I read a lot of sports blogs. I’m a below the line addict. I’ve seen fans polarised before – most notably footballs fans arguing over the merits of certain managers – but I’ve never, ever, seen English cricket supporters at each others’ throats like this. It’s a war. Over the last few days I’ve tried to stand back from the cacophony and understand events from a detached perspective. Obviously, one’s position on the Strauss / KP doos-gate depends entirely on whether you think KP is a...
A Special Evening at HQ
One half of the TFT enjoyed a rather special evening on Wednesday. It’s the kind of thing that only comes along once in a lifetime … Yours truly had the privilege of attending the MCC’s bicentennial dinner in the Long Room at Lord’s. That’s right folks, they let me, a common pleb and card carrying member of the great unwashed, dine within the most sacred room in world cricket. I spent the entire evening pinching myself. How did I wriggle my way into such a glamorous event? I could say I was...
Why England will win the Ashes Part 3 – KP
We’ve talked about England’s ability to keep control in the field, we’ve discussed our long batting order, here’s the next reason why England will give the Aussies a good old fashioned drubbing this year: it’s Kevin Pietersen, of course. With thanks to guest writer Shaun Edwards. “Let each man think himself an act of God, His mind a thought, his life a breath of God; And let each try, by great thoughts and good deeds, To show the most of Heaven he hath in him”...
Lack of imagination hurting England again – day two from Ahmedabad
“Don’t worry boys, I’ve got a plan. We’re going to do exactly the same things that didn’t work in the UAE” Only a few things in life are certain: death, taxes and England’s management making the same mistakes again and again. When Alastair Cook was made captain, and Andrew Strauss (noble servant that he was) took his conservative behind to the retirement home, I really hoped things would be different. No longer would we have to endure this wrongheaded...
It’s disappointment at Trent Bridge, but the future looks bright
All eyes are on you Alastair How appropriate that a cricketing summer which was a wash out for four months should end with a damp squib. I don’t know what England’s batsmen had for lunch yesterday, but it can’t have been particularly nourishing. In the fourth ODI England produced one of the most half-arsed displays I’ve seen from an international side in some time. Cook, Morgan, Bairstow, Kieswetter and Anderson seemed determined to give the Cricketboks some catching practice. Maybe the players...
The emperor’s new clothes?
We all love Straussy, but was he as good as some would have us believe? They say a history degree is useless. They’re half right. Although I spent more time drinking than learning vocational skills at university, I did learn one valuable lesson: to get to the truth (if there is any such thing as objective truth) one must look at both sides of the story. That’s why all the tributes to Andrew Strauss over the last few days have puzzled me somewhat. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Strauss as a...
