Cricket News

News

  • News
  • Teams
  • Blog
  • Competitions
  • Fixtures/Results
  • Tables
  • Video
  • Pundits
  • Women's
  • On Sky
  • Scores
  • Sky Bet

England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka: best moments of 2016 on Sky Sports

Last Updated: 26/12/16 1:24pm

Cook's 10,000th Test run? Plunkett's six to tie? What's your favourite moment?
Cook's 10,000th Test run? Plunkett's six to tie? What's your favourite moment?

Despite heartbreak in the World Twenty20 Final, hopes for a cracking summer of cricket were high following England's winter victory over South Africa on their patch in the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy.

We weren't disappointed. Here are a few of our pundits' favourite moments from the series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, as well as the domestic game.

Check them out then let us know what yours is by tweeting @SkyCricket…

Nasser Hussain - marvellous Misbah

My moment of the summer belongs to the Pakistan captain, Misbah-ul-Haq. What a way to go about his first Test at Lord's, aged 42; he hit a hundred and won the Test!

Misbah-ul-Haq celebrates his century at Lord's by doing some press-ups!
Misbah-ul-Haq celebrates his century at Lord's by doing some press-ups!

If scoring a century wasn't magnificent enough, he then celebrated by doing some push-ups at the Home of Cricket - it came completely out of nowhere and was unprecedented at Lord's.

This could have been a difficult tour bearing in mind what happened the last time Pakistan toured England, but Misbah set the standard throughout the summer both in the way he played and the way he captained.

Misbah-ul-Haq starred on day one of the series, striking 110 not out
Misbah-ul-Haq starred on day one of the series, striking 110 not out

Wasim Akram - Yasir Lord's it

My favourite moment was Yasir Shah's 10 wickets at Lord's as Pakistan opened the Test series with a win. They went into the series as underdogs - the bookies making England firm favourites for victory.

Yasir Shah stole the show on day two at Lord's by claiming five wickets
Yasir Shah stole the show on day two at Lord's by claiming five wickets

It was Yasir's, and many of the players', first time at Lord's. It's a dream come true for any player, let alone one playing their first Test outside of the subcontinent like Yasir was; so to get 10 wickets was an incredible achievement.

Wasim Akram, Jonathan Trott and Bob Willis discuss England's issues with spin
Wasim Akram, Jonathan Trott and Bob Willis discuss England's issues with spin

What also impressed me during the series was Pakistan's performance off the field. They were true ambassadors of the game and of their country.

Bob Willis - Joe's just perfection

Joe Root's double hundred against Pakistan at Old Trafford was quite simply one of the best five England innings I've seen - up there with Graham Gooch's century against the West Indies at Headingley in 1991 and the like.

Watch Root take centre stage at Old Trafford with a superb 254
Watch Root take centre stage at Old Trafford with a superb 254

Number three has been the pivotal position throughout the history of cricket and this knock proved Root is ideally suited to it - he has the technique to handle the new ball but if he goes in at 220-1 he has the game to play positively and cement your side's advantage and press on.

By his own admission, Root - and a few of his team-mates - played kamikaze shots at Lord's but he got his act together and proved that he's an absolute superstar who can knuckle down and occupy the crease for long periods when required.

Root told Ian Ward all about his career-best knock at the Sky Cart
Root told Ian Ward all about his career-best knock at the Sky Cart

Mike Atherton - Pakistan top the lot

Looking at the summer as a whole, the four Test matches against Pakistan were the main highlight; therefore, I've picked the moment Azhar Ali belted Moeen Ali for six to win the Test at The Oval and tie the series.

Watch the winning moment in our story of day four at the Oval
Watch the winning moment in our story of day four at the Oval

That win ultimately took Pakistan to the top of the Test rankings. When you think about it, given where Pakistan were six years ago when Misbah-ul-Haq took over after the spot-fixing scandal of 2010, and given that they don't play at home - they're permanent exiles - to get to No1 in the world is a fantastic achievement.

Chris Woakes reflects on taking 11 wickets against Pakistan at Lord's
Chris Woakes reflects on taking 11 wickets against Pakistan at Lord's

Also, purely from an England perspective, Chris Woakes' coming of age this summer has been a joy to watch. He has really stamped his authority on international cricket this summer.

CHECK OUT CHRIS WOAKES' moment of the summer in his column here...

David Lloyd - Hales' record-breaking heroics

A chap on social media said before it all kicked off in the third ODI that "England are going to get 280" and I replied "I think they'll get 350" but as they motored along you could see it was going to spiral out of control for Pakistan.

Watch Alex Hales' record-breaking 171 off just 122 balls
Watch Alex Hales' record-breaking 171 off just 122 balls

Hales, on his home ground, made the most of some inviting boundaries and a pitch as flat as a pancake, on which a bowling side becomes absolutely powerless.

The number of fours and sixes was breath-taking on what was a real batters day. The next question, which crops up on social media all the time, is when will a team score 500? It will definitely, definitely happen, trust me, if there's a perfect storm of conditions, pitch and boundaries.

Here’s each momentous moment as England make history at Trent Bridge
Here’s each momentous moment as England make history at Trent Bridge

Sir Ian Botham - Plunkett pouches a beauty

There have been many magnificent moments this summer, not least - as Bumble mentioned - England's incredible record-breaking display at Trent Bridge. That was England at their brutal and destructive best and showed just how far their white-ball cricket has come.

Plunkett leapt to his left to take this stunning one-handed catch
Plunkett leapt to his left to take this stunning one-handed catch

I'm actually going to go a bit left-field with my selection, though, and pick Liam Plunkett's catch against Pakistan in the ODI at Lord's.

It was pretty spectacular, you've got to admit - not least because he's big unit, yet floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee to pull off a stunning catch!

He was at it again during the fourth ODI at Headingley...
He was at it again during the fourth ODI at Headingley...

Nick Knight - Tymal blows Gayle away

I'm going back right to the start of the summer and a Sussex versus Somerset game in the T20 Blast at Hove - it was freezing cold in The Pod; one of the first games we did out in the elements, but we were warmed up by some fiery fast bowling by Tymal Mills!

Tymal Mills joins Nasser Hussain for a bowling masterclass to launch of Sky Sports Mix
Tymal Mills joins Nasser Hussain for a bowling masterclass to launch of Sky Sports Mix

We'd heard a lot about Mills, and he bowled not just 90mph plus, but did it against the might of Chris Gayle, fresh from the IPL.

Gayle was beaten for pace by the first two balls he faced, before the third ball clattered into his stumps, with Gayle barely getting his bat down. It was a moment that has stuck with me all summer.

Sussex paceman Tymal Mills gives his top fast-bowling tips.
Sussex paceman Tymal Mills gives his top fast-bowling tips.

Benedict Bermange - a perfect piece of Pi

Pi Day is observed on 22 July since the fraction 22/7 (3.14) is a common approximation of the mathematical constant Pi (π), originally devised around 250 BC by the Greek Mathematician Archimedes. This year Pi Day coincided with the first day of the Old Trafford Test between England and Pakistan. 

Also See:

  • Eng v SL 2016 homepage
  • Eng v Pkn 2016 homepage
  • Best moments of 2015
  • Live cricket on Sky
The best of Pi Day - as nominated by our statto Benedict!
The best of Pi Day - as nominated by our statto Benedict!

Someone had obviously told night-watchman Chris Woakes as he carefully played out the last five balls of the day from Yasir Shah to ensure that England ended four wickets down with their score on 314.  An added bonus to all mathematically-minded viewers was that Joe Root ended on 141, which is as close as you are likely to get to the Square Root of 2 (1.41).

Watch Sky Sports' derby day extravaganza on Sep 10 - Man Utd v Man City and Celtic v Rangers - as part of our three months half price offer.

Trending

  • 1
    Juve chief: European Super League can no longer go ahead
  • 2
    'I've let you down' - LFC owner Henry apologises for ESL actions
  • 3
    Other 14 PL clubs divided on sanctions for Super League rebels
  • 4
    Carragher: No future for owners at Liverpool
  • 5
    Woodward to step down as Man Utd executive vice-chairman
  • 6
    All six Premier League clubs withdraw from Super League
  • 7
    'I haven't missed you' - Aubameyang deactivates Twitter
  • 8
    Football without risk is not sport
  • 9
    Souness: Fans will punish Super League soul-sellers
  • 10
    Henderson leads Liverpool player revolt against Super League
  • Video
  • Latest News
  • Home
  • Sports
    • Football
    • F1
    • Cricket
    • Rugby Union
    • Rugby League
    • Golf
    • Boxing
    • NFL
    • Olympics
    • Tennis
    • Racing
    • Darts
    • NBA
    • Netball
    • GAA
    • MMA
    • More Sports
  • Scores
  • Video
  • TV
  • Sky Bet
  • Games
  • More
    • Transfer Centre
    • Live on Sky
    • Get Sky Sports
    • TV Shows
    • TV Guide
    • Sky Go
    • Now TV
    • Kick It Out
    • Black Lives Matter
    • Podcasts
    • Mobile
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Contact Us
    • Work @ Sky Sports
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Sky Sports
    • Get Sky Sports
    • Sky Sports Apps
    • Sportinglife.com
    • TEAMtalk.com
    • Football365.com
  • Partners
    • Sky Bet
    • Fantasy Football
    • Super 6
    • Planet Rugby
    • Golf365
    • Planet F1
    • Cricket365
  • Sky Sports Channels
    • Sky Sports Main Event
    • Sky Sports Premier League
    • Sky Sports Football
    • Sky Sports Cricket
    • Sky Sports Golf
    • Sky Sports Racing
    • Sky Sports F1
    • Sky Sports Action
    • Sky Sports Arena
    • Sky Sports News
    • Sky Sports Mix
  • More Sky Sites
    • Sky.com
    • Sky News
    • Sky Group
    • Sky For Businesses
    • Work @ Sky Sports
    • NOW TV
    • Sky Communal TV
    • Bigger Picture
    • Store Locator
    • Advertise With Us
    • Sky TV Accessories
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy & Cookies Notice
  • Privacy Options
  • Accessibility Information
  • Contact Us

©2021 Sky UK