Flintoff gets the nod for Test return July 15, 2008 Andrew Flintoff is expected to make his England return at Headingley on Friday after being given the all-clear by medics. The all-rounder has not played a Test since the final Ashes match in Sydney in January 2007 after suffering an occurrence to his ankle injury. But the 30-year-old has performed well with both bat and [...]
It’s round one to England despite sleepy Lord’s opener July 15, 2008 Although the scoreboard will suggest the first Test petered out into a tame draw, I suspect England will be the team taking the more positives to Headingley for the start of the second Test on Friday. For the first time in quite a while we have seen England pile on almost 600 runs in their [...]
Smith frustrates England as defiant Proteas scent draw July 14, 2008 England will this morning redouble their efforts to seal victory in the first Test after South Africa produced a defiant performance to force the match into the final day at Lord’s. Having dismissed the tourists for 247 on Saturday and forced the follow-on, England were confident of getting the four-Test series off to a winning [...]
England batsmen fail again November 2, 2005 England will do well to avoid defeat in their opening tour match in Pakistan this morning. They will resume on the final day of three on 39 for six — a lead of just 84 runs. Although the tourists’ bowlers performed well on a misbehaving wicket, England suffered a second successive batting collapse. Andrew Strauss, [...]
Time for England to wake up in Pakistan November 2, 2005 England needed a wake-up call and the alarm bells were pretty loud in their first tour match in Pakistan. But despite a generally awful batting display, Marcus Trescothick’s fine century apart, there’s nothing to get too worried about. Two top-order failures in two days may not have been exactly what Michael Vaughan or coach Duncan [...]
England struggle November 1, 2005 England crash landed back from Planet Ashes with an unconvincing batting display on the opening day of their first tour match in Pakistan. Only an unbeaten century from Marcus Trescothick allowed the tourists to reach the relatively respectable score of 256-9 at the close against a Patrons’ XI in Rawalpindi. An impressive contribution lower down [...]
England set for challenge October 25, 2005 England leave for their tour of Pakistan this morning confident of a safe stay on the subcontinent but also well aware that it will be a difficult couple of months. The squad gathered at Heathrow yesterday with the right noises being made about security in a country recently devastated by the Asian earthquake. Captain Michael [...]
England need mental and physical strength October 19, 2005 I know summer doesn’t seem that distant a memory but in less than a week’s time England will be on their way to Pakistan for the first leg of their winter schedule. The fans, pundits but especially the players are still basking in the glory of winning back the Ashes and the national adulation that [...]