The Full Toss. English Cricket. No Spin.
Welcome to TFT, one of the UK’s longest serving cricket blogs. We’ll be here throughout the season to debate, moan, and occasionally rejoice about the the England cricket team. If something’s bothering you, whether it’s selection, governance, or the cost of a pint, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You don’t need to be a professional writer or copywriter, just an ordinary fan with something to say. Email james@thefulltoss.com for more info. Cheers.
Selection Dilemmas
So Ed Smith is England’s new National Selector. He got the job after impressing at interview. Apparently all three candidates (that’s Big Ed, Derek Pringle, and Mike Selvey) were asked to deliver a presentation called “Selection: Art Or Science?” I imagine Del and Selvs looked puzzled, and then threw up in a bucket when they realised that Andrew Strauss was [...]
It Just Gets Worse: The ECB’s New 100-Ball Concept
I don't particularly like swearing on the blog. I'll do it now and again, especially if something gets right up my nose and ends up somewhere near my brain, but normally I keep my potty mouth zipped. However, the latest proposals for the ECB's new Shitty T20 leave me absolutely no choice. In fact, I'm sure you'll utter obscenity followed [...]
ECB Testing Fans’ Loyalty Again
Long term readers of TFT will know that it used to have two editors rather than one. There was me, and then there was Maxie. A couple of years ago Maxie stepped down because he didn’t have time to contribute anymore. He was also (I’m sure he won’t mind me saying) completely disillusioned with English cricket and was finding [...]
Stone Rises But Batting Hopefuls Sink
I love the early championship fixtures. Spring has arrived, the sun is creeping out (well, occasionally), the magnolias are in bloom, and young England hopefuls get the chance to impress the selectors. What’s more, there are no domestic white ball distractions. It’s first class cricket all the way – unless you’re glued to the IPL but that’s another story. So [...]
Erroneous Assumptions & Hopeless Predictions: County Championship Preview
Who will be crowned this year's champions? I really have no idea. A newly promoted club tipped for relegation won the title last year whilst the reigning champions got relegated. It was just the kind of boring and predictable season you'd expect from a competition nobody likes and everyone expects to die. What a total waste of time. Jokes aside [...]
Like The Darkside, The IPL Overshadows Everything
Don't worry. This isn't another pop at the IPL. I actually like bright lights and dancing girls ... albeit when I'm in nightclub. I'm just a little irked that the county championship starts later this week and many of our best players won't be involved - twelve of them to be exact. One wonders how the championship will have any [...]
Should English Counties Sign Smith, Bancroft, and Warner?
So then. What do you reckon? The Evening Standard has suggested that Cricket Australia has quietly reached out to several English counties about the possibility of signing their three disgraced stars. The details are sketchy, and there's no guarantee it will happen, but it seems there have been discussions behind the scenes. I'd be interested to know what everyone thinks [...]
A Winter’s Tale
The England men’s team can finally come home after a very long winter. 157 days after they departed for the Ashes, the frustrating draw in the second Test against New Zealand brought the curtain down on their overseas adventures. While the players will be pleased not to have to stay in hotels any longer, those of us who have been [...]
Denied
I went to sleep with New Zealand on 91-4. I was extremely hopeful we'd be able to force a result. Anderson and Broad were bowling well, and Jack Leach was causing problems, so it was extremely disappointing to wake up and find that we'd been denied by the Kiwi tail. Credit to the Black Caps, of course, but I thought [...]
The Easter Sunday Sermon
It's Easter. The time of rebirth, chocolate, and rabbit casseroles. So let's start with the first of these three pillars of Christian civilisation ... and forgive me if the flow of this post seems random and doesn't quite work. I've had no sleep, I drank too much beer and wine last night, and I feel about as coherent as ... [...]
The TFT Interviews
Talking Bats With Charlotte Surridge
I'm sure many readers will remember that well known cricketing [...]
TFT Talks To Athers, Beefy, Nasser, and Bumble
I enjoy a good chinwag. I enjoy it even more [...]
TFT Talks To Mark Butcher
Back in November 1998, a young Englishman fresh out of uni left these [...]
An Evening With Nasser Hussain
We arrived at the Grace Gate at Lord's. The ground [...]
The Full Toss Meets Devon Malcolm
At one point I didn’t think I’d live to tell [...]
Ask Hoggy: 20 Questions With Matthew Hoggard
Last week I had the opportunity to ask the legendary Matthew Hoggard [...]
How To Save Cricket – Our Interview With Jarrod Kimber
You've seen him on Cricinfo's Polite Enquiries. You're about to see [...]