The Cricket Thread

[JRS7]

Stokes should remember he can make anyone bowl including Pope. Anyone can Wicketkeep, including himself.

 

[JRS7]

Need some quick wickets to put Pakistan under pressure. Scoring so fast in the first innings means a win is still more than possible for England.

 

[JRS7]

Hayya Hayya England. Hayya Hayya Ha—.

 

[JRS7]

Get Livingstone on..........

 

[JRS7]

Rip it square England, both ways. Haha. You're boxed.

 

[fundy]

Good last hour for England opens up the option of trying to set up a final inns chase with a declaration late on tomorrow. How you work out when you declare on a pitch like this Im not so sure though. 350+ in a day and a few overs maybe

 

[Piece]

Cracking pitch...

Not.

 

[IanM]

Geoff Boycott is the Head Groundsman!

 

[fundy]

Excitingly attacking declaration or plain stupid?

Somehow England have scored over 900 runs at a run a ball and then made Pakistan favourites by declaring

 

[Imurg]

Excitingly attacking declaration or plain stupid?

Somehow England have scored over 900 runs at a run a ball and then made Pakistan favourites by declaring

Does seem a tad generous.....
In other news ..was that JR batting lefthanded?

 

[fundy]

Does seem a tad generous.....
In other news ..was that JR batting lefthanded?

yep, all part of Bazball it seems..............

 

[fundy]

well, well, welll

 

[ColchesterFC]

Excitingly attacking declaration or plain stupid?

Somehow England have scored over 900 runs at a run a ball and then made Pakistan favourites by declaring

I'm happy to finally see a management team that are trying to win test matches rather than not lose them. Yes, it's possibly a risky declaration and gives Pakistan a chance to win the match but equally gives us a better chance to win than if we'd set them a total of 450+. Good to see the back of the boring "don't lose" strategy that we seemed to display under Root, Cook and Strauss. I would far rather we lost a match while trying to win it than watch a boring final day petering out to a draw.

 

[Imurg]

yep, all part of Bazball it seems..............

I used to do that if we were shutting up shop and playing for a draw...could defend until the cow's came home..invincible
Couldn't score a run though...

 

[fundy]

I'm happy to finally see a management team that are trying to win test matches rather than not lose them. Yes, it's possibly a risky declaration and gives Pakistan a chance to win the match but equally gives us a better chance to win than if we'd set them a total of 450+. Good to see the back of the boring "don't lose" strategy that we seemed to display under Root, Cook and Strauss. I would far rather we lost a match while trying to win it than watch a boring final day petering out to a draw.

Interestingly, when they declared, Englands odds (and percentage chance of winning) barely changed. Big changes in Pakistans and the draws.

Very hard to argue from an entertainment perspective England have made a thrilling test finish out a game that almost always would be a cert draw because of an awful pitch. From a win (or dont lose) at all costs its more debatable Still not sure where I sit, was always going to be an attacking dec but this has really pushed the envelope. Lets hope the ball starts to reverse

 

[Grizzly]

It was probably the right call, give or take. They might not have expected to stay on quite as long tonight, and had they known might - and I stress might - have had another three or four overs after tea. For all the talk of Pakistan being favourites now, they are heavily reliant on Imam tomorrow.

 

[fundy]

Some spell this from Robinson

 

[Asian Dawn]

If England win this, the only debate will be if it is Ben Stokes or Gareth Southgate can tell the British sporting public to go bleep themselves for doubting them.

 

[fundy]

Wow Ollie Pope, just Wow

 

[AmandaJR]

If we don't get in this over I'm leaving the room again - Jonah!