Bucknor’s Howlers

benz1976 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:28:12 +0000

Here is how umpires Steve Bucknor West Indies and Mark Benson of England dealt deadly blows to India in the second Test against Australia.

Day 1: # Australian skipper Ricky Ponting nicked a Sourav Ganguly delivery going the leg side to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Ponting, who was at 17, did not walk as Benson turned down the Indians’ appeal. The skipper went on to score 55 before being ironically given out leg before despite getting an inside edge.

# Then came the blunder which probably changed the course of the match. All rounder Andrew Symonds edged Ishant Sharma to Dhoni but to the horror of the fielding side, Bucknor remained unmoved. Symonds was given another reprieve when the third umpire shockingly erred in giving him not out on a stumping appeal. The right hander went on to score an unbeaten 162 to take Australia to safety after being 134 for six.

Day 2: # Another escape for Symonds as Bucknor turns down a close stumping appeal without consulting the third umpire.

Day 3: # One of the rare umpiring blunders that went India’s way as Sachin Tendulkar survived a close leg before shout when on 38 before going on to score his 38th Test hundred.

Day 4: Benson turns down an Anil Kumble appeal for a leg before against Michael Hussey despite the ball hitting the batsman’s pads plumb in front. Hussey was on 22.

# Benson is at it again, Hussey edged one from RP Singh to Dhoni but both the batsman and the umpire were unmoved. Hussey was on 45 at that time and went on to score an unbeaten 145.

# Having taken Hayden and Clarke in consecutive deliveries, Kumble seemed to have got his hat-trick after having Symonds trapped LBW but Bucknor says no. Symonds scored 61.

Day 5: # Probably the most horrifying day for the Indians, Bucknor gives Rahul Dravid caught behind of Symonds despite the ball missing the bat by miles.

# Sourav Ganguly is caught at slips by Michael Clarke but the catch appeared to have come off the ground. However, instead of going to the third umpire, Benson checks with Ponting, who quite expectedly calls it clean.

Yuvraj’s Six Sixes in an Over

benz1976 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:20:33 +0000

All Indians enjoyed the six 6s in an over hit by Yuvraj. Obviously the batsman was spurred up by two events.

Dhoni promoting himself up above Yuvraj
Flintoff’s pep talk with Yuvraj

At the end of the day, it was a great night for millions of Indians in India and abroad. But spare a moment for young Stuart Broad….just in his second season into international cricket. His reaction after the fourth ball of 19th over tells all. Agony written all over his face. I feel what he would have gone through at that moment.

Similar experience I and you have gone through. last year, when in an inter-division match of our company, a guy hit 4 sixes of my over. Whatever the spectators and did after that, all these thongs I felt were directed at me. Even when two people laughed, I thought they just cracked a joke around me. That was the situation. Normally, in such a situation, very few would come and spare some nice words to such a battered bowler. It almost happened, before the fourth ball of the 19th over as the entire England team converged to give advice to Stuart Broad. And after the fifth and sixth deliveries, no one, save for Darren Maddy, I think, who had a word of comfort for him. Surely in the interval, England players would have talked to him to raise the sinking spirit of such a young man. But the best of soothing words for Broad came from none other than Yuvraj, who said, “As a batsman it’s a great feeling, but as a bowler it’s not a good day obviously. You’re trying your best and it’s just not your day. Everyone has a bad day and I’m sure he (Broad) will have good days too.” At the end of the day, it’s a game after all, which is what Yuvraj seems to be saying to Stuart Broad in this picture.

Ben's Jottings » Cricket

Bucknor’s Howlers

Yuvraj’s Six Sixes in an Over