Well that was unexpected. Just as one of the nation’s best known cricket journalists suggests that England should go into the 5th test with five seamers, the management pick three spinners instead – two of whom are probably best seen as part-timers. Hmmmm. I was a little surprised by England’s team selection. With Mark Wood missing through injury, I expected Plunkett to come into the side and the balance to remain pretty similar. Of course, we knew that Jos Buttler wouldn’t be playing, but I...
The return of Caesar’s wife
It was Tregaskis who kicked it all off. It hardly serves journalistic detachment if cricket correspondents are out playing golf with England team members. Caesar's wife & all that! — Tregaskis (@Tregaskis1) October 29, 2015 Then came the replies. @Tregaskis1 @the_topspin What codswallop. It's our job to find out stuff and anyway who has accused us of an overly-cosy relationship? — John Etheridge (@JohnSunCricket) October 29, 2015 I couldn’t resist adding my three...
The Race to 3,000: Why Joe Root is England’s Best Batsman For Decades
Excuse the somewhat hyperbolic headline. I’m sure that players like Ken Barrington and Dennis Compton were absolutely immense. I mean no disrespect. The problem for me is that these players were strutting their stuff in cream flannels long before my time. They’re relics from a past era. Even Geoff Boycott’s career seems like an age ago to me. I’ll be celebrating my 40th birthday in a few months time and I never saw Sir Geoffrey play a shot in anger – or should that be a forward defensive...
Thirty Nine Balls Away – Agony in Dubai
Six and a half overs. Thirty-nine balls. That’s how close we were to saving the second test. Defeat is obviously disappointing, and questions remain over the composition of the side, but it was extremely heartening to see our lower order take the game to the wire. The lads played well today. Well done. Adil Rashid batted magnificently. I’ve seen him bat a lot in the past, and always thought he was more than handy, but today he reached heights I’d never seen before. He showed exceptional...
Slight Problem – Day 3 in Dubai
That’ll teach me. Yesterday I was full of optimism. The bowlers had done remarkably well and the batsmen – led by the two mailmen – had put England in a strong position. I should’ve known calamity would follow. That’s what supporting the bloody England cricket team is all about. I know it’s a cliché, but one bad session really is all it takes to lose a test. And boy did England have a bad session this morning. Root went early on and the others showed less backbone than a plate of raspberry...
Game On – Day Two in Dubai
I’m happy to report the following news: this test match is alive. After a dour first test and a slightly anticlimactic first day in Dubai, today’s play was actually quite watchable. The bowlers managed to extract a little more life out of the slow surface, and the batsmen didn’t have everything their own way for a change. How refreshing. Although Pakistan were in a good position overnight, we all felt that a few early wickets today would change things. And so it proved. Our bowlers really put...
