England face monumental challenge to save first Ashes Test after another Smith century August 4, 2019 How do you solve a problem like Steve Smith? England may have dismissed the former Australian captain twice in the first Test match at Edgbaston, but it took them 426 attempts, came at the cost of 286 runs and the chance of making a winning start to the Ashes. England began day four with hope, [...]
Steve Smith’s wonderful 144 sees Australia bounce back from Stuart Broad barrage on day one of the Ashes August 1, 2019 Today was a big day for Steve Smith. The first day of an away Ashes series and, more pertinently, the first Test match 16 months on from his very public shaming, lying, tears and grovelling. The pressure was on at Edgbaston, but Smith didn’t show it, blocking out the boos with a typically patient, dogged [...]
Chris Tremlett: England’s mastery of conditions give them the edge but expect tight Ashes series July 31, 2019 Both England and Australia come into the Ashes on the back of a summer packed full of one-day internationals and far from ideal warm-up games. England’s World Cup win was followed by the shock of the crazy Test against Ireland which highlighted their inconsistencies, while Australia played out a wicket-filled warm-up game among themselves. Read [...]
Ashes preview: England’s top order woes can be exploited by Australia, says Glenn McGrath July 31, 2019 The more things change, the more they stay the same. England start another Ashes series against Australia at Edgbaston on tomorrow with different names at the top of the batting order, but names who are grappling with the age-old problem of scoring runs. Since Andrew Strauss retired in August 2012 England have used 18 different [...]
Unlikely hero Jack Leach bails England out after yet another collapse against Ireland July 25, 2019 At the start of day two of England’s one-off Test against Ireland at Lord’s, Jack Leach’s efforts with the bat as nightwatchman were merely good fun; an unsubstantial and inconsequential starter ahead of the awaiting main course. As he progressed, playing accomplished shots to get the hosts off to a steady start, his innings ticked [...]
World Cup hangover: England bowled out for 85 by impressive Ireland on day one at Lord’s July 24, 2019 After the ecstatic high, the crushing low. The dramatic nature of England’s first World Cup win lent itself to prolonged celebration, but after 10 days of jubilation the hangover hit hard at Lord’s, with Ireland arriving to break up the party and bring them back to earth with a bump. England’s Test batting has long [...]
‘It’s a powerful, symbolic moment’: Chief executive Warren Deutrom on Ireland’s Lord’s Test match against England July 23, 2019 Wednesday is a significant day for Irish cricket: a third Test match in the country’s history, a first against England, at the Home of Cricket, on television and in the midst of a swell of interest in the sport, thanks to a recently concluded World Cup and an approaching Ashes series. For Warren Deutrom the [...]
‘It’s not just a nostalgia trip’: The Edge director Barney Douglas on the deeper message behind his England cricket film July 18, 2019 Now is not a bad time to be releasing a film about England’s cricket team. With a remarkable World Cup win still fresh in the mind and a home Ashes series around the corner, Barney Douglas, director of The Edge, hopes his work can benefit from “the swell of cricket euphoria” gripping the country. The [...]
England cricket chiefs must build on the foundations laid by remarkable World Cup win July 15, 2019 In January the England and Wales Cricket Board released a 35-page document entitled Inspiring Generations, which set out the governing body’s five-year plan to drive youth participation and diversify cricket’s fan base. One of the six priorities outlined was to “inspire through elite teams”. Sunday’s remarkable events at Lord’s have handed the ECB an opportunity [...]
England beat New Zealand by the skin of their teeth in dramatic finale to win the Cricket World Cup July 14, 2019 There’s a cliche in sport which says you couldn’t write it. Generally that’s a fallacy: over thousands of games most situations have seen airtime. But the fashion in which England won the Cricket World Cup was something unique. It would be stretching the mind to conjure up the events which somehow came to pass in [...]