King Cricket

December 6, 2010 Australia

Marcus North has plenty to think about

2 minute readWatching England bowl on a wearing Adelaide pitch, it was apparent that while batting might not be treacherous, there is plenty for the batsmen to think about. The ball turns from certain spots, tempting gaps are left and when even Paul Collingwood can prove dangerous, you know you’ve got to

December 5, 2010 Australia

Australian bowlers under threat

< 1 minute readThe Test before last, Australia fielded a bowling attack of Hilfenhaus, Johnson, Hauritz and George. In this Test, they have Harris, Bollinger, Siddle and Doherty, who have barely taken a wicket between them. What happens now? Go back to the first lot? The players can’t enjoy this selection drama. They’re

December 4, 2010 England

What use is a flat track bully?

2 minute readThe term ‘flat track bully’ isn’t so popular these days. It’s because it’s no longer indicative of a weakness. A batsman who makes the most of flat pitches, bullying bowlers into submission, is basically what you want in Test cricket where 19 pitches out of 20 are basically pretty lifeless

December 4, 2010 England

Alastair Cook further extends the time between dismissals against Australia

< 1 minute readAlastair Cook is in a Vaughanian run of form down under. When he was batting with Jonathan Trott, it was a case of ‘the bowlers may change, but the batsmen remain the same’. Was it the Ashes or some sort of Cook-Trott conceptual art? Can you detect the passage of

December 3, 2010 England

The James Anderson plan

< 1 minute readEngland showed us Plan A today – James Anderson beheads the innings with the new ball and then returns to sweep away the ankles with the second new ball. But you’re aware how fragile it is. Today it worked, but even after taking three wickets in 2.1 overs, Australia still

December 3, 2010 Uncategorised

High scores at Adelaide Oval Cricket Ground

< 1 minute readHistory’s a load of arse. It gives you a slightly better idea as to what might happen, but really all it tells you is what’s already happened. It’s a guide not gospel. We were told that Brisbane would be pacy and this that and the other, but the pitch started

December 2, 2010 Australia

Due a big score, due a hundred

< 1 minute readWe’ve written about batsmen being ‘due’ a score before. The idea is that if a batsman isn’t scoring any runs, he’s actually stockpiling them for a future innings. The idea seems to be that every batsman has a quota of runs that he can allocate as he chooses. A terrible

December 2, 2010 Australia

Johnson Watch feature dropped

< 1 minute readWe are sad to announce that the Johnson Watch feature is being dropped after just one instalment. The main reason for this is that the protagonist failed to hold up his side of the bargain. He didn’t bowl badly while hinting that he could bowl brilliantly at some point soon.

December 1, 2010 Cricket books | reviews and recommendations

WG Grace Ate My Pedalo | book review

< 1 minute readYou, King Cricket reader, will love WG Grace Ate My Pedalo. We are pretty much certain of that. You may all be very different, but you all have one thing in common – this website. Alan Tyers’ book is not a million miles away from what you might expect to

November 30, 2010 Australia

Johnson Watch – part one

< 1 minute readWe figure we’ll formalise the Mitchell Johnson victimisation this year. Might as well. So here it is: ‘Johnson Watch’. Sounds a bit rude, but only really if you’re American – and as we all know, Americans don’t count. What passes for Mitchell Johnson news today is the following quote from