England Cricket Team Thread

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Lord Rother
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Lord Rother » 27 Aug 2017, 13:14

Yep, I'd even have more confidence with Buttler as a specialist batsman than Stoneman, Westley and Malan.

That said, let's hope they all get a ton in the 2nd innings and shove my cynicism down my neck!

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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Penk! » 27 Aug 2017, 14:07

I think this one is far from over. If England's top men can get in then this pitch doesn't seem too tricky and they could give the Windies a target of 250-300, never a simple task.

Last year's third test against Pakistan went a similar way.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8499/scorecard/913645/England-vs-Pakistan-3rd-Investec-Test-Pakistan-tour-of-England-and-Ireland
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Penk! » 27 Aug 2017, 18:31

Scores level with just three down and plenty of batting to come...
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Nikki Gradual » 27 Aug 2017, 18:55

Depending on the first session tomorrow, this could yet turn into a great test match.
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Lord Rother » 28 Aug 2017, 08:36

England are 4/7 to win now.

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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Penk! » 28 Aug 2017, 09:20

If they can knuckle down they should win. A proper captain's innings from Root plus runs from one or two of the lower middle-order and they're well on top.

The question is whether they can knuckle down, though. They all have the talent, but given that this is England, Root will get out for 73, Bairstow for 42 playing a silly shot (he's the new Ian Bell, isn't he?), Moeen will hit two lovely drives then hole out to mid-on, and then the Windies will only have 150 to get. Anything over 200, though, will be a very tough target.
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Penk! » 28 Aug 2017, 11:55

PENK wrote:Root will get out for 73


Or thereabouts.
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Nikki Gradual » 28 Aug 2017, 22:20

Looking forward to a great last day. Proper test match.
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Penk! » 29 Aug 2017, 15:49

This looks like a remarkable turnaround by the Windies after that humiliating first test. England's turn to be embarrassed.
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Diamond Dog » 29 Aug 2017, 16:26

It's very finely balanced. The total should be easily get-able but a wicket quickly now (particularly Hope) would sway the odds back in our favour.
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby borofan » 29 Aug 2017, 17:33

PENK wrote:Bring in Buttler. He averages 30+ in tests and did fine against India last year. Give him the gloves and bat him at 7 so that Bairstow can play as a specialist batsman and take more responsibility.

Irongloves Buttler ? A man who barely plays red ball cricket and doesn't keep when he does.

Bairstow has exactly the right role at present. His keeping has been exemplary all season, and batting at 7 gives him the freedom to play attacking cricket. Why split the 6,7, 8 combination with Stokes and Moeen that has kept England in games time and again? The closest comparison must be Gilchrist (not that I'm saying JB is as good) - Australia never remotely considered moving him up the order. Found his ideal role and left him there. Do the same for Jonny B.
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Diamond Dog » 29 Aug 2017, 18:10

Cook...................... :cry:
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Lord Rother » 29 Aug 2017, 20:39

A really good day for Test Cricket.

After a run of 20 games of almost exclusively one sided matches it was refreshing to see an excellent 5th (yes FIFTH!) day where the outcome was uncertain most of the way through.

Dropped catches though... dear oh dear.

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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Lord Rother » 26 Sep 2017, 13:43

Ben Stokes in a whole heap of trouble and misses next game, as does Alex Hales.

:twisted:

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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Lord Rother » 27 Sep 2017, 09:42

So I am told..... (will see in 30 mins)

Root, Cook, Stoneman, Malan, Ballance, Vince, Moeen, Crane, Foakes, Bairstow, Stokes, Woakes, Broad, Anderson, Ball, Overton.

If so, wtf has Ballance done to deserve that?

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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Penk! » 27 Sep 2017, 09:55

Or Vince. Dropped from the team last year and has averaged 33 in county cricket this year.

Ballance's form has completely tailed off since his hopeless stint in the test side. Christmas just came early for Mitchell Starc.

The selectors are in a real pickle because none of the new players they have picked have impressed that much so they are reluctant to give another untried county player a go. Otherwise Burns, Northeast, Lawrence, Denly, or Clarke are surely more deserving than Vince or Ballance.

I am worried that they will get pumped because the batting is such a mess.

Otherwise... why does Crane keep getting in there? Sporadically picked for his county with only 16 wickets this season. Not as if he's more experienced than Leach, who has three times as many wickets and a much better average, and who most people agree has been the best spinner in county cricket the last couple of years.
Overton makes sense, a quick bowler in form - although Porter and Coad might be disappointed to miss out, I guess Overton's batting earned him the nod over them.
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby borofan » 27 Sep 2017, 16:08

Trouble is that, certainly for batsmen, the cupboard is bare, so the selectors have gone back to those tried before. I suspect Ballance is a Joe Root pick, along with his season average of just under 80 (which was mostly compiled at the very start of the season when he was undismissable). Questions need to be asked of coaching at county level, as batsmen keep being selected when they have serious, obvious technical problems. Don't know about others mentioned, but Denly was given a chance many years ago and found out very quickly.

Crane is there because English cricket is spellbound by leg spinners, whether they justify selection or not (which Crane clearly doesn't - he plays for Hampshire rarely, they always go for the thoroughly average Dawson if they only need one spinner). There seems to be some doubts about Leach, although I would say that his results over the last 2 seasons should get him a go.

Overton is a good pick, he seems to have matured this year. Too early for Ben Coad yet. Can't comment on Porter as I haven't seen him, but certainly notable performances this year.

As Paul Collingwood is on the coaching staff, I hope he is being encouraged to take his bats with him. His average this season is 15 better than Vince...
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Lord Rother » 27 Sep 2017, 17:48

:D

Fwiw, Ballance's average is down to 67+.

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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby borofan » 28 Sep 2017, 16:48

Lord Rother wrote::D

Fwiw, Ballance's average is down to 67+.

Still second in the D1 list (of those who have played more than 2 games), behind only the frankly ridiculous figures of Kumar Sangakkara.
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Re: England Cricket Team Thread

Postby Lord Rother » 28 Sep 2017, 20:28

True enough.


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