< 1 minute read “We know that we’re being hunted,” says Australia’s Beth Mooney. Yeah, in much the same way that Moby Dick was being hunted. The harpoon that can kill this white whale is yet to be forged. After the 2023 T20 World Cup, the seas of cricket are again littered with the
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Why Ollie Pope is completely wrong that this summer’s Ashes could be like 2005
4 minute read “It could be really entertaining, like that 2005 series, which is what made me fall in love with cricket. The prospect of that is really exciting.” – Ollie Pope, February 2023. Bless him, he’s excited. He’s also completely wrong. The fundamental mistake that Ollie Pope has made here is a
Continue readingThe Sophie Ecclestone displacement factor | a T20 World Cup semi-finals preview
3 minute read A year ago, during the 50-over tournament, we headlined our semi-finals preview piece, Who will lose to Australia in the World Cup final? Even if it’s a different format, it’s tempting to take the same attitude now. But if there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that life isn’t an
Continue readingAshwin and Jadeja. Again.
2 minute read It must be getting on for 10 years now that touring Test teams have been arriving in India expecting to have to combat R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on pitches that will more than likely turn a bit. No-one’s really worked it out yet. 10 years, man! 10 years! And
Continue readingR Ashwin is vulnerable to actual chess
3 minute read Marnus Labuschagne recently described facing R Ashwin as being “like a chess game”. It was an interesting choice of words as actual chess could prove to be the off-spinner’s greatest weakness. Labuschagne was alluding to that to and fro of decision-making between himself and a thoughtful bowler like Ashwin who
Continue readingSteve Smith’s mountain-toppling attempt and Rohit Sharma’s potential landslide | an India v Australia preview
2 minute read Mountains crop up a lot in metaphors. They’re forever being scaled, climbed or conquered. Steve Smith has come up with his own way to reach the summit of the mountain that is a Test tour of India though. “If we are able to topple that mountain, that’d be huge,” he
Continue readingSteve Smith’s number one priority on a Test tour
2 minute read “Cricket Australia basically said to us, ‘Okay, what can we kinda do to make your time in hotels for the next month better? So the boys just took it to the next level” – Pat Cummins The latest series of The Test outlines all the various toys and gizmos the
Continue readingSteve Smith’s Sussex stint and podcast proxies – mop-up of the day
2 minute read Mop-up of the day is a thing we do when we can’t really be bothered writing more than a sentence or two about a bunch of different things. Sometimes we end up writing extra sentences though because it looks weird if the opening sentence, in bold, is immediately followed by
Continue readingHaving David Warner play Nathan Lyon at the Test Match board game seems a perfectly reasonable way to promote series two of The Test on Amazon Prime
3 minute read Say what you like about tax-dodging symbol of the horrors of modern global commerce, Amazon, it knows how to promote a documentary series about the Australia Test cricket team. Series one of Amazon Prime’s The Test was notable for footage of Justin Langer kicking a bin over, among other things.
Continue readingAshwin, Warner and run-rates – a recap of the 2022 Boxing Day Tests
2 minute read We previewed the Boxing Day Tests. We may as well take a look at what happened in them. Australia v South Africa Signs of an upturn for South Africa, who finally passed 200 for the first time in many attempts. Their second innings 204 all out was enough to secure
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