Cricket fred

[Banquo]

FFS

[fivepointer]

What sort of preparation have the players had. When was the last Championship game they played? Biffing a few in a 20 over bash isnt at all like Test cricket. I think I heard that this was Buttler's first red ball game for 6 months. On what basis was Bairstow selected? His test form has been dire and he's done nothing in the Championship (mind you, few have)
If we dont structure our season properly and give our Test team the best possible preparation we will continue to slide.

[Banquo]

What sort of preparation have the players had. When was the last Championship game they played? Biffing a few in a 20 over bash isnt at all like Test cricket. I think I heard that this was Buttler's first red ball game for 6 months. On what basis was Bairstow selected? His test form has been dire and he's done nothing in the Championship (mind you, few have)
If we dont structure our season properly and give our Test team the best possible preparation we will continue to slide.

Lack of prep further compounds lack of test batting quality.

[Galfon]

4 back in the shed, incl Kohli for nowt.
India's turn to squirm with the not-so-easy conditions..

[Puja]

Ohhhhh, *that*'s what Bairstow's for! Excellent throw for the runout.

Puja

[Banquo]

4 back in the shed, incl Kohli for nowt.
India's turn to squirm with the not-so-easy conditions..

Jimmy continues to er…deliver.

Robinson seems to have bounced back well

[Galfon]

Effectively 95-6 but Root still there.
Chance of a draw, similar weather tomorrow.
If the tail wags, who knows beyond that..

[Digby]

To keep picking these batsman and to keep not picking a spinner is just such a huge double standard. Okay we don't have a world class spin option, but we don't have one that shits the bed like Spud as do our batsman, not even Ali

[Galfon]

209 to win - need to have some time tonight in the gloaming to make a game of it now..

[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.