Cricket
Pakistan’s cricket team and the power of redemption
The Pakistan supporter was festooned in cream and green, and carried a chalkboard round his neck with the legend: ‘My…
Competitive sport is good for mind, body and soul
‘Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate,’ the Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios remarked to his opponent…
Three cheers for rugby’s Italian loophole
A friend was at Twickenham on Sunday sitting not far from the Italian coaching top brass, Conor O’Shea and Mike…
The breathtaking brilliance of England rugby’s new golden generation
Perfection in sport: unattainable, but sometimes you can come close. Moments, people, actions you never tire of watching: Roger Federer’s…
If you can see top games for free, where will footie’s millions come from?
At a wedding a few years back a very gloomy looking guest, a well-known Geordie actor as it happens, arrived…
What would Freud have to say about Matthew Parris?
Freudian slap Sir: In his Notes (7 January), Charles Moore explores the uncharacteristic reaction of Matthew Parris to the referendum…
In South Africa, sport is a question of justice
South Africa’s sporting quotas have a laudable aim. Is that enough?
Shoo-in skippers are often a disaster. Joe Root could be another
Those who occupy them sometimes say that the only two jobs that matter in England are Chief of the Defence…
The inevitable waning of Wayne Rooney
As the final chords of the Wagnerian epic that is ‘The Dropping of Wayne Rooney’ fade away, we can leave…
Are the new All Blacks the greatest rugby side ever?
British Lions fans of anervous disposition should avoid the telly of a Saturday morning. Live before your very eyes, as…
English cricket clubs are mad to stay away from Zimbabwe
Make sure you tell everybody about Zimbabwe,’ said the lady at our block of flats in suburban Harare as we…
Coming to terms with trench warfare, 1916
From ‘The bed-rock of war’, The Spectator, 26 August 1916: As a rule in war the bowling has a great advantage over…
The Olympics are wonderful. Pity about the rest of the sport
It seems like a long time ago, but back in the day, when Sir John Major launched the National Lottery,…
How more data can make you more wrong
In a one-day international against Australia last year, Ben Stokes was dismissed for ‘obstructing the field’, a rule rarely invoked…
Gender-fluid sisters and a hot-wired sword: cheating on an Olympic scale
With the Olympics almost upon us our thoughts turn inexorably to the art of cheating. And while we should deplore…
It’s cricket, not football, that’s the beautiful game
One day, many seasons ago, Jon Hotten was on the field when a bowler took all ten wickets. In his…
Why Misbah ul-Haq is Pakistan’s greatest Test captain
There have been three great captains of Pakistan. The first was A.H. Kardar, the country’s first Test captain. Born in…
Sorry, Matthew Parris, but immigration concern isn’t all about race
The population problem Sir: Matthew Parris (11 June) dismisses worries over immigration as being based on race. This is a…
The biggest threats to gorillas (Cincinnati Zoo not included)
Gorilla warfare Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla, was shot at Cincinnati Zoo after he started dragging away a boy aged four…
Cricket needs a top-to-bottom overhaul: here’s how I’d do it
No place for the faint of heart, Headingley, and certainly not for some sketchy Sri Lankan batsmen at the back…
Revealed: the true and unrepeatable secret of Leicester City’s success
A few years ago a motivational speaker brought out a smart little book called Legacy: What The All Blacks Can…
The Archers v the cricket: which was the more dramatic?
It was a toss-up on Sunday between the atmosphere in the Radio Five Live Sports Extra studio in Kolkata for…
Reasons to be cheerful about cricket, football and the Grand National
Well the sun is out, the sky is blue, and poor Boris Johnson is taking such a pounding from Matthew…
Two big hitters leave the crease: Brendon McCullum and Hugh McIlvanney
Two great men have just bowed out from their chosen trades and it is bloody sad. The New Zealand cricket…
The angry young bowler who could take the West Indies back to the top
In the north of Antigua, just by the medical school, is a neat little cricket ground. It was a bit…
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