Cricket fred

[fivepointer]

Great knock from Root. That was a high class century, which at least has given us a sniff.

Poor 1st innings will condemn us to defeat unless it rains a lot, or the Indian batting falls apart.

[Banquo]

Great knock from Root. That was a high class century, which at least has given us a sniff.

Poor 1st innings will condemn us to defeat unless it rains a lot, or the Indian batting falls apart.

We also need to eke more runs out of 9. 10 jack. Broads demise as a bat is unfortunate.

[Mellsblue]

If you’re going to take your boys to their first cricket match then this is the one. The atmosphere is electric. As for the end of that innings…..

[Puja]

You know, I was very sceptical of the concept of The Hundred when it was announced - I didn't see what the point of yet another one day competition was, especially one that was an entirely new format. However, seeing the crowds and the entertainment value produced, I have to eat my words. It's reaching people who would previously have no interest in cricket or who might've been vaguely interested but would never have gone to a match before. It appears to be a complete reboot of cricket in the mindset of the British public at large, changing it from, "Lol, isn't that the game that goes on for 5 days and ends in a draw" to a short-form sporting event to go have fun at, akin to a rugby or football game. And that's not even to mention the effect that having the women's game alongside, promoted as an equal event, is having on women's sport.

I still much prefer test cricket and we need to kill some bits of the season to fit more first class cricket into it, but I was absolutely wrong about the Hundred. Well done ECB.

Puja

[Galfon]

Sell-out crowds and swash-buckling performances - it's a different
type of cricket (#4 ) but will help the growth of the game and maybe the Olympic inclusion bid for '28.
Just count the happy faces in the picture !.. might be when the 1st ever 200 was reached.


Good effort again today from jimmy-jimmy.

[Mellsblue]

Sell-out crowds and swash-buckling performances - it's a different
type of cricket (#4 ) but will help the growth of the game and maybe the Olympic inclusion bid for '28.
Just count the happy faces in the picture !.. might be when the 1st ever 200 was reached.


Good effort again today from jimmy-jimmy.

The atmosphere for the last few overs of the SuperChargers’ innings was electric. Up there with the best of any sporting event I’ve ever been to. Getting 200 off the last ball of the innings was the cherry on the icing on the cake.
Tickets have been booked for Tuesdays match…. which will surely suffer by comparison.

[fivepointer]

The Hundred is fine. The calendar overall is a dogs dinner and needs to be fixed. County Championship needs to be front and centre if we are serious about test cricket.
Whacking 6's over deep mid wicket can be fun but it doesnt help our test players.

[Digby]

If anyone hasn't seen the Hameed dismissal it's well worth a giggle

[fivepointer]

A session without losing a wicket, well i never...

[Digby]

Root has come out after lunch looking to address that. Christ, calm down Joe

[fivepointer]

Cracking weekend of test cricket. Final day could be quite something.

[Digby]

Genuine weirdness from Root going after the last couple of wickets

[Digby]

In a reasonable universe you'd say that's both openers gone from the England side, but what then, recall Crawley only just dropped as a failure and someone else not good enough to have been picked ahead of Crawley?

It does feel like they need to do something, but what? Hope Bess can average 15 and just have another bowler? And what sort of message was Bess given with Ali being picked ahead of him from outside the squad?

[Puja]

In a reasonable universe you'd say that's both openers gone from the England side, but what then, recall Crawley only just dropped as a failure and someone else not good enough to have been picked ahead of Crawley?

It does feel like they need to do something, but what? Hope Bess can average 15 and just have another bowler? And what sort of message was Bess given with Ali being picked ahead of him from outside the squad?

I think Burns has got the second highest average in this current batting lineup though. He's probably quite far down the list of droppees. Maybe drop Sibley and promote Hameed? Although scores of 0 and 9 this match aren't exactly a resounding audition.

I still think there is a good test cricketer in Ali. He's such a confidence player and needs such careful handling (and not being fucked about with by being asked to open, for example), but there is talent there.

Puja

[Digby]

There are a number of players whose defence you just wouldn't trust at test level, basically everyone but Root, and maybe especially Ali who you wouldn't trust. Ali's a great counter attacking batsman, but is crap at building an innings, and (perhaps not his fault given he's a batter who bowls a bit) doesn't have good enough control of length to be a real bowler, Ali does now get some nice drift, but it's undermined by the lack of length control, and then everything is undermined by his lack of confidence

[Digby]

If we get out of this we owe India a big thank you, for their catching, and their refusal to pick Ashwin.

[Galfon]

If we get out of this we owe India a big thank you, for their catching, and their refusal to pick Ashwin.

No thank you needed,
shambolic.

[Digby]

as so often however terrific comedy value

[Big D]

Liam Livingstone must be playing his way into being part of Englands 1st choice T20 line up.

Terrific last night.

[Mellsblue]

Yep. Some monsterous hitting. It was impressive to watch. The Super Chargers player who hit 71 off 45 probably thought he had motm sewn up at the break…..
Star of the show was definitely this bloke, though:



The entire ground was simultaneously clapping and in hysterics.

[Big D]

Yep. Some monsterous hitting. It was impressive to watch. The Super Chargers player who hit 71 off 45 probably thought he had motm sewn up at the break…..
Star of the show was definitely this bloke, though:



The entire ground was simultaneously clapping and in hysterics.

Yeah was a good catch. As was the phone grab.

[Digby]

It does feel like a 1st innings lead should be possible

[Puja]

It does feel like a 1st innings lead should be possible

Bit premature that - England can screw up any position, no matter how promising. All out for 76, I reckon.

Decent start by the openers though - I'm loving seeing Hameed looking so confident. It must've been such a blow to him to come back into test cricket after such an absence and so much hard work, only to post a golden duck and a 9. Very happy the selectors stuck with him and moved him to his preferred position and even happier that he's looking better for it.

No doubt he'll be out before I finish posting this.

Puja

[Digby]

Very solid from England so far. India, well it's not the first time they've rocked up and had a day which makes you think they just don't like the workload of test cricket and they'd much rather naff off and earn a lot more money playing 20/20

[Puja]

Turns out you were right.

Puja