England’s most flamboyant batsman has finally come of age as a Test player after making an uncharacteristic, patient 152As a warm and windswept afternoon wound down, the fun and games could begin. The pitch was behaving, there were more than enough runs on the board, Pakistan’s attack were beaten and broken, and with Jos Buttler settled and comfortable the big shots could come out. The devastating reverse sweep. The disdainful ramp over the shoulder. The beefy off-side punch. Only there was something strange. Buttler wasn’t the one playing any of these shots at all.Instead, in a curious reversal of roles it was Zak Crawley, the new crown prince of English batting, who was flaying Pakistan to all parts with a...
Twenty years ago the bowler switched ends at Headingley and ripped out four wickets for only the sixth time in Test historyBefore England’s second match against Pakistan 4,938,971 deliveries had been bowled in the history of Test cricket, equivalent to 823,161 (and a bit) six-ball overs, and of those only six have featured four wickets. About a quarter of one percent of the 2,392 Tests to have been played have had a four-wicket over, falling to only a tenth of a percent of the 912 Tests played since the turn of this century. Weirdly, three of those six four-wicket overs were bowled at Headingley, where Test bowlers are more than 15 times more likely to take four wickets in an...
Whoever was batting against Pakistan on day four, every delivery looked as if it might be his lastThere was a sadistic pleasure to be had for an old pro from the brief moments of play at the Rose Bowl. At the start of the England innings every other delivery seemed unplayable. The floodlights reflected brightly on the shiny, wine-dark Dukes ball and the pitch retained sufficient moisture to provide the most treacherous stage for opening batsmen.The ball swung in the air for Shaheen Afridi, then it kissed the turf and decided to change direction; Mohammad Abbas, wobbling the seam down the track in the modern way, appeared to be bowling fast leg-breaks. From the sofa this was mesmerising entertainment. Every...
Following England’s win over Pakistan via patchy wifi was thrilling and a reminder that the game has often been enjoyed from a distanceI spent last week in Shropshire, where my family and a few others had clubbed together to hire out Wilderhope Manor, the wonderful and historic National Trust property and youth hostel whose splendour and all-round magnificence must make it among the most unlikely places in the country to find creaky bunk beds, rubberised mattresses, shared toilets and bargain accommodation.Despite its antiquity the property is equipped with many modern conveniences including wifi, the only problem being that the modem is housed in a cafeteria that was locked for the duration of our stay, and the signal stubbornly refused to...
Perhaps it was inevitable that in being a leader, an ambassador, an entertainer and a salesman, something had to giveThree years ago, I went to Sheffield to interview Joe Root. It was his first summer as England captain and as he parsed his way through a series of solemn, proportionate answers about New Responsibilities and Exciting Opportunities, I became increasingly fascinated by his demeanour. His posture was nervous and awkward; his gestures self-conscious and uncertain; his words stilted and punctuated by short involuntary intakes of breath. It seemed like Root still was still trying to work out whether the England captaincy was something into which you grow or shrink. Whether it bottles you up or sets you free.A couple of...