Deciding whether to tour Bangladesh will not be an easy call for England’s players August 31, 2016 I have every sympathy for any England player who may hold reservations about travelling to Bangladesh for October’s Test and one-day series due to security concerns. After all, 20 hostages were killed in Dhaka, the venue for one of the scheduled Test matches – the other will be played in Chittagong – when five gunmen [...]
Tom and Sam Curran interview: Surrey brothers in arms with world at their feet August 31, 2016 Youth is said to be wasted on the young. Not so the Curran brothers, Tom and Sam; Surrey’s trailblazing all-rounders who have every intention of realising their vast potential and ambitions. Sam picked up his A-level results just weeks ago, on the same day as Surrey’s One-Day Cup quarter-final win at Northamptonshire. He was debating whether [...]
Records tumble as Alex Hales wreaks havoc and England post highest ever one-day score in series-clinching thrashing of Pakistan August 30, 2016 Skipper Eoin Morgan saluted trailblazing opener Alex Hales and his record-breaking side as England registered a series-clinching 169-run thrashing of Pakistan during an extraordinary Trent Bridge clash. The hosts posted a new world record of 444-3 from their 50 overs, during which Hales struck 171 – the highest one-day international (ODI) score by an Englishman – [...]
Jason Roy shakes off dizzy spell to put Pakistan in a spin – and England on top – after first one-day international August 24, 2016 Batsman Jason Roy called on England to seize control of the one-day series with Pakistan in Saturday’s second match at Lord’s after he overcame a bout of illness to spearhead a 44-run win on Wednesday night. Roy’s classy 65 set the hosts firmly on their way to meeting a victory target of 261 at Southampton before persistent [...]
England catch a break as scans reveal David Willey escaped a fracture and can play in one-day series against Pakistan August 22, 2016 England have received a boost on the eve of the one-day international series against Pakistan after all-rounder David Willey’s injury was found to be not as bad as first feared. Willey sparked concerns he could miss the five-match series, which begins with a day-night clash in Southampton on Wednesday, when he hurt a hand playing [...]
Test hopefuls need to use every avenue available to impress as England places are up for grabs August 17, 2016 The dust has now settled on England’s Test summer although there are plenty of questions which need answering before their next red-ball engagements against Bangladesh and then India this winter. Head coach Trevor Bayliss has thrown down the gauntlet to players in county cricket to seize their chance and put pressure on England’s misfiring batsmen, all but confirming [...]
England don’t deserve to top Test rankings yet, says skipper Alastair Cook after 10-wicket humbling by Pakistan August 14, 2016 Skipper Alastair Cook admits England have areas to improve on before they can contemplate assuming the status of the world’s No1 Test side after the hosts slumped to a 10-wicket hammering against Pakistan at the Kia Oval. Consecutive half-century stands failed to prevent England being dismissed for 253, leaving the tourists with the formality of knocking [...]
Moeen Ali promises Pakistan’s batsmen that a rough ride awaits after leading England’s revival with his third Test century August 11, 2016 Centurion Moeen Ali has predicted an uncomfortable day for Pakistan’s batsmen after England successfully initiated a counter-attack from a position of peril during the opening stages of the fourth and final Investec Test at the Kia Oval. England recovered from 110-5 to post 328 all out as Moeen, who was dropped on nine and 13, chalked [...]
No1 spot in the Test world rankings beckons for England. That’s all well and good, the real challenge is staying there August 10, 2016 It's all very well getting to No1 in the world Test rankings but the true measure of a side worthy of that tag is to stay there for a long time. That’s the challenge facing England should they hit the summit by the end of the summer. Such a feat will be achieved if Alastair [...]
Move over Joe Root: What England’s greatest ever batsman tells us about how to use statistics August 9, 2016 Cricket fans will be delighted that Joe Root is establishing himself this summer as a truly great batsman. His Test match batting average of 55.49 is bettered by only 16 players from across the world since Test cricket began in 1877. Root currently sits seventh in the England career batting averages, and he clearly has [...]