Next month
early-morning dew and the outfield quickening
up made you feel you were at the ground. Your
coverage is important because so often these days
county cricket coverage, even in the broadsheets,
is minimal. Your feature on the national’s coverage
of cricket was comprehensive too and it makes
me sad. I am cheered that The Cricketer has found
a slot for perceptive pieces county game each
month. All power to your elbow!
David Rimmer, via emailIt is a credit to you and the magazine that I, as
a reader, actually feel involved in expressing
my viewpoint because you take the trouble to
give a personal reply rather than some awful
computer-generated response like so many
publications. The Cricketer in general makes more
of an effort than any other magazine I’ve seen to
find out in detail what its readers think through
questionnaires and other means.
Geoff Page, via emailThank you for printing (most of) my e-mail in
June. However in your editing you made an error.
I mentioned eight T20 franchises each with three
overseas players but you printed eight with eight
overseas, which makes me look a bit stupid.
Chris Goodwin, PeacehavenMany thanks for reviewing my booklet, My
Summer of 1977 in June. If anyone wants a copy
contact me at [email protected]. The
booklet, is only limited to 100 copies.
David Battersby, CheltenhamSpirited commentary
I am a fan of all forms of cricket, preferring
Test and County Championship matches, but
finding plenty to enjoy in the shorter forms. This
year’s IPL was as entertaining as ever, not least
because of the commentary, which was its usual
mix of high-decibel hyperbole, inanities and
unintentional hilarity. My favourite moment was
during the final between Chennai Super Kings
and Sunrisers Hyderabad, when Michael Slater
described a boundary shot as ‘an Exorcist (sic)
missile.’ Since the player concerned was Shane
Watson, can we presume that he was laying the
ghost of Lumley Castle?
Anna Watson, via emailthe worst article I have read in your magazine. It
was spiteful, impolite and ignored almost anything
positive that might be said about Smith. It’s fine
to question whether he is the man for the role he’s
been given. It’s not fine to present a distasteful,
gossip-driven and vindictive piece like this.
Geoff Page, Leighton Buzzard
I was saddened to read Michael Henderson’s
article about Ed Smith. Now I’ll admit that I
don’t know Mr Smith, and I don’t know who’s
popular and who’s not “within the game”. I’m a
cricket enthusiast, not a cricket expert. I’m sure
Mr Henderson would run rings round me, if we
ever had an argument about Ed Smith! But I just
hated the tone of the article. It was ugly. It was
angry. The article reminded me of social-media
trolling. But I can read trolling free of charge, if I
want to! Surely The Cricketer is about celebrating
cricket? And if there is something to criticise, do
it with good humour and style (e.g the brilliant
Barney Ronay, and his superb response to
100 - ball cricket on the next page.)
Bernard Devaney, Newcastle on Tyne
Leave the Ashes alone
It has been suggested by a number of TMS
commentators that the women’s method of
deciding the Ashes might be used by the men.
It works well for the women because there is
only one Test, but please not for the men. Look at
what might happen: The Aussies hold the Ashes
- say England win the Tests 2-1 (two draws) –
they will now have regained the Ashes. But under
the suggested system (four points for a Test win,
two for a draw – two points for a white-ball win,
one for a tie/abandonment). England would have
12 points, the Aussies eight. There would now be
six white-ball games to play – perhaps the ODI
series is drawn 1-1 (one abandoned) – overall
points England 15 Aussies 11. But say the Aussies
win all three T20Is (one is reduced to 10 overs per
side) making the overall score England 15 Aussies
- We have now lost the Ashes – 28-30 hard
-fought days of Test cricket lost by a T20 team
that consists of almost entirely different players
- lost in just 100 overs – only just over one day’s
amount of Test overs. No! No! No! The Ashes
work at present –if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
Ed Barnett, Maple Cross
In praise of half-centuries
The man who reaches 50 in a Test but doesn’t
get to 100 can no longer expect many plaudits,
but I recall great innings: 1) Trevor Bailey, 71,
Lord’s 1953 – he and Willie Watson showed me,
aged eight, how a rearguard action could be
compelling; 2) Ted Dexter, 70, Lord’s 1963; and
3) Brian Close, 70, Lord’s 1963. Both criticised
for their failure to ‘convert’, both innings were
regarded as classics; 4) Colin Cowdrey, 71, Port
of Spain 1967/68. The rare event of a successful
England run-chase, usually undervalued because
of the declaration by Garfield Sobers, was
regarded as quixotic; 5) David Steele, 50, Lord’s- On debut and against Lillee and Thomson;
- Chris Tavaré, 78, Old Trafford 1981. Even Ian
Botham needed someone to be staying in at the
other end; 7) James Vince, 76, Christchurch.
Perhaps he will have his whole innings defined
by the mode of dismissal as many writers treated
David Gower; 8) Andrew Flintoff, 68 and 73,
Edgbaston 2005. He would have received more
praise if he had scored a century in one innings
and failed in the other, e.g. Peter May in Sydney
1954, scored 5 and 104 – no one spoke much
about the first-innings score. To avoid making
this an all-English affair, here are some Australian
examples: 9) Richie Benaud, 97, Lord’s 1956. “The
turning point of the game” – Peter West; 10) Colin
McDonald, 89, Old Trafford 1956. He batted from
Friday afternoon until Tuesday afternoon, and
perhaps disproved the idea that Jim Laker had an
unplayable pitch to bowl on; 11) Ricky Ponting, 78,
Headingley 2009. “Looked imperious, the master
of his domain” - Gideon Haigh.
Robert Hammond, Billericay
Laughing stock
Charity matches are obviously a great cause.
West Indies v World XI at Lord’s was a super
effort to raise funds for the Caribbean. But you
can’t have them as full-status matches, especially
when it becomes so silly with Nasser Hussain
standing in the field during play and interviewing
players. Cricket continues to be a laughing stock.
Rajiv Radhakrishnan, via emailComments on The Cricketer
It was a joy to read Huw Turbervill’s ‘Big match’
(Yorkshire v Essex) in June. Description of theIndia preview
Virat Kohli’s men are in England
for the eagerly awaited Test
series. Join the game’s best
writing team including Simon
Barnes, Paul Edwards, Mike
Selvey, Michael Henderson,
Barney Ronay and George Dobell
for this mouth-watering prospectAugust issue, out Friday July 20
96 | thecricketer.com