The Cricket Thread

[UncleBuck]

So then, do we think Archer should be thrown into the 1st Test? Personally I wouldn’t, the lack of experience in the five day game coupled with the fact he’s just coming back from a strain would make me, if I was a selector, hold him back and see how we go in the first test.
Might be tempted to ask him and Leach to open by then...

 

[Arnoldtoo]

So then, do we think Archer should be thrown into the 1st Test? Personally I wouldn’t, the lack of experience in the five day game coupled with the fact he’s just coming back from a strain would make me, if I was a selector, hold him back and see how we go in the first test.
Might be tempted to ask him and Leach to open by then...

For me, if he's fit, he's in.

If he's fit, and Anderson is still dodgy, he's the first on the team sheet!

 

['O Zio]

Truth is no one here watches that. Its been dumped to a third channel of the network. Primarily made for the overseas market. They can have it! Home and Away as well. All garbage.

Same in England to be fair, the "glory days" of Neighbours being on BBC with Harold Bishop, Dr Karl, Paul Robinson etc. are long gone and it's now lumbering on on Channel 5, which is basically the crappest, trashiest channel there is.

But yeah, cricket and all that....

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Fuck me.

It would have killed you to block just the first ball of the day? Just one, to get your eye in?

I mean, I know you're a bowler, but ...

 

[tototoner]

Irish team in good spirits

 

[alfie103]

Good start from England. Need to keep us the pressure and take a few more.

 

[longtimespur]

24-5 not a bad start at all.
Woakes with 4 of them

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Quality team

 

[dimiSpur]

Yeah I think I might have Woakes in at Lord's! He's bowled beautifully. And indeed in conditions like these, no batsman in the world would make very many.

I said before England's second innings a lead of around 200 should do, turns out a lead of 40 would have sufficed.

Woakes has been excellent.

 

[sherbornespurs]

Even a backstop wouldn't have helped Ireland today.

 

[mpickard2087]

Fair play to these two for knocking them over, but all in all pretty lucky really.

Lucky that a (sub) county novice team couldn't keep up the heroics for a whole match.
Lucky to get a baking hot day to bat.
Lucky that a nightwatchman had the innings of his career.
And then lucky to get to bowl in humid overcast conditions.

The one positive out of this is that our usual opening to a test series where we're woefully undercooked and have a real calamity happened against Ireland, rather than the Aussies, but fucking hell they need to sort it out and for the penny to drop as a group. It never happens, but maybe this time they'll surprise us......

 

[SE Spurs]

Bizarre test match. Great spell from Woakes and Broad.

 

[dondo]

Fair play to these two for knocking them over, but all in all pretty lucky really.

Lucky that a (sub) county novice team couldn't keep up the heroics for a whole match.
Lucky to get a baking hot day to bat.
Lucky that a nightwatchman had the innings of his career.
And then lucky to get to bowl in humid overcast conditions.

The one positive out of this is that our usual opening to a test series where we're woefully undercooked and have a real calamity happened against Ireland, rather than the Aussies, but fucking hell they need to sort it out and for the penny to drop as a group. It never happens, but maybe this time they'll surprise us......

The luck wasn’t all one way, Ireland had some pretty decent conditions to bowl in on the 1st morning and quite frankly no test side no matter how new or what conditions should be bowled out for 38

 

[Spurs_Bear]

I watched The Edge last night, which is the film made about the England side that got banjaxed by the West Indies in 2009 and then went on to become #1 Test Side. It's really interesting and well made and there are similarities in where we sit currently as a Test side. There doesn't seem to be any discipline and that seems to stem from the coach, I've never been a fan of Bayliss and don't like his demeanour, but the equivalent of an old General like Andy Flower would be just what these bunch of ****s need right now. So much individual cricketing ability in a lot of the players, so much ****iness going on between their ears in Test cricket.

 

[mpickard2087]

The luck wasn’t all one way, Ireland had some pretty decent conditions to bowl in on the 1st morning and quite frankly no test side no matter how new or what conditions should be bowled out for 38

Ball nibbled a bit, that's to be expected opening of a test match, was nowhere near as favourable to the bowlers as the bits I saw today.

And this isn't anywhere near a Test side, in quality at least. Their main players are honest toilers from the county circuit way past their prime. Defeat would have been the nadir for this England test team.

I keep saying it but too many people, especially in the media, make excuses and sweep it all under the carpet. This team needs to be told they're shite, they have been for the best part of a decade now, and for people to keep telling them that. The only saving grace is that test cricket is an afterthought for like 75% of the teams nowadays and the overall standard/consistency is equally as bad, which keeps us competitive.

 

[dondo]

Ball nibbled a bit, that's to be expected opening of a test match, was nowhere near as favourable to the bowlers as the bits I saw today.

And this isn't anywhere near a Test side, in quality at least. Their main players are honest toilers from the county circuit way past their prime. Defeat would have been the nadir for this England test team.

I keep saying it but too many people, especially in the media, make excuses and sweep it all under the carpet. This team needs to be told they're shite, they have been for the best part of a decade now, and for people to keep telling them that. The only saving grace is that test cricket is an afterthought for like 75% of the teams nowadays and the overall standard/consistency is equally as bad, which keeps us competitive.

I agree with all of that but it’s not luck. Ireland are a new learning test team and England are better ATM (slightly). TBH it was two bad teams playing each other.
The ashes will not be much different either imo. 2 good bowling attacks in English conditions and 2 terrible batting sides in English conditions.
Can see and 3-2 either way with no test match going much past 3 days.
Should be exciting even if the quality it not top notch

 

[dondo]

I watched The Edge last night, which is the film made about the England side that got banjaxed by the West Indies in 2009 and then went on to become #1 Test Side. It's really interesting and well made and there are similarities in where we sit currently as a Test side. There doesn't seem to be any discipline and that seems to stem from the coach, I've never been a fan of Bayliss and don't like his demeanour, but the equivalent of an old General like Andy Flower would be just what these bunch of ****s need right now. So much individual cricketing ability in a lot of the players, so much ****iness going on between their ears in Test cricket.

How/where did you watch this program the edge??

 

[Spurs_Bear]

How/where did you watch this program the edge??

Amazon Prime. £4.99

 

[Buggsy61]

Amazon Prime. £4.99

Thanks for the steer on this. I have looked it up earlier and the write ups are very positive, so am going to have to give it a look.

 

[al_pacino]

I agree with all of that but it’s not luck. Ireland are a new learning test team and England are better ATM (slightly). TBH it was two bad teams playing each other.
The ashes will not be much different either imo. 2 good bowling attacks in English conditions and 2 terrible batting sides in English conditions.
Can see and 3-2 either way with no test match going much past 3 days.
Should be exciting even if the quality it not top notch

Agree with your Ashes prediction, it will be just like it was last time it was here.