Many say test match cricket is languishing in the doldrums at this moment in time. There’s all sorts of plans being chucked around to try and heave it up by its coat tails. Such one sided demolitions as the England Sri Lanka series only add weight to the naysayers cause and the half empty (or should that be full?!) stands at Chester Le Street don’t exactly help matters.
As always the answer to turn things around isn’t straight forward. We’re all searching for that silver bullet or miracle cure to guarantee packed stadia but the only thing that is clear is that there is no simple answer.
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Posts Categorised: Test Cricket
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Pitch Perfect England Need a Sterner Test
So the first test of the summer is at an end. Well done England for a victory for what was really a match of men against boys.
Sri Lanka are, to use that oft touted sound-bite, a team in “transition” and boy did it show. It must be remembered, however, that they kept a strong England batting line up to a tad under the 300 mark – and half of those runs came from the excellent Jonny Bairstow. Alex Hales did well too with a decent knock and must be kicking himself he didn’t convert it into a ton. Had it not been for those two it might have been a closer run thing. We will never know.… Read Full Article
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Management Need to Stoke the Fire for Success
Wow, incredible, fantastic. I could go on: the list of superlatives to describe the magnificent (there, I’ve slipped another one in!) innings by Ben Stokes in the drawn second test has to rank alongside the best ever knocks in international cricket.
I know – points to this writer for stating the bleedin’ obvious! What his innings does do though is highlight the need for England to be able to not only spot talented individuals such as Stokes but to nurture them and encourage them to reach their full potential.… Read Full Article
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No Star Shines Bright for Either Side
So the Ashes are now at end with England the victors and Australia put back in their place. A 3–2 scoreline flatters the green baggied ones a little but in truth the last test was a dead rubber for England. They were never going to play to the same level on intensity as when they were trying to claim the little urn back from our Antipodean cousins.
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Four day test matches? no thanks!
With a few recent test matches finishing in 3 or 4 days, there has been talk in some quarters about reducing test matches to 4 days. We’d like to give a resounding no thanks sent back to any such ideas.
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Steve Smith — world number 1 mouth, not number 1 batsman
Congratulations to Steve Smith who has taken over the “Glen McGrath” professorship for the public understanding of Australian hubris. To be fair to McGrath, a man with over 500 test wickets, and integral member of one of the greatest sides of all time, he could be forgiven for thinking his side might whitewash England, although saying it aloud is insulting and isn’t a part of the spirit of respect in which cricket should be said. Steve Smith however, a man who was pathetic the last time he visited England and pathetic again in the current series (if we exclude his excellent double hundred which was made on a flat nothing pitch at lord’s).
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New Zealand — bringing the spirit of cricket back to England
This summer is of course an Ashes summer. An Ashes that is now comprehensively sealed in England’s favour. But before we go on to enjoy that victory, I’d like to take a few minutes to look back over the 2 series against New Zealand.
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0Home conditions — more important than ever?
So, England have comprehensively wrapped up the Ashes with a game to spare. What a turn-around from 18 months ago where they were humiliated by an average Australian side. With such huge swings outcome over the past 3 Ashes series the talking heads have focussed on the conditions playing a huge part. Are they right to?
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Cook shows his mettle in a Ballanced performance
Well done Alistair Cook. OK, so he missed out on making a century, just, but to score 95 when the chips were really down took unbelievable character. The only way he was going to silence the critics was with some runs and hopefully today’s score marks a permanent return to form. The crowd’s reaction when he scored his half century and the ovation when he left the field when speaks volumes as to the support for him amongst the cricket watching public. He’s a good man and didn’t deserve some of the diatribe fired his way.
Geoffrey Boycott has predicted a draw already – and the Rose Bowl pitch looks like it will produce another uninspiring match where the bat rules supreme. How ridiculous. We need pitches that have something on offer for both batsmen and bowlers, one that rewards top exponents of both disciplines. So what if the game is over in four days instead of five? Short term financial thinking risks undermining the entire fabric of the game – and then where will the money come from?… Read Full Article
0India take the initiative into the third test
Two tests in, 1–0 to India. England’s poor summer continued apace today with a shocking (sorry, appalling) collapse after lunch today to hand the visitors the initiative going forward into the rest of the series. On current evidence it would be hard to see past India winning the series.
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“The pink ball appears grey/blue in red/green deficient vision, depending on its severity. I did a simulation with colour blindness…”