IPL keeps on keeping on. Match after match. Day after day. Unlike the Ancient Mariner, we do get some breath and motion but I was pretty glad when some men dressed in white made their way on to the Lords’ pitch. While England and New Zealand may only have fought out and honourable, rain-affected draw, there was plenty of meat and interest in the match. It reminded me what real cricket is about and why Test cricket remains the true judge of skill and character.

IPL does have some merit and some excitement, especially if your name is Warne and here are some of my observations. It is nice that there is at least one match, every day for six weeks. It’s always nice to have a new scorecard to check in the morning. The scorecard normally takes about 6.5 seconds to check. There’s not too much to a T20 scorecard. Because of the lack of analysis satisfaction, I’ve been running a man of the match chart. Mind you, there’s not always too much to be excited about in a MOTM award. Let’s see now – you might get one for scoring 38 not out or taking 2-16. There is limited chance to impress, especially for bowlers. However, it has shown me some useful things:

1. Before the Aussies and Kiwis left, they had won more than half of the MOTM awards.
2. Since that time, the competition has been dominated by the Indians, which is not surprising.
3. Just about all 46 MOTM awards have gone to big time players. Almost no exceptions.
4. Three players have won the award on three occasions. All of those are well known but not super stars. Watson, Marsh (S) and Pathan (YK).
5. Of the 46 matches, the MOTM award has gone to batsmen on 25 occasions (54%). A bowler has taken it out 14 times (30%) with the balance to all-rounders.
6. Probably the single best all round performance has come from Gangers in match 32 with 91 (57) & 2-25 (4).

Australia takes on the West Indies in the first Test from Thursday (night of Thurs/Friday for Aussies) – so day will have concluded by the time most of you read this. The Kiwis and the Poms are at it again from Friday. For Australia, Katich (still on fire with bat and ball in the only warm up match) will open in place of the injured Hayden and Dodgy Hodgey will fill in for Pup. How that guy got called up before David Hussey is mystery to me.

I don’t like reggae. I love it.