< 1 minute readWe rarely feel moved by events in the second division, but it’s hard not to feel a twinge of excitement at the prospect of Northamptonshire and Leicestershire playing out a draw next season to extend their respective winless streaks. We’ve reported on both of these clubs in our latest Shire
Continue readingAuthor: King Cricket
Otherwise known as Alex Bowden, a lapsed cricket journalist who has written for ESPNCricinfo, wisden.com, Cricket 365, The Cricketer and plenty of other places.
Links to some non-cricket writing and a bit more background here.
Never call someone a Kolpak
< 1 minute readBad news for Slovakian handball goalkeeper, Maros Kolpak, whose name has apparently morphed into a racist insult. Yorkshire’s Andrew Gale has been charged with a level three offence for firing the word at Lancashire’s Ashwell Prince. A level three offence involves “using language or gestures that offends race, religion, colour,
Continue readingMop-up of the day – first-class status and second division performances
2 minute readThe Champions League is on. We managed to watch half of one innings, but it’s such a stupid, managed tournament, it isn’t really sport in any meaningful sense, so it’s back to county cricket. First-class but second-rate In these triple-format days, is first-class status as meaningful as it once was?
Continue readingEngland v Sri Lanka – throdkin report
2 minute readGed writes: “Am I to be the token Northerner?” asked the Lancastrian nephew-in-law, Escamillo Escapillo, viz our impending visit to the first Lord’s Test of the 2014 season. “Not at all”, I replied. “Big Al DeLarge is originally from Burnley”. But that got me thinking, what with Big Al being
Continue readingYorkshire’s County Championship summed up in one line
< 1 minute readNot one of ours, unfortunately. It’s by Cricinfo’s David Hopps – a Yorkshireman hisself. “Their first Championship win for 13 years is a lesson to English cricket, based as it is on a strong commitment to player development – among all ethnic groups, and extending beyond the privileged classes.” Which
Continue readingVent your feelings about Ravi Shastri
< 1 minute readIn a recent comment, Bert revealed that he had something of earth-shattering importance to say about Ravi Shastri arising from this week’s Cricket Badger (sign up here). Unfortunately, he didn’t have a place to say it. Let this be that place. It also occurred to us that many of you
Continue readingMop-up of the day – spreading Roses
< 1 minute readThe Pennines have long separated good from bad, but there’s been an odd inversion in county cricket this year. White Rose good Nottinghamshire were the only team who could have prevented Yorkshire from winning the County Championship. Being as Yorkshire are positively monstering them with just one more game to
Continue readingThank you to Childish Things
< 1 minute readA quick thank you to Childish Things, the guys who make International Cricket Captain, for agreeing to sponsor the site for the next month (although the hours we’ve lost to the game over the years, frankly they owe us). If you’re not running ad-blocking software, you’ll see a big, long
Continue readingThe ICC flexes its elbow muscles
< 1 minute readWell this is news. Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal has been banned from bowling. Ajmal was tested once before and had his action cleared. But not this time. This time he has been found guilty of the greatest crime in cricket. People will whisper the word whenever he is near and he
Continue readingMop-up of the day – England won two games
< 1 minute readEngland finally found a modicum of limited overs success. They’ve analysed the stats and apparently scoring hundreds and making big totals will give them a better chance of success in the World Cup. Common sense might also tell you such a thing. The fifth one-day international Joe Root became the
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