Root goes level with Cook on 33 test centuries for England. Joint top.
English cricket thread
- Thread starter Samid
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Aye, what a player…if anything he’s getting better in terms of shot selection.
Mind you, he needs a further 18 centuries to equal Tendulkar!
Seems like years since Root last got a century, always seems to get himself in, then out for 60/70.
He scored one last month!!
Blimey! It’s his third this year along with two 80s.
Sigh. We were doing well despite a strange decision to field first.. but that has been turned on its head. Think England look good for a 400 score.
I swear Root loves playing against SL the most.
I swear Root loves playing against SL the most.
Wish Root would put that shot away, great knock all the same.
I jinxed that Daddy Hundred 
Pressure against better opposition (no offence SL) England would play with deeper batting options. This line up looks way too light with Lawrence opening and Woakes as all-rounder.
We wouldn't even consider this v the top 4/5 sides. It's a proper stop gap team.
Atkinson also an allrounder?
Rehan Ahmed’s younger brother Farhan (off spinner) has made his County Championship debut against Surrey at the age of 16 and he’s taken 4-69 off 28 overs (Notts have only taken 5 wickets today!). He played in Sri Lanka’s warm up against England Lions too and took 3-87. Incredibly impressive at that age.
I watched 15 overs or so when I was “working” and I’m not convinced by his technique.
Fine in benign conditions against some average bowling but I fear he’ll be caught out by better bowlers.
But well done to him and I hope he gets a century tomorrow.
I wasn't being entirely serious.
He saw off the new ball late on. His knock today was just as important as Roots.
Sorry I missed that!!
I think he may be good for an occasional 30 or 40 but in the ashes especially away from home I think he’ll be found out.
Would be happy to be proven wrong though.
Agreed. I don't think it's a surprise that this is the summer Anderson has been moved on either. Against better opponents he'd probably have been milked for another summer.
That Sri Lankan batting lineup is very good so I can see them getting a 400 score in the first innings
It is a good line up. Big moment for them tomorrow.
Yeah. Lords can be unpredictable at times but this pitch really looked flat today
Isn't that the same for most tailenders, though? They generally do get found out the better the bowling is, even the ones who can bat a bit won't last long against a fired up Mitchell Starc at the WACA or Ashwin on a rank turner. But Atkinson could be like another Ashley Giles or Graeme Swann scoring useful runs.
If he can come in and score handy runs averaging 20s that's enough in my opinion.
Hopefully Potts is also capable of that.
The issue is having Woakes as No. 7. It's only because of Stokes's injury, but Chris Woakes is a bowling allrounder these days. It just magnifies the deficiencies of the tail, which aren't all that bad with Stokes and Smith above them.
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For all the talk of Sam Curran that is one more test century than he has. It also equals Curran's number of first class hundreds.
Wonderful knock this and has turned England's innings around. Was looking precarious at 216-6.
Interesting test this because England didn’t bat well enough but Root & Atkinson have given England a good score. Anything 400 above is a god score at Lords even when it’s flat, because of the slope and especially bowling from the Pavilion end.
Yeah I reckon 400 was probably par but the way Eng;and have got there will likely demoralize the Sri Lankans.
Excellent from Atkinson, the catch to dismiss him wasn't bad either!
4-48 against the West Indies earlier in the summer as well. I wouldn't be surprised if he was selected for the Pakistan tour.
That’s one of the worst reviews I’ve ever seen. The bat wasn’t even down to the ball as it went past.
Seems to be the same shitty batsman as the last test
I don't know from where this ridiculous notion came from that Sri Lanka have a good batting line up. We haven't had a reliable, consistent top order in almost a decade.
Shaping up to be another non-series sadly. This is pretty abysmal from SL. Particular shame as I have day 3 Oval tickets, will likely only see a couple of sessions at best.
First test was very good? If Sri Lanka get rolled here (looks likely but a long way to go) it's hardly unheard of.
Pretty good but still a 3-dayer. Isn't this historically where SL play best in the UK too?
Considering you have Kamindu Mendis coming in at 7 people are rightly saying there's potential for runs in it - alongside a stable middle order. Top 3 has had a nightmare and that's not unexpected admittedly.
Seems to be the same shitty batsman as the last test
Tbh they did make 326 from 1-2 in the second innings in OT so I was expecting betterYup 6 out of the top 7 average over 40 so was expecting better
Shame with the momentum around test cricket in recent years we have had a summer of 2 mini series against poor test sides.
Yes, there was the world cup but this summer has been a poor advert for test cricket.
Yes, there was the world cup but this summer has been a poor advert for test cricket.
Agree. But we can't play India and Australia every year can we?
Unfortunately, test cricket is a poor advert for test cricket right now. Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are all shadows of what they were in the 90s and New Zealand look to be regressing.
Sounds like we're entering the 'boom' phase of the media's boom-bust cycle regarding England.
Got me thinking: how many of our players would get into a composite XI with India?
Mine would be:
Jaiswal
Rohit
Root
Kohli
Brook
Stokes
Pant
Jadeja
Wood
Bumrah
Shami/Siraj
So still only four players, although Atkinson and Smith have the potential to change that.
Got me thinking: how many of our players would get into a composite XI with India?
Mine would be:
Jaiswal
Rohit
Root
Kohli
Brook
Stokes
Pant
Jadeja
Wood
Bumrah
Shami/Siraj
So still only four players, although Atkinson and Smith have the potential to change that.
Root is the better batter, so I’d put him in his preferred position at four and sacrifice Kohli at three.