Retro Yakking

If you’ve been watching the ICC World T20, you will probably have noticed this target in place on the gas tower behind the Oval. I’ve seen quite a bit of the competition over the past week, but I haven’t heard a single commentator mention it, on ESPN, Sky Sports or Radio Five Live.

Obviously it’s a promotion for Pepsi, who are most likely offering a special prize to any player who can hit it, but I have yet to see any batsman get anywhere near. It would be some hit to get anywhere near that target, and from memory very few sixes actually at the Oval end up in the vicinity of the gas tower.

I would hope the prize is not just a measly lifetime’s supply of Pepsi, but the the ability for the batsman to choose whichever player he wants to run around the outfield with their pants down. For such a precision six-hit, I’d certainly prefer the latter.

Incidentally, it is the consensus at Retro Yakking towers that any player that bowls a wicket maiden ought to win a car or something, such is their rarity. Dale Steyn got one the other day against England, and certainly deserves some sort of reward for being the first person to do so in the competition.

Equally deserving of a prize is Umar Gul’s five-wicket bowling performance against New Zealand yesterday - no mean feat in the mere 24 balls he had available to him. It was a refreshing reminder that for all its big-hitting excitement, Twenty20 isn’t all about batting, but sublime bowling performances too.

One to watch for 14th June

Today sees India face England in a do-or-die encounter, with the loser all but out of the competition. The match-up also sees resumption of the Stuart Broad-Yuvraj Singh battle. During the last World Twenty20, Yuvraj hit Broad for six sixes in an over, the first and to date only such occurence in an international T20 game. Both have been in very good form this competition, and all eyes will be on Lord’s as the mouthwatering prospect of a rematch looms.

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