Why England will retain the Ashes " Part 1
February 21, 2013 (13:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
While the relentless South Africans have been bowling out Pakistan for 49, there isn’t much for us England fans to do except twiddle our thumbs and look forward to the Ashes; we won’t get another crack at the flukey (ahem) Cricketboks until January 2016. Of course, there’s the NZ tour to look forward to, but we all know this is just a warm-up for the main event this coming summer. So why not begin the build up now? Guest writer Shaun Edwards, from www.eatsleepcricket.co.uk, gets the ball rolling. He’s found five reasons why the Aussies don’t stand a snowflake’s chance in hell against Alastair Cook’s boys. Here’s reason one; we’ll be posting reasons two, three, four and five during the coming days and weeks. Over to you Shaun … Ive heard one or two whispers amongst friends of mine recently. Whispers that concern me: Oh, the Ashes is going to be too one sided. I hope its not as much of a walkover as last time. Yeah, by the Sydney test I was almost feeling sorry for them. Be still my vomiting colon. If, like me, your first experience of English cricket came in the nineties, you probably understand my [...] More...

England look to New Zealand for redemption
February 21, 2013 (13:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
Seldom have the England cricket team endured such a turbulent year of cricket. Frightening frailty against spin derailed our attempts to stay world No1 in the UAE, then South Africa piled on the misery in the second instalment of the English summer. And remember, had it not been for Kevin Pietersens mesmeric performances in Sri Lanka, we might have slipped to five consecutive test defeats. Then there was KP-gate, that unsavoury affair which tarnished the reputation of a team who, under Andy Flowers leadership, had earned a reputation for playing with professionalism and pride. Nobody came out of the affair smelling of roses. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we did rather well in coloured clothing (for a change). Alastair Cook and KPs twin hundreds surprisingly won the day against Pakistans arsenal of spinners, whilst the West Indies were more predictably dispatched on home soil. However, temporarily rising to the summit of the ODI rankings cant disguise what was a pretty dire year for English cricket. Did you know that England were just a solitary Test defeat away from recording their worst year in whites since 1993; this was the last time we lost eight Tests in 12 months. [...] More...

England Trott home
February 20, 2013 (15:00) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
New Zealand 269 (48.5 overs) England 270-2 (47.4 overs) Its rarely easy to chase a total of 269 away from home " especially if your team is as inconsistent as Arsenal. However, England managed it at a canter in Napier today. In doing so, we erased our painful loss in the opening ODI, in which Brendon McCullum turned our bowlers into horse meat. Although McCullum still had a field day, scoring 74 off just 36 balls " he loves Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes bowling more than Jesse Ryder loves lager " the rest of his teammates let him down badly; except Ross Taylor of course, who compiled a composed century (even if it came off a relatively pedestrian 117 balls). McCullum must wonder why his fellow batsmen find Englands bowling so difficult. The pick of Englands attack was Jimmy Anderson " rightfully restored to the England ODI lineup after missing quite a few matches in recent years " and Steven Finn. Jimmy celebrated becoming Englands leading wicket taker in all forms of the game with a well deserved 5-34. Meanwhile, Finn again proved as miserly as a Tory chancellor with public money; his 1-33 on a good batting track [...] More...

What exactly is the point of New Zealand?
February 19, 2013 (17:00) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
With the test match series against New Zealand on the horizon, it’s time for the banter to begin. We’ll kick things off withaspicysalvo by the never sarcastic James Hindle (who obviously didn’t hear about our loss to the Kiwis a few days ago). Enjoy folks….. When the Colony of New South Wales was proclaimed in 1788 the boundaries included “all the islands adjacent in the Pacific Ocean within the latitudes of 1037′S and 4339″S”. Much to the annoyance of modern Kiwis this included all of the North Island and about half of the South Island. Indeed, New Zealand was legally (and administratively) a part of New South Wales (Australia) until 3 May 1841. A 2010 poll suggested that 41% of New Zealanders are “open to the idea of becoming a state of Australia”. Respondents suggested that a merger would improve New Zealanders ease of travel to Australia, as well as their ability to defend themselves. TFT can only assume that the fear of a penguin invasion is a pressing political issue way down under. Some Kiwis are sensitive about such talk, maintaining that New Zealand is not even part of the continent of Australasia, and that instead its belongs to [...] More...

Need a new bat for the summer?
February 18, 2013 (16:45) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
If youre looking for a way to make yourself feel better after the weekends loss to New Zealand, why not do a good deed? Theres nothing like a selfless act of charity to make oneself feel good " especially when you get to buy a shiny new piece of equipment for your cricket bag as part of the bargain. Normally, buying a cricket bat is a bit of a ritual: you have to identify a good weight, test the pick-up, decide whether you can bear its ridiculous brand name (Newberry Uzi anyone?), and then decide (a) which of the naff stickers youre going to take off, and (b) whether you can be bothered to knock the bloody thing in. However, thanks to the non-for-profit organisation Bat4Africa such chores are a thing of the past. Theyve released a new limited edition bat to raise funds for Street Child Africa, a charity which helps to support kids growing up in the street " supporting and supplying things like shoes and school bags. The bat has a colourful design which reflects African culture (but its subtle enough – see above) and rather than turning you into a walking advert for GM or Kookaburra, [...] More...

The Full Toss factfile: New Zealand
February 13, 2013 (14:30) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
New Zealand: England are on tour there, they have lots of volcanoes, and are good at rugby. But what else do we really know about this distant land which will be the focus of our cricketing attentions over the next few weeks? To get you in the know, here’s your exclusive Full Toss cut-out-and-keep guide to the Land Of The Long White Cloud. 1. With its stunning, rugged scenery, and other-worldly landscapes, New Zealand has become a favoured location for film-makers. Most notably, director Peter Jackson chose the islands as the setting for his epic 1970s trilogy of On The Buses, Holiday On The Buses, and the multi Oscar-winning Mutiny On The Buses. 2. The nation’s citizens take pride and pleasure in their fraternal relationship with their nearest neighbours, and in particular enjoy a close identification with them. As a piece of advice, any self-respecting New Zealander will warmly appreciate it if you repeatedly refer to them, to their face, as an “Australian”. 3. New Zealanders were previously colloquially known, in turn, as kumquats, satsumas, grapes, and Sharon fruit, before voting in a 1975 referendum to adopt the nickname ‘Kiwis’, ahead of the second choice ‘mangoes’. 4. The metereologist Michael [...] More...

Back to the drawing board
February 12, 2013 (16:45) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
New Zealand 192-6. England 137 all out (19.3 overs) Word of the day: Execution. Captains Stuart Broad and Brendon McCullum were intent on ingraining the need to execute their skills at the toss, but it was the latterwho performed a crucifixion Henry VIII would have been proud of. McCullum, leading from the front with a typically belligerent 74, wreaked havoc at another picture-postcard ground. Hamilton was the venue of a royal slaying. Judging by Englands record score in Auckland, a simple win the toss and bat first scenario would have gone down well, but Broad decided to plunge the other way. The short boundaries, suggestions of a fast and bouncy wicket, and the paradisiacal setting did little to deter Broad frominserting the home side, a decision that left many scratching their sun-parched foreheads. If that decision raised a few eyebrows, Broads next plan of attack induced some into a coma of disbelief. Citing pace and bounce as a reason to bowl first, James Tredwell suddenly trotted up to deliver the first over. He might have a decent arm-ball but hes no Steven Finn. Without a moments hesitation, Martin Guptill and Hamish Rutherford took the Kent spinner for 10 in the [...] More...

Englands young brigade down NZ in tour opener
February 10, 2013 (13:30) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
England 214-7, New Zealand 174-9. Eng win by 40 runs Englands World Twenty20 performance did little to wet our appetite for more, with a whole host of youngsters failing to adapt to Sri Lankas alien conditions. It also reminded us that Stuart Broad still has a lot to learn as captain, especially when nurturing young players who have showed only sporadic glimpses of what theyre capable of. But after brushing aside a horribly lacklustre New Zealand in Auckland, the future suddenlylooks much brighter. Experience, in any form of sport, is a valuable attribute; one which aids the decision making, mental aptitude and resilience of a team or individual. But the young pretenders have to start somewhere, and Auckland was the perfect destination. On a pitch described as the best hes ever played on by Eoin Morgan, England cashed in against some amateur bowling from New Zealands own batch of fresh meat. Mitch McClenaghan, so impressive across the formats against South Africa, was the pick once again conceding just 29 in his four overs, but Ronnie Hira, Andrew Ellis, Trent Boult and Nathan McCullum were less economic, all being taken for more than ten an over. Michael Lumb, Alex Hales and [...] More...

Why England will retain the Ashes " Part II
February 08, 2013 (08:45) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
Here’s the second part of Shaun Edward’s epic Ashes preview … Two: Batting Long. Or, if youre being less kind, batting dull. In the last victorious Ashes series, the main plan was to bat once, and bat long. It worked, England winning all three of their matches by an innings, having racked up scores of 620, 513 and 644. Even in the drawn opener at the Gabba they saved the game with a truly monstrous 517-1 declared. Ill be honest: when Andrew Strauss hung up the boots and unlaced his bat for the last time, I was very concerned about the fragility of the English batting line up. Though the skippers form was obviously on the wane, he and Cook still walked out to the middle with an air of authority. With the big man gone, Cook and Jonathan Trott seemed like they were the only ones who were always up for a fight. Unfortunately, my suspicions were confirmed against the Proteas. With Vernon Philander able to conjure magic balls at will to defeat Cook and Dale Steyn targeting Trotts front pad with the rage of a scorned lover, it became apparent that when numbers two and three went quickly, [...] More...

What does BCCI actually stand for?
February 05, 2013 (13:00) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
Have you heard the news? According to the Daily Telegraph the BCCI has banned 30 English players from playing and practising in India following Indias humbling in the recent test series. At this point you probably think Im joking. Surely a supposedly professional organisation, containing grown men, wouldnt be so petty and, quite frankly, absurd? Well, Im afraid not. The BCCI seems determined to make itself look ridiculous. At this point its a toss up whether the BCCI or the leadership of the The Knights That Go Ni are less rational. Not content with being the only cricket board in the world opposed to the DRS " on the basis that it isnt 100% accurate (so theyd prefer to rely on the human eye which is even less accurate) " they now seem determined to buck a long standing convention of world cricket. Crickets powerhouse nations have always been open for business when it comes to developmental tours and overseas players. Some countries do it more than others, but overall its thought that the vitality of cricket, both within host countries and in their domestic leagues, is well served by permitting visiting players. Its this high minded mentality thats seen [...] More...

Time for the real Stuart Broad to stand up
February 04, 2013 (16:30) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
Our tour of Middle Earth is officially underway. Unfortunately nobody told the weather Gods. Our opening match, a T20 against an ambiguously named New Zealand XI, was washed out after just 9.1 overs. The hosts had reached 70-1. We were hoping to talk about the match itself today. But since the weather refused to comply, lets talk about the return of Stuart Broad; he is, after all, T20 captain, one of the coaches favourite players, and until recently a linchpin of the attack in all forms of the game. The big question for me is whether hes rediscovered his pace. I dont want to sound like Jeremy Clarkson or James May, but speed makes the world go round " especially when it comes to Broad. Broad was never genuinely quick, but two years ago he was hitting the high 80s pretty regularly. Given his height, and natural aggression, he was a pretty dangerous international bowler. Ok, so he went over the top now and again, called himself the enforcer (which sounds like a crap Sylvester Stallone character), and bowled too short at times, but when he pitched the ball up he was a genuine handful; batsmen thought they could drive [...] More...

Why England will retain the Ashes " Part 1
February 02, 2013 (16:30) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
While the relentless South Africans have been bowling out Pakistan for 49, there isn’t much for us England fans to do except twiddle our thumbs and look forward to the Ashes; we won’t get another crack at the flukey (ahem) Cricketboks until January 2016. Of course, there’s the NZ tour to look forward to, but we all know this is just a warm-up for the main event this coming summer. So why not begin the build up now? Guest writer Shaun Edwards, from www.eatsleepcricket.co.uk, gets the ball rolling. He’s found five reasons why the Aussies don’t stand a snowflake’s chance in hell against Alastair Cook’s boys. Here’s reason one; we’ll be posting reasons two, three, four and five during the coming days and weeks. Over to you Shaun … Ive heard one or two whispers amongst friends of mine recently. Whispers that concern me: Oh, the Ashes is going to be too one sided. I hope its not as much of a walkover as last time. Yeah, by the Sydney test I was almost feeling sorry for them. Be still my vomiting colon. If, like me, your first experience of English cricket came in the nineties, you probably understand my [...] More...

England look to New Zealand for redemption
January 31, 2013 (17:45) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
Seldom have the England cricket team endured such a turbulent year of cricket. Frightening frailty against spin derailed our attempts to stay world No1 in the UAE, then South Africa piled on the misery in the second instalment of the English summer. And remember, had it not been for Kevin Pietersens mesmeric performances in Sri Lanka, we might have slipped to five consecutive test defeats. Then there was KP-gate, that unsavoury affair which tarnished the reputation of a team who, under Andy Flowers leadership, had earned a reputation for playing with professionalism and pride. Nobody came out of the affair smelling of roses. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we did rather well in coloured clothing (for a change). Alastair Cook and KPs twin hundreds surprisingly won the day against Pakistans arsenal of spinners, whilst the West Indies were more predictably dispatched on home soil. However, temporarily rising to the summit of the ODI rankings cant disguise what was a pretty dire year for English cricket. Did you know that England were just a solitary Test defeat away from recording their worst year in whites since 1993; this was the last time we lost eight Tests in 12 months. [...] More...

Alls well that ends well?
January 28, 2013 (14:45) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
India 226. England 227-3 (47.2 overs) Its amazing how a decisive victory in a dead rubber can lift our spirits. When you see the England cricket team play like they did yesterday, with so many first choice players missing, everything seems right with the world. Alternatively, you be forgiven for thinking: why the hell didnt we play like that in the three games beforehand? It all depends on whether youre a glass half empty or a glass half full person. Today Im part of the glass half full brigade " and the substance in my glass is champagne. Why? Because losing 2-3 in India is progress. Its better than 0-5, the result weve endured on our last two tours, and India are now, if you look at the rankings, the best ODI side in the world. Theyre also world champions. Losing a series by a solitary game to Dhoni and Co in their own backyard, with a makeshift bowling attack, is a pretty good effort. There simply isnt a tougher assignment in limited overs cricket. Im probably kidding myself but hey, Im sick of all the pessimism around here. In fact, I rather fancy our chances on home soil in [...] More...

Things will have to change, one day
January 26, 2013 (11:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
We’ve debated the future of ODIs on this blog before. The consenus was that ODIs are a dying breed outside the subcontinent, and that the cricketing world would be better off without them. However, maybe this is because we’re a bunch of old farts. What about the views of someone under 30? Does the next generation of fans think any differently? George Curtis gives us aninsight… Everybody has that one flavour sandwich that makes their skin crawl, just like all cricket followers have that one form of the game that doesnt quite hit the spot as sweetly as the others. For me, that is One-Day Internationals. Once viewed as the curtain-raising event of a tour, ODIs now possess as much significance as Piers Morgan on UK politics, and there is room no longer for the tedious formalities of 50-over internationals. It wasnt so long ago that ODIs played an influential role in the makeup of an international tour. It was common place for five 50-over contests to be arranged in precedent to the marquee event of the Test series. It was a chance for bowling attacks to size up their enemy, for batsmen to gain a feel of who they [...] More...

The learning curve
January 24, 2013 (13:45) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
England 257-7. India 258-5 (47.3 overs) If you include warm-up matches, Englands record under Ashley Giles currently reads as won one, lost five. Thats pretty dismal by anyone standards " especially for a side that includes world class players like Cook, Pietersen and Morgan. So should we be despondent? Should we simply shrug our shoulders and say we never win the ODIs when theyre after the test matches anyway, so we dont care. Or should we look past the results and take a broader perspective. Personally, Im going with the latter option. Theres no point in getting depressed about it. Englands ODI side have lost to Ireland in recent times " were well used to humiliation. As for pretending we dont care, Im getting a little tired of this approach. It just feels like an excuse. Besides, on this occasion the players went home for Christmas, so they should be relatively fresh and focused. Yes, its hard to motivate oneself after big goals have been achieved, but plenty of blokes in this team had something to prove " particularly the coach. Has Giles been appointed because he knows how to play the game (Im referring to the political game of [...] More...

The Full Toss quiz
January 21, 2013 (11:45) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
Long time no quiz. For which, apologies – but to make amends, let uswithout any further adobring you the first Full Toss quiz of 2013. As ever, enter your answers below – or to avoid spoilers, e-mail them tomaxie@thefulltoss.com 1.Which cricketing items must (a) weigh between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces; and (b) be 4.33 inches long? 2.Which counties link these two pairs of players? (a) Brian Close and Justin Langer. (b) Allan Border and Darren Gough? 3.Which chat-show host once regularly appeared for Barnsley CC in the same batting line-up as Geoffrey Boycott and Dickie Bird? 4.Who said, after his side consecutively beat New Zealand 3-0 and then West Indies 4-0: “the achievement we have achieved is a great achievement”? 5.Rank these England bowlers by the number of test wickets they each took, with the most first: Andrew Flintoff, Andrew Caddick, and Matthew Hoggard. 6.”Nine runs off the over – 28 Boycott, 15 Gower, 69 for two. And after Trevor Bailey it will be Christopher Martin-Jenkins. Whose famously unsentimental final words as a Test Match Special commentator, on 2nd September 1980? 7.Which English domestic competition was staged annually from 1963 until 1980, and was originally 65 overs per side? [...] More...

Too awful to watch
January 20, 2013 (12:45) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
England 155 (43 overs). India 157-3 (28 overs) The great thing about being a professional cricket journalist is that you get to watch England play cricket. The one great disadvantage is that you have to watch every match. You cant just say sod this Im off to the pub; you have to stay rooted to your seat in the press box, head in hands, eyes glazed, watching a depressing and all too predictable defeat unfold. So yesterday was a great day to be a cricket blogger " a privileged observer who can simply say this is shocking, I cant bear to watch, Ive got better things to do. Yesterday was my Dads 65th birthday, so I took great pleasure in turning off the television and spending time with my family. We went to watch Top Hat in Londons West End, which I have to say was a damn sight more entertaining that watching Craig Kieswetter score yet another duck, and Jade Dernbachs spray the new ball around like he was actually trying to lose the game as quickly as possible. Much like Andy Murray is Scottish when he loses but British when he wins, Kieswetter and Dernbach are most definitely [...] More...

Why CMJ showed us the way
January 18, 2013 (13:30) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
A school friend once said to me on the eve of the first test match of the English summer: thecricket seasonstarts tomorrow. Its the end of May I replied, it started a few weeks ago. Nope he said, the real cricket season, just like the English summer, doesnt begin until I hear Richie Benaud say good morning everyone. That conversation has always stayed with me. Those were the good old days: the time when test cricket was on free to air TV. Since then, of course, Sky have monopolised test coverage " making more and more of us reliant on TMS and our digital radios. That annual Richie Benaud moment has therefore became a Jonathan Agnew, Henry Blofeld or … a Christopher Martin Jenkins moment. The untimely death of Tony Greig a fortnight ago somewhat overshadowed the passing of another cricketing great " not a player who captained England and became a television personality, but a distinguished radio broadcaster and fine newspaper journalist. CMJ will be missed by every English cricket fan who thinks deeply about the game. Owning a Sky subscription myself, I have never listened to TMS religiously. I mainly listen to it in the car, or when [...] More...

From wheelie good to wheelie bad
January 15, 2013 (21:45) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
India 285-6 (50 overs) England 158 (36 overs) Dont worry. Ill give the wheelie headlines a rest after this. But lets face it. Englands performance in the second ODI was really, really bad. But lets not get too downhearted. Nobody wheelie (sorry) expected us to win this series, so the odd bad day at the office isnt unexpected. With Trott, Swann and Anderson missing, our unproven players struggled under fire. The bowling was always a concern, and our batsmen fell flat on their faces when Bell and Cook failed to provide the excellent starts weve become accustomed to. Theres always plenty of over-analysis in the media when crushing defeats like this come along, but were not going to fall into the same trap. Today was just wasnt our day. Had Bell not reached for a wide swinging delivery and edged behind, and had DRS been available to correct the shocking lbw decision against Cook, then the result might have been different. Add to that Morgans second ball duck …. you get the picture. The truth is that England got themselves into a hole and couldnt recover. It doesnt make us a bad side. A top five of Cook, Bell, Trott, [...] More...

Big Bore left gasping for breath
January 15, 2013 (00:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
It doesnt take your full attention to notice Hollister when you walk past it. The stench of aftershave forms an alluring shield round the entrance, two beautifully constructed youths stand guard acquitted with nothing more than a tight-fitting pair of shorts and some flip flops, and a screen as wide as the Lords pavilion provides a live feed of the crisp blue sea on Bondi Beach, Sydney. Despite being an entirely American corporation, nothing could be more Australian on first glance. Exuberance, presumptuousness, audacity; you name it. After all, when the Australians do something, they do it best. That is, except, for Twenty20 cricket. For all of crickets evolution and the modern acceptance of Twenty20s importance to the prolonging of the game, Australia have taken their time to catch on. A benchmark set by English County cricket and triumphantly redefined by the Indian Premier League has yet to catch sight of the Big Bash which, on the basis of this years competition, is flailing far behind. But it isnt for lack of trying. As you would expect of anything the Australians produce, an absence of machismo there is not. Big stadiums, long boundaries and Shane Warne picking a fight are [...] More...

A Wheelie great start " the 1st ODI from Rajkot
January 15, 2013 (00:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
England 325-4 (50 overs) India 316-9 Well, well, well. Ashley Giles has already achieved something Andy Flower could not: an ODI win in the world champions back yard. Ian Bell was right. The warm up matches really were meaningless. Englands success was built on the one really strong aspect of our side: the top order batting. Alastair Cook continues toplay like superman, whilst Ian Bell continues to bat more like Mahela Jayawardene than Mahela Jayawardene currently does. Their opening stand of 158 was serene. Englands total of 325-4 was useful but far from unassailable. The pitch was flatter than the flattest pancake on shrove Tuesday. We probably should have scored more. The fourth fifty of the innings, when Pietersen and Morgan were at the crease, were by far our slowest. We got introspective when we should have been in T20 slog mode; indeed, it took a last gasp cameo from Samit Patel, and a few perfectly executed hockey shots from Kieswetter, to get us over 300. Indias chase began ominously well. Rahane and Gambhir took advantage of some shoddy bowling from Dernbach (that’s from the deliveries that werent too wide to hit) and at one point it looked like 500 [...] More...

Ashley Giles: From The Bears into the bear pit
January 15, 2013 (00:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
This aint like dustin’ crops boy. It hasnt been the most auspicious start for Ashley Giles. England were thrashed in the first warm up game and beaten soundly by Delhi in the second. Thank heavens we werent playing Jaipur and Mumbai too, otherwise things might have got really ugly. Its all the more embarrassing because England are, if the rather bizarre ICC Championship rankings are to be believed, the best ODI team in the world. Imagine what Delhi might have done to South Africa or Australia. Gasp. The truth is, however, that the results in Englands warm up matches havent come as much of a surprise. Conventional thinking dictates that England will be up against it in the forthcoming series " especially as so many key players have been rested (well, actually its just Trott and Swann, but why let the facts stop us from getting in our excuses early). Furthermore, lets not forget that England have lost their last two ODI series in India 0-5. Giles could not have had a tougher task to begin his tenure. I cant pretend I was enamoured with Giles promotion. This blog has long been suspicious of English crickets authorities, and part of [...] More...

Keep your hair on Shane!
January 15, 2013 (00:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
Given all the non-plastic surgery, we weren’t quite sure whether the bloke playing for Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash was actually Shane Warne or not. Now we know. After Marlon Samuels was caught pulling Hussey’s shirt earlier in the day, thus preventing the batsman from taking a second run, bad feeling flowed as copiously as naff Aussie lager in the stands. Warney couldn’t resist having a pop at the cheating (is that too strong a word?) West Indian when bowling to him later- the profanities were all too clear for sensitive Aussie ears to hear- andlater threw the ball atSamuels when fielding. The latter incident led Samuels tohurl his bat in Warne’s direction. Toys were already being thrown left, right and centre, so why not a piece of willow?! Check out the amazing scenes here Warne versus Samuels The incident has already been described as one of cricket’s most shameful incidents. We’ve got a slightly different view. It’s T20. It’s entertainment for heavens sake. Let’s not blow it out of proportion. Both players should be fined but let’s not go overboard. Besides, it was well funny. James Morgan More...

Englands best ever test XI
January 15, 2013 (00:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
This is the side that would have beaten Steve Waughs Australians (maybe). If only theyd been born at a similar time so they were at the peak of their powers together. Of course, if Keith Fletcher was the coach, and they were still playing for their counties the day before a test, it wouldnt have made much difference. However, these are the cricketers who, more than any others, have won our hearts (and the odd test match) over the years. 1 Graham Zap Gooch: Take Terry Alderman out of theequation and youve got one of the most successful openers of the modern era. The man with the Frank Zappa moustache scored one of all the all time great hundreds at Headingley in which he memorably carried his bat against Walsh and Ambrose. It was tough to leave out Alastair Cook of course, but were going for the master not the apprentice. Furthermore, Goochs presence in the XI would inevitably annoy our number three (especially if we put him in charge of our teams training schedule). 2 Michael Skipper Vaughan (Capt): Our best captain since Brearley, and perhaps Englands most elegant opener of recent times. His average took a knock when [...] More...

Goodnight Charlie
January 15, 2013 (00:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
That unmistakeably rich baritone voice, like listening to a glass of mulled wine. Neither quite South African, nor Australian, nor English, but a blend of the three. Those trenchant, often ridiculous catchphrases, delivered with his unique combination of gravitas and hysteria. These are just a few of the things well miss about the late, great Tony Greig. It was dreadfully sad to read of Greiggys very untimely passing, which came as hed barely begun his battle against lung cancer. As Id have suspected, and judging by reaction on Facebook and Twitter, his demise has really struck a chord with English cricket fans " and a surprisingly deep one, given that Greig rarely commentated in this country, and in some respects had only a passing connection with this country. In his newspaper obituaries, much of the focus has been on Greigs involvement with Kerry Packer, as well as the infamous grovel incident. But armchair punters like us will remember him best, and very fondly, for his commentary career. Greiggy was a brilliant commentator, but mainly for the wrong reasons. He got things wrong, he became far too excited, and much of what he said was plain daft. But Greig was charismatic, [...] More...

Intimidated? I dont think so
January 15, 2013 (00:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
Part of my Christmas ritual (and probably yours too) is staying up to watch the first session of the Boxing Day test from the MCG. It used to be a dispiriting experience fifteen years ago. A succession of worthy challengers (some of which contained great bowlers like Ambrose, Walsh and Waqar Younis) would turn up with high hopes, but concede four hundred runs in a day and lose by an innings. How on earth was Englands attack (which at this point was led by Alan Mullally) going to take a single wicket, let alone twenty? Slater, Mark Waugh etc were going to have a field day. These days the pattern is pretty familiar, but the overall experience is so, so different. Teams from the West Indies, Pakistan, and most recently Sri Lanka, still turn up at the MCG and get their behinds kicked, but this time I cant help smirking. Indeed, I occasionally burst out laughing when I hear channel nine suggesting that Australia are once again the best in the world, or even back on track. This is by far the weakest Australian team Ive ever seen " even if theyre currently winning the Boxing Test day test at [...] More...

Tears on their Pilau " a post mortem of Indias test defeat to England
January 15, 2013 (00:15) [ Indexed from The Full Toss ]
We received this very very serious submission via email earlier in the week. It discusses India’s test humiliation at the hand’s of Alastair Cook’s Barmy Army with intelligence, eloquence (and not a trace of sarcasm). It also prevents us from having to consider England’s abject showing in the T20 yesterday … something which will come as relief to Jade Dernbach, who seemed to be impersonating a blind muppet for most of the match. Anyway, over to you Mr James Hindle, aka @TarkaCricket … ‘In 1882, following England’s first Test defeat by Australia on English soil, a British newspaper famously published an obituary for English cricket. It included the brilliant line: “the body [of English cricket] will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia”. A group of Melbourne WAGs proceeded to burn some bails, and the noble Ashes were born. India’s 2012 defeat by England, on home soil and despite many advantages, is a similarly momentous moment in the history of our game. Much was in India’s favour: they faced an England team which had proven itself desperately poor against spin bowling, under a new captain, and struggling with much publicised internal strife. India, on the other hand, possessed the [...] More...