Cricket fred

[Digby]

Burns, Crawley, Broad, and Buttler must be feeling quite relieved that they've been able to get back out there and Jimmy's been able to get his 600th before the end of the cricket summer. Imagine if he'd been marooned on 599, with the prospect of potentially not making it to another series, because of those 4 drops?

Puja

It'd be an itch, but you'd have just stuck in a line into your after dinner speech that Bradman ended stuck on an avg. of 99 and Jimmy ended on 599 but some people still think Bradman could play

[Puja]

Burns, Crawley, Broad, and Buttler must be feeling quite relieved that they've been able to get back out there and Jimmy's been able to get his 600th before the end of the cricket summer. Imagine if he'd been marooned on 599, with the prospect of potentially not making it to another series, because of those 4 drops?

Puja

It'd be an itch, but you'd have just stuck in a line into your after dinner speech that Bradman ended stuck on an avg. of 99 and Jimmy ended on 599 but some people still think Bradman could play

Fair point.

Puja

[Digby]

I like they had to bowl a ball after drinks, that weirdness only adds to the game

[Banquo]

Congrats to Jimmy

If anyone understands why with a massive lead we've spent to much time with 0-1 slips in place then fair play to you

weird

[Banquo]

anyone else a little disappointed by our lack of energy yesterday? Even to not taking the 15 overs to try and get 6 wickets, who knows what happens if panic sets in?

Bess seems to be the biggest -ve this summer, unfortunately.

[fivepointer]

I was. We had nothing to lose by giving it a lash. Some of our field placings were bizarre given the match situation.

Bess just hasnt cut it. He seems a good team man and is eager to learn but the control just isnt there. He needs to get a lot more cricket under his belt.

[Stom]

anyone else a little disappointed by our lack of energy yesterday? Even to not taking the 15 overs to try and get 6 wickets, who knows what happens if panic sets in?

Bess seems to be the biggest -ve this summer, unfortunately.

It was absurd.

Bess looks like a player who could be good...

What happened to international sport being the pinnacle, not a finishing school?

Leach is much better right now, while there are others who could step in.

Archer looks... like he’s not really here. Not a good look. I’d drop him like hell. If he can’t get fired up for playing test cricket, he doesn’t belong.

The thing is, he’s previously shown he has the ability to bowl long, accurate spells, as well as sort sharp ones. So he should be perfect for test cricket. But his attitude doesn’t seem test cricket yet...

Batting lineup starting to look good. Wood only got 1 test, so we don’t know if he’s an option in Australia.

[Digby]

Bess is in more of a starting than finishing school. But he is thinking about his game, he is getting some drift at times, he fields decently and he can hold a bat. It's weird he's already playing test cricket, but maybe they consider he should learn to bowl with DRS?

I like Archer, and I've some sympathy for the number of spells he was asked to bowl without a slip, merely being asked to push the batters back (a job Broad had once upon a time) and perhaps create footmarks for Bess. Neither Archer nor Bess is turning in results that match their potential yet, but I'm a little on the fence whether I'd swap them for Wood and Leach. I do feel sorry for Leach he was kept in camp and given no games

[Stom]

Bess is in more of a starting than finishing school. But he is thinking about his game, he is getting some drift at times, he fields decently and he can hold a bat. It's weird he's already playing test cricket, but maybe they consider he should learn to bowl with DRS?

I like Archer, and I've some sympathy for the number of spells he was asked to bowl without a slip, merely being asked to push the batters back (a job Broad had once upon a time) and perhaps create footmarks for Bess. Neither Archer nor Bess is turning in results that match their potential yet, but I'm a little on the fence whether I'd swap them for Wood and Leach. I do feel sorry for Leach he was kept in camp and given no games

Does archer keep his place against Jimmy, Broad and Woakes when Stokes is back?

[Puja]

Bess is in more of a starting than finishing school. But he is thinking about his game, he is getting some drift at times, he fields decently and he can hold a bat. It's weird he's already playing test cricket, but maybe they consider he should learn to bowl with DRS?

I like Archer, and I've some sympathy for the number of spells he was asked to bowl without a slip, merely being asked to push the batters back (a job Broad had once upon a time) and perhaps create footmarks for Bess. Neither Archer nor Bess is turning in results that match their potential yet, but I'm a little on the fence whether I'd swap them for Wood and Leach. I do feel sorry for Leach he was kept in camp and given no games

Does archer keep his place against Jimmy, Broad and Woakes when Stokes is back?

Depends if we're playing home or away. At home, absolutely not.

Puja

[Banquo]

Bess is in more of a starting than finishing school. But he is thinking about his game, he is getting some drift at times, he fields decently and he can hold a bat. It's weird he's already playing test cricket, but maybe they consider he should learn to bowl with DRS?

I like Archer, and I've some sympathy for the number of spells he was asked to bowl without a slip, merely being asked to push the batters back (a job Broad had once upon a time) and perhaps create footmarks for Bess. Neither Archer nor Bess is turning in results that match their potential yet, but I'm a little on the fence whether I'd swap them for Wood and Leach. I do feel sorry for Leach he was kept in camp and given no games

Does archer keep his place against Jimmy, Broad and Woakes when Stokes is back?

Depends if we're playing home or away. At home, absolutely not.

Puja

and where away. WI,SA and Oz being a different proposition to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Our problem, as exemplified by this match tbh, is that unless plan a works (namely duke ball moving about on a tasty surface) we don't have a plan b, esp without Stokes who can make stuff happen. For example, Archer should be capable of shaking stuff up on even relatively docile pitches; he's got a sharp bouncer, a good yorker and good changes of pace. Bit mystifying really why we didn't use him more like this all summer.

[Digby]

Given we now have Broad, Jimmy, Woakes, Archer, Stokes and Curran I don't see why we wouldn't manage them whether home or away, they can all play. If the question is would I pick Archer in a one off game then I'm not sure, I'd want to, but I might bottle that call depending on the situation

[Mellsblue]

Does archer keep his place against Jimmy, Broad and Woakes when Stokes is back?

Depends if we're playing home or away. At home, absolutely not.

Puja

and where away. WI,SA and Oz being a different proposition to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Our problem, as exemplified by this match tbh, is that unless plan a works (namely duke ball moving about on a tasty surface) we don't have a plan b, esp without Stokes who can make stuff happen. For example, Archer should be capable of shaking stuff up on even relatively docile pitches; he's got a sharp bouncer, a good yorker and good changes of pace. Bit mystifying really why we didn't use him more like this all summer.

Supposedly he wanted to mix up his bowling but was told somewhere in or around the first test against Pakistan to just bowl with as much hostility and as fast as he can.

[Stom]

Depends if we're playing home or away. At home, absolutely not.

Puja

and where away. WI,SA and Oz being a different proposition to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Our problem, as exemplified by this match tbh, is that unless plan a works (namely duke ball moving about on a tasty surface) we don't have a plan b, esp without Stokes who can make stuff happen. For example, Archer should be capable of shaking stuff up on even relatively docile pitches; he's got a sharp bouncer, a good yorker and good changes of pace. Bit mystifying really why we didn't use him more like this all summer.

Supposedly he wanted to mix up his bowling but was told somewhere in or around the first test against Pakistan to just bowl with as much hostility and as fast as he can.

He seems to want to be an opening bowler who gets movement when he should be looking to be someone who can knock their heads off. He should be trying to emulate Brett Lee, not Josh Hazlewood.

[Banquo]

and where away. WI,SA and Oz being a different proposition to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Our problem, as exemplified by this match tbh, is that unless plan a works (namely duke ball moving about on a tasty surface) we don't have a plan b, esp without Stokes who can make stuff happen. For example, Archer should be capable of shaking stuff up on even relatively docile pitches; he's got a sharp bouncer, a good yorker and good changes of pace. Bit mystifying really why we didn't use him more like this all summer.

Supposedly he wanted to mix up his bowling but was told somewhere in or around the first test against Pakistan to just bowl with as much hostility and as fast as he can.

He seems to want to be an opening bowler who gets movement when he should be looking to be someone who can knock their heads off. He should be trying to emulate Brett Lee, not Josh Hazlewood.

I think he can do both tbh. Not sure he was bowling as fast or as hostilely as he can to Mells point either.

[Digby]

His opening experience to bowling really fast in tests was that England over bowled him and left him knackered. He's adjusted this season to try more things. There's some learning to be done by England/Root and Archer, Root might also want to learn about slips, batting, and chatting to as many spinners as possible about field placings

[Banquo]

His opening experience to bowling really fast in tests was that England over bowled him and left him knackered. He's adjusted this season to try more things. There's some learning to be done by England/Root and Archer, Root might also want to learn about slips, batting, and chatting to as many spinners as possible about field placings

His 'adjustment' has been unsuccessful to date, have to ponder on condition, motivation and coaching, or all three. Or second season syndrome. Whatever, would hate to see that talent wasted, and could also say the same over his batting. And Joe Root's, its true.

[Banquo]

Archer definitely turns up better for T20; Wood sharp as well

[Galfon]

Maxwell - Rashid, short boundary ?...ahem.

[Banquo]

Yeah, Morgan normally excellent but made some odd calls there

[Galfon]

5 for 8 off 5 ?, got to pleased with that.
Just shows what a wicket with something in it can bring with
2 top quickies fired up.
Real test of resolve for India now.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/55375248

[J Dory]

anyone have a linky for nz pakistan?

[Big D]

Hopeless from Sri Lanka this morning.

Funny seeing all the England team other than the debutant with a HS of above 50. I realise this will have happened before though.

[Galfon]

18 - 2 already, Crawley gone.
( as an aside I hope the beeb doesn't go full on PC and keep referring to a batsman as 'batter', just daft. )

[fivepointer]

All fine by close of play. Good batting from Root and Bairstow, England in very strong position.

The SL batting would have shamed a club 2nd XI.