I was at the 100 at Lords last night. Proper seeing to by the Northern Whatsits over the London Alcohol Free Spirits in the men's game (Women's game far better in terms of competition). the innings (oh no I used a criggiding term) by Willey was incredible and of his sixes, the one over the top of the Warner stand and OUT OF LORDS is something I have never seen before. Immense.
But all that said, I found the whole thing odd from a criggit pov. It's a batters' game (batter not batsmen). If you bowl less than excellently then the batters take it away. Wickets (sorry, OUTS) do damage progress but catches are likely to get OUTs more than hitting the stumps or the pads. So they bowl short of a length to induce the pull and the hook and the mistimed ramp and hope for catches in the deep. The spin bowler looks for catches over his head to long on etc. The biggest thing that starts to impact the game in August is the onset of damp in the grass in the second innings (oh no, there I go again) and the floodlight conditions. You would want to win the toss and bat every time. There is a lot of criggit missing in this formula and the skinned down version is lopsided.
So relieved to have test cricket back. It's like a five course meal with matched wines after a bag of whatsits and a pint of stella.
But the 100 must signal the death in this country of T20 formula as entertainment now that the ECB has its teeth into the IP rights (which it didn't have with T20). T20 and its big brother 1 day 50 over format are now dying the death of being neither Arthur nor Martha. You go 5 day test purity or The Hundred punk style, no cruddy compromises in between. So English players will do less T20 and that bodes ill for England in the international T20 game which of course will charge on because of the international TV revenue.
But all that said, I found the whole thing odd from a criggit pov. It's a batters' game (batter not batsmen). If you bowl less than excellently then the batters take it away. Wickets (sorry, OUTS) do damage progress but catches are likely to get OUTs more than hitting the stumps or the pads. So they bowl short of a length to induce the pull and the hook and the mistimed ramp and hope for catches in the deep. The spin bowler looks for catches over his head to long on etc. The biggest thing that starts to impact the game in August is the onset of damp in the grass in the second innings (oh no, there I go again) and the floodlight conditions. You would want to win the toss and bat every time. There is a lot of criggit missing in this formula and the skinned down version is lopsided.
Catches are the most common form of dismissal in test cricket, which is also a batters' game. Let's see if Jimmy manages to produce more balls that would hit the stumps in his opening spell than a Hundred death bowler who mixes in yorkers. I'm sure we'll see bowlers bowl short of a length to induce a hook and spinners taking wickets with catches in the deep this series.
I haven't seen the tactics evolve that differently yet from other forms of limited overs cricket. Whilst test is my preferred format I enjoy the other formats as well.
The hundred has to be best watched from the sofa, all told. It looked taters at Lord’s last night. Agree re IP but these franchises all face the same issue which is keeping stars. Else it’s just county pinch hitting Ali Brown style that all becomes impossible to tell apart. Which is not to diss AB as he’d have cleaned up this past decade.
God help the proper formats of course.
Seriously, this batting line-up (Root partially excepted) may as well waddle around in oversize red boots, dungarees and a red nose, so comically embarassing has it become.
I can't remember a weaker batting line-up, and I've been following cricket since the late 60's.
Not sure what the alternatives are. Off the top of my head, relatively useless batsmen they have tried include:
Lyth
Carberry
Westley
Ballance
Vince
Lawrence
Sibley
Crawley
Some of these don't even have impressive first class averages.
I still think it's cowardly of Root to hide at 4 as he is not an out and out stroke player. The biggest issue for me is there's no steady the ship 3 like Vaughan, Hussain, Trott.
I think the biggest problem is long tails have become the norm, so top order batsmen have more of a have a go mentality than they used to. Basically top 5/6 get the score or its their fault if we get a sub-par total, not the entire team. Also with the amount of international cricket it's unlikely anyone in county cricket faces the best bowlers so their time to get found out is in a test match.
It’s also a problem that the time they would have spent playing fc cricket in April/May/June playing themselves into form is now spent in India smacking white balls over the bowler’s head
It’s also a problem that the time they would have spent playing fc cricket in April/May/June playing themselves into form is now spent in India smacking white balls over the bowler’s head
Only one of England's top 6 played in this year's IPL (which was cut short anyway). Presumably all the Indians did?
Buttler (still playing in the IPL) is not coping well with the test format. Let's hope he does better in the second innings. In fact, of the entire team, I would still and only rate Root and Buttler to turn the things around.
I had Sam Billings in mind tbh but it applies to Buttler and others - players who would otherwise be scoring big runs in the English fc season and pushing for test places now aren’t
don’t blame the players ofc, mahoosive riches on offer without the likes of Vaughan telling you you’re a chump
Sibley, Creepy Crawly and Lemon Lawrence all look like 'soft' blokes. Easily bullied, no spunk, and won't turn up when it gets hot.
Get rid of these wet farts and get some real blokes in.
David Willey would be a good start.
Goodness me, his old dad Peter would eat some of these powder-puffs for breakfast.
it is hard to disagree with any part of this post. Though I havent got any basis for the spunklessness point as i havent sucked on them, it is probably correct.
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I was at the 100 at Lords last night. Proper seeing to by the Northern Whatsits over the London Alcohol Free Spirits in the men's game (Women's game far better in terms of competition). the innings (oh no I used a criggiding term) by Willey was incredible and of his sixes, the one over the top of the Warner stand and OUT OF LORDS is something I have never seen before. Immense.
But all that said, I found the whole thing odd from a criggit pov. It's a batters' game (batter not batsmen). If you bowl less than excellently then the batters take it away. Wickets (sorry, OUTS) do damage progress but catches are likely to get OUTs more than hitting the stumps or the pads. So they bowl short of a length to induce the pull and the hook and the mistimed ramp and hope for catches in the deep. The spin bowler looks for catches over his head to long on etc. The biggest thing that starts to impact the game in August is the onset of damp in the grass in the second innings (oh no, there I go again) and the floodlight conditions. You would want to win the toss and bat every time. There is a lot of criggit missing in this formula and the skinned down version is lopsided.
So relieved to have test cricket back. It's like a five course meal with matched wines after a bag of whatsits and a pint of stella.
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0
But the 100 must signal the death in this country of T20 formula as entertainment now that the ECB has its teeth into the IP rights (which it didn't have with T20). T20 and its big brother 1 day 50 over format are now dying the death of being neither Arthur nor Martha. You go 5 day test purity or The Hundred punk style, no cruddy compromises in between. So English players will do less T20 and that bodes ill for England in the international T20 game which of course will charge on because of the international TV revenue.
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Catches are the most common form of dismissal in test cricket, which is also a batters' game. Let's see if Jimmy manages to produce more balls that would hit the stumps in his opening spell than a Hundred death bowler who mixes in yorkers. I'm sure we'll see bowlers bowl short of a length to induce a hook and spinners taking wickets with catches in the deep this series.
I haven't seen the tactics evolve that differently yet from other forms of limited overs cricket. Whilst test is my preferred format I enjoy the other formats as well.
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Thought that pitched outside leg but apparently not.
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quality start...
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The hundred has to be best watched from the sofa, all told. It looked taters at Lord’s last night. Agree re IP but these franchises all face the same issue which is keeping stars. Else it’s just county pinch hitting Ali Brown style that all becomes impossible to tell apart. Which is not to diss AB as he’d have cleaned up this past decade.
God help the proper formats of course.
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I suspect England have a better test record this last decade with players who grew up on T20 than they did in the decade that preceded T20.
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Is that Strauss on commentary? Proper player.
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While TMS is stuck with Michael “Matey” Vaughan and Isha “Eesshh” Guha. Absolute state.
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Not keen on the weak bowling line-up but it looks like we're going to need the extra batting.
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Ship momentarily steadied...
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Bugger
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Is Wellers now csider? I struggle to keep up
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No chance
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FFS
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Not sure what they expected, playing no red ball cricket for 2 or so months
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At least Australia lost to Bangladesh again today.
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Lack of money used to strangle cricket now a flood of money chasing the short game is strangling it
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We’d get further with Curran and Stokes (when he’s back) opening, Burns at 3 and Root at 4 and then the rest in any order than the current line up,
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India bowled really well but if Anderson and Broad can’t match it we’ll look pretty fvcking stupid
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Seriously, this batting line-up (Root partially excepted) may as well waddle around in oversize red boots, dungarees and a red nose, so comically embarassing has it become.
I can't remember a weaker batting line-up, and I've been following cricket since the late 60's.
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Where’s Pope?
Stokes we know about. Except obvs something else has happened.
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WL - good point, although Jimmy has a zillion wickets, he has disappointed so many times when conditions have been perfect for him. And Broad too.
At Lords v India in 2014 worst example when they bowled like novices on the greenest green-top ever seen at HQ.
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Pope's injured - again.
Although he seems destined for the James Vince cameo slot.
Joe Clarke, in a parallel universe where he didn't seem to irk HM Constabulary, would have been playing @ 3 now.
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Sibley, Creepy Crawly and Lemon Lawrence all look like 'soft' blokes. Easily bullied, no spunk, and won't turn up when it gets hot.
Get rid of these wet farts and get some real blokes in.
David Willey would be a good start.
Goodness me, his old dad Peter would eat some of these powder-puffs for breakfast.
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Agreed. Btw did you see that pic of Hendrick and pals a week before he passed? Proper cricketers
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Yep. Hendrick would have been a world beater if only the bloke had bowled a yard fuller.
Cant recall seeing a bloke miss the bat more until Corey Collymore of the W Indies. Again, you felt, pitch the ball up…
Terry Alderman would have been a good coach to them!
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It was. It was also Strauss who made the ECB decision to prioritise white ball cricket over test cricket
Agree with the comment about Joe Clarke if he could keep his nose clean he’d be the answer at 3.
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Wonder if he’ll find time to commentate on the hundred alongside his old mate KP…..?
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Not a fan of Strauss. He still is a pedantic tit.
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I can't imagine Sky/ECB would want Strauss commentating on the format designed to attract new fans but then they still haven't pensioned off Bumble.
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Not sure what the alternatives are. Off the top of my head, relatively useless batsmen they have tried include:
Lyth
Carberry
Westley
Ballance
Vince
Lawrence
Sibley
Crawley
Some of these don't even have impressive first class averages.
I still think it's cowardly of Root to hide at 4 as he is not an out and out stroke player. The biggest issue for me is there's no steady the ship 3 like Vaughan, Hussain, Trott.
I think the biggest problem is long tails have become the norm, so top order batsmen have more of a have a go mentality than they used to. Basically top 5/6 get the score or its their fault if we get a sub-par total, not the entire team. Also with the amount of international cricket it's unlikely anyone in county cricket faces the best bowlers so their time to get found out is in a test match.
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It’s also a problem that the time they would have spent playing fc cricket in April/May/June playing themselves into form is now spent in India smacking white balls over the bowler’s head
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Bumble is great, ofc Strauss would never go anywhere near that c unt KP
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Only one of England's top 6 played in this year's IPL (which was cut short anyway). Presumably all the Indians did?
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Buttler (still playing in the IPL) is not coping well with the test format. Let's hope he does better in the second innings. In fact, of the entire team, I would still and only rate Root and Buttler to turn the things around.
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I had Sam Billings in mind tbh but it applies to Buttler and others - players who would otherwise be scoring big runs in the English fc season and pushing for test places now aren’t
don’t blame the players ofc, mahoosive riches on offer without the likes of Vaughan telling you you’re a chump
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Archer out for the rest of the year
ffs
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Hang on looks like a match might break out here...
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That's the issue though isn't it? Bowlers always having to dig them out of jail.
Why does Lurch/Sibley field in the slips? He could do with losing a few pounds at deep cover.
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Marshall Hall04 Aug 21 18:41
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Sibley, Creepy Crawly and Lemon Lawrence all look like 'soft' blokes. Easily bullied, no spunk, and won't turn up when it gets hot.
Get rid of these wet farts and get some real blokes in.
David Willey would be a good start.
Goodness me, his old dad Peter would eat some of these powder-puffs for breakfast.
it is hard to disagree with any part of this post. Though I havent got any basis for the spunklessness point as i havent sucked on them, it is probably correct.
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Lemon Lawrence again showing how he's simply not yet up to the challenges of test cricket. Panicked, like Corporal Jones.
We are basically a 5 man team at the moment.
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