Nick Friend
@nickfriend.bsky.social
Journalist at The Cricketer. Ex-Cricket Argentina coach. CMJ Young Journalist of the Year, 2020. Views my own.
England Under-19s start their winter on Sunday in the Caribbean.
Nice to chat with Farhan Ahmed, Ben Dawkins and Isaac Mohammed - three of the best young players in the country - about handling the early days of promising careers.
Nice to chat with Farhan Ahmed, Ben Dawkins and Isaac Mohammed - three of the best young players in the country - about handling the early days of promising careers.
The best job ever: Meet England's next generation, ahead of the Young Lions' World Cup winter | The Cricketer
Ahead of their tour of the Caribbean, three of the most promising youngsters in the country – Farhan Ahmed, Isaac Mohammed and Ben Dawkins – reflect on the journey so far
www.thecricketer.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:13 AM
England Under-19s start their winter on Sunday in the Caribbean.
Nice to chat with Farhan Ahmed, Ben Dawkins and Isaac Mohammed - three of the best young players in the country - about handling the early days of promising careers.
Nice to chat with Farhan Ahmed, Ben Dawkins and Isaac Mohammed - three of the best young players in the country - about handling the early days of promising careers.
Gloucestershire looking to overseas and loan markets to ease their seamer shortage for next summer. Also keen to explore a season-long loan - used so well by Leicestershire, but weirdly not by many else.
Gloucestershire looking at loan and overseas markets to solve seamer exodus | The Cricketer
Jon Lewis, who took 1,078 wickets for Gloucestershire, has returned as director of cricket after his sacking as England Women's head coach with a challenging job on his hands
www.thecricketer.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Gloucestershire looking to overseas and loan markets to ease their seamer shortage for next summer. Also keen to explore a season-long loan - used so well by Leicestershire, but weirdly not by many else.
Nice to chat with Asa Tribe who, by the end of a crazy breakthrough year, could theoretically have played for Cardiff UCCE, Jersey, Glamorgan 2s, Glamorgan, England Lions and Paarl Royals.
Cardiff UCCE, Glamorgan, Jersey, England Lions and SA20: Asa Tribe's epic breakthrough year | The Cricketer
Brought up as a product of cricket in Jersey, Asa Tribe made a lasting impression during a remarkable summer, culminating in call-ups by England Lions and Paarl Royals for the winter
www.thecricketer.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Nice to chat with Asa Tribe who, by the end of a crazy breakthrough year, could theoretically have played for Cardiff UCCE, Jersey, Glamorgan 2s, Glamorgan, England Lions and Paarl Royals.
Fixtures not out for a fortnight, but Surrey will definitely play Nottinghamshire twice in next year's County Championship.
Piece on the seeding system - which I didn't know existed until recently - that determines which Division One sides face each other twice.
Piece on the seeding system - which I didn't know existed until recently - that determines which Division One sides face each other twice.
How seedings and unique formula determine County Championship Division One fixtures | The Cricketer
Nottinghamshire and Surrey will face each other twice in next season's County Championship
www.thecricketer.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Fixtures not out for a fortnight, but Surrey will definitely play Nottinghamshire twice in next year's County Championship.
Piece on the seeding system - which I didn't know existed until recently - that determines which Division One sides face each other twice.
Piece on the seeding system - which I didn't know existed until recently - that determines which Division One sides face each other twice.
Middlesex taking their time over naming Richard Johnson's permanent successor as head coach. Application process imminent but not yet open, having been initially floated to begin in early October.
Middlesex head coach appointment not imminent, with process yet to begin | The Cricketer
The appointment of Richard Johnson's permanent successor as Middlesex's first-team coach is not believed to be imminent, The Cricketer understands
www.thecricketer.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Middlesex taking their time over naming Richard Johnson's permanent successor as head coach. Application process imminent but not yet open, having been initially floated to begin in early October.
Interview with Tom Lawes, who was handed an England development contract last week, is nearing 100 first-class wickets, has added a yard of pace and counts Andrew Flintoff as a big fan.
I know I have a quick spell in me: Rise of Tom Lawes continues with England deal | The Cricketer
The decision to hand Tom Lawes a development deal drifted under the radar amid an upcoming Ashes series, but it speaks to England's interest in a 22-year-old already nearing 100 first-class wickets
www.thecricketer.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Interview with Tom Lawes, who was handed an England development contract last week, is nearing 100 first-class wickets, has added a yard of pace and counts Andrew Flintoff as a big fan.
County CEOs being informed today that the Champo/Kookaburra experiment is officially over.
Kookaburra trial officially discontinued after three-year run | The Cricketer
The County Championship's experiment with the Kookaburra ball is officially over
www.thecricketer.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:07 AM
County CEOs being informed today that the Champo/Kookaburra experiment is officially over.
Nice to speak to Matt Fisher, Surrey's newly crowned clubman of the year. Full circle for him from four years ago, when his Lions performances in Australia led to a Test debut. Loads of bad luck since, but one of the best in the country when fit.
It's about maybe going to a place that I've not been before - The second coming of Matt Fisher | The Cricketer
A run of games after trading Yorkshire for Surrey has seen the seamer force his way back into the England picture with a Lions group who are bound for Australia
www.thecricketer.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Nice to speak to Matt Fisher, Surrey's newly crowned clubman of the year. Full circle for him from four years ago, when his Lions performances in Australia led to a Test debut. Loads of bad luck since, but one of the best in the country when fit.
Went to Loughborough earlier this week to learn from ECB performance director Ed Barney about what the England Lions programme has become and how it works.
Not a second team: Who – and what – are the England Lions? | The Cricketer
The Lions has has become a bespoke programme, established to ease the leap from domestic to international cricket; ECB performance director Ed Barney explains how it works
www.thecricketer.com
October 30, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Went to Loughborough earlier this week to learn from ECB performance director Ed Barney about what the England Lions programme has become and how it works.
Piece on a World Cup campaign as a microcosm of a far wider time period.
Scorecards are rarely onomatopoeic.
Scorecards are rarely onomatopoeic.
Semi-final humbling spells out England's place in world order | The Cricketer
World Cups are rarely won in vintage style, but if you muddle through the tournament – and England were admirably scrappy and spirited for large parts – you shouldn't be surprised if you come unstuck
www.thecricketer.com
October 29, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Piece on a World Cup campaign as a microcosm of a far wider time period.
Scorecards are rarely onomatopoeic.
Scorecards are rarely onomatopoeic.
It genuinely feels like every ball has gone to the boundary in the last half hour. Extraordinary knock, this.
October 29, 2025 at 12:37 PM
It genuinely feels like every ball has gone to the boundary in the last half hour. Extraordinary knock, this.
Someone is going to have to explain South Africa's batting order to me.
October 29, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Someone is going to have to explain South Africa's batting order to me.
England simultaneously haven't won a knockout game in three years but also have beaten South Africa in the last two ODI World Cup semi-finals. Chance to reach a third straight final by beating a team that - at the same venue - they walloped by 10 wickets three weeks ago.
South Africa await as England chase first knockout win in three years | The Cricketer
England have beaten the Proteas in each of the last two 50-over World Cup semi-finals, but since winning at Hagley Oval in 2022, they've lost at this stage in the Commonwealth Games and T20 World Cup
www.thecricketer.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:52 AM
England simultaneously haven't won a knockout game in three years but also have beaten South Africa in the last two ODI World Cup semi-finals. Chance to reach a third straight final by beating a team that - at the same venue - they walloped by 10 wickets three weeks ago.
So pleased to see Sarah Taylor loving life as a coach.
Great to speak to her about working with England Lions, coaching in the men's game and how to bring through more female coaches. Just three women in head coach roles across tier 1 & 2 counties.
Great to speak to her about working with England Lions, coaching in the men's game and how to bring through more female coaches. Just three women in head coach roles across tier 1 & 2 counties.
Sarah Taylor: I want to be seen as a coach, but I'm extremely proud to be a female within that environment | The Cricketer
A trailblazer on the field, SarahTaylor is blazing another trail now, the highest-profile female coach working in the men's game, as she prepares to join up with England Lions in Australia
www.thecricketer.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:48 AM
So pleased to see Sarah Taylor loving life as a coach.
Great to speak to her about working with England Lions, coaching in the men's game and how to bring through more female coaches. Just three women in head coach roles across tier 1 & 2 counties.
Great to speak to her about working with England Lions, coaching in the men's game and how to bring through more female coaches. Just three women in head coach roles across tier 1 & 2 counties.
You can't control the weather, but you can control moving more than a third of the entire World Cup group stage to a city in monsoon season. Piece on a farce, evident to everyone months ago.
You can't control the weather, but you can control whether to play a World Cup in monsoon season | The Cricketer
In attempting to solve one problem, organisers effectively created another; they couldn't say they weren't warned
www.thecricketer.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
You can't control the weather, but you can control moving more than a third of the entire World Cup group stage to a city in monsoon season. Piece on a farce, evident to everyone months ago.
As The Cricketer's FPL-meets-county-cricket correspondent, it falls on me to report that Adam Lyth will walk out as Whitby Town FC's mascot tomorrow - against Rushall Olympic at the Towbar Express Stadium - as a forfeit for finishing bottom in a Whitby CC league.
Ex-England opener to walk out as football mascot as Fantasy League forfeit | The Cricketer
Former England opening batter Adam Lyth will lead Whitby Town out as their mascot on Saturday as a Fantasy Premier League forfeit
www.thecricketer.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
As The Cricketer's FPL-meets-county-cricket correspondent, it falls on me to report that Adam Lyth will walk out as Whitby Town FC's mascot tomorrow - against Rushall Olympic at the Towbar Express Stadium - as a forfeit for finishing bottom in a Whitby CC league.
Sarah Taylor once again part of the England Lions setup this winter. Among others, also joined by Glamorgan head coach Richard Dawson and former SA batter Neil McKenzie.
Sarah Taylor to work with England Lions in Perth | The Cricketer
Former England Women's wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor will once again be part of England Lions' coaching staff this winter, The Cricketer understands
www.thecricketer.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Sarah Taylor once again part of the England Lions setup this winter. Among others, also joined by Glamorgan head coach Richard Dawson and former SA batter Neil McKenzie.
Two very different middle orders:
Middle-order contrasts reaffirm chasm between England and Australia | The Cricketer
Beating Australia for a first time in two years remains an elusive quest, the gap between the sides reaffirmed by Ash Gardner and Annabel Sutherland, whose stand completed a victory with 57 balls left
www.thecricketer.com
October 22, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Two very different middle orders:
Let's say Pakistan were strong enough to get through the group and a semi, we'd be staring at the most farcical World Cup final imaginable. That we're going to avoid it shouldn't take away from one of the most ludicrous, inevitably awful pieces of "planning" (used loosely) ever.
The ICC after staging the 2029 Women's Cricket World Cup inside the crater of an active volcano - "how did all this lava get here?"
#CWC25
#CWC25
October 21, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Let's say Pakistan were strong enough to get through the group and a semi, we'd be staring at the most farcical World Cup final imaginable. That we're going to avoid it shouldn't take away from one of the most ludicrous, inevitably awful pieces of "planning" (used loosely) ever.
Last week, Rebecca Blake became the fastest player to 1,000 T20I runs.
Interview with the Southampton Solent lab technician, who was born in Bucharest, found cricket at an annual picnic in a French commune, has captained France, Romania and Hurlsey Park, and played at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
Interview with the Southampton Solent lab technician, who was born in Bucharest, found cricket at an annual picnic in a French commune, has captained France, Romania and Hurlsey Park, and played at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
From Bucharest to rural France and back, via Southampton: The wild story of Rebecca Blake's world record
Rebecca Blake, a lab technician at Southampton Solent University, born in Bucharest, has become the fastest player to 1,000 T20I runs, having found cricket at a picnic in a French commune
www.thecricketer.com
October 20, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Last week, Rebecca Blake became the fastest player to 1,000 T20I runs.
Interview with the Southampton Solent lab technician, who was born in Bucharest, found cricket at an annual picnic in a French commune, has captained France, Romania and Hurlsey Park, and played at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
Interview with the Southampton Solent lab technician, who was born in Bucharest, found cricket at an annual picnic in a French commune, has captained France, Romania and Hurlsey Park, and played at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
Much, merited criticism of England in the last year - as well as a share of luck in the last few weeks. But we've questioned their bottle in pressure moments, so they deserve plenty of credit for how they've managed to get over the line in this World Cup.
England determined to change narrative by finding way to win | The Cricketer
When you've lost like England have lost in recent times, there is much to admire in having rediscovered the stamina and the willpower to get over the line
www.thecricketer.com
October 19, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Much, merited criticism of England in the last year - as well as a share of luck in the last few weeks. But we've questioned their bottle in pressure moments, so they deserve plenty of credit for how they've managed to get over the line in this World Cup.
That is a remarkable win for England. India... you shouldn't lose needing 55 off 53 in conditions like those.
October 19, 2025 at 4:45 PM
That is a remarkable win for England. India... you shouldn't lose needing 55 off 53 in conditions like those.
England's engine room is now 111 for 12 at this World Cup
Absolutely no point keeping wickets in hand of having wickets in hand doesn’t allow you too accelerate in the last 10 right
October 19, 2025 at 12:52 PM
England's engine room is now 111 for 12 at this World Cup
If your entire gameplan is built around a big finish, you cannot finish like this, I'm afraid. A fine advert for Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who's sat in the dugout.
October 19, 2025 at 12:49 PM
If your entire gameplan is built around a big finish, you cannot finish like this, I'm afraid. A fine advert for Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who's sat in the dugout.
Felt so bad for Heather Knight when her hamstring went in the summer, after all that happened last winter and the manner of her sacking as captain. Safe to say, she is having the World Cup that she deserves. Still a serious, proper player.
October 19, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Felt so bad for Heather Knight when her hamstring went in the summer, after all that happened last winter and the manner of her sacking as captain. Safe to say, she is having the World Cup that she deserves. Still a serious, proper player.