Obligatory Test Series Preview Post
In which I make five predictions for the upcoming series between England and New Zealand, that will probably be woefully wrong, but if they are right then I’ll brag about it for months. 1) England will...
View ArticleWhat is eating England?
Instances of New Zealand doing well in test cricket are rare, so attributing the cause of their success is always difficult. It is tempting to trot out the usual cliches about turning a corner, turning...
View ArticleHow good will Tim Southee get?
Right arm medium fast. The most common type of bowler in the world, except for perhaps orthodox off spin, or part time medium. But if you are from New Zealand, you would have seen a fair few right arm...
View ArticleHunting as a Pack
Perhaps it is nothing more than a cliche trotted out by commentators searching for something meaningful to say. In recent years there has been possibly an overuse of the phrases ‘bowling as a unit,...
View ArticleWe aren’t angry, just disappointed
What is worse? When the team you support gets thrashed by a huge margin, is never in the game, and generally gets outplayed in every department. Or when your team maintains parity right until then end,...
View ArticleThe Credibility of the IPL is in tatters
But does anyone really care? On the one hand, you have those who don’t really mind about off-field dramas, about scandals and the backroom deals that spawned the IPL. They just want to see some sixes,...
View ArticleGive the Irish a chance
Irish cricket is in a strange place. They have shown they are capable of matching Pakistan, getting a tie in one match and losing by the slimmest of margins in the other. They beat England at one World...
View ArticleA Tale of Two Tours
How did things change so fast? From three tests in New Zealand, which the plucky Kiwis came so close to winning, to two tests in England, where they were quite simply plucked. Somewhere along the way...
View ArticleThe Black Caps Conundrum
Consistently inconsistent. That is the only way one could describe this, or any Black Caps team over the past decade. There are some big questions about the current squad, thrown into sharp relief by...
View ArticleChampions Trophy provides context
The One Day International is a strange beast. Dreadful when played in bilateral series, thrilling and fascinating when played in tournaments. Cricket schedules in recent years have been fluffed through...
View ArticleA Warning against Warner
Picture the scene. Australian players streaming out of their dressing room at The Oval, wild with jubilation. English fielders hanging their heads in shame and dismay, knowing that they have just given...
View ArticleLast Ashes Test – To Hell with Objectivity
Many bloggers will compile lists about this Ashes. Players who did well, players who should have done better, players who will be in World XIs, players who fulfil some obscure statistical criteria....
View ArticleAshes to Ashes
My last post was during the last Ashes series. Strangely enough, that was a mere few months ago. In some ways this fact is a microcosm of why I haven’t been writing as much recently. Diamonds retain...
View ArticleInconceivable
I watched The Princess Bride on Friday night, which, incidentally, was also the night after the first day of the 2nd test between New Zealand and India. There’s a recurring gag where an arrogant...
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