BUY ISSUE 80

Atkinson reflects on his sensational debut series against the West Indies and tells us there’s no reason why he can’t become the best Test bowler in the world, while Wood says he’s raring to go against Sri Lanka after his breathtaking spells at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston.

Jo Harman marks Sri Lanka’s first Test series in England for eight years by revisiting previous tours which have shown the Lions should never be underestimated, even if they often have been, and Nicholas Brookes examines why the island is producing fast bowlers at an unprecedented rate.

Elsewhere in one of our most wide-ranging issues yet, we have news from all 18 counties in ‘The County Files’, Courtney Walsh talks to Mel Farrell about his passion for the women’s game, Daniel Gallan considers why transformation remains elusive in South African cricket, and we have an exclusive interview with Danni Wyatt about her unique England career.

We also have Nathan Johns on the lessons Scotland can learn from Ireland as they contemplate becoming a Full Member, Rob Smyth dives into the extraordinary outlier of a Test match between England and South Africa at The Oval of 30 years ago, and our columnists are in hard-hitting form as Mark Ramprakash calls for Andy Flower to replace Matthew Mott, Lawrence Booth hails the impact of England’s Test novices against the Windies, and Andrew Miller questions whether The Hundred is really oven-ready for investment.

And finally, we have a poignant tribute to the great Graham Thorpe, the everyman hero touched by magic.

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10 standout quotes from the new issue:

"I can look to the future and go, ‘Right, I want to be the best Test bowler in the world’."
Gus Atkinson speaks to Phil Walker about his rapid progression

"He has this incredible skill, or knack, of getting wickets when you need one. It just seems like he comes in and breaks the partnership and gets us on a roll. I feel like he’s just, in typical Gus fashion, nonchalantly dropped into it: ‘Hey, I’ll get him out!’ Gets a couple of wickets, typical Gus style.”
Mark Wood says Atkinson has all the skills

"If Rob Key takes a short-term view, he may go with a head coach who Buttler gets on really well with, such as Sangakkara. But if he wants to build for the future, there’s no more qualified candidate than Flower."
Mark Ramprakash argues Andy Flower should be England men’s new white-ball coach

"As a former CEO of Bristol City FC, Richard Gould knows exactly what it feels like when the top tier of one’s sport becomes too far removed from the collective that spawned it."
Andrew Miller questions whether The Hundred is oven-ready for outside investment

"There’s a lingering sense that Sri Lanka have been undervalued by the ECB when preparing their touring schedules. This summer’s Test series will be Sri Lanka’s first in England for eight years, and on their last visit the contest began in mid-May and was finished by June 9. In all, Sri Lanka have played 18 Tests in England across their 43-year Test history, far fewer than any other Test nation besides Bangladesh and Zimbabwe (and newcomers Ireland and Afghanistan)."
Jo Harman on Sri Lanka’s infrequent Test tours to England

"I remember going up to Dickie Bird, the square-leg umpire, towards the close on the second day and saying, ‘For goodness sake, take them off for bad light’. He said, ‘I’ve asked them Jonathan lad, and they don’t want to go!’"
Jonathan Agnew recalls Sri Lanka’s first Test match in England, in 1984 – a chastening experience for the hosts

"Smith proved as destructive as Bairstow with the bat, and almost as adept as Foakes with the gloves. The apparently endless debate about who should fill the role is over."
Lawrence Booth says Jamie Smith is here to stay

"The girls listen a little bit more than the boys. They’re eager to learn, interested in what you have to say, they’ll try it and you can get good feedback."
Courtney Walsh speaks to Mel Farrell about coaching in the women’s game

"I was like, ‘Bloody hell! Why did I not do this years ago?’"
Danni Wyatt on her game-changing T20I century at Canberra in 2017

"I made the decision to give the coaches the freedom to assemble the best players available to them. If only one player is black African, that is on us and that is on the system that produces our talent. It’s our job to resolve this. I understand that the public is growing impatient."
Enoch Nkwe, Cricket South Africa’s director of cricket, on the ongoing challenges of transformation

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