Orgy of drives, cuts and clips, pulls, ramps and sweeps added up to hosts’ best batting of this Ashes seriesThe season’s turned full circle. Eight weeks ago, Australia were here for their press day before the World Test Championship final against India. We asked Mitchell Starc what he had made of England’s aggressive play over the last year, and whether he believed they would really be able to bat like that against Australia’s attack. Starc was too smart to fall into that trap, and said, instead: “I guess we’ll find out over the next six weeks”.His grin said everything about what he was really thinking. Fat chance. A 90mph inswinging yorker does wonders for a man’s confidence, not to mention...
In batting like he always does – and always will – the England opener joins greats of the modern-age after Ashes displayEven Zak Crawley’s farewell edge, the final act of his own sublime, genre-defying, really quite confusing Ashes series, was a lovely thing. Some people are just great edgers. Michael Vaughan’s edges always seemed to fly, elbow high, dreamy timing, with a lovely crisp clear woody sound.Crawley was on 73 at the time. Pat Cummings was bowling the second over after lunch. The ball was not quite there for the drive, but on the other hand very much there for the drive because, well, Crawley, feelings, moments, team energy. Continue reading...
There were selection mistakes and preparation was a muddle but there was also Broad’s bowling and Stokes blazing awayThe fifth day of the fourth Test ended the same way every other in this series has begun, with England having a kickabout on the outfield. The difference, this time, was that it was lashing down with rain while they played. The only other people outdoors at Old Trafford were underneath umbrellas and for a time it seemed like England were trying to con everyone else into believing the conditions were fit for the 1pm start the umpires had promised earlier in the morning. As the rain became heavier and, one by one, more players and coaches came over to join them,...
Washout denied England chance of victory and rare fifth-Test decider and tourists still want to win the seriesSometimes in life, you get away with one. You glance away then look back just in time to hit the brake. You double-check the recipient field before texting the wrong person about what a prat they are. You snag a few fingers in the back of a jumper when a toddler has materialised on the edge of the kitchen bench. You make a stunning catch when a loan shark launches your mother’s Fabergé egg off the back of a truck.It’s not because you deserve it. It’s just the way things happen sometimes, a counterpart to all the times they don’t. At Manchester in...
Egg-fearing cricketing maverick is furious at carefully sourced report’s findings. Has he made his Durham position untenable?“When I open a hard-boiled egg and I take the first mouthful and I think, what’s that, and then the second mouthful – there’s half an embryo in it. Well, excuse me but I find that a little bit revolting.” And quite right too. Finally someone has had the guts to say it. Embryo egg bites, imposed on everyday country people by the postcode weekenders of the London wokelite. Wake up sheeple. And when you’ve finally woken up, please buy my bespoke Beefy-blockchain NFTs.Ian Botham’s appearance on the youth TV show Open To Question in 1986 has already passed into internet legend, long before...