2 minute readWith its short surges of action and long playing hours, cricket is an unusual sport to watch in person. This is why we started publishing match reports from our readers that don’t actually mention the cricket. We’ve always been interested in other people’s live cricket experiences. A day at a
Continue readingCategory: England
Cricket is getting used to pink balls
2 minute readPink balls have been around for a while. We were making jokes about them a decade ago, but interest really spiked when they held the first day-night Test in Australia in 2015. The weeks and months leading up to that match were characterised by endless versions of the same two
Continue readingMark Stoneman took the long way round
< 1 minute readWe’ve done this one already. Mark Stoneman has finally turned up in an England squad about a month after we expected him to. He’s a patient man though – the oldest something-or-other to maybe do something, according to a piece we read earlier. We’ve covered Mason Crane too, so you’ve
Continue readingEngland should think about playing their main spinner
2 minute readWhen Moeen Ali was first labelled England’s second spinner, it was widely assumed that Liam Dawson must therefore be the first spinner. It stood to reason. However, Moeen supposedly remained the second spinner even when he was the only one of the two selected, which raises the possibility that Dawson
Continue readingThe more batsmen England pick, the fewer they have
< 1 minute readThe big question before this fourth Test was could England’s batsmen start making some runs and maybe win a few more Tests? When the answer revealed itself to be “no and yes” it became apparent that these were actually two separate questions. England somehow cobbled together a half-decent first innings
Continue readingOld Trafford’s Anderson End
< 1 minute readFew initially remarkable features, but you often get nice swing. If Jimmy has an end, Cricket Badger readers will soon be aware that Vernon Philander has two – a top and a bottom. This week’s Philander ailment is a light case of back knack. Violent full body convulsions can do
Continue readingMoeen Ali, England’s second spinner, takes a hat trick
< 1 minute readWe’ve told you before how we once saw a story in the local paper where a woman had come second in some sort of vegetable growing competition despite being the only person to enter something in that particular category. The judges decided that her entry was only worthy of a
Continue readingToby Roland-Jones: first look in Test cricket
< 1 minute readWe don’t believe you can draw meaningful conclusions from players’ debuts – but we report on them anyway. We suppose that if people call you Toblerone, you’re kind of duty-bound to provide the odd peak. 4-39 is pretty useful for a kick-off. Toby Roland-Jones seems to bowl at around 80mph.
Continue readingWhat Ben Stokes’ erratic boundary-hitting says about his batting
< 1 minute readKevin Pietersen’s career strike-rate was 61.72. Matthew Hayden’s was 60.10. For all that these are batsmen with a reputation for intimidating bowlers, they chose their moments. This is a large part of the art of Test match batting. It’s about letting bowlers know that you are willing to hit them
Continue readingTom Westley: first look in Test cricket
< 1 minute readWe don’t believe you can draw meaningful conclusions from debut performances – but we report on them anyway. If there’s one thing we’ll say for Tom Westley, it’s that he appears to have a pleasing preference for the workmanlike side of the ground. Legside nurdlery has always worked for Alastair
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