On the pitch Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes took centre stage. Off it, the fans’ joy suggest cricket is doing just fine as it isWelcome to the World Cup. Thirteen years, seven England captains, assorted white‑ball revolutions and one frankly alarming opening ceremony in the making: England and Wales 2019 is finally up and running. Related: Stokes and Archer star as England beat South Africa in Cricket World Cup Ben Stokes’s feat joins a long list of contenders for the title. Among English cricket’s other finest recent catches:Paul Collingwood England v Australia, third ODI, Jun 2005As Matthew Hayden produces a powerful cut, Collingwood soars high, arched back, and holds the ball tight. Hailed as one of the best catches of all time. ...
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...
From its humble beginning in 1966, the tournament’s history is filled with English despair and southern hemisphere triumph• The Spin: listen and subscribe to our brand new podcastIn March 1966 Rothman’s and the influential agent Bagenal Harvey announce that a three-game “World Cup” will be held in September, to be contested by England, West Indies – that summer’s tourists – and an all-star Rest of the World XI to be led by the Australia captain, Bobby Simpson, with the remainder of the team chosen – obviously – by readers of the Radio Times. Sadly England’s capacity for World Cup fever is exhausted by the football version, and the three matches attract a combined audience of 13,000 to Lord’s. Having not...
Having lost 24 of their last 28 completed ODIs, expectations are low and prospects are bleakTheir captain has scored all of 267 one-day international runs, their best player is a grumpy 35-year-old fast bowler, their top order is fragile, their spin stocks are thin, their fielding is frequently comical and their coach was fearing for his job only months ago. Have any previous champions ever arrived at a World Cup in such disarray as Sri Lanka?Having lost 24 of the last 28 ODIs they have completed, expectations are low and predictions are bleak. Can they manage one upset win? Can they avoid the wooden spoon? Will they even be competitive?Sri LankaICC world ranking 9 (as of 6 May)Captain Dimuth KarunaratneCoach Chandika HathurusingheWorld Cup...
For the team who have suffered so many disappointments, Faf du Plessis and evergreen talents can make up for the past If you are looking for Faf du Plessis, try the kitchen. Or the friendly neighbourhood atelier, gastronome’s grotto, or tattoo shop. Or follow the roar of his vintage motorcycle. He also spends a fair bit of time at the crease.In Derby on South Africa’s 2012 England tour, while the world was obsessed with the pronunciation and nuance of what, exactly, Kevin Pietersen had called Andrew Strauss in a text message, Du Plessis was deep in the concrete of the grandstand in a chef’s tunic and intently focused on helping a Masterchef champion prepare a meal for the squad. Related:...