Video: A new angle on a perfectly normal Steve Smith defensive stroke

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Bert sent us this rather wonderful footage of Steve Smith safely countering a Jofra Archer short ball at Old Trafford.

It was shot by Bert’s Australian mate, “so technically the copyright is now owned by the Queen.”

Bert said he had a word with the Queen and it’s fine for us to publish it.

DON'T BE LIKE GATT!

Mike Gatting wasn't receiving the King Cricket email when he dropped that ludicrously easy chance against India in 1993.

Coincidence?

Why risk it when it's so easy to sign up?

20 comments

  1. Given the news this week, you might want to think again about revealing the detail of private conversations with Her Majesty.

  2. Superb technique. Look at the high knee, the straight-to-moderate chest, head directly over the chin, eyes in situ. It’s as if the coaching manual had become bored with sitting around on a shelf and decided to come out and bat itself. Flawless.

  3. Did Her Maj categorically grant permission for her video to be used or did she merely “raise an eyebrow, even you know a quarter of an inch…nothing improper…”?

    We, the people, should be told.

      1. This is when we find out that we’re all just bots created by KC to give him some company on his site.

        The twist at the end is that KC’s a bot too, natch.

      2. Hmmm, well I have met several of the characters who hang around here and I must say they seem humanoid to me.

        I’m no expert on such matters, but if they are automatons, I’d describe them as androids rather than bots.

        Actually, on reflection, I have noticed a certain vacant look in the eyes of the King Cricket folk while I’m talking. Mind you, I observe that sort of look in the eyes of anyone I am talking to, when I am holding forth with one of my anecdotes.

  4. It’s the Super League play-offs tonight. It all comes down to this – it’s do (*) or die (**).

    (*) In fact, go to the Major Semi Final, in which it’s do (****) or die (***)
    (**) Actually, go to the Minor Semi Final, in which it’s do (***) or die (*****).
    (***) Strictly speaking, go to the Preliminary Final, in which it’s do (****) or die (*****)
    (****) This one’s the Grand Final, in which it’s do or die.
    (*****) And this one is what people tend to mean by “die” in the phrase “do or die”. Now, does anyone know what people mean by “final”?

  5. It’s rather funny how he is frustrated that he didn’t execute the non-shot well (bad?) enough to steal a single.

      1. I wouldn’t mind Somerset winning the CC actually, I reckon (a) it’s long past your turn, (b) due to personal ties my loyalties are a bit split anyway, and (c) Tres. Also to do it again with pretty much the same recipe in short succession is a bit dull really, I always got fed up when other counties managed this and moaned that it represented a kind of strategic flaw in the championship system if the same combination was allowed to keep winning. (I’d give a free pass to a county that significantly changed personnel and tactics between titles, but think another Essex victory with their current set-up would be a bit samey.)

        What’s galling about me being so generous in my best wishes to Somerset is that it’s not going to make the blindest bit of difference anyway and you’re likely to fall oh so frustratingly short again. Sorry.

  6. In the ongoing T20I between India and South Africa, India had RR Pant, SS Iyer and HH Pandya batting at 4, 5 and 6. Are there a lot of cricketers with repeating initials or have we just been lucky here?

  7. With the season nearly over and the County Ins ‘n’ Outs abouts to get into full swing, can either Hampshire or Gloucestershire please do the decent thing and one of them sign Felix Organ or Miles Hammond, so the two can bat together next season? Ditto Philip Salt and Michael Pepper.

    Any other dream nominative combos out there?

  8. England’s selection continues to dismiss the ‘Division Two wickets don’t count’ hypothesis, it seems

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