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Handbags at dawn

Excellent story from the Guardian’s ‘The Spin’ column about the latest alleged bust-up between two of the most pugnacious Ians in Ashes history – Botham and Chappell. “The two men were reportedly pulled away from each other in the car park outside the Adelaide Oval after Botham reacted badly to a “provocative comment” by Chappell after the fourth day of the Test. “Botham is supposed to have turned around and bellowed back “What did you say...

Australia on their knees in the city of churches – no thanks to the Aussie hacks

Just under an hour and a half. Eighty nine minutes. That’s how long it took  Australia to capitulate to an innings and 71 run defeat at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday morning. It was their first innings defeat at home for seventeen years, and England’s one hundredth win against the baggy greens. It all adds up to an enormous headache for Ricky Ponting and Australia’s hopeless selectors. The Aussie press aren’t exactly keen on throwing them some aspirin either. They’re furious. But the press need...

Day five at Adelaide

Sweet as a nut. And didn’t it all seem rather easy in the end – despite our fears of rain or Australian resilience. As soon as Hussey went – oh, the joy of seeing the back of his silly white nose – the proceedings soon resembled a particularly facile exercise in pea-shelling. For now, let’s just enjoy the moment – and savour the gorgeous sensation of an innings victory over Australia. Wasn’t it marvellous to watch their batting disintegrate this...

Day four at Adelaide

It’s tense, really tense. Three results are still possible in the second test: an England win, a draw, or a win for the weather. Even the most pessimistic England fans must now realise an Australian victory is about as likely as FIFA giving the World Cup to the country with the best bid. The unbearable thing is that our fate now rests in the hands of the weather Gods. We’re like Xavier Doherty with a ball in his hand – absolutely helpless. According to Sir Ian, ‘the local forecasters reckon...

Kevin Pietersen: Not bad for half a batsman

  It matters not that this Adelaide pitch is flatter than the flattest pancake – or perhaps flatter than a medieval map that claims the whole world is flat – Kevin Pietersen’s 213no was an education in precise attacking batting. It was a remarkable effort. But what was even more remarkable was the fact he didn’t play a single shot off the back foot. When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to attend a cricket coaching camp run by Tom Graveney. He told us that batting was essentially a...

Day three at Adelaide

Pessimism is the definitive trait of the English cricket follower. That’s why we’ve been racking our brains for ways in which England could still lose this test match. And I think we’ve found it. If Strauss declares overnight, and Australia bat robustly till sometime after lunch on the last day, their lead will be around 125 – just enough to then bowl us out in the 40 overs remaining. Far fetched? Probably. Hopefully. But this match is at Adelaide, scene of...

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