< 1 minute readOver rates and now run rates. England are in no hurry. Whatever the motivation, it doesn’t make for much of a spectacle. A team batting for a draw can make for riveting entertainment, but it’s tension that makes the cricket so compelling. When a team is batting for a draw
Continue reading2 minute readWe’ve been struggling with this for months and we’ve still not reached any firm conclusions. We asked an Australian friend for his view and he just said: “He’ll be fine,” which didn’t really help clarify things. We’re probably verging towards this: In good conditions in the first innings, Smith’s head’s
Continue reading< 1 minute readOne of the reasons why it’s been so enjoyable to watch Shane Watson’s hapless summer is because he generally looks like the kind of batsman who can rifle a long series of chanceless fours. Yesterday, he actually did this. His drives were crisper than neglected bacon blackening under the grill
Continue reading< 1 minute readHow much does the ability to handle debut nerves have an impact on whether or not a player might one day thrive in Test cricket? Answer that question and you go a long way towards deciding how much attention to pay to the performances of Chris Woakes and Simon Kerrigan.
Continue reading2 minute readIt’s the first morning of a Test. It’s time to try and come to terms with yet another new Australian batting line-up. Some batting orders are etched in stone. Australia’s are spelt out in magnetic letters on the door of the fridge. Obviously Mitchell Starc returns, because he plays every
Continue reading< 1 minute readThe watercolour vivid intrigue surrounding this week’s Test squad is about as good as it gets when it comes to writing about England selections. Predictability is good, we suppose, but it’s not much fun to write about. Mike Carberry has been called up to England’s Twenty20 squad. That makes sense.
Continue reading2 minute readSo it looks like either Finn or Tremlett will replace Tim Bresnan for the fifth Test, unless England decide to play a second spinner, in which case Simon Kerrigan will get a game. Or, if they can’t make their minds up which way to go, they might end up picking
Continue reading< 1 minute readIn the spirit of being a half-arsed website with no clear direction, we thought we’d bring you the news as gathered by looking at a couple of scorecards on Cricinfo. First of all, if you haven’t seen it before, we can confirm how the internet’s foremost cricket website (Cricinfo, not
Continue reading< 1 minute readSam writes: I finished work at 8pm – the moderately-late shift. Not as late as the 10pm but later than the 6pm. Arriving home, I was greeted by my girlfriend and her mum watching the football. “Hello,” my girlfriend said. “The football is on.” This was a surprise. Tuesday night
Continue reading< 1 minute readWe don’t really buy into the concept of the dead rubber when it comes to Test matches. In a long one-day series, a situation can arise where bowlers are running in with a figurative cup of tea in one hand and a biscuit in the other (clasped awkwardly between two
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