Ashes update: Essential reading for depressed Australians

Remember when you last won the Ashes. This is what it felt like for English supporters there. You may now identify with it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1905411081/ref=s9_simz_gw_s1_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1C1CW2SZ6T4YNBVYA8T5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294

Ashes update: Lock up your pedalos, England have won!

….and well-urned, in the end!

Ashes update: Australians let the press hounds loose in rush to get their excuses in first

I wondered how long it would be before someone from Australia started to moan about the pitch having been favourably prepared for England and it’s the Sydney Morning Herald’s  Peter Roebuck, the anti-English former Englishman, who has got the ball rolling with the following:
“Although they are loath to admit it, England ordered and prepared a dodgy [...]

Ashes update: It is all about Stuart Broad actually

When, after taking a Test “career-best” six for 91 in Australia’s innings at Headingley,  Stuart Broad left the field looking moderately smug – at least he showed enough humility not to raise the ball to the crowd – I felt more like slapping him across the face with a shovel than congratulating him. Unfortunately, from my position [...]

Ashes update: The most telling of statistics

One of the statistics to earn widespread coverage in this Ashes series is the fact that while England have notched up only one century amongst them in the five Tests so far, Australia have merrily danced down the pitch to claim seven. What has been generally overlooked is that four of those were wasted in one [...]

Ashes update: why it’s not all about Stuart Broad

Although today was all about Stuart Broad, by public demand it falls upon Reverse Sweep to return once more to the subject of Paul Collingwood.
Paul Collingwood, you may remember, is the gritty England batsman who had a Facebook group created in his honour – Paul Collingwood for Prime Minister – after his fine battling performances [...]

Ashes update: First mission impossible accomplished, then England self-destruct

It was fairly obviously to those even with only half a cricket brain that England’s sole hope of reclaiming the Ashes was to win the toss and bat on the first morning at the Oval. First mission accomplished, Andrew Strauss making the correct call, the second was to put as many runs on the board [...]

Ashes update: Why the Ashes will be decided at Headingley

I notice that another ticket broker – on this occasion viagogo – are offering vastly overpriced seats for the final Ashes Test at the Oval (those of you who are not familiar with my rant about seatwave should see my blog entry for July 16 http://sportwriter.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/seatwave-goodbye-to-your-hard-earned-cash/).
Their cheapest offer for Day 1 is £249 per ticket [...]

Ashes update, third Test, fourth day: Ian Bell, Andrew Flintoff, Matt Prior, Mitchell Johnson, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, Graham Onions and Shane Watson we salute you

Crikey; I can’t imagine a much better day’s Test cricket than that. Can you?
In fact, apart fromwhen Australia’s batsmen were thumping England’s attack to all parts of the Swalec Stadium on the second and third days of the first Test, I can’t remember a predictable session in the entire series so far.
Today was a perfect [...]

Ashes update, third Test, second day lunch: Jimmy Anderson finds his form of the series

It’s been a long time coming and there were questionable claims that it had arrived at Lord’s, but has Jimmy “in the form of his life” Anderson finally located the form of his life?
I was just thinking, Graham Onions having provided the early inroads, that it was time for Jimmy to get in on the act and suddenly, [...]