Essex Outfielder : The Unofficial Essex CCC Forum
Cricket => England Test => Topic started by: bwildered on July 12, 2019, 05:28:06 AM
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Already lost a first ever semi in World Cup . England unable to find a decent couple of openers.
All to play for .
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Heard Peter Siddle's name mentioned by Jim Maxwell on TMS yesterday - tipped to be chosen as he is "in form"
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Heard Peter Siddle's name mentioned by Jim Maxwell on TMS yesterday - tipped to be chosen as he is "in form"
Yep. Sadly I heard this as well. Would make sense to pick him for the Ashes, although whether taking wickets at county level (certainly this season) is any indication of potential success against Test batting line ups is a moot point.
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If Siddle gets picked could we keep Amir for the Championship games?
As far as I can see Pakistan have no fixtures in Aug and Sept.
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That may be fine for Kent.
but I do recall that last time Amir was here there were mummerings from the PCB that we over worked him - I wonder if he comes with some supervsion re the number of overs he can bowl!
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Given Amir's effectiveness for us in CC last time that might be better than not having him, I'd hope he'd jump at the chance to play for us again.
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The Carribbean Premier League starts early September. I'm almost certain Amir is playing in that.
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Just seen the squad - I am puzzled why Leach is out and Moeen is in.
Rory Burns is a lucky boy. I wondered if the selectors would gamble on Dominic Sibley on his home ground given Burns wretched form and poor batting in the Ireland Test
If the weather's looking helpful to seamers, what odds us going in without Moeen and have Sam Curran in to prop up the batting and offer variety with his left-armers?
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Just seen the squad - I am puzzled why Leach is out and Moeen is in.
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A close call but suspect Ali is considered more of a threat against left handers.
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Without checking, Alis bowling record at home is pretty good I think
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Just seen the squad - I am puzzled why Leach is out and Moeen is in.
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A close call but suspect Ali is considered more of a threat against left handers.
Valid point.
I just hope the selectors aren't expecting any runs from him. The Aussie quicks will exploit his airy wafts outside off stump mercilessly
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Still don't get the Joe Denly hype.
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Still don't get the Joe Denly hype.
It ain't hype. One of the best of a poor bunch.
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Still don't get the Joe Denly hype.
I haven't heard any, but the Independent's cricket reporter summed it up nicely by saying that Denly's achievement of being top scorer in the first innings against Ireland was like winning the Tallest Gnome competition. Given that he did achieve that small feat, and was idiotically run out by Root in the second before he could get a decent score, I can't blame the selectors for sticking with him, even if I'm not convinced he's a Test number 3.
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Tallest gnome? Fletcher would’ve applied himself better on that first morning.
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Mentioning Sam Curran, one thing he has in abundance is fighting spirit, he is a gritty little player & I guarantee if he goes to Oz for the next Ashes tour the Aussies will respect him for that, he always looks like he really cares when he plays for England ( & Surrey for that matter), he also contributes one way or another when he plays unlike Mooen of late.
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Feel sorry for Leach and Sam Curran. Clearly the selectors feel Leach is not a better spinner than Ali, whilst his 92 was a freak innings. SC might lose out because he’s not banging the ball into the deck and we have Stokes as all rounder plus the likes of Woakes. Maybe Curran junior should move himself up the order for Slurrey?? He has the tenacity.
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Well, we've certainly had 2 days or real Test cricket. Rory Burns had his share of plays & misses, but for grit, determination and some intelligent changes to his approach (particularly to Lyon) he deserves his ton, proving the doubters, e.g. me, wrong. I raise my glass to you, sir.
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Well, we've certainly had 2 days or real Test cricket. Rory Burns had his share of plays & misses, but for grit, determination and some intelligent changes to his approach (particularly to Lyon) he deserves his ton, proving the doubters, e.g. me, wrong. I raise my glass to you, sir.
Yep got to agree. A limited player but tons of determination.
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Very pleased for Burns who has definitely got determination & character in large quantities, not pretty to watch but, like Ally often used to be for Eng, got the job done.
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Very pleased for Burns who has definitely got determination & character in large quantities, not pretty to watch but, like Ally often used to be for Eng, got the job done.
Not pretty to watch and deathly boring when he's playing for Surrey and scoring big against our boys - but it was oddly enjoyable watching him yesterday.
Can't see Jimmy bowling this Test, or for the next few. Might be end of his career?
Big Q today is can we get Smith out before he gets another ton. There were some interesting career stats suggesting that he just loves off spinners but is much less prolific against slow left armers - given Moeen's uselessness with the bat these days(surely he should be batting below Woakes), could it be time for Jack Leach at lords?
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Moeen has been poor ever since he got worked out with the short ball. Now reduced to bowling full tosses. Joke selection. Jack Leach has dodged a bullet.
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It would be kind to drop Moeen Ali even if only for 1 Test to give him a jolt & let Leach see what he can do.
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No rhythm in his bowling, can a second innings batting display save Moen's test place? Will the World Cup winners be able to survive a days test batting on a fifth day to keep the series level ?
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Moeen's test place has been in doubt for over a year. I know that 'class is permanent, but form temporary' but he's never really shown much class. Had we got a fully fit seam attack and confidence in our top order he'd never got near this Test team.
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Well, that was cr@p.
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Well, that was cr@p.
Yep that's what you get when you neglect proper county cricket.
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Didnt watch today but it's been a very odd match. I don't ever remember a Test Match that was effectively 10 vs 11 half an hour into the game. Had Anderson have been able to bowl then the likelihood of 120-8 being turned into 284 was almost nil. With him we would have had a very good chance of victory, I think.
We know there are problems. Roy should be at 4 and Denly should be nowhere near any England Team. I'm a fan of Moeens, his record in England is very good but he has always been a real confidence player. After what happened to him last time in Australia where his form and confidence went totally he's pretty much unselectable at the moment. They'll have to bring Leach in guess. Lords doesnt offer much for spin and I don't think he's that good really when it comes to being international class but there's little choice. The bonus is he'll weaken the Somerset team, which I'm all for.
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It won't happen but I would drop Ali and Bairstow based on current form and Buttler whose talents are many but don't seem to embrace the 5 day game. I would bring in Sibley and Foakes- Archer has to play to replace Anderson and I would also play Bess rather than Leach. Bess's only test match was a success and he can bat and field. After a poor season last year he has played well in all formats for Yorkshire albeit on loan. I'm afraid I would consider Northeast too to replace Denly. Michael Holding should replace Isha Guha as a commentator on Sky but that's a marginal call!
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It won't happen but I would drop Ali and Bairstow based on current form and Buttler whose talents are many but don't seem to embrace the 5 day game. I would bring in Sibley and Foakes- Archer has to play to replace Anderson and I would also play Bess rather than Leach. Bess's only test match was a success and he can bat and field. After a poor season last year he has played well in all formats for Yorkshire albeit on loan. I'm afraid I would consider Northeast too to replace Denly. Michael Holding should replace Isha Guha as a commentator on Sky but that's a marginal call!
Agree with all of that especially the MH/IG bit.
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It won't happen but I would drop Ali and Bairstow based on current form and Buttler whose talents are many but don't seem to embrace the 5 day game. I would bring in Sibley and Foakes- Archer has to play to replace Anderson and I would also play Bess rather than Leach. Bess's only test match was a success and he can bat and field. After a poor season last year he has played well in all formats for Yorkshire albeit on loan. I'm afraid I would consider Northeast too to replace Denly. Michael Holding should replace Isha Guha as a commentator on Sky but that's a marginal call!
Isha Guha would have bowled better than Moeen, sad to say
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A pathetic batting collapse again, Roy was out to a 1 day shot, one or two should have been out before they were (some close reviews), poor shots generally & few know how to play a long innings - Thanks ECB for ruining red ball cricket & not allowing Contracted players to play more than 2 FC games per season.
Aussies bowled really well (all of them, Siddle deserved better figures but did his job, very impressed with Lyon who is a real match winner, Cummins too bowled really well.
Eng need to make changes, Roy down to 4, Ali needs to be dropped to be replaced by Curran or Bess/Leach, also Archer to play if fit. Argument also for Foakes as W/K as he is a steady batsman as well.
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We just don’t have an adequate batting line up & a collapse is always waiting to happen. It is particularly disappointing that Root is now a very average test batsman & nowhere near Smith & Kohli or probably even Dickinson as someone who can be relied upon to change the course of a game. The likes of Bairstow & Butler are far too flaky for this form of cricket & the former nowhere near lives up to his inflated ego. The trouble is that the cupboard seems fairly bare but I would be happy to see the likes of Leach & Curran given further opportunities. I don’t see how Denly got in the team in the first place.
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It takes a special type of incompetence to arrange a 3 day game for the touring side and no proper cricket for the home team before the next Test match.
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Nat all the emphasis was placed on winning the one day trophy. As far as the ECB are concerned it is job done.
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Nat all the emphasis was placed on winning the one day trophy. As far as the ECB are concerned it is job done.
Quite - either England v a county match or a round of championship matches played starting on Thursday rather than the 18 August round.
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We just don’t have an adequate batting line up & a collapse is always waiting to happen. It is particularly disappointing that Root is now a very average test batsman & nowhere near Smith & Kohli or probably even Dickinson as someone who can be relied upon to change the course of a game. The likes of Bairstow & Butler are far too flaky for this form of cricket & the former nowhere near lives up to his inflated ego. The trouble is that the cupboard seems fairly bare but I would be happy to see the likes of Leach & Curran given further opportunities. I don’t see how Denly got in the team in the first place.
Sorry to be awkward but who is Dickinson?
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Sorry to be awkward but who is Dickinson?
Sorry, Williamson (you probably guessed anyway ;))
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<sarcasm alert> Top shout out to Worcestershire for fielding a near 1st team against the Aussies today. We want them to be well prepared against our well prepared boys.
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Denley & Bairstow should consider themselves very lucky indeed to still be in the Test squad. However Burns was lucky last time .....
Some interesting speculation that Buttler might takes the gloves this time and drop to 7. It does make sense as Bairstow looks more like a "proper Test batsman" and I'm sceptical about having both Roy & Buttler in the top 6. Only problem is Bairstow's batting is pretty sh*te at the mo and lord knows where his head is.
I wondered if Dawid Malan might be picked instead of Denley - horses for courses, he's in good form, it's his home ground and he's done well against the aussies before. And he's a fighter. But Smith is, apparently, a Denley fan.Last chance saloon, Joe.
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If Buttler does not keep, I see no point in him being in the side. They should make Foakes keeper at 7 and put Bairstow at 4.
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I agree LE
Buttler is not worth a place unless he keeps. Bairstow needs to be told that he is not keeping, no matter how much he wants to. His batting avge has gone from 50s to 30s. He needs to get himself back in the runs.
I would have gone
Burns
Roy
Root
Bairstow/Foakes
Foakes/Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler (w)
Woakes
Archer
Broad
Leach
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The trouble is we haven’t got a single international quality test batsman. None of them have the patience, concentration & technique to play a decent test innings on s regular basis. You can get rid of the likes of Butler but who do you bring in? The cupboard is bare!
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There is one batsman good enough who has the game.... but he ain't doing it any more, he did his bit many times (despite what Piers Morgan the fountain of cricket knowledge says!!)
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There is one batsman good enough who has the game.... but he ain't doing it any more, he did his bit many times (despite what Piers Morgan the fountain of cricket knowledge says!!)
Indeed.
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Okay - who?
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There is one batsman good enough who has the game.... but he ain't doing it any more, he did his bit many times (despite what Piers Morgan the fountain of cricket knowledge says!!)
After the Ireland game it appears we do. It's only that he is batting at 11 in this test and not opening
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Piers Morgan the fountain of cricket knowledge
If he's a fountain it's the Manneken Pis.
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Piers Morgan the fountain of cricket knowledge
If he's a fountain it's the Manneken Pis.
Stayed in a B&B near the MP - a very small and disappointing fountain it is. Unlike Piers who could never be accused of being small.
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The ECB will be livid with the umpires today. You have to bowl 25 overs to avoid paying out a refund to spectators. They went off just as the 25th over was starting. :)
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The ECB will be livid with the umpires today. You have to bowl 25 overs to avoid paying out a refund to spectators. They went off just as the 25th over was starting. :)
I recall a test against NZ at Lord's where they bowled exactly 25 overs in a day.
Giles Clarke probably held a gun to Steve Bucknor's head as the players were on & off like a tart's knickers. ;D
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The ECB will be livid with the umpires today. You have to bowl 25 overs to avoid paying out a refund to spectators. They went off just as the 25th over was starting. :)
:)
Remember the Test when Phil de Freitas bowled two deliveries before the umpires called the rest of the day off? No refunds if any play happened in those days...
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The ECB will be livid with the umpires today. You have to bowl 25 overs to avoid paying out a refund to spectators. They went off just as the 25th over was starting. :)
https://www.ecb.co.uk/refundscheme
For days 1 to 4 of the Specsavers Test Match: If play is restricted or does not take place at the ground on the day for which this ticket is valid, you may claim a refund of only the match ticket value subject to there being: (a) 15 overs or less because of adverse weather conditions or completion of the match - a full refund; (b) 15.1 overs to 29.5 overs because of adverse weather conditions or completion of the match - a 50% refund. In no other circumstances can money be refunded.
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I was only quoting what I heard on TMS. You can't believe anything you hear on the BBC these days.
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I was only quoting what I heard on TMS. You can't believe anything you hear on the BBC these days.
Exactly. Mind you, it's good that refunds are offered when the last 'day' constitutes only an hour or two. Given the way England have messed around in this series.
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Refunds are only given for days 1 to 4. So no refunds for day 5
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Refunds are only given for days 1 to 4. So no refunds for day 5
Well, this England Test team doesn't 'do' 5 day cricket...
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Another failure for our “only world class” test batsman >:(
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I believe our world class batsman is playing for Essex at Canterbury tomorrow.
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Looks likely our test team require another 50 overs ,to escape defeat .
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I believe our world class batsman is playing for Essex at Canterbury tomorrow.
I fear he is world class no longer but he would have lasted longer than most of the inept batsmen representing England at present who rarely get criticised. Root would do well to study & replicate Smith’s technique for all his moral failings.
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Sun out and lovely to see some cricket after a lengthy break
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Get rid of Woakes and bring in either Sanderson (Northants) or Robinson (Sussex). Both are proven performers currently tearing up county batting line ups. Woakes is a plastic cricketer, over coached.
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Get rid of Woakes and bring in either Sanderson (Northants) or Robinson (Sussex). Both are proven performers currently tearing up county batting line ups. Woakes is a plastic cricketer, over coached.
Cannot agree re Woakes, the other 2 are in Div 2 which is a good deal lower standard than Test cricket or even Div 1.
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Get rid of Woakes and bring in either Sanderson (Northants) or Robinson (Sussex). Both are proven performers currently tearing up county batting line ups. Woakes is a plastic cricketer, over coached.
Surprised you think either are better than your lad.
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I just hope that England don't call up Nat's lad to play at The Oval (perhaps after we've lost the Ashes). That would stuff us. Not having anyone involved with Team England is paying off for us.
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Get rid of Woakes and bring in either Sanderson (Northants) or Robinson (Sussex). Both are proven performers currently tearing up county batting line ups. Woakes is a plastic cricketer, over coached.
Surprised you think either are better than your lad.
Perhaps Nat's been more prolific than he's let on...?
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Nope I've strictly cultivated locally. My lad is coming along nicely but Sanderson and/or Robinson are ready to go now. Miles better than Woakes.
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I'm surprised Nat's not advocating dropping Archer as well to make space for a couple of D2 medium fast guys.
Woakes home Test record speaks for itself.
No doubt Robbo & Sanderson are decent bowlers, making hay in bowler friendly conditions, not if anyone is going to edge Woakes out it'll be Curran. Lefty, done well at Test level and at 20, likely to improve.
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Nope I've strictly cultivated locally. My lad is coming along nicely but Sanderson and/or Robinson are ready to go now. Miles better than Woakes.
As is often the case I’m relieved we have knowledgable professional selectors!
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Nope I've strictly cultivated locally. My lad is coming along nicely but Sanderson and/or Robinson are ready to go now. Miles better than Woakes.
As is often the case I’m relieved we have knowledgable professional selectors!
You can't have seen Woakes bowl yesterday. Better bowlers in the Dog and Duck 3XI.
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Okay but you can’t judge someone on one performance. He has been outstanding in certain matches whilst Broad has been ineffective.
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This is an utterly hopeless England batting line up with not one player who is of test standard. I don’t care that they won the World Cup, for me that isn’t real cricket. I get the impression that most of them can’t be bothered to adapt to the longer form of the game because it doesn’t matter to them. Root has been forced to go in at no.3 which I thought was daft as it effectively makes him an opener with what’s ahead of him. Nevertheless he is showing his limitations as a test batsman. Difficult to see anything other than a 3-1 series win to Australia.
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This is an utterly hopeless England batting line up with not one player who is of test standard. I don’t care that they won the World Cup, for me that isn’t real cricket. I get the impression that most of them can’t be bothered to adapt to the longer form of the game because it doesn’t matter to them. Root has been forced to go in at no.3 which I thought was daft as it effectively makes him an opener with what’s ahead of him. Nevertheless he is showing his limitations as a test batsman. Difficult to see anything other than a 3-1 series win to Australia.
You think we'll win a Test?! Only Root and Stokes should be retained of the batsmen. Bring in Curran, Pope, Dent, Foakes....and Cook.
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Certainly the issues surrounding the openers has now turned into the middle order as well. I suspect that Root will drop the captaincy (no bad thing for him to save his career) the question is who takes over? Might be an issue of JR not having the forceful personality to deal with some apparently 'strong personalities' in the team.
With Bayliss on the way out, it would be good for Spoons to be a part of an Ashes winning set-up...unless the ECB repeat what happened to Andy Flower who got the job on the basis that no one else would do it!
The likes of Pope will get their chance I daresay although they don't fill me with much confidence. It is a rebuild job like the post 2015 World Cup debacle. These rebuilds take time and require a lot of faith to be put into players who don't necessarily look world class at the start of their careers - would Steve Smith have been retained after the 2010/11 Ashes series had he been British?
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You think we'll win a Test?!
No, of course not. I don’t know what I was thinking!
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I certainly think the likes of Bairstow, Buttler & Roy have to be ditched, far to flaky for test cricket.
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The obvious answer to all our woes is to introduce a 16.4 over a side tournament taking up the middle of the Summer to include lots of oversees players - copyright ECB. I mean nobody watches this 'proper' cricket anyway. Where's the interest or profit in it?
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Can't see what the problem is. Didn't another side have an identical first innings deficit of 112 runs recently yet still won by three wickets?
Oh, what was their name again....
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The obvious answer to all our woes is to introduce a 16.4 over a side tournament taking up the middle of the Summer to include lots of oversees players - copyright ECB. I mean nobody watches this 'proper' cricket anyway. Where's the interest or profit in it?
If nobody watches proper cricket how come all the test matches are practically sold out & there is comprehensive media coverage. We need more 4 day matches in the best months to produce proper test batsmen. If we keep trying to get by with white ball flash harrys the public will eventually lose interest & test cricket in England & probably worldwide will die.
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My feeling entirely Bath. By my reckoning nearly half a million people will see this test series in the flesh. How Graves and Harrison cannot see that proficiency in a Test eleven is not of importance ( and under their aegis that have demonstrably sought to bastardise the game) is beyond even me. Then again for a businessman whose fortune is founded on Costcutter, he clearly knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. How this dubious chancer has been allowed such influence in the game beggars belief. George Dobell's latest article today on Cricinfo says it all and very eloquently.
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My feeling entirely Bath. By my reckoning nearly half a million people will see this test series in the flesh. How Graves and Harrison cannot see that proficiency in a Test eleven is not of importance ( and under their aegis that have demonstrably sought to bastardise the game) is beyond even me. Then again for a businessman whose fortune is founded on Costcutter, he clearly knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. How this dubious chancer has been allowed such influence in the game beggars belief. George Dobell's latest article today on Cricinfo says it all and very eloquently.
To be fair, given that we'd never won the World Cup and had made such a mess of our attempts in recent years we needed to put in a 1966-style performance to both get a monkey of our backs and make it a lucrative competition. Hence the red ball game was sidelined. Now with a new coach coming in and this Test competition nonsense trying to resurrect 5 day cricket, maybe we'll see an about face...oh, sorry, I forgot that The 16.4 over format is now king.
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The ECB thought/think they can produce a reasonable (not great because that doesn't matter, as longs as the crowds still roll in) Test team on the back of 1 day/bish bash cricket and a marginalised 4 day CC competition.
They were/are wrong. By the time they realise they are wrong it will be too late. Fast forward 10 years and there will only be T20/100 cricket and perhaps some 50 over stuff.
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The ECB thought/think they can produce a reasonable (not great because that doesn't matter, as longs as the crowds still roll in) Test team on the back of 1 day/bish bash cricket and a marginalised 4 day CC competition.
They were/are wrong. By the time they realise they are wrong it will be too late. Fast forward 10 years and there will only be T20/100 cricket and perhaps some 50 over stuff.
Sad to say but you are right, Kent's Captain (Billings) lamented the other day about a round of CC matches being inserted in between white ball cricket & he was right, the players generally were still in white ball mode & techniques in batting were generally poor, certainly few on either side in our match had the nous to survive, those that did grafted long & hard for their scores. The England team in the short term won't improve much if at all, the next generation need coaching how to play properly rather than slog slog cross batted all the time but I am not over hopeful.
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I don't quite understand why most genuine cricket supporters of the red ball or 50 over game don't put up more of a fight against this constant undermining of the best formats in the game. I for one won't even contemplate watching the 100 ball nonsense let alone pay to see it and there must be ten of thousands of supporters who feel the same. A boycott may have some impact. Some County Chairmen need to grow a backbone. Our Chairman (who I have a lot of time for) said at the recent fans lunchtime forum and I quote, 'We must all hope that the 100 is a success.' Why? Shouldn't he and his colleagues vociferously trumpet the success of the Bash, the retention of a strong 50 over competition in a year where we have won the World Cup, and a strengthening, not an undermining, of the 4 day game. A £1.3 million one off payment will soon be a distant memory.
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It all comes down to money...the filthy lucre. All the counties think about is short term finance...how to feed the many mouths.
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I agree with Billings. Far better this year to complete the championship by mid August and then pack in the T20 competition with lots played across the Bank Holiday weekend.
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I agree with Billings. Far better this year to complete the championship by mid August and then pack in the T20 competition with lots played across the Bank Holiday weekend.
No chance. What happens if you get a sell of bad weather?!
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Bad weather can hit at any time.
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Baylis has been a success for the white ball game but a disaster for the test team .Hopefully his successor will have a more pragmatic approach. Some hopes!
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It’s incredible that whilst we haven’t got one test batsman Australia lose Smith only to find another one equally effective to take his place
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It’s incredible that whilst we haven’t got one test batsman Australia lose Smith only to find another one equally effective to take his place
Effective if you drop him 4 times.
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It’s incredible that whilst we haven’t got one test batsman Australia lose Smith only to find another one equally effective to take his place
Effective if you drop him 4 times.
Yes, that certainly helps. Anyway, despite that bit of resistance far to late I expect us to collapse like a pack of cards today.
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Yesterday on TMS Agnew and Vaughan went on at great length about how the ECB had prioritised one day stuff at the expense of the test team. They repeated a lot of the points frequently made by message boarders on here. It was refreshing to hear "our" views given some airtime. Therefore I hope England do not pull off a miraculous win because the powers that be will just sit back and say all is well when we all no it clearly is not.
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Absolutely. The same was said by both Bob Willis & Jonathan Trott on The Debate. The trouble is that the main driver is money, but to what end? Is it to develop young cricketers or players of a cross between rounders & baseball, an entirely different game. Vast numbers enjoy & watch test cricket.
IT MUST NOT BE SIDELINED.
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Why have these 'experts' just woken up?
We've been saying this for years on here :)
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Yea, the likes of Vaughan has been trumpeting the one day studf for so long. Won't be better next year. This from the Telegraph
The system under the Take a look at workforce is rotten and can solely change into worse because the ECB places its assets into the Hundred. A draft schedule for subsequent summer season seen by Telegraph Sport exhibits county championship cricket once more shoehorned into April and September when pitches are juicy early season and drained on the finish. The odd championship sport dropped into June and July solely makes issues extra complicated.
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Collapse was delayed but is now underway!
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Too many ‘vested interests’ in the media coverage of the game nowadays. The likes of Vaughan have complained about the lack of home grown coaches for The Hundred - hardly surprising given that most of our retired ‘talent’ takes the easy way out instead of coaching counties.
Get rid of the ex-players - their ‘insights’ are usually obvious, and we know that this is something anyone can do, even those on this BB. Apparently.
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Collapse was delayed but is now underway!
Made it much more interesting though!
Jeez - what a finish. Stokes unbelievable but huge plaudits to Leach for hanging on in there with him.
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I am SO SO SO pleased to be proved wrong. An unbelievable win. Massive congrats to Ben Stokes!
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The win was never in doubt. Now excuse me, but Myleen Klass keeps pestering me with texts protestating of undying affection, which is getting slightly irritating.
Well done Jack Leach. Proves that the 92 wasn’t a one off. Can’t understand why the selectors preferred Ali for the first test, who was mentally shot. Thought Ed Smith is meant to be an ‘intellectual’???
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Wow what a finish very much against the odds, huge congrats to Stokes for his innings & also to Leach for showing some of his so called betters up the order how to bat. For those who think red ball cricket is dying just watch the highlights of this Test for your answer. Strange how the Aussies manage to adapt to different formats far more easily than we do.
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Tremendous stuff. My worry is that with Roy having been exposed by the Aussie attack that England try to persuade a highly experienced test opener out of retirement for the next two games.
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Tremendous stuff. My worry is that with Roy having been exposed by the Aussie attack that England try to persuade a highly experienced test opener out of retirement for the next two games.
Doubt it personally, Chef's not pulling out great performances. Sibley would be next in line - the Aussies having worked out Chef some time ago.
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I too have heard all the comments by Willis, Vaughan,Trott et al. All of them criticised scheduling but none have explicitly condemned the 100, its concept or its introduction, partly because Willis ( who is never wrong!!) has for years wanted to reduce the number of counties to 8 -10 at a push- and Vaughan, Swann and others agree. The City franchises are of course a potential way of creating this by the back door. What's more falling out with the ECB is never a good idea for those commenting on the sport. They know where their bread is buttered.
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Precisely Pablo. I was surprised that such comments were made because the commentators usually pursue their own agendas. Anyway after yesterday everything will now be deemed to be rosy in the ECB garden.
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Anyway after yesterday everything will now be deemed to be rosy in the ECB garden.
Absolutely. We all know that what Stokes did in the 2nd innings was stupendous & credit has to go to Leech but that was the minimum expected from Root & Bairstow after a string of failures. Alex Stewart was pretending that virtually everything in the garden is rosy & any failures were down to mindset. I still reckon this batting lineup will fail more often than it succeeds & the schedule is a principal cause.