For English cricket, an Ashes tour down-under conjures up all kinds of images and emotions: there’s the abuse we get from Aussie fans sitting in Sydney’s infamous Bay 13, there’s painful memories of our batsmen having their heads knocked off at Perth, and who can forget the intimidating atmosphere on Boxing Day at the MCG when 90,000 Australians in canary yellow replica shirts start baying for English blood. An Ashes tour down under is every England cricketer’s Everest: emerge victorious...
Viewpoints: affection and support
Here at TFT we’re always keen to give people a voice, and we welcome contributions of all kinds from our readers and commenters. We’re grateful to Owen Benton for this thought-provoking piece. **************** Can you support a team without liking them? I grew up in what I now I think of as the ‘Star Wars’ era of cricket. Australia were the evil empire: dominant, unbeatable bullies. Shane Warne was the emperor, not just beating but mocking those foolish enough to...
The best of times; the worst of times
Clivejw posted this interesting comment on Saturday: I haven’t had this miserable a summer as a cricket fan since 1999, and as that year ended with the appointment of Duncan Fletcher as coach (he had in fact been appointed before the summer of that year, but Glamorgan wouldn’t release him from his contract), it can in retrospect be seen as a turning point. Only the announcement of the names of the Gatting rebels treacherously stabbing David Gower in the back and taking money from a bloody and...
Shut up and keep buying the tickets: that ECB press release in full
As you will have seen, and as James discussed in our last post, the England and Wales Cricket board issued a statement on Sunday to further outline their position on the sacking of Kevin Pietersen. They still remain too cowardly to speak to journalists in the flesh. But the statement was at least an opportunity to answer some of the cricketing public’s many unanswered questions, and to address the deep level of unease many of us feel at their actions, and their conduct towards us...
The next England coach
So who’s in the running to replace Andy Flower as England team director? Here’s The Full Toss guide to the names in the frame… Ashley Yesman Highly regarded at the ECB ever since he coached Derbyshire to a spectacular fourth place Division Two finish in the 2009 county championship, Yesman is widely seen as a safe pair of hands. His credentials are strong in all three areas known to impress management: keeping his blazer buttons nicely polished, doing whatever Giles...
The loneliness of the long-distance England supporter
It’s been a long and gruelling winter for everyone who follows the England cricket team. As each wretched day in Australia unfolded, both our sleep and our sanity were stretched to breaking point, Here, Full Toss reader Nick Allbury re-traces that overnight journey into the heart of darkness. ***** The opening bars of Love Spreads prize me from deliverance before being silenced by my flailing hand. For a moment I am lost in the warm fug that shields me from the day. Then weariness slams...