Bloody fantastic! It feels great to write about something positive for a change. The team has been heavily criticised over the last few months, and rightly so, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with the performance at the Ageas Bowl. It was the perfect team effort. Congratulations all round. It’s important not to go over the top – we all know this side is capable of mindless cricket as well as the inspired variety – but let’s just enjoy this victory without worrying too much about the...
With Us, the Force Is – Day Three at the Ageas Bowl
Whisper it quietly, but we might actually win this test match. Now there’s something we haven’t said for a long time. About eleven months in fact. The force is definitely with our team for a change. Since November last year, the Sith have been winning the battle: how else can you explain the success of guys like David Warner? There was something very dark at work. Now all of a sudden, Yoda’s boys are back in business. Our batsmen’s wickets seem to be protected by an invisible force-field –...
Guess Who’s Back?
No. It’s not Batman. It’s everyone’s favourite technical director of elite coaching, Mr Andy Flower. Oh, hang on a sec, to ‘come back’ necessitates actually going away in the first place … which Flower didn’t. Yesterday’s breaking news that Flower will lead the England Lions in their upcoming triangular series against New Zealand A and Sri Lanka A is rather interesting to say the least. When Flower stepped down as England head coach after the Ashes disaster – when it was apparent to...
The Long Road Ahead
Usually I can’t wait to update this blog. But this time its different. I can barely summon the energy. The England cricket team has reached it’s nadir: being whitewashed in the Ashes, losing the early summer series to Sri Lanka, and now thrashed at home by an Indian team that hadn’t won away from home for three years. Imagine how ugly it would have been if we’d lost the toss. It’s time to face facts folks … We have a toothless bowling attack. We have a brittle batting line-up without a single...
Everything’s Gone Green – Day One at Lord’s
It’s the second test of a five match series, and it’s already a game too far for England’s bowlers. It doesn’t bode well. Despite being presented with a perfect pitch for seam bowling – ‘swamp green’ would be my description – our jaded pacemen laboured like lumbering lamas and totally fluffed their lines. Broad and Plunkett were particularly woeful. The fact that Moeen Ali was the most reliable bowler (a spinner, on a green-top) says it all. When we arrived at Lord’s it was tricky...
And you thought the Ashes nightmare was over …
As I boarded the train home on Monday evening I thought I’d better check my phone to see how Cook & Robson had ended. Ended they had, and numerous of their colleagues had too. 57-5….what the hell had happened?! Being a chap in his mid-30’s I was brought-up on England in the 1990’s. Doing battle against some class sides, sometimes winning, but more than often being taught how one should really play cricket. I remember seeing the likes of Boon, Border, Healey, Hughes, etc...
