SHABASH! KEEPING IS A NEW ARTFORM
The Cricket Paper|September 20, 2020
It wasn’t until cricket returned without crowds that I realised the true value to his team of a modern-day wicketkeeper. Here I was, under the impression he was there to take blinding catches and make lightning stumpings, when all the time it’s how much noise he can make. Velvety gloves? “Do me a favour,” you can hear the coach snorting. “Find me a bloke with a pair of cast-iron tonsils.”
Martin Johnson
SHABASH! KEEPING IS A NEW ARTFORM

Thanks to acoustics reminiscent of a half-empty swimming baths, every utterance a wicketkeeper makes is now picked up with crystal clarity on the stump microphone, and is generally of such utter banality that, were I in charge of the honours list, I’d be recommending a knighthood for the bloke who invented the remote control mute button.

Non-stop spouting has now, as far as I can see, even replaced scoring lots of runs as the way to impress the selectors, or at least that’s the conclusion that Ben Foakes now appears to have come to in his ongoing quest to find a way into the England team.

Being widely regarded as a far superior gloveman to either Jos Buttler or Jonny Bairstow didn’t mean a lot unless he could bat, as Foakes well knew when he made his Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2018, so he scored a century on his debut. But proving himself a decent batsman still wasn’t enough, so now he’s added chuntering, yapping and chirping to his repertoire in order to win over the selectors.

Foakes was again impressive behind the stumps when Surrey played Middlesex in a T20 Blast game at the Oval this month, and then bailed them out with an unbeaten 60 when Surrey slipped to 23-4 in chase of a modest 114 to win. But what he should have won the match award for was the fact that in the entire Middlesex innings, the Surrey 12th man didn’t have to run on once with emergency supplies of throat lozenges.

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FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE CRICKET PAPERSe alt
Kohli leads RCB to much-needed win
The Cricket Paper

Kohli leads RCB to much-needed win

VIRAT KOHLI returned to top form with 72 not out to lead RCB to an eight-wicket victory over the Royals in Abu Dhabi.

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3 mins  |
October 04, 2020
TEWATIA HAS SPARKED MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE IPL
The Cricket Paper

TEWATIA HAS SPARKED MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE IPL

James Wallace admits he has been surprisingly taken in by the IPL so far – and, in particular, the performance of a new Royal renegade

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4 mins  |
October 04, 2020
Whitewash victory is just the T20 tonic for Keightley
The Cricket Paper

Whitewash victory is just the T20 tonic for Keightley

A SERIES that few thought would come to fruition ended in triumph for England who completed a 5-0 whitewash of the West Indies in Derby.

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4 mins  |
October 04, 2020
TEN OUT OF TEN! RYAN IS BASKING IN MORE GLORY
The Cricket Paper

TEN OUT OF TEN! RYAN IS BASKING IN MORE GLORY

Chris Stocks catches up with Ryan ten Doeschate, who has plotted Essex’s recent county domination every step of the way

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5 mins  |
October 04, 2020
Surrey have the Will to end hoodoo
The Cricket Paper

Surrey have the Will to end hoodoo

WILL Jacks may be a hot batting prospect but he’s relished the added responsibility with the ball in Surrey’s charge to T20 Finals Day.

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3 mins  |
October 04, 2020
NOW IT'S OUR TIME TO HELP OTHERS
The Cricket Paper

NOW IT'S OUR TIME TO HELP OTHERS

Chris Stocks catches up with England’s director of cricket and discusses the need for the ECB to help boards around the world

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4 mins  |
October 04, 2020
IT'S OFTEN DOWN TO A THROW OF THE DICE
The Cricket Paper

IT'S OFTEN DOWN TO A THROW OF THE DICE

Garfield Robinson explains just how big a part luck plays in determining success or failure in sport

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6 mins  |
October 04, 2020
FINDING TALENTS LIKE TOM IS A GAIN IN ITSELF
The Cricket Paper

FINDING TALENTS LIKE TOM IS A GAIN IN ITSELF

One of the unexpected highlights to emerge from English cricket’s Covid-attenuated season was the chance given to young players to strut their stuff. With many overseas players and Kolpaks affected by travel restrictions many counties looked instead to the young talent on their staffs with gratifying results.

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5 mins  |
October 04, 2020
Future looks bright for the Ohio Slinger
The Cricket Paper

Future looks bright for the Ohio Slinger

ALI Khan is earning his stars and stripes in the Indian Premier League, with the first American to play in the tournament breaking down barriers in every sense.

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3 mins  |
October 04, 2020
Spin trio put squeeze on after Glenn shows off skill with the bat
The Cricket Paper

Spin trio put squeeze on after Glenn shows off skill with the bat

SARAH GLENN helped England spin it to win it after proving she can make an all-round contribution.

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2 mins  |
September 27, 2020