2 minute readA Fan’s Guide to World Cricket is basically a book with which you’ll idly plan holidays. It’s full colour, looks amazing and makes you wish you were overseas even more than you already do. It covers 55 cities, all of which feature an international cricket ground. You’ll basically leaf through
Continue reading< 1 minute readWhen have you ever seen an England scorecard that read 517-1? Against Australia as well. We said that Alastair Cook would be okay and with 235 not out, you’d say we were probably right about that. We also predicted a whole host of series results though – none of which
Continue reading2 minute readYou’ve got to break partnerships in Australia. You’ve got to somehow take wickets when the ball ain’t doin’ a right lot. This Australia bowling attack seems ill-suited to the task. Today one wicket fell – to Marcus North. No matter how flat the pitch, no Australian bowling attack should completely
Continue reading< 1 minute readJames Anderson started with a blinding spell to Mike Hussey, but as we said yesterday, the cricket after the new ball matters too. It’s easy to look on the first hour of the third day as being England’s chance to break the Hussey-Haddin partnership, but Test cricket in Australia is
Continue reading< 1 minute readYesterday’s theme was of how bowling success can be about playing well frequently rather than extremely well occasionally. You remember great bowlers for the occasions when they took 7-20; when the ball was swinging or turning a mile. But often those performances aren’t what made those players’ reputations. It’s often
Continue reading< 1 minute readPre-Ashes analysis tends to treat the players as if they’re machines. If it swings, Jimmy Anderson will be great; if it doesn’t, he’s screwed. Alastair Cook has a technical weakness. He’ll score no runs. But cricket doesn’t work like that. For one thing, pretty much everybody’s shitting themself of the
Continue reading< 1 minute readWhat we learnt last night: Stew is not a stimulant And here’s a question for you: Shouldn’t Mitchell Johnson’s tattooed arm be ‘the doing arm’?
Continue reading< 1 minute readWith his Ming the Merciless collar and his mercilessly minging face, Peter Siddle barrelled in and dismissed Alastair Cook, Matt Prior and Stuart Broad in successive balls. We got through the experience by pretending it was a cartoon. Siddle looks like a cartoon character somehow.
Continue reading< 1 minute readIf anyone is staying up for day one of the Ashes tonight, we’ll be covering all the important stuff via Twitter. Here is a list of our intended topics: What we’re eating What we’re drinking Why the world’s sudden, wrong-headed obsession with naps is sickening If there is anything else
Continue reading< 1 minute readThe Ashes starts at midnight and Bert has a problem. He’s got work, so can’t stay up and he dreads being confronted with an end of play scorecard in the morning. He describes how you are introduced to disaster gradually while watching live. “By the time 113 arrives, eight down,
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