< 1 minute readThe Pune pitch on which Australia beat India was rated poor on the grounds that it gave too much assistance to spinners. This is a paradox. Australia made 260 and 285. Australia did. Australia. Australia, with their leaden hands and their be-aggressive-but-patient-and-show-a-bit-of-mongrel-and-play-in-this-one-specific-way-but-find-your-own-method approach to facing spin bowling. They managed to
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How much does Rahkeem Cornwall weigh?
2 minute readAll across the UK, people are waking up and asking: ‘Who is Rahkeem Cornwall?‘ after the majestic blob of cricket damn near beat England in a tour match. It is for precisely this reason that we always try and stay abreast of the world’s fat cricketers long before they rise
Continue readingAustralia and spin bowling – all of their problems are completely solved
< 1 minute readIt’s hard to see how India’s batsmen could possibly learn to play Steve O’Keefe any better than they did on the one occasion they’ve faced him. Compounding this is the 100 per cent true fact that they’ve already committed to playing on pitches identical to that used in the first
Continue readingThe experts say Steve O’Keefe doesn’t spin it enough
2 minute readTerry Jenner said that Steve O’Keefe bowled blancmanges. If you for some reason think that was intended as a compliment, O’Keefe himself recalls: “He’d just look at me in disgust about how putrid these things were that were coming out of my hand.” Jenner’s greatest protégé Shane Warne feels similarly.
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Matt Renshaw retires hurt because of the wild shits
< 1 minute readMatt Renshaw might think that ‘while batting during day one of a Test match’ is the worst time to realise that you’ve been struck down by a case of the wild shits. All we’d say is at least it wasn’t the start of an overnight train journey with no hotel
Continue readingWhy did Tymal Mills go for so much at the IPL auction? Because he’s fit for purpose
2 minute readTymal Mills has been signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for £1.4m. In response, many have felt inclined to ask what Ian Botham, Viv Richards or Ian Austin might have gone for. This seems to us to be somewhat missing the point. In the UK, the phrase ‘Twenty20 specialist’ still has
Continue readingA bit of advice for Joe Root
< 1 minute readIf there’s one thing the England captain generally lacks, it’s advice from random members of the public. Fortunately for Joe Root, we are prepared to step in and fill that void. It’s a little-known fact that our critically-acclaimed Club Captain’s Handbook for All Out Cricket was originally penned as a
Continue readingBangladesh three long sessions away from Test series victory over India
< 1 minute readRelatively speaking. Escape with a draw and that’s basically a win for the tourists, isn’t it? And being as it’s a one Test series, that would also mean a Bangladesh series victory. Again, relatively speaking. Three sessions seems an awful long time when you’ve only got seven wickets left though.
Continue readingVirat Kohli dealing in daddies and doubles
< 1 minute readIs ‘supersizing’ still a thing or did it die out after that Morgan Spurlock film? We’re old enough now that we should probably research our knee-jerk cultural references to see whether they still apply. Let’s not bother and just assume that this one’s still current. Virat Kohli had never hit
Continue readingWere Alastair Cook (and his family) ‘let out to dry’ by the ECB?
2 minute readAlastair Cook has said that the ECB “kind of let me out to dry a little bit” over Kevin Pietersen’s sacking and the ensuing brouhaha. Being ‘let out to dry’ makes him sound like a cat who’s mistaken bubble bath foam for solid land and now needs the back door
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