2 minute readThe ICC have announced that there will now be a four year Test championship. At the end of the cycle, the top four teams enter play-offs and then there’s a final. We do understand the significance of a final – the two best teams pitted against each other is always
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.
Nathan Hauritz – number one Australian spinner
< 1 minute readShane Warne said that Nathan Hauritz was being given a crap field by Ricky Ponting today. Being as Hauritz went for 76 in 12 overs on a fifth day Indian pitch, we’d guess that Ponting was only using four or five fielders. Hauritz is currently said to be Australia’s number
Continue readingAndrew McDonald endures a duck and then scores a hundred
< 1 minute readAndrew McDonald hit 163 off just 116 balls for Victoria this week, despite a duck before play. “We walked too close to the ducklings and the old father duck attacked me. He got on top of my backpack and started chipping away at my head. It was a savage attack
Continue readingOff season cricket training – another senseless attempt to make people laugh
< 1 minute readWe’ve not had any high-minded criticism of our latest Cricinfo piece yet, which is a bit disappointing. In case you’re wondering what it’s about, it’s about two of our greatest interests: gravy and depression. If we could have squeezed ‘worrying about whether we’ve offended somebody by accident’ in there too,
Continue readingTaking Sachin Tendulkar for granted
< 1 minute readIt is so easy to take Sachin Tendulkar for granted. He’s 191 not out against Australia. You see that and you think: “Of course he’s 191 not out against Australia. Why wouldn’t he be?” The statistics are everywhere. Picking some pretty much at random, this was his eighth hundred in
Continue readingKings and Royals shunted from their IPL thrones
< 1 minute readThere is only one acceptable way to get a royal title: by going along with what everyone’s calling you because you can no longer be arsed explaining that Brian Lara’s the king, not you. Royalty through exasperated resignation. Any other route to a title is flat-out wrong. If you self-apply
Continue readingRob Key and “ha ha”-gate
< 1 minute readRob Key’s on Twitter now. We knew we had to make contact, but we were painfully aware that we’ve spent the last three or four years being mental about him on the internet. This made the situation a little awkward. We knew Rob had seen the greatest post of all
Continue readingOver 40s match report – Davenham v Grappenhall
2 minute readOur mum writes: Had an early tea in preparation for the long journey to the ground (five minutes’ walk round the corner). Noticed in passing an excellent crop of sloes in the hedgerow – will know where to come if our own fall short for the gin in the autumn.
Continue readingWhy a run chase needs context and another reason why Tests are best
< 1 minute readRun chases are exciting. Why? Some people think that run chases are exciting because there are fours and sixes, a target and an eventual victor. These people brought us one-day cricket in all its forms. These people just don’t get it. Run chases are exciting because we care what happens.
Continue readingIndia v Australia Tests still clearly a big deal
< 1 minute readA warm-up for the Ashes in the eyes of some of the Australians. A dying form of the game in the eyes of a few Twenty20 fans who think they see an inevitability about the spread of that format, despite it being ridiculously early days. India v Australia Tests still
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