The Surfer
Cook the rough diamond
Will
25-Feb-2013
After Ian Bell and Alastair Cook's superb hundreds on the second day against Pakistan, Derek Pringle argues in the Daily Telegraph that it is Cook's which is the more valuable.
A tall left-hander, Cook can often look ungainly coming forward with that lunging front pad of his, though there is a swan-like transformation when he is fed anything wide of his off-stump, something Umar Gul and Mohammad Sami seemed happy to do. Experts talk of people possessing good hands in sport. Cook's are exceptional ones that, when given room to express themselves, can cut, drive, caress and feather the ball with a thrilling ease into the arc between extra cover and third man.
Good Old Trafford
Even the most one-eyed Lancastrian cannot claim that Old Trafford, the ground immortalised by the prose of Neville Cardus and the deeds of Cyril Washbrook, Brian Statham and Jim Laker, is the most picturesque of grounds, writes Michael Atherton
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
Even the most one-eyed Lancastrian cannot claim that Old Trafford, the ground immortalised by the prose of Neville Cardus and the deeds of Cyril Washbrook, Brian Statham and Jim Laker, is the most picturesque of grounds, writes Michael Atherton in The Telegraph.. Yet, there are reasons to love this strange ground.
The club now finds itself in the invidious position of having to rent back office space it sold in the 1960s; a two-tier stand built in the 1990s has been rarely utilised fully, and only Lancashire could name one of its ends after its greatest bowler who always bowled from the opposite end.
Monty zoomer
England’s quick-time win at Old Trafford has reignited interest in the game among the general public – well, those who pay to receive Sky TV – and also pushed cricket onto many back pages ahead of football for the first time in 2006.
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
England’s quick-time win at Old Trafford has reignited interest in the game among the general public – well, those who pay to receive Sky TV – and also pushed cricket onto many back pages ahead of football for the first time in 2006.
Even though Steve Harmison grabbed 11 wickets and the Man-of-the-Match award, it was Monty Panesar who grabbed the media attention.
Vic Marks, in The Observer, wrote that at last Panesar had cast off the label of being something of a comedy figure:
Full postSix ways to make work for idle hands
"For the first time since Sydney, nearly four years ago, England are coping well in a Test match without Andrew Flintoff
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
"For the first time since Sydney, nearly four years ago, England are coping well in a Test match without Andrew Flintoff. Which makes you wonder how he will get on without them," writes Tim de Lisle in The Times. Here are six ways how Flintoff can spend his lay off.
1. Having tea with Sourav Ganguly: Relations have been frosty since Ganguly’s less than triumphant spell with Lancashire in 2000, which Flintoff said was “like having Prince Charles on your side”. Now the Prince is even more of a pauper at Northamptonshire (first-class average yesterday morning: 3.80) and he has been dethroned by India. So he might be chuffed to be asked for some advice. And he is well placed to give it as the last visiting Test captain not to get thumped in Australia.
Harmison pitches in
It was 50 years ago yesterday that a Test match started at Old Trafford that went down in history for the exploits of Jim Laker
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
It was 50 years ago yesterday that a Test match started at Old Trafford that went down in history for the exploits of Jim Laker. What is forgotten these days is that but for Laker’s feat of taking 19 wickets, the match would be remembered for controversy over the pitch which the Australians bitterly complained was not fit for Test cricket. Half a century on, and little changes.
Yesterday, however, Steve Harmison blasted out Pakistan. While the pitch was poor, it was the fast bowling that grabbed the headlines.
Derek Pringle in The Daily Telegraph was blunt, arguing that “it was a gutless display by the visitors, with many of the later order backing away”.
Full post'I love maiden overs'
"I love maiden overs in the same way that civil servants do forms or VAT inspectors a pile of receipts," says Mike Selvey
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
"I love maiden overs in the same way that civil servants do forms or VAT inspectors a pile of receipts," says Mike Selvey. "What is boring to one person can send waves of pleasure coursing through the veins of another. If this sounds slightly anal then part of it is the feeling of giving nothing away and maintaining control." Read on ...
Full postBrummie boys face the music against Shoaib
Imagine the scene
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
Imagine the scene. Saturday morning in the Midlands village of Balsall Common. You lug the kit bag out of your car boot, in preparation for the match you have been looking forward to all week. Then you catch sight of the opposition warming up. "Er, hang on a minute. Isn't that Shoaib Akhtar?"
On Saturday week, Shoaib Akhtar will be turning out for Berkswell. The heats on the Brummie boys, suggests Simon Briggs in The Telegraph.
Full postMahmood's success leaves old allegiances as history
Once upon a time, Shahid Mahmood might have cursed a scoreboard that showed Pakistan all out for 119, writes Richard Hobson in The Times
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Once upon a time, Shahid Mahmood might have cursed a scoreboard that showed Pakistan all out for 119, writes Richard Hobson in The Times . Yesterday, from high in the members’ area, he looked down with paternal approval. His allegiance is now firmly with England and Sajid, his son, had helped to dismiss one of the best batting teams in the world in less than two sessions.
The moment Panesar was tossed the ball yesterday, then, saw him under some pressure, says Jon Culley in The Independent. At 90 for 2, Pakistan had recovered from the latest failure of their top order. What is more, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, two parts of arguably the finest middle order in world cricket today, each looked well set. Yet Panesar was nerveless,
Full postCricket should have balls ... but a smile would be nice
In The Guardian , David Hopps bemoans the loss of a more sporting approach to the game ..
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
In The Guardian, David Hopps bemoans the loss of a more sporting approach to the game ... not a hankering back to the "good old days", but a valid argument that cricket might have lost some of its charm.
It has taken me a long time to realise where cricket, the most cerebral and yet joyful of games, has been going wrong. Mercilessly stifled by grim-faced commercialism, it has utterly lost its generosity of spirit.
He cites several examples of the way things used to be:
Maurice Leyland paused as he walked to the crease - to give the Somerset fielders a hot quadruple tip from the afternoon's race card. The players pooled their loose change and all four came up. The home scorer semaphored the succession of betting triumphs. In their excitement, Somerset put down four catches.
A smile would be nice too
Camaraderie between opposite teams is dying out.The sight of Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee at the end of the Edgbaston thriller last year was a rarity,a reflection of the good old days, feels David Foot in The Guardian
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
Camaraderie between opposite teams is dying out.The sight of Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee at the end of the Edgbaston thriller last year was a rarity,a reflection of the good old days, feels David Foot in The Guardian.
Full postThere was the pre-Gordon Ramsay tirade from Allan Border when Robin Smith innocently requested a drinks break. Charlie Griffith ran out Ian Redpath at Adelaide without a warning from the bowler. Derek Randall was similarly treated by Ewan Chatfield at Christchurch.
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