Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
Domination in ODIs a thing of the past
Recent results in one-day cricket have not only made a mockery of the rankings but it has also injected some much-needed excitement in the format.
First, it was current No. 1 India, who lost to Pakistan (No. 6) at home, followed by third-ranked Australia, who fought hard to just level a series with visitors Sri Lanka. Then it was the turn of hosts South Africa to lose a three-match series to lower-ranked New Zealand.
Not surprisingly, India, South Africa and Australia were labelled easy “favourites” in those encounters but the results, which also took the pundits by surprise, are proof of the growing competition in ODI cricket.
There were several factors which worked in unison to produce those turnarounds.
Numerous changes in the rules, governing the ODIs, have made it difficult for captains to stick to a consistent plan. The changes have instead put the onus on teams to experiment, which has often rewarded the lesser sides.
Wanderers test will not match Newlands. But for better or worse?
Last week’s crazy Cape Town test match between South Africa and Australia, where 23 wickets fell in a day and the visitors narrowly avoided the lowest ever test score, will go down in cricket’s esteemed annals.
They meet again at the Wanderers from Thursday. But would test cricket fans want to see a repeat?
Cricket World Cup — live
Join us for coverage of the revamped Cricket World Cup on the subcontinent. Follow all the drama here with regular posts and some of the best photographs around. Comments welcome!
Venter leaves a cult hero for exposing interview hypocrisy
Brendan Venter, Saracen’s idiosyncratic coach, has returned home to South Africa leaving opinion sharply divided in Britain after a surreal televison interview which has won him a cult following on YouTube.
In response to nine questions in 57 seconds, Venter parodied a parody after Saracens had lost a Heineken Cup match to Racing Metro.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Soccer City a white elephant? 90,000 say otherwise
Since July’s World Cup final, which attracted an official attendance of 84 490, the crowds at Johannesburg’s Soccer City have been getting bigger and bigger.
On Saturday the attendance record was beaten again when South Africa hosted its League Cup final at the venue.
from Photographers Blog:
No turning back as Africa’s hour arrives
The 2010 World Cup has been a memorable and momentous occasion not only for me, but for South Africa, the African continent and the rest of the world.
It has indeed been incredible. It has been a unifying factor, with people beginning to appreciate the importance of their national symbols such as flags.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
World Cup final live — Spain 1 Dutch 0 – how it happened
We've followed every World Cup match live here and it's now time for the final --- the Netherlands v Spain. Join us here for commentary, discussion of the game and the best photos in the world.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Losing team’s national stock markets at risk
By Ross Kerber
Two national market indexes that may not shine on Monday are those of Spain and the Netherlands, whose soccer teams are scheduled to meet in the World Cup's championship game on Sunday.
Whichever country's team loses can expect a drag on its market index of 49 basis points, said Wharton business school professor Alex Edmans. That is the amount that national stock indexes tend to be held back on average on the day after their country is eliminated from the World Cup, according to a paper he published in 2007 with two co-authors, Diego Garcia of the University of North Carolina and Oyvind Norli of the Norwegian School of Management.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Sorry Germany, the oracle octopus has spoken
There are only three things that are certain in life -- death, taxes and the World Cup predictions of a British-born octopus in western Germany.
That being the case, there's hardly any point in playing Wednesday's semi-final between Germany and Spain -- the Spanish have got it won.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Reuters World Cup 2010 podcast — quarter-finals (II)
Join us for a look back at the extraordinary first two quarter-finals at the World Cup and a look forward to Germany v Argentina and Spain v Paraguay. Paul Radford, Felix Bate, Jon Bramley and Kevin Fylan argue over the merits of penalty goals in soccer and consider Ghana's desperate misfortune.
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