Premier League 2010-2011

The Premier League 2010-11 season kicks off next Saturday, 14^th August. Defending champions Chelsea will kick off the new campaign at home to newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion. Find all the latest updates here as we share the experience with you over the next few months.

For those who’ve just joined in:

The Premier League is England’s primary football club competition. At the top of the English Football Pyramid, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League which lies below it.

Every year the Premier League season takes place from August to May and during these 9 months, each Premier League team plays every other team twice, on a home and away basis, for a total of 38 games. Teams receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and none for a loss. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner.

The Premier League consists of 20 clubs. The three lowest teams in the Premier League at the end of the season are relegated to the Football League while three teams from Football League are promoted to the Premier League.

Winners of the Premier League qualify for European championships including UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

The top four teams in the Premier League qualify for the UEFA Champions League, with the top three teams directly entering the group stage. The fourth-placed team enters the Champions League at the play-off round. The team placed fifth in the Premier League automatically qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, and the sixth and seventh-place teams can also qualify, depending on the winners of the two domestic cup competitions.

Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. It is sponsored by Barclays Bank and therefore officially known as the Barclays Premier League.

Promoted as "The Greatest Show On Earth", the Premier League is the world's most popular and most watched sporting league, followed worldwide by over half a billion people in 202 countries.

Since its inception in 1992, it has only been won by 4 teams – Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal and Chelsea. Manchester United has dominated the league through 11 wins and Chelsea are current Champions.

In addition to the winner's Trophy and the individual Winner's Medals, the Premier League also awards the monthly, Manager of the Month and Player of the Month awards, and the annual Manager of the Year as well as the Golden Boot, awarded to top goal scorer and the Golden Glove, awarded to the goal keeper with most clean sheets.

Premier League 2010-2011

This year’s Premier League will be the nineteenth season of the league. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 . The season will begin on 14 August 2010, and conclude on 22 May 2011.

17 teams from the 2009-10 Premier League are contesting this time, while 3 teams have been promoted from the Football League. These are 2009–10 Football League Championship champions Newcastle United and runners-up West Bromwich Albion as well as Blackpool who will be appearing for the first time in Premier League.

This will also be the first time since 1983–84 that all four major West Midlands clubs — Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers — will all have been in the top division at the same time.
It will also be the first time that the Black Country derby will be contested in the Premier League. And with Portsmouth relegated, this season's Premier League will have no Southern English clubs outside London.

What's Making Headlines

Chelsea will take on Manchester United in the 2010 Community Shield tomorrow, 8^th August at Wembley Stadium, in what is considered to be a curtain raiser for the Premier League season starting one week from now. Premier League’s defending champions, Chelsea are the favourites to claim the Community Shield silverware. The game is usually considered a massive confidence booster for the winner as each team would most likely be the main Premiership rival for the other.

The league has introduced a "home grown players" rule this season. From this season onwards Premier League clubs will have to name a squad of up to 25 players and the new rule will require clubs to name at least eight players in their squad of 25 that have been registered domestically for a minimum of three seasons prior to their 21st birthday. The hope is that this rule change will have a beneficial knock-on effect at international level, giving England a greater pool of potential players. It aims to encourage the development of young footballers at Premier League clubs and will also reward clubs for their investment in youth.

Fixtures for this Month

Saturday, 14 August 2010

Tottenham v Man City, 12:45

Aston Villa v West Ham, 15:00

Blackburn v Everton, 15:00

Bolton v Fulham, 15:00

Sunderland v Birmingham, 15:00

Wigan v Blackpool, 15:00

Wolverhampton v Stoke, 15:00

Chelsea v West Brom, 17:30

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Sunday, 15 August 2010

Liverpool v Arsenal, 16:00

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Monday, 16 August 2010

Man Utd v Newcastle, 20:00

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Saturday, 21 August 2010

Arsenal v Blackpool, 15:00

Birmingham v Blackburn, 15:00

Everton v Wolverhampton, 15:00

Stoke v Tottenham, 15:00

West Brom v Sunderland, 15:00

West Ham v Bolton, 15:00

Wigan v Chelsea, 17:15

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Sunday, 22 August 2010

Newcastle v Aston Villa, 13:30

Fulham v Man Utd, 16:00

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Monday, 23 August 2010

Man City v Liverpool, 20:00

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Saturday, 28 August 2010

Blackburn v Arsenal, 12:45

Blackpool v Fulham, 15:00

Chelsea v Stoke, 15:00

Liverpool v West Brom, 15:00

Tottenham v Wigan, 15:00

Wolverhampton v Newcastle, 15:00

Man Utd v West Ham, 17:30

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Sunday, 29 August 2010

Bolton v Birmingham, 13:30

Sunderland v Man City, 15:00

Aston Villa v Everton, 16:00

Bledisloe Cup 2010 - Updates

The Bledisloe Cup 2010 series started on 31^st July with the first Tri-Nations match between the All Blacks and the Wallabies. We are here to bring you the latest of all the action for the next 3 months. Watch this space for regular updates:

7th August - New Zealand beat Australia to retain Bledisloe Cup

The All Blacks beat Australia 20-10 today to retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 8th year in a row.

Mila Muliaina and Conrad Smith got first-half tries for the All Blacks in Christchurch, while Australia’s only try came from full-back Kurtley Beale. The All Blacks’ defence shone in a second half where its only points came from Dan Carter's penalty after it had led 17-10 and by two tries to one at halftime.

This is also New Zealand's 9th consecutive win over the Wallabies, surpassing its own record set between 1936 and 1947. After losing the last match 49-28, the Wallabies showed a much better game this time around by slowing the All Blacks ball to gain a much greater share of possession and of territory. In fact, they dominated the opening exchanges through both territory and possession but Muliaina’s try re-emphasized the All Blacks’ ability to score through turnovers and on the counterattack. In the end, the All Black defence was unrelenting.

All Blacks need just one more point to clinch this year's Tri-Nations title as well. This would be their 10th win since the inception of the series in 1996, where as South Africa, the defending champions, have won thrice and Australia, twice.

1st August - Jimmy Cowan doubtful for next Bledisloe

The 2^nd test will be taking place next Saturday, August 8^th, at Christchurch, New Zealand. All Blacks halfback Jimmy Cowan is doubtful to play after suffering rib cartilage damage during Saturday night's match.

Cowan was replaced by Piri Weepu in the 33rd minute of the first half and All Blacks head coach Graham Henry said he was unlikely to feature when New Zealand play against the Wallabies in the 2^nd test.

We look forward eagerly to Saturday’s match as Wallabies gear up for retribution. It would be a big test for Wallabies coach Robbie Deans as Australia have not won in New Zealand since 2001.

31^st July - 1st Test

The match took place at the Etihad stadium in Melbourne. With both the All Blacks and the Wallabies unbeaten in the Tri-Nations at the time, there was some fantastic attacking rugby on both sides.

This became apparent when the All Blacks made fifty yards from turnover ball followed by Giteau making a scything break past McCaw which forced the All Blacks to give a penalty to shut down the dangerous attack.

The Wallabies had suffered their first setback as they were forced to move Matt Giteau to outside half after Quade Cooper was banned for two weeks for a dangerous tackle against the Springboks last week. Gitteau duly showed his worth by opening the scoring for the Wallabies.

The All Blacks also had the advantage of an extra man for the majority of the second half as Australian wing Drew Mitchell got his second yellow card which meant a permanent expulsion from the game.

The All Blacks have surely played a commendable game scoring seven tries in a 28-49 defeat of Australia to win 2010's first Bledisloe Cup match.

The schedule for Bledisloe Cup Matches 2010 is as follows:

• Test 1: 31st July, 2010 – Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, Australia
• Test 2: 7th August, 2010 – AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand
• Test 3: 11th September, 2010 – ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia
• Test 4: 30th October, 2010 – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Bledisloe Cup - Past and Present

Rugby Union’s Bledisloe Cup is here once again. Saturday night saw the first match between the Wallabies and All Blacks with New Zealand winning (Wallabies 28-49 All Blacks).

But the game is not over yet. There are three more matches to look forward to in the next 3 months and we are here to bring you all the excitement and updates from the field. So stay with us through this journey and let’s share the Bledisloe experience.

The Bledisloe Cup Over The Years

There is some dispute as to when the first Bledisloe Cup match was played. The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) contends that the one-off 1931 match played at Eden Park was the first. The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), on the other hand, believes that the first match was when New Zealand toured Australia in 1932.

The then Governor-General of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe, presented the Cup as a perpetual Rugby trophy and a token of good will between Australia and New Zealand. The silver Bledisloe Cup, designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and crafted by Walker and Hall in London, is the largest trophy in World Rugby.

The Bledisloe cup matches, which were once played irregularly every few years, now happen annually, and have included Tri-Nations fixtures between the two sides since 1996.

Over the years, the Bledisloe Cup has been contended through 2-game contests and sometimes 3-game contests. Since the advent of the Tri-Nations series, it has mostly been a fixed two match series played on a home and away basis. The 2010 Bledisloe Cup, however, will be played in 4 matches.

The first time the Cup was contested in 4 matches was in 2008, with three games played in Australia and New Zealand and a fourth and potentially deciding game in Hong Kong in an effort to promote the game in Asia. It was also the first time Australia and New Zealand played in a third country outside the World Cup.

The Hong Kong match drew a crowd of 39,000 and its success has lead to more matches being held outside the nations ever since. The 4^th game of the 2010 Bledisloe Cup will be held on 30^th October at the Hong Kong Stadium in Hong Kong.

Over the years, New Zealand has won the series 37 times while Australia has won it 12 times, with the New Zealand All Blacks being the current cup holders.

New Zealand has retained the cup since 2003 with last year’s series being a clean sweep for them (they won 4-0). New Zealand’s streak has been on for the last 7 series. Although 2 of those (2004 and 2007) were draws, the trophy remained with New Zealand as it is held by the current holders in case of draws.

Australia’s longest streak has been 5 series in a row from 1998-2002.

The Bledisloe Cup results since 1931 have been as follows.

bledisloe cup results 1931 - 2008

Year Winner Matches Venue 1931 New Zealand 1-0 New Zealand - 20 v Australia - 13 Auckland 1932 New Zealand 2-1 Australia - 22 v New Zealand - 17 Sydney Australia - 3 v New Zealand - 21 Brisbane Australia - 13 v New Zealand - 21 Sydney 1934 Australia 1-0 Australia - 25 v New Zealand - 11 Sydney Australia - 3 v New Zealand - 3 Sydney 1936 New Zealand 2-0 New Zealand - 11 v Australia - 6 Wellington New Zealand - 38 v Australia - 13 Dunedin 1938 New Zealand 3-0 Australia - 9 v New Zealand - 24 Sydney Australia - 14 v New Zealand - 20 Brisbane Australia - 6 v New Zealand - 14 Sydney 1946 New Zealand 2-0 New Zealand - 31 v Australia - 8 Dunedin New Zealand - 14 v Australia - 10 Auckland 1947 New Zealand 2-0 Australia - 5 v New Zealand - 13 Brisbane Australia - 14 v New Zealand - 27 Sydney 1949 Australia 2-0 New Zealand - 6 v Australia - 11 Wellington New Zealand - 9 v Australia - 16 Auckland 1951 New Zealand 3-0 Australia - 0 v New Zealand - 8 Sydney Australia - 11 v New Zealand - 17 Sydney Australia - 6 v New Zealand - 16 Brisbane 1952 New Zealand 1-1 New Zealand - 9 v Australia - 14 Christchurch New Zealand - 15 v Australia - 8 Wellington 1955 New Zealand 2-1 New Zealand - 16 v Australia - 8 Wellington New Zealand - 8 v Australia - 0 Dunedin New Zealand - 3 v Australia - 8 Auckland 1957 New Zealand 2-0 Australia - 11 v New Zealand - 25 Sydney Australia - 9 v New Zealand - 22 Brisbane 1958 New Zealand 2-1 New Zealand - 25 v Australia - 3 Wellington New Zealand - 3 v Australia - 6 Christchurch New Zealand - 17 v Australia - 8 Auckland 1962 New Zealand 4-0 Australia - 6 v New Zealand - 20 Brisbane Australia - 5 v New Zealand - 14 SCG, Sydney New Zealand - 9 v Australia - 9 Wellington New Zealand - 3 v Australia - 0 Dunedin New Zealand - 16 v Australia - 8 Auckland 1964 New Zealand 2-1 New Zealand - 14 v Australia - 9 Dunedin New Zealand - 18 v Australia - 3 Christchurch New Zealand - 5 v Australia - 20 Wellington 1967 New Zealand 1-0 New Zealand - 29 v Australia - 9 Wellington 1968 New Zealand 2-0 Australia - 11 v New Zealand - 27 Sydney Australia - 18 v New Zealand - 19 Brisbane 1972 New Zealand 3-0 New Zealand - 29 v Australia - 6 Wellington New Zealand - 30 v Australia - 17 Christchurch New Zealand - 38 v Australia - 3 Auckland 1974 New Zealand 2-0 Australia - 6 v New Zealand - 11 Sydney Australia - 16 v New Zealand - 16 Brisbane Australia - 6 v New Zealand - 16 Sydney 1978 New Zealand 2-1 New Zealand - 13 v Australia - 12 Wellington New Zealand - 22 v Australia - 6 Christchurch New Zealand - 16 v Australia - 30 Auckland 1979 Australia 1-0 Australia - 12 v New Zealand - 6 Sydney 1980 Australia 2-1 Australia - 13 v New Zealand - 9 Sydney Australia - 9 v New Zealand - 12 Brisbane Australia - 26 v New Zealand - 10 Sydney 1982 New Zealand 2-1 New Zealand - 23 v Australia - 16 Christchurch New Zealand - 16 v Australia - 19 Wellington New Zealand - 33 v Australia - 18 Auckland 1983 New Zealand 1-0 Australia - 8 v New Zealand - 18 Sydney 1984 New Zealand 2-1 Australia - 16 v New Zealand - 9 Sydney Australia - 15 v New Zealand - 19 Brisbane Australia - 24 v New Zealand - 25 Sydney 1985 New Zealand 1-0 New Zealand - 10 v Australia - 9 Auckland 1986 Australia 2-1 New Zealand - 12 v Australia - 13 Wellington New Zealand - 13 v Australia - 12 Dunedin New Zealand - 9 v Australia - 22 Auckland 1987 New Zealand 1-0 Australia - 16 v New Zealand - 30 Sydney 1988 New Zealand 2-0 Australia - 7 v New Zealand - 32 Sydney Australia - 19 v New Zealand - 19 Brisbane Australia - 9 v New Zealand - 30 Sydney 1989 New Zealand 1-0 New Zealand - 24 v Australia - 12 Auckland 1990 New Zealand 2-1 New Zealand - 21 v Australia - 6 Christchurch New Zealand - 27 v Australia - 17 Auckland New Zealand - 9 v Australia - 21 Wellington 1991 New Zealand 1-1 Australia - 21 v New Zealand - 12 Sydney New Zealand - 6 v Australia - 3 Auckland 1992 Australia 2-1 Australia - 16 v New Zealand - 15 Sydney Australia - 19 v New Zealand - 17 Brisbane Australia - 23 v New Zealand - 26 Sydney 1993 New Zealand 1-0 New Zealand - 25 v Australia - 10 Dunedin 1994 Australia 1-0 Australia - 20 v New Zealand - 16 Sydney 1995 New Zealand 2-0 New Zealand - 28 v Australia - 16 Auckland Australia - 23 v New Zealand - 34 Sydney 1996 New Zealand 2-0 New Zealand - 43 v Australia - 6 Wellington Australia - 25 v New Zealand - 32 Brisbane 1997 New Zealand 3-0 New Zealand - 30 v Australia - 13 Christchurch Australia - 18 v New Zealand - 33 Melbourne New Zealand - 36 v Australia - 24 Dunedin 1998 Australia 3-0 Australia - 24 v New Zealand - 16 Melbourne New Zealand - 23 v Australia - 27 Christchurch Australia - 19 v New Zealand - 14 Sydney 1999 Australia 1-1 New Zealand - 34 v Australia - 15 Auckland Australia - 28 v New Zealand - 7 Sydney 2000 Australia 1-1 Australia - 35 v New Zealand - 39 Sydney New Zealand - 23 v Australia - 24 Wellington 2001 Australia 2-0 New Zealand - 15 v Australia - 23 Dunedin Australia - 29 v New Zealand - 26 Sydney 2002 Australia 1-1 New Zealand - 12 v Australia - 6 Christchurch Australia - 16 v New Zealand - 14 Sydney 2003 New Zealand 2-0 Australia - 21 v New Zealand - 50 Sydney New Zealand - 21 v Australia - 17 Auckland 2004 New Zealand 1-1 New Zealand - 16 v Australia - 7 Wellington Australia - 23 v New Zealand - 18 Sydney 2005 New Zealand 2-0 Australia - 13 v New Zealand - 30 Sydney New Zealand - 34 v Australia - 24 Auckland 2006 New Zealand 3-0 New Zealand - 32 v Australia - 12 Christchurch Australia - 9 v New Zealand - 13 Brisbane New Zealand - 34 v Australia - 27 Auckland 2007 New Zealand 1-1 Australia - 20 v New Zealand - 15 Melbourne New Zealand - 26 v Australia - 12 Auckland 2008 New Zealand 3-1 Australia - 34 v New Zealand - 16 Sydney New Zealand - 39 v Australia - 10 Auckland Australia - 24 v New Zealand - 28 Brisbane Australia 14 v New Zealand 19 Hong Kong 2009 New Zealand 4-0 New Zealand 22 v Australia 16 Auckland Australia 18 v New Zealand 19 Sydney New Zealand 33 v Australia 6 Wellington Australia 19 v New Zealand 32 Tokyo

Watch this space for the latest news and updates from Bledisloe Cup 2010.

Tell us what you think. Are Wallabies ready to bring the cup home?
Leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Tour De France 2010: The Decisive Moment is Here

The race that started at Rotterdam in Netherlands on 3^rd July is about to conclude tomorrow along the historical avenue of Champs-Elysees in Paris.

The 52 km Stage 19 time trial today will be the ultimate deciding factor as Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck race to the finish line with only eight seconds of difference between them. Alberto Contador is in the lead with 88h 09′ 48″.

It’s interesting to learn that the first ever Tour de France took place on July 1, 1903 on a 471 km route with 60 riders, 21 of which reached the finish line! This year, the tour covered 3642 kilometres with 22 teams comprising of over 200 contenders participating from around the globe.

Le Tour’s inception took place in an office meeting of French magazine L’Auto. To thwart the falling sales of the magazine, journalist Géo Lefèvre, suggested a six-day nation-wide cycle race, an unprecedented event at the time. The editor, Henri Desgrange, was bold enough to believe in the idea and to throw his backing behind the race. Today, over 500 towns and villages have hosted the Tour (about 2,000 stages and prologues). More than 10,000 riders have taken their chance on the Tour and over 6,000 have completed the race.

An entire century ago, in 1910, the tour included the treacherous and demanding range of mountains – The Pyrenees. Commemorating the 100 years since their inclusion, the Pyrenees held a special focus this time around. 4 of the 20 stages this year crossed through the Pyrenees with an uphill finish on stage 17. And true to form, the week was full of thrills and controversy. The stage passed through the Col du Tourmalet, considered to be the toughest part of the route, covered in dense fog with thousands of fans struggling to get a good vantage point and cheering on the racers.

The talk of the stage was Alberto Contador who took advantage of a mechanical fault in Andy Schleck’s bike to gain lead on him. Contador was heavily criticised for breaking a cardinal Tour rule – you don’t attack the yellow jersey when he has a crash or a ‘mechanical’. The stage ended with Schleck fuming as Contador gained 39 seconds and got ahead of Schleck by 8 seconds, a lead which could very well bring the title home for Contador.

For Lance Armstrong, 7 times Tour De France winner, this was his last run. Doping allegations, illnesses, age and a key accident at stage 8 have all been working against the cycling star. But there was no dearth of supporters wearing his yellow band supporting the Lance Armstrong foundation for cancer and cheering their star through his last feat.

Even though his last effort for a stage win on the Pyrenees at Stage 16 didn’t show result, his performance on one of the most challenging routes and his determination to get one last stage win did win a million hearts. Even at an unbecoming 23^rd position, there is no denying that Armstrong still remains king of the roads with a remarkable career that scans almost 2 decades.

Another favourite at the tour has been Mark Cavendish. Even without his most important teammate and lead out man, Mark Renshaw, Cavendish showed yet again that few can touch him when it comes to sprinting. Stage 18 was his 4^th stage win this year and his 14^th in just 3 years in the Tour. He won the stage with a stunning sprint with time enough to turn back to look at the other riders and raise his fist into the air as he crossed the finish line.

Stage 19 of Tour de France 2010 started today in Bodreaux. It takes the racers through the streets of the beautiful city and the heart of France’s wine country. With the time trial today, all eyes are on Schleck and Contador. But Contador’s lead is only expected to increase as Schleck has lost to Contador in every time trial in which they have competed. The mountain stage was considered a decisive factor for the entire tour. With Contador gaining an eight second lead on the stage, can Schleck catch up?

Fans around the world would be waiting today for this very answer. The riders are to race in inverse order of their standings, which means Contador will be the day's final rider to take the road, just after Schleck. Alberto Contador’s win would hoist Spain into an unbeatable sport nation what with the FIFA 2010 win, Nadal’s Tennis World No.1 as well as Spanish wins in rugby and Formula One.

So who will the fans be cheering on along the Champs-Elysees this Sunday? As the decisive moment arrives, we wait with bated breath.

Magic of Muttiah Muralitharan

On Thursday, 22^nd July, on a warm afternoon at Galle International stadium, Muttiah Muralitharan took his 800^th test wicket and left behind what will forever be a defining moment for cricket.

At the beginning of the 2^nd innings, Murali needed 3 more wickets to make it to the 800. Having removed Yuvraj on the 4^th day and Harbhajan Singh on the 5^th day, Murali had to wait for his moment on Day 5 as lbw and stumping appeals were turned down and paceman Malinga was liable to blast the Indian tail away at any moment.

At around 1:55 pm, the phenomenal off-spinner snared India’s last wicket, Pragyan Ojha, by tossing one just outside the off stump which brushed Ojha’s bat and carried to Mahela Jayawardene at first slip. Murali had taken his 800^th wicket.

Before the test match against India, Muralitharan had announced that it would be his last in test cricket, 800 wickets or not. With 8 wickets short of the big number, very few were expecting Murli to write his name in history with such style and resilience. The 37-year-old virtuoso spent an agonising 228 minutes and 141 deliveries waiting for number 800.

During this last test match of his career, firecrackers went off at the start of every day's play to celebrate Muralitharan's stupendous career and he was given a guard of honour by both the Indian and Sri Lankan players during the match.

Muttiah Muralitharan made his debut in 1992 against Australia. He went on to take his first 100 test wickets in 27 Tests. The evolution of the genius is proven by the fact that the hundreds thereafter came in 15, 16, 14, 15, 14 and 12 Tests respectively. Murali has constantly reinvented himself. His 800 wickets came at an average of 22.72.

The off-spinner has been one of the most talked about players in contemporary cricket as he has had the world cricket debating about his unorthodox and weird bowling action. One of the most controversial spinners in the world, Murali’s debate-inducing moves were in fact responsible for cricket's first proper attempt to define the legal delivery. While studying Murali's action, it was noticed that some of the finest bowlers known for their smooth actions did send down illegal deliveries too.

The mechanics of his bowling action were investigated and cleared on more than one occasion by the International Cricket Council. And then in 2005 the ICC amended its rules to allow bowlers to straighten their arms by up to 15 degrees.

Before the start of the Galle Test, Anil Kumble spoke of Murali’s achievement, "When you see that Murali has played exactly the same number of Tests as me and taken 173 wickets more," he said, "you begin to understand the magnitude of his achievement."

The magnitude of his achievement lies significantly in the legacy he has left behind. The top 3 players who have ever come close to his tally, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Glenn McGrath have all retired from test cricket. More importantly, their tally came no where close to the stupendous 800. And so at the moment, there isn’t anyone in the horizon who seems to be able to touch the maestro’s record. With interest in test cricket waning, this page in history might be untouched forever.

Magical Murali Moments

Murali had an enthralling battle for supremacy with Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne as both kept re-writing the highest wicket record.
It was the summer of 2004. Muralitharan claimed the title for highest wicket taker in test cricket for a few months before Australia’s Shane Warne took over. What followed was one of the most eagerly followed and watched series in the history of cricket. Australia Vs Sri Lanka in 2004 had its most interesting moments in the two bowlers who tried to surpass each other. Every match was a tight call. Everyone was glued to their television screens as two maestros of bowling battled it out for the top spot. Murali got the upper hand in the second test as he reached 500 wickets on his home ground in Kandy.

In 2006, in a 2 test series against South Africa, Murali’s 22 wickets in 2 tests was a record for any bowler in a two test series. His worst figures in that entire series were 4/41 in the first innings of the first test.

In July 2007, Muttiah Muralitharan became the second bowler after Warne to capture 700 Test wickets. Still not able to overtake Warne, he reclaimed the record during the first Test against England at Kandy on 3 December 2007. Muralitharan reached the mark in his 116th Test – 29 fewer than Warne – and had conceded only 21.77 runs per wicket compared to the Australian's 25.41. This was also Muralitharan's 61st 5-wicket haul.

He also holds records for taking 10 wickets in a match, an astonishing 22 times and five wickets in an innings, 67 times, the most by any bowler.

In January 1998, Murali took his first ten-wicket haul against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Kandy. Sri Lanka won by eight wickets and Murali had figures of 12 for 117.
And in August that same year he produced his career-best Test match figures of 16 for 220, in the one-off Test against England. In England's second innings Murali bowled a marathon 54.2 overs to pick up 9 for 65 runs.

In 2000, at a time when India were considered the king of spins, he reduced India from 99/2 to 129/6 in a matter of 10 overs, including the wicket of Robin Singh who became his 200th ODI victim. When he snapped up Tendulkar, the end came swiftly. No one had seen India surrender so meekly to spin.

The list is endless. The achievements are many and great. But the magic of Murali has walked its final mile. And he will forever be remembered for his a genius, and as an inspiration for future cricketers.

CRICKET IN USA

A ball, a bat and hearts full of enthusiasm. America’s favorite game, baseball, is not far in definition from the World’s second most favorite sport, Cricket. And believe it or not, the ties between this “gentleman’s game” and the United States of America go back 3 whole centuries!

Let me begin by telling you some interesting yet less known facts about the sport of cricket in USA:

· Cricket came to USA for the first time in the 1700s through the British.

· The first ever international cricket match was played between USA and Canada! It was held on 24 September 1844 by the St George's Cricket Club at the former Bloomingdale Park in Manhattan.

· The first intercollegiate tournament in America was a cricket tournament.

· There is anecdotal reference that the game of cricket (then called “wicket” at times) was popular amongst the troops of Valley Forge and that George Washington himself enjoyed a game of “wicket”.

· As late as 1855, the New York press was still devoting more space to coverage of cricket than to baseball.

But here’s the Big Irony.

Cricket used to be one of the most popular sport in America during the 1700s, 1800s and even early 1900s. After the United States Civil War the baseball team, Cincinnati Red Stockings brought a talented young bowler from the St. George's Cricket Club in New York to serve as a player and manager of the team. Harry Wright applied the "scientific" batting and specialized placement of fielders that he had learned in cricket to his new sport, a major reason for the Cincinnati team's undefeated 1869 season. Ironically, this was also instrumental in declining the popularity of cricket and securing the place of baseball as one of the most popular sports in the country.

But today the situation has changed drastically. Cricket, with all its similarities and disparities with Baseball, is gaining popularity in USA.

The reasons for this are varied.

USA has a population of 16 million immigrants from various Commonwealth countries like India, Pakistan and West Indies, where cricket has been extremely popular over the years and they have been a crucial factor in increasing cricket’s popularity in USA.

There is more interest and enthusiasm for the game today with the advent of 20-over matches and tournaments like the Hong Kong Super 6’s which suit the American style more.

Many believe that the game is a natural for American TV because of the ready-made breaks at the end of over for advertising. The limited over game also fits well into the four-five hour attention span of the public.

A significant point is that cricket is the second most popular sport in the World. The international governing body of the sport, International Cricket Council or ICC, has 104 member countries. With a huge fan-base and ever-increasing popularity, the sport has huge potential for a sport-crazy country like America.

The team that represents the United States of America in international cricket is called The United States National Cricket Team. The team became an associate member of the ICC in 1965.

The United States participated in the ICC Trophy when the tournament started in 1979. They have been successful and have continued to improve ever since.

A Short History of American Cricket

In the 1800s, cricket enjoyed its greatest popularity along the east coast corridor between Philadelphia and New York. A contemporary report notes that upwards of 5,000 people played the game in those cities.

In 1833, students at Haverford College established what is generally accepted as the first cricket club exclusively for Americans. This club was short-lived, but helped to keep interest in the sport alive in Philadelphia leading to the foundation of the Philadelphia Cricket Club in 1854 and the Germantown and Young America clubs in 1855. By this time, Philadelphia had become the unofficial "Cricket Capital of America."

The Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia in first-class cricket between 1878 and 1913. In Philadelphia, the sport was always very popular and from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I, the city produced a first class team that rivaled many others in the world.

American Cricket Today

Some of the cricket clubs playing across the country are Edison Cricket Club, Commonwealth cricket club, British officer’s cricket club and York cricket club.

The Houston Cricket League is slowly gaining popularity as it provides young players with a platform to play organized cricket and endeavors to create an international team to compete with the best in the world.

Ever heard of the Bay Area Badshahs, San Francisco Blasters, DreamCricket Fooglies, Fresno Falcons, NCCA Vice Presidents XI, Santa Clara Cricket Club, Union City Cricket Club and WIN? These teams contested for the 20-20 USA Independence TANA Cup tournament which made its debut in Santa Clara, California on July 3 hosted by the North California Cricket Association (NCCA) and sponsored by the Telugu Association of North America (TANA).

The Compton Cricket Club or CCC is a cricket club based in, Compton, Los Angeles County, California. The CCC is an all American-born disadvantaged exhibition cricket team. The team includes Latino and African American ex-gang members. Founded in 1995 by US homeless activist Ted Hayes and Hollywood movie Producer Katy Haber to combat the negative effect of poverty, urban decay and crime in Compton, the club uses the ideals of sportsmanship, and the particular importance of etiquette and fair play in cricket, to help players develop respect for authority, a sense of self-esteem and self-discipline.

Recent Developments

Developments in recent years suggest that fortunes are changing.

In recent times, USA participated in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. Even though they were beaten in matches against Australia and New Zealand, this involvement in the 2004 cup as well as their decent performances in the qualifying matches for the World Cup does show a rapid increase in the popularity of the sport.

The team recently played in 2010 Division Five (World Cricket League) and won promotion to 2010 Division Four. If they are able to get placed in the top two in 2010 Division Four, they will be further promoted to 2011 Division Three. This will increase their chances of qualifying for 2015 Cricket World Cup.

A current development in the ties between Cricket and America is the exhibit called “Swinging Away: How Cricket and Baseball Connect”, hosted jointly by the Marylebone Cricket Club and the National Baseball Hall of fame. The exhibit celebrates the similarities and differences between the two sports. It is currently being displayed at the museum at the Lord's cricket ground in London and will be held next April by The Baseball Hall of Fame, based in Cooperstown, New York.

This wonderful article by John Burns of The New York Times, explores the historical connect between Cricket and Baseball. "Cricket and Baseball Find Common Ground in Show"

Today, there are 30,000 registered players and about 200,000 people who play cricket of some sort at weekends in USA, says Don Lockerbie, chief executive of the USA Cricket Association. Throw in an estimated 15 million fans, 950 clubs and 48 leagues, and the game probably hasn't been this healthy since that famous match in 1844.

The first international-standard stadium has been completed in Florida, at a cost of $15m (£9.3m). A pilot scheme in New York, in which 32 schools play cricket, is in its third year, for pupils aged 15 to 19. And in Atlanta, 35 schools have introduced the sport into their physical education class.

Cricket's supporters in the US have also been finding themselves in the media spotlight. Joseph O'Neill's highly-acclaimed novel Netherland, which has been championed by Oprah Winfrey and President Barack Obama, tells the story of cricket-playing immigrants in New York and is to be made into a Hollywood film.

With such emerging trends, there is no doubt that Cricket is fast becoming a major sport in America. 20-20 cricket is especially believed to capture the attention and passions of the American public. As different forms of the game gain momentum through the world and capture American attention, USA seems all set to scream “Howzzat!”