Cricket 2018

[Guest MattP]

4 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

Denly would be a bit out of nowhere.

That would be crazy, he's not good enough for international cricket anyway and he's nearly 33.

 

Burns has to be called in now.

[Stinkenzo]

Arguably a case to drop Jennings to blood somebody else in for the final test

[AKCJ]

I knew it was coming but its still shite.

 

Hope Cook can get a good innings to be given the true send off he deserves. Well in Chef.

[HighPeakFox]

What a guy - I guess he didn't want to endure another difficult winter in Australia, so well timed.

[Osavo]

1 hour ago, Voll Blau said:

Denly would be a bit out of nowhere.

Burns is nailed on to be picked, Denly however I'm not sold on. I'd probably just stick with Jennings now, even though I'm not convinced by him, simply because it is hard enough to bed in one new opener, let alone two. For all his failings, at least Jennings has experience playing test cricket on the subcontinent, something which could be useful in the winter. 

[Bert]

Chef the greatest opener we’ve ever had and one of our greatest captains. Hope he rocks out with a ton. Time for new blood! 

[Bert]

1 hour ago, HighPeakFox said:

What a guy - I guess he didn't want to endure another difficult winter in Australia, so well timed.

They’re not in Australia this winter, are they? 

[HighPeakFox]

14 minutes ago, Bert said:

They’re not in Australia this winter, are they? 

Possibly not. In which case other players have a chance to stake a claim. 

[AKCJ]

10 minutes ago, Bert said:

They’re not in Australia this winter, are they? 

Sri Lanka in November and West Indies in January.

[Captain...]

6 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

Possibly not. In which case other players have a chance to stake a claim. 

Tours of Sri Lanka and Windies then a home Ashes series.

 

Tough to throw someone inexperienced into a winter tour, but needs to be done now whether we stick with Jennings or not.

[Guest MattP]

2 hours ago, HighPeakFox said:

What a guy - I guess he didn't want to endure another difficult winter in Australia, so well timed.

That's not for 3 years, Sri Lanka and Windies away next, arguably the two easiest away tours you can do for a batsman. 

[HighPeakFox]

I knew there was an Ashes upcoming, got my whereabouts wrong. I'm not as clued up since I stopped playing myself... 

[AKCJ]

Just now, MattP said:

That's not for 3 years, Sri Lanka and Windies away next, arguably the two easiest away tours you can do for a batsman. 

Sri Lanka rinsed South Africa this summer in the two tests played in Sri Lanka. Bowled South Africa for under 126 all out three times in 4 innings.

[Izzy]

4 hours ago, Osavo said:

What a servant Cook has been. 158 consecutive test matches is an incredible achievement and he is probably England's greatest ever opening batsman. Pre-2014 he was an absolute run machine, and his temperament in opening the batting was unbelievable, one of our only players capable of playing a long, determined innings. 

 

Shame to see him go but think the timing is right. Leaves us struggling for openers now, but in fairness Cook wasn't exactly scoring many runs. Hope he makes a really big score at The Oval.

158 consecutive test matches is insane and a testament to his fitness and mental strength.

 

That must be a record in itself surely?

[Osavo]

5 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

158 consecutive test matches is insane and a testament to his fitness and mental strength.

 

That must be a record in itself surely?

Yep. He overtook Allan Border's record in the first test against Pakistan this summer I believe. Absolutely immense.

[Super_horns]

A true legend - going to be tough to replace him even if Cook's tom has been patchy by his very high standards!

[Corky]

Although the latter year hasn't been too special, we'll really miss him. You've seen how tough it is to get settled into Test cricket, even in home conditions. To lose 12k runs and 160 Tests experience will be massive.

 

Deserves a huge send-off and glad he's playing for Essex next year and not going straight into retirement, he can still offer loads at county level.

[fuchsntf]

Can Root,now get near Cooks record. Before he retires....

We need a top 3 batsman,so we can play our best,batsman at no4.  

 

Another good question popped up from Rob key and Nasser...

Is the job as an opener changing.The belief that bowling has changed.Should we be looking to lower

the old expectations of how the 2openers approach to the game.That at International level centuries,

are harder to come by.  Bowlers are holding their discipline and stamina,for longer periods into the

90 over game,the first 40 overs intensity,gives the openers no respite,few lackadaisical overs..

[Bert]

I would be interested to see them stick Bairstow in as an opener. I know it won’t happen but I think he’d do well, certainly has the right attributes for it. 

[cambridgefox]

8 hours ago, StanSP said:

Legend of the game, let alone just for England. He's done Bedford proud! 

 

?

probably my favourite opener of all time.

Struggle to replace him.

[Osavo]

1 hour ago, Bert said:

I would be interested to see them stick Bairstow in as an opener. I know it won’t happen but I think he’d do well, certainly has the right attributes for it. 

Trouble is he throws a wobbly every time the selectors ask him to be a specialist batsman and let Buttler take the gloves. I accept that he has done a lot of work to improve his keeping over the last few years but ultimately, Buttler is the better keeper and Bairstow is a very good batsman in his own right.

 

Bairstow doesn't need to keep to be in the side anymore, which he doesn't seem to accept, but imo it would be too difficult to keep and then go straight back out and open the batting.

[StanSP]

 

[Voll Blau]

Doing Finals Day for the first time next Saturday. Anyone know which boozers near Edgbaston open in the morning for it?

[Bert]

16 hours ago, Osavo said:

Trouble is he throws a wobbly every time the selectors ask him to be a specialist batsman and let Buttler take the gloves. I accept that he has done a lot of work to improve his keeping over the last few years but ultimately, Buttler is the better keeper and Bairstow is a very good batsman in his own right.

 

Bairstow doesn't need to keep to be in the side anymore, which he doesn't seem to accept, but imo it would be too difficult to keep and then go straight back out and open the batting.

Sangakarra has done it, Dhoni has done it. Two of the best modern day WKB’s. 

[Captain...]

Can some one explain how Pope can play 2 days for Essex then join up with England. Can they sub him or do they just play day 3 and 4 a batsman light? 

 

Also I can’t believe we haven’t picked a possible Cook replacement for this test. Either drop Jennings, tell him he’ll be back in the winter if you want, or pick someone to come in at 3 in this test with a view to opening in Sri Lanka. It’s a dead rubber and we need at least one new opener for the winter. There is a heartless side of me that even thinks we should have dropped Cook for this test prepare for the future.