< 1 minute readLemon Bella writes: As is customary at times like this, cricketing greats of the past must come out of the woodwork to pass opinion on the breaking news of the day. Therefore I found it necessary to consult StraussCat regarding the retirement of Graeme Smith. He wasn’t particularly interested when
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.
South Africa aren’t exactly easy to beat
< 1 minute readIt was nearly a fitting send-off for Graeme Smith from a team hewn in his image (and ‘hewn’ is the only appropriate word to use). This South Africa side are dogged, resilient, they bat for ages and they’re prone to fourth innings performances that defy received wisdom. Fortunately for Australia,
Continue readingAshes 2013/14 crossword
2 minute readWe were waiting for an England win before we published this, or something like that. It absolutely isn’t that we totally forgot about it. Answers will appear when we’re reminded in a day or so. Bert writes: Life has lost its lustre. Things that were once shiny and bright are
Continue readingShahid Afridi is still in form
< 1 minute readEvery batsman suffers the ebb and flow of form. Most will alter their approach when out of form, taking fewer risks in the knowledge that they aren’t middling it. Shahid Afridi never alters his approach and being as his approach amounts to little more than essaying wild, body-convulsing heaves at
Continue readingGraeme Smith’s not had the best series
< 1 minute readWe wrote this title in the hope that we’d have some really funny thoughts to share once we started staring at the great expanse of whiteness where the body of the article’s supposed to go. Nothing happened, so we checked Twitter and apparently Graeme Smith’s going to retire. Let this
Continue readingRolling the Shahid Afridi dice
< 1 minute readIf there is a point to Shahid Afridi – and really, his genius is all about absolute commitment to joyous, unfocused, futile pointlessness – then it is that he should mishit sixes to win matches. That is what happened today. India and Pakistan have much in common, but they also
Continue readingDavid Warner’s good, isn’t he?
2 minute readNobody’s happy about that fact, but we might as well get used to it because when he shuts that toolish mouth and plays cricket, he can score some runs. Diversity One thing we really like about this Australian team is that it’s a lesson to everyone on the importance of
Continue readingCricinfo have slightly changed their scorecards
< 1 minute readWe wish they’d warned us. We hate change. We have to prepare for it properly. We needed at least eight weeks’ notice to come to terms with something like this. Look at it! The main bit’s slightly off to the left! We’re used to the main bit being in the
Continue readingRyan Harris versus Lillee’s bag o’ bairns
< 1 minute readIt’s been suggested that this could be Ryan Harris’s last Test. He’s scheduled to have a load of loose knobbles and flakes of bone dug out of his crappy knee shortly after it finishes. Although he’s then got seven months or so to recuperate before Australia’s next Test, he hasn’t
Continue readingDissecting ‘momentum’ for the millionth time
< 1 minute readAhead of the third Test between South Africa and Australia, Hashim Amla has said: “There’s a lot riding on the last Test and fortunately we’ve got a bit of momentum.” Let’s very quickly examine how ‘momentum‘ has influenced the series thus far. Australia won the first Test and thus gained
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