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David Frith’s updated autobiography is a journey to the very heart of the game he devoted his life to

Paul Edwards26-Dec-2021An Ashes series is taking place in Australia and things are going badly for the old country. The selectors have picked the wrong team twice in two attempts, chances are being muffed and one of English cricket’s narrow-eyed folk villains is settling some not-so-old scores. All this against the background of a pandemic. There’s not been a series like it. “Maybe not exactly like this,” one imagines David Frith saying, “but you might remember that Test when…”Perhaps that’s the point. You remember; Frith almost certainly . Ashes cricket has been one of his passions since, aged 11, his reverie on Rayners Lane railway bridge in 1948 was interrupted by the news that Australia had skittled England for 52 at The Oval. That experience is recalled in characteristically needle-sharp detail in chapter three of , Frith’s updated and considerably revised autobiography. His first attempt, , was published in 1997 and its title reflects the intriguingly blended identity of a Londoner who spent his childhood in England and adolescence in Australia, only to return home in April 1964 accompanied by a wife and three children and nurturing the daft idea that he might make it as a cricket writer.Frith succeeded to the extent that he is now regarded as one of the game’s finest historians. , his pictorial history of the game, has no equal; his book is the best in an absurdly crowded field; his biographies of AE Stoddart, Archie Jackson and Ross Gregory mix sympathetic insight with tough analysis and are the products of proper research; his original book on cricketers’ suicides in 1990 turned fresh turf decades before counselling was a thing.Related

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We could go on, and maybe we should. For, bizarrely, Frith has not been sufficiently honoured in either of the countries he called home. One could name about 20 young cricket writers, most of them with a decent knowledge of the game and some awareness of its history, who would benefit from an afternoon with him at his house-cum-library in Guildford. That shrine to one man’s devotion to the game is decorated with such glorious pieces of memorabilia as Bert Oldfield’s blazer from the 1930 Ashes tour and a ball from that year’s Trent Bridge Test, both of which were given to the near-obsessed youth in the 1950s, a decade in which he also frequented the sports shops owned by Stan McCabe and Alan Kippax.Frith’s autobiography contains accounts of those meetings and also of his later conversations with players like Wilfred Rhodes, Sydney Barnes and Percy Fender. By then, Frith had established himself in the cricket world and was determined to waste no opportunity to interview old players while he still could. To a degree, his journalistic reputation was made by his coup in getting an interview out of Jack Gregory, who never talked to reporters until Frith drove 200 miles in the hope he might chat to this one.While all this is lovingly recounted in , the book would be a lesser thing if it was simply a chronicle of personal achievement. One of the reasons why Frith’s work will live on for as long as cricket is valued is that he sees beyond the statistics and the accomplishments that satisfy others in his trade. He knows he will never write properly about the cricketer if he doesn’t understand the person, and that principle is also exemplified in the many passages of self-analysis where Frith reflects on the influences and events that formed his own character.For example, here he is on the afternoon when his ambition to be a cricket writer was probably conceived. It is January 8, 1951 and he is paying his first visit to the Sydney Cricket Ground to watch the third day of the third Test against England:

“I looked around me in wonderment, at the enchanting green 19th-century pavilion with its ornate roof and clock-tower, at the roomy and elegant Ladies’ Stand, and the long, cosy Brewongle Stand… The Hill was packed. Beer-cans were a future invention still. Hundreds of men sat on that great grassy expanse, almost all of them wearing wide-brimmed hats, some of them yelling encouragement to the Australians, not that they were in need of it, some directing ribaldry and gentle derision at the Englishmen. It was a momentous baptism, a revelation, destiny-making.”

Two years later and the 16-year-old Frith is at home: “The diary records my listening to the Hassett testimonial match on radio, bowling alone against the school wall, noting the deaths of Warren Bardsley and Fred Root, and being concerned at England’s performance in the first Test in the Caribbean.” is packed with such evocative passages but it is much more than a cricket writer’s autobiography. It is a rich account of what it was like to be a boy during a war in London and then grow to manhood in 1950s Australia. It is the story of how a young bloke eventually built a career for himself and a life for his family in England and developed into one of cricket’s most indefatigable researchers. And it is also a moving love story about Frith’s long marriage to Debbie, who passed away less than three years ago. The final chapter contains Frith’s honest attempt to cope with the loss of someone whose presence could light a room.CricMASHThere are other tough chapters in the book; Frith’s life has not been a ride up sunshine mountain. Having been appointed editor of the , he was removed from that post in 1978. The following year he founded and edited , a vibrant competitor to its increasingly staid competitor, and was then replaced as its editor in 1995. This latter blow hurt him deeply and it still does. Disingenuous conciliation is not his style and readers of should be grateful. This is a very honest book and its author does not spare himself. He is still bitter because he still cares.And so you can bet that dark mornings in Guildford will find one octogenarian following yet another Ashes series, even if its outcome appears as inevitable as that of his first, in 1948. But if you read this deeply scrupulous and rather wonderful autobiography – and you certainly should – you will find that the boy who leant on a railway bridge over 73 years ago is still alive in the book’s eminent author. For some reason, I imagine Bert Oldfield would be quietly pleased by that, and I’m certain Debbie was already very proud.Paddington Boy
By David Frith
CricketMASH
448 pages, £17.95

Umesh Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shivam Dube and others who have impressed despite not being sure starters leading into the season

Shashank Kishore24-Apr-20223:19

Manjrekar: You can see Kuldeep’s angst, wanting to prove himself again

Umesh Yadav
Role: Powerplay specialistUmesh Yadav has been a revelation in the powerplay•BCCIIt wasn’t until the accelerated rounds, right at the end of the mega auction in February, that Umesh Yadav found a team at his base price of INR 2 crore (approx USD 260,000). Kolkata Knight Riders, with whom he won the IPL in 2014 and played until 2017, raised the paddle to boost their bowling stocks. But what were his chances of featuring regularly? At Delhi Capitals, even Avesh Khan, uncapped at the time, had pipped him to be the third seamer behind Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada. Here, Knight Riders had picked Shivam Mavi as their first-choice seamer. But the unavailability of Pat Cummins and Tim Southee meant there was an opening. Enter Umesh, and he has taken the powerplay by storm. Five games in, he surged to being the second-highest wicket-taker in this period with six wickets and an economy of 5.77. Those numbers have somewhat dwindled over the last three games, but that he has gone from being a back-up to being the front and centre of their pace-bowling plans speaks of his improvement.Kuldeep Yadav
Role: Middle-overs stranglerKuldeep Yadav has returned among the wickets for Delhi after being left out by Kolkata•BCCIFrom being wrapped in cotton wool in 2014 to being released by Knight Riders in 2021, Kuldeep Yadav’s career has seen every possible twist and turn. He was no longer the bowler teams yearned for. Injuries didn’t help his case either. The flight went missing. The bite had disappeared. He was pushing them through flatter. Varun Chakravarthy’s emergence pushed him down the pecking order and eventually out of the squad. Delhi Capitals were among two teams to bid for him, and eventually signed him at INR 2 crore (approx USD 260,000). He has featured in every game so far and is third in the race for the purple cap. At Capitals, he feels at home and enjoys the feeling of being a key spinner once again. The revs on the ball are back, he’s not afraid of tossing it up and being hit, and as a result, it’s coming out of his hand beautifully. As it happened, his best performance – 4 for 35 in an exhibition from the Kuldeep of old – came against his former team.Aiden Markram
Role: Dependable No. 4Aiden Markram has seamlessly fitted in the Hyderabad middle order•BCCIDoubts over his place in the Test side had pushed Aiden Markram to the edge. He was given an ultimatum by Dean Elgar, the Test captain. He had become a walking wicket, confidence at its lowest ebb. But the change of format, a bit of freedom and a new environment has led to a transformation. He has emerged as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s dependent No. 4 even when striking at 150.79. His 190 runs so far, including a best of 68*, have helped Sunrisers surge to five straight wins. He is one of the reasons why Sunrisers have the best average (49.85) among all the middle orders (Nos 4-7) this season. In the absence of a designated frontline spinner, now with Washington Sundar also ruled out temporarily because of an injury, Markram has given Kane Williamson an added bowling option too.Shahbaz Ahmed
Role: Batting allrounderShahbaz Ahmed’s stable progress helped Dinesh Karthik tee off against Delhi•BCCIShahbaz Ahmed is a batter who can bowl handy left-arm spin, and not the other way round. Those in the Bengal set-up believe he’s good enough to be a top-six batter in red-ball cricket but hasn’t been able to do so only because of the make-up of the squad. He has only been sparingly used with the ball but has held his end most times. He can give you an over to two in the powerplay. If there’s some bite on offer, he has been summoned in the middle overs, especially to play with the long leg-side boundaries to get batters hitting against the turn. With the bat, he has been an aggressor who has managed to not just bring out the big shots but hold one end up to allow the likes of Dinesh Karthik to tee off, like he did against Capitals. While Karthik made a sensational 34-ball 66 not out, Shahbaz’s contribution was an equally important 21-ball 32 not out in a 97-run stand that turned the game around. He started at Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2020, where opportunities were far and few. Over time, Royal Challengers had seen enough of him to put in a bid. And so far, he has justified his inclusion.Shivam Dube
Role: Six-hitterShivam Dube has brought his six-hitting side to the fore•BCCIThree significant scores as a six-hitter, including an unbeaten 95 against his former franchise. Can it get sweeter? Shivam Dube has brought with him refreshing clarity as a batter that was missing until this season. That he was playing for his third IPL franchise in three seasons tells you a story of unfulfilled potential. At Royal Challengers, he was the designated finisher expected to take the pressure off AB de Villiers. That was enough pressure to contend with even without facing a ball. At Royals, he was given a middle-order role, expected to take the innings deep before teeing off. At Chennai Super Kings, he has been given license to bat freely, and this seems to have helped him with his shot selection. He lines up bowlers, plays to the field and has shown impeccable timing. He has struggled with the ball though, especially in the death. That 25-run 19th over against Lucknow Super Giants with 34 needed is a blot in what has otherwise been a coming-of-age season.

Mark Taylor’s side is one of only two Australian teams to have won a Test series in the country

Andrew McGlashan and Tristan Lavalette28-Feb-20222:06

McDonald: Touring Pakistan after decades an ‘exciting challenge for Australia’

Heading into the tour of Pakistan in 1998, Australia had not won there since 1959. That tour back then had been decided by a one-wicket defeat in Karachi. Adding to the challenge for Mark Taylor’s team was that they were without the injured Shane Warne whose shoulder had finally given in after the tour of India earlier in the year. There was also the backdrop of the Qayyum match-fixing hearings which stemmed from Australia’s previous visit in 1994.

1st Test, Rawalpindi

There might have been concerns when Aamer Sohail, Pakistan’s captain, won the toss and was able to bat first but Australia’s attack were soon among the wickets. Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming, playing together in a Test for the first time, took out the first three then there was a maiden Test wicket for Colin Miller, making his debut at the age of 34, when he removed Saleem Malik. “He was caught at second slip, low to Mark Waugh’s side. Was nearly a wide, Saleem had to reach to hit it,” Miller recalled to ESPNcricinfo.Stuart MacGill, taking the legspin duties in the absence of the injured Warne and playing just his second Test, went through the middle and lower order to leave Pakistan 147 for 8. However, Australia were then held up by a 120-run stand for the ninth wicket between Saeed Anwar, who made a masterful century, and Mushtaq Ahmed who faced 136 balls at No. 10.When Australia slipped to 28 for 3 in reply – Justin Langer and Mark Waugh collecting ducks – things looked dicey but from there the visitors dominated. Michael Slater and Steve Waugh added 198 for the fourth wicket then Waugh and Darren Lehmann built a lead with a stand of 126. When Waugh fell for 157, Lehmann got to within touch distance of a maiden century only to miss a sweep against Mohammad Hussain but Ian Healy’s 92 swelled the advantage to 244.Colin Miller in action on his Test debut•Getty ImagesPakistan crumbled in their second innings. Fleming, who had taken a hat-trick on debut during the previous tour in 1994, trapped Mohammad Wasim and Inzamam-ul-Haq lbw for ducks while MacGill again did damage to finish with nine in the match. There was a landmark for Healy, too, when he claimed a world record 355th dismissal against Wasim Akram from the bowling of Miller.”I had been bowling around the wicket for lbws, I was no chance to get them,” Miller said. “Peter Willey was the umpire and told me to go over the wicket. I got one to turn and bounce and Healy took a really good catch. I have the photo of his catch in my office, which is signed by Heals.”It was really important to stamp our authority in the first Test. I remember after the match we were going to sing the song but I didn’t know the words. Heals wrote them down on a piece of paper.”Ian Healy claims his record-breaking dismissal•AFP

2nd Test, Peshawar

This was Mark Taylor’s Test. After coming through an initially hostile spell from Shoaib Akhtar he went on to equal Don Bradman’s 334 as the then highest score by an Australian in Test cricket – only denying himself the chance of setting a new benchmark by declaring before the start of the third day’s play to put the team before his personal achievements.”It was hot and humid, he was exhausted,” Miller remembered. “We had to douse him in cold towels during the breaks. You have to be there to experience that type of innings in those conditions. He could have batted for another two days because no one looked like getting him out. He was in the zone. He wanted to declare and do it for the team as it was the best chance of a victory. I was hoping he would break the record for Australia.”Mark Taylor is given a guard of honour as he leaves the field unbeaten on 334•AFPIn a column for newspapers this week, Taylor wrote: “I did consider grinding Pakistan into the dirt by batting another 20 minutes in a seventh session. That’s when the significance of Bradman’s 334 at Headingley in 1930 hit me. I thought people may think if I didn’t declare, it was to deliberately go past Bradman’s score.”I never played the game for individual records. You always play for enjoyment. Word filtered through our team, while Pakistan captain Aamer Sohail was surprised when I told him 30 minutes before play. A lot of others were, too. People thought I’d go for Brian Lara’s world record of 375 but, truthfully, that didn’t cross my mind.”I think it’s one of the best things I did, and I still have people ask me about it. I didn’t stop on Bradman’s score deliberately. That was a quirk of fate, but I’m delighted I did what I did because I think it does hopefully set an example of how sport should be played.”Taylor went on to add 92 in the second innings as the match drifted to a draw on a docile surface after Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed had plundered hundreds of their own. It gave him a match tally of 426 runs which remains the second highest in a Test behind Graham Gooch’s 456 against India in 1990.

3rd Test, Karachi

Mark Waugh’s century ensured Australia could not lose the final Test•AFPThe series concluded at a ground where Pakistan had not lost in 33 previous Tests. Both teams went with three frontline spinners (although Miller’s versatility as a seamer gave Australia balance) and the ball held sway over the first two innings. Slater played with great restraint in making 96 off 257 balls – the second slowest of his Test scores over 50 – but Healy’s 47 was the next best as debutant Shahid Afridi claimed 5 for 52.However, Australia’s 280 proved very competitive and a big lead was in the offing when Pakistan crashed to 69 for 5. Sohail found support from the lower order and complied a brilliant century but McGrath’s 5 for 66 kept Australia ahead in the game.Taylor laid the platform for what became a series-clinching second innings with 68 then Mark Waugh’s century took Australia into an impregnable position alongside Gavin Robertson’s useful 45 at No. 8 as they opted to bat out the fourth day rather than declare.A target of 419 was never within the realms for Pakistan and Miller’s burst early on the final day left them 35 for 3 with Australia sensing the chance to take the series 2-0. But Ijaz held firm, adding 153 for the fifth wicket with Moin Khan although Australia were more than content with the outcome.”That Pakistan team was really strong with so many superstars,” Miller said. “It was one of our finest achievements to beat them over there.”

Coach retains optimism after South Africa administer a thumping at Lord’s

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Aug-2022″Over the next while you’ll probably get used to my optimism as well,” Brendon McCullum said with a smile. “I don’t tend to overreact about anything.”England men’s Test coach was speaking next to the Lord’s Pavilion after the first defeat of his tenure. One of his provisos on media engagements since taking over in May was a preference to speaking after losses than wins: to let the players take the glory while he can front up for the slack. And after South Africa triumphed by an innings and 12 runs, there was plenty of slack going around.Coming after three wins against New Zealand and one against India earlier this summer, the management team are in no mood to overreact. Their foundations of attacking cricket were not installed to be dug up at the first sign of instability. And after Ben Stokes was unequivocal in his stance that commitment to the brand was the issue rather than the brand itself, McCullum reinforced his captain’s view by similarly doubling down.”I guess one of the messages we will be talking about is ‘did we go hard enough with our approach? Could we maybe go a little harder and try turn some pressure back on the opposition as well?'”There’s not much point in hitting the nets as such. For us, we’ve got very good cricketers and they’ve had a lot of cricket over their careers and they know what they’re doing. We just need to tidy up a couple of areas. And one message will be ‘can we go a little harder?'”The idea of going harder when you’ve lost a game inside six sessions, and your 20 wickets inside 83 overs, will naturally jar. The context, which McCullum went on to offer, pertained to the situation England found themselves in from the moment Dean Elgar won the toss on Wednesday – batting first.Victories this season have come through chasing targets of 277, 299, 296 and 378. But the precursors to those were going out in their first innings of these matches after their opponents had their first go. In those first three success, England only trailed by New Zealand once going into the third innings (by 14 runs at Trent Bridge after the Blackcaps posted 553). The 130 they ceded to India during this period of the Edgbaston Test was made up for by dismissing India for 245 in their second effort.In essence, they “chased” throughout the match, not just in the final innings. Their opponents set the pace, and anyone with an appreciation of pursuit, ranging from track running to Mario Kart, will know hunting down the one in front draws a little more focus than constantly looking over your shoulder.The burden of setting the pace, dishing out the banana peels rather than the turtle shells, is an altogether different challenge for this group. Something that England have struggled with for years, long before this first match of three against South Africa when they were skittled for 165 before the visitors established an insurmountable 161-run lead in their one and only bat.Related

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But McCullum sees no reason why the characteristics exhibited so far can’t be applied from the off: “Sometimes, when I think the scoreboard dictates what you’re chasing, we can be a little braver as well. So maybe that’s something for us batting first, maybe we can be a little braver, maybe we can go a little harder than what we did in this Test match.”We did what we could in those conditions but weren’t quite able to get enough runs in that first innings.”He referenced “a few times” during the innings of 165 and 149 where he felt England could have gone “harder”.”We could maybe have been a little braver to be able to turn some pressure back on the opposition – in both innings. But it’s always the way, right? You have to try to absorb pressure at times and get yourself back to a position of parity to then put some pressure back on the opposition. We weren’t able to do that.”Given how exceptional South Africa’s attack was in both innings, it’s hard to pinpoint those exact moments. Perhaps when Ollie Pope and Stokes were a little cautious up to lunch on Wednesday? Maybe when Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes were relatively flat-footed to their respective dismissals on Friday, even if Bairstow was able to lay a couple on Nortje.Indeed, Nortje felt like a different proposition to anything England have faced so far. He served up the fastest deliveries sent down this summer as part of a sharp foursome alongside Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen. As such, 34.4 percent of the deliveries sent down by South Africa in this match were above 87mph. Given England’s percentage was just 0.2 per cent, and with all the possible options to match that pace consistently out injured, the onus is on the home batters working out how to counter rather than expecting the bowlers to mimic.”He’s [Nortje] a very good bowler who bowls good pace,” McCullum said. “But there have been games when our guys have been able to combat that and have done it previously against some of the best bowling attacks in the world. On this occasion we weren’t able to.”I am not going to give any secrets away because we play them again next week, but there were some conversations and we should have been able to react to it.”Anrich Nortje was the main source of discomfort for England in the second innings•PA Photos/Getty ImagesA surprise weekend off is a silver lining ahead of what now is a slightly longer turnaround ahead of the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday. There won’t be any extra training, with some players using the extra time off to return home while others will remain in London and attend the premiere of Stokes’ documentary, “Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes”, which takes place in the capital. The squad as a whole will report to Manchester on Tuesday morning.One of those will be Zak Crawley, who returned scores of nine and 13 to continue what has been a dispiriting summer for the 24-year-old. His average this summer sits at 16.40, with a highest score of 46 as part of a 107-run stand in the victorious chase against India, the only time he has exuded the panache and game-changing qualities the group speak so often about.McCullum felt Crawley’s innings of 13 showed a degree of composure before he was lbw sweeping against Keshav Maharaj. And he reiterated his view that he does not expect a steady run of form from the Kent opener, which will irk some fans as it will top-order batters chalking up scores in domestic first-class cricket, like Rory Burns and Ben Duckett.”I look at a guy like Zak and his skill set is not to be a consistent cricketer,” McCullum said. “He’s not that type of player but he is put in that situation because he has a game which means, when he gets going, he can win matches for England.”We have got to be really positive around the language we use with him and be really consistent with the selections around that as well, and keep giving guys opportunities.”He’s a talent, and there are not too many of those guys floating around. He’s still learning his game at this level and that’s okay, that’s going to take a bit of patience and a bit of persistence as well. There have been some fine players over the years who have had periods where they haven’t quite nailed it as well, but then have ended up as great commodities for their sides. We have just got to work that out but I believe in him, that’s for sure.”It is beginning to feel like the most sensible thing for Crawley is getting him out of the firing line rather than continuously pumping up his morale. The encouragement will soon just be white noise to the right-hander, and perhaps that point has come already. McCullum disagrees, both at the sentiment and the notion Crawley is in any kind of mental turmoil.”He’s a tough fella, Zak. He loves doing what he’s doing, playing for England and you will see him around the group and with the contributions he makes inside the dressing room, there’s stuff that goes beyond runs too. And also, I think selection loyalty is really important because not only does it build loyalty with the guys that are in the side but also it builds loyalty for the guys on the outside, knowing that when their time and their opportunity does come they are going to be afforded the same sort of loyalty.”As for McCullum, the upbeat disposition comes so naturally that the sincerity of his words behind closed doors can no doubt lift those under his care in a short space of time, especially as they have already bought in to this new era. Quite how those same words resonate outside those four walls remains to be seen.”I know we are judged by our results, but for us it’s bigger than that and the approach we try to take to the game,” he added. “The language we use in the dressing room and the confidence that we try to build amongst the group for the style of cricket we want to play. It gives us, we think – the skipper and myself – our greatest chance of being able to win Test matches and become a very good Test side.”But we’re still going to lose Test matches occasionally. And that hurts. We’ve just got to crack on and get yourselves up for the next one.”

Captain’s inspirational leadership dredges an impossible win from Rawalpindi road

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Dec-2022Usually, there’s nothing more anti-climatic than a DRS review to end a Test match. The ecstasy of the moment is at its purest the first time that finger goes up. Raw. Undistilled. Real. When it’s sent to the umpire upstairs, though the anxiety returns, the wait for confirmation or disavowal is, well, just that – waiting. Even if it comes back as the former, the emotions have already been spent, the octaves of those first cheers never quite reached again. It’s why you only really get one go at a surprise party.But as England stood in the middle of the Rawalpindi Stadium waiting for one of the two screens to tell them their fate, it felt right they spent time huddled close together, waiting. Ollie Pope rested his head on Jack Leach’s shoulder, perhaps thinking back to the catch he left when Pakistan were nine-down that could have avoided this tension. James Anderson momentarily leant on Ollie Robinson after the pair of them had stretched themselves to the limit, combining for eight wickets on an unresponsive surface. Ben Stokes, head weary from endless permutations, knee aching from an 11-over-straight spell, moved away from the nucleus of the group without really leaving to get a better view of the big screen to the west of the ground. It meant that, when it was confirmed Leach’s delivery was predicted to hit leg stump were it not for Naseem Shah’s front pad, all were close enough to leap straight into each other’s arms, to embrace the most remarkable Test win in England’s history.There, in a manufactured nutshell, was one of the key tenets that this team, and thus this 74-run victory, has been built on. A remarkably robust camaraderie, in the image of a captain whose selfless streak goes to the heart of everything that is good about his game, and even mitigates some of the bad – not least his eyecatchingly bad shot to get out for a duck in the fourth-day declaration charge.You could say the theme of this week has been togetherness, given the manner in which a virus ran through the camp in the lead-up to this match. The aftermath, in terms of recovery and what they have been able to put together over the last five days of play, speaks of the more tangible elements to it. Having begun to feel ill on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, the group rallied as best they could, checking in on one another, doing their best to lift the spirits of those confined to their rooms. It was late on Wednesday that Stokes, having recovered enough from his own ailment, paid a visit to fellow bug sufferer Leach in his room. Part of the check-up was to push him to play, even if he was not 100 percent.On Monday evening, Leach thanked Stokes for inspiring him out of his sick bed. Now the historical shot of England’s third win in Pakistan in 25 attempts, in their first match in the country for 17 years, is of the left-arm spinner leading the successful appeal after getting the new ball to grip – somehow – and trap Shah lbw. It was his sole wicket of the innings. “Like… that’s the greatest win I think I’ve ever been involved in,” Leach beamed. “And obviously Headingley was amazing.”James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Ben Stokes bask in England’s win•Matthew Lewis/Getty ImagesThe team were as one when they awoke on Thursday, unsure if the Test would be delayed by 24 hours if they could not scrape together an XI. Messages went around to see how everyone was holding up. As it happened, the only player to miss out from the team named on Tuesday was Ben Foakes. Having failed a last-minute fitness test before the toss, Will Jacks stepped in as his replacement, and was handed his cap by his Surrey team-mate Pope, who in turn assumed the gloves.The Surrey trio shared words with each other: encouragement for Jacks to play the way that got him this far, and positive reinforcement for Pope, who last kept wicket in a red-ball game in the Hamilton Test against New Zealand way back in November 2019. The off-colour Foakes would go on to take the field on day five, running on with drinks, helmets and towels, and even finding time to congratulate Pope on a stunning leg-side take to remove Zahid Mahmood.Speaking on the local TV network, Pope admitted he had felt a little nervous about filling in for one of the best glovemen in the country while also fulfilling the No.3 duties, a job done best with a singular focus. Instead, he contributed 108 to a first-innings total of 657 before getting down to 252 overs’ of grind behind the stumps. His catch off Abdullah Shafique would hand Jacks his maiden Test wicket, and he’d chip in with two more as the off-spinner conjured six for 161 to bowl Pakistan out and establish an invaluable lead of 78.At stumps on day one, the players got around each other once again. By then, England were 506 for four thanks to four centurions – Pope, Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Harry Brook – but amid the deserved praise from head Brendon McCullum was an appreciation from all four that the hard work was only just beginning. As well as they played, on their way to England’s highest score in Asia and becoming the first team to strike at better than a run-a-ball in both innings of a Test match, no one was resting on their laurels.Even as relatively junior members of the squad – through age and/or experience – all four relayed their views of the pitch, forming the approach for the opening session of day two in which 151 more runs were scored in 26 overs. After England’s second innings, those who spent the most time out there – Crawley and Brook again, along with Joe Root – fed back to the dressing-room that the pitch was suddenly not as amenable as before. Which was remarkably perceptive given that England scored 218 inside 28.5 overs of the middle session on day four, before Stokes’ declaration at tea. But the idea was formed to concoct situations for Pakistan to play big shots. An enticing chase was a good start.England celebrate the moment of victory as Jack Leach seals the first Test•Matthew Lewis/Getty ImagesIt’s worth sticking on that moment a little bit, because it was at this juncture that opinions diverged. In the lead-up to this Test, heck, way back when this whole Magic Roundabout of a fever dream began in May, front-facing members of the touring party have espoused the mantra of disregarding a loss if it comes through pushing for victory. This however, seemed a little too far-fetched. The lead was 342 and, even allowing for the surface, England had the match in their hands. And seemingly drunk on the Kool Aid, maybe even with a jumped-up sense of self, they decided to break off half and hand it over to Pakistan.While those on the periphery doubted, even ridiculed a declaration made seemingly out of hubris, Stokes powered on, clear-headed about what he wanted to achieve and exactly how he was going to do it. And the best part of the plan was the collaboration that led England to victory.The younger members maintained enthusiasm, unwilling to consider the prospect of investing so much into a match and coming out empty-handed, and also railing against the idea that some of their ilk don’t have the concentration or hunger for this format. “A few times I said ‘just enjoy the flatness’,” said Stokes. “Enjoy the challenge of trying to create something out of nowhere.”Even as Pakistan looked to be making headway in the chase on the final day, notably when Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel ransacked the spin of Leach, Jacks and Root for 72 inside 16 overs, then when Azhar Ali and Agha Salman were well-set after tea, needing 86 with five wickets in hand, energy levels were up.While Stokes racked his brains for new fields, others offers suggestions, at times even taking it upon themselves to stagger themselves differently – such as when four men were stationed spitting distance from one another on the off-side at point, cover-point, cover and extra cover, or during the final throes, when both edges of the bat were being challenged. Catchers had to be arranged accordingly, but each player took responsibility for where they needed to be. This was all their burden to share, not solely the captain’s. “There were a lot of things that went our way today that paid off, because of the suggestions that were coming in from the guys that were out there,” Stokes said, sharing the credit.Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook (clockwise from top left) all made hundreds in a ringing endorsement of England’s fast-paced approach•Getty ImagesIndeed, to look at how England approached the last innings is to realise how devoid it was of pretension, from the man in charge to those he was leading. No one was too good to do something they weren’t comfortable with.Harry Brook, England’s new crown prince, had no qualms about getting on his knees with 240 match runs in his pockets. Keaton Jennings, who might have considered himself unlucky to miss this match, fielded under the helmet for long periods as a sub for Liam Livingstone, who sustained a knee injury on day two and will return home on Tuesday morning. Jennings was one of a number who did stints close to the bat, with and without protection.Most notably, beyond the exuberance of those wet behind the years, was how those hardwired with preconceptions of Test cricket – even weathered by them – responded. Stokes revealed it was Root who came up with the short-ball ploy for the start of the second innings. A once reluctant, unimaginative captain seemingly responding to the challenge of thinking creatively and feeling emboldened to suggest something he would never have instigated in his five years. And yet thanks to him, England arrived into day five needing only eight wickets rather than 10, with the crown jewel Babar Azam, a centurion in the first innings, snuffed out for just fourRelated

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Then there’s James Anderson. In the lead-up to this Test, when reflecting on his 2005 tour of Pakistan, Anderson admitted he would love to still have some of the miles-per-hour he had back then as a 23-year-old, but ceded the skills accrued over all those years more than make up for it. To see him forgo the new ball, coming on first-change to initially bowl a couple of overs of bouncers, then set about controlling the run-rate, then attacking with reverse swing to finish with 4 for 36 from 24 overs – half of them maidens – spoke to those gifts. And to see him operate with leg slips and a catching midwicket, instead of a packed cordon, speaks to a 40-year-old with a renewed sense of purpose. Without his partnership with Robinson, whose 4 for 50 earned him the Player of the Match award, a remarkable win would not have come to pass.”Jimmy Anderson said to me there at the end-of-match presentation that he was getting quite emotional about this win,” Stokes revealed. “The guy has played nearly 180 Test matches, has experienced everything, the highs and lows of Test cricket. To hear him say that about this particular Test match, I think that really makes you realise how special an achievement this week has been, wearing this England shirt.”Having won ODI and T20 World Cups, and achieved 2019’s miracle at Headingley, Stokes rated this success as one of the best. It is unquestionably the best embodiment of him as a captain. Not just for his bravery, nor the tactical calls that paid dividends, such as keeping the reversing old ball in play until midway through the 95th over to quieten the scoring, then replacing it that so Leach could use the prouder seam to turn it off the deck and win the match. But for the way he inspired everyone to rally together from start to finish.”At the moment it feels like everyone is doing what they need to do for the bloke that’s stood next to them,” he beamed at his press conference, almost like a proud father.”As a captain it’s amazing to see the amount of enthusiasm and the heart that everyone shows. I don’t think I’ve seen a team who want to put their bodies on the line [as much] for the other 10 players. It’s a special group of players.”With eight minutes to go in the match, England beat the pitch, the setting sun and Pakistan to go 1-0 up in the series. And they achieved it through skill, pluck and the kind of team performance that will bind them together for a lifetime.

Kim Garth’s 5 for 36 became only the second five-for in a women’s T20 league game to end up on the losing side

Sampath Bandarupalli06-Mar-202363 – Target runs scored by UP Warriorz in the last four overs against Gujarat Giants. That’s the most successfully chased by any team in the death overs (17-20) of a match in the major women’s T20 leagues.The previous highest was 61 by Sydney Sixers against Brisbane Heat during the 2022-23 WBBL. Sophie Ecclestone, who was part of Sunday’s heist with Grace Harris, scored an unbeaten 47 during the Sixers’ chase.