Another ICC final has come and gone with Ben Stokes the man who, once again, we owe everything to. This time around, it was the box-office all-rounder’s 52 from 49 balls that guided us home after Pakistan threatened to pull off an incredible feat by defending a low score. Indeed, Babar Azam’s men were on course for a famous victory in Melbourne until Stokes walked out to bat and then proceeded to do what he does best: win cricket matches for England when all hope looks lost. Thanks to...
Yesterday morning was one of the more enjoyable ones. I woke up, made a brew, quickly whipped up some poached eggs with smoked salmon – how stereotypically middle class – and then returned to bed to watch England win the World T20 final at the MCG. It was precisely the morning I had in mind; and probably the very last thing that the tournament organisers, neutrals, and the whole of Australia were hoping for. Tee-hee. Well, England cricket tours down under usually end in disaster, so...
All eyes will be on the T20 World Cup in the coming weeks. I rather fancy England to do well, especially after our two wins against the hosts in the warm-up series. However, I’m not so sure about our chances in Pakistan when the grind of Test cricket returns. It will be great to watch England play in Pakistan again. But we might have to avert our eyes if things go south quickly. After winning 6 out of 7 Tests this summer, lots of supporters seem bullish about England’s prospects in the three...
So after three and a half years, the prodigal son is back. Alex Hales, a brutal one-day batsman, has been recalled to give some much needed oomph to England’s top order in T20. His first T20 for 3 and a half years resulted in a welcome 53 to help England defeat Pakistan in the first match of a seven-match series. Hales used to be a bit of a pratt. He was involved in the fracas in 2017 which resulted in Ben Stokes being charged but then cleared in connection with the fight. Hales was charged...
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...
Blink and you missed it, that was the feeling at the end of England’s three Test series against South Africa. Each match seemed to be played on fast forward. Test cricket for the T20 generation perhaps. No game lasted for a full three days, with the first match over by the middle of the third afternoon, denying the paying public a Saturday at Lord’s. The final Test would have been over inside two days – the first time this had happened in England since Andy Caddick skittled the West...
