The Cricket Thread

[JJH]

Not quite true we drew away at windies but beat them at home before that. Same with new Zealand I think last 2 series have been draws

Ah, heard it on Sky yesterday. I may have missed the 'at home' part.

 

[JJH]

Anyway, that didn't last long after tea. Jimmy 10 wickets. Fantastic.

 

[lordofthepies]

Ah, heard it on Sky yesterday. I may have missed the 'at home' part.

If they win both series, England will hold the series trophy against every nation, as blade said before - so England will have beaten every team more recently than they lost to them.

 

[JJH]

If they win both series, England will hold the series trophy against every nation, as blade said before - so England will have beaten every team more recently than they lost to them.

Ah, I see - cheers.

 

[mowgli]

After that first morning who would we would have won by an innings and 88 runs? Bairstow did well behind the stumps as well with 9 catches.

 

[Matt_]

People who have only watched England since the turn of the century should realise how fortunate they are. For large parts of that period the England team has been better that any time in the previous 50-60 years.

 

[Skinner]

Is Bairstow still a shit keeper though?

I personally think he's been great with the gloves. Dropped a few costly ones against SA but generally he's been good. Would I bring in Jos? Nae chance

 

[Aber gas]

I'd be shifting vince and Compton out with Jos and Hildreth in. Let Bairstow just bat.

 

[blademan89]

I'd be shifting vince and Compton out with Jos and Hildreth in. Let Bairstow just bat.

Nah bairstow is improving rapidly with the gloves he's become an all round fantastic keeper/batter

 

[Krazy8]

I'd be shifting vince and Compton out with Jos and Hildreth in. Let Bairstow just bat.

Your Hildreth obsession is quite worrying!

Think him and Vince are quite even, Hildreth is 31 though and unlikely to improve much whereas Vince is on an upward curve (Hampshire, Hampshire captain, Lions, Lions captain, t20, ODI, now tests). Agree about Compton though, you sense he's just there until one of the youngsters really steps up.

 

[RavenBish]

Always liked Atherton's view when he took over the captaincy that England should be like an extra county. With the amount of time the team spends together, you want to use that to your advantage and get young players into the fold as soon as possible. There's the risk you throw them in too soon but with cricket the 'young' term stretches until a player is in their late 20s, so they can always get a crack later (see James Taylor). With that in mind, it's bizarre someone like Compton is there, in a position sandwiched between the likes of Cook and Root and 3 easy Test series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh before you head to India in November. Time to get someone like Bell-Drummond, Buttler, Lees, Sam Robson (even though he's not the most exciting cricketer) and give them a series or 2 to show they're the future before you have to head to India, which is an environment where you'll need plenty of Test experience.

With regards to Bairstow, he's a good enough keeper and will improve further just like every England keeper seems to (easy to forget how average Buttler was with the gloves initially). Obviously if Buttler can sort his red ball batting out, he's a preferable choice to Bairstow currently and you'd move Bairstow to 5 and let him concentrate purely on his batting - but until that happens, he's comfortably above the level whereby you'd need to go searching for an alternative.

 

[Destruction]

Anyone been to a T20 match this weekend?

I thankfully didn't both with Lancs yesterday as they got battered but hoping to be there Friday for the return of Buttler and Guptil.

 

[.V.]

Anyone been to a T20 match this weekend?

I thankfully didn't both with Lancs yesterday as they got battered but hoping to be there Friday for the return of Buttler and Guptil.

Just watched Sussex smash 242 off their 20 overs. Glos lost by 1 run on DL in the end, but we were ahead of it by 2 runs the over before they went off.

 

[TomPNE94]

Anyone been to a T20 match this weekend?

I thankfully didn't both with Lancs yesterday as they got battered but hoping to be there Friday for the return of Buttler and Guptil.

Nope, going to the Yorkshire game on the 3rd though. Mainly for the piss-up, obviously.

 

[mowgli]

Anyone been to a T20 match this weekend?

I thankfully didn't both with Lancs yesterday as they got battered but hoping to be there Friday for the return of Buttler and Guptil.

I go to Taunton to watch Somerset 2/3 times a season in T20 games, it's a cracking day out especially if it's a lovely sunny day/evening.

 

[hodge]

I'm going to Somerset vs Essex in a couple of weeks.

 

[Camborne Gills]

When is Gayle playing for Somerset in the T20?

 

[Camborne Gills]

Kent playing for a draw already at Derby 13/1 off 13 overs

 

[hodge]

When is Gayle playing for Somerset in the T20?

First game against Sussex

Sussex, Essex, Surrey, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Hampshire.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Well if Woakes was told to stake his claim, then he has done a good job today.

8-36 so far for Warwickshire at home to Durham.

 

[Camborne Gills]

First game against Sussex

Sussex, Essex, Surrey, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Hampshire.

Not against Kent on 7th July then? If so, then good, I might actually get a ticket.

I am led to believe that all the home games are sold out when is playing.

 

[RavenBish]

still wouldn't pick Woakes, never once looked like an international bowler, then again he probably wouldn't need to against this Sri Lanka side.

 

[hodge]

The question is do we have enough batting without Stokes, if yes you go with Ball and give him a run out, if no you go with Woakes.

 

[lordofthepies]

The question is do we have enough batting without Stokes, if yes you go with Ball and give him a run out, if no you go with Woakes.

It's surely not gonna be necessary to pick 4 bowlers though. If there's no adequate all-rounder available, I'd have just picked another batsman instead. I've always been a Woakes fan, although I suspect he's probably not quite good enough for test cricket. He probably deserves more of a chance though - he's only played 6 test matches and I don't think any of them were at home.

On a related note, Warwickshire's like-for-like replacement for Woakes for the last 2 days of their current match is a legspinner. Hmm...

 

[Super_horns]

Sri Lanka aren't having a lot of luck on this tour - lost another bowler through injury.

 

[Saddlerrad]

still wouldn't pick Woakes, never once looked like an international bowler, then again he probably wouldn't need to against this Sri Lanka side.

Agreed, I'm very much in the Bob Willis camp when it comes to Woakes. Never once illustrated the ability to become anything like a test match bowler. I'd go with Ball.

 

[RavenBish]

The question is do we have enough batting without Stokes, if yes you go with Ball and give him a run out, if no you go with Woakes.

Bairstow and Ali are your 6 & 7 so yes.

 

[lordofthepies]

I was delighted to get home to see that Lancashire have handed Surrey an absolute thrashing.

 

[Camborne Gills]

An unlikely Kent win?

 

[Bobbin']

An unlikely Kent win?

It's possible.

It's a strange one, despite being 89 runs behind, I think I would rather be in our position than theirs at the moment. We're in a position where we probably shouldn't win and Derbyshire are in one where they definitely shouldn't lose, so what do they do? Are they going to try and play for the draw today now?