openers Magnificent 7 The best things we’ve learned this month from Frederick Heather More than a game Cricket in unusual places ... }[Nelson] discovered that under certain conditions he could get more destructive results Harry Potter actor Tom Felton’s from his cannon 1girlfriend bought him a year’s balls by making subscription to The Wisden Cricketer them ricochet off (page 114) the sea … Usually he pitched them The parents of Kenya’s Peter quite short, about 2 Ongondo had never heard of two thirds of the cricket (pages 36-39) way between his guns and the target, Not one of the 18 county coaches but there is some 3 thinks Mark Ramprakash is the evidence to suggest Championship’s best batsman but Hero of the Canadian game that during the they do think Somerset will win battle of the Nile everything (pages 66-67) A CAMPAIGN to induct a cricketer into On retiring he embarked on an he dismissed the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame for the umpiring career that would span 38 French flagship with More Indians watched the first first time is gathering momentum. years and more than 1,000 consecutive a yorker 4 match of the football World Cup You may not have heard of him but games, making him the longest-serving on TV than the IPL’s opening game Frederick Heather above far left is a umpire in Canada. He umpired in the ~ last year (pages 44-46) Canadian cricket hero. I must admit a first match of first-class status held Michael Redgrave vested interest – he was my great uncle. on Canadian soil when MCC visited in as Barnes Wallis, The Middlesex players spent I was only two when he died in 1976 but 1951. Heather’s contributions did not The Dam Busters 5 their winter wrestling with a cage- have taken care of Heather’s unique and stop at umpiring. He set up numerous fighter known as Giorgio (pages 68-78) large cricket collection, which includes leagues across the country and a school a letter from Jack Hobbs. for umpires. Ryan Sidebottom above thinks Heather emigrated to Canada from His nomination for the Sports 6 slip catching is the key to winning England aged 31 in 1921 and took his Hall of Fame is endorsed by many the Championship (pages 62-65) love of the game with him. He had deep Canadians. “Fred Heather’s involvement roots in the development of Canadian in and dedication to cricket and its Slips Simon Hughes, at the beginning cricket and, as a player, Heather won development in Canada is second to 7 of his Middlesex career, had his two Toronto City Championships in none,” says the MP Gord Brown. “His BJT Bosanquet was signature rubbed out by a disgruntled 1922 and 1927 and competed for the induction into the Sports Hall of Fame an English spinner, autograph hunter who wanted more national title in 1928. is long overdue and would help elevate not an Australian famous names (page 48-50) the history of the sport in Canada.” (TWC, March, p95). Senator Nancy Raine, who won a gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics in the giant slalom, also approves of Heather’s nomination. News “All sports benefit from unique individuals who contribute their time and passion to help others enjoy their sport,” she says. “Frederick Heather’s legendary career as an umpire and, $2,000 perhaps more importantly, his work Grant for cricket equipment received establishing youth leagues were a major by each of the winners at the ICC’s contribution to the development of annual Development Programme cricket in Canada.” Awards. Scotland took the overall The Sports Hall of Fame has offered award, Japan won Best Women’s Cricket hope, saying Heather’s nomination is Initiative and this photo by Fiona Homes, under consideration. entitled ‘Stay Focused’, won the Photo of Standing for fame: umpire Frederick Heather Chris Redford the Year award for Bermuda. 22 www.wisdencricketer.com Mundane 7 The worst things we’ve learned this month from The stats that don’t matter… Fixing precise distance in is the fix metres at which ORR M A LEADING Hawk-Eye suddenly sports corruption becomes fallible, it turns out. aham R G investigator (2), has called for a ICC-imposed limit on number of minimum wage laptops allowed in dressing room over in which a new ball is introduced; mages I at major cricket per team, with the goal of making also signals to spectators that it might etty tournaments to it harder for players to post hilarious be time to wake up after the Quiet AFP/G stop players having in-play Tweets about their love-lives/a Middle Overs. their heads turned team-mate getting a stomach upset/ by bookmakers. some brilliant free stuff they just got from Graham Onions cooked his first Canadian-born their sponsors; and also to stop them 1ever chicken. He was pretty Declan Hill, author of sending coded messages to bookies. excited about it @BunnyOnions The Fix, believes the percentage of the teams who are at widespread financial runs awarded for hitting the ball the tournament only to make up Andrew Gale has had his lucky inequality between over ropes on the full. the numbers. 2 undies since he was 14. They have teams makes it Discovered by England at this a large hole in them @GaleyLad impossible to rule World Cup for the first time. out match-fixing. Adil Rashid was listening to some “You need a number of tickets available to 3proper jamming tunes in Trinidad standard minimum valued customers for the next @Adilrashid3 wage paid directly eagerly anticipated clash at into the players’ the Chinnaswamy Stadium, runs scored by England and India; also Monty Panesar couldn’t decide bank accounts,” says Bangalore. odds to 1 at start of England’s innings of 4 whether to watch Champions Hill. “Then you offer them managing this. League football or the Brit Awards them incentives, length in feet of stick used by above. He didn’t tell us which he for a hundred, for a police to ensure valued chose. He also found parking at his catch, for a wicket.” customers don’t try any funny gym a nightmare @Montyp713 Hill also thinks an stuff, eg trying to buy tickets. independent body Robin Uthappa says your love is is essential for the number of different jobs number of items on list of banned 5a mountain underneath his feet sport to rid itself of held by players from objects and substances that may not be @robbieu9 corruption for good. Associate nations to brought into a ground, including, but “At the moment support their cricket habit. Other careers not limited to: water in sealed container, Graham Onions woke in the the same people of competitors at the ICC World Cup water in unsealed container, water in 6 morning with incredibly itchy that are running include: tree surgeon, butler, pimp, seal, seal, weapons other than official hands. He didn’t know what this the sport are also in professor of organic chemistry at police issue, sun cream, sun hats, Sunny meant @BunnyOnions charge of cleaning Harvard, bookmaker, disgraced MP, cat- Gavaskar (unless clearly labelled), food, it up and that’s a burglar and even a county cricketer. shelter, fire, pets, spectators. Danielle Wyatt thinks Ugg boots conflict of interest,” 7 are amazing @Danni_Wyatt he says. Richard Edwards Follow The Wisden Cricketer @wisdencricketer number of Sachin’s number-one fans. complexity of formula by which ticketing By Alan Tyers. Illustration by Beach. allocation for major News CrickiLeaks – The Secret Ashes Diaries by matches is worked out. years’ ban imposed on Salman Tyers and Beach is out on April 4 Butt right (with five years suspended), a sentence Butt will appeal against to the 10Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. Mohammad Amir will also appeal against his five-year ban by the ICC for spot-fixing during the England-Pakistan Test at Lord’s last summer. Butt was due to appear in a London court on March 17 to face criminal charges relating to the same incident. In the meantime he has appeared as a pundit on a Pakistani television, to the chagrin of the ICC. www.wisdencricketer.com 23.