Cricket

[mjsell]

Some session this...

[TheGayTent]

Great test cricket. 

I give us about at 20% chance. 

[mjsell]

If nothing else - this has all but confirmed Day/Night ashes tests for a long long time. (not that I think it wouldnt have been had this tournaround not happened). 

Root finding form as well. He really is the key, he goes early tomorrow we lose quickly.

If England were to win from the position they were in after the first innings then this series isnt the done deal everyone has been predicting - that positive momentum could be huge. 

 

 

[TheGayTent]

Day night tests are a huge failure in that rather than attracting big crowds to the evening session, more people than ever are leaving early. 

[LJS]

any of you English chaps planning a trip north in the summer for the Scotland v. England match?

 

http://www.cricketscotland.com/tickets-matches-for-england-and-pakistan/

[TheGayTent]

No

[kaosmark2]

That was nice to wake up to.

[Comfy Bean]

3 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

That was nice to wake up to.

Great job in the last hour or so with the fella edging closer to his ton plus the new ball plus the end of a long day.

In the first 2 tests that last hour would have probably seen wickets fall.

Good day for England although still only around 2/1 on 5-0.

 

[kaosmark2]

It's a good day for England but needs to be followed up tomorrow. Bat through at least a session and a half to post a good score.

[TheGayTent]

I love Cook

[kaosmark2]

Take one of their best players off the Aussies and give them a pitch that doesn't play to their strengths and they don't look all that.

Cook being fantastic again.

It's amusing me how all the pundits who were saying 5 months ago "it's ridiculous to play Dawson alongside Ali, of course Moeen is our top spinner" are now saying the exact opposite.

[TheGayTent]

10 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Take one of their best players off the Aussies and give them a pitch that doesn't play to their strengths and they don't look all that.

Much as most suspected. They're not very good but they're a bit better than we are. 

10 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

It's amusing me how all the pundits who were saying 5 months ago "it's ridiculous to play Dawson alongside Ali, of course Moeen is our top spinner" are now saying the exact opposite.

What pundits are advocating Dawson??

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, TheGayTent said:

Much as most suspected. They're not very good but they're a bit better than we are. 

Definitely, it's nice to expose their weaknesses this test though, after the pain of the last 3. 3-2 would be nice to walk away with, but not getting whitewashed will still be a plus after how the first 3 tests went.

3 hours ago, TheGayTent said:

What pundits are advocating Dawson??

I was more referring to the attitude to Moeen and having another spinner alongside him rather than Dawson specifically. The talk about the balance of the side is completely contradicting the same pundits' comments at the start of the SA series.

I'm hoping Jack Leach gets a decent run in the side.

[TheGayTent]

28 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Definitely, it's nice to expose their weaknesses this test though, after the pain of the last 3. 3-2 would be nice to walk away with, but not getting whitewashed will still be a plus after how the first 3 tests went.

For sure, though I'd take 4-1 and suspect 4-0 is still most likely result.

28 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I was more referring to the attitude to Moeen and having another spinner alongside him rather than Dawson specifically. The talk about the balance of the side is completely contradicting the same pundits' comments at the start of the SA series.

I have some sympathy though - Australian conditions require different thinking to English conditions. 

I haven't heard of anyone suggesting a spinner is picked to compliment Moeen. Only a different spinner is picked in his place. 

 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, TheGayTent said:

I haven't heard of anyone suggesting a spinner is picked to compliment Moeen. Only a different spinner is picked in his place. 

Vaughan was saying it on TMS in the early hours. Swann was saying similar. Both saying pick a frontline spinner and make Moeen a batting all-rounder and 2nd spinner - which is what he is anyway.

[TheGayTent]

4 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Vaughan was saying it on TMS in the early hours. Swann was saying similar.

Hmm. Vaughan and Swann were good players who I enjoyed watching on a number of occasions. Analysts they are not though, and I wouldn't take anything they say with any seriousness. 

4 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Both saying pick a frontline spinner and make Moeen a batting all-rounder and 2nd spinner - which is what he is anyway.

I don't disagree with that, other than to say I don't think we have a "1st spinner". In which case, do you pick a spinner that isn't good enough, continue with Mooen, or play without a spinner?

[TheGayTent]

Slightly surprised Curran has been dropped after one game. 

[pink_triangle]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42787160

I find Roots statement "It may be that I don't have a great IPL" a strange thing to say. Surely honesty is not always the best policy.

Edited January 28, 2018 by pink_triangle

[kaosmark2]

Summer calendar to go down to 6 tests per year, still with 3 in London.

Fucks sake.

[TheGayTent]

14 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Summer calendar to go down to 6 tests per year, still with 3 in London.

Fucks sake.

The problem isn’t helped by northerners not bothering to go to test matches in the north. 

Also, it’s disappointing to see Trent Bridge not get any tests in the next two Ashes series yet Headingley gets two.

[TheGayTent]

I see Rashid has effectively retired from red ball cricket 

[kaosmark2]

8 hours ago, TheGayTent said:

The problem isn’t helped by northerners not bothering to go to test matches in the north. 

Also, it’s disappointing to see Trent Bridge not get any tests in the next two Ashes series yet Headingley gets two.

No it's not, but 6 tests a summer feels terrible, and I've have liked more variety in venue.

8 hours ago, TheGayTent said:

I see Rashid has effectively retired from red ball cricket 

Yup. Bit of a shame, but seems like he'd given up on it before anyway.

[TheGayTent]

11 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

No it's not, but 6 tests a summer feels terrible, and I've have liked more variety in venue.

I agree, Lords maintaining two tests a summer when there are only six in total is wrong. 

But we all know money talks, and Lords will attract more crowds in three days than Headingley, Durham etc will over five....and at considerably higher ticket prices...

[mjsell]

Went to the NZ v England ODI game yesterday in Wellington - was very refreshing seeing a one day pitch that didnt favour the batsman and meant they had to really work for their runs - it makes the big shots that much more impressive when they do come. 

Williamson was brilliant, and was a great finish. I also enjoyed the fact there was an American couple sitting near us that didnt have a clue what was going on and didnt realise it was a full day event.. they left - came back later then left before the last 5 overs. 

[LJS]

So, Scotland play West Indies today with a place at next year's world cup at stake.

How ridiculous would that sentence have sounded 10 years ago?