Cricket

It was England’s day but the supremacy was not easily achieved. Of the first seven in the order, only two scored more runs twenty (Rory Burns  and Josh Buttler) and a score nearer 200 than 300 looked likely. Sam Curran was the hero of the hour. He has scored more sixes than anyone in Test [...]

Yesterday was another day of transit as the group went from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy via a tea plantation. This involved yet another hairy coach journey through mountain roads of sheer drops and hairpin bends. Down one of these a boy was brandishing flowers for sale. By cutting the bends he kept with [...]

England achieved their first victory at Galle by 211 runs and ended a losing sequence that went back to October 2016. After the uncomfortable start in the morning of the first day, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran and before them Keaton Jennings steadied the ship. In the end the win was comfortable. Not a [...]

I was pleased to join the National Rusters flying in on the red-eye. I joined Duggie for breakfast. With us were the normal assortment of cricket tourists wearing some form of T-shirt advertising their tour or football club. They tucked into the copious buffet with some gusto. There was so much [...]

It is always exciting to visit a new stadium for the first time. I certainly was not disappointed by the International Cricket Ground at Galle. It’s situated so close to the sea fort that one of the best views of it is from the ramparts. Seeing the spectators gathered there in silhouette along [...]

Today I leave for Sri Lanka to see the first and second Tests. I do so with some trepidation for two reasons. For some reason best known to themselves the England tour has been scheduled in the rainy season and the first Test at Galle may well be a total washout. Indeed a tropical cyclone is [...]

Yesterday I was Ivan’s guest at Hove. Sussex entertained Warwickshire the second division leaders, a game they had to win for any chance of promotion. In chilly and gusty conditions Warwickshire closed play at 308 for 2 with Ian Bell scoring a century. Conversation turned to picking him for Sri [...]