< 1 minute readThat’s the premise of this piece that we wrote for Cricinfo. It’s funny because Australia are really, really bad at cricket while England are amazing, so it’s ridiculous that the latter would ape the former. We thought we’d state that explicitly in case you weren’t aware of those facts and
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.
Bowling fitness for a modern Test series
2 minute readBeing stupidly fit is one of the greatest attributes a fast bowler can have. Accuracy and the ability to seam or swing the ball are entry requirements. Beyond that, you elevate yourself above your rivals by making the most of those strengths for longer. So many backs Fitness is even
Continue readingSuresh Raina and the short ball
< 1 minute readDear Short Ball, I would be most grateful if you would come round later on. I will pull out all the stops for you. You can sit in my armchair. I will bring you drinks. I even have some of your favourite cake. Don’t worry about replying. All of this
Continue readingThe Test rankings are pretty accurate, but…
2 minute readA lot of people quibble with the ICC’s Test rankings, but we think they’re pretty good. The rankings are more weighty than simply saying which is the best team at any given moment. They reward sustained excellence. You can say that they should recognise which is the best team right
Continue readingPlaying England is no fun for India
< 1 minute readIt is like being in a broken submarine at the bottom of the sea. England are the water. England don’t hammer to get in. They just apply constant force. Every now and again, one of the Indian crew wonders whether they’ve somehow floated to the surface and opens the door
Continue readingFour reasons why England scored so quickly in their second innings at Trent Bridge
1 minute readEven without Ian Bell returning to the crease after being run out, yesterday was an odd day’s cricket. In what had seemed a low-scoring match, England somehow scored over 400 in a day. There were four reasons for this. Ian Bell When the bowling was good, he was better. England’s
Continue readingWhen India allowed Ian Bell to carry on batting at Trent Bridge
< 1 minute readCricket action stops and starts and we didn’t feel very comfortable with someone being run-out when pretty much everyone on the field had stopped playing. We don’t care too much about the technical rights and wrongs and everyone on the field seemed to share those feelings once they’d had a
Continue readingRahul Dravid can cope with a good pitch
< 1 minute readThis is a good pitch. It has led to good cricket. A one-day pitch can be flat, because the game progresses with each over, but Test matches progress with the fall of wickets. When a match is progressing, other events other than wickets also matter more. It is how Test
Continue readingDo you like to watch your team bat or bowl?
< 1 minute readLast year, we were going to watch a cricket match with a friend who hadn’t watched the sport in many years. “I only like it when we bat,” he said. We’re off work today and we’re a bit disappointed that England are batting. We prefer cricket when England are bowling.
Continue readingEngland v Sri Lanka Twenty20, Bristol | match report
< 1 minute readD Charlton writes: It was my brother (G Charlton)’s stag do. We went to Bristol and watched the Twenty20. As is customary, he dressed as a morph. And he made some friends. By the end of England’s innings, the bloke at the back had said: “You’re allowed peanuts in, Orange,
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