England Summer Test Series

[TheDiablo]

Sounds like a cracking game at Taunton. Somerset fail to chase 78 to win the game...match tied. 😲

I think Somerset are going to end up in a spot of bother with the officials. 40 wickets shouldn't fall in 2 days in any first class cricket, with 25 falling to spint! There is a world of difference between producing a 'result pitch' and a 'joke pitch'. Somerset have produced many many good result pitches over the last few years, but too often now when a result is really needed they get it completely wrong. Will be amazed if point sanctions doesnt follow.

Leach bowling before lunch on Day 1, then opening the bowling in the 2nd innings before close of play! It's tough to take him seriously when his average is pulled so artificially low by these pitches which is a real shame for him as he obviously has talent. I personally think he should demand better pitches or privately threaten a move away - if he has the class then that will shine through and England may finally sit up and notice.

 

[Junior]

I think Somerset are going to end up in a spot of bother with the officials. 40 wickets shouldn't fall in 2 days in any first class cricket, with 25 falling to spint! There is a world of difference between producing a 'result pitch' and a 'joke pitch'. Somerset have produced many many good result pitches over the last few years, but too often now when a result is really needed they get it completely wrong. Will be amazed if point sanctions doesnt follow.

Leach bowling before lunch on Day 1, then opening the bowling in the 2nd innings before close of play! It's tough to take him seriously when his average is pulled so artificially low by these pitches which is a real shame for him as he obviously has talent. I personally think he should demand better pitches or privately threaten a move away - if he has the class then that will shine through and England may finally sit up and notice.

I agree....It would be interesting to see his stas at Taunton versus away from it. No doubt he is one of the best in the country though and should be in any squad to the sub-continent.

Looking at the county scores yesterday again showed the lack of quality batsmen around though. Lots of very low scores. When Cook starts rattling them up next year people will be calling for him to come out of retirement

 

[fundy]

I agree....It would be interesting to see his stas at Taunton versus away from it. No doubt he is one of the best in the country though and should be in any squad to the sub-continent.

Looking at the county scores yesterday again showed the lack of quality batsmen around though. Lots of very low scores. When Cook starts rattling them up next year people will be calling for him to come out of retirement

This year hes got 27 wickets in the championship in 8 games, 22 of them in the last 2 matches at Taunton (hes taken 5 wickets away from Taunton in 4 games)

Last year he got 51 wickets in 14 games, 35 in 7 games at Taunton (18 in the last 2) and 16 in 7 away games

Not the whole story but does paint part of the picture for sure

 

[Deleted member 15344]

From what I have read a lot of the wickets that fell on the first and second day were down to some really poor batting - Leach apparently wasn’t getting any extra turn on those first few days - not sure about the third day. They do favour him a number of times at home but then I think Home clubs should be able to prepare a wicket to favour the Home players - Somerset will no doubt get fined for the pitch but if teams can manufacture a game with declarations so other teams couldn’t win the championship then I find it a bit of a nonsense.

As for Leach - he doesn’t seen to get much turn on wickets away from Taunton but on pitches that turn he gets wickets - he should be a shoe in for the winter tour but I don’t think they will pick him

 

[Piece]

Whatever happened to the batting road that was Taunton years ago?

 

[TheDiablo]

From what I have read a lot of the wickets that fell on the first and second day were down to some really poor batting - Leach apparently wasn’t getting any extra turn on those first few days - not sure about the third day. They do favour him a number of times at home but then I think Home clubs should be able to prepare a wicket to favour the Home players - Somerset will no doubt get fined for the pitch but if teams can manufacture a game with declarations so other teams couldn’t win the championship then I find it a bit of a nonsense.

As for Leach - he doesn’t seen to get much turn on wickets away from Taunton but on pitches that turn he gets wickets - he should be a shoe in for the winter tour but I don’t think they will pick him

It finished half hour after tea on Day 2 Phil - that's why you're not sure about the 3rd day!!

Leach opening the bowling on a day 1 pitch and turning it square past an opening batsmen sums the pitch up unfortunately. Not sure where you've read there was no extra turn than usual.

Poor batting or not, no 1st class match with 9 Internationals should give up 13 wickets to spin on Day 1 and another 12 on Day 2.

I agree he should tour Sri Lanka, stick him up against his peers and hopefully he's as good as some of his figures suggest, England could do with a wicket taking spinner.

 

[TheDiablo]

Whatever happened to the batting road that was Taunton years ago?

They realised they would never win the CC with so many home draws each year so been producing 3 day turners for a few years now.

 

[millarman]

I love how this thread has drifted away from its original subject but should Alistair Cook be picked for the last test now he’s announced his retirement from test cricket?

 

[Junior]

I love how this thread has drifted away from its original subject but should Alistair Cook be picked for the last test now he’s announced his retirement from test cricket?

Yes, imo he should have opened with Burns all series. Sadly the cupboards are bare for top three batsmen on the county circuit right now, but, I bet if Alaister Cook had played every game for Essex this year he would have been one of the top run scorers in FC cricket. Just my opinion of course.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I love how this thread has drifted away from its original subject but should Alistair Cook be picked for the last test now he’s announced his retirement from test cricket?

This wont be popular but I think it is self indulgent. I don't blame Cook for wanting a last hurrah but if you look rationally it is not good for English cricket. If he was retiring whilst still scoring runs, as say Tendulkar did, then it is fine. However, the well has been dry for a spell now and so this is a gift test for him. Really he should have been replaced for this test but by announcing his retirement before the game he bought himself another match. A hard nosed team would not have done this.

 

[Dan2501]

For everything Cook has done for English cricket, he deserved once last hurrah. The series is won, this gives him chance to walk off and get the send off he ultimately deserves. No problem with this at all.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

This wont be popular but I think it is self indulgent. I don't blame Cook for wanting a last hurrah but if you look rationally it is not good for English cricket. If he was retiring whilst still scoring runs, as say Tendulkar did, then it is fine. However, the well has been dry for a spell now and so this is a gift test for him. Really he should have been replaced for this test but by announcing his retirement before the game he bought himself another match. A hard nosed team would not have done this.

Replaced by who exactly ?

All well and good if there is someone out there that is going to produce the runs - but look how many partners Cook has played with and struggled.

Cook has earned the right to retire on his terms , and the last person who would do it for self indulgent reasons is Cook - that’s something that you would see from KP.

If people wanted an opener to come in then Jennings should be the one to miss out but Root said it spot on - the guys have won the series 3-1 and they are determined to beat the number 1 side 4-1 and that the players who have got them there deserve the chance to complete the job.

The only person I have seen who begrudges Cook his final Swansong is Piers Morgan - that to me says it all

 

[Junior]

This wont be popular but I think it is self indulgent. I don't blame Cook for wanting a last hurrah but if you look rationally it is not good for English cricket. If he was retiring whilst still scoring runs, as say Tendulkar did, then it is fine. However, the well has been dry for a spell now and so this is a gift test for him. Really he should have been replaced for this test but by announcing his retirement before the game he bought himself another match. A hard nosed team would not have done this.

I understand your logic LT. I think if there were a que of batsmen ripping up first class cricket then he shouldn't have even played in the last test. I think Burns deserves a shot but i'd have actually brought him in for Pope and batted him at 3 at the start of the series. I like the thought of having 3 openers at 1,2 and 3 and it worked really well when David Boon came into the Australian side.

However, as it's a dead rubber, and we've won the series, i wouldn't have denied our highest ever run scorer in test cricket, and the guy who's captainined England most in tests a day in the sun.

Tbh, the only thing that gets my goat up about it is how the press , as well as singing his praises are also dragging up KP - gate. Which was never really his fault anyway.

 

[Junior]

The only person I have seen who begrudges Cook his final Swansong is Piers Morgan - that to me says it all

I saw all that unfold on twitter - really boils my **** that guy. He was gushing about what a great player KP was (which you cant argue against), but actually, if you compare Cooks record over KP's career, they are pretty much identical. Cook's has sadly declined in recent times.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I saw all that unfold on twitter - really boils my **** that guy. He was gushing about what a great player KP was (which you cant argue against), but actually, if you compare Cooks record over KP's career, they are pretty much identical. Cook's has sadly declined in recent times.

It was shocking and it carried on again today when Aggers shoved some facts at him but as per normal he ignored them.

KP was a great player but after the SA incident he should have been done - Morgan still blames Cook for him not playing again.

 

[Dan2501]

KP should never have been ditched the way he was, the door should never have been completely closed. Once he got over his achilles problems he was still one of the best One Day and T20 batsmen in the world, the fact we continued to avoid picking him out of spite was a joke - and that falls on Strauss, had nothing to do with Cook.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I accept my response was quite harsh but I suspect it would be the Aussie approach. Ultimately, people are saying Cook should be given a freebie for this Test. If he had not announced this then would he have been picked or would the selectors have tried to blood a new player? Most of us on here were saying that he should be replaced due to poor form yet now we should give him this game for emotional reasons. Harsh but professional.

Piers Morgan, KP - why listen to either. Both gobby, chippy and best ignored. Nothing will hurt either more than simply ignoring them.

 

[TheDiablo]

I accept my response was quite harsh but I suspect it would be the Aussie approach. Ultimately, people are saying Cook should be given a freebie for this Test. If he had not announced this then would he have been picked or would the selectors have tried to blood a new player? Most of us on here were saying that he should be replaced due to poor form yet now we should give him this game for emotional reasons. Harsh but professional.

Piers Morgan, KP - why listen to either. Both gobby, chippy and best ignored. Nothing will hurt either more than simply ignoring them.

Except that isn't the Aussie approach. Mcgrath, Warne, Ponting etc etc all announced retirement before test matches and rightfully were selected for their final tests. Not giving Cook a final test in a dead rubber with nobody knocking on the door to replace him would be an abberation imo. The man deserves a huge send off.

As for Morgan, my whole Twitter feed improved dramatically since I blocked any reference to him about 6 months ago. Between that and watching BBC Breakfast I literally forgot he exists, which is how life should be!

 

[Dan2501]

Jennings lack of foot-movement to the full delivery makes him horrendous to watch. He's looked like a walking wicket all series.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Jennings lack of foot-movement to the full delivery makes him horrendous to watch. He's looked like a walking wicket all series.

Totally agree. Some players have managed with minimal front foot movement but their eye is better and they hit through the ball. Jennings isn't going to cut it at this level unless he moves his front forward and that is such a big change to his technique that I struggle to see it happening. He is probably good enough for county cricket but not test level.