Not sure it would've been enough, as frustrating as it was. There's still 3 players to come who faced over 80 balls in the first innings.
English cricket thread
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Considering the level we're at I'm satisfied with a draw.
Not a bad result for either team. Hopefully we get better pitches for the other matches cause I think the teams are nicely matched and we could get a fun series.
Yep the pitch wasn't the best. I agree that this series has the potential to be very entertaining.
Yeah a draw is a good result in the first game of a tour. Crawley, Root (at 3) and Bairstow with centuries ease some of the concerns about the batting lineup. Foakes showed he's reliable yet again. Lees and Lawrence need some runs on the board but it's nice to just have concerns over 2 batsmen rather than 5. Pope and Burns waiting in the wings and I expect we'll see one or both of them at some point.
Perhaps predictably it's now the bowling attack that is a concern (predictable as we elected to drop Broad and Jimmy). Wood is electric but has never consistently taken wickers at test level and is always an injury risk. Hopefully Robinson can play again soon and I think Mahmood needs to play. The spinner, whatever, it'd be nice to see Parkinson but Leach is decent and Parkinson will get chances eventually. Overton and Woakes are the big concern. Woakes' batting at 8 has been vital over the years but his record with the ball overseas is clear as day. In England he's probably capable of opening the bowling but overseas he isnt even a capable 3rd seamer. We need to be brave and trust the top order to score and pick 4 genuine bowlers.
Perhaps predictably it's now the bowling attack that is a concern (predictable as we elected to drop Broad and Jimmy). Wood is electric but has never consistently taken wickers at test level and is always an injury risk. Hopefully Robinson can play again soon and I think Mahmood needs to play. The spinner, whatever, it'd be nice to see Parkinson but Leach is decent and Parkinson will get chances eventually. Overton and Woakes are the big concern. Woakes' batting at 8 has been vital over the years but his record with the ball overseas is clear as day. In England he's probably capable of opening the bowling but overseas he isnt even a capable 3rd seamer. We need to be brave and trust the top order to score and pick 4 genuine bowlers.
I'm curious why the selectors have persisted with bringing Overton in from the cold over the last 5-6 years. He's not a kid anymore and he's pretty ordinary.
I'd rather give Mahmood a go who will swing the old ball and is a bit quicker.
I'd rather give Mahmood a go who will swing the old ball and is a bit quicker.
He went on loads of England "bowler training camps" or something like that, with some kind of development contract. So they've invested a lot into him. Plus plenty of time training with the team as part of the squad but not selected over the past few years. I recall him saying the coaches wanted him too add more pace, which doesn't seem to have been hugely successful. He has however had as good a bowling average as anyone in the past few seasons in the Championship, and the "he bats a bit" angle probably helps. Although his batting has looked tumescent for England. He bats at 6 ot 7 sometimes for Somerset which is a pretty damning reflection on the Championship. I don't think he's done any worse than Woakes though who has had numerous tours overseas and consistently averages 50+ with the ball.
In terms of age, he's still pretty young in test terms. It's rare for a cricketer to play top level for many years, but there are a ton of players who in their peak of late 20s early 30s and step up from county standard to test standard for a short while. Players like Sidebottom, Onions, Tremlett etc, county bowlers who suddenly had a few good years at test level later on. So there's some logic. Cricket is so much more tactical and psychological than physical compared with football so it makes sense that experience and maturity plays a bigger part. I'd be wary of throwing youngsters in too soon generally for that reason. The likes of Root, Stokes, Anderson, Broad who play internationals from early 20s well into their 30s is the exception rather than the norm. Plenty of times over the years England have thrown young players in then discarded them. As a couple examples, James Vince and Sam Robson both played in their early-mid 20s, did average to poor and were dropped for younger options (who have done as bad or worse, in fact Robsons average of 30 is better than the multitude of openers we tried since). The irony is they're better, more consistent players now than when they played test cricket. The aim for most players, who aren't Anderson or Root calibre, should be to ease them in and help them develop in their mid 20s, and then give them an extended run in their peak years from late 20s on. Now, Mahmood may well prove to be like Anderson or Broad and prove himself immediately and become a consistent test performer but, cynically, statistically he's more likely to fail, damage his confidence, get sent back to the Championship to work on his game, and when it clicks for him he'll either be overlooked for a younger prospect, or will have lost focus on red ball cricket to pursue the money available in franchise cricket.
Still no Robinson and Wood's not recovered either so Mahmood will make his debut.
See you lads tomorrow 
However I won't be able to watch any of this test so I'll just be following on twitter/reddit/livescore and post comments based on assumptions I make from what I see there
However I won't be able to watch any of this test so I'll just be following on twitter/reddit/livescore and post comments based on assumptions I make from what I see there
Please no Overton.
You get your wish, he's ill so Fisher comes in as well as Mahmood.
England lose an early wicket. You may copy and paste that line for the rest of the test series.
47 runs in the first session.
At least only 1 wicket down, but 47-2 wouldn't look quite so clever, just after lunch.
At least only 1 wicket down, but 47-2 wouldn't look quite so clever, just after lunch.
Should have asked for a DM
47/1 at lunch, glad I'm still at work!
That sounds absolutely horrendous to watch.
That sounds absolutely horrendous to watch.
84 - 2
Lawrence has helped to up the tempo, fairly quick 50 partnership off 69 balls with Root before safely getting to tea
Not watching, but England are 200 odd for 2?
Are they playing on concrete or tarmac?
Are they playing on concrete or tarmac?
I've only just started watching, so waiting for the new ball in a few overs before I really judge but I can assure you the 70 odd over one isn't doing much, for what that's worth.
EDIT - Seales found some reverse with his first ball in the 81st over and now Permaul's continuing, so maybe tomorrow for the new one.
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Seales finds the edge from Lawrence and Joseph didn't look ready for it. Seales not very happy.
Can see this being another draw, I know it’s only day 1 but I can’t see 40 wickets falling on this pitch.
There's a bit there for Seales, at least. It's the lack of spin again that worries me. I know it's only day one but you usually see some turn on day one these days if you're ever gonna get a decent amount. I guess maybe the footholes could save us. It is quite dry.
Dan Lawrence out for 91
Really poor from Lawrence to give it away. Last over of the day, drives 3 balls in a row, 2 fours and then looped to cover.
I can't remember the last time England had so many runs on the board just 3 wickets down. Feels like several years ago. In theory, the perfect platform for the middle order to build on with some aggressive batting, but a collapse seems equally likely.
Excited to see what Fisher and Mahmood can do.
Excited to see what Fisher and Mahmood can do.
It'll be hard to judge them on this surface, it looks like another dead pitch. Mahmood has always looked impressive whenever I've watched him though.
Isn't the thinking with Mahmood that these are the sort of surfaces we want him for? That we've got other bowlers who can move it around in England but he can reverse it at 85 on the flat dry pitches abroad.
Don't think I know anything about Fisher, so intrigued to see him.
He can reverse and at a good pace but we know that's not a gimmy as reverse swing bowling is not always on offer. Obviously he's never been tested this level in these conditions so it'll be good to watch.
I'm the same regarding Fisher, I like a bit of the unknown though.
It was reversing nicely for Seales last night.
And, yeah, definitely. This is what I was hoping for from this series after it was announced Broad and Anderson weren't taking part.
Seems to have draw written all over it.
A decent bit of batting practice. Root heading to a Daddy Hundred.
A decent bit of batting practice. Root heading to a Daddy Hundred.
Stokes is pure box office when he’s on it!
Brutal stuff that second hour. Needed as well given Root's still going at under 3 an over.
Think this is what England need to realise. If they can sort out the top of the order and take less pressure off the middle, then Stokes has more freedom to do this stuff.
This pitch aids the batters, but Root has shown he can stick around on different surfaces. Just need to find two above him that can do the same and build a score.
This pitch aids the batters, but Root has shown he can stick around on different surfaces. Just need to find two above him that can do the same and build a score.
Joe Root is really special. Stokes is also class.
Played, Ben.
Bairstow and Stokes giving it away too early.
Fair play to them for trying to get a match to happen rather than plodding along to 600 and a draw.
We'll need to declare soonish.
Spin!
Some strange bowling from Brathwaite this!
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