Youtube/Taking a break

I’m going to be taking a break from updating this site due to work commitments, so in the meantime, enjoy this yorker from Freddie:

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Champions Trophy: Group B Preview

South Africa have always been the nearly men of 50-over cricket, but they did win the Champions Trophy back in 1998, since when they have developed a reputation as big tournament bottlers. This is South Africa’s best chance in years to win some ICC silverware, as well as to cast off the ‘chokers‘ tag. New [...]

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Broad well on the way to injury-prone greatness

Stuart Broad has been casually referred to as The Next Flintoff ever since his remarkable bowling spell at The Oval back in August, but he’s only now starting to live up to the moniker by picking up “a niggling injury to his right knee“. The young superstar-in-waiting and chat show guest is set to undergo [...]

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Flintoff goes freelance

There’s been plenty of talk in recent months of the rise of the freelance cricketer, with first Andrew Symonds, then Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff being linked with the idea. Now it seems that the latter is set to lead the way, having turned down an ECB contract in favour of what some might call [...]

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England vs Australia: One Day Series Preview

England go into the One Day series against Australia still riding relatively high on the euphoria of Ashes victory, althouhg their confidence must surely have taken a serious knock following their close escape in Ireland and their awful start to a rain-interrupted innings in Manchester on Sunday. The prospect of 7 ODI matches without KP [...]

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England Have Won the Ashes

Congratulations England, farewell Flintoff, hard luck Hussey, and hats off to young Broad. It hasn’t been the greatest series ever, but winning the Ashes still means a lot. Of course, it’s all thanks to Monty’s last stand at Cardiff…

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The Dossier

The so-called ‘Langer dossier‘ detailing all of England’s failings (which, incidentally, Justin Langer almost certainly didn’t write) is getting a lot of coverage today – but it’s hardly full of revelations. In the words of Michael Vaughan, “If I had been asked to write a dossier on English cricket, I would have come up with [...]

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England Without their Superstars

The prospect of England going into a crucial Fourth Ashes Test at Headingley without either Kevin Pietersen or Andrew Flintoff is enough to fill any Pom with dread, and it looks like it might be about to happen. Pietersen, of course, is out with an Achillies injury, and Flintoff is looking doubtful, to say the [...]

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Black Caps Agree to Pass on IPL Cash

There has been a lot of talk recently about the rise of Twenty20 freelancers, with Andrew Symonds and Andrew Flintoff both being linked speculatively with the idea of wandering Twenty20 specialists playing in four or five different countries’ domestic Twenty20 competitions a year rather than playing for their country. Kevin Pietersen is the latest player [...]

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2009 is not 2005

In all the (admittedly irresistable) excitement about Flintoff, 1934 and all that, it’s important to remember that 2009 is not 2005. The tension has been similar, but mainly because both sides have alternated between dominance and capitulation, rather than because the standard of cricket has been as high as it was during the much exalted [...]

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Flintoff’s Future

Following Andrew Flintoff’s announcement that he will retire from international cricket after the Ashes, a number of overseas sides (notably the Queensland Bulls) have expressed a renewed interest in signing him for their respective domestic Twenty20 competitions. The obvious parallel to draw is with another big-hitting all-rounder with a ‘history’ and a well-publicised taste for [...]

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Farewell to Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff’s decision to retire from Test cricket has come at a strange time (and may yet distract England’s focus ahead of the Second Test of the Ashes), but it’s sadly far from surprising. The numerous injuries of recent years (as well as the numerous alcohol-related incidents) may have tarnished the glorious memories of 2005, [...]

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