umfundi Okokuqala abathandekayo axolise ngenxa yokuntula yethu yokuxhumana yamuva - sobabili ukuba ukwazisa kakhulu kangakanani ukuthi abantu bathathe isikhathi uthele ngokusebenzisa imicabango bethu futhi sethemba ukuthi izoqhubeka yenza kanjalo.
Manje phansi ukuze ibhizinisi.
Emuva ngo-Agasti ngonyaka odlule England sengenza into engacabangeki futhi waphula irekhodi ephezulu amaphuzu international wake ngosuku olulodwa, ukuthumela u-444-3 - umgijimo ophakeme kunenani langaphambilini ebelimele isikhathi esingaphezudlwana kweshumi.
Kwaba amaphuzu omkhulu - eyayiyoholela ziye zabonakala njengoba nje unachievable eminyakeni edlule. Kodwa lo mdlalo, efana batting oda eNgilandi, has come on in spades in recent times with T20 cricket laying much of the foundation for a new style of play.
And it got me pondering the likelihood of if, noma ngaphezulu cishe, lapho score wokuqala we 500 will be posted. I for one see it happening soon – perhaps this year.
In the modern cricket world ODI and T20 cricket is where the money is and, therefore, where the top talent goes. Previous articles on this site have lamented the ever falling attendances at test cricket matches (for the most part England and Australia are immune) - Abantu bafuna ukubona crash, bang wallop cricket both at a domestic and international level.
Competitions of which the Indian Premier League and Aussie Big Bash are but two examples, encourage batsmen in particular to go for the ever more extravagant shots to tally up as many runs as possible. Runs are entertaining and entertainment draws the crowds. Izixuku ulethe imali.
Yebo midlalo abanjalo bangabaphostoli 20 phezu based hhayi 50 but the skills and talent are increasingly being translated into the slightly longer format.
The modern cricketer plays an ever increasing amount of shorter form cricket – be that at the domestic or international level and that experience is translating into improved performances.
There are plenty of players capable of taking their side to the magic 500 – when England smashed their record score Alex Hales was the main run scorer. I listened in and was frustrated when he got out – he was going so well – there was time left in the innings and he had, kwakubonakala, ammunition left in the tank. Joe Root was at the other end playing second fiddle, ticking away at around a run a ball as he does so well. The expectation was, given he was well set, he would up the tempo once Hayles had departed. Sadly Root was out soon after so we will never know. My point being that there was a brief period in which the innings ambled along (relatively speaking) before Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan gave it some late additional impetus.
Another 56 runs may appear to be a big ask – but look at it another way – that’s a shade over 9 additional sixes – an over and a half – nothing to a number of players whose names roll off the tongue.
Good luck uma kukhona Bowler!
“Ibhola eliphinki libonakala limpunga/eliluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ngokubomvu/okuhlaza ngokungaboni kahle, kuye ngokuqina kwayo. Ngenza ukulingisa ngobumpumputhe bemibala…”