Posts tagged with ‘Australia’

It’s not the Ashes any more

Watching England and Australia muddle their way through seven ODIs after the Ashes has finished is like going to your favourite restaurant and having the main course before the starter. Nobody wants a bowl of soup when they’ve just finished a plate of steak and chips.

Ponting bucks the trend

The trend recently is of players retiring from Test cricket to prolong their Twenty20 careers, or at least professing a preference for the format limited in length but unlimited in financial inducement. But, Ricky Ponting isn’t going to be following that trend, having announced his retirement from Twenty20 internationals to prolong his Test career.

England v Australia, 2nd ODI

England’s Test batsmen are often accused of making starts but failing to convert them into centuries. Generally, blame is placed upon the proliferation of limited overs cricket. Today, England again lost an ODI against Australia, and again a number of their batsmen established themselves, only to lose their wickets.

Who is to blame for Old Trafford?

I wasn’t there, I didn’t see it on TV. So what to make of the abandonment on Tuesday due to waterlogged run-ups? Who was to blame, the authorities at Old Trafford, or the teams and umpires? Reading the reports in the press, it is hard to say for sure, blame being apportioned to either one or the other.

The Ashes: A lesson from 2005

England have won the Ashes, and the nation rejoices and 2005 can now finally be looked upon as a fond memory. But, as we celebrate, England must learn the lesson from their previous triumph over Australia – don’t get carried away.

The Ashes: Broad steals Freddie’s script

The stage was set for England’s all-rounder to take centre-stage, to win the Ashes with one final, devastating display before bowing out of Test cricket. That was Andrew Flintoff’s script for the Oval.

Today, Stuart Broad stole that script, crossed out Freddie’s name and wrote his own.

The Ashes: The kids are alright

If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard the phrase “an Ashes series is no time to try new players” I’d be following the cricket from a small island in the Pacific somewhere. Why is it that all-England (by which I mean our media, who speak the words that we don’t have the wit to think of for ourselves) are so convinced of this?

The Ashes: The ballad of Mark Ramprakash

It doesn’t matter who England pick for the Oval, the media will damn them for it either way. The players would either be past it (Key), not up to it (Bell, Bopara) or not ready (any debutant). Ramps, as the media’s choice, would remain untouchable regardless of how he actually performs.

The Ashes: Australian cheating

In his dodgy dossier, Justin Langer talks about the English looking for somewhere to point the finger when things go wrong. Now, we have our Headingley scapegoats.

The Ashes: Justin Langer’s old news

There’s a “big” story unfolding at the Telegraph about a leaked dossier, apparantly from “Justin Langer who captains Somerset”, giving the Aussies the inside track on how to beat England. According to the accompanying report, it will shock English cricket followers.