England’s horror film batting makes a mockery of The Oval’s pleasant conditions to spurn fifth Test opportunity September 12, 2019 Many horror films begin with an opening period of calm serenity. A group of fresh-faced innocence teenagers go to a cabin by a lake. A family check into a remote, eerie, cobweb-filled mansion. A group of friends head off on a road trip across the barren countryside. Initially the characters go about their lives with [...]
World Cup winner but Ashes failure: Trevor Bayliss leaves England with lopsided legacy September 11, 2019 Tomorrow’s final Ashes Test match at The Oval marks the end of Trevor Bayliss’s four-year tenure in charge of England and, naturally enough, the landmark has prompted an assessment of his body of work. The man himself rates his time in charge as a five out of 10 – a straight-down-the-middle judgement which is fairly [...]
England must press the reset button and use their Ashes disappointment to drive a new era September 9, 2019 Not so long ago England were the best Test cricket side in the world. The story of how they went from world No7 in 2009 to the summit just over two years later has been retold recently, first through the gripping film The Edge and now with the release of former England captain Alastair Cook’s [...]
England can’t have any complaints, Australia have been the better side from day one and thoroughly deserve to win the Ashes September 8, 2019 It’s a shame that England are ending an incredible summer on a disappointing note but there can’t be any debate that Australia 100 per cent deserve to win this Ashes series. They have been the best side from day one. Having won at Edgbaston, they dominated the second Test at Lord’s, where they would have [...]
Unorthodox but effective: Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne punish wayward England on day one at Old Trafford September 4, 2019 After their Ashes campaign finally set sail with Ben Stokes standing proudly on the helm at Headingley, England were blown off course on the first day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford. The cold, wet and squally conditions might have been to no one’s taste – neither team, nor spectators, who witnessed just 44 [...]
England v Australia fourth Ashes Test preview: Ben Stokes eyes third miracle act at Old Trafford September 3, 2019 If they want to win the Ashes back England really shouldn’t have to rely on Ben Stokes. After all, he’s already performed enough miracles in six weeks to last even the most talented sportsman a lifetime. This summer he’s won them a first World Cup and kept the Ashes alive, so really in the interest [...]
Chris Tremlett: Craig Overton selection at Old Trafford is surprising but based on solid thinking September 3, 2019 I was surprised to see the news that Craig Overton was coming into England’s side for the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Old Trafford tomorrow. Chris Woakes is not injured, so the fact Overton, who joined the squad as a replacement for Jimmy Anderson, has moved ahead of both Woakes and Sam Curran raised [...]
Richard Gould interview: Surrey’s chief executive on T20 Blast success, The Hundred and the fifth Ashes Test September 2, 2019 Surrey are enjoying a bumper summer, but Richard Gould is worried news of their prosperity might be getting lost among other cricket events. The hype from England’s World Cup win in July has, thanks to Ben Stokes, merged seamlessly into Ashes euphoria, creating a phenomenon Surrey have been reaping the benefits of. The club’s chief [...]
Chris Tremlett: England must use Ben Stokes’s Headingley miracle to spark Ashes fightback August 28, 2019 Like many, I assumed it would all be over when I looked at the score in England’s third Ashes Test against Australia on Sunday. But like many I didn’t count on the character and talent of Ben Stokes. I was there at the WACA in December 2013 to see Stokes hit his maiden Test century [...]
Chris Tremlett: Once-in-a-generation Jofra Archer gives England an Ashes fear factor August 21, 2019 I was lucky enough to be at Lord’s on Sunday to see the culmination of Jofra Archer’s debut and watching live it felt like I was witnessing a once-in-a-generation bowler operate. Archer is undoubtedly a special talent. People may have scored more runs or taken more wickets on their Test debuts, but I’d struggle to [...]