The Cricket Thread

[Ciderhead]

The only way we do this is if we get the full overs and aren't forced off for light

 

[Baz]

Brilliant fielding from the Pakistani's. It's like Inzi is in the team all over again

 

[Ciderhead]

Umpires should do it like football, get the stopwatch out. When they decide the light's too bad add on the stoppage time

 

[Super_horns]

We can do this if allowed to.

 

[Ciderhead]

Shame. But what an effort that was. We can take so much confidence for the rest of the series.

 

[mowgli]

7 minutes to bowl one over of spin,bad sportsmanship from Pakistan but i expect no less from the biggest cheats in test cricket.

 

[Ciderhead]

7 minutes to bowl one over of spin,bad sportsmanship from Pakistan but i expect no less from the biggest cheats in test cricket.

Meh, annoying but we'd have done the same if roles were reversed

 

[Baz]

Meh, annoying but we'd have done the same if roles were reversed

This is that. Plus on average you bowl 12 overs an hour so an extra couple of minutes for an over isn't a big deal. You get 6/7 minute overs on ODI's with all the field changes etc too.

 

[hodge]

Bilal Asif added to Pakistan squad for 2nd test, his action is under review but players are allowed to play until results revealed. So what happens if the results come back mid way through the 2nd test and its revealed he's chucking it? Can he then just not bowl once results revealed if still playing the match?

 

[Saddlerrad]

Bilal Asif added to Pakistan squad for 2nd test, his action is under review but players are allowed to play until results revealed. So what happens if the results come back mid way through the 2nd test and its revealed he's chucking it? Can he then just not bowl once results revealed if still playing the match?

It's hilarious the amount of cheating/horrible/suspect players Pakistan produce - such a dodgy place/team. You really ought to keep an eye on them if your a governing body. Was nobody else suspicious at Wahab's random over in our first innings when he bowled 3 no balls and 2 wides in 1 random over and was then virtually fine?

Proper iffy.

I'd drop Bairstow and bring Taylor in. It's either Buttler or Bairstow for me and Buttler has more 'in the bank' in terms of opportunities currently for me. We will struggle against this Shah on a more turning wicket, he has a bit of mystery about him and we always struggle against leg spin. Taylor is a good player of spin, a good fielder, has experience leading teams and most importantly, can rotate the strike in flat conditions in a batting order/middle order that are full of predominantly boundary hitting type of players.

 

[hodge]

Taylor needs to play, quality player who is very good at playing spin, only logical you play him in these conditions, would agree about Buttler staying, both innings he didn't really have a chance to play a test innings.

 

[Baz]

It's hilarious the amount of cheating/horrible/suspect players Pakistan produce - such a dodgy place/team. You really ought to keep an eye on them if your a governing body. Was nobody else suspicious at Wahab's random over in our first innings when he bowled 3 no balls and 2 wides in 1 random over and was then virtually fine?

Proper iffy.

I'd drop Bairstow and bring Taylor in. It's either Buttler or Bairstow for me and Buttler has more 'in the bank' in terms of opportunities currently for me. We will struggle against this Shah on a more turning wicket, he has a bit of mystery about him and we always struggle against leg spin. Taylor is a good player of spin, a good fielder, has experience leading teams and most importantly, can rotate the strike in flat conditions in a batting order/middle order that are full of predominantly boundary hitting type of players.

Agree with that. He can even bat at 3 and have Bell drop down to 5 to take the pressure off a bit if needed.

 

[Super_horns]

Long day in the field again?

 

[Baz]

Well last time we played here Pakistan were all out for under a 100 haha, granted they still won the test but these things happen. I just hope it doesn't take until day 5 for something to happen again.

 

[Saddlerrad]

The wrong toss to lose this is. With the way it's gripping already it could be absolutely ragging square by day 4/5.

Unlucky with another toss and now Younis/Misbah are set at the crease and closing in a 100 partnership, we need these both out quickly before things completely get away from us.

If we draw this, we have done very, very well.

 

[hodge]

Wow that's a cheap wicket

 

[Saddlerrad]

Wood has bowled excellently.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Can't see us doing anything but losing this quite heavily with the way this wicket will spin and deteriorate for Shah. We really needed to win that toss and bat big before it starts spinning properly.

 

[Baz]

Well we got an early breakthrough this morning but other than that it's the same old haha. If we can limit them to under 400 it'll be a good effort.

 

[Hooray]

378 all out! That'll do.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Very good from England this morning. Let's see how Shah is and if we play spin properly now. We NEED to keep one of Root or Cook at the crease by the close of play if we want to get near Pakistan's summer. With a bit more pace on the ball, I fancy a punt on Ali to go big.

 

[Saddlerrad]

LOL the jinx strikes again - Ali caught at short leg by a blinder - England 5-1.

 

[Baz]

Wow didn't expect us to get them all out for under 400 when I said we needed it haha. Let's see what we can do now. I'm not predicting anything or i'll end up being a curse like Saddler

 

[Saddlerrad]

Wow didn't expect us to get them all out for under 400 when I said we needed it haha. Let's see what we can do now. I'm not predicting anything or i'll end up being a curse like Saddler

I literally am a Sporting jinx!

England all out for 91!

 

[Saddlerrad]

I was hoping that may positively jinx us to get above 91...but that looks optimistic!

14-2 with Ali and Bell out, the pissing spinner hasn't even warmed up yet!

62 all out!

 

[Hooray]

After the last test match, I'm just pleased that wickets are falling

Although can they stop falling so rapidly now, please...

 

[Saddlerrad]

After the last test match, I'm just pleased that wickets are falling

Although can they stop falling so rapidly now, please...

I'd rather they didn't fall until we had a 100 lead. Then they can fall quickly after that and in the next Pakistan innings too..

 

[RavenBish]

Ali was crap in the warm up matches, it's hardly a surprise he's opening poorly. He needs to bat lower down where there's less responsibility on the defensive side of his game.

Conversely, England's best batsman in the warm ups, James Taylor, arguably in their top 3 players of spin too...still can't get a game. They're going to give him like 1 game in this series and then he'll 'earn his chance' just in time to get bounced out of his socks by Steyn and Morkel in SA and that'll be him done for another 12 months. Shambles.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Ali was crap in the warm up matches, it's hardly a surprise he's opening poorly. He needs to bat lower down where there's less responsibility on the defensive side of his game.

Conversely, England's best batsman in the warm ups, James Taylor, arguably in their top 3 players of spin too...still can't get a game. They're going to give him like 1 game in this series and then he'll 'earn his chance' just in time to get bounced out of his socks by Steyn and Morkel in SA and that'll be him done for another 12 months. Shambles.

Literally just discussing Taylor.

How he hasn't got a game on this tour over Bairstow is particularly baffling. Someone who can nudge the singles and rotate the strike whilst disrupting the field in England's middle order is exactly what's missing. These aren't the conditions to have a middle order of biffers. It's what makes Root and Cook so vital, if they fail then the staying power of the middle order isn't so great and you can imagine us capitulating pretty quickly.

Taylor has to be in over Bairstow for me, even if it means juggling the order around.

Warm up matches mean nothing though, they are effectively pre-season friendlies.

 

[Baz]

Time to dig in already, what on earth is going on. Can they bring on the spinner now please I want to see some fun and games.