Paceman Jofra Archer has been named in England’s squad for the second Test against India after an absence of more than four years.
England call Jofra Archer into squad for second Test against India at Edgbaston
Bowler last in Test setup in February 2021
Archer played first red-ball match in four years this week
England have fast-tracked Jofra Archer into their squad to face India in the second Test at Edgbaston next week despite the misgivings of the bowler’s coach at Sussex.
The 30-year-old fast bowler returns to the Test setup for the first time since March 2021 after successfully coming through his first red-ball match for 1,501 days in Sussex’s match at Durham this week.
Continue reading...County cricket: balls bring bore draws and Blast needs a boost
The top flight was blighted by a series of draws, but there was some very bright cricket in Division Two
This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
Continue reading...Konstas, Green fail again in big Aussie headache as rollercoaster Test on knife’s edge
Australia is at risk of suffering its first Test defeat in the West Indies since 2003 after the team’s inexperienced top order flopped yet again on day two of the Frank Worrell Trophy series opener in Bridgetown.
Switch behind Starc stunner; big headache as Aussie hope ‘not the answer’ — Test Day 1 Talking Pts
The fast bowlers dominated day one of the Frank Worrell Trophy series opener in Bridgetown, with the West Indies and Australian quicks collectively taking 14 wickets in frantic scenes.
West Indies bowler Shamar Joseph denied crucial wicket after dubious umpiring call
The Bridgetown crowd was left in disbelief following a dubious umpire decision that denied West Indies bowler Shamar Joseph a crucial wicket on day one of the Frank Worrell Trophy series opener against Australia.
New-look top order blown away by West Indies as Australia dismissed for 180
Batting ripped apart by Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales
Travis Head top scores with 59 in first Test
Australia’s new-look top-order has been shredded by a familiar West Indian tormentor Shamar Joseph as life without Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith began in wholly unconvincing fashion in Bridgetown.
Joseph, playing against the Aussies for the first time since his brilliance at Brisbane 17 months ago bowled the West Indies to their first Test triumph down under in 27 years, ripped through the new-look vanguard with four wickets as Pat Cummins’ men were dismissed for 180 in Barbados on Wednesday.
Continue reading...England ease off Bazball big talk but continue to embrace thrill of the chase
Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’s side have developed clarity in the final innings and never seem to give up
Sports writers love a Churchillian speech that precedes a mind-bending feat. Take three years ago, when word got back that Brendon McCullum had told his England players to “run towards the danger” at Trent Bridge before Jonny Bairstow vaporised a target of 299 against New Zealand. It was like ruddy catnip for the press corps.
This time, after reeling in 371 at Headingley on Tuesday at a breezy 4.5 runs per over and with 14 overs to spare? Apparently very little was said in the dressing room beforehand beyond “bat the day, win the game” or Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett deciding between them to ignore the target and just “play like it was day one”.
Continue reading...Aussies flip Test on head in late fightback as Windies hero sparks 14-wicket chaos
West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph continued where he left off at the Gabba last year before Australia’s pace cartel launched a late fightback on day one of the Frank Worrell Trophy series opener in Bridgetown.
‘A lot has changed’: Revisiting miracle that brought legend to tears… and what happened next
It was a spell of extraordinary brilliance that reduced an iconic West Indian cricketer to tears.
BREAKING: Cummins confirms first Test XI in big batting call as Aussie spin gamble revealed
Pat Cummins has confirmed his side for the first Test against the West Indies with the Australian skipper opting against playing a second spinner.
Forgotten fallout of Marnus axing; inside gambles set to define Ashes race — Burning Qs
Just 12 days after Australia’s defence of the World Test Championship ended with a surprising loss at Lord’s, its bid to win back the Mace begins in Bridgetown on Wednesday night in what is an intriguing period for the champion side.
Bazball triumph as England chase down monster total in record-breaking Test win over India
Ben Duckett’s superb 149 laid the foundation for a record-breaking England win as they beat India by five wickets in a dramatic first Test at Headingley on Tuesday.
David Lawrence obituary
Gloucestershire fast bowler who was the first British-born black cricketer to play for England
David “Syd” Lawrence, the Gloucestershire and England cricketer who has died aged 61, a year after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, knew only one way to bowl. It was to charge up to the crease and hurl the ball down as fast as he could – whether it was eleven o’clock in the morning or six in the evening after a long day in the field. He became the first British-born black cricketer to play for England on his Test debut in 1988.
For Gloucestershire he united with Courtney Walsh, the great West Indian paceman, who would soon become a friend. They would also enjoy themselves as revellers at the St Paul’s carnival in Bristol each year. Together they formed a formidable, contrasting pair of opening bowlers. Walsh was the more calculating cricketer, bowling fast one day and relying on accuracy, cunning and late movement the next. Lawrence just kept racing in with abandon, a spectacular, uplifting sight unless you happened to be the batsman at the other end.
Continue reading...‘I can’t understand’: Khawaja hits back at critics as ‘added role’ emerges for Test opener
Usman Khawaja has hit back at criticism of his ability to handle the world’s best pace bowlers in the aftermath of Australia’s World Test Championship final loss to South Africa.