Contrast between them was stark with young all-rounder Oppenheimer compared to freedom of teammate’s BarbieIf you see a fork in the road, take it. And so it is that a little after 4pm on a pale summer’s day in Manchester, Cameron Green walks out of the pavilion to join Mitchell Marsh in the middle. Their gazes meet, and for a fleeting moment we are reminded of that famous internet meme with the two Spiderman characters pointing at each other. Hang on. I thought I was the tall, big-hitting 85mph seam-bowling all-rounder in this team. So who are you exactly?They share a few quick words, although given the noise around the place it’s arguable whether any actual information was communicated. Australia...
All members of England’s Unforgiven chipped in, with Mark Wood producing a thrilling spectacle across three spellsThe best part was probably the celebration, the ball clamped in the outer webbing of Jonny Bairstow’s right glove, legs splayed, arms wide. For a few moments England’s wicketkeeper just sat there like a very happy life-sized gingerbread man, emitting an extended roar of triumph.It was perhaps the central moment of a day when England’s oldest ever five-man bowling attack – combined age: 180 years – just kept on refusing to die away, that liver-spotted hand clutching at Australia’s elbow every time they seemed to be easing clear. Continue reading...
Women’s cricket has grown in incremental steps for a long time – this series shows making the leap to big grounds is the best tacticThe Women’s Ashes has a long history of close contests, drawn series and match-defining moments that have kept spectators on the edge of their seats. But in 2011, only a handful of people were at Bankstown Oval to witness Alex Blackwell’s bold declaration and Rene Farrell’s decisive hat-trick that swung the match in Australia’s favour and secured their first Ashes win since 2003.What has changed most since then is not the cricket itself, but the number of people paying attention and, crucially, the number of spectators through the gates. Ground upgrades to venues such as the...
The coach likened his team to a Datsun 1200 after the loss to Argentina but there is still grounds for optimism before they face the All BlacksMichael Hooper arrived just in time to see the sticker-licker pin the parking ticket under his wiper. It was the captain’s run on the eve of the Test against Argentina but Australia’s co-captain hadn’t run at all. Days before, in the Wallabies’ 43-12 walloping by South Africa in Pretoria, the 125-Test legend had tweaked a calf. It meant on the final lap of his storied career, Hooper would miss a home game farewell. With a rueful smile at the ticket, he copped it sweet – again. When your luck is out, your luck is...
The tourists played three specialist slow bowlers to beat England, learning a lesson from their male counterparts in 2005With one ball to come in the 100th over of the match, it was Natalie Sciver-Brunt on her haunches holding the handle of her bat, puffing for air. She needed six to win, four to tie and force a super over. After her final swing of the match, one that didn’t connect cleanly enough to find either variety of boundary, it was the whole ground that was short of air, one long exhale from the England-supporting crowd. Taking back the trophy had still been a chance, then it was gone.As the men’s and women’s Ashes series have unspooled side by side across...