Cramps

There has been a bit of a fuss about Andrew Strauss refusing Graeme Smith a runner for cramp in yesterday’s Champions Trophy match. There seems to be an implication that it is ‘unsportsmanlike’. Ridiculous. There is no way ‘cramp’ should be an excuse for a runner. Strauss was quite right to deny Smith a runner - what will be next ‘my legs are a bit tired’. I looked up the law and it states:

“If the umpires are satisfied that a player has been injured or become ill after the nomination of the players, they shall allow that player to have (ii) a runner when batting.
Any injury or illness that occurs at any time after the nomination of the players until the conclusion of the match shall be allowable, irrespective of whether play is in progress or not.”

Cramp is clearly not an injury or illness. If a player is incapable of batting he should either retire or grit his teeth and carry on. I think the ICC should take a positive stance here and add something to the laws that states quite clearly that fatigue or fatigue related ailments are not cause for a substitute or runner.

Of course, had South Africa won Smith may not have mentioned it.

Watching cricket legally online (please)

I am cricketless. Without cricket. No cricket is being viewed here. To be more specific I have had a little tiff with Sky and so while I wait for them to apologise I cannot see the Champions Trophy. Boo. So I decided to browse the Internet see what (legal) alternatives there are. Quite a bit of browsing later I am not that clear on my options and though maybe someone who was reading would comment and put me straight. There are sites that seem to offer legal broadband access to live cricket. The trouble is that despite trying to convince they are legal they all look really a bit suspect. 3000 channels for $19.99 looks way to good to be true. One off fee.... sounds like a scam. So, dear reader, what real alternatives are there?