The Cricket Thread

[Mel Evo]

Very enjoyable series, and feels fair enough to end up all square.

For all the moaning from Cricinfo fans that India didn’t deserve to be behind, you could also look at the two games before the Oval they didn’t lose. At Old Trafford they were getting thumped and only a pudding of a pitch saved them. At Edgbaston it felt they got the benefit of bazball bigballs - choosing to bat when we won’t the toss, which surely we’d have done against Oz, would have seen England win surely.

Like I say, draw seems a good outcome, but if we’d gone ahead and won it would have been far from the smash and grab some described it as.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Don’t forget the wides on the first morning either.

That was the first morning.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Very enjoyable series, and feels fair enough to end up all square.

For all the moaning from Cricinfo fans that India didn’t deserve to be behind, you could also look at the two games before the Oval they didn’t lose. At Old Trafford they were getting thumped and only a pudding of a pitch saved them. At Edgbaston it felt they got the benefit of bazball bigballs - choosing to bat when we won’t the toss, which surely we’d have done against Oz, would have seen England win surely.

Like I say, draw seems a good outcome, but if we’d gone ahead and won it would have been far from the smash and grab some described it as.

They got the rub of the green in the last test. Stokes out which hit both our bowling and batting and then Woakes getting injured. Nevertheless if we’d bowled a few less wides and taken a couple more catches…

 

[jd1981]

Hopefully that’s last ever Test match Overton plays, 2/164 bowling and 9 runs scored.
What you call a nothing contribution.
If Woakes isn’t injured we probably win also, probably gets a few extra runs in both innings.
Another bit of cricket that needs updating not being able to replace an injured player mid game.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

When he fell and injured his shoulder, the physio on realising the extent of the damage should have checked a head injury, carried out a HIA and got a concussion substitute

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

My name isn't Dean Richards and I wasn't formerly Head Coach at Leicester RFU!

 

[Squeak]

Been traveling all day but managed to see the conclusion and I'm in agreement that 2-2 for the series was about right. Fine margins in test cricket again and the dropped catches were so so decisive. Bit disappointed how we handled the chase today and now we know Smith is suspect when the pressure is really on. I'm sure the Aussies will have noticed.

Hope that's the last we see of Overton. Utter waste of a place in a Test team. When I think of some of the players of the past who hardly got a look in and here we have the biggest non entity in First Class cricket taking up space. Suppose he gave some hope with the two 4's but then he couldn't hold it together.

Have to give India a lot of credit today. Got the bit between their teeth and rattled the cages. Enthralling, entertaining stuff.

 

[Stan Hullis]

After a great series vs India, can't help but turn towards looking at the Ashes. I'm lucky enough to be going to all 5 tests in what will be a trip of a lifetime.

My current strongest XI would probably be:

Crawley
Duckett
Brook
Root
Smith
Stokes
Bethell
Atkinson
Archer
Wood
Bashir

Carse, Ahmed, Tongue, Pope in the travelling squad

If Overton is anywhere near then I may well cancel my trip.

 

[Sniffer]

Pope will stay in the side because we’ve stunted any possible Bethell progress by not letting him play cricket for the best part of the summer.

Extremely jealous by the way.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Can't see Brook at 3, we abandoned it very quickly in 2023 (and put an ancient Mo there instead)

 

[Sniffer]

I know that he hasn’t pulled many trees this summer but Potts always impressed me when he played. I’d have him ahead of Overton on any day of the week.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Pope will stay in the side because we’ve stunted any possible Bethell progress by not letting him play cricket for the best part of the summer.

Extremely jealous by the way.

Yeah I know he will, just really want him gone

Realistically it will be

Crawley
Duckett
Pope
Root
Brook
Stokes
Smith
Atkinson
Carse
Wood/Archer/Tongue (fitness depending)
Bashir

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I suspect they think Potts is a touch short of the mark at international level. Will bowl all day but probably not quite quick enough, or got enough bounce, or moves the ball enough.

He is of course miles better than Jamie 'not even the best Overton' Overton.

 

[Stan Hullis]

I think Potts will end up having some kind of test career, especially as Woakes/Wood haven't got many series left, be surprised if we see Woakes again after his injury as he's not going to be fit and probably isn't suited for the Ashes, and are we going to bring him back at 37yo next summer?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yeah sadly I think that may be it for Woakes, took his wickets at 50 odd this summer even disregarding the injury and his batting is nowhere near what it used to be.

Brilliant bowler in England all the same, just at a natural end now.

 

[Wolftone]

Hopefully that’s last ever Test match Overton plays, 2/164 bowling and 9 runs scored.
What you call a nothing contribution.
If Woakes isn’t injured we probably win also, probably gets a few extra runs in both innings.
Another bit of cricket that needs updating not being able to replace an injured player mid game.

You can. But he wouldnt be able to bat or bowl for obvious reasons.

 

[Trips]

After a great series vs India, can't help but turn towards looking at the Ashes. I'm lucky enough to be going to all 5 tests in what will be a trip of a lifetime.

My current strongest XI would probably be:

Crawley
Duckett
Brook
Root
Smith
Stokes
Bethell
Atkinson
Archer
Wood
Bashir

Carse, Ahmed, Tongue, Pope in the travelling squad

If Overton is anywhere near then I may well cancel my trip.

Brook and Smith are too high for me in that line up, and I don't get it with Bethell. I just don't see a test player at all with him

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He's definitely not a spinning all rounder. I think he has a chance in the top six and I'd probably take a punt on him ahead of Pope (I've seen enough and that second innings record is a disgrace), but would agree it's far from a sure thing at this stage and how/when is he going to play enough red ball to develop.

 

[Trips]

He's definitely not a spinning all rounder. I think he has a chance in the top six and I'd probably take a punt on him ahead of Pope (I've seen enough and that second innings record is a disgrace), but would agree it's far from a sure thing at this stage and how/when is he going to play enough red ball to develop.

I think that's his decision to make though playing red ball cricket. You can't use test cricket (and an Ashes series at that) to develop your red ball game. You want to be a fixture in the test side, go and play some county cricket rather than T20 tournaments earlier in the year

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Bairstow is HUGE now. Been on the Mike Gatting diet since England binned him.