England have named their first 13-man squad of the new era under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. The immediate takeaway is that if English cricket administrators have not always been as appreciative of Stuart Broad and James Anderson as they should have been, England cricket fans will certainly be grateful that they can call upon […] READ MORE
With the start of the English Test summer now barely three weeks away, the stage is set for an entertaining England vs New Zealand tussle. The two sides have met fairly regularly of late and there should be few secrets, not least because England’s new coach is none other than former-Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum, […] READ MORE
Ben Stokes is clearly an inspirational leader. Whether it single-handedly leading England to victory at Headingley – surely his finest moment – or captaining a scratch English side to a 3-0 victory against a full-strength Pakistan, he is clearly a cricketer that teammates will follow. That he is extravagantly gifted, to the extent that he […] READ MORE
The abject performance of the Test team has been the defining story in English cricket over the last 18 months. The summer of 2020 was reasonably positive for England as they beat the West Indies 2-1 and Pakistan 1-0, before recording a dominant 3-0 win away from home against Sri Lanka. They even got the […] READ MORE
It is looking increasingly possible that all five matches of this Ashes series will not be completed. But for now, the Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground is going ahead as England seek to regain some credibility and Australia look to heap further pain on their oldest rivals. As always, we here at Last Word […] READ MORE
Boxing Day at the MCG was supposed to be the start of an English fightback. Instead it was all over within seven sessions. Scott Boland had 6/7 and the Ashes over within two weeks. 3-0. Midnight on Tuesday marked the nadir of English Test Cricket. It was the lowest low. Ex-players blaming coaches, captains, systems. […] READ MORE
If by the end of the second say of this First Ashes Test, England looked well and truly out of the contest, then they ended day three at least on the ropes rather than the canvas. That was thanks to a superb partnership between Dawid Malan and Joe Root that was worth 159 runs (and […] READ MORE
The truism that a league or a political election cannot be won in the first exchanges, but can be lost applies equally aptly to cricket (regardless of the form). And it is hard to imagine how England could have made a worse start to their attempt to regain the Ashes. It took Mitchell Starc just […] READ MORE
Yesterday’s drama at Lord’s will allow for many narratives to take shape. The unlikely partnership between Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah at the end of India’s innings, the performances of India’s bowling unit as a whole, and the thrilling end to the match all make for entertaining talking points. But there is a less happy […] READ MORE
The not so English summer beckons Despite the absence of Ben Stokes, England’s Test Team are currently preparing to face India in a gruelling 5 match series starting on Wednesday the 4th of August. The hosts ran out 4-1 winners the last time the two teams faced in England but lost 3-1 earlier in the […] READ MORE