He looks so innocuous. I think it's not long before test cricket fizzles out, though. T20 seems to be the choice.
English cricket thread
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Some of the umpiring decisions this series have been shambolic. It’s like they’re trying to land a reffing job in the premiership.
Down to Leach and Mahmood to salvage something, again. Can't see it happening twice in the same match.
Thanks for the mood boost lads. We don’t win test series very often so they always feel that much more special when we do.
I've been in and out of this series with work and other stuff, but it's several times now I've caught up with the score and just had to laugh. It's right that they have one eye on the post-Broad and Anderson future but this squad is now too weak to sustain injuries to the likes of Robinson, and there are problems everywhere without making more for yourselves by voluntarily leaving top players out.
The batting is a real disgrace at this point. The entire cricketing organisation in this country has lost the appetite for anything other than limited overs swashbuckling. Shambolic.
The batting is a real disgrace at this point. The entire cricketing organisation in this country has lost the appetite for anything other than limited overs swashbuckling. Shambolic.
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No sign there of Root stepping down himself.
The decision should be taken out of his hands, he has to be stripped of the captaincy. We're a fecking shambles.
The decision should be taken out of his hands, he has to be stripped of the captaincy. We're a fecking shambles.
I've thought about this. I think it has to be someone who at least would be in or around the team regardless of captaincy. Burns would be one option (he's done just as well or better than the other openers we've tried, and has captained Surrey). I'm not sure if Foakes has ever captained Surrey. I'd be against Woakes, he shouldn't really play away from home, wrong side of 30 and like Root seems "too nice". Bairstow would be a wildcard, if we stop dicking around with his position and just have him lower in the order.
Abell and Rhodes are interesting shouts. Trouble is where they fit in the side. Both batting all rounders, but you can't see their bowling making the transition to test level. However both can also bat in the top 3, where we're not stocked with options, so it may be worth a go. It may mean sacrificing Foakes and giving Bairstow the gloves back to strengthen the batting order. I just think you'd need to give them a series as a minimum and ideally a year in the side before giving them the captaincy, for them to settle into the side and test cricket. But would either of them hold their own at test level on performances alone? You'd want them to average at least 30 with the bat. Maybe it's worth a try, with Broad having the captaincy for a year or so short term as a transition.
I think it will be Stokes ultimately, and I think it'll be a disaster. Being an all rounder at test level is insanely difficult all ready, adding the captaincy too it would be extreme. Plus he plays all the white ball stuff too, plus he's had a few run ins with the press in the past, I just couldn't see it ending well. Maybe, just maybe, it could work if he played as a specialist batsman/6th choice bowler, but then you'd have to field another all rounder or two to balance the side. Sam Curran maybe, but I'm not convinced he could be a test match number 7. Or play 4 bowlers, plus Stokes plus another batting all rounder like Critchley or Livingstone.
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I used to watch him a lot when he was at Yorkshire and he had a limited shot repertoire then and could get bogged down. Any decent test attack will just starve him.
Overton is awful.
There's a poll on the beeb.
19% of people scare me.
19% of people scare me.
I think it will be Broad.
James Vince in as vice to drip feed him into the role when Broad is rested.
Not saying I agree, just my prediction
I'm open to quite a few different options but Vince would be one I would be completely against. He's 31, tried and tested. Sure he can probably feel he was thrown in too early or maybe should have got a chance again in the last few years, but its gone now. He's best as a white ball player, his best county performances are at 5 or 4 at a push where we aren't short of options. He's basically from the same generation and mould as Bairstow, Buttler, Root, Hales, Malan but not as good as them. Time to move on with a younger team, and only keep the old heads who are proven, reliable performers at test level. Give chances to players with the technique and temperament suited to test cricket. Less flash, more grit.
Not against giving it to Broad for a year and having some of the younger options compete to establish themselves as a both a player and an influence in the dressing room. Just not Vince.
I still think Malan should be given a go myself, even if only for a year or two.
He’s been tried and he has had many chances to cement that number 3 position, he can’t play spin and hasn’t improved in that aspect at all.
Many chances is a bit of an exaggeration. And the coaching and captaincy need to change before I decide these players aren't up to it, the atmosphere around the camp could not have been described as conducive to good performances in the Ashes series. Regardless, he's proved a hell of a lot more than bloody Vince.
I have watched a lot of Malan and I’m telling you he isn’t the way forward. He is a decent player on hard bouncy pitches but the simple fact of the matter is
He is not adaptable
He is still averaging under 30
A couple of decent scores in Australia to start off which then faltered at the end.
I ain’t championing for Vince because he is just as bad but the cupboard is bare.
Bohannon of Lancs is next in line for an opportunity.
Still not sure about Bracey whether he deserves another chance as well.
I'm really not familiar with Bracey and trying to remember if he was brought in as batting cover and then unexpectedly got thrown in as keeper or brought in as back up keeper and then suddenly got thrown in to the top order. I think it was the former.
Either way I remember thinking it was an awful lot to suddenly ask of him and I don't think his 3 failed innings are enough to draw much from. That said, his first class record is pretty average but aren't they all these days.
You have to pick a captain and it's not fair to make it Stokes. I'd even be happy to open with Malan if that were what was needed. Bracey is shite, with both bat and gloves. I agree with you that Bohannon deserves a chance but unless he can captain I'm sorry I'm choosing Malan. This is all based on the fact I think Broad would be a bit rubbish but if Broad is the pick fair enough, go with Bohannon.
Hell of a performance by England in this World Cup semi final, Australia in the final on Saturday/Sunday seems inevitable now. Would be very tough with how good Australia are but in a one off game, who knows.
The women are doing great. I've been up all night watching this. Just need to keep up the pressure and then it's on to Sunday.
....and that's it, we're in the final.
Ecclestone is ludicrously good. Wild it took five years for her first international fifer
That was some performance and just a remarkable turnaround from the start of the tournament. They have made the final with no contribution from the best batter so hopefully Heather knight is saving up for the final . England are massive underdogs for the final which is kind of expected but you never know
How old is he? Is he any good? Is he a batsman or a bit of everything (often the case pre 17).
Bit of everything. He plays on the A team at school (and for his club) but I don’t think he’ll ever go on to do great things in cricket tbh. There are much more talented kids than him on his team.
Any half decent local sports shop should be able to size him up easy enough. If he's a teenager you want to lean on going one size to big just as you would a new school jumper...
Brands to look out for: Gray Nicholls, Kookaburra, Gunn and Moore, New Balance. Can't go wrong with any of those. If he's a casual player there's no need to break the bank, but they're never 'cheap'.
Ok, cool. Thanks a mill.
Oh absolutely massive underdogs, everyone is against Australia, but India did beat them last year for instance (the fact we have to pick out them not winning one game from the last however many years is ludicrous) but England possibly are the best placed. Especially with Ecclestone on a roll, Wyatt looking good at the top of the innings, Cross being in the form of her life at first change. As you mention reaching the final with little/no contribution from Knight runs wise shows how well they’ve played all round after that disastrous start.
Hell that awful start may even help, every match since has been do or die so they’ve definitely learned to win in high pressure scenarios.
She is. We've had great spinners for as long as I can remember. Sarah Glenn's quality and she can't even get in this side.
SS is also good brand.
Thanks!
I would actually take England's bowling attack over the Aussies. Where we may struggle is keeping their total down. The top of Australia's batting line up is fearsome and if Alyssa Healey gets in "beast mode" like she did in the semi, it's probably all over. However, I believe England are in the final on merit and are definitely the 2nd best team in the tournament. We gave the Aussies a good run in the round robin and have improved tremendously since that point. Australia, no doubt, are huge favorites but it is a one off game and we have a punchers chance.
Roll on Sunday!
Agree with all that.
Would love to bat first. If we can get a good score then we can at least put the pressure on their top order. Odds are they'd come through it regardless, cause they're exceptional at the moment, but they might chase a couple wide ones from Kath and find themselves in a mess.
Aus national team specialises in ruining cricket finals.
Absolutely stunning innings from Healy. Dropping her on 42 not a great idea. Nor was bowling first...
Just woken up to see the score and Perry and Lanning haven’t even batted damn.
This Australia side is just too good. On paper that England (Sciver) batting display would win most games. Well won by the Aussies.
Hey, the 1987 World Cup Final was close - but it would have been nice for this final to go down to the wire.