The Cricket Thread

[Wilson]

I watched from 0345 yesterday, but thankfully overslept today, not sure I'll bother from here on in! I've only seen some snippets, Pope can now enjoy a few weeks in the sun as he won't be playing again, it did seem like Aus pitched the ball up more than we did. The whole Basheer thing needs an investigation, if they're insisting he is the spin option, why isn't he playing on a pitch where Lyon has had so much success?

 

[Billysboots]

I watched from 0345 yesterday, but thankfully overslept today, not sure I'll bother from here on in! I've only seen some snippets, Pope can now enjoy a few weeks in the sun as he won't be playing again, it did seem like Aus pitched the ball up more than we did. The whole Basheer thing needs an investigation, if they're insisting he is the spin option, why isn't he playing on a pitch where Lyon has had so much success?

The Bashir decision is absolutely baffling. Relying on Jacks, who struggled to contain, ahead of a specialist spinner, at a ground where spin plays a real part, is just madness. And yet more evidence of some really muddled thinking.

It’s also just soul destroying to see England lose wickets in bursts. The first three wickets to go down fell for five runs, the last three for nine. It makes life so easy for a quality bowling attack if they know that, having lost a wicket, the odds are that two or three more will fall in quick succession. It’s a real failing of this England set up.

 

[Mudball]

 

[Mudball]

The Bashir decision is absolutely baffling. Relying on Jacks, who struggled to contain, ahead of a specialist spinner, at a ground where spin plays a real part, is just madness. And yet more evidence of some really muddled thinking.

It’s also just soul destroying to see England lose wickets in bursts. The first three wickets to go down fell for five runs, the last three for nine. It makes life so easy for a quality bowling attack if they know that, having lost a wicket, the odds are that two or three more will fall in quick succession. It’s a real failing of this England set up.

.. and that too against an ageing attack... Was speaking to a friend in Melbourne this morning... it was not a joyful conversation

 

[louise_a]

England need to play 3 and 4 day games and get used to building a score over time instead of this Bazball score quickly stuff. Test matches are 5 days long, England need to use the time.

 

[irip]

England need to play 3 and 4 day games and get used to building a score over time instead of this Bazball score quickly stuff. Test matches are 5 days long, England need to use the time.

I was thinking the same thing.
I haven’t checked but I wonder the last time England had a match that finished as a draw without a serious rain delay.
What happened to your wicket being a precious thing that you didn’t want to give away.
I’m all for playing your shots but wait for the right ball rather than trying to manipulate a shot to score runs and giving your wicket away.

 

[Billysboots]

I was thinking the same thing.
I haven’t checked but I wonder the last time England had a match that finished as a draw without a serious rain delay.
What happened to your wicket being a precious thing that you didn’t want to give away.
I’m all for playing your shots but wait for the right ball rather than trying to manipulate a shot to score runs and giving your wicket away.

Said it times, and I’ll say it again. England need to be able to play both ways. The in your face approach wins games, like it or not.

But when it’s not working, and it didn’t for the first two Tests, they need to play the old fashioned way and dig in. Problem with England when they do that has always been the scoreboard grinding to a halt whilst still losing wickets.

 

[Wilson]

Said it times, and I’ll say it again. England need to be able to play both ways. The in your face approach wins games, like it or not.

But when it’s not working, and it didn’t for the first two Tests, they need to play the old fashioned way and dig in. Problem with England when they do that has always been the scoreboard grinding to a halt whilst still losing wickets.

There seems a real lack of intelligence / match awareness, some of which you get by playing matches and gaining experience..... Take Crawley in the last Test, he was going well, scoring nicely with drives down the ground, then out of nowhere he tries to walk down the wicket and clip one, luckily he missed it, but absolutely no need to attempt such a shot! Brook in the 1st Test, smashes a six when England under pressure, then gets out - look at Root when he's at his best, knocks it around for lots of singles and builds an innings. I don't want to see England go back to being overly defensive, but they need to play the situation, just like Stokes did at Headingly in 2019 when he came in and scored very slowly to start with.....

 

[Neilds]

They don’t play county cricket, how are they expected to learn the game?

 

[Neilds]

Greta game (for batters) in the BBL at the moment. Perth scored 257-6 in their 20 overs and Brisbane currently 172-1 after 11.4 overs. They lost the wicket first ball of the innings. Only one of the 10 bowlers in the match has an economy rate under 10 runs and over - at 9.00. One has gone for almost 20 an over for his 3.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Beyond stupid from Brook

 

[Hobbit]

Oh dear.

Cracking bit of spin to dismiss Stokes…

 

[Hobbit]

Oh dear, oh dear.

Pack your bags lads, the series is gone.

 

[anotherdouble]

Said it times, and I’ll say it again. England need to be able to play both ways. The in your face approach wins games, like it or not.

But when it’s not working, and it didn’t for the first two Tests, they need to play the old fashioned way and dig in. Problem with England when they do that has always been the scoreboard grinding to a halt whilst still losing wickets.

This all day with bells and whistles. Just look at ducketts wicket in the 2nd innings

 

[Piece]

What is Bashir on this tour for? This is allegedly the only pitch set for spin and he is carrying drinks whilst veteran Lyon is having an influence. Our part-time spinners have taken 3-244 by my calcs. So many things haven't been right on this tour and yet not seeing anyone hold their hands up. A Boxing Day test without the Ashes on the line just isn't the same.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

What is Bashir on this tour for? This is allegedly the only pitch set for spin and he is carrying drinks whilst veteran Lyon is having an influence. Our part-time spinners have taken 3-244 by my calcs. So many things haven't been right on this tour and yet not seeing anyone hold their hands up. A Boxing Day test without the Ashes on the line just isn't the same.

Bashir is just not good enough , Leach and Ahmed should be on tour

But if you take Bashir then you play him

It’s a bad bad tour that should mean the end of McCullum

 

[Wilson]

Bashir is just not good enough , Leach and Ahmed should be on tour

But if you take Bashir then you play him

It’s a bad bad tour that should mean the end of McCullum

Rob Key’s job has to be up for discussion, too.

 

[Wilson]

It’s all but over, and for the 2nd time in his life my younger brother will be getting on a plane with Ashes tickets when the series is already over

At least they can now blood some of the other batsmen, oh wait…..

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Rob Key’s job has to be up for discussion, too.

No doubt at all

Don’t think a lot of the players are bad players

Crawley and Duckett can be good


Pope has spent the last two tours batting under the threat of Bethall instead of them coming out and supporting him

Brook , Root and Stokes are quality

Smith shouldn’t be near a test team

Need a spinner

And then need to find a bowing coach who will get them to bowl the right length