Four wickets fell on day one at The Bay Oval. Ten wickets fell on day two - including the dismissal of Kane Williamson when a ball leapt alarmingly off a length from nowhere. The ball was swinging a bit too. So how many wickets fell on day 3? Two. Just two miserable [...]
Well, the day didn't quite go as planned but England are still in a great position in the first Test. With New Zealand 144-4, and crucially still 209 behind, I'd expect us to push on and win the game from here. Yes this is a bold prediction. And talk of an England [...]
Well batted lads. That was encouraging. With the exception of Joe Root - who played possibly the worst defence grope since Boycott's gran first grabbed a stick of rhubarb - everyone played nicely. It was a struggle at times against a very disciplined attack on a slowish pitch, but I'll take 241-4 [...]
Are you ready folks? I certainly am. I've got my packet of Pro Plus, keg of Red Bull, and a veritable vat of coffee at the ready. If I don't manage to stay up all night on Wednesday then it won't be for a lack of trying. I'm really looking forward to [...]
Style or substance? Resolute defence or blistering attack? Mercurial talent or dogged resistance? It is a fun quirk of this sumptuous cricketing summer that the World Cup is running parallel to the County Championship. And while the formats are very different, players in both are vying for one identical prize: a place [...]
A home World Cup is always a super occasion. The last time it happened I was actually travelling around Australia. We'd just endured another Ashes defeat, and I decided to come home after a few months specifically to catch the end of the tournament. Unfortunately England got knocked out before I flew [...]
Some might call TFT and its readers pessimists. And to be fair they're probably right. There's been a lot to grumble about in recent years, from the ECB's marginalisation of the championship to their irritating and elitist tendency to hire yes men or men cut from a certain kind of cloth (you [...]
Yesterday England's batsmen had their best opportunity all series to score some runs. The pitch wasn't easy but the Windies attack was seriously depleted. Their captain, Jason Holder, was sitting in the stands. And his replacement Keemo Paul was carted off the field with a nasty looking injury. Suddenly the remaining Windies [...]
What a day in St Lucia. England are on top, the Windies frailties (which were there all along) are finally being exposed, and only a minor miracle can prevent us from claiming a much needed consolation victory. You didn't really think we'd lose 0-3 did you? England's strong position is mainly down [...]
And so to St Lucia – the most beautiful island in the Caribbean. As Blighty freezes in artic temperatures, St Lucians will be perambulating across pure shores with only the sound of gentle breezes rustling through native palms to distract them. Envious? You bet. And to make matters worse the locals can [...]
