“Oh heavens, not Jordan”. That was my initial reaction when Eoin Morgan tossed him the ball as England took the field for Pakistan’s super over. I’m not a Jordan fan. Never have been really. But despite having the worst bowling figures of any England bowler during the match, Super Chris was absolutely super in the super over. He performed like Superman. They key to Jordan’s success was a succession of whippy yorkers. Many of these turned out to be full tosses earlier in the day, but Jordan was...
In Defence of Eoin Morgan
The first time I saw England’s ODI captain bat, he impressed me immensely. It was a county game between Middlesex and Kent (or possibly Sussex). There was a big crowd, gentle sunshine, and the smell of victoria sponges in the air. All the pre-match talk was about the young South African tearaway Wayne Parnell, who has making his first televised appearance in county cricket. We heard how fast Parnell would bowl; how he was a cross between Allan Donald and Wasim Akram; how Middlesex would be...
Worrying signs as Moores makes abject start
On the face of it, a nine run loss to the World T20 champions doesn’t sound too bad. England made a game of it, at least. I should stress, therefore, that my headline refers to the performance of the England head coach yesterday, rather than the players’ efforts. Let’s not beat around the bush here. England lost this game because of poor selection, a poor batting strategy, and a catastrophic dropped catch by a player that should not have been playing (so again, a mistake arising from poor...
Hales Storm Leaves Sri Lanka Battered & Bruised
Well, well, well. Maybe we won’t completely ignore the World T20 after all. England actually won a game. I repeat. We actually won a T20 international, against a good side, under pressure. I can hardly believe it. I’m not going to beat around the proverbial bush here. Alex Hales’ 116 yesterday was absolutely magical. It’s one of the best efforts I’ve witnessed. His hitting was clean, calculated and brutal. He didn’t resort to unsightly slogs when the run rate seemed unmanageable. He simply took...
A hard slog ahead
Another day, another T20 defeat for Ashley Giles’ beleaguered squad. The days when Britannia ruled the T20 waves seem a long, long, bloody long, time ago. When I look at England’s side on paper, we have a few useful cricketers, but we just can’t seem to get our strategy right. We’re also clearly lacking confidence, and it’s hard to know how a bland character like Giles can turn things around. Having said that, the best team doesn’t always win T20 contests. There’s little ebb and flow during...
Morgan or Trott? We can’t pick the lot
England have just won a One-Day International series, which by all accounts is becoming a bit of a habit. With the exclusion of the 3-2 loss in India, England have been victorious in four of their last five ODI series’, with a 2-2 draw at home to South Africa spoiling a full house. Yet, despite our success, it’s time for a shake-up according to some sections of the media. Whilst it may sound slightly unusual given our form over the last 12 months or so, there’s certainly an argument to...
