The Cricket Thread

[Deutsch Wolf]

For me at Old Trafford:

Haines
Duckett
Bethell
Root
Brook
Stokes
Smith
Dawson
Atkinson
Carse
Archer

 

[Kenny]

West indies needed 204 to beat the Aussies.

Came so close..all out for 27.

 

[jd1981]

West indies needed 204 to beat the Aussies.

Came so close..all out for 27.

Just 516 runs scored in 4 innings in that test match averages out at 129 per innings, love to know what the pitch was like.

 

[Trips]

West indies needed 204 to beat the Aussies.

Came so close..all out for 27.

Avoided the record test low total by 1 run

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

it wasnt all the pitch

both teams have an absolute mince top order at the moment.

konstas makes crawley look like matthew hayden

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Starc bowled well but you know he's hooping it in...just some awful shots to go with good bowling.

Konstas, Fat Usman and Green is a dire top three

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

I’d like to concentrate on the current series as I think all too often we prioritise a series or two ahead, but I’d be surprised if both top threes are the same on Boxing Day as they are now.

Own edit as I type: Gabba test is second and that’s where I think it’ll change

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

God knows why Australia aren't opening the series at the gabba. Their record there is formidable.

 

[leedswolf]

God knows why Australia aren't opening the series at the gabba. Their record there is formidable.

The Gabba is being redeveloped and won't be ready in time IIRC.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Sounds about right. There were quite a lot of delays as there are multiple arguments going on about the site for the 2032 olympic stadium (the adopted plan is on first nation sacred land so that should be popular), so there was talk about a re-done gabba taking up the slack as suncorp is completely unsuited to athletics. So the already planned refurb of the gabba was held back a bit while all that lot got sorted out.

 

[Sniffer]

Liam Dawson replaces Bashir in the squad for the 4th test.

 

[Tredman]

Love this little titbit of info in the BBC article:

Dawson also offers a boost to England's batting at number eight. His first-class batting average of 35.29 outstrips that of opener Zak Crawley.

 

[jd1981]

So England get punished for a slow over rate but India get nothing.
Both teams were slow and employing dark arts in holding things up but only one gets punished.
Conspiracy theory time

 

[Sniffer]

Standing ovation for Jimmy Anderson as he walks out to bat for Lancashire at Headingley! I’m not sure how many times a Lancastrian has had that in a Roses match.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

So England get punished for a slow over rate but India get nothing.
Both teams were slow and employing dark arts in holding things up but only one gets punished.
Conspiracy theory time

Banging England for slow over rate when we have had ONE draw in 3 years and that was hugely rain-affected is a load of bollocks.

 

[jd1981]

Banging England for slow over rate when we have had ONE draw in 3 years and that was hugely rain-affected is a load of bollocks.

A lot of ex Indian players haven’t taken the defeat well. Suggestion that with more luck India would be 3-0 up. Another was England aren’t playing with skill, India just aren’t coping with the pressure.

 

[Wolftone]

A lot of ex Indian players haven’t taken the defeat well. Suggestion that with more luck India would be 3-0 up. Another was England aren’t playing with skill, India just aren’t coping with the pressure.

Tough shit.
Test cricket is supposed to be tough.
Probably more mentally than technically.
Where's the pressure coming from as well? Their fan base and media.
Every country has experienced that at one time or another.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Tbf it's easy to argue they should be 3-0 up.

They aren't though.

 

[jd1981]

Applying pressure to the opponent is a skill in itself and coping with it is another skill.
You could easily argue England probably should’ve won the last ashes 4-1, rain at old Trafford stopped us winning and very much let the first test slip through our fingers with the last 2 wickets.

 

[Tredman]

There’s some really depressing stuff in this https://observer.co.uk/news/sport/article/talented-fearless-honest-ben-stokes-england-paul-hayward

In 2019, a study by the Sutton Trust located men’s professional cricket in the top 10 professions for independent school attendance, tied with the news media on 43%. A year later, private schools supplied nine of the 11 England players who faced Pakistan in a Test.