Here are a few (admittedly disconnected) thoughts on some of the talking points over the last few days. Yesterday my colleague James Morgan wrote in defence of (no relation) Eoin Morgan, the beleaguered England one-day captain. Every England captain finds himself beleaguered eventually, but Morgan has achieved the feat in record speed. He’s only been in charge for six matches. Nick Hoult made a good point in the Daily Telegraph yesterday. There has to be a level of sympathy for Morgan...
In Defence of Eoin Morgan
The first time I saw England’s ODI captain bat, he impressed me immensely. It was a county game between Middlesex and Kent (or possibly Sussex). There was a big crowd, gentle sunshine, and the smell of victoria sponges in the air. All the pre-match talk was about the young South African tearaway Wayne Parnell, who has making his first televised appearance in county cricket. We heard how fast Parnell would bowl; how he was a cross between Allan Donald and Wasim Akram; how Middlesex would be...
The Full Toss TV: Watch Highlights of Scotland (Almost) Upsetting New Zealand
Like a lot of cricket fans in the UK, I’ve been sneaking in a bit of World Cup action before I go to bed. When Scotland were reduced to 14-4 by 10.30pm, I thought I might actually see a result before dropping off. It wasn’t to be. Scotland showed a little bit of fight to recover to 142 all out, with both Machan and Berrington making fifties. They also showed a lot of fight with the ball, and some Kiwis might have been worried when they slipped to 137-7 in reply. You can see brief...
Watch Highlights of Ireland’s Win Over the Windies
Top of the morning to you all. Here’s some belated highlights of Ireland’s fantastic win over the Windies yesterday. Enjoy. Or Cringe.
The Windies’ Lament
It’s not easy being an England supporter at the best of times. We have a team that loses more than it wins, falling participation levels, and a board that’s about as popular as someone breaking windies in an elevator. It could be worse, however. At least we’re not the Windies. Normally I back the underdog in sporting contests. Everyone likes a giant killing now and again. This time, however, I just feel bad for the vanquished. World cricket needs a healthy and vibrant West Indies team;...
World Cup Review: Canary Yellows Demonstrate Pecking Order
Judging by the reaction on Twitter, it’s a good thing we don’t live in Russia or North Korea. Our XI cricketers would’ve been shot. Personally, I’d be more inclined to shoot Peter Moores and David Saker. The former because we’ve got to take at least one positive from today; the latter because any bowling coach that advocates slow short balls as stock deliveries doesn’t deserve to be in a job. You’d think Saker would know by now that bowling short doesn’t work very well. It hasn’t been...
