I’ll come clean. I follow cricket closely – I’ve been writing this blog since 2009 – but even I don’t have a clue what to expect from the hosts in this week’s first test. Although we’ve seen them up close in the ODIs (and they looked very competitive), the limited overs stuff is so very different. Bangladesh haven’t played a test match for over a year so the form guide is basically blank. It’s a step into the unknown for just about everyone. I’m not going to pretend there...
Top Billings: England Win The Series
Some people might sneer, and claim that beating Bangladesh is no big deal, but the statistics say otherwise. The hosts had lost just 3 of their last 20 ODIs at home, and had recently enjoyed series wins over New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa. That’s the South Africa who have just whitewashed Australia 5-0 by the way. England’s victory in the decisive 3rd ODI yesterday is therefore something to be celebrated … in a mild mannered, somewhat reserved, and quintessentially English kind of way...
A Spicy Finale Ahead
Two games, two different winners, two players fined, and a final that’s too close to call. I’ve really enjoyed the ODI series in Bangladesh thus far. It’s a good contest between two competitive teams and I have absolutely no idea who will win the decider. The first game was hugely encouraging from England’s point of view. Obviously it wasn’t good to find ourselves 63-3 but the recovery was something I didn’t expect. In days gone by, the opposition’s spinners would have created a stranglehold...
Can England Tough It Out in Bangladesh?
It’s time to don those bulletproof vests and brave that ring of steel. England start their ODI series against Bangladesh today at Dhaka and it could prove a rather interesting series. The Bangladeshis are no longer the whipping boys of international cricket, at least not in the one-day arena, and England are missing three very important players: established opener Alex Hales, boy wonder Joe Root and captain Eoin Morgan. Although England have metamorphosed into a decent 50 over outfit since the...
T20: Is It Over For Test Cricket?
A few weeks ago, I was invited to participate in an online debate by the charity Speakers’ Corner Trust, which promotes free expression, public debate and active citizenship. The charity’s director, Peter Bradley, is a real cricket enthusiast who wanted to do a feature on test cricket’s future. The debate, which is titled T20: Is It Over For Test Cricket? is part of the charity’s ‘Forum For Debate’ series. It discusses whether test cricket has a future in...
Durham’s Punishment Is Disproportionate and Disgraceful
Every time I try to give the ECB the benefit of the doubt, they do something new that leaves me disgusted. I don’t agree with much our administrators do – I loathed their part in the big three ICC coup and have doubts about their new city-based T20 competition – but I usually try to see things from multiple points of view. For example, when they removed live cricket from free to air television I opposed the move but understood the lure of Murdoch’s money. This time...
