The third and final test in the England vs Sri Lanka test series is now at an end after the rain brought a damp squib of an end to the match.
So what have we learned? Not a great deal really. We are almost where we were three tests ago. Nick Compton would appear not quite of test level is one obvious conclusion. Personally speaking I feel it would be a little harsh to jettison him – I would give him the Pakistan series to make a final decision on him. I doubt that will happen, however and Lords was the last we will see of him in the whites of the three lions.… Read Full Article
Posts By: Matthew Woodward
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Entertaining the masses — a side to please everyone, perhaps?
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.
… Read Full Article
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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.
… Read Full Article
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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.
… Read Full Article
0How to manage a problem like England
In a way I am almost glad England failed to grind out a draw against Sri Lanka. Had they done so it would have been seen by many as some sort of miraculous escape. Backs to the wall, stoic defence when the chips were down. It must not, however, detract from a dire performance. For the umpteenth time the batsmen have let us down. The last Ashes on English soil were won despite, not because of our batsmen and the overall picture hasn’t improved since then.… Read Full Article
0Sachithra Senanayake Mankades (try saying that after a few beers!)
Cricket is a sport in which most followers expect their heroes to adhere to a higher standard of fair play and sportsmanship.
The recent incident of ‘Mankading’ (who on earth coined that phrase?) – when Sri Lanka’s Sachithra Senanayake ran out England’s Jos Buttler who had strayed out of his crease at the non-striker’s end at a key point in the final and deciding ODI in the series was disappointing to see and thankfully remains very rare.
The last incident I can remember is when Kapil Dev ran out South Africa’s Peter Kirsten, apparently without warning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzbFy_elb8k
Differing accounts of Tuesday’s shambles say Senanayake warned Buttler twice or just the once. Either way, it wasn’t cricket. The bowler shouldn’t have done it and the captain should have over-ruled the appeal. He didn’t, it happened so we are left to count the cost of a strain on the game.
What I don’t like, however, is England using this unsavoury controversy to shield yet another highly mixed performance during a ODI series.
Sri Lanka are a decent side – but without the wicket taking machine that was Muttiah Muralitharan in the line-up and home advantage you would have expected England to win the series.… Read Full Article
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Test match cricket — how do we save it?
Back in March last year (wow, really that long ago??) I penned a brief missive about the future of test match cricket and what might happen to the game in the years to come. Inspired by watching a fascinating dual between bat and ball as Bangladesh took on Sri Lanka I waxed lyrical about the game and the subtle battles and tactical ramifications that make test cricket, well testing. Unfortunately, you may recall dear reader, the article was nevertheless based on a sad note – the crowd – or more accurately the lack of the crowd – rejoicing in the contest.
Many wise (and some unwise) sages have put their thinking caps on to ponder how to better push the claims of test match cricket. Test match cricket is a discipline that must not be allowed to die. It is the very essence of cricket and at the very apex of the wonderful game. If test match cricket dies then so too does the heart and soul of the sport.… Read Full Article
“The pink ball appears grey/blue in red/green deficient vision, depending on its severity. I did a simulation with colour blindness…”