The cricket thread

Neil · June 2023

Finely poised.

Looking forward to today's play - if goes ahead.

sev112 · June 2023

He wouldn’t have scored the runs that LJB did though

guitars4you · June 2023

chris78 said:

Proper test match day but the decision to not play Foakes looks a shocker after that.

I can understand where you are coming from - But I find a no ball more of a guilty verdict - A missed catch or a missed stumping is trying to 'instantly' seize an opportunity - You have to be prepared for it but in truth you are not sure exactly when, where or how it will come - So many variable factors in play - Less variable factors IMO with a methodical run up that you measure and practice all the time - Plus why not back up 6/8" on the popping crease so it "NEVER" happens

crunchman · June 2023

sev112 said:

He wouldn’t have scored the runs that LJB did though

Why not?

He's got two test hundreds on much more demanding pitches than this one. He might well have made more than Bairstow as he probably wouldn't have got out on a mad charge down the pitch.

He only has to score 1 to be in credit against Bairstow anyway. Green scored 38 more after Bairstow missed the easy stumping. Carey scored 40 more after the first time Bairstow dropped him. Subtract those 78 runs from what Bairstow made, and you have a grand total of zero.

chris78 · June 2023

I think I’m right in saying that Foakes averages about 55 in div 1 this year vs Bairstow circa 27 in div 2.
Im a Kent fan and he’s just scored a brilliant hundred against us and we included Wes Agar and Arshdeep Singh so the idea he’s not a top batsman just isn’t right.

@guitars4you agree, but bowlers can overstep when pushing. 2 of the 3 from Bairstow yesterday were routine and the miss this morning wasn’t great either.

crunchman · June 2023

The knock on effect of Bairstow's incompetence was Moeen having to bowl a lot more overs:

Image: https://img1.hscicdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,t_ds_w_960/lsci/db/PICTURES/CMS/362000/362035.4.jpg

guitars4you · June 2023

crunchman said:

The knock on effect of Bairstow's incompetence was Moeen having to bowl a lot more overs:

a) is he allowed to wear a plaster

I know what SRV would do with such an issue

sixstringsupplies · June 2023

No he can’t add a plaster. No foreign objects allowed.

I was there on Friday

i didn’t agree with the declaration but given the weather it looks a good decision.

The last 20 minutes of play on Friday when Broad was running in, the hollows stand was quite literally shaking beneath your feet. I was genuinely concerned. Never experienced such an atmosphere at a test match. It was absolutely incredible.

whatever happens, the crowd have been thoroughly entertained, except the poor buggers who suffers the rain on day 3

joneve · June 2023

Could be some final session this afternoon if England can get another wicket before tea.

munckee · June 2023

Feel like this is slipping, khawaja got to go soon if we have any chance.

guitars4you · June 2023

Getting too close for comfort with the win/swing barometer leaning in their direction

RandallFlagg · June 2023

England need to make something happen, Aus happy to tap singles to victory with 4 wickets in the tank, pict h is flat and not doing much, spinner is fooked and new ball too far away.

RandallFlagg · June 2023

And just as I post that bam, Stokes bowls Khawaja! GAME ON!

guitars4you · June 2023

Khawaja gone - Maybe just maybe !!!!!!! - New ball in 8 overs - Stokes might be more than half buggered, but he can still find something deep with in his heart as and when required

RandallFlagg · June 2023

guitars4you said:

Khawaja gone - Maybe just maybe !!!!!!! - New ball in 8 overs - Stokes might be more than half buggered, but he can still find something deep with in his heart as and when required

Stokes just carries on walking no real celebration, his knee is fooked but what a leader foe his team. 3 more…c'mon

guitars4you · June 2023

RandallFlagg said:

guitars4you said:

Khawaja gone - Maybe just maybe !!!!!!! - New ball in 8 overs - Stokes might be more than half buggered, but he can still find something deep with in his heart as and when required

Stokes just carries on walking no real celebration, his knee is fooked but what a leader foe his team. 3 more…c'mon

On that win/swing meter, the draw has not been in the race - But will now start to come through on the blind side

guitars4you · June 2023

RandallFlagg said:

guitars4you said:

Khawaja gone - Maybe just maybe !!!!!!! - New ball in 8 overs - Stokes might be more than half buggered, but he can still find something deep with in his heart as and when required

Stokes just carries on walking no real celebration, his knee is fooked but what a leader foe his team. 3 more…c'mon

On that win/swing meter, the draw has not been in the race - But will now start to come through on the blind side

guitars4you · June 2023

RandallFlagg said:

guitars4you said:

Khawaja gone - Maybe just maybe !!!!!!! - New ball in 8 overs - Stokes might be more than half buggered, but he can still find something deep with in his heart as and when required

Stokes just carries on walking no real celebration, his knee is fooked but what a leader foe his team. 3 more…c'mon

Win , loose or draw there will be questions before Lords - With Barstow not at the top of the agenda

Ali for starters and who comes in

Stokes as the 5th bowler

Wood for Ali might be an option at Lords

If Stokes can't bowl, but bats only and they want a 5th bowler, then Brooks might have to step down to bring in another bowler

bertie · June 2023

12 runs or two wickets.................................................. hmm

joneve · June 2023

Fucksake. Early Declaration on day 1 might have cost us. Great TM though. Onto 2nd test

munckee · June 2023

I think the declaration cost us a draw rather than a win but great test.

crunchman · June 2023

We shouldn't have lost that. We were reckless with our batting, and there is no way Bairstow should have had the gloves.

guitars4you · June 2023

Credit to the Aussies (can you ever give the Aussies credit) but when Cummins came in and they still needed 70 odd runs, I just thought at best they could bat out for a draw - Thought not enough time or overs left in the game, based on their earlier run rate etc

Credit to both sides - you could see Cummins and Broad still chatting with all to play for - Great sportsmanship and spirit

Khawaja batted all 5 days - When did that last happen

RandallFlagg · June 2023

Outstanding knock from Cummins there and a wonderful composed couple of innings from a dogged, composed Khawaja making for an an excellent enthralling Test Match, but too many missed chances in the field from England. Baz was balled.

There will be plenty of if's, buts and maybes, Bairstow? Anderson not at his best, Moeen's finger, Stokes injury... but it's done, time to look ahead and on to Lords...

RandallFlagg · June 2023

Some bed time reading between now and Lords:

https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-laws-of-cricket

Mellish · June 2023

I'm a neutral if anything. All I want to see is good cricket. This first Test had thar, for me.

Australia play with fire and passion, fiercely proud to represent their country.

Going to be a great series, I think.

Tannin · June 2023

The key to understanding what this test means for the series is the curious failures

1: England's bizarre failure to play a wicketkeeper. As we saw, a real keeper would have been worth three or four wickets in not-dropped catches and not-missed stumpings. In that alone you have the difference between an England loss by 2 wickets and a comfortable England victory by 150 runs.

2: The horrendous triple failure by Australia's best batsmen: Smith, all things considered the best year-in, year-out batsman in world cricket today, currently ranked #2 internationally, and a noted performer in the UK: 22 in two innings. Labuschagne, the form player this year, ICC World Ranking #1: 13 in two digs. Head, an in-form player averaging close to 50 and ranked as the world#3: just barely OK at 66 for two knocks. (Count Warner as well if you like, but Warner has never been much good in England and is long past his best. It is a mystery to me why Australia picked him to open ahead of the very talented and reliable Matt Renshaw.) A decent performance from any of those three batsmen (rated the #1, #2, and #3 in the world today) would have put the match result beyond doubt.

3: England's failure to provide a decent test match pitch with a bit in it for the bowlers.

None of those three failures is likely to be repeated. The first test, in other words, isn't likely to provide much of a guide to the rest of the series. England will (surely) pick a wicketkeeper. Smith and/or Labuschagne and/or Head will score some serious runs. Jimmy Anderson will cause some carnage. There will be a result, probably after lunch on the 4th day. There will be some great cricket. Roll on the Ashes!

But this peculiar first test just completed, despite those bizarre failures and even because of them, has been an absolute corker, one of the best tests ever played. We have seen heroics from Root and Cummins, excellent test performances from Khawaja and Broad, a good effort from Bairstow with the bat (if not the gloves), not to mention Lyon's ever-reliable bowling. Inspiring leadership from Stokes and Cummins, a daring (and I believe justified) declaration, excitement and nail-biting drama on all five days, all from a match played in good spirit (Robinson aside) before good crowds. It went right down to the wire and I could not go to bed until it was over.

I seldom pay much attention to cricket these days, but the Ashes is special. Screw last week's cameo with India, this is the real World Championship of cricket. Long may these close Ashes contests endure.

guitars4you · June 2023

A fair amount of critics and/or questions about England, now they lost - Wrong keeper - Early declaration etc - Maybe some justification in these questions - But with 50 odd runs still required and only 2 wickets left then I would see most good money going on England and few questions being asked

Ultimately the winner is test match cricket - It can survive as an entertainment spectacle - It will be harder to survive with long drawn out draws and no obvious winner after 2/3 days and the draw as on odds on favourites after 2/3 days

I liked the spirit that Stokes and Cummins showed at the end of the game with almost a 'can't wait for Lords' and 'me to' as the reply

There is obvious an equilibrium balance of runs on the board and time required to bowl them out - If we had, and 'if' is the key word, spent another hour chasing another 50 runs at the end of day 1 and even early the start of day 2 - then Stokes would have had to declare early at the end of the 2nd innings, especially as now rain affected - To a) set a realistic target and b) time available to capture 10 wickets - If the potential run chase was to much the Aussies would have shut up shop straight away and accepted the draw - The net result would still be a 280 ish run chase under bazball rules

Credit to the Aussies as most of their 2nd innings they were chasing 3 an over and often falling behind that - And until Cummins hit Root for 14 in one over, they never looked likely to win

The big difference in the end was our lack of bowling options - Stokes is not fit to bowl, certainly as he wishes to - Ali injured - Anderson didn't get the ball to talk and Robinson was just okay - So really Broad the only effective bowler - the Aussies have a better balanced team and bowling options

The fact that we had to look at bringing Ali back shows the issue we've had for many years now and that is no good spinning option - As a spinner Ali is really only as effective as Bairstow is behind the stumps - Both adequate but rarely match winners

Maybe we've got away with it for a while, especially when the going is good - But our team balance is not ideal - No quality spinner, an all rounder that struggles to bowl effectively, a keeper who is primary a batsman - based on last summers performance then Bairstow walks back into the team as a batsman, but who for - Brooks walks into the side based on his winter performance - You could argue that Bairstow opens and bats only, but surely that is as 'dangerous, as him batting and keeper - ie a stop gap - If Stokes only bats, then someone has to drop out to allow this and bring in say Curran in that 'all rounder' role - So not an ideal scenario, especially with no proven spinner at the level we need

But forget all about that - Great entertainment - TMS said they had record levels of log in listeners via phones/lap tops etc - BBC hi light show had good viewing figures - bazball won't always work with regards to victories - But it will often bring in entertainment and full houses - the Hollies looked liked they loved it

crunchman · June 2023

@guitars4you I'd have to disagree with your assessment of Bairstow as adequate behind the stumps.

He missed a regulation stumping of Green in the first innings when he was on 0, and he went on to make 38. He dropped Carey twice in the first innings, and he made another 40 after the first of those drops. I think he dropped Khawaja early on in the second innings as well, and he went on to make 65.

It's not just raw runs he gave away. If we had bowled them out 30 overs sooner in the first innings, then Moeen's finger might not have been completely shredded and he may have been able to contribute in the second innings, and at Lords.

scrumhalf · June 2023

Dropped catches and declarations are one thing.

Failing to break a 9th wicket stand that put on ?50? runs on the last day seems to me to be the bigger problem.

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