The Cricket Thread

[Saddlerrad]

Couple of quick wickets for England, 106-2.

 

[Baz]

Malik haha, one good innings then tripe the rest of the series. So 34/2 in reality, need to get Younis early now.

 

[Baz]

Getting Yonus by close is massive. Leading by around 80 by close will give England massive hope tomorrow. Chasing anything below 200 is very gettable even on this pitch.

 

[JJH]

I'm with Saddler here - they've threw away what was an excellent position at the start of the day and now the game is back in the balance. The morning session tomorrow will decide the game, the couple of late wickets in the evening session has poised the game nicely, but we need to plough through the rest of them.

Anything over 200 I don't think we'll hit on this wicket, it's already starting to take some nasty turn, so getting Hafeez out would be a start.

Time for the spinners to step up tomorrow, need a standout performance from one of them in the morning session.

 

[Bobbin']

I'm with Saddler here - they've threw away what was an excellent position at the start of the day and now the game is back in the balance. The morning session tomorrow will decide the game, the couple of late wickets in the evening session has poised the game nicely, but we need to plough through the rest of them.

Anything over 200 I don't think we'll hit on this wicket, it's already starting to take some nasty turn, so getting Hafeez out would be a start.

Time for the spinners to step up tomorrow, need a standout performance from one of them in the morning session.

Thought you would be!

 

[Pyeman]

The match is evenly balanced - if we can do to them tomorrow morning what they did to us today then we've got a real chance. I back our bowlers [seamers] to get the two or three key wickets early in the first session that'll put us right in the driving seat. Getting Younis just before the close could prove vital.

Regardless of the result, the performance of our spinners has been concerning. Without some very disciplined bowling from Broad and Anderson, Pakistan would be out of sight by now. It worries me greatly that our spinners are getting dominated in the UAE. Bar a couple of promising spells from Rashid, we've looked bang average.

In theory these are the most spin-friendly pitches they'll ever bowl on - doesn't bode well for our spin options moving forwards.

 

[Aber gas]

The match is evenly balanced - if we can do to them tomorrow morning what they did to us today then we've got a real chance. I back our bowlers [seamers] to get the two or three key wickets early in the first session that'll put us right in the driving seat. Getting Younis just before the close could prove vital.

Regardless of the result, the performance of our spinners has been concerning. Without some very disciplined bowling from Broad and Anderson, Pakistan would be out of sight by now. It worries me greatly that our spinners are getting dominated in the UAE. Bar a couple of promising spells from Rashid, we've looked bang average.

In theory these are the most spin-friendly pitches they'll ever bowl on - doesn't bode well for our spin options moving forwards.

The problem is there aren't a lot of viable alternatives and I doubt we will be playing two spinners in South Africa. I'd like the selectors to persevere with rashid but I expect Ali to be our spin option in SA. It's my biggest worry regarding the future of the team because our paucity of spinners seems to be forgotten about until we play in Asia.

 

[Pyeman]

The problem is there aren't a lot of viable alternatives and I doubt we will be playing two spinners in South Africa. I'd like the selectors to persevere with rashid but I expect Ali to be our spin option in SA. It's my biggest worry regarding the future of the team because our paucity of spinners seems to be forgotten about until we play in Asia.

Completely agree, the lack of any viable alternatives leaves us having to persevere with the likes of Ali. Let's be honest, Ali will be in the team in SA because he adds to the batting line-up in addition to offering a bit of spin. If his bowling was all that he offered, he'd be nowhere near the team.

I think we need to decide who our most promising spin option is, and then invest time in them. If Rashid is our best spin prospect, then back him. Play him in SA as our front-line spinner. Our batting line-up might be slightly weaker, but we need to do something to address our lack of spin quality. Ali certainly isn't the answer.

 

[Aber gas]

Completely agree, the lack of any viable alternatives leaves us having to persevere with the likes of Ali. Let's be honest, Ali will be in the team in SA because he adds to the batting line-up in addition to offering a bit of spin. If his bowling was all that he offered, he'd be nowhere near the team.

I think we need to decide who our most promising spin option is, and then invest time in them. If Rashid is our best spin prospect, then back him. Play him in SA as our front-line spinner. Our batting line-up might be slightly weaker, but we need to do something to address our lack of spin quality. Ali certainly isn't the answer.

I'm sure Ali will be fine in SA tbh. He's not a bad option and I don't have a problem with him being picked as a middle order batsman and second spinner. I totally agree with you regarding our main spinner though, we need to pick one and back him. If we can find one that can be developed into a decent international bowler our attack goes from very good to world class. Anderson, Broad, Wood/Finn, Stokes, Rashid/ Riley /new spinner, Ali . That added to the stable of young quicks that are developing and the future is looking good apart from bloody spinners!

 

[Super_horns]

Hafeez and Ul-Haq out so back in in the game to an extent.

Need to finish off the final 4 wickets fairly soon though.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Need them out for no more than another 50 or so which would leave us 250 to win, a huge ask anyway.

 

[RavenBish]

Got this on in the corner of my screen at work. Some of the worst spin bowling I've seen in my life - half-decent spinner and England would've cruised this Test.

And yes, Adil Rashid is utter toilet. I can forgive Patel and Ali as they're part-timers, batsman who you hook off after a couple of overs if it's not their day. This series has been set up in Rashid's favour to show something - I'm not arsed about him not getting wickets - just at least show you've got some sort of guile and control. They should've just picked Plunkett.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Pakistan 355 all out, mostly down to Hafeez scoring 151. England need 284 to win. Going to be very tough. One of Taylor or Root will have to get a ton as they are the only ones that look composed against spin and can keep the run rate ticking over. If we win this, then we deserve all the praise in the world. Brillant once again from Broad and Anderson, I dread to think the state of our foreign tours when they both are no longer involved. 5 wickets again between them.

The spin bowling is disgracefully poor. Rashid bowls is 10mph too slow and the others are just batsmen who can role an arm over. Really dire stuff.

Just imagine if we'd got another 100 yesterday batting, 6-80 in the morning session again yesterday was not good enough.

Come on then lads, chance.

 

[RavenBish]

Don't think Rashid bowls too slow (he does during ODIs though), plenty have been successful bowling that pace. His control is just so so poor

 

[JJH]

Tidy little start, but it's highly unlikely they'll do this. The ball is taking some serious turn, if we'd have had a Graeme Swann in our side we'd have this wrapped up by now.

Rashid is a county cricketer, he bowls far too many loose balls and gets rightly punished at this level. Ali is more of a batsman than a bowler, so could do with some runs this innings. This will surely be his last test opening, and they'll give Hales a chance in South Africa. Patel I'm not sure why he was brought into the side, another county cricketer with the ball. Agree with Bish, would have gave Plunkett a go, or maybe even Woakes.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Ali out LBW after looking good. Cook given not out LBW on a sweep to Babar, been reviewed. Looks close, might be clipping. You can just tell we probably won't have the technical skills to defy this spin attack enough to get near the score. Hope I'm wrong though just for the sake of the fast bowlers and the little bit of luck we have lacked through the series.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Bell out, bowled by Malik stuck in his crease.

34-2.

Probably game over.

 

[JJH]

Definitely game over. Need a huge innings from either Root, Cook or Taylor. Can't see it.

 

[RavenBish]

Didn't really expect anything from Ali or Bell anyway. Needs one big innings from Cook, Root or Taylor. These two need to just grind their way to 100 and see where they are then. I know a draw is no good for England but it's still ok to be sensible and settle for one if you need to.

 

[Baz]

Missed all of today's stuff but looks like yeah well almost game over. I suppose the advantage we have is that Cook and Root are more than capable of starting again however we all know how often the first session of the day has gone in favour of the bowling team....fingers crossed for a miracle.

 

[Aber gas]

Just watching the highlights now and as much as rashid bowled some rubbish I've got some sympathy for him. The stumping that Bairstow missed was ridiculous. I know the general clamour on this forum was for buttler to be dropped but ffs Bairstow is just not up to it as an international keeper.

 

[Super_horns]

By the time you read this it might all be over!

6 down....

Elsewhere Aussies piling on the runs against the Kiwis - Warner 150 plus not out and South Africa in control against India.

 

[blademan89]

Fucking shambles

 

[lordofthepies]

You just know before you even take a look at Cricinfo in the morning that England will have lost early wickets. They're so reliable in that sense. I was only expecting it to be about 2 though...

 

[Baz]

First morning wickets it's happened every test hasn't it?

 

[blademan89]

Gary ballance must be wondering how hes not in this team. Averages nearly 50 in test cricket. He got a 50 in the 1st test against the aussies, had a bad 2nd test and got dropped. I believe apart from cook and root he is englands highest scorer this year still or certainly was at the start of the last test in dubai.

 

[RavenBish]

Ill informed people focusing on the batsman again. It's a 5th day pitch in UAE, not really sure what you expect. Shah and Babar have bowled well, they've basically proven that all England needed was 'ok' spin bowling and they'd have won the Test.

It's not a massive coincidence that England's best couple of spinners in recent years came through a county known for having the wicket that offers the most turn too (caveat is that Swann improved at Notts though I suppose).

Gary Ballance up against the best pace attack in the world seems like a great idea haha. No point in even questioning the 3,4,5 positions for a while. Roots top dog, Taylor deserves a run and Bell is pretty much the only proven English Test batsman not named Root or Cook, no idea why you'd even consider dropping him - especially given the lack of alternatives

 

[JJH]

Absolutely abysmal that - but it hasn't came as a surprise. They should have got nowhere near that total. The difference in the two sides is simply that Pakistan have top spinners who will take wickets and apply pressure from an end - whereas we don't.

Incredibly frustrating series.

 

[RavenBish]

I know the general clamour on this forum was for buttler to be dropped but ffs Bairstow is just not up to it as an international keeper.

Neither was Buttler when he first got the gloves. Tough pitch to keep on too given the turn. Not really sure what an 'international keeper' is either cos I can count the amount of good wicketkeepers in the world on one hand, so he probably is as that bar is very low.

 

[Baz]

As England struggle, Australia go at 4.5 an over against NZ my how the other half live