Chris Monckton is to environmental science what Andre Rieu is to classical music. Both play to packed houses of elderly fans around Australia, both give the genre a bad name. Actually, the comparison is a little unkind to Monsieur Rieu. While Belford Parrott is besotted with both, Viscount Monckton goes well beyond bad into the realm of crackpot.

I wouldn't normally pay attention to a charlatan like Monckton, whose climate change denial raises some absurd conspiracy theories, the "one world government" among them. Few of his stories are more entertaining than his claim that NASA deliberately crashed a geoscience satellite rather than let it collect data that would have disproved all evidence of global warming.

Just as outrageous, however, is the claim on his think tank's website that Monckton is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Monckton has himself repeated the claim, including on radio to an adoring Parrott, only to state later that it was a joke.

But then, mate, everything about you appears to be a joke.

Why do I write about Monckton? Only because the Australian media has given the Third Viscount Monckton of Brenchley the level of attention that almost equals that given to another redundant member of British aristocracy who visited these shores last month.

Why is this? Perhaps the media is attempting to put some balance on the "debate" over climate change. But is this really necessary any more? Wouldn't it be like giving airtime to, say, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to debate the existence of the Holocaust?

The debate over the existence of anthropomorphic climate change should be over, at least to the point where we cannot ignore the risks attached to continued denial. Rare and isolated errors of fact, academic procedure and professional conduct do not invalidate the overwhelming body of evidence and scientific consensus.

Monckton, and his fellow climatological shyster, Aussie Ian Plimer, will continue to be heard by those who want to hear, and by those with vested interests in pushing their ignorant, reckless messages.

I just hope, for their sake, that they don't deny the historical evidence of dinosaurs.

For a variety of reasons I didn't do a normal cricket blog after Boxing Day 2009. I continued to pass comment on Twitter over the past month, however, and over the past few days I have been summarising, with annotations, my cricket-related tweets between December 27 and the present. Some tweets have been omitted for reasons of clarity or sanity, none have been internally edited.

The final instalment takes me up to January 30. Earlier instalments of this catch-up blog: Parts One, Two, Three, and Four.

January 22, 2010:

John Howard for ICC chairman? Not absurd, just wrong. But why all the stories about him being sought for major sporting posts? #cricket 7:33 AM Jan 22nd

@comms_consult Maybe he could gain some experience first as, say, treasurer of the Kolkata Knight Riders. #cricket 7:44 AM Jan 22nd

on the subject of John Howard, did they ever replace Arthur Tunstall at the Commonwealth Games Federation? 7:58 AM Jan 22nd

Rumours that John Howard was set to be nominated by Cricket Australia as a future president of the ICC (that's International Cricket Council, not International Criminal Court"). This came about two months after his name was briefly suggested as the chairman of a new independent commission to replace the National Rugby League. All of which begs the question - who is approaching whom?

#cricket Big lower case-t test today: ODI 1 Pakistan batting first v Aus. Will anyone care? 2:20 PM Jan 22nd

#cricket Carn the Dark Greens! #australia #pakistan 2:31 PM Jan 22nd

#cricket What's the fuss about Australia and Pakistan wearing the same colours? In Test matches they both wear white! 2:39 PM Jan 22nd

Australia and Pakistan wore almost identical dark green strips in the Commonwealth Bank Series ODIs. No one complains when they (and every other team in the world) wear identical all-white strips in Test matches, yet people make a fuss. Is it compulsory for television commentators to speak nonsense when they have nothing to say (oh yeah, that's the job description, isn't it?)

Nope. RT @IPL IPL cricketers to take part in Fear Factor on @colorstv !!! updates are getting more and more exciting aren't they? :) 6:35 PM Jan 22nd

Today's "exciting announcements" from the @IPL could best be summarised as self-indulgence run amuck. Anyone for #cricket? 6:40 PM Jan 22nd

I'll give the @IPL credit for the #3D screening of the final and 3rd place game in selected cinemas. #cricket 7:12 PM Jan 22nd

but imagine, if you will, an after-game fashion parade at the Gabba following the Aus-Pak ODI tonight... #cricket @IPL 7:17 PM Jan 22nd

Partnership between IPL and UNEP? What does that mean, less fireworks let off after every six hit? #cricket #environment #co2 8:11 AM Jan 23rd

Meanwhile, operatives from the IPL were live-tweeting more "exciting" announcements about the 2010 series.. er, tournament.

January 23, 2010:

An unsung giant of Australian sport has died. RT @CricketAus: Australian cricket mourns the passing of Betty Wilson http://bit.ly/92fFeG

If Karen Rolton's retirement on Wednesday should have been big news, the death on Friday of the greatest female cricketer in Australia's history, Betty Wilson, should have been huge. Of course, it wasn't.

Look away for the next three hours if you don't like women's #cricket, twenty20 or unbridled pro-NSW bias. I'm doin it all here. 3:38 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket Victoria won the toss and batting first in the womens t20 final, but go @NSW_Breakers! 3:41 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket Both teams wearing black armbands as mark of respect to the late, great Betty Wilson. #wt20 3:55 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket First wicket to the @nsw_breakers' Sarah Andrews. Vic 1/32 after 6. 4:00 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket vic 2/51 after 9. Stumping off a wide that should have been not out. Then a run out not given! 4:11 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket After 20 overs @vic_spirit 5/127 in the women's final. Challenging chase for the @nsw_breakers 4:47 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket Come on ye @nsw_breakers! 5:01 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket and Leah Poulton out in the first over. NSW 1/7 after 1 over chasing 128. 5:04 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket Alex Blackwell ct behind to a good Clea Smith seamer for no score. NSW 2/8 in 2nd over. 5:08 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket argh. Alyssa Healy gone for a duck. NSW 3/8. 5:09 PM Jan 23r

#cricket make that 4/8 after 2.1 overs. NSW struggling, to say the least 5:12 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket Kate Blackwell gone, NSW 5/21 after 6.2 overs chasing 128. Can't see them getting out of this, alas. 5:27 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket Sthalekar out for 9. NSW 7/40 after 11 overs. I think we can call this for the @vic_spirit. 5:44 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket NSW all out 75. @vic_spirit win by 52 runs, and are the WNCL T20 champions. 6:00 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket crowd looks to be building at the Adelaide Oval for the men's Big Bash final. Pity they couldn't see a closer finish to the women. 6:03 PM Jan 23rd

#cricket Congratulations to the @vic_spirit, inaugural Aus womens T20 champs. Commiserrations to @nsw_breakers. 6:05 PM Jan 23rd

The Womens Twenty20 final was televised on Fox Sports, and I had the rare opportunity to follow the game live, complete with New South Wales' agonising top-order collapse. The game was curtain-raiser to the mens KFC Big Bash final at the Adelaide Oval, in which Victoria completed the double and defeated South Australia. (No mark of respect for Betty Wilson, alas.)

@IPL I look forward to seeing further detail of the IPL-UNEP partnership which, on the surface, totally defies belief. 8:35 PM Jan 23rd

Among the Indian Premier League's "exciting" announcements for 2010 was one about a strategic partnership with the United Nations Environmental Program, one which will see the IPL become "carbon neutral". Details are yet to come.

January 24, 2010:

Cricket Australia did a great job with the T20 Big Bash this year, but let's not overdo it. No city-based franchises, thank you. #cricket 7:07 AM Jan 24th

#cricket of course, I should put on my best King Canute accent when I say "no city-based franchises". Oh, congrats @bushrangers #kfct20 7:37 AM Jan 24th

RT @zimcricket Rocks 263 & 185 (Maregwede 79, Utseya 5/28), Mountaineers 562/9d. Mountaineers win by an innings & 114 runs. #cricket 9:06 AM Jan 24th

Go PNG! #cricket RT @ICCU19CWC: Papua New Guinea beat Afghanistan by 30 runs thanks to 5 wickets from Raymond Haoda http://bit.ly/7ljXSf 3:35 PM Jan 24th

#cricket Dark Greens lead Dark Greens 2-0. Dark Greens were dismal, totally outplayed by Dark Greens. 9:31 PM Jan 24th

January 25, 2010:

#cricket Afghanistan bt Ireland in Intercontinental Cup. Ireland's first such loss since 2004, a BIG upset! http://tinyurl.com/y95wf8r 7:44 AM Jan 25th

#cricket Telegraph (UK) reports ICC preparing for #knobgate enquiry http://tinyurl.com/yc5bn94 7:49 AM Jan 25th

Harbhajan Singh commits #cricket's most heinous crime - damaging an advertising sign. http://tinyurl.com/ydnjahe 8:55 PM Jan 25th

January 26, 2010:

#cricket Remember the 1999 World Cup Final between the canary yellows and the lime greens? Look how far we've come in a decade. 2:34 PM Jan 26th

#cricket Congratulations to Matthew Hayden (AM), Dennis Lillee (AM), Steve Bernard (OAM), Trevor Hohns (OAM) all in Aust Day Honours List 6:43 PM Jan 26th

January 28, 2010:

#cricket Afghanistan finished 16th of 16 in their first @ICCU19CWC. Encouraging start, or are they the next Kenya or Nepal? 10:42 AM Jan 28th

#cricket USA finished 15th of 16 in @ICCU19CWC. US cricket admin still a basket case. Exposure to IPL will not help them. 10:44 AM Jan 28th

#cricket Zimbabwe flogged Hong Kong for 13th/14th placings in @ICCU19CWC. 13th place for Zimbabwe is Ouch! territory. 10:47 AM Jan 28th

#cricket Bangladesh finish 9th in @ICCU19CWC with huge win over Ireland who come 10th. http://tinyurl.com/y983uzs 2:56 PM Jan 28th

#cricket #u19wc Canada take 11th spot, Papua New Guinea 12th. Playoff settled in last over. http://tinyurl.com/ydul6vr 3:38 PM Jan 28th

@IPL Will the IPL be cutting down on the fireworks let off at each game as part of its Green leadership? 5:59 PM Jan 28th from web

IPL meets UNEP meets Carbon Offsets. Cynicism overdrive here I come! 8:30 PM Jan 28th

January 29, 2010:

@ramansundar Can you point me to more information about the "ecofriendly fireworks" the IPL is using? 9:10 AM Jan 29th

Following IPL COO Sundar Raman's reply to several people (though not to me) that the IPL's fireworks are ecofriendly (followed by smiley), I asked for more information. As at lunchtime on February 2, no reply.

#cricket Congratulations to the West Indies who have beaten Sri Lanka to finish 3rd in the #u19wc! http://tinyurl.com/ycd3bxp 4:26 PM Jan 29th

January 30, 2010:

#cricket Go NSW! RT @NSW_Breakers Match is being live streamed on www.cricket.com.au/livestream 10:05 AM Jan 30th

#cricket and go Australia in the #u19wc final, although they haven't made a good start (83/5 after 22) http://tinyurl.com/yaqgrv2 10:08 AM Jan 30th

#cricket @NSW_Breakers off to a good start in WNCL 50 overs final, 1/85 (24.1 ov) vs @vic_spirit http://tinyurl.com/ydw4t8q 11:27 AM Jan 30th

#cricket RT @CricketAus Trent Copeland has claimed the second-best figures by a New South Welshman on debut after ta... http://bit.ly/9Vq6CW 12:19 PM Jan 30th

#cricket Congratulations to Mitchell Marsh and the boys. Australia are the Under-19 world champions! 3:44 PM Jan 30th

#cricket I haven't been watching the final but it sound like it has been a good battle. Congrats to Pakistan on their 2nd place in the comp. 3:46 PM Jan 30th

#cricket Now to picture a NSW side with Josh Hazlewood and Trent Copeland sharing the new ball... 3:57 PM Jan 30th

#cricket Congratulations to the @NSW_Breakers for a big win over Victoria in the WNCL 50-over final today! 4:48 PM Jan 30th

My congratulatory message to the Breakers was re-tweeted by NSW Leader of the Opposition Barry O'Farrell. Unfortunately, Premier Kristina Kenneally has made no acknowledgment, either on Twitter or, as far as I can tell, anywhere.

January 15, 2010:

Pakistani #cricket is going nowhere until the pollies butt out. RT @Cricket365 Pakistan parliament want Alam fired http://bit.ly/81gjw8 10:51 AM Jan 15th

#cricket Congrats to the Northern Territory who won their first Australian Country title yesterday http://tinyurl.com/ybfnfrq 11:04 AM Jan 15th

#cricket NT's Aust Country Championship win from a NSW perspective. "It's come back and bitten us in the arse." http://tinyurl.com/yecxb79 11:06 AM Jan 15th

#cricket #pakistan #australia Dismal. 6:06 PM Jan 15th

#cricket When "host broadcasters" become active participants in the game, it is time we all screamed at the ICC "STOP THIS MADNESS!!!" 8:56 PM Jan 15th

my last tweet referred to the Smith review at the Wanderers, btw #cricket 9:14 PM Jan 15th

#cricket TV should always be an independent observer. References to "host broadcasters" are creeping to Playing Conditions way too much. 9:17 PM Jan 15th

RT @Aggerscricket SABC defends itself: Harper's volume control was on 4 out of 10. He didn't turn it up. Edge audible when turned up. 10:45 PM Jan 15th from web

The day began with news of a milestone in Northern Territory cricket, continued with a typical day of a Pakistan v Australia Test (including a record partnership between Ponting and Clarke which I failed to acknowledge on Twitter), and ended with the scandal which would eventually be known as Knobgate!

January 16, 2010:

#cricket The Harper episode tells me that we've crossed a line. The sport has become addicted to tech but doesn't know how to cope with it. 9:41 AM Jan 16th

#cricket I'm a bit reluctant to criticise Daryl Harper over this. His training is as a cricket umpire, not an audio-visual technician. 9:42 AM Jan 16th

#cricket Wondering which act was worse: Daryl Harper's audio problem or Mohammad Yousuf's public berating of his teammates 11:23 AM Jan 16th

#cricket Watching the cricket but can't hear the commentary because I have the volume set to zero. Should I be sacked as a viewer? 11:38 AM Jan 16th

#cricket I do hope Salman Butt gets a big hundred this afternoon. He is, after all, batting for three... 12:41 PM Jan 16th

#cricket Two run outs, 102 then out still >100 short of the follow-on. I think I'll withhold my congratulations for Salman Butt. 2:12 PM Jan 16th

#cricket OTOH, why doesn't Simon Katich bowl more often?? 2:13 PM Jan 16th

The more I read of the failings of UDRS, the more I think Test #cricket should return to that other 4-letter acronym, KISS. 3:07 PM Jan 16th

#cricket Referee Mahanama's press release abt the Harper review of Smith: http://tinyurl.com/ybjolph We really are descending into madness. 10:00 PM Jan 16th

#cricket Meanwhile, Zim-U19 lost to Canada RT @mailandguardian Zimbabwe gets serious about return to Test cricket http://tinyurl.com/yetkfep

#cricket ECB demanding a refund of The Lost Review. I have three words for them: 1. Get; 2. Over; 3. It. 11:47 PM Jan 16th

Salman Butt scored a century for Pakistan after running out two of his team-mates on Friday evening, which was the catalyst for a public rebuke by captain Mohammad Yousuf at that day's post-match presser. In case you overlooked it above, here again is that link to the Mahanama press release clarifying Daryl Harper audio knob issues. Do read it.

January 17, 2010:

#cricket The Guardian's Paul Weaver on #knobgate http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/jan/16/england-cricket-referrals-giles-clarke 8:29 AM Jan 17th

didn't see a single ball of the Test today, however my daughter has now seen "Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakuel" 7:10 PM Jan 17th

and now to listen to the NSW-SA T20 #cricket on @abcgrandstand 7:20 PM Jan 17th

#cricket Redbacks tumbling early. Cmon Blues give us a consolation win. #kfct20 7:31 PM Jan 17th

@RedbacksT20 How on Earth does Cosgrove fit into Tait's shirt? #cricket #kfct20 7:34 PM Jan 17th

#cricket and these Redbacks will be representing Australia in the next Champions League? Oh dear... 8:13 PM Jan 17th

#cricket Well that didn't take long. Blues annihilate Redbacks. Less than 3 months since we were champions of the world. Oh well. 9:03 PM Jan 17th

adieu England. #cricket 9:32 PM Jan 17th

Another day of the Bellerive Test missed, but I did manage to catch NSW's dead-rubber annihilation of South Australia in the T20 on radio. (Didn't get an answer about the Tait-Cosgrove wardrobe interchange, btw.)

January 18, 2010:

#cricket If there's one thing unexpected abt the current Aus Test season, it is that WI has been more competitive than Pakistan. 11:14 AM Jan 18th

Australia 3, Pakistan 0.

January 19, 2010:

Livestock sale is on! Kieron Pollard to Mumbai after a tie breaker (penalty shootout? bowloff? Duckworth-Lewis Method??) #cricket #ipl 6:03 PM Jan 19th

#cricket A quick scan of the #ipl sales is very amusing. Damien Martyn, FFS? 7:46 PM Jan 19th

The third annual IPL meat market was a little underwhelming this year, partly because there were only about ten spots available, and all these weird and wonderful rules kept popping up before and after the auction enabling players to be signed up through all sort of technicalities. Unless, of course, you were a Pakistani.

January 20, 2010:

Australia's finest all-rounder of the past 20 years retired from international #cricket today. I am referring, of course, to Karen Rolton. 5:38 PM Jan 20th

#cricket The illustrious career record of Karen Rolton, who retired today. http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/53458.html 6:16 PM Jan 20th

#cricket It's a sad indictment that the Australian women's cricket team has played just 14 Tests since 1995. Rolton played in all of them. 6:27 PM Jan 20th

#cricket Congratulations to Alex Blackwell, named captain of the Australian women's team to play NZ in February. 6:47 PM Jan 20th

If she was a bloke, Karen Rolton's retirement from international cricket would have been breaking news, lead news, front page news, back page news, and a World-First Exclusive on both A Current Affair and Today Tonight. But no.

Let's see if I have this clear: the live Youtube stream of the @IPL will *not* be available in Australia because of the telecast on OneHD. 7:39 PM Jan 20th

hmm. It seems the #IPL matches will be live on Youtube everywhere *except* the US! (and, perhaps, China?) #cricket 8:34 PM Jan 20th

I'm now reading that #IPL matches will be on delay on Youtube in countries where live TV coverage exists. All audacious and interesting... 9:58 PM Jan 20th

Lalit Modi and his operatives were breathlessly announcing the news that IPL matches in 2010 would be webcast on Youtube through an arrangement of some sort with Google. So breathless were the announcements - especially those crammed into 140 characters or less - that they never quite made sense. But hey, they were exciting... we were told that constantly!

January 21, 2010:

sigh. attn numerous media outlets: IPL3 will not be "the first time a sporting event will be telecast live on the Internet." 8:17 AM Jan 21st

#cricket Is @MClarke23 worth following? Depends on whether it's really him or his management company. And whether he actually tweets. 8:29 AM Jan 21st

Michael Clarke made his debut on Twitter, just in time for the one-day series in which he appears in TV advertisements for a "$29 Cap" - a mobile phone plan which includes GASP! Free Twitter Till March 31, 2010!

#cricket #haiti Trinidad & Tobago v Guyana T20 charity game starts in abt 2 hrs. But why no names given of the charities that will benefit? 8:38 AM Jan 21st

#cricket Not implying for a second anything improper abt the T&T-Guy T20, but the statement "All proceeds go to Haiti" doesn't tell me much. 8:40 AM Jan 21st

The WIPA, TTCB and GCB have done a great job arranging the #haiti T20 benefit at short notice. Wish other #cricket bodies would pitch in. 8:48 AM Jan 21st

Trinidad and Tobago played Guyana in a Twenty20 match at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, to raise funds for victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti on January 12. A great occasion arranged at short notice, but I am yet to see any reports of the amount of money raised, or the charities to whom the money was forwarded.

Part Three of a Twitter-enabled summary of my observations of the cricketing world since Boxing Day 2009. (See also Part One and Part Two.)

January 10, 2010:

Never thought I'd say this, but I miss the #cricket one-day tri-series. 2:56 PM Jan 10th

Dangerous thoughts on a bored Sunday afternoon between Tests with the only televised cricket reserved to an evening hit-and-giggle on pay TV.

West Indies #Cricket Crisis Beyonce Concert Pitch Horror - http://shar.es/aFbTT (thx @WIcricnews) 7:26 PM Jan 10th

In summary, a Beyonce concert was planned for Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain at the same time as a Trinidad and Tobago first-class game, and a fortnight before a West Indies v Zimbabwe ODI. A developing story.

January 12, 2010:

I love a good #cricket pun when it's not about Bollinger or Onions RT @zimcricket: [ZCN] Rhinos Trample Mountaineers http://j.mp/60OZBb 12:05 AM Jan 12th

This summer, Zimbabwe's Logan Cup is being played between five franchises - the Mashonaland Eagles, the Matabeleland Tuskers, the Mid West Rhinos, the Mountaineers and the Southern Rocks. But where is the supporters' merchandise?

#cricket Why are Shahid Afridi and Rana Naved being wasted in this T20 thingy when there are Tests to be lost. #pakistan 9:54 PM Jan 12th

#cricket Redbacks win and are on their way to India. Good win defending a low score. #kfct20 9:58 PM Jan 12th

The Southern Redbacks (no relation to the Southern Rocks) defeated the Tasmanian Tigers in the KFC Big Bash at the Adelaide Oval, thereby finishing top of the table and qualifying for the CHampions League in India. Star imports included Shahid Afridi and Keiron Pollard for South Australia and Rana Naved al-Hasan for Tasmania. Neither Afridi nor Rana were wanted by Pakistan for the Test series.

January 13, 2010:

#cricket tonight's lesson: NSW may be Twenty20 world champions but they are lousy at Nine9. 10:58 PM Jan 13th

The much-hyped Twenty20 game at the ANZ Stadium between NSW and Queensland was reduced to nine overs per side following a thunderstorm. Queensland batted first and, if any nine-overs game can be won decisively, they did it.

January 14, 2010:

#cricket Can anyone explain to me why the hours of play in Hobart are 10.30am to 5.30pm? Sunset is not till 8.50. (TV is not a valid answer) 10:43 AM Jan 14th

#cricket There was a time when at 2 wkts down, I'd be confident that Aus could put on another 400-500 runs. Not with this team. 11:58 AM Jan 14th

#cricket Impressed that Mike Hussey found the time to send me an email during the lunch break,and it looks just like Cricket Aus marketing! 1:21 PM Jan 14th

so hands up all NSW and Vic ch9 viewers excitedly waiting for "Australia's Funniest Home Videos, Daily Edition" to start in an hour? 5:59 PM Jan 14th

More interest on the #cricket hashtag at the moment in the Ranji thriller than in either Test. I'm impressed :) 6:51 PM Jan 14th

#cricket Congratulations Mumbai. Now, BCCI, this is the domestic comp you should be supporting to the hilt. #ranji 7:33 PM Jan 14th

Opening day of the Third Test at Bellerive Oval, Hobart, but the most exciting match of the day was Day Four of the Ranji Trophy final at Mysore, Mumbai beating Karnataka in a thriller. A Test match started at Johannesburg too, but more about that later...

Part two of my annotated log of cricketing thoughts as tweeted over the summer holiday period. Some tweets have been deleted for reasons of clarity and sanity.

January 2, 2010:

#cricket I probably won't get around to blogging it, but my cricketer of the 2000s is Muttiah Muralitharan. Runner-up: Adam Gilchrist. 10:13 AM Jan 2nd

#cricket I find it hard to get used to the Sydney Test starting on January 3, not January 2 12:24 PM Jan 2nd

#cricket ICC/FICA ruling that players need a 3 day break between Tests. Intended, though, for more arduous travel than Melbourne -> Sydney! 12:31 PM Jan 2nd

A summary of the fact that there was no Test cricket on Saturday, January 2 (which did lead to a nice chat on Twitter with the leader of the NSW Liberal Party, Barry O'Farrell, who'd make a good Premier if it weren't for the party he leads. But that's off the topic)

#cricket Yecch. How did we lose that? #nswblues 9:41 PM Jan 2nd

All that needs to be said about that night's Twenty20 game at the MCG.

January 3, 2010:

Livestock update: 97 imports express interest in next cattle auction http://www.cricinfo.com/ipl2010/content/story/442040.html #cricket #ipl 12:47 PM Jan 3rd

The start of the IPL3 meat parade.

winningest captain ever lovely day for a bat have you had your swisse today #cricket #fail 5:55 PM Jan 3rd

Play started in the Second Test at the SCG at 2pm in humid, overcast conditions after a morning of rain. Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat. What was he thinking?

#cricket If that's the end of Ntini, it's a sad way to see him go. 100th Test was a good time to retire, not dropped after a dismal 101st. 8:39 PM Jan 3rd

The Third Test between South Africa and England began without Makhaya Ntini, dropped after a dismal effort in the Second Test at Durban.

January 4, 2010:

#cricket Let's recap Nathan Hauritz's first-class career bowling average at this moment: 43.73 runs per wicket. In a 9-year playing career. 12:35 PM Jan 4th

#cricket Memo Pakistan: Do Not Lose From Here. Take that as an order. 6:07 PM Jan 4th

Stumps day two: Pakistan 9/331 in reply to Australia 127 all out.

January 5, 2010:

#cricket Chris Cairns quietly removed from the #IPL auction list. Reason has been tweeted but mainstream media won't touch it! Hmmmmm 12:09 PM Jan 5th

#cricket Cairns omission seems linked to his mysterious suspension from the ICL in 2008. No way he would have scored an IPL3 contract anyway 12:35 PM Jan 5th

#cricket And in other livestock news, Moises Henriques is traded from KKR to Delhi as a part-swap for Owais Shah. http://tinyurl.com/ydm8lj6 12:47 PM Jan 5th

The 97 contracted players up for IPL3 auction were reduced to 96. The reason for Chris Cairns' removal from the list, as tweeted by @lalitkmodi, was explosive - and deleted from Twitter a few hours later.

#cricket Qs: 1.Will Pak seek the xtra 30mins to win tonight? 2. Will ch9 televise it? 5:20 PM Jan 5th

#cricket I remember Aus' rearguard victory over Pak at the SCG in 1973. It could happen again. Unlikely though. 6:34 PM Jan 5th

Pakistan was on the brink of victory late on day three (and would probably have already won if it weren't for the many dropped catches by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal), but at stumps Australia was 8/286, a lead of 79.

I'm confused. We have two PM's in Australia today. One doing the chat shows and one doing the sausage sizzle at the SCG. 5:14 PM Jan 5th

Actine Prime Minister Julia Gillard doing the policy stuff on TV and radio, while Prime Minister On Vacation K-Rudd was manning the sausage sizzle at the SCG as a promotion for the McGrath Foundation. Must say I can't recall JWH ever doing such a photo-op when he was PM!

January 6, 2010:

#cricket Those who cannot remember 1973 are condemned to relive it. #australia #pakistan #scg 10:26 AM Jan 6th

#cricket Incredible comeback by Australia, but it's a shame to see Pakistan disintegrate like this. 12:35 PM Jan 6th

#cricket Target 176. At this moment, I haven't got a clue who's going to win :) 1:41 PM Jan 6th

#cricket If Umar Akmal is the next [insert legendary batsman name here] then he needs to prove it right now! 2:46 PM Jan 6th

#cricket Wow. 5:14 PM Jan 6th

#cricket 1973 revisited. Australia choked, came back. Pakistan choked more. Nathan Hauritz was the Max Walker of 2010. 5:23 PM Jan 6th

Everything you need to know about Australia's 36 run victory over Pakistan in the Second Test. Umar Akmal top scored with 49 and was eighth man out. Personally, I have fond memories of that 1973 Test. It was the match that probably, more than any other, turned me into a serious cricket follower.

#cricket cliche cliche talk as quickly as possible gotta go take some swisse see ya tubbs 5:26 PM Jan 6th

Transcript, or at least as best I could gather, of Ricky Ponting's post-match interview with Mark Taylor.

January 8, 2010:

#cricket After that thriller at Newlands, I wait with bated breath for the SMH's next "Test cricket is dead" missive 8:42 AM Jan 8th

#cricket Of course, the real challenge comes in explaining to nay-sayers just why a drawn Test can be so exciting 8:49 AM Jan 8th

For the second time in three Tests, England clung on for a draw against South Africa with nine wickets down in their second innings.

methinks the commish doth tweet too much. I wonder how Phuket is today? 5:32 PM Jan 8th

And one more reference to a certain chatty IPL boss who has geolocation installed on his Twitter client.

For no obvious reason I haven't done a blog entry about cricket since my end-of-year piece on December 30 (apart from a item spruiking my book "Today In Cricket" and why haven't you bought it yet?). Worse still, my daily Test match entries conked out after the opening day of the Australia v Pakistan First Test. The short explanation is that I have been too busy and/or too tired.

Nonetheless, I have been on Twitter throughout, which leaves me a good trail of notes from which to cobble together a catch-up blog on my thoughts about the sport over the past five weeks. I might post this in two or three installments (thereby leaving open the option of losing interest before I finish the final chapter).

December 26, 2009:

#cricket Steven Smith is in serious danger becoming the Burt Cockley of spin. 12:05 PM Dec 26th, 2009

NSW leg-spin all-rounder Steven Smith was a surprise selection to be standby player when Nathan Hauritz was in doubt for the Third Test against the West Indies in Perth before Christmas. He was flown from Newcastle, where he was with the Sheffield Shield team, over to Perth, and flown back when Hauritz was pronounced fit. Smith was sidelined from the NSW game having still being returning from his wild goose chase when the four-day game started.

Again placed on standby for Hauritz before the Boxing Day Test, he was released early and was available to play Twenty20 for NSW later in the week.

December 27, 2009:

#cricket How on earth do you wait for 24 overs before deciding the pitch is too dangerous? #india #srilanka 5:03 PM Dec 27th, 2009

#cricket Swift reaction, but what happens next? RT @CricketNDTV BCCI disbands Grounds and Pitches Committee http://bit.ly/81Hrvp 9:21 PM Dec 27th, 2009

The abandonment of the India v Sri Lanka ODI at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground, New Delhi, because of a dangerous bounce in the pitch. After much finger-wagging and the emergence of damning ICC reports, the Kotla was suspended from international cricket till two months before the 2011 World Cup (a decision that the BCCI is appealing). The IPL, with the Delhi Daredevils using the ground as its base, will play there in 2010 regardless, and forgetting how poor the surface was during October's Champions League.

December 28, 2009:

No #ch9 I don't care how much KFC pay for your stupid polls, your commentators are not the focus of your telecast. #cricket 4:49 PM Dec 28th, 2009

Poll in question: Which commentator would look best in boardies?

#cricket I have this vision. Watson opening the batting in the 2013 Ashes with Nathan Hauritz. They get 90s in every innings. 5:29 PM Dec 28th, 2009

December 29, 2009:

#cricket 10 runs = 220 yards = 1 furlong. Cmon Watto!!! 11:37 AM Dec 29th, 2009

#cricket A nation stops while Shane Watson grafts through the 90s. Is this what Australia come to? 12:10 PM Dec 29th, 2009

#cricket Mitchell Johnson is too good a No.8 batsman to be playing second fiddle to an over-rated no.8 batsman 12:27 PM Dec 29th, 2009

Shane Watson graftes his way through the nineties yet again. Having made 93 in the first innings, can he become the first Australian to score a Test century in the 2009-10 summer?

#cricket Seriously though, you can't expect more than from an opener than what Watson has delivered since his promotion. 12:38 PM Dec 29th, 2009

#cricket Shane Watson, Test Centurion. Does this mean he has jumped the shark? 1:46 PM Dec 29th, 2009

Not only did Watson make his hundred, he didn't chuck it away at 101 or 102.

Why, #ch9, why? Name me one show tonight - December 29 - that needs to start on time. Just one. #fail #cricket 6:01 PM Dec 29th, 2009

Proving yet again that cricket is nothing more than another program filler in their summer schedule, Channel 9 in eastern Australia cut off the last few balls of the day's play so that their evening's programming could start bang on time. Including "Australia's Funniest Home Videos, Daily Edition" at 7:00:00pm.

Will the "Drinking. Know when to declare" ads be effective? I hope so but gee they're awful! #cricket 5:20 PM Dec 29th, 2009

You'd really think K-Rudd should be hiding under a rock after his awful performance at #Copenhagen instead of showing up at the #cricket 9:54 PM Dec 29th, 2009

References to the Prime Minister On Vacation's appearances at the MCG to launch an Anti Binge Drinking commercial, which was nothing more than yet another tired parody of Richie Benaud and Tony Greig set to the channel 9 stock theme tune. Except that this parody starred the real Richie Benaud and Tony Greig.

December 30, 2009:

#cricket Much as I'd like to see an in-form Younis Khan at the SCG, calling him up now would bring two words to mind: panic and hypocrisy. 12:38 PM Dec 30th, 2009

#cricket Ricky Ponting, winningest Test captain of all time. Which just goes to show how much Test cricket is played these days. 1:37 PM Dec 30th, 2009

Wrapping up Australia's win in the First Test against Pakistan at the MCG, which gave Ponting more victories as Test captain than anyone else in the history of the game. But then he has already been captain for a year longer than Steve Waugh, and didn't have his career interrupted for eight years like Don Bradman.

and, after finishing off the "Top 10 Cricket Stories" and the "Good, the Bad and the Ugly" of 2009, I absented myself from cricket for the remainder of the decade - about which I commented:

This decade began on 1/1/2001 and ends on 31/12/2010. But then, a billion is a million million. Populism 2, purists 0! 2:37 PM Dec 31st, 2009

I can't believe that it more than five years since the last time I blogged about the brilliant Charlie Brooker. Anyway, here is his two-minute primer on news reporting, from his BBC 4 TV show "Newswipe", that has been deservedly doing the rounds on Youtube this week. (Occasional coarse language warning, less than you'd generally expect from Mr Brooker actually)

After years as an online-only presence, "Today In Cricket: Events on this day in cricket history" is now released in print.

Around six thousand fun-filled facts on births, deaths and interesting events in the sport of cricket for every day of the year, based on my "Today In Cricket History" feature which has appeared in various forms on the internet and other like media over the past seventeen years, plus a few short essays by me which have not previously been published.

This is a self-publishing effort on my part without any of the luxuries of a marketing budget, and for that reason there's one place to order the book, at Cafepress.

Current sale price is $US 16.95 15.95 (plus postage and handling). Cafepress will ship to most countries worldwide. Because of the nature of the publication process, I regret that the book is not available through Amazon or the other online outlets. Still, that shouldn't be an impediment to you. It's a great read, even if I say that because I wrote it...

Please contact me if you want to know more about "Today In Cricket: Events on this day in cricket history"

Can there be a more appropriate song for the start of the new decade than "1980" by Gil Scott-Heron?

(Lyrics at wikia.com).

It's almost as terrifying as the prospect of a Bros comeback tour, but here, back after an eleven-and-a-half year absence and for one night only, I give you The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Cricket in 2009.

My observations of the year in cricket, some serious, most of them not. I'll leave it to you to decide which is good, which is bad, and which is ugly. This post should be read as a companion piece to my Top 10 Cricket Stories of 2009.

Cricketer of the Year: In 2009, I admire no one more than Sri Lanka's Thilan Samaraweera. He was running hot in the Test series in Pakistan which began in February - 231 and 24 not out in the First Test at Karachi, then 214 in the first innings of the Second Test at Lahore. The very next day, what would have been Day Three of the Second Test, the Sri Lankan team bus was ambushed by gunmen on its way to the ground. Samaraweera was shot in the thigh. After hospitalisation, and a period of rehab and recovery, Samaraweera returned to international cricket in July, and in August scored 159 and 143 in consecutive Tests against New Zealand. All up in the 2009 calendar year, Samaraweera scored 1234 runs in 11 Tests at an average of 72.58 including four big hundreds and one incredibly courageous comeback.

Rising Star of the Year: Shakib al-Hasan. Only the fact that this 22 year-old all-rounder hails from Bangladesh has prevented him from being recognised as one of the hottest properties in the game. Currently the highest-ranked all-rounder on the ICC ODI Player Rankings. Captained Bangladesh in one Test against the (admittedly weakened) West Indies in which he took a fiver and was on 96 not out when they won the game. Plenty of high profile opposition in 2010 and a county contract with Worcestershire to boot.

Comeback of the Year: Graeme Swann. One ODI for England in 2000 looked, for many years, like being the peak of an amiable county career. Seven years later, he found his way into a semi-regular limited-overs gig for England, and then at the end of 2008 into the Test team. And then it all clicked. A starring role as England regained the Ashes earned Swann the (should be) highly coveted Midwinter-Midwinter for 2009. At year's end he took nine wickets in England's innings victory over South Africa at Durban. Twenty-two wickets in his last three Tests, his stats in twelve Tests in the 2009 calendar year show 452 runs at 45.20 and 54 wickets at 27.92. Going forward into 2010, Graeme Swann has evolved from ugly duckster into The Swannatron.

Human headline of the year: Some quality finalists, but the winner for 2009 is Andrew Symonds. Entering 2009 as a Sitting Duck on the basis of earlier indiscretions, Symonds was in hot water in January when jocular comments about an opposing player on, of all places, Roy and HG's radio show, were taken seriously. Stood down from the South African tour as a result of a board directive, a recall to the Australian team during their UAE tour in April came unstuck during the World Twenty20 when he was sent home for alcohol-related indiscretions. His Cricket Australia contract was torn up but he continues to make a living on his meagre stipend with the Deccan Chargers.

Symonds won HHOTY by a whisker from Kevin Pietersen, who put in some outstanding claims to the title, notably with his MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) of Peter Moores' career as England coach together with his own as England captain. His innovation in losing his wicket spectacularly at times when England needed it least, also deserves citation.

Third place in an extraordinary HHOTY race goes to Shoaib Akhtar, whose absence from Pakistan's squad for the ICC World Twenty20 was explained by the PCB in thorough, intimate and wholly unnecessary detail. No room on the HHOTY podium this year for Sreesanth!

The Thanks-For-Coming Award goes to Burt Cockley. Awarded an IPL contract despite never having played in a Twenty20 game for his native New South Wales, the 23 year-old quick failed to make a single appearance for Kings XI Punjab. Cockley was added to NSW's Champions League squad as late cover for injured players but did not get a game as the Blues went on to win the title. Stress fractures in his back look like keeping him out of the 2009-10 KFC Big Bash, meaning that Cockley enters 2010 with an IPL season and a Champions League title behind him, and yet to make his Twenty20 debut! As if that wasn't enough, Cockley was a late addition to the Australian ODI squad in India in November, and was set to play at Mumbai in the final game of the series before rain prevented any action.

Hypothesis of the year:

"This series is probably the best advertisement for having the review system. When decisions cost us over 500 runs and a lot of wickets, it always put lots of pressure on any side"

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara displaying a clear understanding of why his team was beaten 0-2 by India in a three-Test series late in the year. Sangakkara's comment was reported in an article published by The Island which carried what I regard as the Headline of the Year:

"Sanga gracious in defeat, but hits out at ICC"

Worst headlines of the year: A too-numerous-to-mention-way tie, including any headline making a pun out of Graham Onions, and any headline making a pun out of Doug Bollinger. Special mention, however, must go to "From second fiddle to fecund Siddle", which actually won a serious award, a Walkley given by Australia's Media Alliance as one of the "Best Three Headings" of the year. (I liked the other two.)

Cricketing tweets of the year (Inaugural award in this category)

First place: "PH408: Disappointed not to be on the field with the lads today, will be supporting the guys, it's a BIG test match 4 us. Thanks 4 all the support!" - Phillip Hughes commenting on his non-selection in the Australian team for the Third Test against England in July, before it had been announced by the selectors. And what's more, it was ghost-tweeted by his manager who was in India at the time!

Second place: "ronniesarwan: Britney Concert was great!" - Ramnaresh Sarwan, hours before he withdrew from the West Indies Test team in Brisbane because of a back injury.

Third place: "BumbleCricket: mates wife has left him....taken his bob marley collection and the satellite dish...No woman, no sky." - David Lloyd is an absolute joy to follow on Twitter, but why has he told the same joke umpteen times this year?

Most retweeted cricketing tweet originated by me: "rickeyre: #ashes Cmon Ricky declare! I dare ya." - posted at the moment Australia took the lead in the second innings of the Third Test at Edgbaston, August 3.

And finally, The greatest victory of all time, as chosen by me: New South Wales' win over Trinidad and Tobago to become winners of the Twenty20 Champions League.