Watchful batting and watchable batting

< 1 minute read We generally approve of England’s somewhat one-dimensional approach to top order batting. However, the fact that it’s highly appropriate for the current era doesn’t mean it’s always the best approach. Against equally patient bowling attacks, it can result in stand-offs less spectacular than when two cats spend three-quarters of an

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Tim Bresnan’s return from injury

< 1 minute read Tim Bresnan had elbow knack. It was a particularly severe case and so he had surgery. Unfortunately, the procedure made him not particularly good at cricket. He therefore had surgery again (not to get bionic legs or owt, just for the elbow). Now he’s back – even if he wasn’t

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Rounded flat cap cricket

2 minute read If you like certainty and clarity, two-innings cricket is not for you. The format presents you with details and only backs this up with context once the match has finished. Half the joy is in dissecting goings-on in order to try and shape that context in your mind’s eye as

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What’s today’s barometer reading?

2 minute read Some read yesterday’s post as being criticism of Ian Bell, which wasn’t really how it was intended. We just feel that of all the England players, his performances are the ones that most closely correlate with how the team fares. On day five of the third Test against New Zealand,

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So Kevin Pietersen’s injured

< 1 minute read The tone of that title is meant to convey that this news is significant but that we don’t really have anything to say about it. We hope it has delivered in that regard. Kevin Pietersen’s absence seems like the kind of thing people might be talking about, but sometimes conversation

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Why are we goading Tlaloc?

< 1 minute read You see what happens? You see what happens? This is what happens. This is what happens when you goad Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god who loves Test cricket. Tlaloc has really been looking forward to the series between New Zealand and England, but then he found out about the schedule

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