Nigel Martyn Plays Cricket for England

May 11, 2026, 13:57
EuropeSports

Introduction

Nigel Martyn was a famous football player for England. Now, he plays cricket for the England Over-60s team.

Main Body

Nigel played football for many years. He stopped playing cricket to stay safe from injuries. He retired from football in 2006. He started playing cricket again in 2011. Nigel is now in the 'Lions' cricket team. This is a team for players over 60. He is a wicketkeeper. He is good at this because he was a goalkeeper in football. He is 60 years old now. He cannot play in the World Cup in Canada this year. But he wants to play in the World Cup in the future. This team does not get money from the big cricket board. Players and sponsors pay for the team.

Conclusion

Nigel is in the Lions team. He wants to play for the main England national team soon.

Learning

πŸ•’ Time Travel: Then vs. Now

Look at how we talk about Nigel's life. We use two different 'shapes' of words to show when things happen.

THE PAST (Finished) We add -ed to the action word. It is over.

  • Play β†’ Played
  • Stop β†’ Stopped
  • Retire β†’ Retired

THE PRESENT (Now) We use the word as it is, or add -s for one person.

  • He plays cricket.
  • He wants to play.

πŸ’‘ The Logic Bridge

  • Past: He was a goalkeeper β†’\rightarrow Present: He is a wicketkeeper.

When you see -ed, think: Yesterday\text{Yesterday}. When you see -s, think: Today\text{Today}.

Vocabulary Learning

football
A sport played with a round ball by two teams of eleven players each, using mainly their feet.
Example:He played football for many years before switching to cricket.
cricket
A bat-and-ball game played between two teams, usually with 11 players each.
Example:Nigel started playing cricket again in 2011.
team
A group of people who work together for a common purpose.
Example:Nigel is now in the Lions cricket team.
player
A person who takes part in a sport or game.
Example:The team has many experienced players.
years
A period of time equal to 365 days (or 366 in a leap year).
Example:He played football for many years.
injuries
Physical harm or damage to the body, often caused by accidents or sports.
Example:He stopped playing cricket to stay safe from injuries.
retired
Stopped working or playing a sport, usually because of age or health.
Example:He retired from football in 2006.
started
To begin or commence an activity.
Example:He started playing cricket again in 2011.
again
One more time; once more.
Example:He started playing cricket again in 2011.
over
Past or beyond a certain point in time or age.
Example:This is a team for players over 60.
age
The number of years a person has lived.
Example:He is 60 years old now.
play
To participate in a sport or game.
Example:He wants to play in the World Cup in the future.
World
The planet Earth and its inhabitants.
Example:He cannot play in the World Cup in Canada this year.
Cup
A competition or tournament in sports.
Example:He wants to play in the World Cup in the future.
Canada
A country in North America.
Example:He cannot play in the World Cup in Canada this year.