The Cricket Thread

[Saddlerrad]

Just seen we won the toss, why on earth did we choose to bat first? Surely the last 6 months has shown we're so much better suited to chasing as a side.

Its the stereotypical - 'we are backing the bowlers and sending a message out against a side like Afghanistan' when it's blatantly more important to just do anything to win the game in this kind of situation. What a mess.

 

[JJH]

Huge over that.

 

[Super_horns]

Well least somebody is getting a few runs in Moeen Ali..

Might be too little too late unless we can get early wickets/keep it tight putting pressure on their batsmen who might sense some nerves?

 

[Skinner]

Definitely given ourselves a chance here

 

[JJH]

Potential tournament saving partnership that.

As unlikely as it is, if we win this it's a massive paper over the cracks. Headless stuff with the bat, and some serious consideration needed from the selectors. I can't see them dropping the captain mid-way through the tournament, but he hasn't scored runs for ages and has made a very poor decision in batting first today.

 

[SpireiteDan]

Fair play to Moeen, he's at least given us something to bowl at.

Now lads..........ya reckon we can bowl well for once?

 

[Ciderhead]

May just be able to scrape home after that good end (begs the question why Willey's batting so low) and good for Ali to get some runs again.

Hard to judge though how much of that was the pitch and how much England being England, and with just the 2 spinners I'm not too confident

 

[spireite]

You almost feel a bit for Afghanistan there, just that 19th over has made this more or less a part score when it was looking like we wouldn't get 100! Still plenty of work to do against the AfGUNS batting though.

Why is Willey behind Jordan in the batting?

 

[JJH]

Danger man gone. Get in.

 

[JJH]

Christ, they've been horrific with the bat.

 

[hodge]

'Afghanistan are the strongest associate nation'

Morgan slamming Ireland there, good lad Eoin

 

[DarkSithLord]

Well we made bloody hard work of that!

Vital now that the Windes beat South Africa on Friday.

 

[Super_horns]

What was all the fuss about...?

Not sure we'd be so lucky against Sri Lanka TBH

 

[Skinner]

What a finish to the IND vs BAN match, India very, very fortunate that Bangladesh lost their heads.

 

[Pyeman]

Was Hales injured for the last game? Surely he wasn't just dropped?

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

Was Hales injured for the last game? Surely he wasn't just dropped?

Yeah he was injured - a back problem I think.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Yeah he was injured - a back problem I think.

Hopefully he comes immediately back in, the opening partnership looked far less sure without him around, Vince shouldn't open and Roy looked a little lost without him at the other end.

 

[hodge]

*cough* drop Morgan *cough*

 

[JJH]

WIndies win the toss and bowl first against SA. Massive game for us this.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Come on you Windes. We need Gayle to have another blinder.

 

[JJH]

Amla ran out second ball. Brilliant!

 

[DarkSithLord]

Outstanding piece of fielding.

 

[DarkSithLord]

13/2 De Plessis gone for 9. Get in.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Even better! 20/3!

 

[DarkSithLord]

AB GONE 46/4!

 

[JJH]

ABDV gone! Huge wicket! SA all over the place.

 

[JJH]

Chris Gayle is my hero.

 

[DarkSithLord]

47/5. Sensational from WI!

 

[Skinner]

We NEED this WI win!!

 

[JJH]

Take that at HT. Excellent stuff with the ball.

'you can't judge this pitch until both teams have batted on it' is what Mr. Boycott would be saying right now, but you can't help but feel that the WIndies are definitely 1 up at HT.