George Dobell, in ESPNcricinfo, 13 September 2020,
Jofra Archer has claimed Michael Holding “doesn’t know anything that is going on behind the scenes” after he criticised England and Australia for failing to take a knee during their limited-overs series.
Holding, the former West Indies fast bowler, has been a vocal advocate of the Black Lives Matter movement in recent months. As well as providing impassioned testimony of his experiences on Sky and with ESPNcricinfo, he welcomed the decision of the England, West Indies and Ireland teams to register their respect for the movement by taking a knee ahead of their Test and ODI fixtures earlier this season.
Jofra Archer, back in the light blue of England’s ODI team Getty Images
George Dobell,in ESPNricinfo, 3 September 2020, where the title is “Azeem Rafiq was ‘on brik of sucide’ after experiencing racism at Yorkshire”
Azeem Rafiq has claimed his experiences of racism at Yorkshire left him on the brink of suicide. Rafiq, a former England U19 and Yorkshire captain, says he “lost faith in humanity” after his reports of racist behaviour were “ignored” by the club. Originally seen as a symbol of the club’s desire to embrace the ethnic diversity of the urban areas around its Leeds home, Rafiq came to believe that “institutional racism” at the club is “worse than it’s ever been”.
ESPN Report,4 August 2020, entitled “England storm back to choke chase and take 1-0 series lead”
England 162 for 7 (Malan 66, Buttler 44, Richardson 2-13) beat Australia 160 for 6 (Warner 58, Finch 46, Rashid 2-29) beat by two runs
Australia imploded in their first international game since March at the Ageas Bowl, falling two runs short against England despite needed 39 from the final 36 balls with nine wickets remaining in their chase. David Warner and Aaron Finch had put on 98 for the first wicket in the space of 11 overs to break the back of the chase, before Steven Smith flew out of the blocks at No. 3. But four wickets in the space of 14 legal deliveries gave England a foothold, as Australia went 5.4 overs without a boundary.
Valkerie Baynes, in ESPNcrickinfo, 8 August 2020, where the title runs thus “Chris Woakes, Jos Buttler lead England home in memorable fourth-innings chase”
England 219 (Pope 62, Yasir 4-66) and 277 for 7 (Woakes 84*, Buttler 75, Yasir 4-99) beat Pakistan 326 (Masood 156, Azam 69, Broad 3-54) and 169 (Yasir 33, Broad 3-37) by three wickets
A fighting century stand between Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler carried England to a stunning three-wicket victory over Pakistan in a thrilling opening match of their three-Test series. Buttler’s gutsy knock of 75 from 101 balls in the face of mounting criticism over his place in the side, combined with Woakes’ new-found form with the bat, handed England an unlikely victory and broke their run of five consecutive series in which they had lost the first match.
Nagraj Gollaupadi, in ESPNcricinfo, 12 July 2020, where the title reads “Jermaine Blackwood writes history in his own way”
Dom Bess mocked him in the first innings. Jermaine Blackwood had charged England’s offspinner on Friday to hit hard into the hands of James Anderson at mid-off. Bess imitated swinging a golf club, as if out of a bunker in the golf course adjacent to Ageas Bowl. Blackwood’s audacity was not to the Englishman’s liking.
‘What a Test match to herald the return of cricket’ – Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara’s Tweet among the Host of Tweets: “What a test match to Herald the return of cricket. Steely determination from @windiescricket both @benstokes38 and Jason Holder have shown themselves to be exemplary leaders.
Mahinda Wijesinghe, in Island,19 May 2020, where the title runs“Winds behind the willows. An Encyclopaedic history of SL cricket with”warts and all,
a rare photo taken in Colombo (October 1930) of S.P. Foenander, then the Sports Editor of ‘Ceylon Observer’, gifting a replica of the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy (Temple of the Tooth) to Don Bradman. Foenander is carrying Australian skipper Bill Woodfull’s son, Jack, in his arms. (Courtesy State Library of South Australia – PRG 682/16/108)
Almost a century ago, S.P.Foenander, referred internationally as the ‘Wisden of the East’, authored his 268-page classic tome ‘Sixty Years of Ceylon Cricket’ (Ceylon Advertising & General Publicity – 1924). That was the first book which authoritatively enlightened the cricket world about cricket and cricketers between the years 1863 to 1923, in the then fair isle of Ceylon. One must also remember that Foenander, who even rubbed shoulders with the legendary Bradman – see photo below- must have experienced the difficulties at that time in collecting/collating information and statistics and so on in compiling his book. After all, the print media at that time was not developed; TV nor Internet was not even thought of. In short sophisticated communication systems were not even in its infancy. So the accolade of being the pioneer of cricket journalism in Ceylon falls squarely on the shoulders of the late S.P. Foenander.
Andrew Miller, in ESPNcricinfo, 13 March 2929, where the title is“England tour of Sri Lanka postponed amid COVID-19 spread”
England’s Test tour of Sri Lanka has been called off at the request of the ECB, due to the growing threat of the the COVID 19 pandemic, but on the understanding that it will be rescheduled at a later date.
Jofra Archer, back in the light blue of England’s ODI team Getty Images
