Derek Pringle’s unconventional autobiography romps through the 80s and is a reminder of a lost age – when cricket was a serious game and sociable with itI first met Derek Pringle on 23 April 1982, St George’s Day. It can be dated exactly because the occasion is noted in Wisden: Cambridge University v Glamorgan at Fenner’s. Our conversation is reported in Pringle’s new book.He was the dashing captain of Cambridge who had just come extremely close to leading his team to victory over a first-class county for the first time since, well, a long time. And almost wholly through his own brilliant batting. But they hadn’t won, because with five wickets down, Pringle still in and the target within reach,...
The ECB’s approach may seem light beside Australia’s to ball-tampering but it is time to look forward to the last summer of cricket as we know itIt is now possible to move on. To the relief of those in charge of the England cricket teams – Trevor Bayliss, Ed Smith, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan – Ben Stokes and the man who became the doosra in all this, Alex Hales, are eligible for selection for all forthcoming matches. There will be no complications for the national selector when he announces the tour parties for the West Indies on Monday. Related: Ben Stokes and Alex Hales fined by ECB over Bristol incident but cleared to play Continue reading...
The England cricketer and the France footballer find redemption in the harsh world of professional sportOne of the most inspiring characteristics of competitive sport is that it offers up more acts of redemption than The Lives of the Saints. Seldom are these little morality tales more satisfying than when they concern a player who has lost his way, his form, his confidence, the support of the crowd and, one imagines, the patience of his teammates. Related: Adil Rashid inflicts mortal wounds on India and can look to Sri Lanka Related: Public must be told true reasons for Adil Rashid’s differences with Yorkshire | Jason Gillespie Continue reading...
England have become aggressive, flexible and free-thinking, an approach more in keeping with Michael Vaughan than Alastair Cook or Andrew StraussEvery England fan needs a plan for how to follow a winter series. These last few weeks I’ve been lying in bed listening to coverage of the first session or so through an earpiece, which meant there were moments in the early hours, half awake and half asleep, when England’s victory seemed something like a dream, the work of some undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese. It was not just that they won, though they had not managed to do that in any of the rest of the 13 overseas Tests they had played...
Jack Fingleton’s delightful take on Don Bradman’s Invincibles details the escapist pleasure of the series for post-war EnglandThis past week, I bought something for nine pence. It felt something of an achievement, even in a charity shop. Perhaps the manager of this one didn’t see much value in sport or perhaps she cared about it so passionately that it inspired her to rare feats of generosity. Either way, the cricket books on the shelves were being offered at a price as nostalgic as their contents.Which is why I have finally read Brightly Fades the Don. My previous experiences with some of the so-called classics of cricket writing had put me off – I’d rather eat corrugated cardboard than read any...