Kenya Lets Wickets Do the Talking

What would be comparable to Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson? Or the U.S. hockey team defeating the mighty Soviets in the “miracle on ice” at the 1980 Olympics?

For followers of cricket, it would be the West Indies, the longtime masters of the game, losing Thursday at the World Cup in Pune, India, to Kenya, a semipro team making its debut after qualifying for the first time.

According to British bookmakers, the Kenyan victory was so unlikely, no one put a bet on Kenya in any of the 2,000 shops.

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Trivia time: Who holds the NBA record for the highest free-throw percentage in a season?

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Please tell us: Tom Watson was quoted by the Australian Associated Press as saying, “There is no question that people cheat on the tour.

“The game is a game of integrity, but you are talking about money and you’re talking about livelihoods.”

He named no names, saying only: “We know who they are.”

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Dave’s world: Dave Barry in the Miami Herald: “I saw a classified advertisement in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution in which somebody was offering to rent a four-bedroom, two-bath home during the Olympics for $10,000, which doesn’t sound too unreasonable until you notice that this home is located in central Alabama.”

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Rodman’s world: What does Dennis Rodman wear before a game? Sometimes it’s a ragged T-shirt that reads “I don’t mind straight people, as long as they act gay in public.”

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Forever young: Henri “Rocket” Richard celebrated his 15th birthday on Feb. 29. He was born on the leap day of 1936. Other NHL players born on leap day: Dan Daoust and Jim Dobson (1960), Lyndon Byers (1964) and Darryl Williams (1968).

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Empty nest: After Miami Coach Pat Riley traded five players, Heat guard Rex Chapman commented: “It’s like going into your office somewhere and your co-workers aren’t there. It would be a little lonely.”

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Stay away: Gary Shelton in the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times: “Don’t tell me who is carrying the Olympic torch. Just tell me Andre Rison’s girlfriend isn’t.”

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Last gasp: In a recent game against the Las Vegas Thunder, the Ice Dogs scored with three minutes remaining to trail by 8-2, prompting radio announcer Ted Sobel to say with tongue in cheek: “Another six goals in three minutes and we’ll be in the game.”

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Minimum wage? Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns on the team’s plans to play him only about 32 minutes per game for the rest of the season: “I think every American wants to work 30 minutes a day.”

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Trivia answer: Calvin Murphy of Houston, .958 in 1980-81.

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Quotebook: Bob Brue, a Senior PGA Tour player, once said: “I used to play golf with a guy who cheated so badly that he once had a hole in one and wrote down zero on his scorecard.”