< 1 minute readWe’ve got behind Australia to a quite sickening degree in recent days. We’ve intimated that South African defeats can be enjoyable and we’ve sympathised – SYMPATHISED – with Australians when they weren’t able to win a Test series after one little catastrophe. Well enough of that. Let’s get back to
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.
A two match Test series that was a success on every level
< 1 minute readAustralian defeats, South African defeats, brilliant fast bowling, feisty batting, 47 all out and everyone feeling profoundly irritated at being massively short-changed by there only being two matches – this was the perfect Test series. It was better than anything. It was better than turning up at a restaurant and
Continue readingWhen the fifth day of a Test match has the right ingredients
< 1 minute readThe fifth day of a Test can be dreadful. It can also be the best thing ever. When you get the right ingredients, it’s rich and intoxicating, like a creamy mustard sauce laced with smack. The second (and final) Test between South Africa and Australia is set up perfectly. South
Continue readingOne down in a two Test series
< 1 minute readIt’s a generalisation to say that long-term cricket fans gravitate towards the longest format, but it’s not an outrageous generalisation, like saying that all left-handed people are agents of Lucifer. We’ve twice this year had perfectly civil interaction with someone who has later revealed themselves to be sickeningly wrong-handed, but
Continue readingJacques Kallis’s odd days
< 1 minute readEvery now and again, Jacques Kallis has an odd day where he suddenly starts thrashing the ball around like he’s been possessed by one of Shahid Afrid’s many personalities. He holds the record for the fastest Test fifty off 24 balls. Yes, it was against Zimbabwe, but plenty of other
Continue readingDuncan Fletcher’s India team
< 1 minute readHaving extracted our face from the dent in our desk, we did manage to catch much of today’s play, our view unobscured by tears of frustration. What we saw was India’s bowling attack and it looks a damn sight better than it had in England. Bizarrely, the man who emerged
Continue readingIndian batsmen hit hundreds
< 1 minute readWe’re not really sure what to write about today. We suppose we should make reference to India v West Indies, but we were either asleep or at work for today’s play, so we don’t really have much to say. Looking at the scorecard, we’re kind of irritated that MS Dhoni
Continue readingChoosing a cricketer to stalk
< 1 minute readWe’re not entirely sure why someone would choose to stalk a cricketer other than Rob Key, but for some reason that’s precisely what Adam Carroll-Smith decided to do. He decided that he wanted to bowl a ball at Sachin Tendulkar, which is even more bizarre, because there are professional cricketers
Continue readingWasim Akram and irresponsible swing
< 1 minute readFor those who missed it, this is our latest Stu and Ash piece for Cricinfo. It’s about Wasim Akram against England in the 1992 World Cup, which is well worth seeking out on YouTube by the way. We’d link to a video, but, you know, we’d have to open another
Continue readingThere is nothing big or clever or grown-up about wallowing in other people’s misery
2 minute readSo says Bert, who continues: Fortunately, nobody here has ever claimed to be big or clever or grown-up? Anyone like to take a guess at what the following sequence of numbers is? 245, 304, 268, 309, 98, 258, 280, 281, 273, 210, 411, 316, 488, 284, 47 Yes, that’s right
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