English cricket thread

What a finish, sensational catch by Bracey off the last ball. Match tied.

Kind of flashing, edged drive that could easily have gone to the boundary.

Gotta feel for Glamorgan though. What an effort.
 
Not sure why they're announcing the team 2 days in advance but Woakes, Atkinson, Bashir and Anderson are the bowlers. Roach will be a loss for the West Indies but even without him their attack looks evenly matched, if not stronger.
 
Stokes is back as the fourth seamer then. Should definitely help with the balance of the team. Weather looks shit on the bbc forecast but not too bad on the others.
 
IRN-BRUno said:
Not sure why they're announcing the team 2 days in advance but Woakes, Atkinson, Bashir and Anderson are the bowlers. Roach will be a loss for the West Indies but even without him their attack looks evenly matched, if not stronger.
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It looks a bit light on firepower but if you add Ben Stokes then you have Woakes, Anderson, and Stokes in English conditions. While Atkinson and Bashir are slightly unknown quantities England have the stronger attack if Stokes is able to contribute. Stokes adds conventional and potentially reverse swing.

Woakes also has something like 27 wickets at Lords.
 
Interestingly, Stokes has said that the selections have been made with the Ashes in mind. I understand that and think it was probably the correct decision with Jimmy (although would have liked to see him play maybe 3 tests this summer instead of just 1, and I'm not convinced by Bashir and might have chosen Hartley who is also a handy #8). Anyway, what I don't get is the selection of Woakes if the selections are made with the Ashes in mind. His away record is notoriously poor, and he doesn't have the pace that this team talks about needing. I'd have liked to have seen Jimmy and Woakes alternating this summer, utilising their skill in home conditions and lending their experience to the new bowlers, and giving two younger bowlers a match at the same time. Potts, Purrington, Tongue, Cook and few others in contention throughout the summer. I can't see Woakes making the plane for the Ashes, and with Wood still about and Archer back in contention possibly, it feels like a missed opportunity to give some of the young bowlers some game time before the Ashes.

Essentially, if you're going to pick a bowler who isn't going to play in the Ashes, at least make that bowler Jimmy Anderson. Give him three tests this summer and move Woakes aside. I guess there's a lack of options to bat at 8 but then that's another reason to select Hartley or Ahmed instead of Bashir. Potts also has a century this season I think and Atkinsons meant to be half decent with the bat.

Anyway, its going to be emotional watching Jimmy play his last test. Can't believe it will be his last one.
 
Trequarista10 said:
Interestingly, Stokes has said that the selections have been made with the Ashes in mind. I understand that and think it was probably the correct decision with Jimmy (although would have liked to see him play maybe 3 tests this summer instead of just 1, and I'm not convinced by Bashir and might have chosen Hartley who is also a handy #8). Anyway, what I don't get is the selection of Woakes if the selections are made with the Ashes in mind. His away record is notoriously poor, and he doesn't have the pace that this team talks about needing. I'd have liked to have seen Jimmy and Woakes alternating this summer, utilising their skill in home conditions and lending their experience to the new bowlers, and giving two younger bowlers a match at the same time. Potts, Purrington, Tongue, Cook and few others in contention throughout the summer. I can't see Woakes making the plane for the Ashes, and with Wood still about and Archer back in contention possibly, it feels like a missed opportunity to give some of the young bowlers some game time before the Ashes.

Essentially, if you're going to pick a bowler who isn't going to play in the Ashes, at least make that bowler Jimmy Anderson. Give him three tests this summer and move Woakes aside. I guess there's a lack of options to bat at 8 but then that's another reason to select Hartley or Ahmed instead of Bashir. Potts also has a century this season I think and Atkinsons meant to be half decent with the bat.

Anyway, its going to be emotional watching Jimmy play his last test. Can't believe it will be his last one.
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I'm of the same opinion. I'd love to see Jimmy play on for the rest of the summer and based solely on form and how he's bowling, there's no reason why not. He was arguably England's best bowler over the winter and his bowling against Nottinghamshire looked like that of a 31 year old.

But I read somewhere that Jimmy apparently has pain in his right shoulder for simple actions like brushing his teeth.

He's basically got excessive wear on his rotator cuff from years and years of bowling and tens of thousands of deliveries, which is no surprise. It's probably something he doesn't feel during games when he can have cortisone injections, ice packs, and painkillers, but recovery must be the issue.

I wonder if the selectors have basically taken this decision on Jimmy in light of that and just wanting to keep him in one piece.
 
Toss won, WI to bat first. Confident England will have too much for them, especially in Anderson's swansong but we will see!

England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Shoaib Bashir, 11 James Anderson

West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Mikyle Louis, 3 Kirk McKenzie, 4 Alick Athanaze, 5 Kavem Hodge, 6 Jason Holder, 7 Joshua Da Silva (wk), 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Gudakesh Motie, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden Seales
 
Sassy Colin said:
This is Anderson's last Test Match, so he's definitely not playing again in this series?
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Yeah, this is it for him unless he has a massive change of heart. Even then, I think there's a mutual understanding between Anderson and the ECB that it's the right time to move on - unlike Broad who probably could have gone for another year or so.

I do think England are going to struggle in the bowling department for a little while, however. Woakes and Wood are no spring chickens and not really of the quality you would want from your most experienced test bowlers. Compared to the best test nations, Endland's bowling attack looks lacking.
 
I don't think it was Anderson's decision was it?

Rob Key has effectively told him he wants to build a team for the next Ashes and he isn't confident enough he will be fully effective and said we're pushing ahead with other options.

Good start for Atkinson but massive transition period for the bowling department having lost both Broad and Anderson so quickly and with few others looking convincing enough to be the new incarnation of either.
 
ChrisNelson said:
I don't think it was Anderson's decision was it?

Rob Key has effectively told him he wants to build a team for the next Ashes and he isn't confident enough he will be fully effective and said we're pushing ahead with other options.

Good start for Atkinson but massive transition period for the bowling department having lost both Broad and Anderson so quickly and with few others looking convincing enough to be the new incarnation of either.
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Apparently Anderson averages 50+ since the start of last summer's Ashes. I would have liked for him to retire when he moved past Shane Warne's wickets, only 8 behind. Definitely a challenge to keep fast bowlers fit for a new attack. Atkinson has started well.
 
Windies are lucky England are concentrating on the ashes or this would be embarrassing.
 
Skills said:
Who the feck is Gus Atkinson
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The problem is, he can never live up to this first day of test cricket. He could go on to have the greatest career in test cricket and hell never get 7 for 37 on his debut again. could be for 8 yet.
 
My word Crawley has turned in to a monster test player. Since Stokes&Baz took charge there’s a argument to be had that he’s been the best batter in test cricket, certainly one feared by most opposition bowlers. That as an opener as well.
 
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I like the look of Alzarri Joseph and Seales, old fashioned nasty West Indian quickies vibe. They’re going to get wickets in test cricket if they stay fit & healthy.
 
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