Hello all. I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the cricket season. I haven’t actually seen a lot of the action myself. Life is just so busy these days that it’s become increasingly difficult to find the time. Talking of which, I have some news… Sadly, I’ve taken the decision to call it stumps at The Full Toss. I’ve been winding the blog down for a while and, after approximately 15 years at the crease, it’s finally time to retire. I’ve managed to keep things going over the last...
Peter Gilbert is back to review how the plethora of Australians playing county cricket are performing. We could’ve published something about England’s players, too. However, they’re all warming up for the Ashes by playing in the IPL instead. Ed Smith would be proud… Last week’s County Championship round once again saw several Australians in action in the four-day county game. Two of these, Marcus Harris and Marnus Labuschagne, will soon be a part of the Australian squad...
Kraigg Brathwaite bats long. Really long. His last century, a mammoth 182 against Zimbabwe, lasted a massive 468 minutes. A masterclass in patience and communication, the Barbadian hit just five boundaries on his way to three figures. For reference, the lowest boundary count in a Test ton since 2002 is four. Sniffing out singles, Kraigg rotated strike religiously, reaching the landmark with a late cut in the 82nd over. The dogged knock helped form the ninth-highest opening partnership of all...
In the opening round of County Championship fixtures, there were several Australian players looking to prove their value to the test squad before the first Ashes match in Birmingham. Some of these Australians will likely be in the first eleven come June, Steve Smith being an example, whilst others will be playing the County Championships hoping to impress selectors. This article will look at the Australians, especially those who have recently been a part of the test side, who were in action...
The author Mark Twain famously declared, “rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated”. The same could be said for Test cricket, which, in recent months, has risen from its sickbed to stick two fingers up at the many pundits and scribes who have pronounced its days to be terminally numbered. The driving force behind this has been the country which has brought so much joy to the game of cricket, New Zealand. The Black Caps victory after following on against England at the Basin Reserve in...
Today, Steve Connor has an idea that would breathe new life into the Championship and maybe, just maybe, provide an international alternative to the IPL. I’m writing this in a short lull between various T20 leagues ending and the Big One, the IPL, starting. This comes a week after learning that something called Major League Cricket will be starting in the US in the summer and attracting a surprising number of big names. If you’re a fan of short T20 tournaments you are being very well served at...
