English cricket thread

iKnowNothing said:
50+ dot balls and a wicket. Is this some sort of a record?
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It isn't glancing at the records, but I'd imagine most were genuine game-saving efforts. It's a remarkable sequence, in any case, considering England weren't batting for a draw.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/ask-steven-longest-scoreless-sequences-and-wobbly-openers-1044069

Charles Davis, the assiduous Australian statistician, has pinpointed another possible similar barren run: on the first day of the first Test in Melbourne in 1882-83, Alec Bannerman and Billy Murdoch patted back 22 successive four-ball maidens from Billy Barnes, Dick Barlow and Willie Bates. That's 88 deliveries without a run, and it's possible it was as many as 92 in all.
 
Stokes amazingly not bowled. Green rattled the stump and somehow the bail didn't come off.
 
Wibble said:
Stokes amazingly not bowled. Green rattled the stump and somehow the bail didn't come off.
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That was crazy! I love that Reifel gave it out and it had to be reviewed.
 
It was a bizarre sequence of play but Paul Reiffel has had a shocker there.

He basically gave Ben Stokes out LBW because the ball had hit the stumps without dislodging the bails.
 
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Looks like the Aussie score was massively above par.

Great to see Bairstow getting runs though.
 
Bairstow looking like he's carrying a little Christmas timber. In fact, the England players don't look anywhere near as fit as the Aussies, been that way all series.
 
Fair play to Bairstow, didn't think he had it in him.

Top 3 is hilarious. Buttler needs dropping too.
 
Sassy Colin said:
Is that the first England century in the series, or has it been so shit, I can't remember any high points?
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Would say this is the first real highlight of the series from our perspective.

Stick with Bairstow from now on. They clearly don't fancy him with the gloves so leave him at six and let him re-establish himself there. He's too good a player to be out of the team.
 
groovyalbert said:
Bairstow looking like he's carrying a little Christmas timber. In fact, the England players don't look anywhere near as fit as the Aussies, been that way all series.
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Bairstow's one of the fittest players in our team so imagine it's muscle tbh. Not sure which other players look unfit either...
 
Wibble said:
Stokes amazingly not bowled. Green rattled the stump and somehow the bail didn't come off.
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Just saw that, Stokes was very lucky wasn't like it just clipped the stump. God knows what the Umpire saw as it was nowhere near the bat or pad.
 
JohnnyKills said:
Bairstow's one of the fittest players in our team so imagine it's muscle tbh. Not sure which other players look unfit either...
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I know he's always had muscle bulk, just looks a bit more pronounced this series.

Guess it's more a comparison thing with Aus who are super fit, thought similarly with Robinson too.
 
groovyalbert said:
I know he's always had muscle bulk, just looks a bit more pronounced this series.

Guess it's more a comparison thing with Aus who are super fit, thought similarly with Robinson too.
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yeah I don’t think Robinson will ever look different, he’s just built like a fridge. It’s made more pronounced because he’s unfortunately one of those people who seems to look absolutely shattered by simply walking to the corner shop, when from his performances so far for England he looks like he can keep going for absolutely ages.
 
groovyalbert said:
I know he's always had muscle bulk, just looks a bit more pronounced this series.

Guess it's more a comparison thing with Aus who are super fit, thought similarly with Robinson too.
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Robinson definitely looks unfit, but he's got quite a chubby face so it might just be that.

He certainly needs to get fitter and stronger. If he keeps bowling at 125kph he'll become another Chris Woakes - brilliant at home but ineffective overseas.
 
phelans shorts said:
yeah I don’t think Robinson will ever look different, he’s just built like a fridge. It’s made more pronounced because he’s unfortunately one of those people who seems to look absolutely shattered by simply walking to the corner shop, when from his performances so far for England he looks like he can keep going for absolutely ages.
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Yep, bit like Angus Fraser. He can still improve though I reckon.
 
TheGame said:
Been critical of Crawley but actually think he looked ok before the wicket. Hameed just seems to defend until he gets out. 5th successive single figure score, need to drop him for the next match. Malan has done well this series.
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Tbh I wouldn't drop any more players now. Wait until the WI series and take a punt on Yates (or even Lammonby, who's clearly a good player although his FC record is still pretty mediocre).

Burns will always be fighting his technique. Better to move on to someone with a higher ceiling IMO.
 
JohnnyKills said:
Tbh I wouldn't drop any more players now. Wait until the WI series and take a punt on Yates (or even Lammonby, who's clearly a good player although his FC record is still pretty mediocre).

Burns will always be fighting his technique. Better to move on to someone with a higher ceiling IMO.
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What do you reckon to just playing a non-specialist as an opener? There's some good no.3s and no.4s around the county game (although perhaps not great). Hain or Bohannon for example. Or even Malan perhaps?
 
JohnnyKills said:
Tbh I wouldn't drop any more players now. Wait until the WI series and take a punt on Yates (or even Lammonby, who's clearly a good player although his FC record is still pretty mediocre).

Burns will always be fighting his technique. Better to move on to someone with a higher ceiling IMO.
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Lammonby had a terrible season for Somerset, nowhere near ready. He's not even an opener really, just got thrown in there because Somerset don't have anyone else in the squad to do it.

I'd stick with Burns, I think he is the best opener available for England so should be playing. His record isn't great but it's pretty much level with the average of all openers since he made his debut.
 
IRN-BRUno said:
Lammonby had a terrible season for Somerset, nowhere near ready. He's not even an opener really, just got thrown in there because Somerset don't have anyone else in the squad to do it.

I'd stick with Burns, I think he is the best opener available for England so should be playing. His record isn't great but it's pretty much level with the average of all openers since he made his debut.
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Kind of agree. I think it's clear that none of our openers are good enough to compete with the top test teams, but hoping to stumble on a new opening pair is a bit of a scattergun approach.

I would even give Hameed and Burns another shot at it in WI. It's a tour that won't tell us a lot about a new opener/opening pair in the long run, but would be a good gauge on Hameed and Burns given what we already know.
 
groovyalbert said:
Kind of agree. I think it's clear that none of our openers are good enough to compete with the top test teams, but hoping to stumble on a new opening pair is a bit of a scattergun approach.

I would even give Hameed and Burns another shot at it in WI. It's a tour that won't tell us a lot about a new opener/opening pair in the long run, but would be a good gauge on Hameed and Burns given what we already know.
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Fair points, but I'm not sure it's a scattergun approach. It's more a case of identifying two young openers with the potential to succeed at test level, and sticking with them.

If we went on the scores in the county game then Head or Labuschagne wouldn't be playing international cricket. They both averaged below 20 last season.

Given the first-class game is clearly unfit for purpose and it will take a while to fix, better to find the best young players and take them out of it.

Also, worth noting Lammonby has four hundreds in 19 FC games. Crawley has five in 66!!! What a mess our red-ball tournament is.
 
TwoSheds said:
What do you reckon to just playing a non-specialist as an opener? There's some good no.3s and no.4s around the county game (although perhaps not great). Hain or Bohannon for example. Or even Malan perhaps?
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Not sure tbh. Not against it in principle but not sure too many players have the skillset to switch.

Bohannon looks a real prospect, can see him taking the number 3 role in time but let's see.

Malan will be decent for a while but already 35 isn't he.
 
JohnnyKills said:
Not sure tbh. Not against it in principle but not sure too many players have the skillset to switch.

Bohannon looks a real prospect, can see him taking the number 3 role in time but let's see.

Malan will be decent for a while but already 35 isn't he.
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Only turned 34 in September, should easily get 2-3 years out of him and maybe more if things finally work out with his Test career.
 
TwoSheds said:
Only turned 34 in September, should easily get 2-3 years out of him and maybe more if things finally work out with his Test career.
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Wouldn't disagree. I'd keep him in. He's not part of the long-term plan but he'll be good for a while as you say.

The difference between him and someone like Burns is that (IMO) Burns is never going to score runs consistently at test level, so makes no sense to continue with him. At least Malan can do well in the short term.
 
JohnnyKills said:
Wouldn't disagree. I'd keep him in. He's not part of the long-term plan but he'll be good for a while as you say.

The difference between him and someone like Burns is that (IMO) Burns is never going to score runs consistently at test level, so makes no sense to continue with him. At least Malan can do well in the short term.
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Felt burns was unlucky to get dropped in all honesty, looked like he was starting to acclimatise to the aussie conditions in the 2nd innings in adelaide somewhat then goes dropped for someone who hasn't played since September and has no record to speak off to back him up.

Burns is an experienced players who has been our most consistent top order batsmen for the last couple of years (which really isn't something to be proud off) but non the less that's the situation.

Having two inexperienced openers neither of whom have a record to shout about opening the batting in the key boxing day test was yet another muddled decision amongst many on this tour.

In all honesty by far the biggest failure of this tour has been the non existent preparation, the batsmen haven't had a chance to acclimatise to aussie conditions and it has showed in the truly remarkable amount of top order batsmen making very low scores.
 
JohnnyKills said:
Robinson definitely looks unfit, but he's got quite a chubby face so it might just be that.

He certainly needs to get fitter and stronger. If he keeps bowling at 125kph he'll become another Chris Woakes - brilliant at home but ineffective overseas.
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Robinson's getting his wickets at an average of 26 this series. Woakes at 76. Not sure they are displaying similar abilities.
 
Nice to see Wood get an early wicket but he needs to go and get a plaster on that knee! Like a Jackson Pollock those whites.
 
Wood gets Labuschagne again, then Leach bowls Smith.

Australia trying to force the issue slightly too much. Need to rebuild now.
 
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