Tiger Woods has a knee operation, doesn't play competitive golf for two months and then, with the leg giving him grief on most shots, he still goes out and wins the US Open.

Most can't do it on two legs; he does it near enough on one. Amazing stuff and, arguably the feat of the year in any sport.

It's hard enough the ordinary way.

Part Two.
To most, it's hard enough hitting sixes batting the right way round but to switch and do it the other way would be impossible.

I'm glad Kevin Pietersen's "switch-hit", where he switched from right-handed to left-handed, has not been outlawed by the MCC.

It shows how incredibly gifted he is to do what he did and it is an astonishing manouevre.

As the ball soared over the boundary, his England teammates were laughing at the audacity of it and no wonder.

You can be sure that, a few years ago, the traditionalists at head-quarters would have looked down their noses at such piffling nonsense and had it banned forthwith. And probably had Pietersen clapped in irons.

But even the MCC feel a winner is worth backing and they're right not to ban the shot.

Innovation, Pietersen called it. Incredible, most would say.

But, I gather, just such a switch-hit was demonstrated in Sheffield a few days before Pietersen's efforts last Sunday.

A midweek game in Sheffield saw a right-handed Asian batsmen smack a ball to the boundary left-handed having switched.

Wonder if it will catch on?

Queen's Park back as top Twenty hit

NO surprise at all that cricket at Queen's Park is catching on again after its return to Chesterfield last year.

Lovely place to watch the game.

Of course, Twenty20 has caught on too. Put the pair together and it ended up with a 4,000 crowd on Sunday for Yorkshire's visit.

No surprise that, up on the pavilion balcony, Darren Gough was holding court.

Michael Vaughan is filling in his time getting some batting practice and also utilising his much under-rated bowling skills.

Of course, it's coloured clothing and someone Yorkshire was in all black.
"Mmm, all black then Vaughany," said someone to the England skipper.
Came back the reply: "Yeh, Portsmouth away kit."

The future's still bright for Oranje

AS I was clearing out the papers, this headline caught my eye... "Oranje gloom ahead of Italy test" with the adjacent line... "Holland fans fear the worst for Marco van Basten's team."

The gloomy story was of rows, poor performances, lack of goals, poor defending and falling out with the manager who was regarded as too inexperienced. Some 48 per cent of fans didn't expect them to get out of the group.

As they say, just look at them now, although I still wouldn't like to pick a winner.

A week late, I know, but my take on the Howard Webb penalty decision was brave and perfectly correct. Totally honest which is what I've seen in his refereeing from his very early days.

What should he have done - seen it but ignored it? The easy way out.

And if, as Alan Shearer said, there'd be five or six penalties a game if every one like it was given then I say, good, let's have 'em.

It would soon stop something that has become a blight on the game.

Incidentally, that nice Polish deli in the Castle Market closed down the day after. I'm assured it was not in protest against the penalty decision of South Yorkshire's finest!

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