The cricket thread

Mellish · December 2021

It's a good show of defiance but, to be fair, the Aussies are still clear favourites to go 1-0 up in the series. But at least it shows that we *can* play. It would have been better if we'd done it on the first day, though.

Tannin · December 2021

England? Play well on the first day of an Ashes test? In Brisbane? Don't think it has ever happened. Well, not in my memory anyway.

Back in the days when test series were considered important, touring teams used to arrive in the host country weeks before the first test, get two or three matches in against first class or near-first-class sides, and give themselves a chance to get some form under local conditions. Not any more. Fly in, check in to the hotel, and start trying to play test cricket a day or two later. Madness!

No wonder very few test series of any note are anything much more than walkovers for the home side now. Touring always used to be a challenge. Under modern playing conditions it's damn-near impossible.

scrumhalf · December 2021

You have to wonder how much longer cricket teams will go on 5-test tours if all they end up doing is travel half-way round the world to get duffed up in alien conditions by the home team. Obviously the Ashes will survive, but will test cricket survive the march of big-money domestic T20 tournaments?

Tannin · December 2021

Long-term, Scrumhalf, no. I reckon test cricket is doomed. But by the time it finally dies, I'll be pushing up the daisies too, so does it matter?

chris78 · December 2021

crunchman said:

Leach is still the best spinner we have though. It's a better balanced attack than an extra fast medium right armer. We wouldn't want to be bowling on days 4 and 5 without a spinner. It probably won't get to days 4 and 5 now, but that's down to the bad batting in the first innings.

Rashid is the best spinner we have by a country mile, but not available for test cricket because England messed him about.

You’re right that Leach is the best of a truly awful bunch, which is a sad indictment of the county game. Remember, leach wasn’t good enough to play this summer and wasn’t trusted on turners in India.

Stuckfast · December 2021

I would like to have seen them take Parkinson on the tour instead of Bess. He probably isn't quite ready for Test cricket yet but at least isn't a proven mediocrity.

crunchman · December 2021

Stuckfast said:

I would like to have seen them take Parkinson on the tour instead of Bess. He probably isn't quite ready for Test cricket yet but at least isn't a proven mediocrity.

Bess isn't ready for test cricket either. Bess is only 24, and still learning his game. Graeme Swann was only 4 months short of his 30th birthday when he made his test debut. Give Bess 5 more years to master his craft, and he could be a very different bowler. He does at least put a decent rip on the ball.

guitars4you · December 2021

Well that was close

I thought the first 20 overs today would be key - 10 with the old ball before the new ball arrived - All over so quickly after some hint of hope from day 3

Oh well - At least I can get a good nights sleep

Mellish · December 2021

@guitars4you someone said it above (@Tannin?) that there's no warm-ups. It's off the plane, go to a pre-booked hotel and that's mostly it until the series starts. Some of the team haven't played since September, so that when it goes wrong (eg, their first innings) they've nothing there to help them. It's all of that and more and I just can't see them winning the series, not without a dramatic change.

Tannin · December 2021

^ Wiz for you agreeing with me.

And it's not just the England team. All the major teams these days (Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa) jump off the plane and barely have enough time to put their whites on before the toss. Making matters worse, whatever recent cricket they have had is very often one-day and 20-20 stuff, which is so very different in skillset and attitude that adjusting to test cricket in a strange country doesn't really happen for most players until the 3rd or 4th test, by which time the series is already lost.

UnclePsychosis · December 2021

I suspect that this will be an unpopular opinion but I personally think that in its current state Test Cricket deserves to die.

A closed shop, run for the exclusive benefit of about three countries, and even they don't take it seriously any more. And that's before we get on to pitches that are prepared for home domination rather than good cricket. Yawn.

Its a crying shame, because I love a good Test, but as a neutral its hard to keep giving a shit.

Mellish · December 2021

@UnclePsychosis I agree in part. The problem isn't Test, though, but the people in charge and the way player attitude has seemingly changed over the years

crunchman · December 2021

Buttler dropped Labuschagne. When will they learn and pick Foakes?

Mellish · December 2021

107-1. England need wickets. To me, Broad looks tired. Understandable but not a good sign.

Stuckfast · December 2021

From the hour or so I've seen this morning, Broad is way off the pace and we should've picked a spinner. Oh well.

Mellish · December 2021

It's like the England plan is to wait until the final session today and go for wickets then. The ball may swing a bit...To me, you get wickets when you can. Just go out and get wickets.

scrumhalf · December 2021

With the current over rate it looks like there won't be many overs with the new ball under the lights. But the way that the Aussies are batting we might have to bat at the optimum time for bowling.

Oh dear.

Mellish · December 2021

The thing about the new ball is that (so far) you have two batsmen who are set. Now you might dismiss them early with the new ball but you might not. England are being run around, tomorrow is predicted to be a very hot day... Well there's the much-needed wicket to break up that expensive partnership.

crunchman · December 2021

Stuckfast said:

From the hour or so I've seen this morning, Broad is way off the pace and we should've picked a spinner. Oh well.

We definitely didn't need 5 right fast medium bowlers. We let them get to 170 for 1 before Warner got out, and you can't bowl all 5 of them in the last hour when it's dewy anyway. It's a completely unbalanced attack. We definitely should have played Leach. Adelaide can spin later in the game - remember what Warne did to us 15 years ago. I would have played Wood as well. It would have left an awkward choice between Woakes and Anderson, but it would have been a far better balanced attack.

Mellish · December 2021

If I'm honest, it looks like England's second Test plan is "Don't lose it". I'd like to see more attack. In Smith, you have someone new at the crease. Instead of bowling bouncers at him, make him play.

crunchman · December 2021

crunchman said:

Buttler dropped Labuschagne. When will they learn and pick Foakes?

And again

scrumhalf · December 2021

It seems that the more detailed and in-depth the preparation, the worse the outcome. Maybe we need to go back to the days of nursing hangovers in the field and just turning up.

Stuckfast · December 2021

They need to go back to the days of picking the best XI they have and sticking to it, not this bloody revolving door.

I can't understand why Foakes isn't playing either. He's one of the best keepers in world cricket and hasn't done much wrong with the bat.

sev112 · December 2021

He got injured would appear to be his sin

scrumhalf · December 2021

Stuckfast said:
I can't understand why Foakes isn't playing either. He's one of the best keepers in world cricket and hasn't done much wrong with the bat.

These days a wicketkeeper is someone who is firstly a batsman and secondly can stand behind the timbers all day.This, of course, is due to having batsmen ahead of him in the batting order who are a bit flaky.

crunchman · December 2021

scrumhalf said:

Stuckfast said:
I can't understand why Foakes isn't playing either. He's one of the best keepers in world cricket and hasn't done much wrong with the bat.

These days a wicketkeeper is someone who is firstly a batsman and secondly can stand behind the timbers all day.This, of course, is due to having batsmen ahead of him in the batting order who are a bit flaky.

So far Buttler has given Labuschagne 74 runs since the first dropped catch. He's still there and will probably add more tomorrow. Buttler probably gives up 5 byes per innings more than Foakes as well. Foakes could make a golden pair, and would still add more value than Buttler.

It's not like Foakes can't bat either. He made a century on his test debut, and he's averaged over 50 in a first class season domestically - which is far better than Buttler has ever managed in the red ball game.

Mellish · December 2021

English cricket isn't what it used to be, players proud to represent their country. They saw it as a privilege - an honour- but today they seem more preoccupied with how to avoid being dropped from the Test team. I'd love England to win but playing like that? No, sorry, I just can't see it.

scrumhalf · December 2021

For all of the "it's such an honour to represent my country" media training that only seems to be true for those not playing international or IPL white ball cricket, with a few exceptions. When you relegate red ball cricket to bookending domestic white ball cricket there will bw problems. The chickens are coming home to Roo(s)t.

Tannin · December 2021

It is going to be hot today. The plan seems to be to bat slowly and carefully on the first day so as to make the England quicks toil all day in the heat on the second day and wear themselves out. Australia is missing its two best pacemen (although to be fair the replacements can bowl a bit) and my guess is that the colonials are looking to drag the match out a bit so as to have England facing Nathan Lyon's spin on the last two days in the 4th innings.

sixstringsupplies · December 2021

To be fair to Buttler, before this series, he had a wicket keeper catching success rate of 92%, one of the highest in world cricket amongst current keepers.

By the end of the days play, both sides had 18 catching opportunities in the series…

Aus have taken 18/18
Eng only 11/18

its going to be a long and depressing tour.

Catches win matches.

I’d definitely pick Foakes though now he is fit. I wouldn’t be surprised if Buttler quit test cricket after the series and concentrated on pyjama cricket.

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