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Tag Archive | England
June 12, 2019  

2019 Cricket World Cup: English Rain Is Going To Make This World Cup A Mockery.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE and study here. Link to original below.

Click here for the ORIGINAL.

Three matches rained off ALREADY and they are expecting MORE rain this week — never mind the two weeks ahead.

I gather no other had 3 matches abandoned due to rain.

There is one thing that we all know: it RAINS in England. That was a given. Arranging this tournament without a rain-day provision was ludicrous. It is going to distort the rankings and thus make a mockery of the whole World Cup.

Sri Lanka is racking up more points thanks to the rain than they were likely to get by playing these games.

West Indies could suffer.

South Africa is doomed, methinks.

This is CRAZY. I am NOT happy. Plus, I haven’t seen any cricket in 2-day! Yikes. Having withdrawals!

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by Anura Guruge

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by Anura Guruge

Remember. Reflect. Rejoice!

Click to ENLARGE.

Nice, easy to follow guide. Just note that the times are LOCAL. So, 5-6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern.

Remember ‘D-Day 75‘ is June 6, 2019, not June 5. Huge day. You have to pause and give it some thought. Remember. Reflect. Rejoice!

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by Anura Guruge

May 27, 2019  

Cricket World Cup 2019: Who Do I Think/Hope Will Win It.

by Anura Guruge

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As with so many decisions in my life, I have two choices — one based on what I think (i.e., what my heads says) and the other being what I want (i.e., going with the heart).

Despite their poor performance in the warm-up game against Australia (on Saturday), I, like most of the professional pundits, think that England can pull this off. Nothing wrong with that. As a proud Brit I will, of course, rejoice. But, I don’t have an empathy with any of the current English players. They just seems so robotic.

On the other hand, I genuinely like quite a few of the South Africans. I have really got to admire and enjoy the South Africans over the last few years. They have usurped the West Indies, a team I ardently supported for over 40-years, as the team I look forward to watching and rooting for.

What I like most is their genuine, fondness for each other — irrespective of color or religion (given that they have white & black, Christians and Muslims). That team exemplifies what Nelson Mandela wanted for all of South Africa. I think part of my fondness for them is my devotion to Nelson Mandela. Supporting this South African team is like paying homage to Nelson. That appeals to me. Plus, some really exciting cricketers: Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada … They all remind me of the West Indians that I should to adore.

Well, the 2019 World Cup hasn’t even started yet. So, a long way to go. But, it should be fun — especially with U.S. coverage available with Willow TV.

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by Anura Guruge

May 5, 2019  

“Twin Reincarnation” In 1950s England Has Me Intrigued As To Buddhist Explanation.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE. In May 2019 issue of “Reader’s Digest”.

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Reincarnation is one of my favorite and enduring hobby-horses. That is mainly because reincarnation defined my early life. I was accidentally adopted by an extremely devout and activist Buddhist family. My early life revolved, endlessly, around Buddhism. There would not be a day in my life when I could escape Buddhism or active interaction with Buddhist monks. I would be at a Buddhist temple most days of the week. Reincarnation was the end-all and be-all of the Buddhism I was inculcated in. Buddhism was reincarnation. We lived to be reincarnated.

Then I left Ceylon. Was sent off to boarding school and then university by my adoptive parents. I finally got space and time to do my own thing. I started thinking about religions, Buddhism and reincarnation — much of it through a heady haze of unbridled sexual liberation.

I realized that, despite having seen, first hand, so called irrefutable proofs of reincarnation, I could not reconcile the science of reincarnation. I had too many questions that had no logical answers. See this post … for a start.

I eventually realized that I could NOT believe in reincarnation.

Then, since my Buddhism was all reincarnation I realized that I could also no longer be a Buddhist. This was in my early 20s.

Buddhism had been my religion.

When I stopped being a Buddhist I stopped believing in ALL religions.

But, the belief in reincarnation still intrigues I.

So, this article about ‘Twin Reincarnations‘ in England, in the May 2019 of “Reader’s Digest” had me transfixed.

Got me thinking, which is not hard to do.

What would be the Buddhist explanation to a Twin Reincarnation.

Statistics dictates that twins even triplets (and more) must be born to Buddhists — even identical twins and triplets.

Even if identical twins would not have the same fate ahead of them — we could even call it Karma. Though identical twins they would have separate lives — each contingent on the merits they acquired in their previous lives. So, why have twins in Buddhist families?

The HUGELY MAGICAL ‘system’ that implements Buddhist reincarnation doesn’t need to deal in twins. Twins are not important to Buddhist reincarnation. So, why have them.

Something to think about.

This “Unsolved Mysteries” article in RD, commissioned by RD, is pretty excellent. I was only familiar with one case — the airline hijacker that vanished. If you can try and get your hands on this article.

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by Anura Guruge

March 21, 2019  

New Zealand, To Its Eternal Credit, Exemplifies The Decency & Dignity I Ascribe To Cricket Playing Nations.

by Anura Guruge

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Cricket civilizes you. Plain and simple. Sportsmanship is paramount in cricket. Hence, the above expression: “It isn’t cricket”.

So, I, who watch cricket, on a large screen TV, nearly every day, and have been a fanatic all my life, strongly believe that cricket playing nations tend to be more decnet than those that don’t play cricket.

By ‘cricket playing nations’ I am referring to the 12 countries permitted to play 5-Day International Test Matches. Yes, cricket at the highest level, is played between countries and a match can last up to 5-days — and still end in a draw. That is the beauty & charm. That is what civilizes you. No crash, bangk, wallop. Very dignified.

Right now there are 11 countries that are Test nations: India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The ‘West Indies‘ also play Test cricket but they are a conglomeration of small states that come together to play cricket. 105-countries, worldwide, play cricket. But, I am talking just about the 11 Test playing countries — New Zealand one of them.

I am so proud of New Zealand. Way to go. Obviously, it would have been better if this unfortunate incident never happened, but NZ showed us how to rise above and prevail.

And their 38-year old Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. WOW. WOW. WOW. What class. What courage. She is exemplary.

I have thought about immigrating to New Zealand! I, however, have never been. Not even close. I also don’t have any NZ friends. Dealt with a fe, but I can’t say I interact with any Kiwanis right now. My loss.

One of my all time heroes, Edmund Hillary, is a New Zealander.

I know NZ from all the cricket I watch — and some rugby. I count Richard Hadlee, Glenn Turner, Bev Congdon, Ross Taylor et. al. among my favorites. Bev Congdon made my Summer of 1973!

So, I have always had an affinity with dear Ol’ New Zealand — a British Commonwealth member no less.

How they have behaved and prevailed over the last few days has been brilliant. So, inspirational.

Thank YOU, New Zealand.

Thank YOU, Jacinda Ardern.

by Anura Guruge

February 13, 2019  

Didn’t Take My “West Indies” Long To Quickly Descend Back To Their Losing Ways.

by Anura Guruge

Base graphic from ‘cricinfo.com’, of course.

I always had a nagging fear that the form the West Indies showed during the first two Tests against England, in 2019, was but a fluke.

And as I dreaded they folded and played dismally APART from Roston Chase’s 2nd innings century when the Test was already lost.

Yes, you can claim that they had won the series so they were off the boil. You hear that often in cricket. But, their performance was again at their pathetic best.

Yes, it is also true that Jason Holder, their motivating and of late ‘match-winning’ captain was precluded from playing. By the ICC for poor over rate delivery. That is frustrating. I think ICC has gone too far.

But, we are back to where we were …

The West Indies playing like a bunch of girls.

I don’t even want to get into Shannon Gabriel’s sledging. All so stupid and uncalled for. He will now miss a game or two or three. Crazy.

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by Anura Guruge

February 5, 2019  

My “West Indies” Win The 2nd Test & Series — Against England To Boot. Wow. Just Like The Ol’ Days.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE. From cricinfo.com.

The huge 381-run victory, against England, in the 1st Test match, at Brisbane, was special. But, I have seen enough disappointments, of late, to have got to excited and get my hopes up.

And then this … even with the death of Alzarri Joesph’s Mother on the morning of the 3rd Day. They played just like they used to play. It was a pleasure and to see my ol’ buddy Viv, in the stands, standing and applauding, made my day.

Wow. Have we finally turned the page? About time, I may add. But, cricket is a funny ol’ game. We still have another match and I see that Captain Jason Holder will have to miss it because of poor over rate. Shame. Very frustrating.

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by Anura Guruge

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