I’d largely ignored the West Indies 3rd XI v Bangladesh series because there was Ashes and some good county cricket to watch on Sky. Now, however, I wished I had been able to watch it. Why? Well, not because of the standard of cricket, but because of the fact that none other than the great Floyd Lamonte Reifer (in tribute to whom the Keele Reefer Association flies its flag) has been able to have a second crack at international cricket, 10 years since he last had a go. It took a strike for him to do so, but the prediction he made back in November 2007 - that he’d be back – has come to pass.
Keele Reefer Association
Archived Posts from this Category
July 29, 2009
Reifer, the most unlikely ‘I told you so’ ever
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Bangladesh cricket, Keele Reefer Association, West Indies cricket, cricketLeave a Comment
November 8, 2007
What is your West Indian cricketer name?
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Entertainment, Keele Reefer Association, West Indies cricket, cricket[4] Comments
Major hat tip to the legendary Bob Light (aka Reagan Skegness), who has alerted me to the preferred method of discovering one’s West Indian cricketer name.
Apparently, one needs to take the surname of the sitting American president at the time of your birth as your first name, and the last English seaside resport you visited as as your surname.
That would make me Carter Torquay. Such a player would hit the ball miles and bowl at 100 mph, despite having had several rum and cokes and some Red Stripe on me boat (pronounced “boe-att”) the night before, and danced until dawn.
Speaking of West Indian cricketers, the great Floyd Lamonte Reifer (in tribute to whom the Keele Reefer Association flies its flag) believes he can regain selection for the West Indies team, especially for one-day internationals.
Between 1997 and 1999 he appeared in four Tests and two one-dayers with little success and has not been considered since.
According to Cricinfo, Reifer believes his next chance to impress the West Indies selectors will come in the Carib Beer Series when the Combined Campuses and College make their debut early next year.
“I will be looking to score heavily and make a statement,” he said. “In the KFC Cup I played one of my best innings and that told me how much I had left in me.”
August 3, 2007
A week of high class cricket
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Keele Reefer Association, Village cricket, cricketLeave a Comment
The tour has been and gone and the Keele Reefer Association were able to play some excellent cricket in some glorious summer weather in Devon. Two wins out of three were the reward for some positive cricket, with only Torquay proving too strong for the hungover Reefers in the final match. Ian Rabagliati was batsman of the tour, scoring 81* at Sidmouth and 48 at Torquay, and Tom Taylor the bowler of the tour – taking seven wickets at an average of 10.29. Below is a picture from the tribute match to Sir Beef…
July 28, 2007
The joys of touring
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Keele Reefer Association, cricketLeave a Comment
The Village Cricketer is very excited as this coming week the brave cricketers of the Keele Reefer Association play three games in three days on tour in Devon. The tour is supported by TVC and reports will appear on this site in due course. The itinerary is as follows:
Monday July 30, 2007
2pm: KRA v Sidmouth Cricket Club
Sidmouth is a small seaside town on the east Devon coast and a popular tourist destination. It is a frequent winner of the Britain in Bloom awards. Sidmouth is famous for its annual folk festival which attracts musicians and visitors from around the world. Famous people from Sidmouth include social anthropologist Sir Edmund Leach. Founded in 1823, Sidmouth Cricket Club is one of Devon’s largest cricket clubs. It plays in division one of the Devon County League. The club’s main ground, The Fortfield, is one of Devon’s finest staging Devon County Cricket Club first team one day and three day matches.
Tuesday July 31, 2007
2.30pm: KRA v Ottery St Mary Cricket Club
Based in the beautiful Otter Valley, Ottery St. Mary is six miles from England’s first Natural World Heritage Site, the Jurassic Coast of East Devon and Dorset and about eleven miles from the ancient city of Exeter. A small town of around 7,000 people, it is particularly famous for the ‘Tar Barrels’, where every November 5th local lunatics cover beer barrels in tar, set fire to them, and hoist them onto their shoulders. Ottery St. Mary cricket club was founded in 1858 and its first XI plays in Division D of the East of the Devon Cricket League.
Wednesday August 1, 2007
1.30pm: KRA v Torquay Cricket Club
Founded in 1851, Torquay Cricket Club is another of Devon’s finest and plays in the Premier division of the Devon Cricket League. Torquay lies 16 miles south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay. In the 19th century it became a fashionable seaside resort. Renowned for its healthy climate, it earned the nickname of the English Riviera. Famous people born in Torquay include best-selling crime novelist Agatha Christie and porn-star Layla Jade, who starred in the genre defining movie Ben Dover’s Butt Bangers Bonanza.
July 12, 2007
Reefer tour shirt unveiled
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Keele Reefer Association, cricketLeave a Comment
The Village Cricketer is supporting the Keele Reefer Association’s 2007 tour to Devon, so is very proud to give the world its first glimpse of what all fashionable Reefers will be playing in this summer…
July 9, 2007
The 10 Best Cricketing Moustaches
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Entertainment, Ian Botham, Keele Reefer Association, cricket[3] Comments
On 30th June 2007, the Keele Reefer Association – whose tour to Devon is proudly supported by The Village Cricketer – will pay tribute to the life and times of Sir Ian Botham in its match against Ottery St Mary CC. The touring Reefers will decorate themselves in the manner of the great test players of the early-80s, which will certainly include a wide array of false moustaches.
So, in anticipation of the great occasion, The Village Cricketer today nominates the top ten cricketing moustaches, a decoration sadly lacking in today’s modern game.
10. Sir Richard Hadlee: Small but perfectly formed, Sir Richard’s ‘tache was like many Kiwi attempts to keep up with the cricketing powerhouses, not bad but a little short of what is required for world class.
9. Jack Russell: Eccentric wicket-keeper who could tell to within a matter of seconds how long his Weetabix had been soaked in milk for. Perhaps England’s greatest ever gloveman, now an artist, his moustache was as bedraggled as his trademark floppy hat.
8. Clive Lloyd: A powerful batsman who, as captain from 1974 to 1985, was largely responsible for the West Indies’ extraordinary success. Also a star for Lancashire, the world’s greatest county cricket club. Great man, great ‘tache.
7. Robin Smith: Nicknamed The Judge because of his hair, Smith combined his ‘tache with a mullet. The Judge did not wear a grill on his helmet, which meant the bowlers had a clear view of that top lip while he was hammering the fastest of bowling with supersonic cuts and hooks. He visibly enjoyed the regular snatches of chin music he received from the West Indian quicks.
6. Kapil Dev: An Indian legend, Kapil Dev was a fine batsmen and the greatest pace bowler his country has ever produced. Competed in an era of great all-rounders, and like Botham and Hadlee he also had a decent ‘tache.
5. Sir Ian Botham: The great man had to make an appearance. Not many men can look good with shoulder length, semi-permed hair and a moustache. But Beefy did, plus he managed to be the world’s greatest ever all-rounder at the same time. What a legend!
4. Graham Gooch: Goochie ran the full gauntlet of facial hair during his career, from facial hair to full beard via designer stubble and his famous Zapata moustache. He was at his best though when sporting the ‘tache, as his 333 against India would testify. Interestingly, his 333 was boosted by hundreds from Allan Lamb and Robin Smith in a marvellous Test match for hairy-lips.
3. David Boon: Tasmania’s all-time favourite cricketing son, Boonie would have held the Australian prize for the greatest cricketing ‘tache, but for the presence of the world beating Big Merv. Rumour has it that he was considered to be featured on the Aussue $5 note but they couldn’t fit his moustache on.
2. Adam Hollioake: Perhaps a surprising pick for second place, Hollioake managed to do what other England captain’s have never, that is win an international ODI tournament when he led an inexperienced team to the Champions Trophy in Sharjah. His Aussie background maybe why he sported an incredible handlebar moustache for the start of the 2004 season.
1. Merv Hughes: The clear winner by a hairy mile. According to Cricinfo, the big-hearted Australian fast bowler “was a lively character armed with an imposing run-up and delivery action, a classic fast bowlers’ glare down the pitch, a mischievous sense of humour and a moustache of incredible proportions”. Merv’s facial appendage is listed in Wikipedia as one of the all-time leading handlebar moustaches. Today’s “metrosexual” modern cricketers would do well to follow his lippy lead.
July 3, 2007
Arise Sir Beef!
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Entertainment, Ian Botham, Keele Reefer Association[2] Comments
The Village Cricketer was delighted when the great Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham was awarded a knighthood by the Queen. Beefy, who has raised more than £10m for leukaemia charities (and in doing so helped to increase the survival rate of sufferers), is a true sporting hero who still stood out in an era when the best sporting stars married their talents with immense personality.
On the field there was no-one better than Beefy, he played 102 Tests for England in a career that lasted from 1974 to 1993, took 383 wickets (which remains an English record) and scored 5,200 runs. He was the fastest person (in terms of matches) to reach the landmarks of 1000 runs and 100 wickets, 2000 / 200 and 3000 / 300. He was the first person to achieve 300 wickets and 5000 runs, plus he was the first person to get over 10 wickets and 100 runs in a test match. He scored a century and took 5 wickets in an innings on 5 occasions, a feat no-one else has achieved more than twice. A former Wisden Cricketer of the year, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Sport Personality of the Year Awards in 2004 and was appointed an OBE in 1992.
Being controversial only added to his appeal. Whereas today a sportsman’s lifestyle is geared 110% towards enhancing onfield performance, Botham’s exploits are the stuff of legend. In 1986 he was briefly banned from cricket for smoking cannabis, an extramarital affair prompted a public apology to his wife, he was arrested in Australia for assault (later to be bailed by Dennis Lillee and a six-pack of beer), he held lavish parties, ate rather too well (prompting accusations of being overweight, for shame), said he’d like to send his mother-in-law to Lahore, was a legendary drinker, sledged the fielders…. you could go on for days. Oh, and he is now the face of British Beef!
The Keele Reefer Association, whose tour to Devon is proudly sponsored by The Village Cricketer, will dedicate its match against Ottery St Mary on July 31 to the (playing) life and times of the great Sir Beefy, the most flamboyant and influential all-rounder ever to take the field. We salute you Sir!
For more on Beefy’s knighthood, a thoughtful piece is available from the Political Umpire.
April 2, 2007
Its a fine old time
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Keele Reefer Association, Sri Lanka cricket, Village cricket, West Indies cricket, World Cup 20071 Comment
The West Indies have been fined for a slow over-rate during their during their 113-run defeat against Sri Lanka. Match referee Jeff Crowe, who has previous in this tournament, imposed the fines after Brian Lara’s side was ruled two overs short of its target at the scheduled finish of the Sri Lanka innings. As such, Lara has been fined 20 percent of his match fee while his players have each received 10 percent fines.
Now, this got me thinking. On this summer’s Keele Reefer Association tour to Devon, players will be fined for certain misdemeanors (although a slow over rate will probably not be amongst them) and I think it wise to get some opinion on fineable offences and the going rate. For example:
- Dropped catch = £2
- Scoring less than 10 runs in an innings = £1
- A duck = £2
- Village behaviour (click here for possible offences) = £2
I am keen to get your thoughts on this. Please leave your comments in the usual place.
March 30, 2007
Lancashire launches silent movies on t’Internet
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Entertainment, Keele Reefer Association, Lancashire County Cricket ClubLeave a Comment
The mighty Lancashire County Cricket Club has launch Lancs.tv, a new service that keeps fans of the Red Rose up to speed on everything that is happening both on and off the ground at the Club. Coverage starts with the pre-season trip to South Africa, which includes highlights of Chilly and Sutty smacking big Steve Harmison around Bellville Park in a match against Durham.
While The Village Cricketer is obviously delighted by the innovation of the world’s greatest county cricket club, we remain a little confused by the use of silent movie style ‘commentary’ rather than that of the vocal kind.
P.S. The Keele Reefer Association hopes to offer video highlights from its Devon tour this summer.
March 22, 2007
Got a bat + will travel = you could play international cricket
Posted by thevillagecricketer under Keele Reefer Association, World Cup 20071 Comment
The success of Ireland in the early stages of the World Cup got me to thinking about the relative strengths and playing conditions enjoyed by the ‘minnows’ of world cricket. By minnows I do not mean the likes of the Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands and Bermuda, who will get hammered on a fairly regular basis by the likes of Australia and England. The minnows I want to touch on – who are worse than the likes of Bermuda – have Affiliate Member status, which includes Afghanistan, Belgium, Kuwait, Lesotho, Qatar, Saint Helena, and the mighty Malta. Having played cricket in Malta myself, I feel I can comment on them.
The Maltese cricket team became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council in 1998, competed in every edition of the European Affiliates Championship from 1999 to 2005 (their best result coming in 2001 when they reached the semi finals), and currently compete in Division Three of the European Championship (which also includes Cyprus, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Croatia, Isle of Man and Finland). There are only four clubs in Malta (Marsa CC (the biggest), Melita CC, Overseas CC and Krishna CC) and one ground at Marsa Sports Club. The unofficial rankings for Associate & Affiliate Countries, compiled by CricketEurope.com using a modified form of the ICC’s one day international ranking system, places Malta at number 51, which would – for all cricket playing nations – make them about the 61st best international cricket team in the world.
The KRA – a touring side of former Keele students and associated hangers on – toured Malta in 2004. To paint the picture, the KRA is made up of (at best) players who would play second and third XI standard at clubs where the firsts would play Premier Division standard and just below (so we were ok, but not great), mostly hung-over and under prepared following far too much beer and late nights in dodgy clubs. So, when the KRA played three games against Marsa CC in 2004, we played against six/seven then Maltese international players. Should we have been hammered by this almost first choice Malta XI on a dubious artificial strip in the middle of a leg-breaking outfield? You would have thought so, but no. We more than held our own over the first couple of games and hammered them in the last match by about 70 runs. The painful fact for Malta is that only one of them would have made the Barnes CC first XI, I took about six international wickets that week with very village medium pace, and the best Maltese players were all Australian ex-pats.
To give you an idea of the standard, the best affiliate sides are no better than half-decent English club sides whose premier players are bred playing club cricket in test playing nations. If you want to play international cricket, move to Malta and qualify there.
