The Cricket Thread

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

Never liked Root as a captain, not least because the batting form of one of the worlds top players has definitely suffered.
Having said that Stokes, and maybe Buttler are probably the only real alternatives.
Surely we should have enough to bat through tomorrow and move onto the second test all square and with a full bowling attack.

I’d be absolutely shocked if we saw out a draw tomorrow. Too many players in this side don’t have the mentality or technique to play a full days cricket consisting of blocking and leaving. You can almost guarantee Roy, Stokes, Buttler and Moeen will be our caught in the deep after playing a stupid shot. Bairstow will be bowled, too.

I hope they prove me wrong tbh.

 

[dagraham]

I feel a bit for Root. This pitch is for spinners and we don't have one. Moeen Ali is in the worst form of his career. Plus This generation of Duke balls don't swing, so that negates pretty much our entire attack. So he's looking at the whole series of dry spinning pitches with only part time spinners and no swing with an attack of world class swing bowlers. Not sure what he can do other than select Archer and hope he performs miracle.

Yeah this is a big problem and regardless of whether it would help us or not, imo it’s going to make it far more dull and attritional Cricket for the remainder of the series.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

I appreciate Moeen’s recent efforts but they were in a spinner’s paradise. He’s been bang out of form all summer and rewarding poor form sets all sorts of bad precedents.

So you 'hope he never plays for England again' ??

A tad extreme, isn't it?

 

[Arnoldtoo]

I’d be absolutely shocked if we saw out a draw tomorrow. Too many players in this side don’t have the mentality or technique to play a full days cricket consisting of blocking and leaving. You can almost guarantee Roy, Stokes, Buttler and Moeen will be our caught in the deep after playing a stupid shot. Bairstow will be bowled, too.

I hope they prove me wrong tbh.

I'd agree with that, except for Stokes and Buttler, who have both shown themselves to be quite capable of batting responsibly when the situation demands it. Stokes's run rate has dropped considerably since he has taken on more responsibility.

And currently I doubt that Moeen will connect with one well enough to be caught in the deep!

 

[Monkeyman]

I’d be absolutely shocked if we saw out a draw tomorrow. Too many players in this side don’t have the mentality or technique to play a full days cricket consisting of blocking and leaving. You can almost guarantee Roy, Stokes, Buttler and Moeen will be our caught in the deep after playing a stupid shot. Bairstow will be bowled, too.

I hope they prove me wrong tbh.

I am struggling to remember the last time where we have dug in and batted out for a draw, so tomorrow is a big chance for this current team to prove they are willing/able to tough it out when needed. I feel like Stokes' batting has matured recently, so hopefully we won't see anything silly from him, but the others you mention worry me.

Would be a good time for a captain's innings from Root.

 

[VegasII]

I fear we may be at the Nordberg stage:

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

So you 'hope he never plays for England again' ??

A tad extreme, isn't it?

England make me so mad, ok???

Probably is harsh but he really winds me up. He gives away his wicket so, so stupidly time and time again and his bowling was rubbish.

I suppose he can come back when we play in India or the like.

With that said, I vaguely remember him scoring a very gritty century off of like 300 balls before in a losing effort. Or am I making that up? He could really redeem himself tomorrow, but I hope he isn’t needed!

 

[Buggsy61]

I fear we may be at the Nordberg stage:

Loved those films. Nordberg was played by OJ Simpson I seem to remember.

 

[Buggsy61]

Just watching the highlights and the lbw appeal against Wade that was originally given out when the ball hit him above the pads. It was overturned on review when the ball was shown to be sailing over by a considerable margin.
Everyone knows that when you hit above the knee roll at the crease it is marginal, but above the pads altogether come on!
There needs to be a bit of debrief on the standard of umpiring in this test, which has been shocking.

 

[UncleBuck]

I’ve been through a few news feeds to try and ascertain whether Woakes has picked up an injury but there isn’t any reference to it.
Anyone else heard anything as I just find it amazing that Root didn’t bowl him this morning on his home ground, I think it was criminal.
For me Root hasn’t got the tactical mindset to skipper an international test team, I know he’s been hamstrung with Jimmy this test but we’ve seen these on field issues since he took the captaincy.
I think you can grow into captaincy but you need to show that your decision making process on the field has evolved, unfortunately I don’t see it with Root because even now some of his bowling changes and positioning have been quite frankly villagesque. I know the bowlers have input but ultimately it’s his call, if they aren’t bowling to their requested field then change it!
Root’s a great bat who needs to focus more on converting runs into tons without the added burden of skippering.

 

[UncleBuck]

I’d get Rashid in for Lords in place of mo, he’d actually strengthen us in both departments.

 

[dimiSpur]

It's a spinner's pitch, and our spinner was poor. Simple as that. Lyon, on the other hand, will be licking his lips at the prospect of bowling at our lot tomorrow, especially left handers. That arm ball against Ali in the 1st innings a prime example of how you bowl in a rough. Keep that uncertainty in their minds.

It's unlikely we'll bat out a draw. I wouldn't say impossible. This pitch has died. The new ball goes soft and then the seamers can't do much. However it's Lyon. He's the key. I can see him taking wickets galore.

 

[mpickard2087]

I’d get Rashid in for Lords in place of mo, he’d actually strengthen us in both departments.

Rashid could barely bowl at times in the World Cup, isn't his shoulder fucked?

And he's another who hasn't played any red ball cricket for ages.

 

[Twizzle]

Steve Smith's last 10 Ashes innings = 1,116 runs at an average of 139.5.

 

[Twizzle]

 

[dondo]

Steve Smith's last 10 Ashes innings = 1,116 runs at an average of 139.5.

I found smiths weakness, he keeps getting out in the 140s

 

[Gb160]

Come on the rain, don't let us down!!!

 

[SteveH]

Come on the rain, don't let us down!!!

sadly I think we are not going to get help there!
just cloudy....

 

[Gb160]

sadly I think we are not going to get help there!
just cloudy....

Alexa reckons there's a 47% chance of rain in Birmingham...she's hedging her bets the smart bitch.

 

[SteveH]

Alexa reckons there's a 47% chance of rain in Birmingham...she's hedging her bets the smart bitch.

shes down to 37% atm