Iain O'Brien's Cricket Blog

I wanted to write something regarding the Match/Spot fixing allegations... Just like every other ex International Cricketer I guess.  But then I thought, well, you can read their thoughts on the subject why don't I offer you something different..

So I'm selling a rug.

HERE

It's a big one and is very nice...  You should check it out, make sure you read what it can do!  It really is an amazing rug.

I guess it's my challenge, it's statement.  I just hope someone is listening, and can work out what I'm saying!

Till next time.....

OB 

Middlesex CCC, we’ve started the season four from four in the Championship.  That’s four loses from four matches, not four wins.  I’ve never been a part of a worse start to a season than this; and it hurts. 

To find something or someone to blame, to find factors to explain the results is quite tough.  As a team we have had some good chats, player orientated not coach driven, to work out why we’ve not been able to put together ‘team’ performances.  As individuals, in places, we certainly have been playing some very good cricket.  There have been three hundreds and four five wicket bags.  That’s not bad reading, but as we all remember from the 2009 Ashes, the team that scores the most hundreds and takes the most wickets doesn’t always win the competition.  It’s the other performances around those singular individual efforts that haven’t been up to scratch.  We haven’t played as a team yet. We haven’t put a team performance on the board yet.

This last match, vs Gloucestershire, was, well, our fourth loss; a big one in the end, 103 runs.  We had a chase of 289 to win in the fourth innings, probably, well, very much so, about 40 runs more than it should have been.  On the morning of the third day with Gloucestershire 220 in front and seven down we really failed to knock them over and hopefully chase 250.  We bowled poorly, none more so than me.  I had one of those mornings.  I felt really good but couldn’t keep a line; my lengths were just fine.  It’s a horrible feeling when you know you’ve got to turn it on and it just won’t work.  We were down on bowler, abdominal strain, so it wasn’t like I could get myself out of the attack and try the other end quite as easy.  We gave them a large advantage and made the chase that much harder.

This match was a chance to catch up with Hamish Marshall and James Franklin who both play for Gloucestershire.  Both are having good starts to the summer and enjoying it all.  Of course, as a Kiwi, there’s extra pressure to do well against these boys, and vice versa.  I, obviously, wanted to get them out; they wanted to score as many as they could off me.  I managed to get one over Marshy when he was on 72 but couldn’t budge Franky; and that was not through lack of trying.  I bowled one of my better spells to a left hander to him.

I finished with seven wickets in the first innings, and was back out in the middle soon after as nightwatchman.  This time my nightwatchman was more of a “night-have-a-slash-at-the-first-ball-you-face-knicking-it-to-the-keeper-man.”  So I really didn’t do my job here, a day of highs and a very big low.  I guess, looking back, I was probably asking a lot of myself to do the nighty job after the highs of getting seven.  If I get the chance again, I’ll hopefully know how to play it better.

This seven (for 48) is my second best innings figures.  I was gutted to not turn it into a 10 wicket match as I only managed one in the second innings.

We start again tomorrow against Sussex, here in Hove; which is in Brighton on the south coast.  Sussex have quite the opposite record this summer to us; they’re four from four, wins that is so it’s not going to be an easy one; although if we are to turn around this start of the season, we might as well do it against the current best team in the league.

As I’ve said, we’ve played four Championship matches. Back home, in NZ, the last few summers there has been between eight and ten Championship matches across the whole summer making up the whole competition.  Which means, here, in under a month we will have finished five matches.  Something to think about......

Sitting here, at Northants ground, laptop on lap top while a Championship match is taking place that I should be playing in, feels weird.  Normally when I blog it’s late at night after a day on the park.  Not right now.  The boys are on the park and currently we, Middlesex CCC, have racked up  442-8 dec.  Steven Finn is steaming in, the sun is out and a cool wind blows across the ground and I’m on the sideline with a groin injury.   It almost a perfect day to be bowling, light breeze and warm out in the sun.

It’s been a while since I’ve been here, since I’ve sat down and blogged.  I do need to be more regular.  It’s tough when you’re new to a team, new to a new city.  So many things to keep you busy with, to keep you entertained, to while away time; and I am having thoughts of maybe putting a book together and don’t want to spoil material for it, still unsure.

So, this groin of mine... (Never thought I’d ever type that!!) I first felt it during our preseason fitness work.  It didn’t really bother me, it was just something that was there and I didn’t really think much of it.  It went away, it came back, went away, came back and so on.  It wasn’t until the morning of Day 3 vs Glamorgan, our last Championship Match that it really gave me any grief.  I had got four overs into a spell and it was tightening up more and more.  I was hoping it would just go away, it does happen, believe me; sometimes injuries just disappear.  It didn’t.  It kept getting worse, and after six overs I had to leave the park; something I hate doing.  I hate leaving unfinished business in the middle.  Off and ice on it straight away, Glam were six down and I knew I was done for this match and my attention, and the physio’s, was getting me fit for this next game. 

I got out to warm ups early here in Northants so I could give it a good run through and give the ‘skip’ the yes or no as early as possible.  Unfortunately I couldn’t give any guarantees to Udal that I’d be any good later in the day.  I knew I could get through a couple of spells early but later in the day when the body gets tired I wasn’t sure how it’d be.  So that means this match was a ‘no’ for me for this one.

So far London has been good to me.  The weather, generally, has been pretty good; getting around has been ok, I’m living not too far from the places I need to get to so travel times haven’t been so bad.  Around where I’m living is three curry restaurants which, if you’ve been following my blogs, keeps me very happy; especially one.  When I phone to make a booking, they answer the phone “Ello, dis is Paradise.”  Too right it’s paradise!

The first couple of matches this summer haven’t gone to plan.  I hate to say it but it is a bit of a familiar story; just not quite enough runs.  As a unit we’ve bowled well and taken 20 wickets in both.  Scoring runs in our first innings has been our failings; 160 and 120 are just not enough when our opposition have scored around 300 both times.  We’ve also been unlucky.  We’ve bowled bloody well and seen the ball sail pass the edge a lot and past leg stump of the other edge to many times.  I’m not being defensive; it just is what it is. 

I was privileged to be a part of something special in the first match of our summer.  Finn and I took all 10 wickets between us.  That doesn’t happen too often.  The very special thing about it was that I got just the one and Finny the other nine.  Yeah, that’s right; Steven Finn took nine wickets in the innings, for just 37 runs. 

Right, I’ve run out of words at the moment.  Here is two of links from couple of Middlesex CCC interviews that I did preseason and have been posted through the MCCC channel on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k5trEbb-lo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9_vzJomsx8&feature=related

And the winners are:

ME

Thanks to all who entered the draw; sorry there is no such draw, no such event.

Thanks to all who played along, knowingly or not.

Yeah, you with me now!!??

Wouldn’t it be a good idea though!!??

Welcome to April all!

Please check out the Loof website, the charity of choice.  Loof = fool   yeah, you with me??

Psychological Issues in Adults - like gullibility!!??  Still with me??

Hi all, I know it's been a while but I come bearing gifts.. again!  

Middlesex CCC and ArsenalFC  have teamed up, through Richard Scott's connections (and constant name dropping), to bring you a charity T20 and then 20 min each way 7 a-side football match.  

This will be held at, wait for it, Lords, on the 9th of May.  This will be the first time football has 'officially' played on Lords.

Although I'm not a massive football fan, this certainly is something I am looking forward to.  Hanging out with successful sportsmen who share similar day to day troubles and enjoyments are always memorable moments for most players. And after last nights performance I really am looking forward to meeting these guys.

Middlesex have asked me to start the publicity for this event as they are trying to see the benefits of the social networking side of advertising.  

Tickets can be booked/purchased from the MCCC Ticket office: 02074321000

Middlesex CCC vs Arsenal FC

T20 + 20 min each way 7 a-side football 

9th May

2.30pm start - gates open from 1pm

Tickets start from £15 adults £5 kids

MCCC Ticket office: 02074321000

Charity - Loof - Dealing with Psychological Issues in Adults

And the winners are......

CM

and 

Baker

I'll be in touch with you two via your email and will organise posting you each a book.

Thank you all for your entries.  

I hope CM and Baker enjoy the book.  And the rest of you, buy it new from here and help put food on this guys table!

Recently I turned into a published writer.  It wasn't my book but one that a friend had asked me to contribute too.  Would he pay me, would he put me on the cover, inside cover?  Nope, none of those; but he did send me a couple of extra signed copies for me to give away.  Generous isn’t he.

Here’s my review of “When Freddie Became Jesus.” 

The Cover

Wilbur Smith writes books of legend and history.  He weaves stories of love, war, friendship, travel, famine, intrigue and many more into a spellbinding adventure.  This is what Jarrod Kimber has done with his book “When Freddie Became Jesus.”  Sort of.

To compare award winning Smith to possible award winning (nominated: Best New Writer in the British Sports Books Awards) Kimber maybe a bit of a hyperbole, well, a huge hyperbole, but this is what he has done with the 2009 Ashes.  He recounts, in a historical fashion, the battles that took place over England and Wales during last summer.  Weaved into the time lines are stories and thoughts plucked from only where Kimber knows.  His fascination with Ian Bell is, well, sick.  His dis-love for Watson and Hauritz is one from school yard where you’d actually think he, deep down, has a genuine ‘bro-mance’ crush on them.

Kimber’s storytelling and blog writing is well renowned among the internet cricket follower looking for an alternative view on the daily goings on in cricket.  His blog at cricketwithballs.com of ‘cricketing satire’, a genre not known until Kimber (Jrod - as he is known through the site) first started blogging in this manner in September 2007.  Since, Kimber has published two books, one entirely from his blogs in 2008 and this next piece that keeps me giggling, uncomfortably, in public places.

His style and ‘talk’ is that where you want Kimber to stop recalling the accounts of the matches and where you just want to listen to him rant, moan, lambast and oil up in between times.  The book would not work without these ‘interruptions’ though and for a guy that hasn’t played Test cricket, let alone First Class cricket, his knowledge and views on the games need to be read if you have any sort of an interest in cricket and a mind of an adult nature.  Oh, and you need to get this book because I’m in it.  I’ve written probably the best 350 words of the book.  I don’t want to be rude to Kimber, but sometimes these things have to be said.  Buy it and find out!

Now, as I said, I have a couple of signed, first edition copies to give away.  To go into “the draw” sign in and leave a comment , it doesn’t matter what you write, and I’ll randomly pick two winners from there.  Oh, and if you don’t win a book, go and buy one...  It is a good read.  And you know what, I'll sign it too, if you want me too that is.

We entered the final day of this Test series, one all; we won the First Test, Pakistan the Second.  A series win would be a great way for me to finish, and it was possible; if only we could get some wickets on this ‘so damn flat’ wicket.

I had told Dan about wanting to retire before the Second Test.  He had sent me a txt later in the day saying “you now I’m going to bowl you into the ground now, don’t you?” 

“I don’t expect anything less.” was my reply.  As I wasn’t going to be a part of the rest of the NZ summer there was no point him trying to keep me fresh or injury free.

Day five started as it always does with a bit of a team talk huddle before we kick into warm ups.  Dan outlined the things he wanted us to focus towards and then started “let’s go out there, stick to our plans, hang tough, win this Test and let’s try and give OB a stress fracture!”  In that statement I knew I was going to shoulder a lot of the bowling, I knew this already, and to be honest, I really couldn’t wait. 

It quite all go that simply.  It took us the majority of the day to dismiss Pakistan and if there hadn’t of been a couple of the Pakistan’s batters self destruct; we could still be out there now trying to dismiss them.  I reckon it might just be starting to go a little up and down now.

I came out and bowled after lunch and something wasn’t quite right.  I had 10 or 12 warm up balls at the end of the break, felt fine, but after I had bowled two balls in my first over something was up.  I was wobbly, dizzy, sweating a lot and generally felt woeful.  I got through the over and went off the park for a sit down, a drink and a little something more to eat.  I really felt about as average as I have ever done, but I didn’t want anyone else taking the ball out of my hand so I got back out there for my next over; and thankfully so.  I picked up Gul through a great catch by Flynny in close.  We celebrated the wicket and I just had to take a knee.  I was cooked.  I finished this over and started to feel better.  I really wanted to bowl here now as we were really into the tail and it was the chance for a couple more wickets; not for me though.  I finished up with six for the match and I’m happy with that.  That gave me 15 for the series, an average of five per game; more than I’d averaged through my career and happy for it.

As I said the rain came and washed away any hope of a win and with that both teams shook hands and the match, the series and my career for NZ were over.  I was a little emotional, as you can imagine, and with the boys, that night, we enjoyed a good night celebrating a good series.  One poor younger member of the team tried to keep up with the big boys (it must be known that I am not one of the big boys; I can’t drink for toffee) that night; it was an early night and a tough couple of days after for him.  Bless him!

One more game for Wellington Firebirds at the Basin, I really wanted to play one more for Wellington.  It was a One Day game vs. Canterbury, the team who I made my One Day debut for Wellington against.  And this one went much the same way.  We lost.  There was to be no fairytale ending to my NZ or Wellington career; although there was a couple of positives and maybe a small piece of ‘Boys Own’ annual in this game. 

The Boy's Own

I bowled my first spell of seven over for just 17 runs and picked up a wicket in my first over; it all started so well!  My next three overs were in the batting power play.  I didn’t quite get it right here and went for 30 off my those three, but I did do something I thinks pretty cool; I got a wicket with the last ball of my 10^th over, my last ball for Wellington on my home ground, the Basin Reserve.  Personally I couldn’t have asked for a better last ball finish than that.

Last Ball for Wellington: Taken and used with permission by Carey Clements

Release: Taken and used with permission by Carey Clements

Eyes up and looking: Taken and used with permission by Carey Clements

Goooooooone!: Taken and used with permission by Carey Clements

That's it, all over. I'm done in in NZ: Taken and used with permission by Carey Clements

To be continued...... part 4 of 3 coming up soon (I’ve just go so much to say; like my old Indoor Cricket days.....)

The third Test at Napier was a brilliant finishing Test.  It had everything apart from an outright victory.  The rain came in this one and, I feel, took a win out of our hands.  It was going to be a special run chase that we had made a great start on and even Mohammad Yousuf  was grateful for the rain.  It wasn’t a great wicket for Test cricket to be played on and in the last few years there have been very few outright results.  The pitch just gets better and better to bat on to the point where even on day five, right at the very end of the match, when you expect some strange things to happen, there was nothing in it for the bowlers; no variation of bounce, no real rough for the spinners to create some magic out of.  Any chase on day five should be tough, it should be a physical battle and more so a psychological battle knowing that the pitch is (should be) going to be tough to bat on.  It wasn’t, it was as good as a batting wicket gets.  You could have played another five days of cricket on that wicket without it doing anything indifferent.

So to come away from a Test in Napier and getting so close to a win, so bitterly close, and in my last Test, it was quite deflating. 

I started the match like I had done no other.  We were asked to bowl, we wanted to bat first, but I’ve never complained too much about bowling first here, it’s the only time the ball does anything and as Rossco keeps pointing out team that bat first are very often four or five down at lunch.  I was first change, following Chris Martin, and felt really good.  I was excited about this Test, my last one, and really wanted to do something special.  And I did, first up; a wicket in my first over, and a spell of eight overs where I picked up four wickets for 15 runs.  I felt amazing.  Everything felt great.  I had a light breeze at my back; it was about 25 degrees, a new rock in my hand and a quickish day one track.  It would be these conditions that I would love to bowl in every time I had to bowl and if I ever found one of those magic Genie lamps, I’d be asking for. 

Genie: where can I find a lamp?

I bowled 12 dot balls to Mohammad Yousuf and had him caught at gully on the 13^th ball I had bowled to him.  In recent times this is probably the best wicket I have earned.  It was 13 balls all in areas that I wanted to bowl to Mohammad Yousuf in.  I really enjoyed getting his wicket, a lot more than some I have in the past.  He’s an amazing player and to pick him up using the skills I have become better at over the last 18 months was very satisfying.  He was the guy I really wanted in the Pakistan batting line up and I hadn’t got him till this Test; and to double him up in the second innings was icing on this guys very big bit of cake.

http://www.cricinfo.com/nzvpak2009/content/image/438922.html?object=38108

Those four wickets were all I could manage in the first innings.  I just couldn’t pick up one more, it was frustrating and it is one thing I wish I had more of in my career; more 5 wicket bags.  I’ve finished with only one, against West Indies.

I scored 19 in the first innings with the bat; my batting has really got better over my last 5-8 Test that and add to that the track was now pretty placid, at no stage did I really feel too uncomfortable; until Aamer came around the wicket and bowled a few short ones.  I just didn’t pick them up to well but got through it and was really disappointed to be stumped and leave Tuffy on 80.  I had joined him when he was in the early 40’s.  My obvious first goal was to get him through to 50; make sure I didn’t get out on him.  I did that and then we went about scoring as many as we could.  We had some fun together.  Tower played a whole range of shots and we put on 62 for the 9^th wicket.  I’m really taking a lot of pride for the partnerships that I had been a part of recently; and it’s only come about from doing more and more work in the nets; overtraining the uncomfortable things in the nets that will make life in the middle more comfortable.  It was paying off for my average and more importantly our team scores.

http://www.cricinfo.com/nzvpak2009/content/image/439212.html?page=1;object=38108 

We ended up scoring a good first innings score, one that we certainly would have taken when we were 145-5.  Partnerships of 176 (Dan and Baz), 87 (Dan and Tower) and 62 (Tower and I) from that precarious position turned it around and that was based around a hundred to Dan; now his batting has improved out of sight and it should be a lesson to every tail ender in the world; hard work doing the horrible things in the nets pays off.  It’s the leaf from his book I’ve been trying to take.

To be continued.................

Right then, seriously, where to start...

I’m back in the UK, home, so to speak.  My new home; my second home; which is now, really, my first home.  It a little confusing and I’m still getting used to the thought that Great Brittan, England, Derbyshire and Matlock, to be more exact, is now my new home.

Snow Outside My Front Door

As I’ve been tweeting, it’s been a bit of an adventure since I got here.  The whole country has been covered in snow; completely covered in snow.  The flight path here took me over the length of the UK, it was white; an unbelievable sight for someone who hasn’t had a winter for seven years. 

Flying over London: if you look closely, you can see a snow covered Oval.

2002 in NZ was my last winter and since then I have been back and forth following the sun between NZ and the UK, as well as few other countries with the Blackcaps.  It’s been a great ride that I am going to look back with huge fondness and pride.

Steeping into big waterproof boots, scarf on, big jacket on and a woollen hat all has to be put on before stepping out the front door.  I live on a bit of a steep hill and the walk down into the town is fraught with danger.  The snow and ice on the footpaths makes life very interesting, hence it’s been an adventure.  I even had a chance to go sledging; not the trash talking type, but the sitting on a plastic ‘sledge’ and sliding down a snow covered hill type.  Something I’ve never done.  I had done a bit of skiing as a teenager but not been on or near snow since.  It was fun, the wife and I, two 30+ kids sitting on a lump of plastic sliding down a hill with a solid stone wall at the bottom. Something that I would not have been allowed to have done, well have anyone find out about, while on a NZ Cricket contract.  This retirement lark has its benefits.  Although I am currently unemployed and that is a strange feeling!

Sledging: Not me, but you get the idea!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a full on blog.  Since the day I announced my retirement I haven’t put any more than 50 words or 10 minutes into some pretty pizzle updates.  I really wanted to just focus on finishing the Basin Test and then move onto my last Test in Napier without having the thought of coming home after a day’s play and pouring out my thoughts and head spaces into my blog.  I wanted to just really enjoy the time with my team mates and friends after we walked of the park and got all the end of day stuff done.  It all went very quick from Saturday 5^th December till the last day of the 3^rd Test. 

The rest of the Basin Test match didn’t go to good for us.  It was a pretty heavy defeat.  The only shining point in that Test, after I made my announcement was a new Test high score which I am hugely proud of.  There was a bit of rain about and the only real way we could save a defeat was to pray for rain to finish the 4^th day early and then rain all day on the 5^th.  As it was the rain didn’t come on the 4^th and it was a lovely sunny day on the 5^th.  The match didn’t reach the 5^th anyway!  Dan and I batted together and put on 40, not without drama though.  I was dropped first ball, which would have made a pair for me in the Test.  Dan was dropped as well.  The Pakistani’s really had bad hands on this tour and it’s sad to see them doing the same again across the Tasman in Australia; and if I’m not wrong, they’ve been even worse over there.  It’s a disease dropping catches.  And it can be the only thing you can catch, the ‘dropsees’ disease..

I got a few shots away through third man for four, an area that I tend to score in a bit at this level.  I was really pumped knowing this was my last bat for NZ at the Basin.  I really wanted to walk off the park with the rain coming down, knowing I’d done all I could to save this Test.  Dan and I managed it the previous summer against India, at the same venue, but not this time.  Interestingly, that was my previous high score, 18*, successfully trying to save a Test match.  This time, we couldn’t save it and I got out at 31.  I knew I was walking off the Basin Reserve, for New Zealand, for the last time.  Mum and Dad were there, I caught their eye in the crowd and thanked them, and then walked off head down, proud of my batting but disappointed with the match result.

To be continued......