< 1 minute readThere are some things you just have to do and making a ‘pink balls’ joke is one of those things. Pink balls are going to be tested in second XI matches next year with a view to using them in Twenty20 cricket the following summer and in one-day internationals after
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.
The pie in the sky
< 1 minute readThe Count Of Montetwisto writes: “One merry summer’s day I was out walking m’ whippets, as one does, and happened across a field of golden crop. I drew a hearty toke upon my pipe and took in the halcyon vista and thought to document it for you all.” What relevance
Continue readingAndrew Strauss and Paul Nixon execute worst ever high-five
< 1 minute readStrauss has at least got the basics right, but he has neglected to correctly align himself with the recipient of the five. Nixon, for his part, has fived himself in a last ditch attempt to salvage the five. His anguished expression betrays his true emotions however.
Continue readingMichael Vandort irritates Australia for a short while
< 1 minute readThe BBC called it ‘an easy win’ for Australia, but since when has beating Sri Lanka by an innings been easy? It’s not easy getting Michael Vandort out, certainly. Michael Vandort – or Michael Graydon Vandort as we might start calling him from now on (because that’s his name) –
Continue readingYuvraj Singh and his ten mates beat Pakistan
< 1 minute readMost reports of the third one-day international between India and Pakistan seem to have Yuvraj Singh down as the match-winner. In any report there has to be one guy who won the match, but that’s never the full story. All eight Indian batsmen who came to the crease got into
Continue readingMike Hussey and Michael Clarke do that Australian thing
< 1 minute readYes, they stand on the beach, hurling a boomerang round a bemused kangaroo with Men At Work blaring out in the background, all the while continually telling you how rubbish everything is in England. No, it’s the other thing, grinding cricket opponents into miserable submission. 242-3 overnight becomes 551-4 declared
Continue readingShahid Afridi the right man in the right place at the right time does the right thing
2 minute readYou need two runs a ball. Who do you want at the crease? Of course only one nation are lucky/unfortunate enough to have the unusual, though not inconsiderable, talents of Shahid Afridi at their disposal: Pakistan. Midway through this match, we were thinking to ourself that this Pakistan side aren’t
Continue readingSachin Tendulkar – nervous in the nineties?
< 1 minute readNo-one in the history of cricket – NO-ONE – has scored more international hundreds than Sachin Tendulkar. 78 times he’s got into three figures. 78! That’s loads! So why in the name of all that is good and pure is he suddenly getting out in the nineties all time? In
Continue readingPhil Jaques surprises no-one
< 1 minute readThere was one other Australian retirement last year, Justin Langer’s. There was no real worry about replacing him, however. That’s not to dismiss Langer, who was as tough as biltong at the top of the order, it’s just that great Australian batsmen seemingly DO grow on trees. So Australia called
Continue readingAustralia’s new era lurches into view, wild-eyed and frightened
2 minute readThis Australia v Sri Lanka series might only be two Tests long, but it’s one of the most intriguing series in ages. That’s largely because there haven’t been any series in ages, but it’s more because Australia have lost the handiest half of their bowling attack. Glenn McGrath and Shane
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