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« Previous EntriesCatching into contention
By Will 2 months ago, 5 Comments »
What a genuinely extraordinary day of Test cricket. My boss and I meandered through proceedings much as England did, as Stephen Fleming and Jamie How looked increasingly confident, before an hour of brilliance took over. New Zealand’s bravado cost them dear. (scorecard)
So flat did England look that New Zealand confidently mucked around with their lineup in an attempt to chivvy their run-rate. But in doing so, they let England through the backdoor and allied with some astonishing catching - the like of which I haven’t seen an England side take for years - we’re in for a corker of a final day.
Matthew Hoggard’s catch to dismiss Jamie How was a wonderfully athletic salmon-leap at deep midwicket. A Youtube classic for sure. But the real sensation - and that is what his catching has been in this Test - was Alastair Cook who added two more snaffles to his three in the first innings, one of which was an outstanding two-handed leap to his left. When an average fielder pulls off a fine catch, we all dismiss it as a) marvellous / wonderful / slightly hilarious and b) a fluke to be savoured, not expected. But when has one fielder, who was previously considered nothing short of a liability, taken so many corking catches in a Test? Remarkable.
However, isn’t it odd that a flurry of catches can make an average team look really rather good? England, as Andrew Miller points out in his verdict, probably don’t deserve to be in this situation; they bowled like drains in the first innings and their batsmen have showed all the urgency of an asthmatic mole.
Some of you will no doubt tick me off for not praising England - and yes, Ryan Sidebottom richly deserved his hat-trick - and you’re quite welcome to call me a cynical old bugger. But for now, let’s just savour the fact that a dead Test match has fizzed into life with one day to go. Who needs one-dayers?
5 Comments »Alastair Cook shocks us and himself
By Will 2 months ago, 9 Comments »
Although it was slow going at times, the first day in Hamilton was quite engrossing. Both teams sparred in the first session, then New Zealand threw away a number of their wickets with some dreadfully sloppy shots, and they go into the second day pretty much on level footing with England. England don’t quite have their noses in front…though perhaps one nostril.
What a day Alastair Cook had, and how entertaining it was to watch the surprise on his face at each of his three catches. The first was a lifter in the gully which almost knocked him backwards - not a difficult chance but nevertheless expertly taken. His second, a salmon-leaping effort in the gully to dismiss Stephen Fleming, was an absolute corker (it’s not on Youtube yet - do leave a comment if you find it). Plucking it one-handed to his right, he threw the ball away in that nonchalant fashion which has become popular, but even he couldn’t believe he’d held on. Since his debut, Cook has looked more arthritic than athletic in the field, but perhaps this is the turning point. England need a good gully - Ashley Giles was as safe as houses there.
England’s outfielding was generally over zealous - overthrows galore and stupid shies at the stumps - but their catching today was faultless and as good as I’ve seen since the 2005 Ashes.
But it was a curious day, and not just for Cook’s catching. Steve Harmison rarely reached 80mph; Paul Collingwood averaged above 75mph; Ryan Sidebottom was comfortably the fastest with a mean mean of 86mph and Matthew Hoggard bowled like a drain. Sidebottom is decidedly slippery nowadays - what the hell’s going on?
9 Comments »England’s beauty tips
By Will 3 months ago, 2 Comments »
What key attributes do England need in order to succeed in New Zealand? Moisturiser and paper pants. The full horror show can be watched at The Times.
2 Comments »Brit Blog Awards 2007
By Will last year, mid-April, 8 Comments »
Apparently I’ve been nominated in the Sport category of the not-too-famous Brit Blog Awards 2007. Thanks to whoever voted or nominated me. According to Chris from the PR firm representing Ask and Metro, “the BOBB’s were launched earlier in the year and are designed to discover the most talented wrtiers in the blogosphere”. I shouldn’t laugh, but that typo did make me chuckle…
Alastair Cook is one of the judges…so I hope he wasn’t put off by anything I’ve said here, nor by the comments from you angry fans. Behave yourselves.
The big question remains as yet unanswered: what do I win if I win?
8 Comments »Now that’s Test cricket!
By Scott 2 years ago, at the start of December, 5 Comments »
Right then, that’s the sort of cricket I want to see.
Tough, hard as nails, no mucking about, just getting in down and dirty.
Before we have any complaints that England ‘batted slow’, I just want to point out that it used to be always like this. Steve Waugh’s first day as captain was in the West Indies and Australia crawled to be 6 for 174 at stumps on Day 1. Off the full 90 overs. Of course, you don’t want to rush when you are facing Walsh and Ambrose.
And Australia went on to win that game by a mile.
No, today’s play was classic cricket, at its best. The Adelaide Oval was packed, the pitch was perfect, so it was just head to head between batsmen and bowlers. And a lot of what we saw in Brisbane flowed through to this game. England can bat well enough, but they just let themselves down with poor concentration. Strauss, Cook and Bell all gave their wickets away, after playing themselves in. These guys just have to kick themselves, because they’ll never get a better place to bat.
Not that it was that easy out there, because Australia did bowl well. Clark was the pick of the bowlers, even though he was confused as to why he didn’t bowl more. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely surprised myself- Clark was bowling beautiful lines and all, but you want to be bowling Lee in conditions like this. Lee bowled plenty of rubbish between his best bowling, and that is actually more likely to get you a wicket
That’s how Bell got himself out.
Even though England have had a strong day, as an Australian I’m not too worried yet. Once both sides have had a bat, it will be easier to tell who is placed the best. Australia’s batsmen are good at concentrating as well, and if England back themselves to score 450, Australia’s game-plan will be to first get something like that themselves, then, if possible, to build a first innings lead and try to erase the worry of a fourth innings chase.
But having said that, it has been a very good day for England and they will sleep well tonight.
5 Comments »Cook joins the Taffia
By Will 2 years ago, mid-October, 4 Comments »
Welsh people are called Taffs. There is an Italian criminal underworld known as the Mafia. Add a sprinkling of, erm, nothing and you get the Taffia. Alastair Cook, from Essex - although you couldn’t tell by his accent - is half Welsh. This surely is as dull as it gets, but you can read more here if you wish.
It’s absolutely pelting down here in Devon and I’ve been evacuated from the beach to the house. Evacuation is probably the wrong word to use for the local beach, as Slapton Sands is where hundreds (if not thousands) of Americans died during an exercise (Exercise Tiger) prior to the Normandy landings. The beach’s makeup - slate and mainly pebbles - was considered similar to Omaha, on the French coast and therefore ideal preparation for the landings. It was the biggest exercise on allied soil of its kind and, such was the importance placed on it that live ammunition was used.
It all went disasterously wrong. Initially it was said German U-Boats appeared from nowhere and gunned them all down but the US failed to reveal the casualty list for a number of years, increasing fears of a coverup. These days, it is widely considered the event was a momumental American cock-up - a “blue on blue”).
Might aswell tell you about the tank too. In the 1970s a bloke called Ken (can’t remember his surname) had a breakdown and resorted to beachcombing the Sands. He was told by friends there was an object a mile out to sea and it turned out to be an American Sherman tank. There was still a coverup by the Americans about Exercise Tiger but he was eventually allowed to purchase it - for $50! The British Navy and Americans refused to help, so this bloke Ken hired divers and equipment and effectively pulled it out himself. Pretty cool story I reckon. There’s a rumour the tank tracks worked perfectly when they dragged it onto the sands…but I doubt it, what with the rust etc.
Here endeth the lesson.
4 Comments »We’ve come a long way from ‘mental disintegration’.
By Scott 2 years ago, mid-August, 1 Comment »
Steve Waugh would be horrified:
John Buchanan believes his Ashes opponents have improved as a team unit since Andrew Flintoff’s injury-enforced absence. Buchanan has been impressed with the way England’s players have not sat back and looked to their stars to perform in consecutive Test wins over Pakistan.
“I think what we have seen from them is a gradual build-up in terms of the way they’re playing, their teamwork, and responsibility being shared around the team, which I think has been a real plus for them,” Buchanan said in The Age. “It hasn’t been a case of turning to Freddie Flintoff all the time to take a wicket or turning to [Steve] Harmison or [Kevin] Pietersen to deliver something. They’ve actually had the ability to share it around … the likes of Cook, Bell, Panesar and now [Chris] Read’s come in.”
This is probably all actually true. But Waugh would never have tolerated Buchanan saying such things if he had been in charge.
I’ve not been able to watch this latest England season, so I can not really comment on what has been going on. I have a vague feeling that this latest England side could be said to be rather greater then the sum of its parts, which is a good sign for England.
But like Steve Waugh, I was just about choking on my wheaties reading what Buchanan had to say.
1 Comment »McGrath names his batting bunnies already
By Scott 2 years ago, at the start of August, 17 Comments »
It wouldn’t be cricket if Glenn McGrath wasn’t mouthing off, and he’s already doing it for the Ashes, naming Strauss and Cook as his ‘batting bunnies’.
I don’t mind him doing it so much, it’s not really taken entirely seriously by anyone now, I would have thought. It has become a tradition. However, it is only the start of August. I wonder what else he is going to say between now and November 23?
17 Comments »Alastair Cook not short of confidence
By Will 2 years ago, mid-May, 6 Comments »
He’s 21 but, Christ, you’d think he’s been playing for a decade.
6 Comments »Jon Lewis and Sajid Mahmood called up
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of May, 4 Comments »
So then, Sajid Mahmood and Jon Lewis (hereafter known only as Never Knowingly) are in the squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka, as is Alastair Cook. The only curious announcement from David Graveney was the confirmation of Cook to bat at No. 3 in place of Ian Bell. Graveney will deny speculation that Bell is living on borrowed time - after all, he did have a pretty good winter - but this surely does ring warning bells (sorry) for him.
It does show the strength in depth in our batting, though. Cook is so ridiculously gifted - he’s hardly out of nappies, either - and it’s quite some ask to be asked to bat in such a pivotal position so early in your career. I suppose also it sends a message of arrogance to Sri Lanka; yep, he’s young and inexperienced but we think he’s good enough to play there against you lot.
Either way…an interesting choice on a day where little else of interest happened. South Africa nearly did what only they seem able to do these days: cock up spectacularly. But they didn’t and, in all fairness, deserved to win the Test. Their 2-0 series victory is a little generous though and, despite their rollicking three-day win today, they are very much a team in transition with some old pack-leaders in decline.
4 Comments »India v England, 1st Test, Nagpur, Day Five
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of March, 26 Comments »
(Day one comments | Day two | Day three | Day four)
England 393 and 297 for 3 (Cook 104*, Collingwood 36*) lead India 323 (Kaif 91, Hoggard 6-57) by 367 runs
Who can believe it? England are on top. Alastair Cook, a debutant, is unbeaten on 104. Truly a funny game, this cricket thing. Shall attempt to get up even earlier tomorrow, although I’m expecting a draw. Chat away!
26 Comments »Alastair Cook’s maiden Test century
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of March, 2 Comments »
If he showed a glimpse of his class in the first innings, Alastair Cook proved it today with an innings of remarkable composure, restraint and maturity to give England a genuine chance of forcing the most unlikely of victories on the final day. First came Marcus Trescothick as England’s fresh-faced left-handed opener. Then Andrew Strauss, albeit in fortuitous selectorial circumstances. England have unearthed a third who, on the basis of one innings at Nagpur, could be better than both.
The prophets of doom, myself included, predicted nothing less than a 3-0 drubbing by India before the Test started; Michael Vaughan’s wonky knee, Trescothick’s undisclosed problems and a swathe of injuries afflicted England. Not even the most optimistic observer could have forseen the situation England find themselves in after four days.
He joins Andrew Strauss, with whom he opened in this Test, to make a fifty and a hundred on debut. Michael Clarke was the last to do it for Australia; Virender Sehwag for India; Scott Styris for New Zealand and Dwayne Smith for the West Indies. In fact, Smith’s highest score since that hundred against South Africa is 42. Against the might of Bangladesh. So it’s not a certainty that debutant centurions should forge a successful Test career but - and I’m willing to eat my hat, if I have one left, should this not be true - Cook showed he has more than enough ability and determination to succeed at Test level.
Against a true master of legspin, Anil Kumble, he was calm and in control, deftly back-cutting and waiting for a bad ball. Against Kumble’s partner in crime, Harbhajan Singh, he was flustered but was patient enough, and disconcertingly mature, to realise that eventually a bad ball would come. Singh, like his team-mates, didn’t have a day to remember - nor was lady luck smiling on them, or even grimacing. However this was Cook’s first outing at this level, and he coped with absolutely everything. Strauss’s debut against the West Indies in 2004 was one to remember, undoubtedly, but Cook’s magical knock today was technically superior and all the more astonishing given his late arrival; it was made in the second innings, too.
If England win this Test - and there’s an awful lot more work to do - it must surely be regarded as one of the best in recent times, given their pre-series disasters. If anything, it proves one thing: never write a team off, and left-handers have a bloody easy time of it 
Owais Shah added to squad
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of February, No Comments; be the first!
So then, Owais Shah has joined an ever-increasing list of “cover” players to join England’s squad in India. He acts as cover for Marcus Trescothick, who’s flown home citing personal reasons. Alastair Cook has also been called upon; in fact, he was called up for England’s tour of Pakistan, too, when Michael Vaughan’s knee played up. Cook smashed a double hundred against Australia in the summer (for Essex) and is a fabulous talent. More thoughts at The Googly.
No Comments »Trescothick might fly home
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 11 Comments »
Update February 27 2006. You might be looking for this, instead.
This ‘aint good. Tresco’s father-in-law has fallen off his ladder - literally, not metaphorically, you understand. So he might be flying home.
He scored most of England’s run in the first Test, and Vaughan’s hardly put bat to ball all winter/tour. Alastair Cook, come on down!
11 Comments »Vaughan out (nearly), Cook in
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 12 Comments »
Alastair Cook’s been called up. Interesting selection - ahead of Robert Key, who must surely now be apoplectic with rage. It was Cook who smashed a double hundred against Australia, at nearly a run-a-ball, earlier in the summer.
12 Comments » « Previous Entries