King Cricket

October 10, 2010 India

Kings 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

October 8, 2010 Regulars

Laurence Elderbrook departs

2 minute readLaurence Elderbrook is beginning his Odyssey and Laurence Elderbrook will return as king of Ithaca. After an unexpected issue with my flights, I instead opt to travel to Australia by ship, the way all the greats did. The long hours during the trip give me plenty of time to practise,

October 7, 2010 County cricket

Rob 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

October 6, 2010 Match report

Over 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.

October 5, 2010 India

Why 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.

October 5, 2010 Australia / India

India 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

October 4, 2010 India

Ishant Sharma benefits from Care in the Community

< 1 minute readIndia are right to persevere with spindly, lank-haired Rubik’s Cube swallower, Ishant Sharma, but of late it’s seemed a bit like a Care in the Community obligation rather than a forward-looking show of faith. There comes a point where you’re not encouraging a player, you’re just putting him on a

October 1, 2010 Regulars

Laurence Elderbrook takes stock

< 1 minute readDespite the captain’s promise following my moment of triumph, I was not called upon to bat at three the following season. In fact, I was not called upon to bat at all. Having spent the entire season resplendent in my cream flannels on the wrong side of the boundary, I

September 30, 2010 Extras

Trott’s OCD, Morgan’s superpowers and Strauss’s handshake

< 1 minute readWe’ve written a piece for Cricinfo that has already been branded ‘a senseless attempt at trying to make people laugh’. You’ve got to take pride in earning comments like that. It revolves around the things in the title of this post. We’ve been trying to work ‘handshakefulness’ into an article

September 29, 2010 Match report

Kent v Essex match report

2 minute readAndy writes: When I was told we were going on a stag do I was excited. Well, excited but concerned too, because I was also told it was in Canterbury. I met up with the lads and boarded the train. We had not seen each other for a few years