The Cricket Thread

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

Sad to think these are supposed to be the best batsmen we have!

They’re Joe Root’s best mates, not the best batsmen we have. Sibley, Foakes, Northeast and Curran are a hell of a lot better than some of the players in our team

 

[Sandros Shiny Head]

They’re Joe Root’s best mates, not the best batsmen we have. Sibley, Foakes, Northeast and Curran are a hell of a lot better than some of the players in our team

Bairstow is averaging 12 since Foakes’ last game for England

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

Bairstow is averaging 12 since Foakes’ last game for England

Says it all, really. Apparently Bairstow had a massive moan to Root about Foakes taking the gloves. He seemingly got his way and Foakes was inexplicably dropped for no legitimate reason.

 

[$hoguN]

Surely today’s performance will be the catalyst to massive change.

Root can’t keep the captaincy, and he can’t keep batting at 3.

Roy and Butler can’t keep their places.

Johnny “chip in his shoulder” Bairstow has to lose his place to the better Keeprr in Foakes.

Denly is no way an international batsman.

If this doesn’t lead to a bloodbath then I don’t know what will

 

[wooderz]

Agreed but I don’t think that solves the problem as it’s a lot more deeper rooted.

The ECB have followed the money. They know there is money to be made in limited overs cricket and that’s why they’ve made The Hundred. Just look at the state of the county division and you’ll see where the ECB’s priorities lay.

Essex are currently leading that so I'm more than happy with the state of County Cricket thank you very much!

 

[SteveH]

Essex are currently leading that so I'm more than happy with the state of County Cricket thank you very much!

that's very profound in many ways
sod the state of the game my team is doing ok

 

[UncleBuck]

I've just got home after a few hours and it's 78-3.

That's not bad. After Roy was out early I thought we were in real troub ... Wait a minute ...

In the five hours it took me to drive down to Weymouth today we were bowled out. First service stop we were 40 odd for 5, two hours later Aussies are batting and we’re done for 67.
When I told my 9 year old son he actually said that was pathetic, he plays but doesn’t know that much about the game yet apart from see ball hit ball so maybe I need to get his availability out for next week...

 

[dagraham]

In the five hours it took me to drive down to Weymouth today we were bowled out. First service stop we were 40 odd for 5, two hours later Aussies are batting and we’re done for 67.
When I told my 9 year old son he actually said that was pathetic, he plays but doesn’t know that much about the game yet apart from see ball hit ball so maybe I need to get his availability out for next week...

We don’t need any more wafty drives way outside off stump thank you .

 

[UncleBuck]

Root. I don’t like his captaincy but it’s getting cruel for him now. He should go for his own good, we shafted ourselves out of a bloody good player when we gave him the gig.

England have done it for years, for some strange reason we seem to think that dropping the captaincy on the best player is the way to go.
Messed up the careers of a couple of decent players over the last 30 years...

 

[UncleBuck]

We don’t need any more wafty drives way outside off stump thank you .

That’s why I didn’t put myself forward!

 

[Twizzle]

thank god we are up against the only batting line up in the world that's worse than ours

 

[aussiespursguy]

that god we are up against the only batting line up in the world that's worse than ours

Bit unfair. It's clearly been a bowlers deck so far. Didn't move as much yesterday but still plenty there. Would not surprise if it settles and becomes a batting paradise from here. Do we have enough? Not sure. Not over yet. Need the tail to stay with Marnus.

 

[Twizzle]

harsh but fair

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Stokes’ innings in the previous game and his bowling now just showcases why he should be captain.

Who knows what the captaincy would do to Stokes form wise, as it has done with Root, but I think Root needs to go away from test cricket for a bit and Stokes is a natural successor.

That's the thing isn't it. Root's form has suffered since he became captain, and not least because with that extra pressure on him he's had to come in during the first 3 overs, still as England's best batsman.

Bairstow didn't perform up the order after (obviously) spending an innings behind the stumps, and too short a break.

And link obvious between those two is that our openers simply can't stay there.

Stokes is the archetypal "give 110%" batting, bowling and fielding. Make him captain and bung him in at 4 (?) and he'll be burnt out after two matches.

What we desperately need is a pair of openers - Burns might yet be one of them - who are boring, boring, boring, but safe. Score at a rate of 30 per 100 for all I care, but occupy the crease, give the rest a rest, and build a base for the flashy, and definitely talented, middle order to take advantage of.

Get that right - and I know it's no great flash of inspiration - and most of our other problems are eased. Even Root's captaincy; motivation and tactics are not the reason we're playing shit.

 

[LeSoupeKitchen]

Agger's writes some good stuff here (obvious to everyone except the England team and maybe a few of the commentators who thought it was incredible bowling and not bad batting):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/49452516

"One of the mantras of this team is that if the bowlers are on top you have got to attack and take it back to the them.

That is not right. You cannot do that in Test cricket. You soak it up and let the bowlers wear themselves out a bit. You don't give the opposition another wicket. You don't try and hit yourself out of trouble."

And

"It is disappointing but not surprising because it has been happening like this for a number of years.

How do you correct it? I don't know because until they get 'it' they will still have a problem"

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Agger's writes some good stuff here (obvious to everyone except the England team and maybe a few of the commentators who thought it was incredible bowling and not bad batting):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/49452516

"One of the mantras of this team is that if the bowlers are on top you have got to attack and take it back to the them.

That is not right. You cannot do that in Test cricket. You soak it up and let the bowlers wear themselves out a bit. You don't give the opposition another wicket. You don't try and hit yourself out of trouble."

And

"It is disappointing but not surprising because it has been happening like this for a number of years.

How do you correct it? I don't know because until they get 'it' they will still have a problem"

Makes a lot of sense, but a few years ago the Aggers equivalent would have written - and did - that it was no use occupying the crease for 40 overs, scoring 20 then getting out and leaving the rest under scoreboard pressure. Teams like Australia were scoring so much quicker that our painstaking total was eclipsed in a session.

We'd kill for a player like that now of course - Cook, anyone? - but I guess it's about striking a happy medium. Put the bowler under pressure and you get more bad balls to hit, but don't be reckless and get out!

 

[cider spurs]

This is genuinely the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen in my life.

Gemma Collins says hi.

 

[buckley]

Most of these players have not been anywhere near the red ball game ( county / International ) for along time and it seems almost foreign to them .

 

[Deleted member 27995]

I'm not posting all the stats from it, but if you have the time or inclination go back and take a look at the score card between our Lions team and the Australia A team. Four of that line up are currently involved in this test match for the Australians. It's also worth noting who took wickets in that match for The Lions and who scored runs (and how they did it)

What's the point of this match if England then go and draft players in from the county game over the top of those who were called up to play this now (seemingly) utterly pointless match earlier in the season if only one of the XI in that game were given the opportunity to make a difference in this series. It defeats the point of the system.

Personal view, but this is just one part of the problem within the game at the moment.

I got to watch the T20 game last night between Birmingham and Worcestershire and while it's only T20 there was plenty of decent talent on both sides. Stand out performance was Moeen Ali, captained the Rapids to a fine win, performed oaky-ish with ball in hand (cracking ball to earn his only wicket) but his batting was prime Mo. So much for 'having to step away from the game' ... Makes you wonder ...

 

[Wsussexspur]

with bayliss going at the end of the series it’s time for a complete refresh of this test team. Root needs to be stripped of captaincy, Bairstow, Buttler, Denley, Roy need all to be dropped and not considered in three of those cases until they go and get runs in county cricket.

We then need to be brave and bring in the young players we have been talking about and stick with them. Yes there maybe some rough times but hopefully I’f we stick with it these player will have chance to grow and learn at test match level to me that seems to be the only way forward. Especially as the ECB are marginalising the longer form of the game even more next summer with introduction of the rediculous one hundred

As for captaincy I have no idea who should take the role. But for the good of his game and to let him reach his potential and maybe maybe just show everyone he can be as good as Kohli, Williamson, Smith. Root needs to be stood aside as captain as it’s clearly having real negative effect on his batting and it is also clear that tactically he is out of his depth.

Sadly with Ashley Giles in charge now I can’t see any of this happening.