Why the feck do you need ultra edge 
Abbas deserved that. Bowled very well.
Abbas deserved that. Bowled very well.
English cricket thread
- Thread starter Samid
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We have many great bowlers but Abbas must be in the top 3. What a bowler.
feck you umpire
Abbas is so, so good.
High on the back leg, batting outside his crease and just hitting the top of middle
@YAMS49
High on the back leg, batting outside his crease and just hitting the top of middle
@YAMS49Burns shushing as he walks off after being dismissed
I think on this point, the problem is that Archer isn't being picked as an 86-88 mph line bowler, but has a point of difference speedster. Even before this test Root was talking him up as the obvious first pick because of his pace, despite the fact he's been pretty close to Broad and Woakes most of the summer.
That's fine, although Archers returns this summer might suggest he's not in the top 3 examples of that sort of bowler in the country, but there have been times where spells like that spell to Steve Smith wouldn't have gone amiss and it's telling that when England have wanted hostility then they've turned to Ben Stokes, even yesterday when he was injured.
I'd be tempted to lay the blame at Root's feet and say he doesn't know what he wants from Archer and doesn't know what Archer is, but I think Archer is having his own crisis of identity too. In general, I wonder if he lacks that elite level intensity to get himself up for the fight day in/day out.
ok that was brutal from Warne
"By the end, my shoulder had gone and all I had was a leg spinner and a straight one. Still good enough for you, Nas."
"By the end, my shoulder had gone and all I had was a leg spinner and a straight one. Still good enough for you, Nas."
I bloody love how loud this Pakistan side are, adds some desperately needed theatre to the game with the crowds not there.
England will be happy with the start they’ve made. Good session.
ok that was brutal from Warne
"By the end, my shoulder had gone and all I had was a leg spinner and a straight one. Still good enough for you, Nas."
Cricket really does have the best commentary.
Decent session for England, but you feel like these two will have to stick around for a while after lunch.
All fair. I don't think they need a point of difference speedster in England. I've seen the suggestion that Stokes bowling yesterday reflects badly on Archer but I don't think it does. He was not bowling any quicker than Archer was and I think it's pretty likely that Stokes just took the ball and took it upon himself. If Root asked Stokes to bowl then it's a reflection on his captaincy because he overbowled Bess and Anderson and underbowled Woakes. As amazing as Stokes is I still do not think he was needed yesterday. Shaheen averages like 5 with the bat.
Agree on the intensity thing but I'm not so sure it's a crisis of identity. He's a naturally laid back guy which will hold him in good stead in dealing with high pressure situations and disappointments but he needs to figure out how to get himself going. Warne is a good example, he basically went looking for confrontations to get into the game. I'm not saying Archer needs to start sledging guys left and right but he definitely needs to figure out what gets him going. There's also an element of Root figuring that out too. In the end it's pretty much just part and parcel of his development as an individual, look how long it took the penny to drop with Broad about getting it fuller and targeting the stumps.
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I'd imagine you're right about Stokes, but I'd also argue that that is part of Root's problem which is highlighted with the Woakes situation.
I might get some disagreement here, but Woakes is in the top two bowlers in England available to England right now. The stats back that up, and I can't really remember him letting anyone down in tests over a long period of time. But he's far too nice a bloke, he doesn't get in Root's face demanding the ball, and you know he's keeping it to himself if he's disappointed about being left out. Look at how long a rope Bairstow has gotten just because he shouts about how hard done by he is when he's left out, and how Broad came back into the side immediately when he complained about it. As it is, if Archer hadn't breached the bio-secure bubble Woakes might not have played a test this summer.
In general, I think Root is just there. He lets others dictate terms to him and when he does have his own ideas (like bowling himself) they tend to be bad. Based on what Archer's said in the press I think he has decided it's a pitch to bowl 82 mph on, and Root does not strike me as the captain to stand him to him and tell him that he's been picked to crank it up.
On Root in the field (again!), I noticed one instance in the first innings where Archer signalled 4 and Root just gave him a 4th slip with no hesitation. When you have 2 guys that have a 1000+ test wickets between them it's ok to be somewhat deferential, when you have young guys like Archer and Bess you need to be a bit more hands on.
Nah, too high... Lols.Abbas is so, so good.
High on the back leg, batting outside his crease and just hitting the top of middle
That's why we have Drs, terrible decision.
Anyway, family time. Enjoy all.
Anyway, family time. Enjoy all.
Kettlebot is so bad these days
feck this umpire, wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been bribed
That's dreadful umpiring.
He looked like he didn't even believe it was out but gave it on the strength of the appeal, which is ridiculous.
Agree with Sky, the slips need to come forward. Surely, someone from Pakistan’s dressing room is watching this?!
I don't understand slips being too far back. If you come in, the worst thing that happens is the hard nicks come a bit quicker.
Shadab has been criminally underused. Bowled 4 overs in the match. So much for playing two spinners.
They won't have much choice but to use him soon. The seamers didn't get much of a rest after the first innings.
Got the breakthrough! Good catch.
I know it’s a different format and very different style of cricketer, but Dom Sibley is to the test team that Roy is to the ODI side
feck know that was going to happen
feck know that was going to happen
Poor shot by Sibley after all that hard work
Brilliant thinking from Yasir. Outfoxes Sibley even after 100+ balls.
To play that well and then do that...
I thought they needed a 270+ lead. Once they’d got that, I think it’s pretty much done.
Yasir now seems to be firing and reverse swing is just a few overs away.
The problem with having 5 bowlers, someone is going to be under bowles
Naseem's doing ok but I'd bring Shaheen back, will be a more threatening angle for Stokes
Root's done well under so much probing
Root's done well under so much probing
A bit random:
None other than Gary Neville batting with Matthew Hayden. Seems like he was a pretty decent player too
None other than Gary Neville batting with Matthew Hayden. Seems like he was a pretty decent player too
Big wicket!! Well bowled lad!
Oh Root
Thick as pig shit
Noticeable that Naseem also dropped down to low to mid 80’s.
Just took Root! What a talent!
Just took Root! What a talent!
He’s not good enough to bat like Atherton, which is what was required of him.
Hahaha. There’s always one!
General view is Gary was a decent club player but Phil probably could've made it as a professional.
EDIT - Joe Gatting (Mike's nephew) played professionally for Brighton and Hove Albion and Sussex CCC.