The five most overrated athletes of all time
Piers Morgan, as is his wont, stirred up a fume this week by describing David Beckham as “the most overrated player in history”. Everyone from Gary Lineker…
Rain ruins England’s best efforts to all but wash away hopes of a result
“Really frustrating. We put ourselves in a really nice position and the way we came out just before lunch was exactly what I asked of the girls,”…
Heather Knight’s remarkable century not enough to stop Australia taking control of Ashes Test
Day Two: Australia 337-9 dec, England 235-8 (Trail by 102) It was an all too familiar sight for an England team in Australia this winter as, once…
Joe Root named Test cricketer of the year – and this is why he deserves place alongside England immortals
Using the term less narrowly, we might add Ken Barrington, Colin Cowdrey, Ted Dexter and Geoffrey Boycott, as batsmen who have been perceived as great for part…
England facing uphill Ashes battle after second match abandoned due to heavy rain
England’s second Ashes match against Australia was abandoned after just 25 balls due to persistent rain at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Having already lost the first…
Joe Root deserves place alongside Hobbs and Co as an England immortal
Using the term less narrowly, we might add Ken Barrington, Colin Cowdrey, Ted Dexter and Geoffrey Boycott, as batsmen who have been perceived as great for part…
The English Test team is at its lowest ebb – this is what has to change
Scyld Berry: Rip up the domestic schedule Even at this late stage (and 2020 showed how flexible the fixture list can be) one immediate major change to…
Cricket may have a drinking culture – but that does not have to be a bad thing
Cricket is a tough sport, and puts you through the wringer at times. The promise of a release at the end of a match, in an environment…
England players are entitled to a drink – but their all-night session proves regime change is needed
The incident shows the team needs a firmer hand, a head coach who will pull players and his assistants into line and set the example himself. The…
Ben Stokes will pull out of Indian Premier League to focus on England Test commitments
Ben Stokes is poised to pull out of the Indian Premier League and put Test cricket first this year. Stokes was released from his Rajasthan Royals contract…
England’s Ashes farce causes even David Gower to lose his rag
Gower off the long-run was a distressing, disorienting spectacle, like watching Kate Humble in a road rage incident in a petting zoo car park; the Archbishop of…
Few England players leave Australia with reputations enhanced – Mark Wood does
In Ashes history, England have had a solitary persistent advantage over Australia: their all-rounders. While Australia have struggled to find players to balance their team over the…
Joe Root and England have no excuses – this was as bad a defeat as they have experienced in Australia
All the bad luck kicked in after Root had failed to make the most of his good luck in winning the toss in Brisbane. The dropped catches,…
James Anderson: My response to Michael Vaughan and why I’m going nowhere
It is hard to win Test series with low scores but we have not been good enough in all areas really and they have played well. Yes…
Exclusive: Joe Root poised to remain England’s Test captain, overseeing overhaul after Ashes defeat
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes Root may have to call time on Anderson’s international career to progress the team. Writing in his Telegraph Sport column, he…
Zak Crawley captivates England’s sternest critics with his poise and panache
On a tour in which glimpses of optimism are few and far between, it wasn’t so much the rate at which Crawley went, pounding 13 boundaries in…
Jos Buttler’s England Test future remains in balance as broken finger forces early departure from Ashes tour
Jos Buttler will return to England early from the Ashes tour after suffering a broken finger. Captain Joe Root confirmed at the close of play on Sunday…
Australia vs England, fourth Ashes Test player ratings: Who starred and who struggled in Sydney draw?
Australia David Warner A punchy 30 set the tone for Australia first up before he continued the ‘Warner wicket, bowled Broad’ theme. Three in the second innings…
Mark Wood is the tailender who never gave up – and he may never have to buy a drink again Down Under
Harold Larwood, Darren Gough, Mark Wood. He might be the least of these three, thus far in his career and at the age of 31, but it…
ECB urges Joe Root to stay on as captain – but Chris Silverwood’s future is less certain
Joe Root retains the backing of the England and Wales Cricket Board to carry on as England’s Test captain beyond the Ashes series. It remains to be…
Rory Burns poised to be dropped for Boxing Day Test with Zak Crawley taking over as England opener
England are likely to make two changes to the top six, with Jonny Bairstow coming in for Ollie Pope to bat at no 6. A decision on…