England

You probably want to talk about Mark Wood or something

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Mark Wood (ECB)

This feels like a match where we would normally write a nice uplifting piece about Mark Wood. Unfortunately, we are midway through writing a lengthy, downpressing (we suppose you could use the word ‘depressing’ if you were so inclined) piece about Jos Buttler.

Actually, it’s not depressing (or downpressing). It’s more neutral. So stay tuned for that, folks. Sign up for our email so you don’t miss a nice neutral article about a guy you’ve just read 20 highly impassioned articles about.

The reason you aren’t getting the Mark Wood article is this: we only have time for one article this weekend. The reasons why we only have time for one article this weekend are these: we just moved house; we just had a son.

Things that are more important than writing about a Mark Wood five-for:

  1. Writing about a Mark Wood/Stuart Broad batting partnership

Things that are more important than writing about a Mark Wood/Stuart Broad batting partnership:

  1. The birth of a son (or daughter, for that matter – it’s just the son happens to be fresher in the memory)

So one thing and another, it’s been a bit of a fallow month on the site. Once the son has a name and we’ve worked out which parts of the house hold all the various things we took out of boxes the other day, we’ll try and get a bit more ‘content’ out there for you.

In the meantime: Mark Wood eh? What about all that stuff?

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58 comments

  1. Congratulations! And looking forward to reading something about Jos that acknowledges that the alternatives are someone we just dropped for doing worse than him, and someone who’s just had a horrible first class season. Plus a good series against the vulture-picked bones of South Africa doesn’t mean we’re any good, Jos is one of the best batsmen in the world, and it really, really doesn’t matter if dropping Foakes a year ago was unfair. Also that dropping Jos might be the right decision.

    But mostly, congratulations!

    2. Another great autobiography title. Up there with Opening Up, Playing With Fire and The Breaks Are Off.

  4. Congratulations KC, good news indeed.

    That Wood Broad partnership was a highlight of cricket over the last 10 year for me. Seems a long time since an England last wicket partnership did that. I remember Devon Malcolm in the 90’s going a little crazy against the Aussies (with Angus Fraser possibly) and obviously Jimmy getting 81 but can’t think of many others.

  5. Congratulations!

    Moving house and having a child in a short space of time is madness, though.

    1. Cheers!

      It was far from deliberate, but almost inevitably they took place on successive days.

      Then half the family had norovirus, which was as worrying as it was debilitating. It’s been. Um. Not sure, but it’s definitely been something recently.

    1. Cheers!

      And absolutely not. We’ve enough for a batting partnership or to bowl from each end. That’s plenty.

  9. Hearty congratulations, KC.

    Getting multiple chunks of personal turmoil stuff out of the way at the same time; cunning plan or utter folly? I’m on the fence. But thrilled for you on the arrival of the new princeling.

    Mark Wood can wait.

  11. Well birthdayed Queen Cricket! (With apologies you her husband who I’m sure provided noble support, but… really, we have it easy, relatively speaking.)

    And well bowled and batted Mark Wood! Mark Wood is maybe my favourite cricketer, especially now that Moeen isn’t playing Tests. I’m delighted to see him doing the bowlings and the battings and the not-breaking-down-ings and them and that.

    2. We’re basically the Jack Leach of the partnership. Our contribution is necessary but negligible.

      1. Hopefully you don’t spend a lot of time recreating your contribution afterwards for friends, as Leach apparently did after his.

  12. Congratulations, KC, you were long enough on 1*, it was definitely time to take a quick single and move on to 2*.

    Here’s hoping there’s another Irish name in the mix for Prince Cricket (if I remember rightly about Princess Cricket). I think Eoin has to be in the mix.

      1. We have our own ways in the Kingdom. We don’t really model ourselves on those clowns.

      1. I like the idea of parents having a change of heart over their kids’ names. Our eldest is almost five. Too late to call him something else?

  13. A convincing series win for England, albeit against a lacklustre South Africa side “in transition”, but look how many youngsters stood up to be counted for England.

    Not only a pipeline of England cricketers in their early 20s but also a pipeline of little Bowdens to pick up the mantle in 20+ years time.

    All is well with the world.

  14. If I may be so bold to suggest names:

    Prince Jason Jonny Joe Eoin Ben Jos Chris Liam Jofra Adil Mark Cricket

    Has a certain ring doesn’t it?

    And congratulations as well.

  15. I actually want to talk about how much in deep shit SA cricket is right now.

    The time has come I feel where the rest of the world needs to collude and form a union against the big 3 to keep the game competitive.

    Also something needs to be done to prevent more Kolpak players, it’s deeply unfair and SA loses its best talent every year to this nonsense.

  16. Congratulations! There really is nothing like it is there? I’m really pleased for you all.

    I, on the other hand will be spending tomorrow having my left femur and my pelvis carved up by a surgeon and hopefully put back together with new cobalt-chrome-moly fixtures and fittings. So next week I will either be appealing ad nauseum from my bored sickbed, or you will never hear from me again.

    1. Cheers!

      And also, holy hell! Good luck and best wishes from the Kingdom. A collision or something?

  17. What lovely news O King. Many congratulations to you and O Queen . You will, of course, have plenty of time to write much about the wondrous Mark Wood during the next couple of years of sleepless nights ahead. Hurrah!

    1. Ack, that was intended to be a reply to an earlier message.

      The sentiment still stands, as does my hope that you get to name your new/improved pelvis, and choose ‘Elvis’ as the name.

  20. Congratulations!

    Also, Joe Denly averaged 30.00 in the series, and now his Test average is 30.00 as well.

  21. Welcome to the family Prince Cricket. Are there other heirs to The Throne? Ought we worry about your possible death during another Ben Stokes three-thrills-per-minute match saving effort due to an unclear succession plan?

    1. There’s not much appetite for the throne. Think everything just descends into anarchy when we finally get timed out.

  22. Congratulations! and welcome Prince Cricket.
    I am very happy for Mark Wood, who is just generally joyous.
    Also amused to see Chris Stocks in the Guardian joining a bit belatedly in the speculation about the significance of Chris Woakes’s beard:
    “As frivolous as it may sound, anecdotal evidence also suggests a change in his persona this winter, with those inside the England camp saying there is a correlation between the beard first spotted in New Zealand and a far more aggressive attitude in the nets and in the middle.”
    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/26/chris-woakes-england-winter-revival-overseas.

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