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...
He’s back. This month, over 1,200 days after his 27th test century, Virat Kohli scored his 28th against Australia at Ahmedabad. A comeback long awaited, Virat looked every bit the player that, for so long, had world cricket at his feet as he strolled to 186 off 364 balls. By no means a flashy knock, Virat’s marathon innings was mostly devoid of the crisp drives and powerful pulls that, for so long, were his calling card. Instead, he churned out the singles and ignored any good balls. An...
Since its dawn in 2003, the T20 format has taken over cricket. Last year alone, there were a whopping 536 T20 international matches, including a successful World Cup alongside an array of domestic leagues and franchises. The format has been around for a mere two decades, yet has undergone a host of tactical developments. The explosion of mystery spin is an obvious example, with loopy leggings gaining favour for their variation in the shortest format. However, the T20 game’s most prominent...
Cricket in the English winter is an interesting spectacle. Devoid of any home action, badgers like me turn our attention overseas. There’s plenty to watch. World cups provide a thrilling contest, alongside the seemingly endless supply of white-ball bilateral series. Franchise cricket also offers an exciting watch with its gallery of international stars mixing and matching in neon kits. Test cricket too, is alive and kicking in the winter months: England’s blistering Bazball approach gave many a...
New Zealand’s Tom Latham is a very good Test cricketer. Making his debut in 2014, the left-hander has been an ever-present feature of the Kiwis top order for almost ten years. In a decade dominated by seam bowling, Tom’s textbook technique and patient approach have served him well, averaging a sturdy 41.91 in his 70 tests – not remarkable, but notably impressive considering the roll call of openers that England have deployed in the same period. Imagine, if you would, that an English bat...
Steve Smith is in red hot form. Last week, the Australian stroked a masterful 200* against the West Indies – dismantling what looked to be a promising young Windies attack to reach the milestone off 311 balls. Smith’s monster knock laid the foundation for a commanding Aussie win. Smith and co are now playing South Africa in a three match Test series. Australia will be looking to end their abysmal run of three home series defeats in a row to the Proteas. Astonishingly, they haven’t won a...
