So, with the cricket world cup almost over, it’s time to start thinking about the main event of the cricketing summer: the Ashes! In the last installment England were once again soundly beaten down under, but they haven’t lost at home for 18 years. On paper both sides have some top players, so it looks like it could be the closest series since 2005. To ensure they come out on top England will need to sort some big issues at the top of their order.
Posts Tagged: England
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What happened to 2018
It’s been a long while since we shared our thoughts on the world of cricket. A lot has happened in that time. With England and Australia set to do battle once again, in both ODI and Test cricket for both men and women no less, it is high time we covered some of the last 18 months.
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One-nil to the Aussies — game on
So the first test is over, and Australia maintained their long record of success at the Gabba to no great surprise here. So, what positives can we take from it?
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A game of nerve?
It’s that time again — the nights are long, the air is cold, but soon the radio will fire into life and bring the sounds of Australian summer to our ears. Will England come back from the previous whitewash with a win (as they did in 2010-11, or will Australia complete a 3rd whitewash in 4 series. I for one am betting it won’t be a draw!
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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
2No 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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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
0England in need of Moore summer class
Apologies one and all for a lack of recent musings – it’s all due to a new arrival in the household which has meant my waking (and sleeping) hours are completely dominated by bottle feeding sessions and nappy changes – yes a little bambino has arrived. Give her about 18 years and she’ll be playing for England.
Anyway; to business.
Well, to paraphrase William Shakespeare somewhat, that was a winter of discontent for England. After pretty inept performances in the Ashes most would have thought it couldn’t get any worse. It did – the humiliating defeat against the Netherlands (even if it was a ‘dead rubber’) proving the coup de grâce. Before and since that final shambolic outing there have been some high profile casualties — gone are coach Andy Flower, middle order mainstay Jonathan Trott and spin king Graeme Swann. And then of course there is the whole saga around Kevin Pietersen. Gloveman Matt Prior will also be nervously looking over his shoulder as others threaten his place in the side.… Read Full Article
0Australia steam on in battle against Proteas
When England squared up to Australia in the last Ashes series I, like many, thought the visitors would retain the urn during the five match series. It was always going to a tougher battle than the summer showdown but victory was expected.
Player for player England were just too strong, weren’t they? At the time, with the standout exception of middle-order maestro Michael Clarke, a combined XI of the two sides would have been dominated by the three lions. Other than skipper Clarke who would have made the combined side? Perhaps David Warner for Michael Carberry? A fit Ryan Harris in for either Chris Tremlett or Tim Bresnan? Certainly the former, probably the latter. A place for Shane Watson? Maybe – but who would he replace? On the face of it, however, England certainly appeared the stronger outfit.… Read Full Article
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