This article was originally published on December 21st, 2015. Cricketers tend to be rather particular about their gear but sometimes it pays to mix things up a bit, write Jo Harman and Henry Cowen. MALCOLM FINDS THE MIDDLE He wasn’t much of a bat, Dev Malcolm. He made two half-centuries in his 304-game first-class career …
The article was originally published on May 1st, 2014. The former England and Surrey strokemaker Mark Butcher speaks to Jo Harman about the moments that made him. OPENING UP127 | Essex 2nd XI v Surrey 2nd XI, 2nd XI Championship, Chelmsford, 1990 This was the first time I was ever asked to open the batting …
This article was originally published on January 9th, 2014. Former Surrey and England ODI skipper Adam Hollioake spoke to Matt Thacker about his career-shaping moments. MANCHILD196* | Flora Doris Final, somewhere in Surrey, late 1980s The Flora Doris is a 15 eight-ball-over evening comp in Surrey and in the final I almost got a double …
This article was originally published on January 16th, 2014 Ahead of the 1997 county season, Surrey recruited two spinners – one from the Punjab, the other from Hove – who would spearhead the club’s most successful period in 40 years. Here, the “spin brothers” look back on their glory days spent together at The Oval, …
This article was originally published on January 24th, 2014 After a long and successful playing career, Alec Stewart has done a variety of things in the game and the media. But he’s never been far from Surrey, where one set of the Oval gates bears his name. After stepping in as team director last season …
This article was originally published on May 23, 2013. It’s the day before Derbyshire take on Middlesex in the County Championship at Lord’s, and yep, you guessed it, Shivnarine Chanderpaul is in the nets. Phil Walker waits patiently for the hardest-working man in cricket to block the bowling machine into submission before talking parenthood, epic …
This post was originally published on July 6th 2016. The maestro’s maestro, Mr Kumar Sangakkara, sits down with AOC editor Phil Walker to unpick some of the eternal mysteries of batsmanship. I want to start with how to play spin bowling. What are the particular traits that mark out good players of the turning ball? …
This article was originally published on January 11th 2016. The greatest ever? Possibly. Sir Garry Sobers did things that many cricketers could only dream of, and now he’s able to look back on a fine career from a distance. He went ‘Under The Lid‘ with Jo Harman. To Bradman, he was “the best cricketer of …
This article was originally published on September 2nd 2016. Ten cricket interviews that won’t easily be forgotten. 10. WARNER STINKS OUT THE GABBATOIR Jonathan Trott was not in a good place at Brisbane in November 2013, England were taking the first step towards a humiliating whitewash and Davey Warner was keen to remind them of …
This article was originally published on June 19th 2014. Another of cricket’s greatest names takes a stroll down memory lane to reveal the moments that shaped their career. This week, it’s former England basher Marcus Trescothick. THE INNINGS THAT STARTED IT ALL322 | Somerset 2nd XI v Warwickshire 2nd XI, 2nd XI Championship, Taunton, 1997 …
