2 minute readToday’s grim moment of clarity came courtesy of Mark Butcher midway through the highlights which show immediately after the day’s play. “Michael Clarke made good decisions throughout this match,” he said. Note ‘made’ not ‘has made’. Australia had won then? The rest of the highlights were a joy, particularly when
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Jonathan Trott and the short ball
2 minute readWe’re wondering whether we just saw the most unforgiveable dismissal of all time. There have been worse shots, certainly, but IJL Trott c Lyon b Johnson 9 ticks a lot of boxes. First, there’s the backdrop. For months, the opposition have told you that you can’t play the short ball
Continue readingBatting badly as a unit – and as individuals
2 minute readThere are times when you simply do not want to see James Anderson’s face. Switching on the TV at 6am was therefore a bleak moment. Upon noticing that he wasn’t wearing a helmet, the mental calculations were rapid, even at that hour. There was, quite simply, no way that this
Continue readingThe 27-year-old English medium pace bowler is far too much for Australia’s batsmen
< 1 minute readBrisbane’s Courier Mail floated the possibility of not mentioning Stuart Broad by name at all during this Test. Does anyone know if they did actually go with this front page in the end or was it just a canny publicity stunt? The newspaper suggested that they were only going to
Continue readingMitchell Johnson’s back
< 1 minute readAs in ‘returned’. He hasn’t got ankylosing spondylitis or anything. Although that would go some way towards explaining why he’s forever spearing balls down the leg side. We find ourself conflicted about Johnson’s recall. He has looked like a proper fast bowler of late, which is a good thing. However,
Continue readingWhat’s driving run inflation in one-day cricket
4 minute readYesterday, the man they used to call Nohit Sharma made a one-day double hundred, but even eight wickets down, Australia seemed in with a chance of chasing their 384 run target. Ludicrous totals seem to have become the norm in one-day internationals (ODIs) and even India’s captain has been complaining
Continue readingOpening fixture of Ashes tour now going swimmingly
< 1 minute readIt’s okay. Panic over. England are once again the greatest team in history. That whole ‘going for five an over’ bowling performance is over and the England batting machine is running perfectly. The second day’s play saw England intimidate the Western Australia Chairman’s XI into declaring at 451-5, batsmen eight,
Continue readingWe’re lying about the Ashes already
< 1 minute readBut only by accident. Yesterday we wrote about the reception England used to get upon arriving Australia for Cricinfo; how they’d be rubbished in print and beaten in the warm-up matches. Our point was that this didn’t happen any more. But lo, England have had quite an embarrassing day against
Continue readingGeorge Bailey v David Warner
2 minute readWe haven’t really given much thought to Australia’s other five batting slots which means we can pitch Bailey v Warner as being a battle for the sixth one. They’ll almost certainly both play in the first Ashes Test, but let’s gloss over this so that we’ve got something to say
Continue readingAustralia beat India 12-11 at sixes
< 1 minute readSo, technically, one-day cricket isn’t ‘all about hitting sixes these days’ because India won. Australia made 359-5 and India skittered to 362-1 in 43.3 overs in reply. Rohit Sharma hit a hundred and looked quite angry about it. Virat Kohli hit a 52-ball hundred and looked extraordinarily angry about it.
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