From the World Cup to Ashes series and The Hundred: English cricket’s battle for hearts and minds May 21, 2019 With the biggest ever summer of international cricket about to start, featuring a men’s World Cup as well as men’s and women’s Ashes series, the sport faces perhaps its greatest challenge. But will such riches put cricket back in the public consciousness for the first time since 2005? That year’s Ashes series marked the end [...]
Lord’s last One-Day Cup final? MCC head of cricket John Stephenson on Hampshire v Somerset, the domestic 50-over competition’s future and The Hundred May 20, 2019 John Stephenson knows a thing or two about one-day cricket. As a fan, player and now head of cricket at Marylebone Cricket Club, he has watched, participated in and enjoyed the format as it has evolved. As a child his interest was piqued by Gloucestershire’s Mike Procter, who scored 94 in a win over Sussex [...]
Formula One taking cues from the Premier League on increasing competition and wants to add African race to calendar May 20, 2019 Since Liberty Media took over Formula One in 2017, the company has been insistent on the sport’s potential for commercial growth. How to achieve that has posed challenges, though, highlighting a need to improve the product on the track as well as expanding its reach. The first of those hurdles has proved difficult to jump, with [...]
Manchester City: Treble winners, record breakers, untouchable – and too good? May 19, 2019 In the wake of a domestic treble unprecedented in English men’s football, there should be no sparing of praise for the brilliance of Manchester City. Saturday’s FA Cup final against Watford was a devastating showcase: a 6-0 dismantling of a good team, the most emphatic margin of victory in the fixture for more than a [...]
Debate: As National Vegetarian Week ends, will this group outnumber meat eaters in the next decade? May 17, 2019 As National Vegetarian Week ends, will this group outnumber meat eaters in the next decade? YES – Sophie Lewis is chief strategy officer at marketing agency VMLY&R. If you’d asked me two years ago, my answer would have been in the negative, but we’ve reached a cultural tipping point when it comes to both vegetarians [...]
Ollie Phillips: Premiership play-off place in Harlequins’ grasp ahead of trip to under-performing Wasps May 16, 2019 The final weekend of the Premiership season is upon us and there’s plenty to play for, with the last play-off spot still up for grabs. As it stands Northampton Saints are in pole position, occupying fourth, one point ahead of fifth-placed Harlequins. But despite their points advantage I’d rather be in Quins’ position – and [...]
Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic review: Casting black actors adds a new dimension to Arthur Miller’s classic May 16, 2019 Such is the power of the racial divide in America that simply casting a black family at the heart of Arthur Miller’s 1949 masterpiece presents it in a dark and troubling new light. The Wire’s Wendell Pierce plays Willy Loman, the titular travelling salesman weighed down by economic hardship, social anxiety and a crippling desire [...]
How Watford’s digital overhaul has helped the FA Cup finalists to keep punching above their weight May 16, 2019 Nestled among the replica kits and Javi Gracia T-shirts at Watford’s club shop is a version of “Guess Who?” in which the board game’s usual cast of characters is replaced with current Hornets players. Rival supporters might quip it’s an apt product for a team whose revolving door policy to recruitment can make it difficult [...]
Chris Tremlett: With Bairstow and Buttler firing England have the best ODI batting line-up in the world May 15, 2019 If the last two games have shown us anything it’s that the sky is the limit for England’s batsmen. Twice in the past week they’ve scored over 350 in One-Day International victories against Pakistan. It’s happening so frequently now that it’s really no longer a surprise. England have the best 50-over batting line-up in the [...]
Best of the Rest XI: The Premier League’s top performers this season outside of the Big Six May 15, 2019 This season’s individual accolades have been awarded and, unsurprisingly, the vast majority went to players at Liverpool and Manchester City, with the leftovers for players at other Big Six clubs. But the Premier League is home to another 14 teams who have shown an array of talent this year. Here is City A.M’s Best of [...]