2 minute readLooking back with hindsight, the most bizarre aspect of the first Test in the 2005 Ashes series was the fact that people thought Ian Bell and Graham Thorpe would keep Kevin Pietersen out of the team. In the end, England made the brave decision. England lost this match by some
Continue reading2 minute readPeople forget about the one-day series that preceded the 2005 Ashes, but they were a key part of it. They were ingeniously scheduled before the Test series, so that tension mounted. In 2009, they’re afterwards, like vegetable soup after a six-course meal. Twenty20 match England won the Ashes because they
Continue reading< 1 minute readWe’re going on holiday in a bit. The ECB have foolishly left a minuscule window between the end of the World Twenty20 and the start of the Ashes and we’re using it. We’ve done stuff for you though, so that you don’t miss us. Coming up this week, we’re taking
Continue reading< 1 minute readMatthew Hayden has given Phil Hughes, his successor as Australia’s opener, his seal of approval. We know what you’re all wondering: How has Hayden expressed this? The answer, of course, is ‘badly’: “He’s got all the evidence and the skillsets he needs. His humbling personality and how respectful he is
Continue reading< 1 minute readHere’s one: No-one with a moustache could ever be evil.
Continue reading< 1 minute readBit of pace, bit of bounce, good control and then there’s what the lazy among us refer to as ‘presence’; or worse, an ‘X-factor’. The concept of an X-factor always pisses us off. It’s not that there’s some mystical, unknowable attribute. It’s just that you haven’t bothered to find out
Continue reading< 1 minute readIf we wanted to build a life-size replica of the Arndale Centre made out of press releases, we could do it at the minute. We’d have to print them all off first, obviously; and then we’d have to actually find a way of building the thing, but we’ve got the
Continue reading2 minute readSW writes: Here are the animals of the SW household demonstrating considerable indifference to key moments of the T20 World Cup. First up there is Jasper (aka Fatty McFat). He is technically the neighbour’s cat, but they don’t feed him and call him Nike so he has rejected this emasculating
Continue reading< 1 minute readDo you think barbecues should be gas powered, even though they really, really shouldn’t be? Does losing at sport make you want to drink to excess? Does winning at sport make you want to drink to excess? Do you own a vest? If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you’re
Continue reading< 1 minute readBecause he’s busy scoring tens of runs for Yorkshire and pensively rubbing his knee when in the field. Seven first-class innings, 147 runs at 21 with a top score of 43. County cricket can consider itself safe from combustion. It’s common for people to say that Michael Vaughan has ‘class’,
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