We review the first two weeks of the T20 World Cup and chat about the heartwarming performances of USA and other Associate teams. Plus Pakistan's insistence on opening with Babar and Rizwan; Kohli's attempts to change; Pant's hitting training; and the infamous legbye that Bangladesh are furious about.

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Ashoka (@ABVan)

Karthikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo

Is there any other sport that allows recreational players to rub shoulders with superstars? Scott Oliver has traced down these delightful stories in a new book called Sticky Dogs and Stardust and we speak to Scott to understand his passion for this type of story and how these experiences can reveal so much about a cricketer and their love for the game.

Among the several superstars to have played in club cricket in England, the book tells the stories of all-time greats such as Adam Gilchrist, Malcolm Marshall, Viv Richards, Garry Sobers, Wasim Akram, and Shane Warne - and also reveals what these cricketers' presence meant for their amateur team-mates.

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Sticky Dogs and Stardust by Scott Oliver is available to buy in hardback and ebook formats. You can get 10% off the standard price at ⁠thenightwatchman.net⁠ with coupon code 81ALLOUT. Hardback (£15.30 + shipping when you use 81ALLOUT): ⁠https://www.thenightwatchman.net/buy/sticky-dogs-and-stardust⁠ Ebook (£4.49 when you use 81ALLOUT): ⁠https://www.thenightwatchman.net/buy/sticky-dogs-and-stardust-ebook⁠

Talking Points:

• The allure of the big star playing the small game
• The thrill of seeing a youngster with the potential for greatness
• Seventeen-year old Adam Gilchrist finding himself in England
• The remarkable story of Viv Richards in his pomp at Rishton CC
• The sight of great fast bowlers like Marshall and Donald terrorizing amateurs
• The cult of Garry Sobers at Norton CC
• The cricketers who disappointed their clubs
• The passing of an era - and how cricket's current economy doesn't allow for superstars to be part of an amateur setting

Participants:

Scott Oliver (@reverse_sweeper)

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

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Books republished by 81allout:

• War Minus the Shooting - Mike Marqusee
• Cricket Beyond the Bazaar - Mike Coward
• The Summer Game - Gideon Haigh

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Related:

• Sticky Dogs and Stardust review - Martin Chandler - Cricketweb.net
• List of Scott Oliver's articles

The 2024 edition of the IPL has seen hitters step up to a new level - with 200-plus totals becoming routine and 200-plus chases being achieved too. Is this an inflection point for the format? And how should we be talking about the sport if this is the new normal?

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Talking Points:

• Why has this IPL seen a sudden jump in totals?
• Has the impact-player rule played a significant role in raising totals?
• Have teams found more hitters to accomodate in the XIs?
• Jake Fraser-McGurk - the prototypical T20 hitter
• The effect of non-capped Indian players like Abhishek Sharma, Ashutosh Sharma
• Why Dhoni bats so late in the game: the effect of platooning
• What does it mean when you wish for a balance between bat and ball in T20s?
• Why higher scores suggest the hitters are more in control of their shot-making

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

Ashoka (@ABVan)

Karthikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo

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Buy The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh (republished by 81allout)

India (hardback) | India (paperback) | India (e-copy)

Australia (paperback, e-copy)

USA (hardback, paperback, e-copy)

UK (hardback, paperback, e-copy)

Canada (hardback, paperback, e-copy)

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Related:

• Hitting v Batting: the choice that dictates the shape of a T20 contest - 81allout podcast
• What’s the deal with T20 bowling? - 81allout podcast
• Jake Fraser-McGurk, the ideal T20 batter - Sidharth Monga - ESPNcricinfo
• How Do International Cricketers Do At The IPL? - Kartikeya Date - Cricketingview