< 1 minute readSt John’s, Antigua – West Indies finish nine wickets down Port of Spain – West Indies finish eight wickets down Cardiff – England finish nine wickets down against Australia Centurion – England finish nine wickets down against South Africa Cape Town – England finish nine wickets down against South Africa
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.
Samit Patel looks to Darren Lehmann for help
< 1 minute readEveryone needs a role model and with Samit Patel’s weight issues, who better to turn to than Mark Cosgrove‘s mentor. Samit Patel is heading to Darren Lehmann’s cricket academy in a bid to get in shape for next season. Other places Samit considered suitable: Bed The settee A bakery
Continue readingMike Hussey is a man you can’t give a fourth chance to
< 1 minute readWhen the best players are given a chance, they take it. For example, Mike Hussey didn’t need to be given a fifth chance when compiling 134 not out in Australia’s stunning win against Pakistan. Dropped by Kamran Akmal off Danesh Kaneria on 23, Hussey merely narrowed his eyes and said:
Continue readingAlastair Cook – treat us to an innings of rare beauty
2 minute readIt’s hard to pay attention on days like yesterday. You drift off, but every time you look up, you think: ‘Jesus, how did that happen?’ Look on the bright side though. It’s only very occasionally that a match situation calls for one of cricket’s finest sights: the innings of no
Continue readingIs it funny that Shane Watson keeps getting out in the nineties?
< 1 minute readOf course it is. Just take a look at his teary-eyed, albino automaton face when he’s been dismissed. Shane Watson’s 120 not out (dropped on 99) really ballses up a cracking record that’s seen him hit 96, 89, 93 and 97 in his last eight innings. Even if he doesn’t
Continue readingIan Bell’s ball-hitfulness
< 1 minute readWe’re not interested in how Ian Bell’s faring in Test cricket any more. All we’re hoping is that the soap opera continues. The Ian Bell situation has gone way beyond cricket now. We’re interested for sociological and psychological reasons. Will it finish with a lynch mob? Will it ever finish
Continue readingJacques Kallis went big
< 1 minute readFor once, this isn’t about that period when Jacques Kallis lost sight of his genitals for a few months. It’s about him hitting a hundred. Once upon a time, hitting a hundred was an achievement. Nowadays you hit 170 and the man of the match award goes to someone who
Continue readingListen to Test Match Sofa
< 1 minute readIf you’ve just arrived at work and you were planning on listening to the cricket, you could do a lot worse than listen to Test Match Sofa. It’s not too difficult to explain what it is. Imagine Test Match Special broadcast from someone’s house and with absolutely no pretence of
Continue readingSouth Africa’s strongest batting line-up
< 1 minute readNot so long ago, this South Africa batting line-up looked stronger than Geoff Capes crossed with a grizzly bear. Now? Not so much. Ashwell Prince isn’t an opener; Hashim Amla might as well paint a bullseye on his front leg; while if JP Duminy could ever get past his first
Continue readingMohammad Sami – good bowling speed, like usual, but wickets too
< 1 minute readNever judge a pitch until both teams have batted, but if a side’s bowled out for 127 and they’ve chosen to bat, you can take a good long look at the captain and maybe laugh at him a bit. Ricky Ponting should have been wary of Mohammad Asif, who’s probably
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