I didn’t manage to write a report for day 1 as I’ve been irritatingly sick this Christmas. I’ve had the lurgy from hell and it just won’t go away. Maybe I’ve come out in sympathy for Pope, Leach and the others victims of the Benochi Belly? However, had I been match fit enough to put a few words together, I might have said something like this: “five seamers? FIVE bloody seamers? Win the toss and bowl? WFT? Have Joe Root and Chris Silverwood lost any remaining...
Bah! Humbug
I love Christmas. The food, the carols, the lights, plus the general aroma of mulled wine and mince pies never fails to put me in a jovial mood. What a shame that this feeling of goodwill soon dissipates upon reading the latest cricket news. Those in charge of English cricket never fail to raise my blood pressure. The first festive kick in the nuts came courtesy of ECB performance director Mo Bobat who argues here that the county championship alone no longer produces Test players. Try telling...
Runs And The Runs
England bowlers might be laid low with a bug / flu / ebola but England’s batsmen were in fine fettle on day one of the warm up game against South Africa A in Benoci yesterday. 395-6 was an excellent return and a highly promising start against a decent attack. Two of our batsmen also made centuries – something we’re used to seeing once per season (or once per series) rather than in the same innings. Joy! It’s a shame that this match has been disrupted by illness and no...
England’s SA Warm Up & The Lions Squad
So the first action of the South Africa tour is in the books. The batsmen spent some time in the middle, the bowlers managed to get some overs in their legs without breaking them, and everyone can now look forward to the next warm up game against South Africa A (which starts on Friday). It’s just a shame that the players won’t get more than one meaningful game to prepare for the Test series. The ‘contest’ that’s just finished in Benoci against a South Africa...
