I don’t need to write this blog anymore. I just need a computer programme that can spell Virat Kohli and then add a list of superlatives after his name. He’s just too bloody good for our quite average bowling attack. We’ve been saying it all effing winter and it’s not going to change any time soon. You can’t really blame our batsmen. They did their part by scoring 350-7. Some might be a bit picky and argue we were twenty runs short, but 350 will win you most games...
Will 2017 Be The Year We Finally Win A 50 Over Tournament?
It was good to see England win their first warm up against a strong India A side in Mumbai. The hosts’ selection suggested they wanted to derail our preparations and sap our morale from the outset. ‘A’ teams usually consist of hungry young players not grizzled campaigners like MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh and Mohit Sharma. In the circumstances it was quite pleasing to see us win with seven balls to spare. However, although our batting looks as strong as ever I...
Stick or Twist? A look ahead to 2017
Now the dust has settled on our embarrassing test series in India, it’s time to look ahead to 2017. Which players actually have a test future and which ones should be dumped faster than Kim Kardashian’s next husband?* Alastair Cook – twist and stick England’s team is full of young, somewhat impetuous, attacking young players. Cook is therefore out of place as the team’s leader. He’s simply not a good fit for either this group of players or the Australian coach. England persevering with Cook...
England Wave The White Flag
The late 1980s and 1990s were known for their catastrophes. England supporters all knew the score: we’d collapse more often than not and show less backbone than a raspberry jelly. However, things got a little better when central contracts were introduced. Duncan Fletcher and Nasser Hussain provided stability and resilience; Michael Vaughan turned us into winners; then Andrew Strauss created an efficient machine. We might not have reached the heights of Viv Richards’ West Indies or Steve Waugh’s...
The 5th Test Flat Masochism Thread
Day Four It’s ok for you lot. You can just ignore the cricket when it’s boring and utterly depressing. But unfortunately I can’t. I’ve got a bloody blog to run. So here goes … Day four in Chennai caused a mixture of tedium, embarrassment and then eventually mild annoyance. India piled on the runs, as you’d expect in these totally benign conditions, and England’s bowlers looked hopeless. The fact our spinners only managed six maidens combined (out of a...
Alastair Cook: Back Or Sack?
Well that was hugely unpleasant. Before this game everyone said that first innings runs was England’s problem. This time we scored 400 in the first dig and still lost comprehensively. I guess our only weak spots are batting, bowling and fielding. Other than that we’re bloody brilliant. After Sunday’s Kohli and Ashwin fest, I didn’t think things could get much worse. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned after decades of following England, it’s that things can always, always, get worse. This...
