Cricket fred

[Lord Llandaff]

umpire Dharmasena is having a series that would make George Clancy look good. Finally Cook gets a review decision right today...

[WaspInWales]

It's only India up next...

[Lord Llandaff]

Fair play, that was the best collapse of the match

[Discreet Hooker]

Fair play, that was the best collapse of the match

Gets easier apparently .

[Digby]

I bailed on the idea of going to the tip and figured I'd order a skip instead, which is perhaps a little lazy, but damn it it's easier. It's only a small skip but the council have now finished brown bin collections for the year as they've got no money to deliver the services and I figured I could listen to the cricket whilst cutting down some branches so they'd fit in the skip. England managed to be all out before I could fill the skip.

Fair play to Bangladesh, and England got just about what any team deserves who rests big players for an upcoming challenge.

[Stom]

honestly, Ballance has to go. And Finn was poor, too. I also wasn't too impressed with Ansari, but I've never really seen why he's so high up the spinner pecking order...

Where does this leave us for India?

For one, I'd pick an extra quick, and ditch the 3rd spinner.

Next, out goes Ballance. Trouble is, who comes in? Do we hand out a new cap? What about Buttler?

[fivepointer]

Game was lost in the 3rd innings. Chasing 270 was always going to be a stretch. Mind you, going from 100-0 to 164 all out was a very special effort, even if Mehedi is a terrific young bowler.

The Indian tests are going to be pretty horrible. The wickets will be prepared to order and that puts us at a huge disadvantage. We neither have match winning spinners, or enough technically capable patient batsmen to do well. If we avoid a whitewash we'll have done OK.

[Mellsblue]

Where does this leave us for India?

Screwed.

[Big D]

England will need to bat 1st in every test to stand a chance I think.

England just do not have top quality spinners or any depth of spinner.

The young opener needs to come in for Ballance. But given lack of game time is a massive ask of the young man.

[Discreet Hooker]

Good Start , Joe Root , Mr Dependable again .


Apparently Cooks dismissal ' not out ' but not reviewed .. . . .

[fivepointer]

537...very decent effort.

Whitewash avoided I'd say.

[Digby]

Can we go back to Bangladesh? Pitches there were much more fun.

600 odd runs so far for 10 wickets in 2 days. Maybe the pitch will crumble on day 4 or 5, and there has been a hint of turn, and maybe England will get the ball to reverse tomorrow, but so far this is not great cricket.

[Discreet Hooker]

Most games with score of 500+ without a collapse to follow are mundane .


What do you think Geoffrey . . . .?

[WaspInWales]

Been a tough few sessions for England with the ball but those two late wickets have evened things out a bit.

[fivepointer]

We did well today. Could be a very good final day if England score quickly in the morning and are prepared to have a go at India.

This lad Hameed just might be a stayer.

[Digby]

Yes he might, needs to show Vs pace, but he was balanced and had a plan to score

[WaspInWales]

After all the pessimism and talk of a 5-0 drubbing, the team deserve a lot of credit for the first test. Scored well with the bat, bowled them out for a deficit and came pretty close to getting the win. Perhaps could've declared the second innings a little earlier but that decision does come with quite a bit of risk.

All in all, happy enough with the draw but have to follow that performance up with another good one.

[Digby]

Does/should Jimmy come back in for the 2nd test?

[Stom]

Does/should Jimmy come back in for the 2nd test?

It's a tough one, isn't it...He'd only get to come in for Woakes. We do have an unseemly long tail, but I'd want to ensure Anderson is 100% before picking him.

[Digby]

Does/should Jimmy come back in for the 2nd test?

It's a tough one, isn't it...He'd only get to come in for Woakes. We do have an unseemly long tail, but I'd want to ensure Anderson is 100% before picking him.

I wonder if they might look at Ansari for Broad. Stokes is a given, and Jimmy in for Broad or Woakes doesn't look that obvious a move. But Ansari mayn't be the threat Anderson is, and they'd then have 4 seasmers, 2 spinners and Ali

[Big D]

Does/should Jimmy come back in for the 2nd test?

Not yet. I'd want him to do more overs in the nets in the heat.

IIRC he was poor when he came back in SA and there is no need to rush him back.

[Stom]

Does/should Jimmy come back in for the 2nd test?

It's a tough one, isn't it...He'd only get to come in for Woakes. We do have an unseemly long tail, but I'd want to ensure Anderson is 100% before picking him.

I wonder if they might look at Ansari for Broad. Stokes is a given, and Jimmy in for Broad or Woakes doesn't look that obvious a move. But Ansari mayn't be the threat Anderson is, and they'd then have 4 seasmers, 2 spinners and Ali

? So who goes in for who? I'm a bit confused: Broad, Woakes, Stokes, Anderson (4 seamers), Rashid, Ansari (2 spinners), Ali (our best spinner and MoM). How do you fit them all in?

Cook
Hameed
Root
Duckett
Ali
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Ansari
Rashid
Broad

[Digby]

It's a tough one, isn't it...He'd only get to come in for Woakes. We do have an unseemly long tail, but I'd want to ensure Anderson is 100% before picking him.

I wonder if they might look at Ansari for Broad. Stokes is a given, and Jimmy in for Broad or Woakes doesn't look that obvious a move. But Ansari mayn't be the threat Anderson is, and they'd then have 4 seasmers, 2 spinners and Ali

? So who goes in for who? I'm a bit confused: Broad, Woakes, Stokes, Anderson (4 seamers), Rashid, Ansari (2 spinners), Ali (our best spinner and MoM). How do you fit them all in?

Cook
Hameed
Root
Duckett
Ali
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Ansari
Rashid
Broad

I meant to say Ansari for Jimmy. And there's just something wrong with the world when Ali is our best spinner, that'd be wrong for any test team

[Stom]

I wonder if they might look at Ansari for Broad. Stokes is a given, and Jimmy in for Broad or Woakes doesn't look that obvious a move. But Ansari mayn't be the threat Anderson is, and they'd then have 4 seasmers, 2 spinners and Ali

? So who goes in for who? I'm a bit confused: Broad, Woakes, Stokes, Anderson (4 seamers), Rashid, Ansari (2 spinners), Ali (our best spinner and MoM). How do you fit them all in?

Cook
Hameed
Root
Duckett
Ali
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Ansari
Rashid
Broad

I meant to say Ansari for Jimmy. And there's just something wrong with the world when Ali is our best spinner, that'd be wrong for any test team

Much like Farrell, he's improving. So changing judgement is required as we go. But unlike Farrell, Moeen is likeable.

[Digby]

Much like Farrell, he's improving. So changing judgement is required as we go. But unlike Farrell, Moeen is likeable.

He's not been a threat today, which on day 1 is fine, but he's also lacked control, not so good.