The Cricket Thread

[midoshairband]

what a brilliant chase ?

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Re Buttler opening ...

Not an experiment I'd continue cos we need someone other than Stokes in the middle order.

 

[nattydredd]

That's the best series of T20 I've ever seen. A total credit to both teams..

 

[Monkeyman]

Re Buttler opening ...

I think Buttler averages something like 45/46 opening in the IPL and 40+ for England (although he has not opened that much for England). I would say it is less a case of 'can he open?', as he has shown he can as far as I am concerned, and more a question of 'where is he most valuable to the current England team?'. I'm still undecided to be honest.

Not sure how much we can judge given both teams scored big totals in all 3 matches, but our bowling attack concerns me going into the T20 world cup later this year. Archer coming back in should make a big difference though, that is as long as we haven't broken him already.

 

[SE Spurs]

Just finished watching the cricket. Absolute carnage! Great 3 match series.

 

[midoshairband]

I think Buttler averages something like 45/46 opening in the IPL and 40+ for England (although he has not opened that much for England). I would say it is less a case of 'can he open?', as he has shown he can as far as I am concerned, and more a question of 'where is he most valuable to the current England team?'. I'm still undecided to be honest.

Not sure how much we can judge given both teams scored big totals in all 3 matches, but our bowling attack concerns me going into the T20 world cup later this year. Archer coming back in should make a big difference though, that is as long as we haven't broken him already.

the bowling worries me too. particularly given its in Australia, where the pitches will be as flat as a pancake. Wood had a bad game today at the end of a long tour where he’s been brilliant, so I’m willing to forget that.

Archer is a given, although will they rotate him and Wood rather than play them in one side? Looks like Jordan, and possibly Curran are the death bowlers. which is fine, but Jordan probably needs to bowl death in the powerplay rather than serve up half volleys. the spinners pick themselves. Curran worries me, but what he does have is a great mentality and a good record in the Big Bash.

re: the batting. splitting up the best limited overs opening partnership in the world just seems dumb. plus Buttler is a brilliant finisher, and particularly good at scoring off yorkers at the death. don’t think we’ve got anyone as good as him at the end, although Morgan is good too.

if i was picking my side for the first game right now:
1. Bairstow
2. Roy
3. Banton/Malan/Vince
4. Morgan
5. Stokes
6. Buttler
7. Ali
8. T Curran
9. Jordan
10. Archer/Wood
11. Rashid

 

[Monkeyman]

re: the batting. splitting up the best limited overs opening partnership in the world just seems dumb. plus Buttler is a brilliant finisher, and particularly good at scoring off yorkers at the death. don’t think we’ve got anyone as good as him at the end, although Morgan is good too.

Yes that is probably fair. We have other good options at the top of the order, but very few anywhere near as good as Buttler as a finisher.

I think if Archer is fit, he will play when it comes to shorter forms of the game. More likely to see rotation in tests imo.

 

[fatpiranha]

It would be a controversial decision but we could bring back Alex Hales who has just finished as the 2nd highest scorer in the Big Bash. He seems to have been particularly harshly punished for his recreational drug use.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

It would be a controversial decision but we could bring back Alex Hales who has just finished as the 2nd highest scorer in the Big Bash. He seems to have been particularly harshly punished for his recreational drug use.

I don't disagree. Morgan does, though.

Hales recall not likely soon - Morgan

England captain Eoin Morgan says there needs to be a "considerable amount of time" before Alex Hales is considered for selection again.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Arnoldtoo]

I think Buttler averages something like 45/46 opening in the IPL and 40+ for England (although he has not opened that much for England). I would say it is less a case of 'can he open?', as he has shown he can as far as I am concerned, and more a question of 'where is he most valuable to the current England team?'. I'm still undecided to be honest.

Not sure how much we can judge given both teams scored big totals in all 3 matches, but our bowling attack concerns me going into the T20 world cup later this year. Archer coming back in should make a big difference though, that is as long as we haven't broken him already.

the bowling worries me too. particularly given its in Australia, where the pitches will be as flat as a pancake. Wood had a bad game today at the end of a long tour where he’s been brilliant, so I’m willing to forget that.

Archer is a given, although will they rotate him and Wood rather than play them in one side? Looks like Jordan, and possibly Curran are the death bowlers. which is fine, but Jordan probably needs to bowl death in the powerplay rather than serve up half volleys. the spinners pick themselves. Curran worries me, but what he does have is a great mentality and a good record in the Big Bash.

re: the batting. splitting up the best limited overs opening partnership in the world just seems dumb. plus Buttler is a brilliant finisher, and particularly good at scoring off yorkers at the death. don’t think we’ve got anyone as good as him at the end, although Morgan is good too.

if i was picking my side for the first game right now:
1. Bairstow
2. Roy
3. Banton/Malan/Vince
4. Morgan
5. Stokes
6. Buttler
7. Ali
8. T Curran
9. Jordan
10. Archer/Wood
11. Rashid

Morgan says that the current top 3 will stay that way unless something happens to require a change; dunno what. The theory is that they are our most destructive batters and he wants them to face as many balls as possible. Makes sense, I guess, especially with Morgan himself at 4/5.

Archer must surely come in, but on a track like yesterday's he can get spanked as well if he is even slightly off line / length. Curran has got a lot better thanks, I think, to the BBL. I always used to worry when he came on to bowl but he's showing now that he has enough variety to stop the batters getting into a groove.

So I guess I'd probably go with Mido's team above, although (partly from what Morgan and the Sky experts are saying) I'd add Root to what would be the #4 group assuming the top 3 are fixed. There's a place for a 100% run rate steadying hand, and it isn't Denly.

 

[fatpiranha]

Morgan says that the current top 3 will stay that way unless something happens to require a change; dunno what. The theory is that they are our most destructive batters and he wants them to face as many balls as possible. Makes sense, I guess, especially with Morgan himself at 4/5.

Archer must surely come in, but on a track like yesterday's he can get spanked as well if he is even slightly off line / length. Curran has got a lot better thanks, I think, to the BBL. I always used to worry when he came on to bowl but he's showing now that he has enough variety to stop the batters getting into a groove.

So I guess I'd probably go with Mido's team above, although (partly from what Morgan and the Sky experts are saying) I'd add Root to what would be the #4 group assuming the top 3 are fixed. There's a place for a 100% run rate steadying hand, and it isn't Denly.

Morgan seems to have a personal dislike of Hales. In purely cricketing terms he would surely strengthen the team.

If Hales is persona non grata then I think Denly's occasional leg spin gives him the edge. His 4/19 against Sri Lanka at Colombo is the 4th best by any England bowler in T20 Internationals and he hot a hatrick for Kent in a T20 in 2017 so he is a more than useful option in this form of the game.

I'm not that convinced by Curran but I can't think of an obvious alternative.

 

[midoshairband]

It would be a controversial decision but we could bring back Alex Hales who has just finished as the 2nd highest scorer in the Big Bash. He seems to have been particularly harshly punished for his recreational drug use.

Morgan said in the past few days, that there is little chance of Hales being recalled. it’s a shame, because he would be perfect at 3, in the side of ahead of Denly.

seems like Morgan has some sort of personal grudge with Hales.

 

[fatpiranha]

Morgan said in the past few days, that there is little chance of Hales being recalled. it’s a shame, because he would be perfect at 3, in the side of ahead of Denly.

seems like Morgan has some sort of personal grudge with Hales.

Maybe the Peruvian marching powder he sniffed was off of Morgan's mum's tits?

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Maybe the Peruvian marching powder he sniffed was off of Morgan's mum's tits?

In that BBC interview I linked above Morgan does come across less "not just yet" than "over my dead body".

 

[Spurs_Bear]

There was a large bit on the TMS podcast after Sundays game about Hales. The telegraph cricket editor was on, Hoult? Or something like that, cant remember, basically saying Morgan is like a football manager, if you cross him and betray his trust then you're out. So unless Morgan does step down, there is zero chance for Hales in the ODI or T20 side.

 

[LSUY]

Is Malan still being punished for not attempting to run that bye in NZ? It's the only reason I can think of as to why he isn't included in the certainties group.

 

[midoshairband]

Is Malan still being punished for not attempting to run that bye in NZ? It's the only reason I can think of as to why he isn't included in the certainties group.

i think Malan struggles when not opening the batting.

i don’t see why we’re not having Root over Denly. better batsman, and a better spinner.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

i think Malan struggles when not opening the batting.

i don’t see why we’re not having Root over Denly. better batsman, and a better spinner.

I think in this series it might have been a question of rest. Have to see what happens when they next play,

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Warner about to play in South Africa for the first time since cheating.

Boo, I say !

Edit: And he's out 2nd ball.

How distressing.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

... And the Australian bowlers are tearing SA apart, in a way that ours never looked like doing. Even with Archer to come in, we're not as good as the Aussies.