England v India at Cardiff: A 99 on a hot day!

Earlier this year, an email newsletter from Glamorgan CCC notified me that Sophia Gardens had secured one of England’s summer ODIs against India. It had been seven years since my previous live cricket experience so, despite personal health concerns, I thought, what the hell, and bought a ticket. To be honest, I doubted I would be successful, but the response was immediate: I was in! 

My lengthy hiatus was nothing to do with a lack of enthusiasm or any beef with the venue, more a shift in priorities. Maybe a lack of inspiration with the cricketing fare on offer, too, regular readers will now, I am not a Glammy supporter. Another deterring factor is the vagaries of the Welsh weather but I certainly need not have worried on that score. The extensive July heatwave has turned Cardiff into the Costa del Taff; the sky was clear blue, the sun almost overhead and so hot that even I went jacket-free. 

I won’t record here an over-by-over account of the match itself. You can read that elsewhere. The atmosphere was fizzing, largely thanks to the generous contingent decked out in blue and orange. I love being surrounded by India fans; unlike many young Brits, they are there mainly to enjoy the sport. Yes, they will cheer their heroes to the rafters but it’s the cricket that counts, no booze, no post-match recriminations, no demands for the head coach’s sacking. I sat in the Family enclosure, the quaintly named Jellyfish Stand, situate at cow corner at the River End almost below the Indian dressing room balcony. Great surroundings, with the added benefit on such a scorcher of being in the shade for the second half of proceedings.   

However, any match experience is bound to be affected by what pans out on the pitch. As things transpired, it wasn’t an exciting contest. India’s dismissal for a mediocre 233 meant England could play it nice and easy, take singles and the occasional boundary to maintain a steady 4.7 an over. This they achieved with metronomic efficiency, for which they had, not for the first time, a certain Joe Root to thank. 

Since I last sat in the Sophia Gardens crowd watching these two nations, in a T20, so much has changed. I think the only players to have remained were Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Adil Rashid and Jos Buttler. Now aged 65, I was thrilled like a young boy admiring a vintage Kohli one-day innings and Root’s unshowy accumulation. There was a typical straight six out of the ground from Buttler, crisp drives from Shubman Gill and some glorious pulls from Sam Curran. Probably the noisiest cheers came when Bumrah clipped Mahmood’s last over for eighteen, including a delightful flick through midwicket to the boundary near me and a pull for six over fine leg. 

233 was never going to be enough but when Bumrah, his ludicrous stuttering walk-up and straight-armed delivery a wild wonder to behold, induced Duckett to edge the first ball to Kishan, we thought: “Oh, hello….” Bethell didn’t last long either, but when you have Root and captain Brook in harness, England fans needn’t fret. Brook’s clownish attempt to repeat an earlier ramped six cost him his wicket but his Yorkshire mentor nudged, cut, flicked and drove to see the game out. 

Root was on 97 with twenty still needed and Gus Atkinson at the other end. My neighbours and I jokingly mused on the unlikely scenario of the Surrey bowler’s boundaries or wides or yet another no-ball from Bumrah depriving the batting genius of his deserved ton. No illegal deliveries but – blow me! – the improbably duly happened, and his partner duly pulled Prasidh through a gaping leg-side gap to clinch the much-needed victory. I winder what Joe was saying to Gus as they shuffled together back to the pavilion where a jubilant Brook was waiting… 

So what are the abiding memories of the day? Two all-time greats in Kohli and Bumrah chatting behind me on their balcony? The queues for the water-refilling stations? The towering trees of Bute Park as a backdrop? Jofra Archer working Rohit over? One of the Indian sub fielders handing his (much-needed) shades to a boy in the crowd? The call-response cries of “Boom-Boom – Bumrah!” whenever the bowler started another brief spell? All of the above! Seven years away, and it felt as if it was yesterday.

England v India: One of THE Classic Test series

These days, the people who effectively control cricket are being ushered away from the traditional formats and into the media-friendly white-ball world where TV cameras can capture all the drama rom start to finish in a matter of hours. Kids at grounds can be entertained without boredom sets in, and the all-important bars and fast-food franchises can make a hefty profit. 

But sometimes, more often than you’re led to think, the long-form stuff can be as thrilling as any T20 contest, spread over not only the five days of a single match but twenty-five days spanning a whole series. This summer’s clash between England and India epitomised the exhilaration of sport; two closely-matched sides, plenty of highs and lows, at times feisty but with mutual respect, and no little skill on show from both teams. I may no longer have the motivation or opportunity to watch everything on screen but this has been as good a home series to follow as any I can recall for decades. With two- or three-Test rubbers becoming the norm, squeezed into an ever-expanding schedule of global franchise leagues, ODIs and T20 international, how gratifying was it to witness a rare five-fixture competition that eclipsed any round of meaningless biff-bash events. 

What set it apart from, say, the epic Ashes encounters of yore, was the boorish behaviour of spectators. The atmosphere benefited from crowds supporting both teams, not just the partisan St George’s flag-waving, beer-swilling xenophobic crowds I tend to associate with England’s Barmy Army. Having attended a neutral ODI involving a side led by Dhoni, Kohli et al, I can appreciate the passion of the good-natured, cricket-loving Indian fans who, in the past month, lifted the atmosphere even whilst losing. Had it been India needing only 35 runs on the final morning, I doubt many England supporters would have bothered turning up. The thousands of fans in blue or green, white and orange were certainly rewarded with one of the most sensational and surprising finales to any Test match between the two nations. From Jamie Overton’s pulled boundary, via Woakes’ one-armed entrance to Siraj’s devastating yorker to Atkinson, it was extraordinary stuff. 

A 2-2 series result was a fair one. Each nation enjoyed a comfortable victory, each edged a nailbiter, with a drawn run-fest in between, so not even Ben Stokes or, if he was being honest (as if!) Nigel Farage, could resent the equal role played by India. Remember, this was a touring party shorn of the retired Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and with the world’s premier bowler Jasprit Bumrah to be employed only sparingly.

Curiously, India won both games in which Bumrah was rested, and it was the 31-year-old Mohammed Siraj who rose to the occasion brilliantly, finishing with 23 wickets. Shubman Gill was the inexperienced captain but he covered himself with glory all round, particularly with the bat. His extraordinary, record-breaking innings of 269 and 161 at Edgbaston were the highlights of a magnificent series, while Jaiswal, Jadeja and Pant were usually entertaining at the crease. 

England had their heroes, too. Joe Root was as solid and unfussy as ever, scoring three centuries on his way to second on the all-time list of Test match run scorers. Fitness permitting, Tendulkar’s seemingly unassailable record will on a few years surely fall to the Yorkshireman. Harry Brook is a captain in waiting, although Ben Stokes’ capacity to pull out performances on the biggest stage is undimmed. His 141/5-72 combo at Old Trafford was terrific. Atkinson Tongue and the fit-again Jofra Archer also had their moments, and Jamie Smith’s unbeaten 184 at Old Trafford demonstrated what he is capable of when he applies himself. 

The pundits predicted that the Lord’s line-up, perhaps with Wood and Atkinson for Woakes and Tongue, should start the Ashes campaign this winter. Personally, I would favour Rehan Ahmed as the frontline spinner, and for his superior batting. However, England selectors appear reluctant to pick players based on inconsequential niceties like form and experience! 

But, for now, let’s not waste time banging on about the forthcoming tour to Australia. Instead, we should celebrate the Indian summer of 2025 and hope that there will be plenty more five-Test challenges, home and away, in the future. 

Team of the Series: Jaiswal (Ind), Duckett (Eng), Gill (Ind), Root (Eng), Brook (Eng), Pant (Ind +), Stokes (Eng), Jadeja (Ind), Tongue (Eng), Bumrah (Ind), Siraj (Ind)

My World Cricket Team of 2024

It has been a strange year for men’s cricket. No side truly dominated, although that has to be considered a plus. India began the year by demolishing England 4-1 at home, yet were unexpectedly turned over 3-0 by New Zealand’s spinners. The Black Caps also dismissed South Africa yet were themselves turned over by spin against Sri Lanka and, last month, by England’s pace attack, although they had the last laugh at Hamilton. 

In the summer, England predictably cruised to a whitewash of West Indies but again showed vulnerability in the final Test against Sri Lanka. This continued in Pakistan where, following the record-breaking scoring by Joe Root and Harry Brook at Multan, the home nation recalled veteran left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who responded by taking twenty wickets in the two remaining games! 

Australia are looking set to face South Africa in next summer’s World Test Championship Final after series victories against Pakistan, New Zealand and, while still incomplete, India. Their only Test hiccup came in last January’s day-nighter at Brisbane where Shamar Joseph’s pace saw the Aussies capitulate on the final afternoon and hand the West Indies a rare victory by just eight runs. 

In limited-overs formats, India eased to the T20 World Cup final, having pricked England’s balloon of bragging in the semis. Afghanistan were amazing, reaching the same stage thanks to shock wins against the Aussies and NZ. Despite his side being blown away by South Africa, Rahmanullah Gurbaz ended the tournament as top scorer, but it was India who lifted the trophy courtesy of fine bowling and a man-of-the-match-winning 76 by Virat Kohli. 

However, the Indian legend was less successful in Tests. Astonishingly, he ended the year averaging less than 25, although this was superior to that of Pakistan star Babar Azam. At least the latter had his T20 performances to redeem his year. Kane Williamson looked back to his best after injury but Australia’s batting looked lacklustre in the wake of David Warner’s retirement. Their Test successes were achieved on the shoulders of veteran bowlers like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. 

South Africa played few Tests, but David Bedingham top-scored for them, building upon his prolific season for Durham in the County Championship. Nobody notched more first-class runs than Joe Root, who overtook Alastair Cook as England’s top Test run-scorer, yet even he was eclipsed by fellow Yorkshireman Harry Brook. Fully embracing the principles pf Bazball, he has raced past 2,000 runs at an average of 58 and strike rate of a phenomenal 88.

In that first Test in Pakistan, he amassed 317 at almost a run a ball, sharing a new England record partnership with Root of 454. Brook is now 25, but England seem keen to blood a raft of players with no real track record in the domestic game. Shoaib Bashir must have bowled more balls for England than Somerset, with mixed results and now Jacob Bethell has been encouraged to take his one-day county form into the Test arena with not a single first-class century to his name. James Anderson may have been dragged kicking and screaming into retirement at 41 but Gus Atkinson looked a useful replacement, taking 52 wickets in 11 Tests. 

Travis Head was the outstanding Aussie across all formats, especially with the white ball, and West Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Nic Pooran accumulated more than 2,300 Twenty20 runs around the globe. Participating in just about every franchise competition in existence, the 29-year-old must have racked up the highest hotel bills, too. Wanindu Hasaranga also has little Test pedigree but, of the top-ranked nations, proved one of the most consistent spinners in the 50- and 20-over game, surpassing the likes of Rashid Khan and Adam Zampa. 

Fellow Sri Lankan Kamindu Mendis bounced back onto the Test scene with some splendid batting, topping 1,000 runs in a mere nine appearances, while the ropey form of Sharma and Kohli was eased by the assured top-order strokeplay of Yashavsi Jaiswal. He was absolutely rampant against England at the start of the year, thumping not one but two double-centuries. 

However, star ma of the year must be Jasprit Bumrah. He is just irrepressible and, whilst not bewildering batsmen with his pace, movement and unique action, actually makes playing cricket look fun. It’s not just his 71 Test wickets at a ludicrously low average of under 15. He has also brilliant in defeat to Australia and weas a commanding presence for India in the T20 World Cup. In the final, Kohli may have scooped the MOTM prize but it was Bumrah’s 2-18 from four overs in the face of South Africa’s run chase which probably deserved the award. He is 31 now, so won’t take as many career wickets as his retiring team-mate Ashwin but I hope he is around for many seasons to come. 

So here is my 2024 Team of the Year:

Jaiswal (Ind), Head (Aus), Root (Eng), Brook (Eng), K Mendis (SL), Poonan (WI +), Jadeja (Ind), Atkinson (Eng), Hasaranga (SL), Cummins (Aus), Bumrah (Ind)

Australia win India's World Cup!

In 2019, the ICC World Cup Final delivered as close a contest as you could possibly imagine, and it was the home nation, England, which managed to come out on top. Four years on, and it was the hosts who again were hot favourites. However, the Bollywood scriptwriters were absent and, instead of the predicted coronation of Rohit Sharma’s men as champions, the 120,000-odd spectators at Ahmedabad were stunned by a determined Australia, and the outstanding performance of Travis Head. 

On paper, this tournament was the property of the ICC but in practice it felt like it was owned by Narendra Modi, the autocratic Prime Minister of India, after whom the final’s magnificent stadium is named. As India cruised through the group stages unbeaten, he must have been convinced that the trophy was in his hands, too. 

India undoubtedly looked the most complete team. From skipper Rohit Sharma’s blistering starts down to Jasprit Bumrah’s ideosyncratic pace bowling, they had all bases covered. And they had Virat Kohli. 2023 hasn’t been a vintage year for the former captain but he retains the faith of a billion cricket fans, and with good reason. He was by far the leading scorer and when he was dismissed in the final for a mere 54, the silence was deafening. The ovation for his record-breaking fiftieth career ODI century, against New Zealand in the Mumbai semi-final reverberated around the globe, as befits such an imperious batter. 

Looking back, New Zealand were quickest out of the traps. They achieved some sort of revenge for the 2019 defeat by destroying England emphatically. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra each made tons and shared what was to prove the highest partnership of the tournament, an unbeaten 273. For the losers, it created an unwanted foundation for a disastrous defence of the trophy. However, Jos Buttler tried to spin it, there were no positives whatsoever, but more on that another time. 

The Black Caps eased to four successive wins against relatively unfancied opposition, while Australia fell to both India and South Africa. However, when the Aussies withstood a late Neesham onslaught to beat their neighbours thrillingly by five runs at Dharamsala, the tables were turning. Meanwhile, South Africa were also looking ominous. In his final World Cup, Quinton de Kock was scoring centuries for fun, and their 428-5 against Sri Lanka, featuring a trio of tons, was awe-inspiring. 

However, as the weeks passed, the top four seemed to be separating themselves from the rest. Going into the final few rounds, Kane Williamson’s side started to look vulnerable to a possible late charge from Pakistan and even Afghanistan, who won a lot of friends in this competition. Had it not been for Glenn Maxwell’s phenomenal one-legged slogfest, they would have finished the group with five victories and a slender chance of breaking into the knockouts. 

It didn’t happen, of course, and the perennial bridesmaids NZ and SA almost inevitably fell victims to India and Australia, respectively. They are not – repeat NOT – chokers. It’s just that they are never quite the best in the business. History has nowt to do with it. If it did, the West Indies would still be whupping everyone’s arses at the World Cup instead of sitting on their own arses in the Caribbean. 

Fans of T20 and the horrible Hundred have criticised the 50-over format for producing too few close contests in this World Cup. Yes, there have been some one-sided affairs but that happens in all tournaments in all sports. It’s just that many people have attention spans too short to appreciate a proper game of cricket. If I have a beef with the World Cup, it is the ten-team, all-plays-all group format, leaving only two knockout fixtures plus the final. Why not have twelve teams, two groups of six and a quarter-final stage? I know the answer, of course: money. Had this been adopted in 2023, India would have played a minimum of six games, not ten (assuming they qualified from their group), with the resulting reduction in revenue. Furthermore, the uncertainty of knockout cricket has the potential of an early upset. 

For fans like me, it would have the advantage of springing surprises, disrupting the status quo, which is anathema to the bodies who effectively run world cricket. Past tourneys have been memorable for the triumphs of Kenya, Ireland and the Netherlands. I love it when the likes of Bas de Leede and Ibrahim Zadran can demonstrate their talents on the highest stage. 

I have no idea what the ICC will do next time. However, I suspect that the 2027 affair will see a new batch of stars. Will the current cabal of mid-thirty-somethings still be around? Surely, the Aussies will need a new group of quicks to replace Pat Cummins and co. David Warner was leaping around the field like a spring chicken but he will be pushing forty. So will, for heaven’s sake, Virat Kohli! Somehow, I fancy that he will postpone his retirement, as did Tendulkar, for one last hurrah and a chance to hold this still significant trophy. I hope so. 

Mike’s Team of the Tournament:  De Kock (SA, +), Sharma (Ind), Ravindra (NZ), Kohli (Ind), Mitchell (NZ), Maxwell (Aus), Jadeja (Ind), Zampa (Aus), Shami (Ind), Bumrah (Ind), Coetzee (SA).

 

Honourable mentions: Warner (Aus), Ibrahim Zadran (Afg), Iyer (ind), Madushanka (SL) 

2021 Cricket Eleven of the Year

Like many sports and other areas of life, cricket made a bold attempt to bounce back from the Covid cancellations of 2020, only to find that the deadly pandemic was far from finished. The delayed T20 World Cup was won by Australia, the suspended IPL was completed in October and the blasted Hundred competition launched in England to a mixed reaction. The franchise-based format left me cold, I couldn’t tell you who was on it but the one compensation was the enforced parity of the women’s version, with double-headers and live TV coverage on the BBC. 

India won four Test series, home and away, although officially the fifth match in England was merely deferred until next summer. Nevertheless, India lost the one that really mattered, the inaugural World Test Championship Final. Hosted by the Southampton Rose Bowl, it was New Zealand who romped home by eight wickets to claim their first global trophy. Revenge was duly taken in Mumbai where Agarwal, Ashwin et al destroyed the Kiwis by 372 runs. West Indies are a shadow of their former selves but edged a couple of very close encounters, notably a one-wicket nailbiter against Pakistan at Kingston. 

While Test cricket was less prevalent than in pre-coronavirus days, England still contrived to compete in fifteen, losing most of them. Their 2021 began with success in Sri Lanka but ended in Ashes humiliation at the MCG. The Aussies didn’t see a great deal of international action, while the likes of Ireland, Bangladesh and Pakistan had busy ODI schedules. 

2021 was also the year when AB De Villiers called time on his extraordinary professional career and South African team-mates De Kock and Du Plessis each bade farewell to red ball cricket. Mohammad Hafeez, Dwayne Bravo, Mahmudullah and Ross Taylor also announced their retirements from internationals while true greats such as Steyn and Malinga hung up their boots for good. Meanwhile in England, county stalwarts Peter Trego, Ryan Ten Doeschate, Rikki Clarke, Gareth Batty and Daryl Mitchell were amongst those quitting the treadmill, yet the venerable Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens continued to whack centuries and lead his county’s seam attack with aplomb at the age of 45! 

Now for my eleven male stars of the past twelve months. As ever, the selection is based on performances across all three formats and doesn’t represent an all-conquering side in any particular one. Thanks largely to Covid-related schedule vagaries, Asian nations are more dominant than usual and just for a change there is no room for the likes of Kohli, Starc or Smith. Amongst others missing out, I should give special mentions to Marnus Labuschagne, Ollie Robinson, Fakhar Zaman, Tim Southee, Hasan Ali and, for his incredible 10-wicket innings in a lost match, NZ spinner Ajaz Patel. 

At the top I’ve gone for Rohit Sharma and Devon Conway. There were other major contenders at the white-ball end of the spectrum (notably Ireland’s Paul Stirling) but what swung it for the New Zealander was his sensational 200 on his Test debut at Lord’s. Babar Azam has cemented his position as the most lethal limited-overs batter in the world as well as a top-class Test run-maker for Pakistan. Aussie Travis Head has also successfully transferred his stroke-making skills from white to red ball cricket, as illustrated by his devastating 152 at more than a run a ball against England to set up victory at The Gabba. 

Then there’s Joe Root. To top the Test match run aggregate by a mile and accumulate 1,999 first-class runs in the year while skippering a struggling national side is some achievement. Like Lara in the Noughties, he seemed to carry his team’s batting every game and is an obvious choice. His occasional off-spin is also a handy accompaniment and his Test bowling average for 2021 was superior to that of specialists such as Nathan Lyon. 

My wicketkeeper is Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan. Besides claiming almost eighty victims behind the stumps, nobody scored more T20 runs than his 2,036 at a decent strike rate of 132. With Ben Stokes opting out with injury and mental health issues, there was no stand-out all-rounder last year. West Indian Jason Holder just edges out Shakib for his Test match efforts. 

Rashid Khan managed only one Test match and, given the Taliban’s Afghan takeover, it may well be his last. However, he was again the most prolific T20 bowler, which propels him into my XI. He is joined by Ravichandran Ashwin, who enjoyed one of his most productive years in Indian ‘whites’ at the age of 35. His 106 against England at Chennai demonstrates his value as a late-order batsman as well as off-spinner. 

My seam attack is one I could never have envisaged twelve months ago. Giant left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi may have proved that 2020 was no fluke and I could have picked South African Anrich Nortje, but my final choice is Sri Lankan Dushmatha Chameera whose 20 ODI wickets topped the end-of-year table with his speed and bounce. 

To re-cap, here is my 2021 Team of the Year:- 

R Sharma (Ind), Conway (NZ), Babar Azam (Pak), Root (Eng), Head (Aus), Mohammad Rizwan (Pak +), Holder (WI), Ashwin (Ind), Rashid Khan (Afg), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pak), Chameera (SL). 

My ‘squad replacements’ would be Labuschagne (Aus), Fakhar Zaman (Pak), De Kock (SA +), Mustafizur Rahman (Ban), Shakib al-Hasan (Ban)

Spin It to Win It!

In these Covid crisis times, any Test cricket with spectators is worth celebrating, and if there is some genuine excitement to be had, so much the better. After three games in India, we’ve run the whole gamut from England’s run glut to a superb home side response then a crazy two-day-one-nighter. We’ve experienced everything bar a tie or a five-day washout. Who, apart from any Ahmedabad ticketholders for days three to five, could ask for more? 

The Root and Anderson show in Chennai three weeks ago seemed to herald a new era of England dominance on Asian soil. Serve up a turning pitch? No problem: Joe Root is one of the best players of spin in the world, Sibley (and the absent Crawley) are learning and the rest can just get out of trouble by hitting Ashwin et al out of the ground. In any case, we’ve Leach, Bess and Moeen Ali so World Test Championship final, here we come! 

Then came the Chennai replay, and such ECB optimism took a mighty blow. Ollie Stone didn’t disgrace himself with the ball and Moeen can always look back on the dismissal which not even run-less Virat Kohli could accept as reality. But that’s as good as it got. Rohit Sharma plundered 161 then England’s batsmen couldn’t cope with debutant Axar Patel and the wily Ravichandran Ashwin who rubbed it in further by contributing a second-innings ton of his own. The winning margin of 317 runs told the story but the 1-1 scoreline set up an intriguing day-night encounter in the spanking new stadium of Ahmedabad. 

As things turned out, it very nearly was just that: a single day-nighter. Apart from Ishant Sharma celebrating his 100^th Test with Sibley’s scoreless wicket and a solitary Archer effort, the Third Test was all about spin. Whilst England looked vulnerable picking only Jack Leach as a specialist, it was the part-time off-breaks of Joe Root which sparked a glimmer of hope on the second morning, taking 5-8, but the partnership of Ashwin and Patel was merciless. If they didn’t turn the ball off an edge they simply bowled it straight onto the pads. Batting looked impossible but of course much of the damage had been done in the mind. 

The whole match was wrapped up in a mere 140 overs, barely lasting into the sixth session. Incredibly this was the quickest Test victory by any side since 1935 and England’s first two-day defeat for well over a century. Of course this will probably go down as an extraordinary one-off and the final fixture will provide a more even contest between bat and ball. However, India must be buzzing. Ashwin has reached the 400-wicket mark in near-record time and Patel will make opponents pay extra attention to his fingers and flight in the future. Also England cannot now win the series, but there remains some pride to fight for.

Joe Root’s 100 in 100th Test

It seems like only yesterday when I predicted a great international future for a 21 year-old Yorkshireman called Joe Root. Normally such a statement is a kiss of death but it’s not often that a batsman looks so comfortable in both white and red ball cricket, especially the latter. However, that winter he made his Test debut at Nagpur, scoring 73 and 20 not out and three years later his runs had made him so indispensable that he was handed the England captaincy. 

His only real flaw was a seeming inability to turn fifties into hundreds, which has been blown to pieces in recent weeks. In sharp contrast to 2020 and a few lean years before that,  today’s unbeaten 128 following 228 and 186 against Sri Lanka, maintains a scintillating strain of form. Should we be surprised? Most top English batsmen struggle on Asian pitches against skilled spinners but Root has a higher batting average on the sub-continent than anywhere else, a clear sign of world-class footwork. Chennai today was apparently a batsman’s dream with even Ashwin, Bumrah et al unable to make much headway. 

On top of that, there’s the headline-grabbing 20^th century in his 100^th Test, a landmark achieved by only twelve other England players. Many of them also captained their country. Only Ian Bell and Root’s current coach Graham Thorpe hit the milestone slightly under the radar, although Pietersen and Boycott weren’t regulars. Root isn’t the only Englishman to hit three figures on his 100^th appearance, though. Colin Cowdrey did it in 1968, but I was too young to remember. Alec Stewart’s 105 against the West Indies at Old Trafford in 2000 was relatively memorable, although for me the match was more significant as the debut for my Somerset hero Marcus Trescothick! That was quite a batting line-up, too, featuring five skippers past and present, including Atherton, Vaughan and Hussain. 

So what about representatives of other nations scoring a 100 on their 100^th appearance? Javed Miandad was the first, back in 1989, closely followed by Gordon Greenidge. Prior to Root, the most recent players to do it were South Africans Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. However, only one batsman marked his 100^th Test with not one, but two centuries. Stand up, Ricky Ponting who, as skipper, fifteen years ago struck 120 and 143 not out against South Africa at the SCG..

The Aussie legend is an all-time great of cricket but could the son of Sheffield emulate Punter’s achievements? He’ll need to step up the rate of hundreds, especially on home territory. However, Ponting retired with a mediocre record in India - a solitary ton in 14 games – so Root is doing something right. He could yet go down as one of England’s finest players of spin if not of any bowling. He has at least five years left at the top level and, fitness allowing, has a chance of emulating Cook’s records of caps and hundreds. Go on, Joe: prove me right.

Women's Cricket goes from strength to strength

It was pleasing to read about the success of the Women’s T20 World Cup in the last few weeks. It culminated in a final played at the MCG in front of 86,000 spectators, and they hadn’t turned up just to see Katy Perry perform. The tournament had  already served up plenty of ‘Fireworks’ across Australia.

In some ways it was a shame that the conclusion was such a damp squib, with the home side and reigning champions Australia destroying India by 85 runs. However, Meg Lanning’s side had opened the competition in Sydney with defeat to Kaur, Mandhana, Sharma et al, so such a one-sided finale was unexpected.

It could have been England in their place, of course, had their semi-final not been washed out, sending India through courtesy of a faultless group stage and England’s loss to South Africa, and the latter were only narrowly beaten by Australia on D/L in their own semi last week.. It bodes well that, barring that joyous West Indies success a few years ago, the Australia-England duopoly has been broken. As in the men’s game, most top nations must feel they are in with a shout, especially in the shortest, more unpredictable formats. OK, so Thailand were the inevitable fall-guys but they earned their right to be on the main stage and did rack up 150-3 in the abandoned fixture against Pakistan. 

Gender equality in sport is also becoming reality, not merely fanciful words made by ICC politicians. Credit to the Aussie men for insisting on the women taking equal pay, and this summer’s Hundred tournament will also see parity in the men’s and women’s prize money. I’m no fan of such ludicrous innovations but I applaud the headlines accorded the signing of women stars like Beth Mooney as much as those for Steve Smith.

One problem remains UK media. Women’s tennis has enjoyed extensive coverage all my life, with champions from King to Graf, Navratilova to the Williams sisters on the same pedestal as Borg Becker and Nadal. It has never really mattered whether Britain had any chance of winning Wimbledon. However, like football, rugby and golf, this country’s editors and broadcasters have yet to demonstrate a genuine appetite for women’s cricket unless England are doing well. Mind you, the same could be said for men’s cricket, which only makes the TV sports news if England win the Ashes or are in World Cup contention.

After England unluckily slipped out of the T20 in Australia, you’d have thought the tournament had turned out the lights and gone into self-isolation in the company of two million toilet rolls. The final received not a mention. I suspect India was less insular, and they featured some of the tournament’s biggest stars, especially the sensationally fearless 16 year-old opening batter, Shafali Verma. Unfortunately, like most of her team-mates, she froze on the big occasion, while Mooney, Alyssa Healy and Megan Schutt used their experience to the max. Healy’s innings of 75 included one six of 83 metres, which would have pleased the biggest hitters of the men’s game. Perhaps it won’t be long before her partner Mitchell Starc will be labelled Healy’s other half, rather than the other way around. 

To summarise, cricket has the means to propel women’s sport further into the global mainstream, and not as some mere adjunct to an arbitrary construct like International Women’s Day. The more nations take part, the wider the coverage will be. In Britain, Knight, Shrubsole, Ecclestone and co need to narrow the gap with the Aussies but elsewhere everything’s heading in the right direction. When Australia finds young blood to step into the shoes of Lanning, Perry, Jonassen and their immensely successful colleagues, England may shudder, it won't be just Katy Perry but the women’s game generally giving a 'Roar' of approval.

2019 Review - My Team of the Year

As most years, 2019 experienced a range of cricket-related emotions. David Warner and Steve Smith returned from their bans to mixed reviews. Warner enjoyed some success in the IPLwhile his former Test captain swapped tears for a deaf ear to barracking England fans and almost single-handedly retained the Ashes for Australia. However, possibly the world’s only genuine world-class all-rounder, Shakib al-Hasan, ended this year in disgrace, suspended for at least a year for ‘failing to report corrupt approaches’. He really ought to have known better. 

Ben Stokes escaped a jail sentence and the dial on his luck-ometer remained fixed at eleven throughout the summer. His diving deflection and strokeplay carried England to an extraordinary World Cup Final triumph at Lord’s against a desperately unfortunate New Zealand, followed by a heroic unbeaten century of eight sixes and strike-farming to save the Headingley Test. India consolidated their number one Test ranking by winning all four Test series, including rubbers in Australia and the West Indies. After losing their inaugural Test in 2018, Afghanistan claimed their first wins, against Ireland and, more significantly, Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka struggled again and, despite retaining their T20 top-rank status, Pakistan had a nightmare year in all formats. Their only series success came against Sri Lanka in 50-over cricket in their long-awaited return to home-territory internationals. Let’s hope bringing internationals home after a decade will be the springboard to a change in fortunes.

South Africa were another side in transition. The Test team was slaughtered in India, but whitewashed Sri Lanka in ODIs before a lacklustre World Cup. They also suffered a whole host of international retirements, including Amla, Steyn, Duminy and Imran Tahir. At least they ended the calendar year with a first-class victory over England. Veterans Lasith Malinga and Shoaib Malik also bade farewell to ODIs this year, and Yuvraj Singh won’t be playing at the top level again. I wouldn’t mind betting, though, that they will continue to rake in the dollars and rupees in Twenty 20.

So who makes my team of the year? 

David Warner’s return to the fold reaped immediate rewards. Whilst not playing much 50-over cricket, he nonetheless accumulated more than 2,500 runs in all formats. KL Rahul was in superb white-ball form, nobody scored more List A runs than Aaron Finch and Mayank Agarwal struck some huge scores for India, but my other opener is Rohit Sharma. Outscoring even Virat Kohli in ODIs, he also scored three centuries in six Test innings, including two in the First Test against South Africa. 

His captain Virat Kohli’s place in my end-of-year Eleven is almost guaranteed. Will he ever suffer a loss of form? Skippering the world’s undisputed top Test nation hasn’t hurt him as a batsman, averaging 68 in eight Tests and achieving strike rates of 96 and 145 in ODI and T20 cricket, respectively. However, someone scored more than four times as many first-class runs as the Indian master in 2019. Not Smith, not Root, not Williamson. No, I’m talking about Marnus Labuschagne. I confess to being ignorant of him prior to his string of hundreds for Glamorgan in the early summer, but he proved to be no mere bully of Second Division county attacks. At first deputising for Steve Smith, he went on to out-score him, ending the year with three big Test hundreds in succession against Pakistan and New Zealand advancing him to four in the ICC rankings. Including his performances for Queensland he amassed 2,703 first-class runs in 2019, way ahead of anyone else, and his leg-spin gives him an extra dimension, too.

Faf du Plessis, Ross Taylor and even Dawid Malan had a commendable twelve-month period but for my final middle-order slot I’ve leaned towards Pakistan. Last year I narrowly plumped for Babar Azam in my XI. This time there can be no doubt he deserves his spot. In an under-performing Pakistan outfit he shone strong and bright. Not only was Azam the world’s top scorer in senior T20 cricket (1,607 runs) but he also completed 2019 in a red-ball purple patch, striking three tons and a 97 in four consecutive Tests. Aged just 25, he is young enough to develop into a truly world-class all-round batsman.

My wicketkeeper-batsman is an absolute shoo-in: Quinton de Kock. Carey, Paine, Hope and Buttler each had their moments but the South African left-hander was imperious in all forms of the game. He compiled more than 2,400 runs and 80 dismissals, boasting a three-figure strike rate in ODIs. AB De Villiers may have been missed in the World Cup but De Kock  maturing nicely into a formidable member of the Proteas and T20 gun for hire.

With Shakib al-Hasan in disgrace, genuine all-rounders were in short supply. Jason Holder is a big fish in a desperately diminished Caribbean pond where he contributes a few wickets and the occasional astonishing innings; more than half his 2019 Test runs were scored in that 202 not out against England at Bridgetown. With better team-mates around him, he would be in my team of the year but for sheer personality and big-match temperament I’ve plumped for Ben Stokes. His seam bowling may not have been world-class, and he didn’t really earn his millions for the Rajasthan Royals, but for promoting cricket to the UK front pages for the first time in yonks (probably since Stokes was up in court!) the Durham man gets the nod.

No bowlers were truly outstanding. Even in his mid-thirties, Peter Siddle remained one of the world’s most skilled seamers in the four-day game, Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer led the England attack with brio, India’s Mohammed Shami was a deceptively swift and prolific swing bowler in ODIs and Kabiso Rabada was a consistent paceman for South Africa. The New Zealand seam attack of Boult, Southee, Wagner, Ferguson and Henry were always impressive as a unit, though not necessarily as individuals.

In their place I have selected the Aussie pair of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. At 26, the former is finally fit enough to fire on all cylinders on a regular basis, combining sheer pace with control. He’s not yet Glenn McGrath but he took 59 Test wickets at just over 20 apiece, which is world-class. The left-armer Starc is supposedly weaker in the Test arena but statistically he wasn’t far behind Cummins.

Spin bowling made less impact in 2019 so there were relatively few names in contention. Simon Harmer’s 99 first-class wickets, helping Essex to another County Championship, make him impossible to ignore. Naturally Rashid Khan entered my thinking, bowling Afghanistan to an historic Test victory over Bangladesh and doing his usual thing with the white ball. However, even he took fewer T20 wickets than Imran Tahir. The South African may be almost twice the age of Rashid but his 79 victims, allied to 30 in List A fixtures, established his place at cricket’s top table. And his joyful wheeling sprint celebrations after taking wickets at the World Cup always lifted the spirits. If sport can’t do that, what’s the point?!

In conclusion, here is my 2019 Team of the Year:-

Warner (Aus), R Sharma (Ind), Babar Azam (Pak), Kohli (Ind), Labuschagne (Aus), De Kock (SA +), Stokes (Eng), Starc (Aus), Harmer (SA), Imran Tahir (SA), Cummins (Aus)

My ‘squad replacements’ would be Rahul (Ind), Buttler (Eng), Rabada (SA), Mohammed Shami (Ind)

No Super Over Rescue this time for England

It’s been almost two months since my last cricket blog. Following the crushing conclusion to the English county season and the high drama of the Ashes, there hasn’t been an awful lot to write about. Yes, a handful of Twenty20s and The Hundred’s draft – something nobody understands for something nobody wants – but little to get the heart pounding. Until now.

India have become the first nation to win four successive Tests by an innings. OK, so the final two were against Bangladesh lacking their best player, but the first two in the sequence were against South Africa, even if the Proteas are not as strong as they were a few years ago. Virat Kohli continues to break records of his own and the last victory was clinched with all wickets taken by seamers (India?!). In Brisbane, Australia handed Pakistan their thirteenth consecutive defeat on their shores, and just for a change their runs weren’t primarily provided by Steve Smith.

Which brings us back to England. Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes may well be practising their bowing and scraping in advance of their likely New Year knighthoods but Joe Root’s may have to wait awhile after falling victim  to another of the week’s innings outcomes at The Bay Oval.

New Zealand may have suffered two excruciatingly tight limited-overs losses to England in recent months but in proper cricket they were undone by poor batting and an inability to dismiss the Black Caps’ seventh-wicket pairing for more than eighty overs. A first innings of 353 didn’t look too shabby but that was ery nearly matched by the combined scores of BJ Watling (a career-best 205) and spinner Mitchell Santner (a maiden Test century) who shared a stand of 261. England bowlers toiled for only two wickets on day three before Watling and Santner cranked it up on the fourth, the latter rounding off a superb six hours by dismissing both openers and nightwatchman Leach with the ball.

England desperately dug in for the draw, with Santner bowling nineteen maidens, but Neil Wagner’s lively 5-44 was the decisive factor.  It’s only a two-Test series which won’t count for the World Test Championship, in which NZ currently occupy second place, but it was a humbling experience for new coach Chris Silverwood. It was nice to see Dominic Sibley win his first cap after such a commanding season with Warwickshire, and he did outscore his captain, but that was all. He should get another chance, as might Ollie Pope.

Jofra Archer got no support from the pitch, nor from the crowd. Racist abuse should not be tolerated in any situation but it seems a bit rich to complain when bowlers are constantly spitting vile abuse at the opposition and getting away with it. Sledging = abuse, isn’t it? I hope they throw the book at the small-minded bozo who yelled at Archer across the boundary but it shouldn’t distract from the fact that England were well beaten. Next week Trent Boult will probably be absent through injury but with Matt Henry or Lockie Ferguson waiting in the wings, England will face further disciplined seam and swing bowling, and they will do well to win the series. They don’t have Super Overs in Tests….

Six slide out, now it's Top Four Time!

Thank goodness the World Cup did come alive in the end, but the organisers pretty much have the semi-finalists the format was designed to deliver. I appreciate the efforts of England to keep us on tenterhooks by contriving those defeats to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia only to blaze back into the competition with comfortable victories over India and New Zealand, but on home soil they were never not going to qualify.

It will be said to bid farewell to the other nations. Like many neutrals, I was willing Afghanistan to register their first World Cup victory but they were well beaten by all except Pakistan and, improbably, India who for much of their match at Southampton looked in danger of losing. South Africa delivered too little too late and I was at Cardiff to see them make heavy weather of overcoming Rashid Khan and co despite all their star names. Imran Tahir’s joyful wicket celebrations were amusing but AB was sorely missed!

West Indies may have bounced and bludgeoned their way to beating Pakistan but the short ball was something of a one-trick pony. For all the Cottrell salutes and enormous six-hitting, they demonstrated why they needed to qualify for a place in the tournament itself. Improved fielding would be a start. Gibson and Gayle were a joke and when The Boss knelt in instalments to catch Rahmat Shah we all laughed out of surprise. Pakistan never really recovered from that early reverse at Trent Bridge but it was a pleasure to watch Babar Azam and Mohammad Amir at their best. Sri Lanka gave us a few smiles along the way and Bangladesh had the excellent Shakib al Hasan to thank for keeping them in the hunt for a top-four position with just a few matches to play.

Generally speaking most of the global superstars have fulfilled expectations. Bumrah, Sharma, Warner, Starc, Shakib, Williamson, Archer and Root have all done well while Roy, Morgan, Finch and du Plessis have produced a few big innings. However, only some of the above are still participating in the competition. Who will make it all the way to the final?

Watching the Aussies desperately chasing the challenging South African total of 325, they were clearly concerned at the prospect of facing England again, this time in the semi-final. A few weeks ago, Aaron Finch struck 100 and the strike partnership of Starc and Behrendorff blunted the substantial threat of the English engine room (Ben Stokes excepted), but Eoin Morgan’s men are unlikely to roll over as easily this week. For starters, Jason Roy will be back in the side and there surely there won’t be as many silly shots played by those further down the order.

Nevertheless, Australia possess potential matchwinners themselves in the form of Finch, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell, with Steve Smith in the Joe Root role of steady accumulator, but will this be enough? I still feel that England have greater strength all the way from one to eleven which should take them to next weekend’s showdown.

Despite winning seven of their nine, India still don’t look like world-beaters. Jasprit Bumrah may be a shoo-in for a place in any fantasy XI, Rohit Sharma has struck five centuries and, well, Kohli is Kohli, but that’s where the list of world-class performers ends.  Their semi-final opponents New Zealand probably have only one: Kane Williamson. However, their team of canny swing bowlers, seasoned batsmen and competent all-rounders always looks dangerous and took them to the final last time of asking. They just look even  more in need of runs than India at the moment and that could be their undoing at Old Trafford. So for me it has to be that dream final of England v India.

World Cup woes for South Africa

The 2019 Cricket World Cup has been an inevitable slow-burner. With all ten nations playing each other, it has taken three weeks to reach the stage where big names are facing the certainty of an early plane home, or even possibly an unexpected short-term contract with a county.

It hasn’t helped that so many fixtures have been so one-sided. My three live experiences at Cardiff have been enjoyable but really could have been enhanced by much closer encounters of a cricketing kind. New Zealand made short work of Sri Lanka, Roy, Buttler et al plastered the Bangladesh spinners for an array of sixes then Afghanistan predictably succumbed to South Africa.

Thank goodness for some surprises elsewhere. The West Indians’ pace dealt Pakistan an early blow, Bangladesh creamed an unassailable 330-6 off South Africa then even England’s cruise towards the semis hit a rock as Pakistan bounced back but still an exciting finale was lacking.

Rain caused some disappointing washouts and abandonments, particularly at Bristol, and robbed us of the intriguing India v New Zealand contest. The much-anticipated India-Pakistan fixture was also affected by the wet stuff, as well as the latter’s inability to shackle Rohit Sharma. However, when the British weather improved, so did the tournament, even if the big four threatened to run away with it. In just two days we had some crackers.

On the longest day at Headingley, England’s seemingly infallibility when batting second was severely dented by Sri Lanka. Nice to see Lasith Malinga finding some of his old magic as they triumphed by 20 runs. At Southampton the following day, Afghanistan’s spinners choked India so hard that their target was a distinctly manageable 225. They didn’t quite manage it, of course, thanks largely to the nous of Bumrah and Shami’s final over hat-trick, but we neutrals revelled in the excitement of a near-shock. Meanwhile, some lusty blows by Chris Gayle and an extraordinary century by Carlos Brathwaite so nearly rescued the Windies against the Black Caps, for whom Kane Williamson batted so beautifully.

With teams having just two or three matches left to play, the top four placings are not yet decided. As in the last World Cup, New Zealand have demonstrated their undoubted class slightly beneath the radar. At the time of writing they are unbeaten, as are Virat Kohli’s India and each muct surely reach the semi-finals. I wasn’t sure how Australia would fare in the aftermath of the Warner-Smith bans. However, they have been almost England-esque in their run accumulations, with David Warner and Aaron Finch striking some stunning scores, and are almost home and dry.

So what about England? With the exception of the Sri Lanka debacle, they have been passing 300 with impressive regularity. Sixes have come right down the order, and Eoin Morgan’s blitz against Afghanistan was particularly brutal. Intriguingly their final three games come against their three closest rivals, beginning with the Aussies, followed by India at Edgbaston and then NZ. I reckon they’ll win at least two of them but even so I can’t see the planets aligning so perfectly that one of the other pretenders such as Pakistan or even Bangladesh could disturb the status quo.

What have I learnt so far? Well, batsmen were always likely to be on top, but who would have predicted Shakib al-Hasan would have been top of the run charts? Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have been the most devastating bowling partnership as the short ball has proved the most effective bowling weapon of the tournament. Imran Tahir, Rashid Khan and co may yet have a say in proceedings but for certain neither SA nor Afghanistan will be raising the trophy this year. Faf du Plessis’ men have been out of sorts in most areas. Their batting line-up was already weaker than it’s been for a long time and their one true global star Hashim Amla, has scratched around for runs, even against the Afghans.

I’m sure there’ll be more twists and turns in the coming weeks but it looks likely that the ICC will get the top four it wanted, and that India-England final remains a distinct possibility.

2019 World Cup Preview

After twenty years, the Cricket World Cup is coming home to the UK. Hurrah! The trophy may have been over here on tour several times this decade but of course it has never been hoisted with pride by an England captain. In 1979, Mike Brearley’s chance collapsed in the final when his side lost their last eight wickets for just eleven runs, most of them to West Indian Joel Garner. In 1999, Alec Stewart’s squad failed to escape even the first group stage and Australia went on to claim the title.

Everyone seems convinced that 2019 is surely England’s time. They are top of the world rankings, playing on home soil and playing with great confidence. They are awash with potential batting match-winners, from Buttler to Bairstow, Roy to Root, plus the accelerated qualification and selection of Jofra Archer improves the bowling attack immeasurably. However, two words ring alarm bells: Champions Trophy. Two summers ago, the home team were equally hot favourites to win here and I watched with incredulity as Pakistan outplayed them in the semi at Cardiff. Could it happen again?

The round-robin format and the deliberate policy of shrinking the playing area to favour the six-hitters will ensure that the best nations will reach the last four, eliminating the danger of the least well-supported or sponsored teams springing upsets. So it’s bye-bye, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. They are each capable of notching a few victories but that’s all. Nobody doubts the probability of England and Kohli’s India coming out on top, and the ICC marketing department’s dream final would involve this pair. They will certainly be the best supported. But who will join them?

Australia usually seem to play above themselves in World Cups and tend to be the pundit’s shoo-in for the semis. I could say the same about Germany in the football equivalent – and look what happened to them last year! The Aussies may have Smith and Warner back in the fold but I’m not convinced they have a good enough line-up to go all the way.

I would love it if their opponents in the last tournament, New Zealand, could finally fulfil their potential. They had their best chance in 2015 when Brendon McCullum was still in the fray but with Williamson, Taylor, Boult, Southee et al firing on all cylinders, they must be considered contenders. I rate South Africa’s chances less than evens, largely because I don’t feel that Bavuma excepted, the new crop are capable of compensating for the lack of form or fitness of Amla and Steyn and the retirement of AB De Villiers.

My heart says that a West Indies outfit containing the ageing Chris Gayle and the exciting 25 year-old Shai Hope will blast sufficient attacks out of the water to qualify but my head says they will probably finish fifth or sixth out of the ten. A significant factor could be the scheduling of their fixtures away from cities with the greatest Caribbean heritage so those unforgettable images of can-clanging West Indian Londoners inspiring those supreme Seventies sides won’t be repeated four decades on.

Finally there is Pakistan. Sarfraz Ahmed et al were unexpected winners of the last Champions Trophy and, despite losing the recent ODI series to England, they could beat just about anyone. I’ve been mightily impressed by batters Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, and a fit Mohammad Amir is a match for anyone, but in the past they have thrived as outsiders rather than amongst the favourites.

I’m not optimistic that this year’s competition will be a vintage one. As with the IPL, most fixtures will have no immediate bearing on the overall outcome, which reduces the excitement factor. With every team playing every other, it will be another month before we have a clear idea of the likely semi-finalists. As with most twenty-first century sporting events, it’s all about maximising revenue. Inevitably there are some hotly-anticipated encounters, led by India v Pakistan on 16^th June and England v Australia nine days later, but I reckon the competition will crystalise around Old Trafford and Edgbaston in early July.

So, twisting my arm, who will the participants be? I’ll plump for England, India, Australia and Pakistan, which should bring great comfort to South Africa and New Zealand! I just hope that the sun shines – especially on the two matches for which I have tickets! – and that the World Cup will motivate youngsters to think beyond betting apps and actually take up playing cricket. The game in England and Wales definitely needs this legacy, although this could depend on whether or not Eoin Morgan is the man lifting the trophy at Lord’s on 14^th July. Destiny is calling…..

World Cup Memory Lane

Domestic competition and bilateral series are all very well, but everyone loves a World Cup, don’t they? In the past six years I’ve become rather attached to the alternative Champions Trophy, if only because the use of Cardiff as a venue has enabled me to tag along several times in person. However, with only the top eight  ranked nations eligible to participate,  it lacks the cache of a genuine World Cup. 

The growth of Twenty 20 has inevitably led to the format’s own global tournament every two years. However, for me, the only cricket World Cup that matters is the one based on official one-day international rules. That now involves fifty overs a side but when the Prudential Cup launched in 1975 the poor things had to play sixty. Too long for twenty-first century viewers but great value for teenage fans like me.

The ODI as a concept was very much in its infancy; prior to this tournament the total number contested by the six Test-playing nations was fewer than twenty. With a straightforward format comprising two groups of four, semis and final, the World Cup was easily condensed into a fortnight in June. All the more reason to relish all fifteen matches. Given that all twelve group fixtures took place on just three days, the simultaneous scheduling and only two available BBC TV channels meant that few were televised live.

To be honest I have no recollection of watching England sail through Group A against India, East Africa and New Zealand. The other quartet was far more interesting and it was Pakistan who fell victim to the Group of Death, their fate determined by a thrilling finish at Edgbaston. Despite the efforts of Majid Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz et al, the West Indies scraped home by one wicket with just two balls to spare.

Infuriatingly, both semis were contested midweek, so pesky school commitments precluded a full day’s feast of TV cricket. I expected to get home to watch the England-Australia finale so was staggered to find it had already been wrapped up. Instead of Lillee and Thomson, it was the little-known left-arm swing bowler Gary Gilmour who dominated, taking a stunning 6-14.

And so it came to pass that the inaugural final involved the Aussies and Windies who were becoming bitter rivals. It turned out to be one of the most memorable matches I’ve ever watched. Annoyingly, we missed the middle section – including Clive Lloyd’s magnificent century – because Dad’s school fete took priority. However, from Roy Fredericks treading on his stumps in executing a hooked six of LIllee to some fabulous run-outs by Viv Richards and premature pitch invasions near the end, all the game lacked was a nail-biting last-ball climax. Just writing this 44 years later sets my skin all a-tingle.

The next two World Cups were also hosted by England who still couldn’t quite make home advantage count. In 1979, I glowed with pride and wonder as my idol Viv Richards flayed England’s finest to all corners of Lord’s. That audacious match-winning flicked six off Mike Hendrick will never leave me an image of an alien beamed down from a planet where cricket was played on an altogether higher plane.

Four years on and Viv was at it again, part of a Windies side that was if anything even firmer favourites. They cruised to the final where the fantasy fast bowling quartet of Roberts, Marshall, Garner and Holding dismissed India for under 200. And yet this time the script was ripped up. Once Kapil Dev had pulled off a terrific backpedalling over-the-shoulder catch to end Richards’ menacing innings, Amarnath and Madan Lal completed the job and we had new world champions.

England’s monopoly on hosting duty was over, and the Asian subcontinent assumed the role in the autumn of ’87 followed by Australia/New Zealand in ’92. The time difference and for us, out-of-season scheduling, meant I didn’t watch much of either tournament. The sport was becoming more open, with the Aussies and Pakistan respectively, holding the cup aloft. Imran Khan’s moment appeared destined, achieved at the age of 39 in his very last ODI. The crumbling of cricket’s barriers was further illustrated in 1996 when little Sri Lanka shocked the world by beating Australia with an innovative brand of limited-overs strategy, and the skill of Aravinda da Silva.

In the summer of ’99, cricket ‘came home’, sort of. In fact, England shared fixtures with Scotland, Wales and the Netherlands but at least the premier tournament was held in our summer and our time zone. That said, I don’t recall watching much of it on the box. One exception was the India v Sri Lanka group stage game at Taunton. I was working in London at the time but our office featured a little TV set high on the wall. Someone – not me - had the foresight to switch it on just as Sourav Ganguly and, more surprisingly, Rahul Dravid, piled on a terrific triple-century partnership. I doubt much work was done that afternoon. South Africa were looking likely winners only to lose their heads in a climactic semi-final scramble against eventual champs Australia. Thus the competition introduced not only the Super Six and the white ‘Duke’ ball but also the unwanted ‘chokers’ label around the Proteas’ necks. Twenty years later, rightly or wrongly, it’s still there.

Things took a political turn in 2003 and the combination of eye-catching results (e.g against Sri Lanka) and fortuitous boycotts in Africa propelled lowly Kenya and Bangladesh into the semi-final stratosphere. For all the giant-killings, Australia were unbeatable and duly thumped India in the final by 125 runs. I caught a few late-evening highlights on BBC2 of the 2007 event, which featured an early exit for India (which prompted a change of format to prevent any repeat of such a financially damaging scandal), Ireland’s defeat of Pakistan, the latter’s coach Bob Woolmer suffering a fatal heart attack and a farcical final completed in near-darkness.

By Spring 2011, I was seeing Angie, who had Sky Sports at home, so in between her precious football, I sneaked a few glimpses of cricket at weekends. England’s embarrassment at the hands of the green-haired Irish was joyous to behold but it was also a pleasure to witness the concluding hour or so of the final in Mumbai. The decision to stage the World Cup across the entire Asian subcontinent, with Dhaka hosting the opener, proved a resounding success. For all the caring and sharing, it has to be said that from Sehwag’s brilliant 175 in Match 1 to MS Dhoni’s characteristically piece of perfect pacing six weeks later, the trophy had India’s name on it throughout.

The most recent edition saw another Aussie triumph although co-hosts New Zealand pushed them hard with their aggressive play. Ireland won more games than England, whose chances of progression were ended by Bangladesh, but I was disappointed that for 2019 the ICC decided to raise the drawbridge to stop the Associate nations getting ideas above their station. 

On the plus side, the tournament is returning to these shores. Consequently, subject to politics, personal health and that perennial enemy of cricket, inclement weather, the coming weeks will allow me to watch my first ever World Cup matches live in Cardiff. This time, top-ranked hosts England will start hot favourites but above all I look forward to enjoying the multinational atmosphere and exciting performances. It may not match up to the nostalgic aura of 1975 – Viv, Clive, Lillee and all that – but here’s hoping for a summer to remember.

Tourist TIme

I’m not sure why my flirtation with live Sunday League matches fizzled out. Perhaps it was A-Level pressure, ill-health or the growing problem of finding a parking space close to the County Ground. Yes, it’s not a twenty-first century phenomenon! Once my university years had passed and I plunged into the world of work in the early Eighties, priorities changed. Nor do I recall Dad ever badgering me to accompany him to Chelmsford, not even if Hampshire were the visitors.

Instead, thoughts turned to satisfying my cricket craving by means of the touring side’s annual fixture with Essex. Even in the Eighties, a tour lasted most of the summer incorporating three-dayers against the majority of counties, and Essex always seemed to be on the itinerary. A decade earlier, in 1976, the West Indies played all seventeen counties, the MCC, Minor Counties and Combined Universities, interweaved with five Tests and three ODIs. And current national management teams have the temerity to whine about their arduous schedules, poor dears. 

My first experience of a tour match occurred in 1984 when my favourites, the Windies, were over here. It was deep into June when I took annual leave to watch the final day’s play at Chelmsford, taking the train from Billericay and carrying my sandwiches, camera and diluted squash over the river, before shelling out £2.50 for my ticket (left). Well, I was earning £6K a year, so why not splash out?!

Essex’s successful period had generated enough income to fund ground improvements. Small sections of plastic seating had thankfully replaced the old planks, and I took my place in the non-members’ section at the River End. I was disappointed at the absence of the all-conquering Windies pace attack, with the exception of Joel Garner who, my diary records, bowled a three-over ‘”fiery spell” which did for Gooch and Hardie. Two unfamiliar fast bowlers were in action: Milton Small and a raw, gangly 21 year-old Courtney Walsh. Viv Richards had contributed a pleasing 60 but Fletcher and Pringle batted out for a draw.

In the ensuing seasons I beat the same path to see Australia (twice), New Zealand (twice), West Indies (twice more) and Pakistan. While inevitably many leading tourists were rested in between Test duties, I consider myself privileged to observe some of the world’s greatest cricketers just up the road in Chelmsford. There was an out-of-sorts Jeff Thomson struggling with no-balls, Imran Khan bowling Gooch for a duck, Wasim Akram in awesome all-rounder mode, Ian Bishop taking 5-49, Curtly Ambrose delivering a succession of wince-inducing rib-ticklers at Nasser Hussain, Matthew Hayden making a superb diving catch in front of me and Sir Richard Hadlee making a brief substitute appearance on the outfield the day after his knighthood was announced. He didn’t bowl but in other years I did observe side-on the legendary Malcolm Marshall and Waqar Younis (below). 

In August 1991 Dad was with me when, at the end of a predictable draw, I joined others on the pitch to look up to the players’ balcony where, after bowling regulation, time-filling off-breaks, stood King Viv leaning on the railings, full spirit glass in one hand, surveying his realm. It was the last time he played in a West Indian tour match against a county and a matter of days before his emotional farewell to Test cricket.

Despite my policy of aiming to attend, weather permitting, the middle day, I usually seemed to be denied the best of the visiting batsmen. Twice Gordon Greenidge chose to flay the Essex bowlers on the days I missed, and I didn’t see a lot of Martin Crowe, David Boon or Desmond Haynes other than in a slip cordon. Funnily enough, the only centuries I witnessed were by home players like Brian Hardie, Graham Gooch and John Stephenson before, one warm sunny afternoon in 1996, Pakistani opener Saeed Anwar broke the duck with an exhilarating 102, full of crisp boundaries. My final trip to Chelmsford came two years later but I very nearly saw no cricket at all. The fire brigade was needed to help drain the flooded outfield before play was declared possible and I could see South Africa’s Shaun Pollock take three wickets and Jonty Rhodes demonstrate his fielding prowess in the covers.

The only leading nation missing from my list was India. Fortunately I was able to rectify this omission many years later in 2011. By now a resident of Bridgwater, I nipped down to Taunton to watch a full-strength Indian side, weary from the IPL, desperately seeking first-class match practice. The England skipper Andrew Strauss was similarly out of touch and, in extraordinary circumstances, given special dispensation by the ECB, his Middlesex club and Somerset to bat in this game. He actually went on to score a century but, like most of those in the County Ground, I was more interested in seeing the likes of Gambhir, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh in the flesh. Above all, I grasped the opportunity of seeing Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in partnership, albeit not for very long. An ambition realised (left).

                            

But what about joining a touring party myself? I’ve certainly never craved being a member of the Barmy Army. I couldn’t imagine anything worse! However, my bucket list dream of watching the West Indies play – against anybody, I’m not fussy – at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium on Antigua will almost certainly remain unfulfilled. Instead I retain my fond memories of hours spent under Essex skies watching the best in the world just eight miles from home, a privilege now rarely permitted in this age of concertina-ed schedules where money-spinning internationals inevitably take precedence.  Kids today don’t know what they’re missing…