< 1 minute read We figure we’ll formalise the Mitchell Johnson victimisation this year. Might as well. So here it is: ‘Johnson Watch’. Sounds a bit rude, but only really if you’re American – and as we all know, Americans don’t count. What passes for Mitchell Johnson news today is the following quote from
Continue readingMonth: November 2010
Australia v England, First Test, day three match report
< 1 minute read Sorry for those of you still waiting for match reports to appear, but we thought we’d make an exception to our normal rules about leaving everything in the queue for months on end in order to maintain the Ashes theme. Remember that this isn’t Sam’s fault when you start the
Continue readingA Fan’s Guide to World Cricket | book review
2 minute read A Fan’s Guide to World Cricket is basically a book with which you’ll idly plan holidays. It’s full colour, looks amazing and makes you wish you were overseas even more than you already do. It covers 55 cities, all of which feature an international cricket ground. You’ll basically leaf through
Continue readingAlastair Cook creates a weird scorecard with help from Jonathan Trott
< 1 minute read When have you ever seen an England scorecard that read 517-1? Against Australia as well. We said that Alastair Cook would be okay and with 235 not out, you’d say we were probably right about that. We also predicted a whole host of series results though – none of which
Continue readingAn Australian bowling attack unsuited to Australian conditions
2 minute read You’ve got to break partnerships in Australia. You’ve got to somehow take wickets when the ball ain’t doin’ a right lot. This Australia bowling attack seems ill-suited to the task. Today one wicket fell – to Marcus North. No matter how flat the pitch, no Australian bowling attack should completely
Continue readingBatting partnerships in Australia and breaking them
< 1 minute read James Anderson started with a blinding spell to Mike Hussey, but as we said yesterday, the cricket after the new ball matters too. It’s easy to look on the first hour of the third day as being England’s chance to break the Hussey-Haddin partnership, but Test cricket in Australia is
Continue readingThe cricket after the new ball matters too
< 1 minute read Yesterday’s theme was of how bowling success can be about playing well frequently rather than extremely well occasionally. You remember great bowlers for the occasions when they took 7-20; when the ball was swinging or turning a mile. But often those performances aren’t what made those players’ reputations. It’s often
Continue readingWhy Peter Siddle doesn’t need the unplayable delivery
< 1 minute read Pre-Ashes analysis tends to treat the players as if they’re machines. If it swings, Jimmy Anderson will be great; if it doesn’t, he’s screwed. Alastair Cook has a technical weakness. He’ll score no runs. But cricket doesn’t work like that. For one thing, pretty much everybody’s shitting themself of the
Continue readingA fact and a question from the Gabba
< 1 minute read What we learnt last night: Stew is not a stimulant And here’s a question for you: Shouldn’t Mitchell Johnson’s tattooed arm be ‘the doing arm’?
Continue readingPeter Siddle takes an Ashes hat trick at the Gabba
< 1 minute read With his Ming the Merciless collar and his mercilessly minging face, Peter Siddle barrelled in and dismissed Alastair Cook, Matt Prior and Stuart Broad in successive balls. We got through the experience by pretending it was a cartoon. Siddle looks like a cartoon character somehow.
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