Alastair Cook’s retirement leaves England without their record-breaking workaholic opener September 3, 2018 Obdurate. Disciplined. Determined. Hardly words often used to bestow praise on an athlete, but then Alastair Cook is not your average sportsman. Over the last 18 months it’s been easy to forget the Cook of old, to overlook the 12,254 Test runs, the 26,086 balls faced, the 56 half-centuries and 32 hundreds. But today's announcement [...]
England v India: Moeen Ali’s match-winning performance provides familiar problem for hosts September 2, 2018 At the start of the summer Moeen Ali was out of the England Test side and relieved to be so. After a run of four years and 50 caps without being dropped, the all-rounder was jettisoned, told to take a break and regain his confidence at Worcestershire. He did so in some style, with an [...]
Chris Tremlett: Jonny Bairstow relinquishing the gloves could solve some of England’s problems August 29, 2018 Jonny Bairstow might have been determined to keep hold of the wicket-keeping gloves, but I think England have made the right decision ahead of the fourth Test against India at the Ageas Bowl tomorrow. Captain Joe Root explained handing over responsibility behind the stumps to Jos Buttler was the “safest thing to do” and I [...]
James Vince: Hampshire captain’s England Test selection shows selector Ed Smith sticking to his word August 23, 2018 James Vince’s recall to the England squad to face India in the fourth Test match at the Ageas Bowl next week was met with a near-uniform sigh. Reading the comments below the announcement on social media, the general opinion was that the Hampshire batsman had his chance and blew it. The 27-year-old has played 13 [...]
Chris Tremlett: England have lost sight of the art of opening and need to go back to basics August 22, 2018 As much as it’s ultimately good for the game to avoid two dead rubbers, England’s thrashing by India, which was confirmed this morning, was very disappointing. Trent Bridge is a ground where England tend to play well and with James Anderson and Stuart Broad on a high after the Lord’s win they would have been [...]
England v India: Same old problems for collapse-prone hosts at Trent Bridge August 19, 2018 “I watched in a bit of disbelief. It was a poor performance. I wish I could explain it as it has happened over the last few years: we put in one good game and then a poor game.” England head coach Trevor Bayliss was not happy with his team’s performance at Trent Bridge. But this [...]
Vitality Blast: Domestic Twenty20 tournament flourishing despite ECB direction August 16, 2018 The group stages of England’s domestic Twenty20 competition comes to a close tomorrow. But with England’s Test series against India taking much of the attention of late, the Vitality Blast has occupied its own space, largely away from television and the back pages. Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board has been busy blue-sky thinking, [...]
Kent’s Sam Northeast hits century as South beat North to claim inaugural one-day series March 19, 2017 Kent skipper Sam Northeast struck an unbeaten century as South beat North by 47 runs to seal victory in the inaugural one-day series between the two sides in Dubai. Northeast finished 118 not out as South racked up 346-6 from their 50 overs, while Middlesex batsman Dawid Malan and Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson hit half-centuries [...]
There will always be hurdles to clear but English domestic Twenty20 franchise system is perfect vision March 15, 2017 There are always upfront hurdles to overcome with projects and it has been suggested that the new domestic Twenty20 franchise tournament, set to begin in 2020, could lose organisers £15m in its first year. Australia’s Big Bash League also took a few years to establish itself and it might take a while for our competition [...]
Eoin Morgan admits Champions Trophy selection will be a nightmare after England dismantle West Indies in final one-day clash March 9, 2017 England skipper Eoin Morgan admits that selection for this year’s Champions Trophy will prove a near-impossible conundrum after trouncing the West Indies in the final one-day clash in Barbados. Returning opener Alex Hales and newly-appointed Test captain Joe Root both struck centuries as England racked up 328 before they dismissed the hosts for a paltry [...]
