Jeff Thomas

Mickey Arthur: 'I've no doubt red-ball promotion will come within two years' As he prepares to embark on his fifth season at the helm of county cricket’s least decorated club, the seasoned South African coach tells me that Derbyshire are finally ready to take the plunge

I had a really interesting chat with Mickey Arthur last month on how Derbyshire are shaping up for the 2026 season... open.substack.com/pub/jeffthom...

I wanna be in the room where it happens… Chasing meaning, memory, and the thrill of being there

"Sometimes, it’s not just about seeing what happens. It’s about living it, feeling it, and knowing you were there."

open.substack.com/pub/jeffthom...

Thanks, glad you enjoyed.

The Sleeping Dragon Awakes Two decades after crashing out of Division One, Glamorgan have finally returned to county cricket’s top table. I investigate the club’s revival and the distinct culture that has underpinned it

Forget the Ashes, here's the real quiz...

Glamorgan’s return to Division One proves that leadership, culture, and perseverance can overcome the unique challenges of Welsh cricket.

First published in Wisden Cricket Monthly.

open.substack.com/pub/jeffthom...

England’s “What If” Win England may have won the Melbourne lottery – but turned up too late to claim the jackpot

In Australia, England were uncharacteristically conservative – in selection, tactics, and temperament. This victory (and potentially another next week) will soften the memory of the tour, but also sharpens the sting of what came before.

open.substack.com/pub/jeffthom...

When Bazball Blinked The collapse of England’s fearless experiment

"Australia didn’t so much defeat Bazball as simply expose its fragility. They applied pressure until the believers stopped believing. And when the architects of a revolution lose confidence in their own blueprint, collapse is not merely possible – it is inevitable."
open.substack.com/pub/jeffthom...

open.substack.com/pub/jeffthom...

How The Foxes Found Their Teeth: The Pack Mentality Driving Leicestershire's Success | County Championship 2025 Leicestershire are top of Division Two, favourites for promotion with four wins from six games. Find out what's driving their success here

Piece for Wisden on the numbers behind Leicestershire CCC's resurgence... www.wisden.com/series/count...

13k on the Essex stream at the death.

Happens with every close game and no-one is directing them there. All entirely organic

At 16, Joan of Arc led France to military victories, Alexander the Great controlled an empire and Blaise Pascal had invented the first calculator, but at 14, had any of them made a 35-ball hundred?
jeffthomaswords.substack.com/p/no-nerves-...

Dom Goodman's five-wicket haul inspires Gloucestershire fightback County DIV2 2025, Gloucester vs LEICS Match Report: Leicestershire will hope late wicket swings momentum but with Cameron Bancroft 36* contest remains in the balance

Excellent fun reporting on this yesterday...

Lovely to see the return of the crossword amongst all the other good stuff in this week's The Cricket Paper...

No 149, Apr 10: The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter 🟣 All the Round Two previews 🟢 A fine Round One reviewed 🟠 Gloucs unveil special mural 🔴 Essex celebrate century at Chelmsford 🔵 Middlesex legal trouble 🟡 Championship reform ahead?

🏏 New County #Cricket newsletter. Please share and enjoy

🟣 All the Round Two previews
🟢 A fine Round One reviewed
🟠 Gloucs unveil special mural
🔴 Essex celebrate century at Chelmsford
🔵 Middlesex legal trouble
🟡 Championship reform ahead?

countycricket.substa...

Glad you enjoyed it, and don't get too down about the Durham result, I think they look a strong side and will have a very good season.

Lord's: the antidote to a dystopian future? With the world seemingly stuck on fast-forward, the return of county cricket this week gave me some much needed respite from the madness.

With the world seemingly stuck on fast-forward, the return of county cricket this week gave me some much needed respite from the madness...

There really is no better place than HQ to watch cricket. New substack will drop tomorrow... www.substack.com/@jeffthomasw...

Harry Brook’s ludicrous 123 in Wellington: The best Test innings of 2024 In the week Harry Brook shunned the IPL in order to prioritise England’s upcoming Test schedule, I revisit his ‘favourite hundred’, the counter-attacking masterclass from Wellington last December.

In the week Harry Brook shunned the IPL in order to prioritise England’s upcoming Test schedule, I revisit his ‘favourite hundred’, the counter-attacking masterclass from Wellington in December...

Healing Between the Lines: A Personal Journey in New Zealand Last winter I covered England's Test series for wisden.com. Here's the story of how it happened, why I needed it so badly, and how I got along...

Feeling burnt-out after enduring a difficult year both in and outside of work, I took the option of redundancy and ended up covering England's winter Test series in New Zealand for wisden online. Here's the story of how it happened, why I needed it so badly, and how I got along...

YouTube video by Press Box Therapy Jos Buttler: Sad Eyes

A farewell tribute to Jos Buttler... #cricket #championstrophy #sadeyes

Jos Buttler: The Captain Too Nice to Succeed? "Sad eyes, you knew there'd come a day when we would have to say goodbye..."

This week's article on the inherent humanity of Jos Buttler, and why he was always destined to fail as captain...

Issue 49 of The Nightwatchman is out now and is full of fantastic long-form cricket writing from Scott Oliver, CS Chiwanza, Annie Chave, David Tossell, Qaiser Mohammad Ali and more.

Print: www.thenightwatchman.net/.../the-nigh...

Digital: www.thenightwatchman.net/.../the-nigh...

The superpowers of Glenn Phillips: backward point’s new king Last week, during the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips took a catch so logic-defying that – for the first time in four weeks – I sat bolt-upright, well nearly.

🚨Launch post klaxon🚨”Last week, during the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips took a catch so logic-defying that – for the first time in four weeks – I sat bolt-upright, well nearly.” open.substack.com/pub/jeffthom...

Introducing... Press Box Therapy Launching tomorrow: 26/02/2025

Having graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Sport & Exercise Science in 2001 and a Diploma in Freelance Sports Journalism from LSJ in 2013, I’ve finally decided – after 20 odd years – it’s time to follow my passion...