The Full Toss Cricket Blog
Welcome to TFT, the irreverent cricket blog with a zero percent bounce rate. We’ll be here throughout the year to debate, moan, and occasionally rejoice about the England cricket team. If something’s bothering you, whether it’s selection, governance, or the cost of a pint, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You don’t need to be a journalist or copywriter, just a fan with something to say. Email james@thefulltoss.com for more info.
Futile Suggestions
After Ollie Stone was ruled out of the second Ashes test yesterday, I Tweeted out my preferred side for Lord's. It went as follows: Burns, Roy, Stokes, Root, Buttler, Bairstow, Woakes, Curran, Archer, Leach, Broad. I was immediately given a tongue lashing (I'm going to copyright this expression when Josh Tongue plays for England) by several people who hated this [...]
Pathetic. But We Can (And Must) Do Better Next Time.
When the end comes, it usually comes quickly with this England team. For all our hype and bravado we're actually softer than a poodle's undercarriage. It took Australia just 45 overs to take all ten of our second innings wickets today. And eight of those wickets came in the last 23. It was a gutless performance that lacked any form [...]
Shattered – Day 4 at Edgbaston
The last time I checked in (on Friday evening) England were in a great position - just a few runs behind Australia's first innings score and with plenty of wickets in hand. And then it all went pear shaped thanks to a mini collapse on Saturday morning and another Steve Smith hundred. Is there any more frustrating sight in world [...]
Proper Cricket – Day 2 From Brum
I don't think I've ever felt so nervous waiting for a batsman to reach three figures. I didn't even particularly care about the wickets falling at the other end for a period. It was all about Rory Burns. Could he reach those three magical figures? When the moment finally arrived I was chuffed to bits for the bloke. He waited [...]
The Rodent Returns – Day 1 at Edgbaston
Today’s play was painful. We had our collective boot on Australia’s metaphorical throat but the opportunity slipped away. And it’s all because of Steve Smith. Yes him. The ginger rodent. The bane of our existence. I wish I could say Smith was lucky. I wish I could say that he cheated. But he wasn’t and he didn’t. He was absolutely [...]
1981 Revisited
Today we welcome back Haroon Khalid to TFT. Take a trip down memory lane as the first test at Edgbaston gets underway ... The 2005 Ashes series is often spoken of as the greatest Ashes series of all time and with much justification. 1-0 down after the first test, England came back with a nerve jangling 2 run win at [...]
A Comedy Of Batting Errors? The Definitive TFT Ashes Preview
So the Ashes is here again. Are you ready? Don't worry if you feel less prepared than a priest at a brothel. You can't be less prepared than England are. Half our team haven't played more than a single first class game all season, and some of them are still drunk after the World Cup celebrations. Bodes well doesn't it. [...]
Tim Paine: The Poisoned Chalice Of Dreams
Australia look stunned. That’s the only way to describe the vacant husks that have replaced the real Australian side. Over five days at The Wanderers, they look like eleven men whose minds are so far from their task that they may as well be on Mars. Tim Paine has barely been back in the side a few months, and now [...]
Relief
The England test team doesn't have many strengths these days. But it can win, and usually does, if the groundsman prepares an archetypal seamer's wickets and the weather Gods feel sympathetic enough to provide overcast skies. This is the brew that's been hiding our general frailties for a few years now. And this very specific elixir - this time gobbled [...]
A New Low
Let's start with the positives. Erm. Ollie Stone looked good I suppose. And now for the negatives ... What in the name of Zeus's pubic hair was that? I'm gobsmacked. To get bowled out for 85 in a single session is bad enough. But to get bowled out by Ireland? At home? After winning the toss? It's completely inept and [...]
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Jofra Archer A Must For The 2019 Cricket World Cup Tournament
Thanks to new residency rules which came into force here in the UK on the 1st of January 2019, Barbados born Jofra Archer will be eligible to play for the England international cricket team from March. Although the all-rounder (who plays his county cricket for Sussex) was born in Bridgetown, [...]
2019 IPL Preview
The defending champions Chennai Super Kings will open up the 2019 season on the 29th of March in the M.A Chidambaram Check Stadium, Tamil Nadu. Here they will face the Sun Risers Hyderabad, the team they beat by 8 wickets in the 2018 final. This is sure to be a [...]
Caribbean Cricket Cruise with ITC Sports Travel
There’s nothing quite like experiencing cricket in the Caribbean. With a soundtrack of calypso, reggae and soca, matches here are invariably exciting, full-blooded affairs. Combine this with a fantastic climate, swaying palms, plenty of sunshine and the odd drop of rum and you’ve got the perfect recipe for the ultimate [...]
How Big Is The Loss Of Steve Smith & David Warner For The Australian Cricket Team?
The recent news that has created ripples in the world of cricket is about the 12-month ban imposed on Australian cricketers Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft for ball tampering. What will happen to the Australian cricket team and how will the rest of the players respond to this [...]
Cricket training mistakes to avoid
Cricket has changed a lot over the years. Thirty years ago you could stuff your face cakes and scones at tea (Mike Gatting anyone?) and still be considered international sportsman. These days things are very different. Just look at Jimmy Anderson. He's almost 36 years old, fit as a fiddle, [...]
How to get match fit
Getting fitter isn't easy, and life commitments block even the best-laid plans. But you need to take care of your health if you want to score more runs or take more wickets. No matter what you are attempting to accomplish in life, it is always a good idea to define [...]
Best County Championship Bowler Betting Wide Open
© ForwardDefensive The County Championship is getting into full swing after a wet start to spring and defending champions Essex have already made a victorious opening to their defence of the Division One title. That side containing former England captain Alastair Cook are 100/30 favourites to retain their [...]