The Cricket Thread

[Pilgrim Meister]

43-2 now

Belter, what Belter

 

[Bobbin']

Woakes has been simply brilliant this series.

Continues this form and he'll be one of the first names on any future squad list.

 

[Aber gas]

Just like clock work

Azhar Ali gone, caught and bowled.

Keep it up mate

 

[Pilgrim Meister]

48-3

Stokes with a wicket

Some batting track this

 

[RavenBish]

Did Younus not bother watching himself in the first test? Revolting technique.

Castle the night watchman now

 

[kieran_vale]

That was really poor from Younus Khan, looks a walking wicket with the way he's jumping about at the crease at present.

Great work from England this evening though. Top marks especially to Woakes.

 

[Pilgrim Meister]

Nightwatchman out caught

53-4

Who could be next

 

[kieran_vale]

A great example this of how no matter how much the pitch is a road there is nothing like scoreboard pressure.

Woakes bowling incredibly well. If we can get Misbah out now then I think they will crumble pretty quick.

 

[silvergull]

Incredible what 2 days in the field plus scoreboard pressure does. Incredibly disciplined bowling from England, but Pakistan are just throwing wickets away left right and centre

 

[JJH]

Follow on hasn't been enforced, can't get my head round that.

 

[silvergull]

I don't mind not enforcing the follow on so much. However I do have an issue of not using broad and Anderson to clean the tail up. Clearly not keeping them fresh for the new ball

 

[Bobbin']

Not enforcing the follow-on makes no sense to me.

391 ahead, Broad and Anderson not bowled since lunch, nice bowling conditions. Don't get it.

 

[MJA]

I think it has confused everyone. Will just have to wait for the interview with Cook at the end of the days play to find out his reasoning

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[Baz]

Batters want to up their averages and run count obviously.

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[MJA]

Rain delay already. Hope this isn't a sign of the coming days

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[Pilgrim Meister]

Lot's of rain delays, Imagine we will declare overnight

 

[silvergull]

Still 2 days to play. We'll batt aggressively tomorrow for 90 minutes or so. Still gives a lot of time to bowl them out twice with men around the bat. Although I'd feel happier with Rashid around

 

[Bobbin']

This is a complete waste of time.

Covers come off and back on again, we could/should have just used these 12 overs to bowl at them.

 

[Baz]

Plenty of time to bowl them out anyway. Makes perfect sense to bat for a while to build the lead to a massive one, then when the pitch deteriorates in day 4 & 5, they're the ones batting on it.

 

[Bobbin']

They're not going to get anywhere near this total, they would have to blow the record out of the water. It makes no sense to be batting now.

 

[silvergull]

I wouldn't have followed on, but you wouldn't want to have to chase 150 on a turning pitch day 5

I'd also say that the dominant Australian side did this regularly. Put a demoralised side back into the field and slog them about. Really break the spirit ahead of the rest of the test

 

[Baz]

I wouldn't have followed on, but you wouldn't want to have to chase 150 on a turning pitch day 5

I'd also say that the dominant Australian side did this regularly. Put a demoralised side back into the field and slog them about. Really break the spirit ahead of the rest of the test

They did and they were superb for many years because of it. You need to play the situation and in this situation enforcing the follow on wasn't needed. Even more so with one of your main bowlers just coming back from injury.

 

[silvergull]

They did and they were superb for many years because of it. You need to play the situation and in this situation enforcing the follow on wasn't needed. Even more so with one of your main bowlers just coming back from injury.

Arguably two with Anderson and Stokes. Throughout the commentators have been talking about the hardness of the pitch; so suspect that's affected Stokes a bit.

Follow on decision I remain fine with, and we're batting aggressively. I just don't agree not bowling Broad and Anderson when we struggled with the tail.

Plus smashing Yasir around will hopefully get in his head. More tests in the series, so Ming games are good.

 

[Bobbin']

They did and they were superb for many years because of it. You need to play the situation and in this situation enforcing the follow on wasn't needed. Even more so with one of your main bowlers just coming back from injury.

In which case it would be nice to wrap this up quickly and aim to give them an extra day off.

Anderson had only bowled 13 overs, all of which were before lunch.

 

[Baz]

In which case it would be nice to wrap this up quickly and aim to give them an extra day off.

Anderson had only bowled 13 overs, all of which were before lunch.

On the flip side you run the risk of Pakistan batting 5 sessions which would put more strain on him. It's all ifs & buts though.

 

[Bobbin']

I wouldn't have followed on, but you wouldn't want to have to chase 150 on a turning pitch day 5

I'd also say that the dominant Australian side did this regularly. Put a demoralised side back into the field and slog them about. Really break the spirit ahead of the rest of the test

Absolutely no way Pakistan were going to score 540 in their second innings.

 

[silvergull]

I also think people are forgetting how flat the wicket is; as shown by us cruising to 100odd. Pakistan batted horrifically first innings, and no guarantee against a tiring England attack that they couldn't have batted through.

Pakistan down to 3 bowlers, roughing the pitch up more and more. I'd bat until half hour before lunch tomorrow

 

[hodge]

Well here we go, roughly 11 hours of play for England to bowl Pakistan out.

 

[hodge]

Jeez that one kicked, get a short leg in!

 

[hodge]

OH JIMMY JIMMY!