3 minute readOne is English, one is Pakistani. One is young, one is old – or at least he is in cricketing terms. For much of last summer’s Test series between England and Pakistan, Alex Hales and Younus Khan trod a similar path. Come the last Test, their journeys diverged markedly. Hales
Continue readingCategory: News
An acceptable way to finish a cricket match and an unacceptable way to report on one
2 minute readWe’ve been having some absolutely belting weather for the last week or so in these parts – but only on the sly. The gale force winds that have been partially masking things finally abated today and the lull revealed one of those perfect spring days that make you slightly less
Continue readingEngland’s bowling and some clarification on the current condition of Aleem Dar’s lower face
2 minute readYesterday morning, our cat Monty did a more than passable impersonation of Mark Wood’s backwards press run-up as he exited the house. Despite his unutterably poor track record of predicting cricket matches, we took this as a clear sign that England would beat Ireland. And so it proved. We’ve just
Continue readingShannon Gabriel nicks one for the Windies
< 1 minute readMaybe this is why people have started saying ‘snick’ to mean ‘nick’ – to prevent headlines like this one from being ambiguous. Shannon Gabriel – arguably the finest fast bowler called Shannon currently plying his trade – took 5-11 as the West Indies dismissed Pakistan for just 81 to win
Continue readingMisbah-ul-Haq – King of the Daddy Fifty
< 1 minute readEmbed from Getty Images Last week Ian Bell was dismissed for 99 and we wondered whether that was more or less painful than Misbah-ul-Haq being left stranded on 99 not out against the West Indies. Well, it seems Misbah was wondering the same thing. One Test later, he executed a
Continue readingBen Stokes or Sunil Narine?
2 minute readBen Stokes played a handy innings yesterday. With his team, Rising Pune Supergiant, chasing Gujarat Lions’ 161, Stokes made 103 not out, batting at five. Cricinfo said that Stokes “owned the MCA Stadium” – although their use of the past tense implies that he’s since sold it or perhaps had
Continue readingZafar Ansari’s “other ambitions” and other tales of premature retirement from cricket
2 minute readEach to his own and all that, but the “new chapter” in Zafar Ansari’s life sounds dull as shit to us. He’s retired from cricket at the age of 25 to pursue another career, “potentially in law”. We’ve been here before. We’ve been here several times. There was James Bruce,
Continue readingThe format of the new ECB T20 competition
2 minute readHere’s a coagulation of plans, proposals, assumptions and best-guesses for the format of the ECB’s new 20-over competition which is due to begin in 2020. Eight sides Eight group matches each Home and away local derbies (to permit that eighth match) IPL style play-offs ECB-produced TV coverage with some matches
Continue readingNo, turns out Younus Khan is retiring after all
< 1 minute readLove reporting on Pakistan cricketer retirements. After floating the idea that he might play on if someone asked him to, Younus Khan has now deployed a magnificent barrage of third-personnery to confirm that he really will retire. “Younus Khan will retire even if he scores a hundred in every innings
Continue readingThe Hampshire-incinerating inferno that is Gary Ballance plus Lancashire’s lethal pelt
2 minute readSurrey are still top Despite drawing with Warwickshire who had attained just three points from two Championship games before this fixture. The most striking development was probably Ian Bell’s dismissal for 99. Was this more or less painful than Misbah-ul-Haq being left stranded on 99 not out yesterday? The Curran
Continue reading