Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 84 i Wisden Cricket Monthly

SOUTH AFRICA CAPTURE THE MOOD Last year was an astonishing one for Test cricket, and the message has got through in South Africa, where a revitalised team qualified for the World Test Championship final at Lord's in June and the crowds came out in force. We will cover the story of Temba's trailblazers in the months to come, but for now let's just marvel at the crowds at Centurion and Newlands, vibrantly multicultural, joyously untrammelled, basking in the eternal sunshine of the five-day game at its best. Just imagine if they were to pip Australia to win their first world title a few months from now. A SOCIAL HISTORY OF ENGLISH CRICKET Been re-reading bits of the writer and educationalist Derek Birley's opus for a project on cricket in our…

CAMERON PONSONBY Freelance sportswriter and broadcaster It's the tournament that will not die. In essence, there is nothing wrong with the Champions Trophy: a streamlined, mini World Cup where the best eight teams come together for a two-week thrash of high-quality, competitive cricket. And in a bloated cricketing landscape, a bit of context is always welcome. On the other hand, with a World Cup of either the T20 or ODI variety happening almost every year, if there was one global tournament that could make way, it would be this one. And the ICC have tried. They scrapped the tournament in 2013, before reversing the decision a year later. Then, following the 2017 competition, they ditched it again, before confirming its second comeback in 2021, revealing that Pakistan would host the…

373 First-class wickets, at an average of 25.36 139 First-class wickets for Surrey, at an average of 21.17 17.87 First-class bowling average at The Oval, where he's taken 90 wickets in 18 appearances 16.15 County Championship bowling average in 2024, the best of any bowler in Division One to take nine or more wickets 16 Five-wicket hauls since making his first-class debut in 2012, seven of which have come since the start of 2022 3 ODI appearances for Australia, in which he took one wicket at an average of 171…

An alternative prize will be provided if the winner is aged under 18, or if requested *Only available to UK residents LETTER OF THE MONTH Baz and Gaz shift the dial Seeing England come away with a first Test series victory in New Zealand since 2008 and still get criticised for their approach got me thinking about the parallels with England football fans and Gareth Southgate. Even though the styles of play between Bazball and, ahem, Gazball couldn't be more different, they've each taken a lot of flak for somehow failing to do things ‘properly’. This despite them both delivering results that are generally above what's gone before. In 2022 and 2024 England's Test team had two of their most successful summers ever (W11 L2 D0). You could argue the…

Spin has traditionally played a more central role in women's cricket but in recent years increased professionalism, a greater focus on strength and conditioning and a better understanding of female physiology has brought pace into the spotlight. The push towards the magical 80mph mark may not necessarily decide the series, but the speed gun will provide interesting viewing. Each squad contains a young tearaway capable of bowling in the high-70s, still somewhat raw but possessing mouth-watering potential. Australia's 21-year-old Darcie Brown has the demeanour of an excited labrador puppy on the field but has the ability to move the new ball at high pace, and while she can leak runs at times, she is someone Healy can call on to break open an innings. Brown took seven wickets in Australia's…

Nº 9 Englishmen on top of the world ROB SMYTH Author and freelance sportswriter When England missed out on a summer clean sweep by losing to Sri Lanka at The Oval last September, Joe Root defended their skittish performance by saying that “Even Coldplay can't be number one every week”. It was a slightly odd analogy, especially as the worst parts of England's performance had more in common with a tossed-off B-side that required only a drum machine, a kazoo and a lyrical refrain about being where your feet are. At least Root is qualified to talk about being Nº1. He starts 2025 at the top of the ICC Test men's batting rankings, a position he has held at various stages in each of the last five years and also…

Formed in 1975, the Cheshire County League is the baby of the northern leagues and among its very finest cricketers over this first half-century is the seamer-turned-leggie-turned-offie Ronnie Locke, who collected a record 1,262 CCCL wickets despite not playing in it until he was 32. Eleven times he headed the season's wicket charts, which is seven more than anyone else has. From a humble background in south Manchester, Locke joined Whalley Range CC at 13 after the club waived his subs and tea money – “which probably made me the youngest professional in the country,” he quips. The tearaway teenage quick took 9-9 for the city schoolboys, graduating to the Lancashire under-15s and NAYC North teams, playing “tremendously exciting games for a cricket obsessive” against a young Derek Underwood and…

Norfolk Cricket Society was formed in 1985 when a number of Norfolk CCC members were forced to take shelter from rain in the beer tent at Lakenham Cricket Ground, the ensuing conversation leading to the conclusion that it would be nice to enjoy cricket chat during the long winter months. Various venues have been used by the society over the years, but since the 2019/20 programme all events have been held at Horsford CC, the home of Norfolk Cricket and just a 10-minute drive from Norwich city centre. This small but enduring group of 30-or-so cricket enthusiasts (supplemented by guests who are able to attend events on a pay-as-you-go basis) meet six times a year between September and April. In 2024/25 the speaker programme has already featured Mark Ramprakash and…

“In the early years you survive on determination and my batting performances kept me in the job. The experience of both the tactical and leadership side grew over those years. Then you allow people to see who you really are I'd always had the goal of captaining South Africa one day. When the opportunity comes around, you never know if you're going to get it again and you jump at it. Maybe there's a level of naivety at 22 and I didn't quite understand all of the complexities and responsibilities that came with being a national captain. I had to learn and bump my head a few times. Outside of the squad there was so much conjecture around my appointment. A lot of people were negative about it. Appointing a…

KATYA WITNEY Wisden staff writer @KatyaWitney In a letter published in early January, the ECB was urged by more than 160 UK politicians to boycott England's Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan, due to be played at Lahore on February 26. Welsh Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi wrote the letter, which was signed by, among others, former Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Neil Kinnock, and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. It expressed “profound concern” regarding the upcoming match given “the appalling oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan and the removal of their rights”. The letter also cited the ECB's stance to not play Afghanistan in men's bilateral series, and said the board has “a precious opportunity to extend those principles and condemn this abhorrent oppression”. It concluded: “We must stand against…

ISSUE 84 Farewell Jason Gillespie, Pakistan cricket hardly knew you. His stint as Test head coach was arguably sweet, definitely short, and at least packed with enough press-conference quips to make the whole thing worthwhile. There was the endearingly euphemistic description of his own unofficial demotion to “match-day strategist” (read: throwdown specialist), the emphatically blunt “I'm getting splinters in my arse from sitting on the fence here” when pressed on what exactly his new role entailed, and then the ABC Sport tell-all after it was done, in which he said he “went into the job eyes wide open” and yet was still “completely and utterly blindsided” by the PCB. And if you think that's a contradiction in terms, you might not have met world cricket's most drama-obsessed governing body. Certainly,…

SAM DALLING Freelance sportswriter Scott Borthwick just wanted to test the water, to see what the words felt like pouring out of his mouth. They came in the middle of last summer. For the first time since his 2008 professional debut, Borthwick found himself “actually struggling mentally”. And so, during a conversation with Durham's director of cricket Marcus North, the R-word came up. “I could just retire now,” Borthwick told his boss. It was said partially in jest. “But also, it was not really a joke. I'll always really love cricket, but last summer was more of a battle for me.” Borthwick held similar discussions with Durham coaches Graham Onions and Alan Walker, two men he trusted to offer sound advice. The pair have known Borthwick since his teenage years…

Six half-centuries in 19 innings across all formats has been a highly impressive start to international cricket for Jacob Bethell. The 21-year-old has played positively and confidently in the contrasting conditions of the Caribbean and New Zealand, and his accomplished strokeplay and intent to score have helped him fit smoothly into England's swashbuckling line-up. Bethell's penchant for the cut, pull and drive have helped him to either create or maintain impetus in an innings. At the crease, he is calm and confident; sensible in his decision-making, yet always looking for an opportunity to score, put bowlers under pressure and capitalise on anything erring slightly in line or length. I was fortunate to work with him a couple of years ago as batting coach for the Young Lions during the Under-19…

Nº8 South Africa in Australia, 2008/09 Australia 1-2 South Africa THE STARS Graeme Smith led the charge with bat and balls, inspiring Dale Steyn, the leading wicket-taker in the series, to turn all-rounder and help JP Duminy play the innings of his life, while AB de Villiers announced himself as one of the modern greats. WHY IT WAS SPECIAL Simple. Teams just didn't beat Australia on their own patch. West Indies in 1992, by the barest of margins, had been the last to do it, and though South Africa had been Australia's closest rivals in the 16-year interim and even halved a series in 1994 with a famous victory at Sydney, this was the moment it all came together. THE MOMENT The first Test win at Perth opened up the…

WIN! Send in your answers via email (editorial@wisden.com). Entries must be received by February 17, 2025 1. 5 years ago… On January 19, 2020, which spinner who wasn't included in England's original tour party took a first-innings five-for at St George's Park to set up an innings victory over South Africa? 2. 10 years ago… On January 23, 2015, Ian Bell made 141 against Australia at Hobart to become England's all-time leading run-scorer in ODIs. Whose record did he break? 3. 15 years ago… On January 20, 2010, which opener became the first Indian to score five centuries in consecutive Test matches? 4. 20 years ago… On January 10, 2005, Bangladesh won their first Test match at the 35th time of asking. Who captained them to a 226-run victory over…

10. A SEASON IN SINJI BY JL CARR (1967) JLCarr was an airman, antiquarian, artist, church historian, editor of the Northamptonshire County Cricket League handbook, engraver, gardener, inveterate letter-writer, map-maker, photographer, publisher, teacher. A Season in Sinji, the second of his eight novels, came out the same year he gave up the headmastership of a primary school in Kettering, at the age of 55, to become a full-time writer. Carr would twice be shortlisted for the Booker Prize. After the nomination of his greatest novel, A Month in the Country, he made a rare visit to London for the awards ceremony. There, in the lavatories, he came across another cricket-loving author, William Golding, collapsed face-down. Golding dried out in time to accept the prize. Carr had the consolation of other…

THE Top Six The month in cricket No.2 ANDREW MILLER Wisden Cricket Monthly columnist, UK editor of ESPNcricinfo and former editor of The Cricketer Here's a thought experiment, conducted with all the cynicism that the topic deserves. What if the only way to save the sport you loved was to strip out the jeopardy, competitive and economic alike? No promotion or relegation, or pesky upsets to derail your dream finale, just a diet of appointment-to-view hype for whenever you need your fix… a clash of ‘best versus best’ all the time, for all eternity. It's such a more-ish prospect, it makes you sick, not least because it's a threat that stalks pretty much every sport that makes a decent crust in the 21st century, and plenty that don't, as county…

LAWRENCE BOOTH Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack editor and Daily Mail cricket correspondent English cricket has often congratulated itself for staying above the fray. Player disquiet? A problem for West Indies. Contractual conundrums? Ask New Zealand. But as 2024 neared its end, it was clear that not even the well-insulated ECB could dodge the winds of change. The matter at hand was the granting – or otherwise – of no-objection certificates, NOCs in the acronym-laden world of cricket. Essentially, a player with any kind of red-ball arrangement with his county, including loose pay-as-you-play deals, will not be allowed to take part in an overseas white-ball tournament (besides the IPL) that overlaps with the English season. In principle, this sounds a reasonable way to protect the integrity of the domestic game. In practice,…

In October 2022, Pat Cummins took the highly unusual step of defying a sponsor, refusing to feature in any promotional material for Alinta Energy during the final year of their multimillion-dollar deal with Cricket Australia. A committed environmental action advocate who plays a lead role in the Cricket for Climate campaign – which aims to take the game to net-zero emissions by 2035 – Australia's skipper argued: “Some people can't leave their values at the door. If that creates different conversations, maybe that is a good thing. I'm not doing things to please absolutely everyone. Steve Jobs said he would go and sell ice cream if he wanted to do that.” When Alinta – who were described as Australia's seventh-biggest climate polluter in the 2022 Greenpeace Green Electricity Guide –…

Glamorgan Glamorgan have sacked head coach Grant Bradburn after he received a charge of misconduct by the independent cricket regulator. The New Zealander, who had only spent a single season at Cardiff having signed a three-year deal in January 2024, had been referred to the independent body by the club after they received allegations of inappropriate behaviour. After completing their own internal investigation, Glamorgan concluded Bradburn's position was untenable, reiterating their “zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory behaviour of any kind”. “At Glamorgan we put the well-being of our people first and are providing support for those affected,” said chair Mark Rhydderch-Roberts. “We're incredibly proud of our track record in terms of making sure everyone who is involved with the club feel they are respected, belong and are treated fairly.” Bradburn responded…

1. SMRITI MANDHANA INDIA | 1 Test, 149 runs at 149, 1 hundred; 13 ODIs, 747 runs at 57.46, 4 hundreds, 3 fifties, 1 wicket at 35; 23 T20Is, 763 runs at 42.38, 8 fifties The Indian southpaw broke the record for most runs scored by a woman across all formats in a calendar year after a prolific 12 months in which she showed her class against red ball and white, hitting a typically graceful century in June's Test match versus South Africa and notching four ODI tons (also a women's record). 2. LAURA WOLVAARDT SOUTH AFRICA | 3 Tests, 223 runs at 37.16, 1 hundred, 1 fifty; 12 ODIs, 697 runs at 87.12, 3 hundreds, 3 fifties; 19 T20Is, 673 runs at 39.58, 1 hundred, 3 fifties Wolvaardt wasn't…

Cricket was all I'd ever known. I was named Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year in 2015, following in the footsteps of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow. Having played for Yorkshire from under-11s to under-17s, I joined Durham after I left school before moving to Edinburgh, the birthplace of my father, with ambitions to play for Scotland. This dream was realised in 2017, and I went on to make my ODI debut in the famous win against England at The Grange in 2018. Representing my country at the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE was another career highlight, but I decided to move away from the game the following year as I hadn't been enjoying it for some time. The pressure that I put on myself to perform had…

While recruiting overseas players to the UK has become increasingly tricky, cricketers from the UK can easily play in places like Australia on various types of visa, regardless of their previous cricketing level or experience. “In Australia in particular, there are no real overseas player rules,” says Cole of CricX. “It's based on points systems. We regularly place two, three or four lads at the same club in Australia and they can all play in the same side. If you've got seven homegrown players all worth zero points, it gives you more flexibility to do that. We've probably got five or six clubs in Melbourne that take seven or eight overseas players per year for each club.” CricX is placing almost as many players in Australia as they are in…

No.9 The Cricketer's Autograph Birthday Book Autograph hunters have been with us for a long time. As boys we hung around the pavilion hoping to get the new player or the Test star in our albums, on a photograph or even a scrap of paper. Back in 1906 The Walter Scott Publishing Company made it easier for the Edwardian autograph hunter by publishing The Cricketer's Autograph Birthday Book. A heavyweight production, with a picture of WG Grace on the front cover, it is laid out so that each double-page spread, starting with January 1, has three or four days. On the left are short biographies of players born on that day, on the right space for autographs. I have had many copies of this, some with no autographs, some with…