The Bowled Over Cricket Blog

Throughout the history of humankind, tragedies of all kind have taken place, and as bad as the current situation may seem, perhaps no tragedy in our history has been as awful as World War 1 or 2. Young men and women around the same age as many of our cricketing heroes were being sent  off to fight in battles all around the world, not battles where series and wickets were at stake, but peoples’ lives. Over the course of the two wars , millions died, including those from almost every major cricketing nation - and some scars from the two conflicts may never heal. However, cricket was a positive force in those turbulent times.  Members of the armed forces enjoyed playing the game we love in their time away from the front line. It gave those in a war-torn world a crumb of comfort, a chance to take their minds away from the horrors of the time. Members of the royal navy enjoy a spot of cricket in Malta during the second world war A group of female auxiliary corps prepare for a...

Throughout the sport’s rich history, many unbelievable  stories have emerged from the game we love.  Did someone really score 286 off 1 legal delivery? Did Hitler genuinely kill the German cricket team? Did someone actually hit a six into the next county?  Or are these all just fantastical tales that we have been led to believe, passed down from generation to generation? Case 1: Russia Refuses to Recognise  Cricket as a Sport - Fact  or Fiction? On July 15 th 2019, just one day after England won their maiden cricket world cup, Russia removed cricket from their list of official sports - despite the game being watched and loved by nearly a third of the world’s population.  Many saw this as a political move against the UK; tensions had been brewing between the two nations ever since the poisoning of British intelligence agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Sports on the list included model plane flying, footgolf and draughts - but cricket couldn’t get i...

Vigorously rubbing the ball against his lycra trousers, Yasir Shah stands at the top of his mark, all set to bowl the first delivery of the 35 th over. Waiting down at the strikers end lies Joe Root, who anxiously taps the ground with the toe of his red and silver New Balance bat. Shah hustles in and bowls, a substandard ball at best, a filthy longhop at worst, but Root, seemingly set for a big innings on 40*, can only pull the delivery straight into the hands of short midwicket. A hush falls over the Ageas Bowl, the early May sun flooding over the ground. The odd Pakistani horn sounds as a booming announcement informs the crowd that Jos Buttler will be the new man at the crease. Suddenly the noise picks up again. Those who were about to head off for a beer or toilet break scamper back to their seats; no one wants to miss a chance to watch a cricketer who, on his day, can rip any bowling attack into shreds. The sold-out crowd waits in anticipation as Buttler makes his way down the...

A team made up of the best players in world cricket today who can’t afford to be splitting hairs (as they don’t have many left)! Their lack of hair hasn’t affected their cricketing ability however, and some of these players are up there with the best in the world, not just in terms of forehead size. This team only includes players that are BAP (Bald and Proud), any cricketers with hair transplants or hairpieces have not been considered for selection. So, without further ado, here is the full run down of the dream bald team in world cricket right now: 1)   Adam Lyth   Nicknamed ‘peanut’, Lyth is a highly talented left-handed batsman who came through the Yorkshire ranks alongside none other than England captain Joe Root. Despite his England career failing to take off, he has enjoyed vast amount of success in domestic cricket, and his career highlights include scoring 161 off just 73 balls in the T20 blast, the third highest score in the format of all time. ...

It is never easy to win a test series in your home country.  It is even harder to go halfway across the world to a foreign environment, away from those you love, with the crowd and the conditions against you and win a test series. Each nation’s pitches throw up different challenges: swing and seam in England and New Zealand, spin in the Subcontinent, pace and bounce in Australia and South Africa and a bit of everything in the West Indies. Then there are other factors to take into consideration: the behaviour of supporters, the attitude of the media, the different cultures, I could go on. It is a challenge to win a test series away almost anywhere, but perhaps nowhere more so than down under. From 2000-2020, Australia lost just 12.2% of test matches on their home patch, the lowest loss rate in that era of any side. In that same period, they won 72.2% of matches at home, a win percentage second to none in those 20 years. Australian sides are almost alway...

Heralded as the greatest domestic cricket tournament in the world, the IPL has had more than its fair share of legendary cricketers playing in the competition. However, a few great players have never had the chance to show off their T20 cricketing ability in the tournament. This list does not take into account Pakistani cricketers, who have been barred from taking part in the league since 2008. Joe Root: Four years ago, Joe Root was the 3 rd highest run scorer win the World T20 in India and he seemed imperious in all formats of the game. He is one of the biggest names in world cricket, but an IPL contract has evaded him throughout his career. Many believe his low strike rate is the cause of this and he has admitted that he probably isn’t in England’s best T20 XI. Adil Rashid: A core member of England’s white ball side, he has spun his way to 8 th  on the ICC’s T20I rankings, but despite his strong performances and desire to play in the IPL he is yet to be ...

This summer is hoped to be the premier of cricket’s newest format, namely ‘The Hundred’.  It is the English Cricket Board’s latest attempt to ‘save the game’, believing it will bring the sport to a newer audience who wouldn’t normally watch cricket. The competition is surrounded by at thick layer of controversy; even one of its sponsorship deals has been heavily criticised.  Cricket fans around the world are struggling to see the point of the new tournament, with many left wondering how exactly it will revive the game’s popularity with other short-format options already available (ODI and 20-20). There is no denying that England’s summer sport has certainly began to drift out of the nation’s consciousness over the past few years, but surely The Hundred is not the best solution to this very real problem.  So, what can be done instead? Perhaps to get cricket back on everybody’s lips, it needs to return to everybody’s TV screens. In 2005, after 23 m...

Coronavirus, or COVID-19, call it what you will, currently grips our world. Normal has gone out of the window, with millions stuck in indoors as governments desperately try to tackle the pandemic. It has claimed lives all around the word and its effect is being felt globally.  Cricket has been hit hard. Matches have had to be postponed or cancelled at all levels of the game to try and prevent the spread of the virus, leaving fans wondering what they will do in the sport’s absence. We are all at a loss; it feels like being out for a golden duck – that same hollow feeling… So how could this disaster solve a major problem in the game if it is preventing it from happening? A major issue is scheduling.   From the Ashes to the IPL, cricket just never seems to stop being on our radios and TV screens. Long gone are the days of cricket being a summer sport with rest days; there are now competitions for players to show off their skills all year round. From a ...