C365`s Moments Of The Year

There are many moments that were worthy of consideration in 2007, but those that made the final five were chosen after serious discussion in the local. Over many pints.

In other words, perhaps none of these make your list...

DWAYNE LEVEROCK'S FLIGHT OF FATSY:

"Sluggo" was undoubtedly the light relief in a fraught World Cup. Weighing in at an armchair Olympic 20 stone, the Bermudan leapt like Jonty Rhodes to pull off a sensational one-handed catch to dismiss Robin Uthappa.

"Fat Man Spin" also took the prized wickets of Kevin Pietersen and Kumar Sangakkara during the tournament.

"It has been incredible," Leverock said. "Who am I? I am not used to this sort of treatment."

"He once claimed a silver medal in the 110m hurdles at the Junior Caribbean Games," Bermuda coach Gus Logie said. That's before he started living under the local curry house...

MICHAEL VAUGHAN'S SLAPSTICK FIELDING

One-day internationals and fielding duties have never been Michael Vaughan's favourite combination. In the World Cup match against Bangladesh this year, England's skipper dropped an absolute dolly to give opener Shahriar Nafees another life.

Vaughan was so angry he hurled the ball back to Paul Nixon in disgust, inadvertently running out opposite number Habibul Bashar, who had frozen mid-pitch expecting the routine catch to be snaffled.

As a comedy moment it was up there with England's scoring rate against South Africa in the quarter-final. "I was embarrassed to be honest," admitted Vaughan.

The captain managed to produce another moment of high farce in the final Test match against the West Indies when he missed the ball (fielding, of course), fell over and his trousers fell down.

LASITH MALINGA - TOO SEXY FOR HIS SHIRT

Malinga was voted the sexiest man in cricket in a Barbadian magazine, which described his appeal thus: "With his eye-catching, blond-streaked curly hairdo, eyebrow ring and tattooed biceps, the unique 23-year-old strikes 'Easy' as the type who would be up for anything, and anywhere." It certainly caused many a woman a missed heartbeat and many batsmen a look of bewilderment.

His four wickets in four balls against South Africa in the World Cup was memorable for its visuals, something his hairdresser knows all about.

"Malinga likes to stand out, so he goes for unusual styles unlike the other well-known cricketers," said Nishantha Jayasekera, who runs the Le Paris salon in Panadura, outside Colombo.

Many Sri Lankan men have tried to replicate Malinga's hairstyle, not always successfully. One suffered burns for his troubles.

THE SWARM IN SRI LANKA

If ever there was a scene that summed up England's impotence during the series against Sri Lanka, then it was the swarm of bees that invaded Kandy's Asgiriya Stadium.

Both players and umpires lay motionless on the field during the fourth day of the first Test as the swarm descended.

Some might say - Mahela Jayawardene, for instance - that lying down is exactly what England did whenever they saw either himself or Kumar Sangakkara walk out to bat.

Sangakkara added that angry bees had invaded the stadium at least twice before. While he was accumulating runs at will, the locals must have thought they posed more of a threat than England's attack.

A side picked for its ability to take 20 wickets, struggled to take 10.

DANISH KANERIA'S PANTOMINE PERFORMANCE

Livelier than a Disney animation, Danish Kaneria provided the winner for moment of the match in the first Test at Delhi against India. A bellowed appeal brought on spontaneous exhaustion as he collapsed to the ground. Australian umpire Simon Taufel, whose demeanour is normally that of a detached prison warder, couldn't resist a smile.

In the second Test, the Pakistan leg-spinner chased down a ball in that Keystone cops sort of way he specialises in. Eventually, Kaneria limped off the field with a dive more ridiculous than a Cristiano Ronaldo dying swan routine.

MOST PAINFUL 257 MINUTES OVER XMAS:

He wasn't exactly Speedy Gonzales in England, but the sight of Rahul Dravid hanging on for dear life at Melbourne yesterday, strokeless and impotent, was a sad reflection of India's miserable batting performance.

180 balls for a return of 21 runs is a strike rate that Geoff Boycott might have sneered at.

Ravi Shastri had some useful advice: "Dravid needs to take a chill pill. He needs to go and relax, have a good New Year and stay away form the nets as much as possible and just go out and bat."

Tim Ellis

Link : http://www.cricket365.com/story/0,18305,6673_3009910,00.html