< 1 minute readDespite recent media coverage, Alex Hales is not actually in competition with Moeen Ali. He is, we’d guess, competing with Jonny Bairstow. Alastair Cook wants plenty of bowlers in 40 degree heat which means Adil Rashid will finally get to play a Test in the UAE. In which case who
Continue readingAuthor: King Cricket
Otherwise known as Alex Bowden, a lapsed cricket journalist who has written for ESPNCricinfo, wisden.com, Cricket 365, The Cricketer and plenty of other places.
Links to some non-cricket writing and a bit more background here.
West Indies board sacks Phil Simmons, hires new coach and then immediately suspends him
< 1 minute readA statement from the West Indies Cricket Board reads: “Phil Simmons has been an excellent servant of West Indies cricket, but the board feels it can no longer tolerate his continued desire to field the strongest team possible in one-day internationals. As such, his contract has been terminated with immediate
Continue readingMark Wood and Steve and Ben Harmison play cricket together
< 1 minute readIn their normal clothes. The video this image is taken from is the very definition of ‘intensity’. Brace yourselves for some electrifying cricket before clicking the link.
Continue readingMark Wood and Steve and Ben Harmison have all joined Ashington Leisure Centre
< 1 minute readHere’s a picture of them brandishing their membership cards whilst wearing their normal clothes. It’s like they always say in Ashington: ‘No matter what you’re doing, always remain visible while protecting your head, hands and eyes.’ They have some damn catchy slogans up in Ashington.
Continue readingCor! Strength! (and core weakness)
< 1 minute readIf bowlers didn’t require torsos, Sussex might have been all right. Side strains, pectoral injuries and dodgy spines meant that Chris Jordan played six matches, Ajmal Shahzad played five and Tymal Mills just two. It’s hard to win much without your pace attack and relegation has ensued. If they can
Continue readingA straightforward easy-to-follow climax to the County Championship
< 1 minute readNo, really. No totting up bonus points in matches you had assumed were irrelevant. No poring over the rules to find out when exactly those bonus points are earned. No keeping track of all of this across three different matches. For once, it’s simple. Unless we’ve missed something (highly likely)
Continue readingDoes R Ashwin overthink his cricket?
2 minute readHe says he doesn’t. He says the fact that he asks questions indicates only that he’s ‘a learner’. It’s hard to disagree with this assessment, but then you read his recent interview with Sidharth Monga for Cricinfo and you start to wonder. He has a way of talking about bowling
Continue readingSamit Patel’s back
< 1 minute readAs in ‘returned’. He hasn’t got ankylosing spondylitis or anything. Or maybe he has. Maybe he’s not fat and it’s chronic inflammation. Big boned and all that. He’s also back in the England squad. We’ve said it about Samit Patel before and we’ll say it again, but sometimes picking an
Continue readingIn the cold September rain
< 1 minute readApparently it’s been slatting it down all day in the South-East. Bad news for Surrey, who are pushing to become second division ‘champions’ in one of the few matters left unresolved this domestic season. We use inverted commas around ‘champions’ in much the same way as if we were saying
Continue readingCocktails For Two – England v New Zealand match report
2 minute readGed writes: “Have you brought the actual bottle of red wine you forgot to bring last time?” I asked, as I arrived to find Charley the Gent Malloy in the front row of the Mound Stand. “Absolutely – here it is,” said Charley, showing off a very appealing-looking bottle of
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