Famous Test Matches – England v South Africa, Old Trafford, 1998

South Africa had stormed to a 1-0 lead in the series with a ten-wicket win in the second Test at Lord’s, and came into the third, played at Old Trafford from July 2 to July 6, 1998, riding on a wave of confidence. The visitors replaced opener Adam Bacher and pace bowler Shaun Pollock, […]

Specials – Revisiting Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign

Before the commencement of the long-awaited ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan was a team struggling for direction, representing a nation fighting for identity. The country has long been at the mercy of erratic politics and incessant terrorism that has left its sporting venues deserted and neglected for a major part of the last decade. […]

Specials – When the Women’s World Cup was last held in England

The Women’s World Cup, the final of which is being played at Lord’s today, returned to England after 24 long years. The 1993 tournament was the fifth edition and featured eight teams, then a new record. Interestingly, the 60-over format was persisted with, even as the men’s World Cup had shifted to the […]

Specials – Revisiting the best of Rachael Heyhoe-Flint

Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, who passed away on 18th January at the age of 77, was a pioneer of women’s cricket and an undisputed great of the game. Due to her noteworthy achievements as a successful captain of England, an administrator and a vocal crusader of gender equality, she has left an indelible mark on the […]

Specials – English double centurions at Edgbaston

As England and Pakistan continue their battle in the third Test at Edgbaston, let us take a look back at the double hundreds scored by English batsmen at this historic venue. Alastair Cook – 294 v India, 3rd Test, 2011 Cook batted for 773 minutes – the longest Test innings by an Englishman […]

Specials – Memories from the NatWest Tri-Series, Part 2

Having looked at the first three editions of the NatWest Tri-Series last week, we move on to summarise the latter half of the tournament’s history, comprising of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 editions. 2003 Zimbabwe and South Africa, co-hosts of the World Cup that had concluded three months earlier, were the tourists. England […]

Specials – Best of the ODIs : England v Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka are about to begin their limited-overs leg in England in the coming week, with Trent Bridge hosting the first ODI tomorrow. Having been humbled in the Test series, the Lions will be looking to perform better in a format which suits them well. Indeed, Sri Lanka have won two of their last […]

Specials – Memories from the NatWest Tri-Series, Part 1

It has been ten years since the English cricket summer did away with the tri-series format for ODIs and instead reverted to separate bilateral series. The primary reason for the discontinuation of the NatWest triangular series from 2006 onwards was that crowds were increasingly turning out to be poor for matches not involving England. […]

Famous Test Matches – England v Sri Lanka, Lord’s, 2006

England embarked upon the 2006 summer following a roller-coaster season during which they memorably regained the Ashes after 18 years, but then fell meekly in Pakistan before securing a drawn result in India. Their early season opponents were Sri Lanka, whose batsmen faced the arduous task of having to negotiate the damp May conditions. […]

Famous Test Matches – England v Australia, Lord’s, 1888

Prior to this match, Australia had lost seven successive times to England. The streak began with the deciding fifth Test of the 1884-85 Ashes, followed by three matches in 1886, two in 1886-87 and one in 1887-88. Moreover, Australia had not yet won an Ashes Test in England; their only win in the […]