King Cricket

January 7, 2010 England

Ian Ronald Bell is an actual hero

< 1 minute read In the words of Alan Partridge: “Jurassic Park!” How can we explain what has happened today? Ignore the dismissal near the end, Ian Bell did the job. This was not expected by anyone. Imagine you’ve got a wooden spoon. This wooden spoon can somehow create dazzling pyrotechnic displays that light

January 7, 2010 England

England’s close Test matches in the last 12 months

< 1 minute read St John’s, Antigua – West Indies finish nine wickets down Port of Spain – West Indies finish eight wickets down Cardiff – England finish nine wickets down against Australia Centurion – England finish nine wickets down against South Africa Cape Town – England finish nine wickets down against South Africa

January 7, 2010 England

Samit Patel looks to Darren Lehmann for help

< 1 minute read Everyone needs a role model and with Samit Patel’s weight issues, who better to turn to than Mark Cosgrove‘s mentor. Samit Patel is heading to Darren Lehmann’s cricket academy in a bid to get in shape for next season. Other places Samit considered suitable: Bed The settee A bakery

January 6, 2010 Australia

Mike Hussey is a man you can’t give a fourth chance to

< 1 minute read When the best players are given a chance, they take it. For example, Mike Hussey didn’t need to be given a fifth chance when compiling 134 not out in Australia’s stunning win against Pakistan. Dropped by Kamran Akmal off Danesh Kaneria on 23, Hussey merely narrowed his eyes and said:

January 6, 2010 England

Alastair Cook – treat us to an innings of rare beauty

2 minute read It’s hard to pay attention on days like yesterday. You drift off, but every time you look up, you think: ‘Jesus, how did that happen?’ Look on the bright side though. It’s only very occasionally that a match situation calls for one of cricket’s finest sights: the innings of no

January 5, 2010 Australia

Is it funny that Shane Watson keeps getting out in the nineties?

< 1 minute read Of course it is. Just take a look at his teary-eyed, albino automaton face when he’s been dismissed. Shane Watson’s 120 not out (dropped on 99) really ballses up a cracking record that’s seen him hit 96, 89, 93 and 97 in his last eight innings. Even if he doesn’t

January 5, 2010 England

Ian Bell’s ball-hitfulness

< 1 minute read We’re not interested in how Ian Bell’s faring in Test cricket any more. All we’re hoping is that the soap opera continues. The Ian Bell situation has gone way beyond cricket now. We’re interested for sociological and psychological reasons. Will it finish with a lynch mob? Will it ever finish

January 4, 2010 South Africa

Jacques Kallis went big

< 1 minute read For once, this isn’t about that period when Jacques Kallis lost sight of his genitals for a few months. It’s about him hitting a hundred. Once upon a time, hitting a hundred was an achievement. Nowadays you hit 170 and the man of the match award goes to someone who

January 4, 2010 Extras

Listen to Test Match Sofa

< 1 minute read If you’ve just arrived at work and you were planning on listening to the cricket, you could do a lot worse than listen to Test Match Sofa. It’s not too difficult to explain what it is. Imagine Test Match Special broadcast from someone’s house and with absolutely no pretence of

January 3, 2010 South Africa

South Africa’s strongest batting line-up

< 1 minute read Not so long ago, this South Africa batting line-up looked stronger than Geoff Capes crossed with a grizzly bear. Now? Not so much. Ashwell Prince isn’t an opener; Hashim Amla might as well paint a bullseye on his front leg; while if JP Duminy could ever get past his first

Three cheers for England playing three spinners. You should always play three spinners.

Dammit.

I am now hugely>i< confused Enjoyed Into The Tangled Bank very much, Mr P/fiendishly cunning imposter.

@Lev the imposter (maybe). What we do in private stays private ;-) ...and apologies for taking credit for being the…

@KC. Ahh, bu**er. Yes, confused by the birding reference.

Hats off to Harry Brook’s very particular ‘steamrollered pancake pitch’ set of skills

Let’s pick the All-Time Greatest Middle-Aged XI

Less than the sum of their parts: Six Test batting partnerships that invariably disappointed

Five Graham Thorpe innings that were equal parts silly, brilliant and vital

Show me the money. Inattention and monetisation in Major League Cricket, The Hundred and Test cricket

Ian Ronald Bell is an actual hero

England’s close Test matches in the last 12 months

Samit Patel looks to Darren Lehmann for help

Mike Hussey is a man you can’t give a fourth chance to

Alastair Cook – treat us to an innings of rare beauty

Is it funny that Shane Watson keeps getting out in the nineties?

Ian Bell’s ball-hitfulness

Jacques Kallis went big

Listen to Test Match Sofa

South Africa’s strongest batting line-up

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