A YEAR is a long time in politics, but an even longer time in Test cricket. Let's take a little journey down memory lane, shall we? It's February 15, 2022, and England have just received an absolute mauling at the hands of Australia in the Ashes. Chris Silverwood has been relieved of his duties as coach. Joe Root, despite having scored the most runs ever in a calendar year by an Englishman, looks jaded and despondent as England captain. The team are preparing to fly to the West Indies, to play a series they don't want to play, and one that they will eventually lose. Sir Andrew Strauss has been brought in to figure out how, exactly, England are so bad and what on earth can be done about it.
In their excellent book, Hitting Against the Spin, data analysts Ben Jones and Nathan Leamon refer to a phenomenon known as the 'tethered cat'. The phrase originates from an old proverb and essentially makes the case that simply because something has been done a certain way for a long time, does not necessarily mean that it is the best way to do that certain thing. In the aftermath of that Ashes battering and the frankly miserable run of results that preceded it, the usual traditionalists erupted out of their armchairs and bemoaned the rise of T20, The Hundred and colourful clothing in general as the root cause of England's ineptitude. What we needed, they said, was a return to tradition, to formality. Fewer ramps and scoops and switch hitting, and more blocking, grit and patience. Orthodoxy would save us, they said. Don't just tether the cat, shorten the leash.
Denne historien er fra February 15, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 15, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
