The Cricket Thread

[dimiSpur]

What a remarkable day of cricket. 506-4! In one day! Ok the pitch is as flat as a Spurs first half performance, but that it still remarkable. 4 hundreds. Another 10 minutes and I think Stokes might have got there too!

 

[Timbo Tottenham]

Fastest ever 500 and highest ever first day total in test match history. Crazy stuff

 

[sharky127]

Umps taking the players off for bad light...the bats looked like they were seeing the ball perfectly well to me! ?

 

[Timbo Tottenham]

I’ll make the wild prediction now, that I doubt they’ll prepare a wicket as flat as this for the remaining tests…

 

[PCozzie]

Didn't half the England team come down with a virus yesterday? Was it the 'seeing small red round things like huge multicoloured beach balls' virus?

Could have had 600+ if all the overs allocated had been bowled.

 

[UncleBuck]

952 to beat for a first innings and I can see them trying to go for it, nothing to lose so why not?!

 

[midoshairband]

27 off an over for Brook this morning. same bowler he took for 24 off one yesterday.

mental.

 

[Dunc2610]

I can see this ending in a draw! Can't see either team taking 20 wickets!

 

[$hoguN]

Our attacking intent was impressive but the Pakistan innings is showing that it’s just flat as f**k out there

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Our attacking intent was impressive but the Pakistan innings is showing that it’s just flat as f**k out there

No shit!

I don’t really understand when it’s a FIVE day game the thinking to bat at 100mph for a day and a bit on a road and then give the oppo the chance to keep you in the field for nearly 4 days, which would be the Pakistani plan

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Obviously this set up is incredibly positive and result driven but when your bowling attack is so ordinary surely they only chance you’ve got of winning this type of test match is to take it into the final day bowling last with a wearing pitch ?‍

Basically I don’t think we batted anywhere near long enough on this wicket to give us the best chance of winning - might sound a bit counter intuitive (or whatever the expression is!) but that’s just my gut feeling

 

[PCozzie]

Obviously this set up is incredibly positive and result driven but when your bowling attack is so ordinary surely they only chance you’ve got of winning this type of test match is to take it into the final day bowling last with a wearing pitch ?‍

Basically I don’t think we batted anywhere near long enough on this wicket to give us the best chance of winning - might sound a bit counter intuitive (or whatever the expression is!) but that’s just my gut feeling

Had the same thought this morning, and this is the beauty of test match cricket. It's long enough for the opposition to stay in the game if they have the talent no matter what your own strategy is, or how well you execute it. I think England are doing a great thing with this re-invention, but the oppo get a say, and we might need to think hard about whether batting Pakistan out of the game within four sessions on an absolute road, with a sub-optimal bowling attack of our own, might come back to bite us a little.

Mind you, only two days played. It feels like the game should be a day ahead of where it is and the pitch might yet do something.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

The ICC need to step in strongly about wickets prepared like this. Viewing figures must be diabolical because who wants to watch turgid attritional cricket. I know England went at T20 to add some sparkle but the reality is this could have been 2 one innings Test Match which is unacceptable

 

[$hoguN]

Barely played test cricket in Pakistan in years and they go and prepare a road…

 

[midoshairband]

2 days left, we've just taken 4 wickets in the last session. maybe the wicket is starting to change, definitely saw a bit more turn.

i'll reserve judgement on the wicket till the end of the game, it's not unheard of in the sub-continent for it to be flat as a pancake for 3-4 days then break up.

 

[PCozzie]

Wasn't sure if I'd been mistaken as I wasn't paying attention for a second but Joe Root just played a shot left handed. Not a switch hit, or reverse sweep, he simply set up left handed from the start.

 

[PCozzie]

Also, WTF is going on here? Cricket is very silly now.

 

[PCozzie]

Ah Stokes. Can you not afford just an over to get yourself in? Two quick wickets and all of a sudden that 270 lead with nearly a day and a half left, on the flattest of roads, doesn't seem quite so impressive.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

That was total garbage from Stokes. Ironically he's the only player who hasn't adjusted to the new positive style. He tries to hit the case off everything and bowlers know it

 

[PCozzie]

Harry Brook is some player though. Where the hell did he come from? I don't pay enough attention to the county game so hadn't really heard his name until the pre-WC 20/20 series in Pakistan.