Picture the dilemma. You’re given four pegs – a round one, a square one, a triangular one, and one that’s shaped like an oblong. Your task is to neatly fit all four pegs into a series of holes. But you can only see three openings. And even those look like a tight fit. What’s worse, the people who really care about the pegs (well, three of them anyway) absolutely detest the new oblong thing. But the person who gave you the pegs insists that the oblong is by far the most important and you...
Hi folks. It’s been a while since you heard from me, your elusive editor, so I thought I’d quickly give my thoughts on the current situation in English cricket. Big thanks go to Billy, Rob, Chris, Thomas, Jon, Sam and Brian for holding the fort in my absence. Firstly, it was great to see England bounce back so strongly at Old Trafford after an abject display in the first Test. I was particularly pleased for Ben Foakes, who has now scored the same amount of hundreds in 16 Tests as Jos Buttler...
I wasn’t sure whether to add a question mark to the end of this headline or not. After all, there’s no doubt that England’s Test side have looked like a completely different outfit, playing extremely positive cricket, under Brendon McCullum thus far. The transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. And I say this as a grumpy old cynic, worn down by decades of false dawns, who usually regards hyperbole as a modern-day plague. Give me half an opportunity to look at life through a...
Well, I didn’t see that one coming. Did anyone? When Joe Root was caught and bowled by Trent Boult with the score on 56, I would’ve bet my left testicle that New Zealand would win. It seemed like another inevitable England collapse. But then we witnessed a miracle. And this time Ben Stokes was the supporting act rather than the main attraction. Jonny Bairstow, take a bow. He played one of the most ridiculous Test innings by an England batsman, ever. He took his white ball mojo into the Test...
First of all, apologies for not writing this sooner. I’ve been insanely busy with work. Fortunately, however, I wasn’t too busy to watch most of Joe Root’s magnificent century at Lord’s – his first in the 4th innings of a Test match. His CV is now pretty much complete. Only a hundred down under is missing now. Those nine fifties don’t quite cut it. England’s splendid win against New Zealand wasn’t all thanks to Root – Ben Foakes also played...
I don’t like being unkind on this forum. However, on this occasion I feel compelled to give a visceral, and totally authentic, reaction to Tom Harrison’s departure from the ECB. The headline above summarises my feelings succinctly and honestly. And, because I’m not a paid cricket journalist, I don’t have to pretend to be objective. Sorry if my blunt approach below offends you. Tom Harrison joined the ECB seven years ago. And, as far as I’m concerned, it was seven years too long. He was a...
