Progress. I guess that's the word people will use to describe 2018. Our ODI team continues to blossom, and our test team has finally shown signs of life too. The year started badly with a 0-4 drubbing in Australia, and an unsatisfying 1-1 draw at home to Pakistan. However, things improved thereafter [...]
What's the difference between being a cricket blogger and a member of the mainstream cricket media? I could mention the salary, and the long months spent away from home covering the team, but what really sets us apart is the ability to write from the heart. Bloggers can write polemics. Bloggers can [...]
Ashley Giles won't be a bad Director of English Cricket. He's competent. He's a good bloke. He's a safe pair of hands. But I doubt he'll be an excellent appointment either. Words like 'competent' and 'safe' could easily be replaced by 'conservative' and 'unimaginative'. However, I'd like to chose a completely different [...]
Rangers vs Celtic looks like walk in the park compared to these two. The strips are the same – one wears blue and one wears green, and blood, guts and years of hatred have spilled onto the shirts. It’s religion, it’s politics, and oh, it’s cricket, too. It’s India vs Pakistan. IT’S [...]
The batsman drops the ball onto the leg side and Ben Stokes runs after it. As he catches up with it he hurls the ball into the ground with a cry of disgust. His face is the same vivid red as his shirt. It caps an over spent screaming at his fielders, [...]
Well, well, well. This is very interesting indeed. The ECB has just changed its eligibility criteria for England players. Non British-born players will now only have to serve a 3 year residency period (down from 7 years), which means < long drumroll > that one of the world's best young cricketers, a [...]
I've just spent some time reading the Longstaff and McCosker reviews, and digesting some of the reactions to these reviews down under. I have to say that I'm a little incredulous. Aren't they taking this a bit too seriously? It takes naval-gazing to new heights. I'm not sure if it's funny or [...]
Not a lot really. At least it doesn't seem like a lot. Cricket seems a bit irrelevant with all the political shenanigans going on. However, we do have a few things to talk about before the test matches in Sri Lanka begin - not least the ODIs and who might succeed Andrew [...]
Here's Adam Kiddie with his thoughts on TalkSPORTS' plans for the winter. Will it be "smashing baby" (as their host might say)? For the first time since 2005, England’s upcoming away tour will be broadcast on commercial radio, as Talksport takes the reins from the BBC’s Test Match Special. Following yesterday’s announcement [...]
Worcestershire triumphed at Edgbaston on Saturday, defeating the mighty Lancashire in the semis and then much fancied Sussex (Jofra Archer and all) in the final. It was a fairytale in many ways because Worcs have never been to finals days before, had the youngstest team in the competition, and were missing their [...]