One of the batting greats showed his class again for Australia at the home of cricket with a century full of balance and defianceIt seemed fitting that even Steve Smith’s celebration of another brilliant, gripping sui generis hundred should become a little bit clipped and fraught and fussicky. The hundred had arrived in the right way too, with one of the thrillingly unbound, but still perfectly balanced cover drives that had decorated his innings.Smith’s cover drive is a remarkable thing. It shouldn’t really be possible. He is already opening his body up the other way as the ball is delivered, closing his left shoulder, gripping the bat hard with his bottom hand, shaping for the default leg-side nurdle. Continue reading...
Ben Duckett’s Test career appeared to be finished in 2017 but his busy 98 at Lord’s embellished a stirring comeback storyIt was actually a vodka and lemonade, not that it really matters. Everyone assumes that the drink Ben Duckett tipped over James Anderson during the ill-fated 2017-18 Ashes tour – the drink that looked like ending his international career for good – was a pint of beer. To a large extent, I think, this is because Duckett basically looks like a pint drinker. You can almost see it nestled in his meaty hand: one arm resting on the wood-panelled bar, the other showing you a picture of a new sports car on his phone.And for years this is how Duckett...
Ben Stokes’s declaration on day one was a mistake but it was not a fatal one and a lack of match practice really undid themA close finish in Test cricket is an Agatha Christie, a whowunnit with umpteen suspects. When the difference between the sides is slim, you can attribute it to almost anything: Usman Khawaja’s 13-hour vigil, Pat Cummins’ cool-headed cameo, Ben Stokes’s befuddling declaration, Jonny Bairstow’s frustrating fumbles, Nathan Lyon’s eight wickets – or a pitch that was tailor-made for him. The old farts among the fans were too quick to blame it on the boogie. But it wasn’t Bazball wot lost it: it was Bazball that, as so often, defeated the draw.The declaration attracted the most scorn,...
This first Test is reminiscent of 2013 as David Warner gave Australia a flying start before Broad delivered one of his Ashes specialsSmoking Jesus. Take a moment to collect yourself. If you were watching that final day at Edgbaston, you deserve to let your nerves unspool. They must be clenched to raging little clusters of data. Do some deep breathing. Take your shoes off and walk on the lawn. Fists with your toes. Even if you’re not invested in either team, close Test cricket can make you sick, when awaiting each delivery feels like you’ve just chugged a large chocolate milk before jumping on Magic Mountain.If you’ve paid any attention to coverage over the past five days, you might have...
As Australia won the first Ashes Test, England did not act like a team that had just lost a game they probably should have wonOf course it all came down to the declaration didn’t it? Just like the man on the radio phone-in said it would. Ben Stokes’s bold/braindead decision (note to subeditors: I’m on deadline, so please delete as appropriate) to call his batsmen in early in the first innings turned out to be a truly inspired/idiotic bit of captaincy. Joe Root was on 118 at the time, and Ollie Robinson had 17, the two of them were rattling along and common sense dictated they should be left to get on with it. But Stokes thought differently.Well, the handful...