A murder of Crowes

I have borrowed a couple of paragraphs from this week's "The Spin", the Guardian's weekly cricket newsletter:

The Spin has always liked to think of itself as a sort of on-line, brown-haired, cigarless Jimmy Saville, fulfilling dreams with the tap-tap of the keyboard and the click of a mouse. Now, there isn't a lot of evidence to support this view, but there's a first time for everything. News arrives from one of the Spin's professional spies in New Zealand's Beige Brigade about a weird but wonderful election to choose "The Wandering Golfer" on an American website called http://www.fineliving.com/. The winner gets to pass the time of day at the most luxurious golf courses on the planet and - and! - gets to present Fine Living's "new series", which sounds impressive. It even has a tenuous link with cricket, because the final shortlist of four consists of three random Americans - and a former Test captain. Step forward Jeff Crowe, brother of Martin and cousin of Russell. As a moderate batsman, he played 39 Tests for New Zealand, captaining them in six, and later became the national team manager. "Before moving to the US," explains the website blurb, "Jeff played cricket internationally as a professional for 10 years on the New Zealand Cricket Team and was honored as Captain for two years." Now Jeff would like your vote to play the sport he really loves. And this is where you, dear reader, come in. (Non-interactive? The Spin? Bah!) All you have to do is visit and cast your vote. The Spin doesn't know much about these things, but frankly the opposition leaves a little to be desired. Chad, Troy and Sam all look like worthy fellows in their own way - Chad works for a software consulting firm, Troy once deflected a golf ball with the shaft of his club, Sam loves a great Argentinian steak with a robust cabernet. But none of them can claim to have scored a Test century in Jamaica against Marshall, Garner and Walsh. When the Spin voted last night, Jeff had over 50% of the vote, which suggested that New Zealanders the world over had already girded their loins. But these things can change quickly. Remember: Saddam Hussein was deposed not long after claiming over 99% of the vote in the Iraqi general elections. Your former Kiwi Test cricketer needs you!

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