2 minute readAustralia will get to declare again. Maybe this is presumptuous on our part. Maybe they were batting for a declaration but have now got a taste for scoring at ten an over and will carry on tomorrow. It seems unlikely though. If there’s one thing Australia like more than scoring
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.
You’re probably wondering why we haven’t written about Inzamam-ul-Haq this week
< 1 minute readThe answer is because Pakistan aren’t playing. Also, he retired seven years ago. Fortunately, our Kings of Cricket feature over at All Out Cricket helps us overcome these minor hurdles as we’re allowed to write about pretty much anyone we like. Last week, we chose Inzy for his ‘souplesse’ as
Continue readingMight and will in Twenty20 and Tests
3 minute readOur friend who was once known as Uncle Jrod has written a piece for Cricinfo about the impact of the IPL on India’s Test performances. We can’t work out whether he’s been done up by the site’s subeditors or whether the headline and teaser are part of the general mischievousness
Continue readingKane Williamson wins the combativity prize
2 minute readIt’s a double-post day today. Maybe we’re all backed-up after slacking off over Christmas. A few words about New Zealand first and then this afternoon we’ll turn to Australia v India, so hold your commenting horses if that’s what you want to talk about. In cycling, there’s a thing called
Continue readingHow to captain an international cricket team
< 1 minute readIn light of the Conjoined Lord Megachiefs of Gold both being captains of their respective nations, here’s a thing about captaincy which we’d actually forgotten we’d written. For international captaincy, we’d also add another piece of advice to that article: Do exactly what Shane Warne says (but be innovative). Doing
Continue readingKumar Sangakkara and the magic numbers
< 1 minute readRemember The Magic Numbers? Are they still going? Wikipedia says they are. Chart positions say they aren’t really. But this post isn’t about The Magic Numbers. It’s about Kumar Sangakkara’s magic numbers. Scorecards never tell you the full story, but when a batsman’s made 203 out of 356 in response
Continue readingBrendon McCullum and Angelo Mathews: Conjoined Lord Megachiefs of Gold 2014
4 minute readWe’re never sure why people are so averse to comparing apples and oranges. They’re both fruit, after all. It’s not like comparing ox heart and communism. Like apples and oranges, Brendon McCullum and Angelo Mathews are quite different, but also have rather a lot in common. Why a dual award?
Continue readingMS Dhoni and the will to be in India’s best eleven
2 minute readThe normal reaction when one of cricket’s biggest stars retires from Tests is a kind of pained collective whine, mourning their departure. Never again will we get to see them do all those things that we’ve only just realised we took for granted. But MS Dhoni is different. Everyone –
Continue readingLiquids, solids, bats, balls AND RELIGION
< 1 minute readPlenty going on in the various Boxing Day Tests, but we can’t be arsed writing a single word about any of them. We’re far too busy actually enjoying them, if we’re honest. Something would have to make way to give us time to write and these liquids and solids won’t
Continue readingMop-up of Christmas
3 minute readIt sounds like a sherry-related incident, but it’s really just a faintly festive version of our Mop-up of the Day not-quite-sure-what-to-write-about-today feature. Boxing Day Eve Eve The most important of the coming days is of course Boxing Day. Few people know that Boxing Day was actually named after the Boxing
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