Few expected England to turn around this summer as they did. Least of all New Zealand, India and South Africa. The losses in the Ashes and the West Indies posed so many questions and cost a lot of people their jobs. However, a lot of these questions have thankfully now been answered – although some still linger. Thomas Rose looks at how things have changed below… Answered Questions Are Broad and Anderson done? Absolutely not! The first Test of the summer saw the recall of...
Why the women’s Hundred is hot and the men’s is not
Many cricket fans found the men’s tournament difficult to get into. The Grade Cricketer says the Big Bash is just on, and you have it in the background in the evening but never pay attention to it cus it’s just colours and sounds. That’s how the men’s Hundred feels to me. I find myself having it on in the background while I scroll through my phone, only looking up when I hear a ball getting whacked into the stands. I quickly think “that was big” and then look away. But...
Franchise Cricket Threatens the Whole Structure of the Modern Game
Money makes the world go round and cricket cannot escape it. The recent IPL broadcasting deal has meant that a single IPL match carries the second highest value of any single sports match behind the NFL. That is mental. We are now dealing with games of cricket in monetary terms that have been unheard of throughout the entire history of the game. And it now means private ownership is taking over the game. It has now been reported that all of the six franchises in the up-coming South African T20...
Blast Finals Day Preview
Two groups have been fighting out for over a month and we’ve narrowed the eighteen counties to just four. There’s been some controversy, there’s been some upsets but it all comes down to these three games at Edgbaston. So who’s going to surprise us, who’s going to dominate and ultimately who’s going to win. Here’s a breakdown of the finals day teams. Lancashire For me, the Lightning are favourites. They’ve got lots of experience, headed by Steven...
Surely 90 Overs Per Day Isn’t Too Much To Ask?
It’s no secret that over rates in Test Matches are far below the 15 per hour target. Losing overs hurts spectators, especially when the price of tickets across the country is increasing and in some places, Lord’s, they are in excess of £160. A day at the cricket is a luxury and if you’re paying that amount, you don’t want to be short changed. Famously, Alex Hales refunded a fan 10% of his ticket after a day at Edgbaston finished after just 81 overs. The disgruntled fan...
The Blast Must Survive
Today we welcome new writer Thomas Rose to TFT. Like many of us, he feels that The Blast is being marginalised despite being a proven winner that helps to keep the counties (all of them) afloat. I think we all know why… At the Oval earlier this week, we witnessed the best advert for the county game. The drama of Jordan Thompson’s last over, expertly embellished by the perfect commentary of Simon Doull, displayed how T20 cricket is such a thrilling format. Yorkshire were defending a total...