< 1 minute read “It’s all over baby, because this one’s headed to the moon!” You can always rely on Danny Morrison to deliver fitting commentary on the denouement of a compelling match. A few minutes earlier, he’d used the word ‘whippage’. He was on form. So was Alex Hales, who hit the first
Continue readingCategory: England
Moeen Ali v Lasith Malinga
2 minute read In Cricinfo’s preview, it is suggested that England might target Ajantha Mendis. That is the best plan going: England batsmen targeting a weird spin bowler – England’s batsmen being famously good against weird spin bowlers. But it’s that or try and hit Lasith Malinga for six, so attacking Mendis it
Continue readingEngland’s World T20 campaign so far
< 1 minute read There was lightning and then some of you made a decent fist of defining what a ‘ferret’ is. Wine was drunk, commetators were pilloried, Cricinfo scorecards were badmouthed. Business as usual. We feel we’re now right back up to speed in time for the remainder of the tournament. We’re particularly
Continue readingWhat happened in the England v New Zealand match?
< 1 minute read We’re going to miss this match, so you’re going to have take up the slack and deliver our usual insightful, in-depth reportage in the comments section yourselves. If you divvy the work up between a few hundred of your pets, we’re sure you can produce something approaching our usual quality.
Continue readingSix reasons why England will win the World T20
< 1 minute read Everyone likes a list. Unless it’s for the big shop. We never use a list when food shopping and last week, planning on doing a roast followed by cheese, we bought everything bar the chicken and the cheese. So it goes. But away from the fluorescent-illuminated stationary trolleys of dawdling
Continue readingThe unpredictability of Twenty20 plays right into England’s buttery hands
< 1 minute read If there is to be any drama in England’s T20 World Cup campaign, it seems likely that it will come in the form of a very formulaic, second-rate sitcom. We’re expecting the most noteworthy performance in every match to be one of the batsmen making 40-odd off as many balls.
Continue readingJade Dernbach bowls two balls the same
< 1 minute read When a sweaty-palmed Jade Dernbach bowled a wide with West Indies needing seven to win off one delivery, it was easy to forget that his opening spell had been sort of all right. It’s not a big thing, but it’s definitely progress. Someone seems to have persuaded Dernbach that variations
Continue readingShould Jos Buttler bat at five?
2 minute read Let’s overlook all the trivial details, like the omission of England’s best Twenty20 batsman and the retirement of their best-ever Twenty20 bowler (one name in particular crops up very frequently in this list) and instead focus on whether Jos Buttler should emerge with England 26-3, 32-4 or 38-5. It might
Continue readingVivisection on England’s World T20 squad
2 minute read It’s not dead yet, but let’s take our cleaver and dice it anyway. It’s only a matter of time. Batting No Kevin Pietersen, the man of the tournament the only time England won a big competition, so who’s going to pick up the slack? Well not Joe Root. He’s got
Continue readingDemanding loyalty or earning support
2 minute read ‘How about we put together a nice cosy environment where everyone goes along with everything Alastair says?’ Imagine we’re not talking about cricket for a second and put yourself in a position where someone’s just said that to you. How do you feel? Do you think that sounds like a
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