We love our cricketing nicknames. The sadness is that a lot of players just add ‘ey’ to a surname (yawn!), but there are still some cracking ones out there. Steve Smith, for example, is called ‘Piggy’ because he looks like one. Although maybe ‘Crocodile Tears’ would be better? There’s also ‘King’ Kohli but we’re rejecting that. Mainly because we prefer the following instead… Michael Holding – Whispering Death An all-time classic, talking about Holding’s run-up. Shane Warne – Hollywood...
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...
Today we have a guest spot from new writer Matt Gilby. Like many of us, he can’t figure out England’s thinking at numbers 3 and 5 in the order... The squad for the first test against New Zealand was labelled too safe or too boring by some fans and pundits, primarily because of the retained allegiance to Craig Overton, Jack Leach, Jonny Bairstow and Ollie Pope. Rob Key and Ben Stokes both emphasised their desire to “pick the best team” by recalling James Anderson and Stuart Broad...
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...
Well, that was short lived, wasn’t it? For a few brief hours yesterday morning England’s bowlers seemed unplayable, their fielders leapt like salmon in a fresh stream, New Zealand’s wickets tumbled and all seemed rosy in the garden of English cricket. It was possible even to forget, for a short while, the extortionate ticket prices that had blighted this Lords Test and led to many fans being simply unable to afford to attend. After skittling New Zealand for 132 England’s batsmen sparkled in the...
The Championship continuously revolves. Round and round and round it goes. Players come, and players go. Some stay for seemingly infinite orbits, whereas others jump on and off during a single rotation. Within this mystical world, and its myriad players, come storylines that bewitch. The comfort of the grizzled old pro going at it once again; the mystique of the overseas signing gearing up for a Test series; the debut of the prodigy that you’ve tracked through the age-grades; or the...
