Retro Cricket

That Cricket World Cup 1992 retro channel is quite something.  Widely considered the best World Cup of all time with its single pool format, and it is proving a great watch.  Some of the footage seems like it was from yesterday, other parts seem like it was from a bygone era.  Some thoughts.

Hasn’t the quality of TV coverage advanced a lot in the last 22 years?  In contrast to a lot of the HD coverage we get on our screens today this coverage seems really fuzzy. And presumably the scoreboards in the colours of the teams involved was a good idea at the time.

The dibbly-dobbly-wobbly New Zealand bowling attack was a tactical masterpiece.  But 22 years on, and when you know the result, it is a tough watch.

The reintroduction of South Africa.  This was the start of their World Cup choking legacy, but in 1992 their introduction was just so fresh.

Pitch invasions.  Not of the malicious kind, but more of the drunken fanboy variety.   Look at the number of boundaries that are fielded before it reaches the boundary.  We may mock Red Badge and co these days, but the game does flow more smoothly now.

Those scoring rates.  Switch over at any time of the day or night and you will see a team reaching 100/3 in the 30^th over.  Things like “They had one good over when they scored seven”

For example, wasn’t Kuiper meant to be South Africa’s pinch hitter?  18 off 44 balls v Sri Lanka would indicate otherwise.

What an inter-generational team that West Indies side was.  Haynes opening with Lara for example.  Haynes was a team-mate of Clive Lloyd; Lara played with people still playing international cricket.  And the lump in the throat you get when watching Malcolm Marshall bowl.

Confidence is such an important thing in sport.  Sri Lanka played some really good cricket, but had none of the self-belief that was to follow.  Every time they got themselves into a good position something would happen.

Allan Border carried the Australian side for the majority of the 198os, but you do wonder how Australia would have gone had he not played in this tournament.

India not being the centre of attention.

Peter Williams’s ties

Allan Donald’s inswinging Yorker.

Ranatunga bowling.  And, diametrically opposed, Arvinder De Silva’s batting.

And Martin Crowe’s batting.  It seems odd to remember how much pressure he and the team was under leading into the tournament.  The most impressive thing was the consistency; that 81* off 81 against the Windies in tough conditions was an under-rated knock.

And finally; Man of the match presentations being given out by a Benson & Hedges guy.  A different time.

UPDATE: That’s one statement of a phone Bryan Waddle is talking into there (courtesy of The Beige Brigade )