Today Michael Wood pays tribute to one of England’s finest, if least exciting, team men of recent times. As our white ball bowlers book their neck massage appointments after getting carted into the stands during the ODIs series, the absence of England’s “Mr Dependable” was painfully obvious to all. Oh how we missed the beautifully boring Chris Woakes to kill the Indians’ fun. I love Chris Woakes but let’s admit it. He’s about as exciting as renewing your car insurance...
Today we welcome Michael Wood back to TFT. He was some thoughts on the future of Test cricket once life gets back to normal … After some fantastic Test cricket around the world in recent months, it seems churlish to talk money. However, as national cricket boards frantically try to recoup lost revenue by piling on more lucrative forms of the game, it is worth exploring how Test cricket might be funded in a post-COVID-19 world? The pandemic has left cricket finances in a grim state...
Michel Wood is here to celebrate the unsung heroes of Chennai. Who really didn’t catch the eye? Amongst all the hokey cokey selection narratives bandied about after second Test, there is one aspect of the match that has been criminally neglected. Whilst players, commentators and pundits ignore it, any club cricketer must surely be asking the same burning question: who deserved the coveted ‘thanks for coming’ award? The second Test’s contenders must include Dom Sibley’s return of 19 runs...
With rumours circulating that Moeen Ali will replace Dom Bess in the first Test against India later this week, new writer Michael Wood argues that Mo’s the experienced head that England desperately need to lead their spin attack. Can he finally find that elusive consistency? Watching England’s faltering second innings against India at The Ageas Bowl in 2018, a nagging concern suddenly became blindingly obvious. After Alastair Cook had edged Jasprit Bumrah to slip, Moeen Ali unexpectedly...
