King Cricket

November 8, 2007 Australia / Sri Lanka

Phil Jaques surprises no-one

< 1 minute readThere was one other Australian retirement last year, Justin Langer’s. There was no real worry about replacing him, however. That’s not to dismiss Langer, who was as tough as biltong at the top of the order, it’s just that great Australian batsmen seemingly DO grow on trees. So Australia called

November 7, 2007 Australia / Sri Lanka

Australia’s new era lurches into view, wild-eyed and frightened

2 minute readThis Australia v Sri Lanka series might only be two Tests long, but it’s one of the most intriguing series in ages. That’s largely because there haven’t been any series in ages, but it’s more because Australia have lost the handiest half of their bowling attack. Glenn McGrath and Shane

November 7, 2007 County cricket / England

Nick Compton and some other people attempt to break ‘Everest record’

2 minute readThat’s what the BBC say. What image does ‘Everest record’ conjure up? Are you imagining a group of people playing cricket on the Gorak Shep Glacier at 5,184m? No? Well, you should be, because that’s what they’re doing. (Actually, we reckon it’s the Khumbu Glacier – Gorak Shep appears to

November 6, 2007 County cricket

Rob Key as various cinematic characters

2 minute readYou might think that early November would be a dry time for Rob Key posts, but you’d be wrong, for Robert Keyes was one of the conspirators in the gunpowder plot. Also, AP Webster sent us these, saying: “Apologies for the dodgy photoshopping. Sometimes it’s hard to know which of

November 5, 2007 India / Pakistan

India beat Pakistan in Guwahati (and series prediction)

2 minute readBarely any international cricket to speak of for weeks and then they only sneak in the biggie. It’s India v Pakistan time again. It’s time to make flippant comments about players from both sides and hopefully get some vitriol in the comments. Even the biggest series has to be constricted

November 2, 2007 Regulars

Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann engage in some combat mime sparring

< 1 minute readCombat mime is a form of theatrical art whereby two combatants battle one another by expressing certain physical actions without sound. Here Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann are locked in a stirring head-to-head, where both combatants are doing ‘the window’. Shortly after this picture was taken, Paul Collingwood opened his

November 1, 2007 Regulars

Carlo and Granville being conspicuously indifferent on the field of play

2 minute readMiriam says: Now that I know you’re still doing animal posts, here are some pictures I took of the cats a little while ago. I tried to play cricket with them, but they were uninterested. In fact, they were indifferent. In FACT, they made such a point of making their

October 31, 2007 England

Duncan Fletcher’s crappy book

2 minute readIt is if the extracts are anything to go by. Duncan Fletcher’s book is called ‘Behind The Shades‘ – a reference to his inscrutable public appearance. Fletcher didn’t care what the media said about him and he didn’t have a lot to say to them. Well, it turns out that

October 31, 2007 England

Duncan Fletcher on Ian Botham

< 1 minute readNot literally. That would be hideous. That would be really, really, world-class, title-taking hideous. No. This is the view of Ian Botham expressed in Duncan Fletcher’s book: “‘Get rid of all the guys like Atherton, Caddick and Tufnell,’ he [Botham] told me. ‘Why?’ I asked. ‘Because they’re too old, rather

October 30, 2007 Pakistan / South Africa

Shoaib Akhtar overshadows South African series win

< 1 minute readIt’s one of those big looming shadows that’s accompanied by a low octave minor chord. You know what that shadow and that chord means – it means trouble. Apart from two Twenty20 internationals against Namibia, this was Shoaib Akhtar’s first international outing since January when he played a single Test