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Articles by Douglas Heath

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About Douglas Heath

Douglas Heath began his lifelong love affair with cricket as an 8 year-old schoolboy playing OWZAT? Whilst listening to a 160s Ashes series on the radio. He later became half-decent at doing John Arlott impressions and is a member of Middlesex County Cricket Club. He holds no truck at all with the T20 version on the game. More Posts

England v West Indies 1991 (1st Test)

I watched highlights of this game last night hungry for any sort of cricket. There are those who say a replay is unsatisfying as you know the result. I do not agree. I enjoy seeing cricket as it was competed 30 years ago – the hairstyles, the billboards, the players you have forgotten and [...]

June 14, 2020 // 0 Comments

Sir Geoffrey exits (stage right) …

On 21st October this year, assuming all remains as is – coincidentally the 215th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar – Sir Geoffrey Boycott will celebrate his 80th birthday. I think it is fair to describe Boycott as a singular man in the twin senses of “exceptional” and [...]

June 10, 2020 // 0 Comments

An invitation to a virtual lunch

“The Virus, self-isolation and virtual” are the contemporary buzzwords. I received an invitation for a”virtual cricket lunch” on Zoom. Time, dress even matters to be discussed were specified. I did not accept this invitation but I did have a good story for it which I will share with our [...]

April 14, 2020 // 0 Comments

The third T 20 game : South Africa v England

My declaration in favour of T20 generated a fair amount of flak from the traditionalists. One emailed me that there is no stroke play just a baseball-style swat, or a reverse paddle. Maybe. However there was always a contest as England chased down 222 and won by five wickets. England bat down to 10 [...]

February 17, 2020 // 0 Comments

T20 – all for it

Whisper it softly but I am coming round to T20. The two contests between England and South Africa have been enthralling, both going to the final ball. Last night we saw mesmerizing batting from Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Quentin de Kock and Van Dussen before England won by two runs. I have [...]

February 15, 2020 // 0 Comments

Cricketing issues.

It was an attritional third day at Newlands – “attritional” being cricket speak for dull. The crowd slow-handclapped on several occasions as England established a convincing lead. During the day I therefore examined some of the issues of the day and generally. The first was the [...]

January 6, 2020 // 0 Comments

Time to say goodbye

Its time to say goodbye to James Anderson and Stuart Broad. With an inexperienced captain they probably exercise too much influence and one has the impression that Anderson is holding out and for his 5ooth Test wicket. They are choking up the selection. I would like to see in their absence an [...]

December 31, 2019 // 0 Comments

Cricketing matters

It’s a bit strange to be writing on cricket with the sun setting at 4.00 pm but the recent series in New Zealand and the passing of Bob Willis are worthy of Rust review. It was a dull series in New Zealand largely due to placid pitches. Crucial questions were left unresolved notably Joe Root’s [...]

December 7, 2019 // 0 Comments

Reviewing England this summer

Winning the World Cup and Ben Stokes’s innings has rather papered over the cracks of some seismic faults in English Test cricket notably: Joe Root The policy has been to choose your best player as captain but in the case of Ian Botham and Freddie Flintoff this did not succeed. This is because the [...]

September 18, 2019 // 0 Comments

A memorable day at the Test

The Saturday of a Lords Test is always special, an Ashes one very special, but yesterday can only be described as very, very special. I cannot remember a more absorbing day of Test cricket. It had everything: incident, but better than that – so close was and is – the encounter that you [...]

August 18, 2019 // 0 Comments

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