Bowler makes light of his lack of international experience with productive spell towards the end of Bangladesh inningsIt is easy to forget in the middle of all that sound and light, the frivolity in the stands – not to mention, in Abu Dhabi, a PA system overseen by the holder of the World’s Most Excited Man title – that T20 is a brutal business.Cricket has always been a cruel sport. In the shortest form that cruelty becomes a relentless thing, meted out in the brightest of lights. Plenty of cricketers around the world have been a little chewed up by this during the past 18 months on the franchise treadmill. Bowlers, in particular, need the skin of a rhino, the...
As the shorter format globalises ever further there are two competing visions of what cricket’s future might look likeNot long after the second world war, in an attempt to discover more humane and peaceable functions for the frightening new toy of atomic power, the US government adopted a policy of deliberately radiating fruit. At the Brookhaven National Laboratory ion Long Island, New York, scientists built something called a “gamma garden”, where various fruits and other plants were arranged in concentric circles and zapped with radioactive cobalt-60. The hope was that the new mutant food might be bigger, tastier, more resilient, perhaps even eradicate world hunger and prevent another war.As it turned out, the results were mixed. The crops closest to...
Opener smashes 153 runs to set the tone for the World Cup hosts and suggest to the selectors that he could do something similar at the other end of the summerThe first of the sixes flew far over cow corner, across what must be the longest boundary in English cricket. The bowler, Mehedi Hasan Miraz spun on his heel to watch it go. He stared after it as if he had spotted some distant comet, or perhaps a shower of them, since the second six went in a similar direction just a few seconds later, a little shorter and a little straighter this one, over long-on, and then the third followed right after, wider this time, nearer midwicket. It was...
Jofra Archer tears into Bangladesh openers – notably with a fierce delivery that trims the off-bail of Soumya SarkarIt was a good day to hang up the washing in Cardiff. After 48 hours of miserable weather in the Welsh capital the sun was finally out, while a strong wind blew in from south-west that would have your smalls dry in no time.At Sophia Gardens – or the Cardiff Wales Stadium as it is being called during this World Cup – these conditions played very much in the favour of those charging in from the Cathedral Road End, most notably England’s shiny new toy, Jofra Archer. Related: England beat Bangladesh by 106 runs at Cricket World Cup – live! Continue reading...
Victory for England, fireworks from Chris Gayle and a Sri Lankan meltdown: our pundits set out their forecasts for a month and a half of ODIsVic Marks Australia. England may have the batsmen but Australia, if they’re fit and firing, have the bowlers in Starc and Cummins, plus a highly motivated Warner and Smith. Two other reasons: they have won five out of 11 World Cups. I’m usually wrong. Related: Boos, hairbands and Cricket World Cup predictions – The Spin podcast Related: West Indies' Jason Holder: ‘Hopefully we can bring the people of the region closer’ Related: The Spin | A brief history of the Cricket World Cup Related: Gareth Batty’s guide to the Cricket World Cup grounds Related: The...