Cricket Comment: Colin Graves’ concerns – why four-day Tests are not best way forward April 1, 2015 From what I have seen, incoming England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves has the appetite to implement change that will improve the structure of cricket in this country. He is due to start work next month and will arrive with a fresh mind and, hopefully, will be armed with certain long-term ideas that [...]
High winds were just not cricket for Lord’s March 31, 2015 LONDON was hit yesterday by gusts of up to 50mph which caused chaos for commuters and workers in the capital. A fallen tree left commuters trying to get to Hackney, Walthamstow and Chingford stranded and the Father Time weather vane at Lord’s cricket ground was damaged.
Sport Comment: Popcorn at the ready for return of cricket’s very own Butch Cassidy March 26, 2015 I KNOW, I know: it’s international week and Lithuania are in town but, seriously, I think even the staunchest Tottenham fan has had enough of Harry Kane. Instead, keeping the international theme going, I give you the case of a 34-year-old, perhaps past his prime, who is hoping for a last hurrah with England. Those [...]
Cricket Comment: KP and Cook are grown men and may have to forget disagreements March 25, 2015 The Surrey squad were taking part in a pre-season inter-squad practice game at the Oval yesterday when the news of Kevin Pietersen’s return to the club was confirmed. What a great signing he is. Kevin is world class and hopefully he will score the volume of runs he needs to put pressure on the England [...]
Cricket Comment: Now Trott should open for country March 18, 2015 BATSMAN Jonathan Trott holds a proven record at international level so having a class player like him back in the squad for their three-Test tour of the Caribbean next month can only benefit England. There is going to be a lot of attention on his first return, having left the 2013-14 Ashes tour with a [...]
Cricket Comment: Demoting Moores and ditching stats could help boost England March 12, 2015 IT would be unfair if England head coach Peter Moores was sacked. He hasn’t had a huge amount of time to prove himself and he was thrown in at the deep end slightly with a World Cup coming so soon after his appointment last April. But looking at the style of cricket England have played [...]
Cricket Comment: England need player like KP March 4, 2015 He’s a matchwinner and was unfairly let go but a comeback looks unlikely to me KEVIN Pietersen’s sacking last February was unfair and it was a shame for English cricket the way it happened but the timing of incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves seemingly handing him a lifeline has created an unwelcome distraction. England have [...]
Pietersen told he could return to fold – if he plays county cricket March 1, 2015 INCOMING England cricket chief Colin Graves has offered Kevin Pietersen an England lifeline after refusing to rule out an international return for the maverick batsman. South African-born Pietersen was sacked by England last February and was later released by Surrey, while the 34-year-old has not played a competitive game longer in format that Twenty20 since [...]
Cricket Comment: England ought to pick Tredwell and Bopara instead of Finn and Ballance February 18, 2015 THERE weren’t a huge amount of positives to take from World Cup defeat to Australia last Saturday. Hopefully the main one will be the realisation that the tactics at the death were wrong and there was too much short bowling. England undoubtedly have some good bowlers but, as I wrote last week, that bowling attack [...]
Cricket Comment: Underdog status in England’s favour February 11, 2015 Our new columnist on the chances of England upsetting the odds and lifting their first World Cup. England are unlikely to win the World Cup but you just never know. They are certainly going in the right direction and the chances of success are a lot higher than they were a couple of months [...]