Today, James Walker looks back at the tour that created England’s most prolific pairing… England cricket fans will have enjoyed the first Test against NZ at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty and a thrilling finish at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. Am I alone in not regretting the loss too much? Seemingly, there is so much life in the England squad these days that we can stomach a loss because the boys had their swords in their hands. Besides Harry Brook’s fabulous batting...
Last month, Rob Stephenson wrote this interesting article on modern England seam bowlers blessed with genuine pace. It was a subject that resonated with several readers including James Walker, who sent in the following response that complements Rob’s piece by going back a little further in time. It also explores some of reasons why we’ve produced so few quick bowlers with longevity. Enjoy. Perhaps one of the greatest tragedies of post-war English cricket is that John Snow and Bob...
What an incredible day in Rawalpindi. For England to score 506 in just 75 overs was extraordinary. Was it the pitch, which looked flatter than the M1, or just the way that Test cricket is going now? England’s run rate was T20-esque all day, which brings us nicely onto today’s article by Sam Tomkinson. He reminisces about the day that a seemingly innocuous over by England’s new selector, Luke Wright, put England on course to win their first T20 World Cup. We’ll analyse...
Chris Eyes returns with a tribute to cricketers possessing ‘vocational’ names. Enjoy… As the 2022 English summer fades into memory now and the landscape of the game is changing, let us spare a thought for those cricketers not on full time contracts or big money T20 deals. You know, the ones who, like the rest of us, must return to occupations outside cricket to keep bringing home the bacon, or earning a crust. So with that in mind, I have endeavored to undertake selection of...
Today Peter Drake remembers a special cricket coach from his youth. Did you have an inspirational coach? And what made him or her unique? Feel free to share you own tales in the comments. Those of us whose age long ago exceeded their batting average (and will soon be equal to our highest score) will remember him well; he was the cricket coach, common in the sixties, seventies and eighties, whose tireless efforts created, nurtured and cemented the love of the game that has, in my case at any...
Wicket keeper is the most peculiar of field positions with the incumbent trapped in gloves and pads for the duration of a match. A functionary with a multiple brief who often has to stop things from happening. They gather the best and worst deliveries unleashed by bowlers; prevent leg byes, overthrows and any other brain fade that might result in additional runs being conceded. A good wicket keeper could easily save his team 30 runs an innings, but it’s far from being the only string on...
