Bat and ball / Frank Gregan / 23 March 2009 /

As England struggle against the West Indies, a former captain struggles to create anything that resembles art in his new career. Frank Gregan tells us about the scribbles that Michael Vaughan is passing off as paintings.

There were probably a few well deserved hangovers being nursed at the weekend as England supporters finally had something to cheer about with their team's emphatic thumping of the West Indies in the first one dayer. Granted, "Emphatic thumping" is probably bigging up the performance but a win's a win and let's all be thankful that Carol Vorderman isn't the West Indian coach! England victories are as rare as the proverbial waste from a rocking horse these days and a little celebration was definitely in order on Friday night.

Over indulgence has nasty side effects and one of those is distorted vision. I thought that I was hallucinating on Saturday morning when I stumbled upon an online story about Michael Vaughan's new career. The former England captain has turned artist and his generosity in donating some of the proceeds of his earnings from his "work" to two very deserving charities is to be applauded. The paintings, however, would not look out of place with a fridge magnet on each corner!

Michael Vaughan has always taken himself very seriously and that was a trait that was commendable when he was the English skipper. Now that he has moved onto an unlikely second career it's important that he lightens up and treats his art as a bit of fun because three year olds with potato shapes have been doing a version of his abstracts for generations!

The phrase "Artballing" has been coined to depict the style in which his canvasses are created. 60 images have been produced by hitting a cricket ball covered in paint onto a stencilled covered canvas, creating a picture via shot re-production of his finest knocks. The pictures come with a certificate of authenticity and are signed by the artist in the bottom corner. If "aged 6" was written underneath his name the 'art' could probably be excused but this is the work of a grown man. However, people are buying them and charities are benefiting so long may it continue.

Cricketing folk are not philistines. There is some great cricketing art out there, indeed one picture hangs above the desk in my office and I love it. It's "the great escape" painted by Jack Russell and signed by him and Michael Atherton. It depicts the fantastic stand the two put on at the Wanderers in 1995 to deny the Proteas victory. It's a proper painting (okay, it's a print, the original cost tens of thousands) by a talented artist and the craft is there for all to see.

England could do with Russell's tenacity right now and it's unlikely that he would have dropped Chanderpaul (on 27 at the time) in the manner that Matt Prior did on Sunday. Arguably that mistake cost England the match and the chance to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

I recommended backing England to win the series last week and on the back of the mathematical miscalculation and Chanderpaul's superb ton they have drifted in the market to [2.34]. If England can find any trace of form it will be enough to carry them to victory in this series and I recommend adding a little to the portfolio at that price.

As for Michael Vaughan's art, well cricket is all about delivery after delivery, over after over. A bit like artballing really - a load of balls!

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