2 minute readThe more we think about it, the more these two things go hand-in-hand. The situation was this. Nathan Hauritz got the boot because he got wellied in India like just about every other spinner who ever goes over there. Demented selections ensued. Maybe Hauritz offended Ricky Ponting by suggesting that
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Australia’s Ashes team – an English perspective on what went wrong
< 1 minute readAs an Englishman in his thirties, there’s nothing we don’t know about pointing out a team’s flaws after it’s failed to win the Ashes. Might as well put our skills to more joyous use this year. Today, captaincy and spin bowling. Tomorrow, batting and pace bowling.
Continue readingEngland cricketers’ Ashes sprinkler celebration
< 1 minute readThis is another good way of celebrating the retention of the Ashes. If you don’t know about ‘the sprinkler’, it’s become the England cricketers’ official dance of the tour. It’s a stupid dance and they’re all awful at it, but you can’t help but warm to them even more when
Continue readingTim Bresnan is two players in one
< 1 minute readMore specifically, Tim Bresnan, England’s fifth-choice seamer, is Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle rolled into one. Bresnan has the fitness, pace and accuracy of Siddle. He also bowls away swing with the new ball and reverse swing later on like Ben Hilfenhaus. Oh, and he can bat. Bresnan’s reputation as
Continue readingJonathan Trott – unarsed England number three
< 1 minute readGenerally being unarsed about stuff is a fantastic quality for a Test batsman to have. Jonathan Trott’s got it in spades. You can have all the shots and the best hand-eye co-ordination, but if you wobble when things don’t go perfectly, you’ll never make it as a Test batsman, because
Continue readingRicky Ponting talking to the umpires
< 1 minute readWhinging Poms? Has the world ever seen a whingier cricketer than Ricky Thomas Ponting? Sport needs a bit of ‘us and them’ so that you can enjoy it properly, so it was perversely enjoyable to see Ponting spend three-quarters of an hour bending Aleem Dar’s ear. As he stamped his
Continue readingWishing Ricky Ponting’s finger all the best
< 1 minute readThis is a slightly weird feeling, but we really want Ricky Ponting to play at the MCG. Much as we want England to win easily, beating a side captained by Michael Clarke just wouldn’t be right. Ricky Ponting is the most significant player on either side and it brings the
Continue readingDo the English not enjoy winning?
< 1 minute readSometimes we feel utterly disconnected from this great nation. The attitude towards beating Australia at cricket being a case in point. A week or so ago, it seemed like a number of England fans were feeling sorry for Australia. This is mental. Never feel sorry for Australia. Now there are
Continue readingAustralia could get better or they could get worse
< 1 minute readDon’t come to this website if you don’t prefer inconclusive grey to black or white certainty. Australia’s batting could certainly get better. At the minute, England will feel like dismissing Mike Hussey for under 50 would win them the series, so there’s room for improvement there from Australia’s perspective. Their
Continue readingDifferent ways to lose a Test match
< 1 minute readNever write off the Aussies. They’re never down for long. When England lose this Test match, the score will be 1-1, but you can lose a match in different ways. You can affect opposition players to the extent that they’ll have a different outlook in the next Test and a
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