Chat with Cosker

Dean Cosker has been one of the characters of the sport and for Glamorgan, since he burst on to the scene back in 1996 with six wickets on his debut. A stint for England Under 19's followed and the slow left armer has enjoyed a fine career for the county he has so loyally served for the last eighteen years. Not far off a thousand career wickets, his fielding was also fairly tasty at backward point in the one day game, and it was an absolute privilege to have a chat with the man they call Lurks. Here Dean tells us all about getting hit in the throat by Wasim Akram, the aftermath of his wife's Sunday lunches and what life will be like without Robert Croft at the other end.

Lurker

Win a signed copy of our book Cricket Banter!

Over the next month we are going to be running a series of competitions to celebrate the publication of our new book Cricket Banter! You will get 5 opportunities to get your hands on a copy signed by the authors, making you the envy of all your friends. No doubt these will be family heirlooms in the future when you pass them down to your grandchildren.

Starting today, and then on every Saturday of the month afterwards, we will be posting a photograph of cricketing stars giving each other a bit of chat on @themiddlestump. The first one will be the image on the cover, Graeme Swann and Kamran Akmal. In order to win a copy, all you have to do is prove how good your banter is!

Entering is as simple as hitting Steve Smith’s dibbly dobbler’s for six:

·         Tweet us @themiddlestump with your caption for the photograph. What is Swanny saying to Akmal? Or vice-versa?

·         End the tweet with #CricketBanter.

·         The funniest and most banterful tweet will win, as judged by us of course!

The competition will last 24 hours, and the winners will be notified by DM on Twitter!

If you don’t win, or if you simply can’t wait to get your hands on a copy, visit The History Press website to get yours for £9.99. Happy tweeting, and keep it clean(ish). 

Review of the Third Test in New Zealand

Having seen England's rugby team fail to turn up a couple of weeks ago, we now have the cricket team who have genuinely failed all tour. Fair play to New Zealand, they've been the better side by miles and deserved a series victory. England meanwhile have fallen from grace quicker than a Countdown presenter takes to descend her flight of stairs. Here is our view of the Third Test from Auckland with photos courtesy of a friend of the Middle Stump, New Zealander Laura Hounsell...

Two Metre Peter...well played Sir!

Shit Chat

This series had been tough for me, I'll be honest. England are not performing like the second best side in the world and New Zealand are fooling us all with their efforts with bat and ball. My problem is not actually with the England team although I've had more than enough of Stuart Broad's hissy fits. what annoys me more than anything else in the whole wide world (with exception of a broken hair band) are the SKY TV commentators.

For whom the Bell tolls

Ian Bell is an enigma. The most aesthetically pleasing England batsman to watch, his cover drive is the sort of thing some batsmen can only dream about. It really is the Scarlett Johanssen of cricket shots, although I can't remember if I have ever masturbated over an Ian Bell cover drive! My co pilot Liam, wrote about his "man love" for Bell a few months back, but for me something is wrong. Something is not quite right and I wonder if it is time to look elsewhere? Don't get me wrong; on his day he is a quality player, but are those days too few and far between?

Ian Bell...an enigma

Happy Birthday to The Middle Stump

This time a year ago, Dan Whiting and Liam Kenna decided to start a cricket blog where we wanted to write about cricket and the lighter side of the game. We wanted to write from a different angle to everyone else.

What the bookies say

Bookies and cricket have had a tough time of it in recent years and we are going to make life even tougher for them. Here are The Middle Stump's tips for the 2013 season in the main competitions and we advise our readers to gamble irresponsibly. In fact, put your mortgage on these tips!

Chops...a good bet!

A cricket frenzy and review of the 2nd test v NZ

There was cricket galore this weekend (and a pretty important rugby match but we won't go there), only the West Indies and Zimbabwe, who were involved in the worst test match I have seen in donkey's last week, were not in action of the ten Test playing nations.

Broad...back to his best?

Cricket Clubs in Crisis?

All across the country cricket clubs are gearing up for the 2013 season. Dreams of long, hot summer days, raising your bat as you get a fifty or a hundred or the banter that thrives throughout our clubs lie ahead, but for some clubs, 2013 represents a season that could make or break them financially.

Worcester...a ground that has suffered recently with wet weather

Paul Prichard - Essex Legend

Paul Prichard is a man who was renowned as one of cricket's good guys. Having loyally served Essex for nearly two decades, which coincided with the most successful period for the county, he is now the Commercial Manager for the PCA and runs their Masters team. Helping raise money for some fantastic causes, Paul is a cricket man through and through, apart from a soft spot in his heart for West Ham United and we caught up with him recently. Here he tells us all about why Essex were described as lunatics, gives us the lowdown on Allan Border's drinking ability and what it was like to face Sylvester Clarke on relaid pitches!

Paul won virtually every domestic trophy in the game

Australian problems?

Respect or the lack of it in this case, could cause monumental problems in the Australia camp. For a minute let’s get away from the Aussie bashing that we are famous for and take a more serious look at why four cricketers are sitting out the next Test on the proverbial naughty step.

Australian Homework

A few weeks ago this blog discussed whether Australia were in disarray after the e mail went around claiming Michael Clarke, their captain, talisman and easily their best bat was about as popular in the dressing room as a turd in a swimming pool. Now, with this mornings news that four of their team have been made unavailable for the next Test match we are wondering whether they are not in disarray but absolutely torn apart. Laugh? I've just nearly split my colostomy bag.

Hands up if you hate Mickey Arthur

Review of the 1st Test in New Zealand

It's been a strange week. The Queen has had gastric flu, Bale or bail have dominated the pages of the newspapers regarding Gareth and Oscar, England have been out performed by a side ranked considerably lower than them in the cricket rankings, and QPR have won twice in a week! Chris Huhne this week, has mentioned that he wishes he could turn the clock back, which incidentally is another motoring offence, and no doubt so does Alastair Cook. My ears did prick up at one point this week, when I read about the "late" Justin Bieber but found he was only disappointing his fans by delaying his entrance onto the stage. It was an odd game of cricket, and an odd week.

Rutherford...a fine debut

Graham Lambert - Cool as ....

Graham Lambert, the lead guitarist and founding member of the Inspiral Carpets is a man who simply loves the game of cricket. Having played at some serious venues all around the world, sold millions of records and been an integral part of the Madchester scene in the early 90's, we caught up with the Oldham musician and discussed all sorts from his beloved Lancashire County Cricket Club to his ex- roadie Noel Gallagher's dislike for Graham Gooch. Read on in this brilliant interview with one of the funniest, yet nicest people you could meet.

Graham Lambert

Pup can no longer hide in his comfortable kennel

Australia's batting has been about as strong as most people bowels on their trip to India, and there has been much debate, discussion and the usual bullshit on Twitter as to where Michael Clarke, easily their best player, should bat. Here our bud Thorpster, says he has to bat higher in the Baggy Green order, if he is to be truly thought of as a world class batsman.

Pup...world class?

Vikings????

There was a boy in my street growing up who had a pretty massive head. One day while struggling to get my words out, I called him Swed instead of swollen head. To this day he is known as Swed, even his mum and dad don’t call him Matthew anymore. What the fudge has that got to do with cricket I hear you ask? Well Yorkshire County Cricket Club are now known as the Vikings!

Vikings?

Colour Change

"The grabbing hands, grab all they can, everything counts in large amounts" sang Depeche Mode back in the 1980's and it was the first thing that went through my head when I saw the news that England will yet again be changing their One Day kit this summer.

Add caption

England undercooked?

England lost their first warm up game for seven years today at the wonderful ground in Queenstown, against a New Zealand XI. One or two problems came to the surface during the game, and has brought concerns not only from us but from the cricket journalists that follow us around the world.

Broad...number one problem