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« Previous EntriesHoggard returns; no cover for Collingwood
By Will 2 days ago, in the early morning, 6 Comments »
So, Matthew Hoggard has been included in England’s 12-man squad for the first Test, alongside Paul Collingwood. Interestingly, Collingwood - who has an injured shoulder - wasn’t given any cover. No Ravi Bopara or Luke Wright to be seen. Andrew Strauss retains his place.
Batting looks strong, and the bowling ought to be too…but I’m never comfortable with Jimmy Anderson in the side. Who knows what he’ll do?
England squad
Michael Vaughan (capt), Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Tim Ambrose (wk), Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar, James Anderson, Matthew Hoggard.
Fletcher attacks Harmison
By Will 1 month ago, 3 Comments »
Watch out, fading fast bowlers the world over. Duncan Fletcher has spoken to his former ghost-writer, Steve James, and has some things to say about Steve Harmison:
“It’s typical Harmy, I’m afraid,” he says, “We’ve seen it over and over again. He could and should be the No 1 one bowler in the world but he can’t seem to be able to put it all together.
“I saw an interview on TV the other day where he was having a go back at some current players who’d criticised him. He said something about not being able to wait to see them from 22 yards. Why does he need things like that to motivate himself? Why can’t he just motivate himself? I think he’ll find it hard to get back in. He’ll need some consistent performances to do so.”
And Matthew Hoggard:
And his fellow omission in New Zealand, Matthew Hoggard? “I was not surprised,” he says, “He always struggled when he was the main strike bowler. His speed has been dropping for a while. I heard someone saying he’d lost his nip but I thought it had gone a while ago.”
And…well, you get the idea. James is full of praise for Fletcher - they are good mates and, from the few occasions I have spoken to him, James comes across as a shrewd assessor of a man’s character. Fletcher’s is the sharpest mind in cricket, he reckons. So have a read.
3 Comments »New Zealand v England, 2nd Test, Wellington
By Will 2 months ago, 8 Comments »
To windy Wellington we go for the second Test, with England lacking two of their most experienced fast bowlers, Matthew Hoggard (err - what?) and Steve Harmison. I’d have agreed with dropping Hoggard - if only to send shockwaves through the team that anything other than an excellent performance simply won’t suffice. But this is meant to be a green, seam-friendly swinger in Wellington - and as “talented” as Michael Vaughan thinks James Anderson is, reliable he is not. It’s all or nothing.
On that merry note, join us at Cricinfo for a full package of joyous fun and analysis and occasionally laughter. And, in between drinking yourself into a depressed stupor, leave a comment or three below.
8 Comments »Catching 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 »Matthew Hoggard’s video diary from Sri Lanka
By Will last year, at the start of December, 3 Comments »
Matthew Hoggard is video-blogging his tour of Sri Lanka. Have a look below, or click here.
You need Flash Player 8 or higher to view video content with the ROO Flash Player.
Click here to download and install it.
Matthew Hoggard, England all-rounder, animal lover and technical wizard gives
us a warts-and-all look behind the scenes as the tour of Sri Lanka gets
underway.
In the first episode, he struggles to cope with jetlag, enjoys the view of a
building site outside his bedroom, turns the tables on a Sky Sports reporter
and gets up close and personal with a Male Body Toucher.
England start well
By Will last year, at the start of December, 1 Comment »
Surprised? Me too, as are the whole of England no doubt. This was comfortably the best start by a touring England side to a series I can remember for years - certainly by one bowling first, and definitely by one who lost the toss. My and my colleague reckon it’s the best bowling performance since Angus Fraser took 5 for 28 against the West Indies on the first day at Sabina Park in 1990.
The threat of Muttiah Muralitharan still looms large. Like a really, really nasty weather forecast for a Bank Holiday you just know he’s going to cause havoc at some time or another, especially considering the turn Monty Panesar got. Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan played him pretty safely in the evening gloom, however.
It certainly beats the horrors of last year.
1 Comment »Photos from MCC v Sussex, Lord’s
By Will last year, mid-April, 4 Comments »
Some cracking photos from Peter Meade of MCC v Sussex.
Matthew Hoggard in typical unrestrained, relaxed, un-mediary pose:
Steve Harmison. Pensive as ever.
And finally…
An unmissable horror show
By Will 2 years ago, mid-December, 6 Comments »
By the time I’d reached double figures, my brother had subjected me to most of the vile horror and thriller movies Britain and Hollywood had churned out. Older brothers are good for this. I’d worked through the initial mind-bending disgust and learned to appreciate their cinematic qualities, or so I insisted. And today, watching Adam Gilchrist smack the second-fastest Test century, I was transported back to my youth.
Like England, I no longer feared Gilchrist. Bring Freddie around the wicket and let the ball do the rest. But once Gilly passed fifty, everything clicked spectacularly. England were sinking like ten Titanics piled on top one another, and Australia were beating the urn from them like an unruly bouncer confiscating a teenager’s alcopop. The sixes were worthy of 12 and the unrestrained violence was just too delicious to ignore. You wanted him to get there. Viv Richards? Who’s he? Let Gilly beat it, and some. I was urging him on like a true blue Aussie (or a true green’n'gold).
One feedbacker to Cricinfo proclaimed Matthew Hoggard as the most unsporting bowler ever to draw breath (or words to the effect of) by preventing Gilchrist from taking the record from Richards. Yes, Hoggard did send the ball wider and Gilchrist couldn’t quite reach it - but that is the bowler’s job. I’m not convinced Hoggie was even aware of the record, anyway…
Epic. Sometimes, foes are just impressive not to admire. (read his full innings via Cricinfo’s ball-by-ball. Shouldn’t take long…)
6 Comments »Hoggard’s 5th video diary from Australia
By Will 2 years ago, mid-December, No Comments; be the first!
Couple of days late, but here’s Matthew Hoggard’s 5th video diary from Australia. (see previous videos)
Click here if you can’t see the video above.
No Comments »Hoggard’s 4th video diary from Australia
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of December, 2 Comments »
Matthew Hoggard’s fourth Ashes video diary. Usual nonsense but he does it better than most cricketers could and it’s good to see behind the scenes at Adelaide. It ends with him in an ice bath…click here if you can’t see the video below.
2 Comments »Fast, and not so fast, bowlers
By Scott 2 years ago, at the end of November, 7 Comments »
There’s been more ink and bytes spilled on the Steve Harmison issue then any other English player in the last week or so then I can remember. Given that so many English hopes rested on his shoulders, that is understandable.
Jagadish crunches some numbers on Harmison. Meanwhile, his fellow fast bowlers escape scrutiny.
England’s other bowlers deserve some stick as well. Matthew Hoggard is an honest toiler, but he will struggle in Australian conditions. The lack of reverse swing has gone a long way to de-fang him. And, let me make it clear, it would have de-fanged Simon Jones as well, if he had been here. There might have been a few less half volleys, but it is wishful thinking to think that England’s attack would be much more dangerous with Jones about. At best, he might have stemmed the tide.
Since Jones is not around, England called upon two younger sorts. Jimmy Anderson got the nod at Brisbane, and he was mediocre. His bowling figures reflect that too. He was not able to bowl a consistent line or length to develop any pressure on the batsmen and Australia’s batsmen just waited for the bad balls and picked him off.
And there’s no excuse for that- his performance was barely worthy of first class cricket. Anderson needs to stop worrying about his hair product, get a copy of his Brisbane pitchmap, and get his arse in the nets and start working.
He certainly doesn’t deserve a place in the Adelaide Test but he might get it; the only other pace alternative is Sajid Mahmood. I saw Mahmood in the first game of the tour against the Prime Minister’s XI, and he was even worse then Anderson. If England seriously bring him into the XI for Adelaide, it will be Christmas come early for the Australian batsman.
Much more likely is the introduction of Monty Panesar. I’ve not seen him bowl except for highlights, but everyone that has seen him was surprised that he wasn’t included at the Gabba. From what I can tell, England’s best option is to include both spinners, and rely on Flintoff to attack with short sharp bursts, including the new ball.
Giles is not regarded as a serious wicket-taking options, but he does have the merit of keeping it tight. That is a handy virtue to have while Panesar is attacking at the other end. It is a huge ask to Panesar on Ashes debut, but England’s bowling plight is desperate, and there’s nothing else for it.
Anyway, that’s my take. Tim de Lisle has his take here. What’s your take?
7 Comments »Hoggard’s video diary from Australia
By Will 2 years ago, mid-November, 6 Comments »
Matthew Hoggard is probably the most candid of the England side - intelligent, certainly, but endearingly mad - so it’s no surprise that he is video-blogging his tour in Australia. (vlogging, or some such ridiculous term I suppose you might call it). The Times are using YouTube which is a good sign, and below is his first entry. (Click here if you can’t see the video below).
And here’s the second:
And the third:
6 Comments »Video of Hoggard’s 7 for 61 against South Africa
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of October, No Comments; be the first!
A really great video of Matthew Hoggard’s 7 for 61 against South Africa, January 2005. The only blemish to an otherwise enthralling few minutes of video is the diabolical commentary from Bob Willis. He “described” (reacted to) the first five wickets, so you can turn the sound up on the sixth.
This was one of the first bloggage things I blogged about; the victory in South Africa was quite something to watch. Click here if you can’t see it below.
No Comments »As if six injuries weren’t enough
By Emma 2 years ago, mid-September, No Comments; be the first!
Matthew Hoggard gave the media a scare today by pulling up with a possible side strain. I’m trying not to get too carried away with this, as we’re bound to be twitching over twinges for the next ten weeks. It’s just that almost every injury problem England have started off with something small. Simon Jones gets cramp in the outfield, falls over in the nets some months later, and is on crutches for months. Flintoff plays a first class game as a final warm up, and then has to hobble off for the rest of the summer. Trescothick leaves a ground in tears, then leaves the country, and now can’t go back for medical reasons… and it goes on. So I’ll postpone my sigh of relief until the second MRI tomorrow.
Regardless of the test results, the scare has already left a mark on Yorkshire’s search for the vital points they need to pull themselves from the bottom spot in the Championship’s first division. Whilst they have yet to field, the Northern county will surely miss the Hogster’s guile and experience, as they look to set nothing more than a par first innings score against Notts.
No Comments »Hugo Boss to sponsor English cricket
By Will 2 years ago, mid-August, 17 Comments »
We get all sorts of press releases at Cricinfo. Some are breaking news of a player’s injury; others are more PR-related (”Gloucestershire announce new chef - stop the press!”) and most are plain banal. This, however, takes the biscuit:
Hugo Boss are to sponsor English cricket. According to the sickly email we received, Andrew Strauss said “The photo-shoot was a great experience and good fun, with all the boys really getting into it,” a statement bordering on the hilarious yet with a hint of the disturbing, too.
I suppose it’s a good thing. Could you ever have imagined England cricketers being sponsored by anyone other than a tractor company, or Mrs Brabbleflop’s pork pies in Shrewsbury, in the 1990s? Although perhaps that’s just the point: with success (or at least an increase in popularity) comes commercialism, and hungry marketers desperate for a slice of your fame.
I’ll leave the opinions of those pictured up to you. One final thought: is it significant that Strauss is pictured in the middle of the photo…?
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