Category: Cricket

Tucked away on a Peak District hillside is an inn bursting with memorabilia and stories left by touring teams

As the modern cricketer hops from Crowne Plaza to Holiday Inn, well rewarded and with plenty of time for golf, he or she might feel perfectly content. But life has not always been a merry-go-round of air-con and airports.

Hop off the train at Grindleford, where homemade bunting loops along the platform fence, highlighting books about trains in this national year of reading, and you’re in the Peak District. There’s been early morning rain and the trees, damply beautiful, are on the turn. Golden beech, rusty horse chestnut, hues of greens and yellows, disappear up the slopes of Padley Gorge and into the valleys.

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For the better part of three years, Australian cricket has appeared headed for a cliff.

Sediqullah Atal’s marathon century and some inspired lower-order resistance – as well as a familiar controversy – inspired Afghanistan to a dramatic draw in the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Australia will continue to adjust its batting order where it deems fit after recording a resounding 214-run triumph over the Proteas in the opening Test of the highly anticipated Test series in South Africa.

After every stunning Scott Boland performance of recent years, many of them in place of an injured Josh Hazlewood, a reasonable question does the rounds: why isn’t Boland the automatic pick in the Test side, and why does Hazlewood take precedence when fit? In truth, Hazlewood has given a dozen years of answers, but the fifth day of the Durban Test allowed him to provide one more reminder with a career-best 6 for 49, overcoming South African resistance to bowl them out for 206, and seal an Australian win by 214 runs.

Boland is good enough for a full-time spot, and may have been influential if picked. But in the side selected, Hazlewood was essential as South Africa blunted his colleagues. In a noticeable dip given his brilliant last few seasons, Mitchell Starc had radar issues: better around the wicket, though without the swerving reverse swing from his last visit to the ground, but over the wicket he often went too steeply across the right-handers, or down the leg side.

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Josh Hazlewood delivered a bowling masterclass as Australia took a 1-0 lead over South Africa, but could history be about to repeat itself?

Matt Renshaw was undoubtedly the star of the show, but several of his teammates provided very valuable contributions as Australia won the first Test against South Africa in Durban by 214 runs.

England has announced its squads for the upcoming ODI and T20 series against Australia, with its ‘pace ace’ Jofra Archer returning to the side.

Nic Maddinson was stewing, struggling to shake the disappointment that lingered for even longer than he dwelt at the crease for the painful 33-ball duck that marked his return to Test cricket in Durban this week.

Josh Hazlewood bowled Australia to a 214-run victory on day five with a career-best six-wicket haul as South Africa’s tail fell like a deck of cards in the first Test in Durban.

Discarded England opener Zak Crawley has received another setback in his bid to turn his international career around, missing out on a central contract as the ECB unveiled an unprecedentedly long list.

South African great Shaun Pollock believes cricket needs to embrace the pink ball in matches where light is likely to become a factor given the amount of time that has been lost in the Test behind held in Durban this week.

What a few days it has been in the life of Matt Renshaw. His comeback to the Test team had consisted of one innings, edged to slip for eight, before he made the trip to South Africa, where his job as opener suddenly changed to batting five.

His first two days of the first Test in Durban were spent compiling his epic 190 to rescue Australia. Then came his fourth day, hammering in the nails on a declaration by top scoring again with 82. Pulling out at 316 for six, Australia set South Africa 421 to win, then took four wickets for 102 by the close; Aiden Markram on 45 will be the main obstacle to an Australian series lead on the final day.

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The first Test of this highly-anticipated series between Australia and South Africa is set to go the way of the visitors following another dominant day in Durban.