England / South Africa

Old Trafford’s Anderson End

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< 1 minute read

Few initially remarkable features, but you often get nice swing.

If Jimmy has an end, Cricket Badger readers will soon be aware that Vernon Philander has two – a top and a bottom.

This week’s Philander ailment is a light case of back knack. Violent full body convulsions can do that to a man.

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Default ThumbnailVernon Philander is there if you need some seasoning Default ThumbnailVernon Philander is still having a fine old time Default ThumbnailJames Anderson and swing bowling Default ThumbnailVernon Philander takes wickets for fun

26 comments

  2. Who here, were they England captain, wouldn’t persistently bowl Anderson from the Statham End, just to be perverse.

    But on a more serious note, shouldn’t there be peace in the world? And also, shouldn’t cricket ground ends be named after geographical or physical features that aren’t likely to move? Warwick Road and Stretford were actual places, as was the pavilion when they moved the pitch.

    Brian Statham isn’t going anywhere, so that’s fine. But Jimmy Anderson moves about. Sometimes he is in Burnley, sometimes he is in Bowden, and sometimes he is in neither of these places. Is he to be fitted with a GPS tracker so we can keep track of which end is the Anderson End?

    1. It is certainly odd to have an end named after someone who is playing in the actual match.

      At least if Jimmy falls out with the rest of the team (if they fail to hold onto catches, for example), he will still have the James Anderson End to console himself with.

      ‘This is the End – my only friend, the End’, he will say to himself.

      1. Maybe the last, and match-winning, wicket will fall to a (Mr Mojo) Risin’ delivery from Anderson and, despite fears of fatigue from a heavy workload will, all in a Blur, run to celebrate in front of his eponymous stand – ‘Looks Like I’ve Made It to the End’ he will say.

        Message Ends.

  5. Why did England send a nightwatchman out to stand at the non-striker’s end for six balls? Surely Moeen Ali could do the same?

    1. This mystified me too. I can see the logic in protecting your middle order from a tricky spell – but by sacrificing a wicket to protect your last batsman, you just leave him one less partner to bat with. (To be fair this will all make no difference if it is the recognised batsman who is out next, but I still don’t really get it.)

  6. At one point on Sky, Warne and Bumble were discussing concerts that had taken place at Old Trafford over the years (or more accurately reading off a list they had in front of them). When it got to Bruce Springsteen, I have to say I was disappointed Warne didn’t offer up the titbit of the painting he had commissioned of him and The Boss together which has been covered here previously. http://www.kingcricket.co.uk/shane-warne-and-friends-the-painting/2015/08/18/

  7. Love Moeen Ali. But he’s the most frustrating cricketer since Gower.

    120-6 on a green top? Play a languid off drive. 450-6 on a flattie? Play a languid off drive.

    1. I thought this was a wind-up at first: “Ryan Sidebottom: Warwickshire sign Australian fast bowler”

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/40825768

      “Sidebottom may have a chance to play against his more famous namesake when Warwickshire meet Yorkshire in their penultimate game, starting at Headingley on 19 September.”

      How many Ryan Sidebottoms are there in the entire UK? Is every single Ryan Sidebottom a professional cricketers? What are the chances of that?

      1. Oh, what a shame. I knew there was a bowler named Ryan Sidebottom in Australia and thought this one was a different Ryan Sidebottom, from Warwickshire.

      2. The world needs a collective noun for Ryan Sidebottoms.

        I suggest “a buttock of Ryan Sidebottoms”.

        Better ideas will be much appreciated.

  9. Sam’s team for Edgbaston

    Cooky
    Hameedy
    Westleyy
    Rooty
    Stokesy
    Bairstowy
    Halesy
    Moeeny
    Woakesy
    Broady
    Andersony

    2. Where’s all this ‘Halesy’ stuff coming from all of a sudden? He has a very good white-ball innings (which we’ve always known he could do) and suddenly people want him back in the red-ball setup for England.

      To my mind, Ballance is a middle-order player who got stuck at three by England. He’s the obvious Malan replacement. (The really obvious Malan replacement is Moe back at five, but Michael Vaughan has said eight so eight it shall be.)

      1. Hales has consistently shown he can strike the ball as well as, or better than, anyone in the country.

        Stick him at seven and tell him that most of the time he’s got licence to play like he would in a 50 over match. Every so often he will play a match winning innings.

        Ballance has had his chance.

      2. Think the same could be said about Malan, Vince, or (particularly) Buttler. Remain unconvinced. Especially when people talk about his current red-ball innings as contributing: have they seen the Derbyshire attack?

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