Cricket 2018

[fuchsntf]

Deja vu...England

India have now great opening bowlers,who have both delivered 2 peaches..but...but..but.

We must find an opener,that can guarantee at least 1st houf,at least 30+ plus runs consistently...forget the 60+ for now

 

Jennings..just not up to it yet...why yet.? Like many potential int. batsman,it's good they take a look,if fail they get a 2nd chance

A season later,after going back to county,to iron out at county level those mistakes...ala  Richards,Gooch,Stewart,Smith...and a few more.

 

Also to be fair,India are learning to up their individual performances,for team ethic...England,especially Root haven't upped their game for

18 months....Butler,Stokes the only one who seem,only seem to have improved their all round game,at Test level.

We still have a great bowling attack..but Our batsman are nicking off far too easyily.So our bowlers are having nothing to defend with...

first innings. 260+. Might help!!  Again below 30-3...with 2 great middle order batsman,in too early and facing up to a new ball,then gone.

Root..should be n04.Bairstow next,or open with him,as the attacker,in the next 3innings,then Vince/jennings at no3.( In next game).

M.Ali might give us an innings of belief...

We need now,today this single test,this very innings to somehow get mid-late order batsman,to get 3 times  70+..or 2-2 will be the forgone conclusion.

 

Wow,are we lousy..4th wicket gone...

 

 

[cambridgefox]

FFS

We will lose this series.Top order is gash.

Boycott tells it how it is.

Mid/Lower order all similar that can take a game away,not when they have to change their game.

[fuchsntf]

Root is not a lucky captain...again decides to bat,and we fail again in the 1st session.

Stokes and Butler..to put their Butch Cassidy-Sundance kid caps on...

2x 50 won't cut it,though if both reach those figures,they go through the 1st inninins blameless,

even on 52,if they play poor shots..

At the moment,an injured Woake s opening,couldn't be worse

 

 

[Finnegan]

Is criticism of the captain not a little bit harsh when the entire top order collapses repeatedly? 

I mean he doesn't pick the team. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

Is criticism of the captain not a little bit harsh when the entire top order collapses repeatedly? 

I mean he doesn't pick the team. 

He does, alongside the coaching infrastructure.

[StanSP]

Had some high levels of cautiousness about this and thought England would come out with lots of fight and resolve following the last test. I don't know whether to be so surprised about another top-order collapse?! 

That Jennings dismissal was something else though. 

 

[Guest MattP]

24 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Is criticism of the captain not a little bit harsh when the entire top order collapses repeatedly? 

I mean he doesn't pick the team. 

He has input, selectors meet with the captain. We can only really judge him from what he does on field and that's not been great so far, it's quite clear he's no Mike Brearley in the dressing room either.

Although I suppose no one is.

[cambridgefox]

2 hours ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

That Jennings dismissal  

Bye bye Keaton.

Might as well have Pat Jennings!

[Max Wall]

I have nothing more to add at this point.

[fuchsntf]

The last 3 wickets,are all excused.They are playing under circumstances,on too a regular,which they should never be put in.

Our cream being demoralised,because top 3 haven't given The team any chance to create even a below standard platform.

 

We don't have to chase around looking for 4-9 ,batting positions.We need desperately to find batting positions 1-3, and

Root should only be coming in at n04.    If we are struggling,to actually bring some one in...then Bairstow nr 3.

or We then commit now...Drop Cook down to 3,bring in Haseem Hameed,he comes in for next test,and starts first tour games.

 

Intent in first 4 selection,force the change in direction.....

Either.....Hameed..Ali..Cook...Root...Bairstow..Stokes..Butler...Curran...Rashid..Broad...Anderson

Or. Burns..Hameed..Cook..Bairstow. Root...Stokes..Butler..Curran..Woakes.. Rashid Anderson

 

If spinners for the coming tour are to be found,then Rashid nr1....if  3 would be selected,in same test..

then one of Broad/Anderson,or in a couple of spinning wicket tests both will be sacrificed..one of Woakes and Curran,takes the 1st over,Ali come into contention

Ie...Burns...Hameed...Cook..Bairstow...Root...Stokes..Butler.Ali..Woakes....Curran/ ?? Spinner....Rashid..

 

Selectors might as well go for broke...those  Opener positions are now up for grabs,from into last test,then into the tour..I

I would still be tempted to hold  then Cook at 3.If it comes off,we have still 3-5 hrs with him (yes into late 30s),releasing Root,to his natural position.

Even if openers,still struggle,we have to try and  put up another question onto the Indian bowlers,and the watching Sri-lanka bowlers.

We need change,up front, just to change a failing routine with fresh blood and ideas...

 

 

[Max Wall]

When I said India were a decent shout to win the series 3-2 a week ago I was presuming they might spin us out on two of the pitches in England that are more spin conducive. Little did I know they'd seem and swing us into trouble in the first innings at the Rose Bowl. There's been some good balls in there but this just keeps happening. Certainly series on now.

Edited 30 August 2018 by Max Wall

[Bobby Hundreds]

Only 1 of the 16 wickets to fall in the current Oval game was to spin. Not that it matters, the India pace bowlers are bowling much better lengths and exploiting the swing conditions than we have for the past couple of tests. I do regret not putting a little bit on India 3-2 at 15/2. 

[Max Wall]

3 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

Only 1 of the 16 wickets to fall in the current Oval game was to spin. Not that it matters, the India pace bowlers are bowling much better lengths and exploiting the swing conditions than we have for the past couple of tests. I do regret not putting a little bit on India 3-2 at 15/2. 

That's true but neither Surrey nor Notts have Ashwin.

You're right though, the India pace bowlers have been very good. And yes, I should have taken my own advice and had a few quid on, those odds will have tumbled. Still 4 and a half days and a fifth test to go having said that. India certainly putting the pressure on today though.

[Crinklyfox]

A couple of bad batting performances and there are many who wish to make wholesale changes to the team.  Well it's a leap in class from first class to international cricket and even the best batsmen in the County Championship may have struggled against the Indian attack today.  Olly Pope has been omitted having not yet made a significant impact despite starring at county level, his colleague Rory Burns, who opens and has a healthy average, didn't do so well against India A and Dawid Malan has consistently failed to live up to his promise.  I'm as frustrated as anyone with the current situation, but we may have to stick it out with the players that have the class but may not be in the best of form.  Wholesale changes could be counterproductive.

[StanSP]

This is reminiscent of the Buttler/Stokes resistance from the last test. 

You know when you just get that feeling about a player who's gonna be a star - Curran is that player right now for England.

[Max Wall]

Just now, StanSP said:

This is reminiscent of the Buttler/Stokes resistance from the last test. 

You know when you just get that feeling about a player who's gonna be a star - Curran is that player right now for England.

He's currently only on 32 but you have to hand it to Moeen. Good top order batsman and part time spinner really. Messed about continually by England, up and down the order, dropped, reinstated, expected to have a massive impact bowling when the pitch takes spin. He's really not had it easy and he still goes out and does a job more often than not.

[Max Wall]

4 minutes ago, StanSP said:

This is reminiscent of the Buttler/Stokes resistance from the last test. 

You know when you just get that feeling about a player who's gonna be a star - Curran is that player right now for England.

He's been mightily impressive in his short international career so far. Looks like being dropped may have given him an extra reason to sell his wicket as high as possible.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Moeen is a great player to have coming down the order so late, he bailed us out time and again in the last home Ashes series. 

[StanSP]

good catch by Bumrah to break that stand. Good resistance from Ali.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Curran has come out to bat for England on 86-6 twice. He’s only had 4 innings. 

[AKCJ]

Curran has kept us in the game there.

[fuchsntf]

4 hours ago, Crinklyfox said:

A couple of bad batting performances and there are many who wish to make wholesale changes to the team.  Well it's a leap in class from first class to international cricket and even the best batsmen in the County Championship may have struggled against the Indian attack today.  Olly Pope has been omitted having not yet made a significant impact despite starring at county level, his colleague Rory Burns, who opens and has a healthy average, didn't do so well against India A and Dawid Malan has consistently failed to live up to his promise.  I'm as frustrated as anyone with the current situation, but we may have to stick it out with the players that have the class but may not be in the best of form.  Wholesale changes could be counterproductive.

Our top players,haven't had a "couple" of bad batting perfor.ancestor been continuous over 2 seasons...With only single average performances,

top 4..regularly involved in rotten  collapses,Stokes,Butler,or anyone coming in after 4,are being left out to dry...not even 60 on the board...

[Finnegan]

Cracking to see Curran go at them.

Doesn't matter what sport or what team it is, you've got to love any kid that just waltzes in to a struggling team of seasoned pros and says "**** this."

Not the first time he's done England a solid, either, is it?

[Max Wall]

2 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Cracking to see Curran go at them.

Doesn't matter what sport or what team it is, you've got to love any kid that just waltzes in to a struggling team of seasoned pros and says "**** this."

Not the first time he's done England a solid, either, is it?

No, it isn't the first time. They seem to have found a diamond with Curran. Hopefully they don't keep dropping him and ruin his confidence. His innings today makes it harder for them to do that. It will be interesting to see what he does with the ball as that's the primary reason he's been picked. Chipping in with innings like this and his one in the 2nd test are quite a bonus.

[Crinklyfox]

10 hours ago, fuchsntf said:

Our top players,haven't had a "couple" of bad batting perfor.ancestor been continuous over 2 seasons...With only single average performances,

top 4..regularly involved in rotten  collapses,Stokes,Butler,or anyone coming in after 4,are being left out to dry...not even 60 on the board...

You're quite right, our top order hasn't been up to the required standard in recent times, possibly with the exception of Root whom I believe is a class player going through a bad patch.  But who would you replace them with?  Keaton Jennings scored a century on debut but has disappointed since, but have Burns or Hameed, or others, truly shown that they have the class required yet?  I wouldn't want to be a selector right now.