King Cricket

January 2, 2024 Australia / England

Only one man could have taken a 10-for in real life, bowling like Graham Thorpe in Brian Lara Cricket on the PlayStation

< 1 minute readGraham Thorpe was a dynamite bowler in Brian Lara Cricket. Graham Thorpe was not a dynamite bowler in real life. The various mechanics and failings of Brian Lara Cricket (which was apparently called Shane Warne Cricket in Australia) resulted in some innovative strategies, back in the day. Sixes were about

December 30, 2023 Features

21 of the best, worst and weirdest cricket moments of 2023

6 minute readMost of us can only accommodate so many cricket events in our heads for a given year. It’s therefore striking just how many should-be-memorable events took place before the Ashes even began – most of which we’d completely forgotten. So buckle up, everyone – this is a long one. You

December 23, 2023 Australia / India / Pakistan / South Africa

The 2023 Festivus holding page: The Boxing Day Tests

< 1 minute readIf you don’t know our approach to covering the Boxing Day Tests, it involves listing what matches are taking place, wishing everyone a happy Festivus and then buggering off. In previous years, you, the readership, have boldly stepped into the breach and highlighted all the interesting cricket in the comments

December 21, 2023 Australia / England

That part of the 1981 Ashes no-one talks about so much – it’s Tavaré time!

< 1 minute readRoll up, roll up for the fifth and somehow not final Test of the 1981 Ridiculous Ashes. This one’s got Chris Tavaré in it, failing to keep pace with Geoff Boycott as the Yorkshireman tore along at just under two an over. It wasn’t just Boycott who outscored Tavaré in

December 20, 2023 England

Phil Salt puts a low price on his wicket

4 minute readIn our lower moments, we’ve all imagined-up some preposterously narrow niche within which we can consider ourselves the best in a bid to bolster our hollow confidence. Sympathy then for Phil Mustard, who can no longer consider himself the best wicketkeeper-batter called Phil Condiment to have opened the batting in

December 18, 2023 England

Free-to-air Test cricket highlights do not amount to free-to-air sport

4 minute readYou may have noticed from this website’s Patreon ‘benefits’ that we’re not big on paywalls. We’re therefore very excited to see that John Spellar MP wants to change the law so that England’s home Test matches would become ‘protected’ sports events and consequently broadcast on free-to-air TV. It’s a shame

December 14, 2023 England / India

Three or four wishy-washy conclusions from Day 1 of a rare India v England Test

3 minute readTo scroll through the list of venues for women’s Tests between England and India is to be struck by two things. (1) They don’t play in India very often. (2) The few India Tests that do take place are held in rather bigger cities than the ones used for the

December 13, 2023 Australia / England

Richie Benaud’s hair cannot go unremarked upon

2 minute readOne thing we have not at any point touched upon in our podcasts about the 1981 Ashes has been Richie Benaud’s hair. And that’s a shame. Richie Benaud’s hair in 1981 is worthy of comment. If you’re old enough, Richie Benaud’s “morning everyone” is a thing that will instantly take

December 11, 2023 England

Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley have the bendable fingers England are looking for when they tour India next month

2 minute readIt’s not a great time for English spin bowling, but it is a great time to be an English spin bowler. That’s “the market” for you, we suppose. It’s hard to think of a more unexpected England Test selection than Shoaib Bashir – not so much out of left field

December 11, 2023 Match report

French cricket match report (no, not like that)

2 minute readPhoto by Alain Bonnardeaux on Unsplash Send your match reports to king@kingcricket.co.uk. We’re only really interested in your own experience, so if it’s a professional match, on no account mention the cricket itself. (But if it’s an amateur match, feel free to go into excruciating detail.) Chuck writes… After my