They may have differing styles but the veteran West Indies opener and India wicketkeeper are proving their class and their longevity in recent inningsEven after four hundred-and-some years cricket still has its mysteries, like whether the weather really causes swing, exactly what happened to the ball Garry Sobers hit for that sixth six, and quite why so many of the best players seem to end up advertising hair transplants. You can make a great team of these, say, off the top of my head (and theirs), Graham Gooch and Virender Sehwag, Michael Vaughan, Ricky Ponting, Martin Crowe, Jacques Kallis, Sourav Ganguly, Greg Matthews, Shane Warne, Darren Gough, and Doug ‘the rug’ Bollinger. It’s a symbiotic relationship. The cricketers get one...
Another huge score, allied to the skills of Adil Rashid and Mark Wood, will give England renewed confidence for the World CupEngland’s one-day renaissance began in 2015 with a Jos Buttler-inspired monster of 408 for nine against New Zealand at Edgbaston and, having never climbed so high previously, their batsmen have since gone on to pass the hallowed 400-barrier on three more occasions.But only in their most recent such feat – the near-gazumping in Grenada on Wednesday – did they walk off the field at the end looking closer to survivors in a disaster film than victors. Until Adil Rashid finally doused the West Indian fire in the 48th over of the chase, claiming four wickets in five balls, English...
England paceman stays true to his goals despite several left ankle operations and proves himself a bowler of shock and aweMark Wood, from childhood days spent charging in from the conifers at the back of his garden, trying to clonk his father, Derek, on the head, through to the present, has only ever wanted to bowl as fast as he possibly can and play Test cricket for England.A rebellious left ankle that has led to him going under the knife multiple times might have led others to veer away from one or both of these ambitions, either by dialling down on pace or specialising in short-form cricket in a bid to have a career of sorts. But Wood has always...
Tourists have Buttler and Stokes to thank for salvaging some pride against West Indies after top order exposed againTo say the first English arrivals on St Lucia did not fare too well would be something of an understatement.In 1605 the Olive Blossom was blown off course on its journey from Barbados to Guyana and under the leadership of the ship’s captain, Nicholas St John, its 67 passengers came ashore seeking refuge. Related: Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler give England hope as top order falters once again Related: Ben Stokes: ‘I didn’t take my pads off, I was just sat in my chair’ Continue reading...
Brathwaite’s stoic work - he was out in the middle for 53 overs – embodies much of what is admirable about West IndiesKraigg Brathwaite, like many Caribbean cricketers of his generation, was drawn to play the sport by the dashing brilliance of Brian Lara. But as he grew to appreciate the nuances of the game it was another batsman who became his muse: Shiv Chanderpaul.After first entering the West Indies dressing room in 2011, aged 19, Brathwaite spent four years studying Chanderpaul close up. And at a time when his peers were looking to expand their games and scorch their way round the global Twenty20 circuit he became captivated by the great Guyanese’s ability to concentrate for extended periods. Related:...