Channel 4 to broadcast Tests v India

[Andy]

Why so many people think Archer has all-rounder potential is beyond me. He may have bashed a few runs against low-grade county bowling but at Test level he looks every inch a number 11.
I don't think Bairstow is joining the squad for a while is he? If he was there he's be a no-brainer for the number 3 spot in the next Test.

I know about Bairstow getting a bit of blighty leave (which he may regret given the weather you guys are enjoying down south)  but clearly India is not a team to take lightly. I have the suspicion that Mr Archer is a bit of a lazy so and so...

[Andy]

Problem is that we have a long tail. Archer is a rabbit, Jimmy wants number 11 position. Leach has shown a few shots against the spinners, but expecting that lot to bat like a T20 innings is ridiculous. Play Bairstow at 3 and Broad instead of Pope, to give proper bowling options.

Oh and Shane Warne can shove it... What our Liz sees in him...

She doesn't anymore. So we've still got a chance.

WE have a chance!?

[JasonP]

Problem is that we have a long tail. Archer is a rabbit, Jimmy wants number 11 position. Leach has shown a few shots against the spinners, but expecting that lot to bat like a T20 innings is ridiculous. Play Bairstow at 3 and Broad instead of Pope, to give proper bowling options.

Oh and Shane Warne can shove it... What our Liz sees in him...

Why so many people think Archer has all-rounder potential is beyond me. He may have bashed a few runs against low-grade county bowling but at Test level he looks every inch a number 11.
I don't think Bairstow is joining the squad for a while is he? If he was there he's be a no-brainer for the number 3 spot in the next Test.

When he started in county cricket he looked good.  He has batted very well against Essex more than once.  He made 77 against us at Colchester and nearly won the 50 over match at Chelmsford in 2017 with 45 off 22 balls.  He got 33 not out in 15 the next year aswell.  There's clearly some potential there.  The problem is with playing in IPL and barely any county cricket and also the fact that there is barely any practise matches on tours these days he never gets to bat outside Test Matches.  I would guess he's barely had the chance of a proper innings since he started playing for England in early 2019.

[bwildered]

 One up, Roots first innings the difference between the two sides , judging by win by margin . Changes for the second test, Foakes  behind the stumps for returning home Buttler for R & R, and Broad for Anderson.
Great to hear Sir Chef insight during C4 coverage.

[nat]

One up, Roots first innings the difference between the two sides , judging by win by margin . Changes for the second test, Foakes  behind the stumps for returning home Buttler for R & R, and Broad for Anderson.
Great to hear Sir Chef insight during C4 coverage.

No need to rest Anderson when he hasn't bowled too much. He's still more than a match for the top Indian batsmen. Keep Broad for Tests 3 and 4. Only change I might make is replace Lawrence but who with?

[Oldhasbeen]

Problem is that we have a long tail. Archer is a rabbit, Jimmy wants number 11 position. Leach has shown a few shots against the spinners, but expecting that lot to bat like a T20 innings is ridiculous. Play Bairstow at 3 and Broad instead of Pope, to give proper bowling options.

Oh and Shane Warne can shove it... What our Liz sees in him...

Why so many people think Archer has all-rounder potential is beyond me. He may have bashed a few runs against low-grade county bowling but at Test level he looks every inch a number 11.
I don't think Bairstow is joining the squad for a while is he? If he was there he's be a no-brainer for the number 3 spot in the next Test.

When he started in county cricket he looked good.  He has batted very well against Essex more than once.  He made 77 against us at Colchester and nearly won the 50 over match at Chelmsford in 2017 with 45 off 22 balls.  He got 33 not out in 15 the next year aswell.  There's clearly some potential there.  The problem is with playing in IPL and barely any county cricket and also the fact that there is barely any practise matches on tours these days he never gets to bat outside Test Matches.  I would guess he's barely had the chance of a proper innings since he started playing for England in early 2019.

Fair point, Jason.  I hope Joff gets a bit more time at he crease in county games but soemhow I doubt he will

[Oldhasbeen]

I thought it was a given that we'd alternate Jimmy and Big Stu this series, but would anyone dare drop Jimmy now?
In the next Test I'm less concerned with a knackered Jimmy than with Dom Bess, who, despite getting some wickets, bowled far too much dross (some of which got wickets) and was really losing control badly(was it Jim Laker who used to say "young spinning fingers get tired easily" on the BBC Test commentary?)
My guess is that the Indians will really target Bess in the next Test.
Don't get me wrong, I like the look of Bess but he's still learning on the job and has had some flattering figures.

England's other worry has got to be number 3. I can't see Dan lasting there when we've got some reasonable alternatives.

 

[vim]

One restriction Channel 4 got rid of when they originally took over the coverage from the BBC. Was that no one who had not played at that level could commentate on a test match or one day international. That is why on the BBC David Acfield was only at county games and years ago Brian Johnson was forced out of TV onto radio.

Simon Hughes would have never been asked to give his contributions, although he knew more than some ex internationals. Does anyone remember the time when he used his analysis to show in slow motion that a Sri Lanka bowler was throwing?

[nat]

A SL bowler throwing? Whatever next?!

[JasonP]

One restriction Channel 4 got rid of when they originally took over the coverage from the BBC. Was that no one who had not played at that level could commentate on a test match or one day international. That is why on the BBC David Acfield was only at county games and years ago Brian Johnson was forced out of TV onto radio.

Simon Hughes would have never been asked to give his contributions, although he knew more than some ex internationals. Does anyone remember the time when he used his analysis to show in slow motion that a Sri Lanka bowler was throwing?

Jack Bannister used to commentate on the international cricket for years on the BBC at the same time Acfield was doing the county stuff and for a good while afterwards.

[LeedsExile]

I have absolutely no recollection of David Acfield ever doing any broadcasting. Did he do it for long and what channels? I have always thought he should write an autobiography as he has had a very interesting life, cricket and olympics.

[nat]

I have absolutely no recollection of David Acfield ever doing any broadcasting. Did he do it for long and what channels? I have always thought he should write an autobiography as he has had a very interesting life, cricket and olympics.

Agreed. Acfield never did commentary.

[vim]

David Acfield was the summariser when B & H and Nat West games were on the BBC. He was usually with Tony Lewis.

The restriction was for TV. There was none for Radio. Brian Johnson never played 1st class cricket, not even when he was at Cambridge University. He played for the minor college teams.

[Oldhasbeen]

I have absolutely no recollection of David Acfield ever doing any broadcasting. Did he do it for long and what channels? I have always thought he should write an autobiography as he has had a very interesting life, cricket and olympics.

Agreed. Acfield never did commentary.

I recall ackers doing some county cricket commentary. He wasn't very good at it and was dropped after a season or 2.

[Slogger]

Ackers was on BBC TV a bit just after he retired. He was quite amusing in his droll way. There was a quote about him which was quite good from a cricket writer back in the 1970s when Hobbs and East were also on the staff :"Acfield should be spinning for England, not fencing for a place in the Essex side". I don't think he was going to have ever played test cricket, although I think Ray East was unlucky not to get on a tour. Maybe his fencing held Acfield back a bit. I think I read at the time that he had to play for us as an amateur so as not to infringe that status for Olympic competition. I don't know if that was true or not.

My first real season watching Essex was 1973 (I'd been once the previous year). I can recall Hobbs, East and Acfield all playing together in some games. In one against Leicester, I think, where the new ball was taken by Turner and Edmeades (Boyce was with the West Indies and Lever must have been injured) with third seam provided by Keith Pont and then the three spinners.

These days, apparently, Bess has to move from Somerset to Yorkshire to get a bowl!