but…). His strike-rate was over 60, which when compared to Dale Steyn, South Africa’s premier quick, is nearly twice as bad. Hulk Smashed until his brain works properly and he can continuously hulk smash batsmen himself!
James Anderson
The wee man has done me proud this summer. Good consistent bowling, excellent fielding, and some decent lower order batting to boot. This is the first time in years that I actually don’t want to hurt him, which is nice. Cuddles all round.
Monty Panesar
SMASH! Fuck off Monty until you learn to bowl an arm ball or a doosra. Not good enough and India will dismantle him again this winter, followed by ‘Straya spanking his arse all next summer. I will be a little easy on him, in that The England don’t have a specialist spin bowling coach, so he pretty much has to do it on his own. All I want from you is some effort, as The Broken Family Band once sang. Learn to bowl another delivery, keep trying to learn to bat, and get a little confidence man, you’re a Sikh Warrior, recall your ancestors triumphs, bring forth the rage your fellow Sikhs felt after Operation Blue Star. Something, anything, you fucking boring twat!
Check back soon for a six word review of both sides!
Filed under: Cricket | Tags: AB De Villiers, Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, England, Greame Smith, hashim Amla, Ian Bell, Jacques Kallis, james anderson, Kevin Pieterson, Makhaya Ntini, Mark Boucher, Michael Vaughan, Monty Panesar, Morne Morkel, Neil Mackenzie, paul collingwood, Paul Harris, Ryan Sidebottom, South Africa, stuart broad, Tim Ambrose
As a hardhitting journalist, with a vast array of cricket knowledge, I’ve decided to do a real piece of hardhitting journalism.
By hardhitting journalism, I mean, me talking shit about a weird dream I had the other night. It basically involved a cricketer of some repute following me around for eternity, performing his best shot, everytime I needed a pick me up. So I shall expand on that weird night, and add what I would have all of the The England and South African team doing if each of them had to stick by my side.
1 Alastair Cook
This young buck will apply eyeliner to me or my friends whenever required. He’s obviously very adept at this. See here for more.
2 Andrew Strauss
He will wear a biggles outfit during the day, with the flappy scarf and things, entertaining my republican army. When required posh lad will dress up in full evening suit, and smoke cigarettes through an antique cigarette holder, whilst supplying me with the finest brandies, wines and champagnes. It will be a suave double team, and a bally good show.
3 Michael Vaughan (capt)
Mr Vaughan is bound for life to perform a classy cover drive when I need him to, and to miss a straight one when I need a laugh. Good times.
4 Kevin Pietersen
KP is required to watch while I make love to his wife for all of eternity. See Morne Morkel’s details for added extras to this scenario. Strauss will also be in the corner, pouring my drinks and keeping me in cigarettes for the night!
5 Ian Bell
This little fuckstick is to throw roses at my feet until the end of time. Just like those lovely ladies in Coming to America.
6 Paul Collingwood
Is to forever follow me, as leader of Suave’s ageing ginger all-rounder army. He will protect me from abybody silly enough to attack our beloved and benevolent Suave leader.
7 Tim Ambrose (wk)
Wanky wicky is to stay behind me at all times in case I drop anything. I lose on average about £30 a month, dropping money out of my pockets. Little wanky wicky will stop all that, and give ole Suave another lunchtime on the pop a month. Well done that boy.
8 Stuart Broad
Young broadywoady pudding and pie, is to spend the rest of his days making sure Suave’s hair is in a perfectly coiffured state. This bucl already spends so much time on his own hair, I’m sure he’ll service mine beautifully.
9 Ryan Sidebottom
Mr Sidebottom will accompany Suave to every gig he goes to in futues, and will supply the hair when I cut mine off. Whenever I cut my hair short, the thing I hate most about gigs, is not being able to shake the hair. Ryan will provide this service.
10 Monty Panesar
Any and every time Suave performs something of note, of excellence (as you can imagine this would be an extremely busy job for the montster), he will high five me in his inimitable way. Wahey Monty!
11 James Anderson
Will be permanently by my side, until I’ve learnt what makes him the quick, snplayable bastard he can be. Once I’ve learnt that, I will train him to do that EVERY time he plays.
1 Graeme Smith (capt)
Bear like left hander, will spend time immortal licking the shit off my shoe, every time I inadvertently tread in some bastard dogs do doo.
2 Neil McKenzie
Old mentalist is to be by my side to ensure that my madness pales in to insignificance next to his, the crazy arsed fucker. I have a reasonably small version of OCD. So Mackenzie would make me look normal.
3 Hashim Amla
Amla is to join me on every flight with a budget airline I ever take from now on. He will sit by the window, I will sit on the aisle seat, guarenteeing that no fat, smelly people sit in the middle, and I can stretch out to my hearts content, or until people stop worrying that bearded muslims are going to blow up any and every motherfucking that moves.
4 Jacques Kallis
This boring twat is to break down an innnings of his, every time I suffer from insomnia, so that Suave can keep his beauty sleep to the necessary 8 hours. Instant karma, Suave is still beautiful. I win.
5 Ashwell Prince
Ashwell is to do a similar job to JK but for afternoon naps. He will come out to bat, and instantly send me into a lovely deep afternoon snooze.
6 AB de Villiers
Vehement letter C denier, will be my golf partner, if I ever take up the stupid, boring, fucking aimless game. As a scratch golfer, he’ll be able to cover up my inadequecies and ensure that Suave still looks Suave in plus fours.
7 Mark Boucher (wk)
This wicket keeper is to stand behind any of my annoying colleagues constantly chirping in their ears, whenever the fuckers start telling me about their love of computer games, porn or cars. Boucher will chirp away at them, telling them what useless lives they have, and that they should remove their gene pool from society.
8 Morne Morkel
Supervillain is required to laugh maniacally whenever I get the rage, and anything Evil is about to happen. Which as most of you lot have realised, is quite regularly. Get that larynx working you big fucker!
9 Paul Harris
It’s getting a struggle now, fuck me. Paul Harris appears to have no talents at all, so I’m going to stick him behind my private bar, to serve me drinks for the rest of time. Most of my local pubs now have saffers behind the ramp, and they work hard, so that’s it for this left arm tweaker.
10 Dale Steyn
To bowl fiery full, swinging deliveries into the legs of anyone getting in my way whilst walking. Suave is a very quick walker, and hates slow people getting in his way. Utilising his pace, will clear the way for me to get where i’m going in good time
11 Makhaya Ntini.
What can I get the convicted rapist to do, for ole suavey wauvey? I don’t need any rape in my life thank you very much. As Ntini likes to run from the ground to his hotel after tests, I will use him in emergency traffic situations, if I happen to get stuck in traffic anywhere, Ntini is to turn up and piggy back me to my destination.
I’m spent now, business hours are over! It’s business, it’s business time!
Filed under: Cricket, LOLCricket | Tags: Cricket, LOLCricket, Ryan Sidebottom
Filed under: Cricket | Tags: Aaron Redmond, Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Brendan McCullum, Cricket, Daniel Flynn, Daniel Vettori, England, Ian Bell, Ian O'Brien, Jacob Oram, james anderson, James Marshall, Jamie How, Kevin Pietersen, Kyle Mills, Michael Vaughan, Monty Panesar, New Zealand, paul collingwood, Ross Taylor, Ryan Sidebottom, Six Word Reviews, stuart broad, The England, Tim Ambrose
Being a dictator of your own republic, I get to make the rulez.
Six word reviews, for everyone that played more than two tests in the series. I can’t be bothered with all these shit heads that played one test.
The England
Alastair Cook: Stupid eyeliner wearing dickhead, fucking rubbish.
Andrew Strauss: Wants to play NZ every week!
Michael Vaughan: Looks great at getting himself out
Kevin Pietersen: Scratches around until last game again!
Ian bell: fucking ginger twat. Suave HULK SMASH!
Paul Collingwood: Time to be put to pasture?
Tim Ambrose: good with gloves, rubbish with bat
Stuart Broad: Too many pies, bats lovely though..
Ryan Sidebottom: Not great, but averaged 20. Bizarre.
Jimmy Anderson: Good, shit, good. Superb in Nottingham
Monty Panesar: One-spell series, superb oop north.
The Old Zealand
Aaron Redmond: Dear lord, this lad is SHIT!
Jamie How: Solid, dependable, not really that good.
Brendan McCullum: Not three, too mental for that.
Ross Taylor: Looks a lovely player. CALM DOWN!
Daniel Flynn: not bad, suspect to short ball.
Jacob Oram: Miserly with ball, 231 runs, somehow
Daniel Vettori: smacked around as skipper, bowled alright
Kyle Mills: good no 8 batsman, bowling rubbish.
Ian O’Brien: Scares small children, he’s that ugly.
Chris Martin: Bowled cack, Batting is really cack
James Marshall: Shitter than his brother. Super shit?
Filed under: Cricket | Tags: Adil Rashid, Andrew Flintoff, county cricket, Cricket, England, England Lions, james anderson, Justin Langer, Matthew Hoggard, Michael Vaughan, Peter Moores, Ryan Sidebottom, Somerset, The England
I don’t fucking care if this man can’t bat for shit any more.
Put him at anywhere in the last four if needs be, but he should play for The England.
I’ll tell you why.
He’s the best fast bowler in the country.
Justin Langer in his latest BBC column had this to say about the fella.
Only last week I padded up against Lancashire in the County Championship for Somerset and I can say first hand that Flintoff is absolutely ready to be picked for the first Test against New Zealand.
One of the joys of retiring from international cricket was knowing that I wouldn’t be peppered by the world’s best fast bowlers ever again.
This in mind, I was shocked at the ferocity of the Flintoff onslaught at Old Trafford.
As I kept saying to him, I could have understood if I was batting with Matthew Hayden and wearing a green Australia helmet with a kangaroo and emu embroidered on the front.
Instead, I was in a red Somerset helmet with Marcus Trescothick partnering me, so if I was ever in for a reprieve from England’s best fast bowler then surely that would have been the time.
History will suggest this couldn’t have been further from the truth.
For about an hour I could have been in the boxing ring with Joe Calzaghe and by the end of it I had literally copped a hammering.
My ribs, elbow and chest were so bruised I could have been confused for Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas!
Both Marcus and I agreed his spell was one of the great ones either of us had ever faced and while it was ugly – and at times intimidating – it is what we miss about playing international cricket on its toughest days.
This is one seriously good bowler.
Given the choice between Anderson & Flintoff, who would you pick? Between Hoggard & Flintoff, or Broad & Flintoff?
My bowling attack would look like this.
Flintoff, Rashid, Broad, Sidebottom. Or maybe Panesar for Rashid (we’ll see how he does against the Lions).
That’s a lot of batting. Flintoff and Rashid are excellent all-rounders, and Broad & Sidebottom can be relied upon to hold a bat.
Come on Mooresy, you know you want it.
Filed under: Cricket | Tags: Andre Nel, Cricket, Duleep Trophy, England, England Lions, Gloucester CCC, india, Luke Wright, MCC, Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Kirby, Sussex
Steve Kirby is a first class nutjob. He would cause a fight in an empty room, and he’s on a similar level to Andre Nel. I like the fella, he’s got spunk, he’s got gusto, and he would run in all day for you as a skipper..
He’s played a fair bit of cricket this winter, going to India with The England Lions, where he average 24.10 and took 10 wickets. He then had a run out for the MCC against Sussex, and bowled superbly (in bowler friendly conditions), which should leave him in good stead (although Luke Wright knocking him out, might hurt a bit).
I mention the fiery ginger quick, because of something he said recently.
“It is such a lovely tonic to see Ryan Sidebottom doing so well. He has proved over three or four seasons in county cricket that if you do take wickets, you are noticed,” said Gloucestershire seamer Kirby. “From a personal point of view, he has shown the way which has given players like myself and others in domestic cricket a lot of encouragement.”
I like his attitude, and I like that he looks like he’d eat your mother for tea, if you don’t get the fuck out sharpish. Which is what fast bowling really should be about!
Filed under: Cricket | Tags: Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Brendan McCullum, chris martin, Cricket, Daniel Vettori, England, Grant Elliot, Ian Bell, james anderson, Jamie How, Jeetan Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Bell, Matthew Sinclair, Michael Vaughan, Monty Panesar, New Zealand, paul collingwood, Ross Taylor, Ryan Sidebottom, Stephen Fleming, stuart broad, Tim Ambrose, Tim Southee
After reading a great article here. I’ve decided to do a six word review of every player, from every test match nation.
I shall start, as is my wont, with the recently victorious The England, and their plucky opposition New Zealand
The England
Alastair Cook: Promises much, will he deliver soon?
Michael Vaughan: Michael Vaughan thinks Michael Vaughan’s wonderful. (can i get away with Vaughan’s? You Decide)
Andrew Strauss: Wing Commander needs to soar again.
Kevin Pietersen: Ever told you I am great?
Ian bell: Foreplay beautiful, intercourse over in seconds.
Paul Collingwood: Gritty northener, shovels to leg often.
Tim Ambrose: Australian wanky wicky, we shall see.
Stuart Broad: Boy band bowler, looks very good.
Ryan Sidebottom: Lion of Huddersfield likes to roar.
Jimmy Anderson: Hot wife, hot and cold bowling
Monty Panesar: Sikh of Tweak fields like spastic.
The Old Zealand
Matthew Bell: miss, swing, swing, miss, miss, out.
Jamie How: How indeed? better in ODI’s, shit.
Stephen Fleming: Plays wonderfully until fifty, then out.
Matthew Sinclair: Fuck I’m shit, Shoot me please
Ross Taylor: Did well, will get found out.
Grant Elliot: If test quality, god help us.
Brendan McCullum: Smash bang wallop, shit dropped it.
Daniel Vettori: Used to Bowl, now a batsman.
Tim Southee: Buck toothed young buck comes good.
Jeetan Patel: Bowl better than skipper, still dropped.
Chris Martin: Comical batting, used to have hair.
Coming tomorrow, India vs South Africa or West Indies vs Sri Lanka
Filed under: Cricket | Tags: Andrew Strauss, Cricket, England, Ian Bell, james anderson, Matthew Sinclair, New Zealand, Ryan Sidebottom, Stephen Fleming, stuart broad, Sunil Gavaskar
The England are in a very strong position in this test match now. We require five wickets (two of them proper no11′s), NZ require 231 runs or to bat out the whole day.
So let’s look back at what’s happened since I’ve been away.
Ryan Sidebottom took 7/47 in The Englands best bowling display since Harmison ripped apart the West Indies for 7/12. He looked a bit flat in NZ’s second innings, but so would you be, after the bowling he did in the first innings.
Stuart Broad supported him ably, with 3/54 in the second innings. He has also scored 73 runs in this test match, and taken 2/40 in the fourth innings. Proper no 8 mad skillz. He’s big, he’s bad, he’s better than his dad, Stuart Broad, Stuart Broad.
Jimmy Anderson has reverted to type. If it swings he’s fine. Unfortunately his stock delivery appears to be short, wide, smash. To let Matthew Bell, who was still looking shit, get 17 runs in an over, is just wrong. He’s bowled 17 overs for 108 runs with no wickets in this test match. Shithead.
Andrew Strauss has restored his place in the squad for the summer, by scoring a BIG hundred. 177 is his highest first class score. He looked fantastic too. I know I was suggesting he get his wings clipped recently, everyone was, but if this really is a return to confidence, I’ll be happy with the posh lad. He decided to play within his body width, drove nicely, cut and pulled as well as he did when he burst on to the scene (10 hundreds in 30 innings), and played the spinners superbly.
Ian Bell looked like the MCC coaching manual, and a bit of a tough guy. Usually, he’ll knock of a few sublime shots in the V, and then the opposing captian will bring the field in, and he gets out. This time, he went aerial, and made it look so easy! He needs to do this more often.
Stephen Fleming got his career average up to 40, then was out almost immediately after. I’m not happy with that. Mike Atherton was saying that there should be no place in test match cricket for personal milestones, when there’s a bigger team picture. Fleming needed to bat for a day. He got the average, then appeared to switch off.
Matthew Sinclair decided he didn’t fancy the flight to The England, and was shit again.
In other news, Sri Lanka are spanking the West Indies, and may win their first ever test match in carribbean climes.
Sunil Gavaskar is saying that his dad is bigger than The England’s and Australias. Which is quite a turnaround. His dad used to be a wimp that we all picked on. But it seems the auld fella has beefed up and learnt hand to hand combat.
Also let’s not forget that according to someone with taste in abundence, Suave the cricket blogger is awesome.
Unfortunately, they didn’t find their way to my site, but they did arrive at two other wonderful cricket blogs: Cricket With Balls and Miss-Field



