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Geoff Lemon is a writer, editor and broadcaster. He's the host of cricket podcast The Final Word, and author of the book Steve Smith's Men: Behind Australian Cricket's Fall.
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In a lot of ways, Ashes series are like birthdays. Not in the sense of coming around twice every four years, and not in…
The great games don’t necessarily tell you they’re great at first. Two-thirds of the way through the tied World Cup semi-final of 1999, South…
Name your most iconic World Cup cricket duo. For South Africa, how about all-rounder Jacques Kallis and former Everton winger Steven Pienaar? For Pakistan,…
You can keep your tied semi-finals. Don’t bother me with iconic hundreds in deciders. Don’t even start about batting revolutions in the first ten…
This season, Tasmanian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has become the emblematic hard-luck selection story. But is he actually lucky instead? There’s never any shortage of…
When the Test season wrapped up in Canberra this week, I mentioned the achievements of some Australian players. People promptly pointed out that they…
It shouldn’t be contentious to say that Mitchell Starc is far from his best with the ball this summer. But saying so can draw…
Chew on this: Kusal Mendis has made three Test centuries in the past year. Australia’s entire cricket team has made one. If you’ve never…
In my time following cricket, I’ve never known such a fevered atmosphere around selection. Belatedly, the national panel has recognised that fact. Cricket supporters…
The unfortunate thing is that it’s not Marnus Labuschagne’s fault. But the latest selection for Australia’s Test team is embarrassing for those who made…
It’s alive. Aliiiiiive. The Boxing Day Test has been a dead affair for years, but finally we’ve got one that counts. In truth, Boxing…
We keep hearing it. That Australia needs to play hard cricket. Or tough cricket. But not one person who says it can define what…
The triple century is cricket’s rarefied tier, the area of the stats sheet where mortals dare not tread. To cross the mark of 300…
Adam Gilchrist’s career was always about being fearless. As a batsman, he just came out and took the bowlers on, almost regardless of the…
For the rest of Mitchell Johnson’s life, the defining moment of his career will, of course, be the 2013-14 Ashes, with the early 2014…
Some moments, you always remember where you were when they happened. On the last day of the Adelaide Test in 2006, I was at…
Occasionally, it isn’t a matter of hyperbole to talk about something in terms of the best or worst ever. This is one such case.…
'Worst Ashes team to inflict a whitewash', was a description people started proposing in 2013. Now there's a contender in the works. The current…
It seemed fitting that international cricket should exit the WACA with a comedy of errors. Make no mistake, we’ve just seen its final Test.…
In Test matches, we love to look for symmetry. For England's loss and Australia's win at Brisbane, look no further than the two captains.…
And McCullum got his team to the final, with the momentum and the belief he created. Also with the bat: 50 off 21 balls against Australia when NZ nearly got bowled out for 150, so imagine if they hadn’t had his start.
And his fifty off 22 balls against South Africa in that massive semifinal chase, that got his team close enough to the asking rate that Elliott was able to get them over the line.
Had a brilliant World Cup as a team player.
McCullum should put things right against Australia at the World T20
I don’t think he wasn’t up to it, he hit Starc’s first ball for six in the pool game at Eden Park. And Johnson’s. Easy to say in retrospect that he should have respected Starc – and for the sake of the contest, I wish he had. But I guess he thought he should play the same way that had got his team there, and that was to take down the opponent’s best bowlers. He took 25 off an over from Steyn in the semi.
It’s like when he holed out on 195, and people said he’d thrown away the record for the fastest Test double. But if that wasn’t how he played, he would never have been in a position to break it.
McCullum should put things right against Australia at the World T20
Incredible number, Paul. I didn’t have time to do an analysis across all players, but I’d love to read it.
McCullum should put things right against Australia at the World T20
Haha. No, Jacko, I thought he was brilliant in the shorter forms, just that he underperformed in Test matches.
So I’d much rather see him go out captaining a win at the World T20 than making 4 and 15 in a Test match at home. Hopefully he can produce one last big innings this weekend.
McCullum should put things right against Australia at the World T20
The male to female inversion doesn’t really work though, HT. Because men already have an inherently more advantaged position in society, so there’s a power imbalance when men proposition women that isn’t present the other way around.
Gayle-force dumb descends upon Big Bash League
Get on the White Line Wireless link. They’re all over it.
whitelinewireless.com
Ashes highlights: England vs Australia 5th Test - Day 1 scores
Disarray. I’ll be joining a hyperactive commentary team on WhiteLineWireless.com this session, if the match lasts 30 overs.
[VIDEO] Ashes: England vs Australia 4th Test - Day 1 highlights, scores, blog
Yes, it’s at whitelinewireless.com
[VIDEO] Ashes highlights: England vs Australia third Test - Day 2 cricket scores, blog
Sheek, good to hear from you. The Wallabies looked pretty good for a moment the other day. Almost.
Ashes underway with Face/Off identity switch
Thanks Colin, it had been waiting for a while.
Ashes underway with Face/Off identity switch
Unless Marsh does another hamstring before the series is out.
For an Ashes comeback, Australia must rediscover patience
He looked pretty dodgy watching live – lots of shuffling and edges and good fortune. But that can happen to anyone against a high quality spell, and they can still survive and prosper.
For an Ashes comeback, Australia must rediscover patience
The batsmen certainly switched up that approach at Lord’s. But that’s another piece. I was more interested in the bowling this time.
For an Ashes comeback, Australia must rediscover patience
Thanks guys, and to Bushy and Ex and WB up above. I was floored by those figures when I realised – over a century for one loss.
Australian invaders recapture Lord’s citadel
Hello Jo,
Watching Stokes live, I think he looks very good. Strong technically, scores quickly without seeming to take many risks. I rate him. Ballance is technically struggling and needs some time to rectify it.
We chatted about your other question a lot in the Grandstand podcast which is going up tomorrow, I think: basically England have to take a chance, prepare green wickets, and back Anderson and Broad to outbowl the Australians in English conditions. Otherwise they’re hostage to the coin.
Australian invaders recapture Lord’s citadel
“That bear? I could totally fight it. It’s not even that big. I’d put it in a chokehold but I just can’t be bothered.”
The idiot's guide to booing Adam Goodes
Absolutely – great to get the story told to us straight. That’s a good quality to keep, Jason.
Thanks for the piece.
DIZZY: The inside story behind the England coaching appointment
Yup, bad phrasing. Should read that he’s third highest on the list for best strike rate.
Australia smother New Zealand's surge with bowling for the ages
Ed Joyce. Under ICC regs, players can move from Associate teams to Test nations immediately, but have to wait two years to move back. Which is what Joyce did. Yet another helping hand from the big countries to the small…
Australia smother New Zealand's surge with bowling for the ages
Hello Sheek – you never want to tip things too early, but in the context and with the atmosphere at the ground, that felt like the defining moment even when it happened.
Australia smother New Zealand's surge with bowling for the ages
You can change countries, but you have to prove residency and sit out a qualification period of two years since you last played. If Pattinson moved to the UK and played country cricket and wasn’t required for a couple of years he could change, but he’s definitely in Australia’s plans. Won’t happen.
Australia smother New Zealand's surge with bowling for the ages
That’s the point, James – I’ve read lots of comments about McCullum’s attacking batting, but he wasn’t trying to plonk the ball that bowled him. He was just pushing at it, was a bit frazzled, and the inswing beat him.
Australia smother New Zealand's surge with bowling for the ages
Yeah, I watched just about every game – Ross didn’t have a memorable tournament. I thought he played a real Finch of an innings in the final, lots of nicks and dots and plods. Plenty of talk about his possible retirement, though I’m not sure how likely.
Australia smother New Zealand's surge with bowling for the ages
Yep, but how often are all your top-line bowlers fit and firing at the same time? If you need three decent fast bowlers in a side, you want five or six around the traps who can play at that level. Injuries will always take out bowlers here and there.
Australia smother New Zealand's surge with bowling for the ages
You’re gonna wear your fingers out, Connor. Impressive stuff.
New Zealand vs Australia: Second Test - Day 3 highlights, cricket scores, blog