Bat and ball / Frank Gregan / 26 October 2009 / Leave a comment

Frank Gregan gives us his verdict on the inauguaral T20 Champions League and wonders whether it's time for new superstar Kieron Pollard and his T&T team-mates to go it alone in all competitions. Plus how the Aussie winning machine shows no relenting over in India.

"And that is probably the heart of the problems facing West Indian cricket. Patriotism and money. Two fantastic motivators that seem to be sadly lacking as far as their international team is concerned. It must be difficult to rally round the flag when the flag is not a national standard but a symbol designed especially for a cricket board! "

The inaugural Champions League Twenty20 tournament was a resounding success. It was a thrilling event and in the end the Blues from New South Wales ran out the worthy winners. There were many highlights but the one piece of individual brilliance that will stick in the mind for a long time was the 'catch' that never was.

During the semi final between Trinidad and Tobago and the Cape Cobras, Kieron Pollard produced an amazing piece of skill out on the boundary that prevented a certain six and should have cost Justin Ontong his wicket. Right on top of the ropes Pollard caught the ball and threw it high up in the air and back into the field of play in one motion. Having staggered over the boundary ropes, he then regained his balance and raced thirty yards onto the field of play before diving full length to take probably the most spectacular catch ever seen.

Talk about killjoys! Herschelle Gibbs, one of the Cobras' senior players, signalled to Ontong to hold his ground and the TV replay produced the tiniest element of doubt which in accordance with the laws of the game went Ontong's way and Pollard's piece of brilliance is consigned to the 'close but no cigar' bin!

Despite receiving no ultimate reward, Pollard's effort epitomised everything that was good about Trinidad and Tobago during the CLT20 tournament. Their work ethic, commitment to the cause and enthusiasm was a joy to watch. They displayed a level of patriotism that the governing body of the international West Indian team can only dream of and they matched it with technique and application.

Kieron Pollard is likely to be the most coveted all rounder when the bidding war for IPL 3 begins. He picked up the prize of $25000 for hitting the most sixes in the tournament and he finished with a batting average of 36.5 all of which were scored quickly; he had a better strike rate than my postman! What with the monetary reward for being the biggest maximum hitter, bonuses based on T&T's progress and future IPL contracts, his performances during the tournament are going to do wonders for Pollard's bank balance.

And that is probably the heart of the problems facing West Indian cricket. Patriotism and money. Two fantastic motivators that seem to be sadly lacking as far as their international team is concerned. It must be difficult to rally round the flag when the flag is not a national standard but a symbol designed especially for a cricket board!

Trinidad and Tobago showed that there is a lot of passion and no shortage of skill in Caribbean cricket and raises the question: would the major islands not be better off going it alone? T&T would certainly be more than a match for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and given the resources, could they evolve into a competent cricketing nation in all formats in their own right?

One nation that has no problems with its identity or its heritage - no matter how tainted - is that of our beloved cousins from down under. Having been the match winner in the CLT20 final with the bat, Brett Lee jumped on a plane with team mates Nathan Hauritz and Doug Bollinger and set about establishing a lead for the Aussies in their one-day series with India. The stamina needed at the top end of the game these days is mind boggling!

The Aussies looked to be in full control of the first one-dayer until Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar made a game of it with a couple of thrilling late order knocks. The Australian cool heads prevailed and they are now priced at [1.54] to win the series.

The odds on Ned Kelly's descendants in the second game on Wednesday are bigger at [1.79]. They are in such a great vein of form it is very difficult to oppose them, even at that short price. A market that catches the eye is the highest individual score with the bar set at 82.5 runs. There was a total of 580 runs scored in the first match and no batsman managed to get the required 83 runs or more suggesting that a lay in the region of [1.8] could well prove profitable.

Tags: Brett Lee, cricket bets, cricket fixtures, cricket odds, Kieron Pollard, Trinidad & Tobago cricket, West Indies cricket