The Cricket Thread

[Deutsch Wolf]

Big Mo fan but I think picking him for the test series is the ultimate kick in the teeth for any young aspiring spinner in the County Championship. Not only has he retired from the 5 day test format for England, he hasn't played a four day county champ game for Worcs since 2019.

Oh absolutely. And he's been pretty rubbish in Tests for ages, especially with the bat.

Mind you we still get people saying we should pick Rashid, who has a crap record mostly in spin-friendly conditions, and hasn't played a red ball game of any description since his last Test in January 2019.

I think we'll want a spinner who can bat rather than going Leach and Parkinson. Dom Bess is nowhere near at the moment and might never be again.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

We have almost always chosen the 'steady Eddie' spin option. Someone who can contribute 15-25 with the bat and offer a degree of control with the ball. I'd much rather a spinner with a great strike rate, golden arm or mystery ball in a side that contains seven batsmen already and a fast bowling attack that's ultimately very similar in pace [medium fast now, not fast medium] now. For too long we've picked wicket keepers and bowlers that can bat to protect batsman that can't.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

For Pakistan away I'd go with Jacks and Parkinson and have Leach as the backup in the squad. But I don't think they'll go that way.

Jacks being the first choice Championship spinner for Surrey has pushed Amar Virdi out of the picture. Mason Crane is miles off. Jake Lintott doesn't play first class cricket.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Tomorrow's team:

Lees
Crawley
Pope
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Foakes
Broad
Leach
Potts
Anderson

 

[Tony Towner]

Still lacks genuine pace and 2 openers, although I can't offer options for either

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

That is a lot of bowlers and not a lot of batting.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

As a strategy overall I don't mind it. Very simple in theory, your best six batsmen, a keeper who can bat and then the best bowlers. We shouldn't be asking for numbers 8 and below to bail us out, even though they have a lot in the last 5-6 years.

The argument at the moment is that the top three are highly suspect in different ways so maybe you do need some ballast lower down. With no Woakes though and SCurran seemingly not on the radar for red ball at the moment, I'm not sure what you do about that.

 

[Dinowolf]

SA win the Toss and bowl

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

That is trouble. Perfect conditions for the bowlers.

 

[Carrotdude]

Both openers gone already. I’ll say it again - I’d rather have Burns and Sibley eating up deliveries than these two.

 

[Dinowolf]

What a group of quick bowlers SA have.

Their Left arm bowler (Janson) is moving it round corners at 85mph and it didn't help Root that the Umpire guessed it was hitting the stumps. The technology showed it was shaving the leg stump and the system is to support the Umpire rather than the batsman.

Can't see England getting many while these conditions persist.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Both openers gone already. I’ll say it again - I’d rather have Burns and Sibley eating up deliveries than these two.

Burns wasn't even doing that though. He was getting an obscene amount of ducks and single figure scores.

 

[Carrotdude]

That’s fair. I just can’t watch Crawley anymore!

SA have bowled really well

 

[Carrotdude]

We’ve got our Bairstow back

 

[Dinowolf]

Bairstow goes to a 93mph full ball without scoring

55-4

 

[Dinowolf]

Pope moves past 50

 

[Dinowolf]

Lunch
100-5

 

[Tony Towner]

Just seen that there won't be 1 day of International cricket next August. The Ashes will be finished by the end of July, because of you know what

 

[BillyDee]

Point of order, it's apparently not because of the abomination that shall not be named, but because Australia guaranteed the Saffers an ODI series before the World Cup, having pulled out of previous series during various lockdowns.

 

[Tony Towner]

Other way round. ECB's request