The Evolution of Fielding

Fielding has changed massively in cricket over the years, due to a wide variety of reasons. But here’s the main one. T20 cricket.

The introduction of T20 cricket, and the subsequent creativity of batsmen such as Tillakaratne Dilshan with his infamous ‘Dilscoop’ shot, and the aggression which has emerged from that into all forms of the game, by those like Virender Sehwag (Who has an impressive test match career strike rate of 82.23) has forced the bowling sides to think about how they can stem the flow of runs from the other end.

Dilshan executing his famous ‘Dilscoop’ shot.

Bowlers have long been proficient at all variations of slower balls, cutters and yorkers and death bowlers such as Lasith ‘Slinger’ Malinga and Dale Steyn are dangerous game changers, but there’s been nothing new to see for a while.

So, the bowlers aren’t doing anything new. The batsmen are getting more aggressive and more creative. There’s only one area where there’s room for improvement. In the field.

Sure the tactics have changed, but I’m not going to bore you with the details. The most notable difference for me, is actually the desire, teamwork and creativity that fielders now show. The desire Andrew Strauss showed to take this famous slip catch off Adam Gilchrist is a primary example of this. In the picture it seems as if he is virtually flying! An incredible catch.

Former England captain Andrew Strauss in mid air catching Adam Gilchrist from the bowling of Andrew Flintoff, at Trent Bridge in 2005.

Also consider, how 20 years ago a well timed ball goes flying past someone in the covers, and they wouldn’t hunt it down to see if they could save the boundary. Now, in all forms of the game, we see fielders hunt in twos. One chases it down, while another from a nearby position follows in anticipation of their team-mate diving, and sliding the ball back to them, all before making contact with the boundary rope.

Now here comes the creativity. The Natwest T20 Blast has seen the emergence of two incredible catches, both from Yorkshire duo Aaron Finch and Adam Lyth. The first of the two, is this one in the War of the Roses. Lancashire were flying on 68-1 off 6.5 overs, and then this happens.

And, then when you thought it couldn’t get much better, they produce an even more impressive carbon copy against Leicestershire later on in the tournament.

The phrase “catches win matches” has always been true. But with T20 matches often coming down to the last ball, teams are recognising just how much of significant difference fielding and creative catching can make in counteracting aggressive batting, and the knowledge and skills for this, is transferring into all forms of the game. The prospect of seeing catches like Finch & Lyth’s common place in cricket is exciting. Whatever next!?

Gareth Bale, or…?

Gareth Bale: £85.3M

OR…

2000 newly qualified staff nurses
500 speciality doctors
420 paramedics
200 consultants
All employed for a year

OR…

6000 community water projects in Africa (Serving up to roughly 500 people each)
and
2225 projects to provide water for a school or medical centre in Africa

OR…

Building 10,662 classrooms
and
Sending 110,721 children to school for a year in Ethiopia

OR…

22,155,844 insecticidal Malaria nets, reducing the episodes of illness by up to 50%. (Malaria kills one child every second)

Just some examples of what could be done with the money Real Madrid have just spent on one player. It’s ludicrous.

Sources:
NHS Careers pay rates
The Water Project
Building Schools For Africa
UNICEF Malaria Factsheet

My Favourite Olympic Moment…

As the London Olympics come to an end, there are often many discussions about what everyone’s favourite moment of the games was. From what I’ve heard, many people are saying the moment when Jessica Ennis won the Heptathlon, or when Mo Farah crossed the line of the 5000m’s, meaning that he won Gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000m races – an amazing achievement, were their favourite moments.

However, my favourite moment came very early on in the games, and is perhaps one that many won’t remember, or favour over moments such as those that I have already mentioned. My favourite moment is that when Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie won Team GB’s first EVER Gold in a Canoeing Slalom event – in this case they won Gold in the C2 class.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’d never heard of Stott or Baillie when they sat there at the top of the course. Therefore, I didn’t know what to expect. Off they went, and they did well – completing the course at Lee Valley, in a time of 106.41 without any time penalties. From then on it was a case of holding our breaths – or I certainly did! And it got to the second to last pair, with Stott and Baillie still in first and I knew we were at least guaranteed a Bronze. Then, with Stott and Baillie still in first, up came another British pair, David Florence and Richard Hounslow in a time of 106.77. So Britain had Gold AND Silver in an event that we’d never won a Gold in, to then us getting two medals. Amazing.

What I love most about this, is that they weren’t expected to get a medal. Farah was expected to at least challenge the talented African runners, and Ennis certainly stood a good chance of a medal at the very least. But no one expected a top-two finish for the Brits in the C2 event, which is what for me made Hounslow and Florence crossing the line in the Silver medal position, to add to Baillie and Stott’s Gold, my favourite Olympic moment! What was yours!?

Mental illness In Sport

Marcus Trescothick

As a lover of sport I have great admiration for the talent and commitment of many sportsmen and women. They travel alot, cope with the expectation from supporters, and conduct interviews with the media.

Somerset cricketer Marcus Trescothick was an established England Test opening batsman and respected squad member. Trescothick had anxiety attacks when away from home from aged 10, but he put this down to home-sickness. Once in the Test side, he struggled sleeping and desperately missed family. Then, in March 2006, he broke down and could no longer handle the travelling, the expectation and the longing for his family.

“I’d been through some tough nights before. But what happened between now and the following morning was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I started sweating heavily. I started shaking. I felt myself losing control. I was petrified. I grabbed the packet of sleeping pills and popped one out. Get the tablet down me, I thought, and at least sleep will help me stop this feeling until morning. One tablet, roll over and it would be tomorrow, like so many times before. This time, I took one, nodded off momentarily, then woke up with a start. As I came to, I realised the effect of the tablet had worn off almost instantaneously. That wasn’t right. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I tried again, same result. Now I am struggling, I thought. If the pills don’t work, if the pills can’t work what….. My mind was racing, pulling itself apart in a hundred directions. I was sweating. And I could hear a loud banging noise – thump, thump, thump – like someone banging a big bass drum. I couldn’t work out where it was coming from and then I realised it was my heart. It wouldn’t slow down. I was terrified it might actually burst.” (an extract from Marcus Trescothick’s book, entitled ‘Coming Back To Me’)

This gives you an insight into what Trescothick went through at his very worst, and it was this that forced his retirement from international cricket. Awful isn’t it? I think, as Trescothick also says in his book, that unless you have suffered with depression, we cannot begin to understand what it’s like. Trescothick received support from Steve Bull, the England Sport Psychologist, and an anonymous counsellor. As a huge fan of Trescothick I am delighted to say that he has recovered from the worst, however, he admits himself that depression can never truly go.

I have used Trescothick’s story as it offers the most in-depth information, however, there are many other sportsmen and women who have suffered from mental illnesses, such as depression. Some of them are:
– Sussex and England Cricketer Michael Yardy
– American Olympic Diver Wendy Williams
– Hannover 96 and Germany Goalkeeper Robert Enke, who tragically committed suicide on 10 November 2009
– England Cricketer Matthew Hoggard
– Oylmpic Gold Medallist Kelly Holmes
– Tennis Player Serena Williams
– Snooker Player Ronnie O’Sullivan

The reasons for these people suffering from mental illnesses may be very different, however, the question has to be raised, that without the intense pressure of playing/competing in their sport to the very highest level, could the mental illness they suffered have been avoided? And, what can be done to stop more of this happening to other sports stars?

Joel