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...
The batsman’s comeback fell flat but hope springs eternal as Fawad hit a century in the second innings of his debut in 2009They say the best things in life are worth waiting for. Fawad Alam’s innings in the second Test probably wasn’t one of them – unless, that is, you happen to have a particularly black sense of humour. Poor Fawad won the last of his Test caps in November 2009. Ten years, eight months, 17 days and 8,348 first-class runs later he was finally back, walking out to the middle at the Rose Bowl with his team 117 for four, Stuart Broad bowling at one end, Chris Woakes the other. He blocked one ball, left the next, played and...
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...
If it did not quite match last year at Headingley, this win over Pakistan shows a team at their best when the odds are longestThe Observer’s official policy about the use of swear words is right there in the official style guide, between the entries on Swaziland and swingeing. “We are more liberal than most newspapers,” it says, however, “we should use such words only when absolutely necessary to the facts of a piece, or to portray a character in an article; there is almost never a case in which we need to use a swearword outside direct quotes.” Which, yes, all makes good sense. Only, I’d guess the person who wrote it never had to take on the job...
The 17-year-old has made a big impact as part of an entertaining Pakistan attack that has everything a side could wantThe first thing you notice about Naseem Shah is his action. It’s smooth and slick and sideways-on, as if the unnatural act of bowling fast were a perfectly instinctive thing, and those strange, awkward contortions of legs and arms, the leap and twist, the tangle of limbs, were all as simple and obvious to him as putting one foot in front of the other. His coach, Waqar Younis, once said it reminded him of watching Dennis Lillee bowl, which is rare praise. And that’s what the fielders were crying out to him in between deliveries, “Lillee Shah! Lillee Shah!” Whip,...