Cricket

[summerisle]

Rather amazing they haven't found a Broad and Anderson replacement pair in two decades. Not like it's been obvious. Who was the last steady solid keeper batsman? Stewart?

Matt Prior and Jonny Bairstow were no slouches.

 

[ToffeeTim]

I don't think people realise the lack of quality England have when it comes to playing the "traditional" way, making uncomfortable and entertaining choices doesn't always work but it gives them their best shot because without "bazzball" England would be as bad as they were in the 90s. I think people are unable to accept that Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa are far better cricketing nations these days.

Don't necessarily agree England would be as bad as the 90s teams. They have some very good batters in this team. I rate Duckett highly as an opener, and obviously Brook and Root are good players. Stokes is capable of match winning scores, albeit he's inconsistent. And Smith has a lot of potential too.

The problem right now is the bowling attack and finding replacements for Broad and Anderson. Bashir is doing OK but he's not always effective in home conditions. The plan for the next couple of years needs to be to get big first innings runs and hope the bowlers can use scoreboard pressure. I dont think bowling first in hot conditions is helpful for thos bowling attack.

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

As always you have the nuances of cricket down more than me mate, completely agree though, I think baz and stokes are some of the best leaders in sport and the drive to get at them from their own nation is ludicrous. They've just lost broad and Anderson ffs

I'm not sure about that, you're very astute! McCullum led NZ from being all out for 30odd in his first match as captain to winning a test championship and basically a world cup (that 2019 final was a stitch up, let's call it a tie). He knows how to get the best out of what is at his disposal. England currently doesn't have an experienced spinner or consistently fit seam attack, it has a batting lineup that is dotted with wild confidence and players anxiously dithering on every ball with no confidence to experience the batting crease with any medium of balance.

 

[Walken]

Rather amazing they haven't found a Broad and Anderson replacement pair in two decades. Not like it's been obvious. Who was the last steady solid keeper batsman? Stewart?

Smith has a very good chance of being that does he not?

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

Don't necessarily agree England would be as bad as the 90s teams. They have some very good batters in this team. I rate Duckett highly as an opener, and obviously Brook and Root are good players. Stokes is capable of match winning scores, albeit he's inconsistent. And Smith has a lot of potential too.

The problem right now is the bowling attack and finding replacements for Broad and Anderson. Bashir is doing OK but he's not always effective in home conditions. The plan for the next couple of years needs to be to get big first innings runs and hope the bowlers can use scoreboard pressure.

The 90s had Hick, Atherton, Stewart, Thorpe and Gooch/Gatting. They had Caddick and Gough. They had little else. It's a very similar tale.

Agree with Stokes getting the toss wrong a bit though I can think of one in Pakistan and one in New Zealand in recent memory.

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

Matt Prior and Jonny Bairstow were no slouches.

Matt Prior is incredibly underrated in greater world cricket in my opinion, not just for his batting and keeping but his leadership, the confidence of a keeper gee'ing you and the cordon up behind the stumps is a great attribute.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Smith has a very good chance of being that does he not?

Oh I dunno, I liked cricket on 5 and mambo number 5 and all that caper. Everton does further unspeakable harm to me now and looking for and keeping up with more punishment just isn't as enthusiastic an option as it was.

 

[summerisle]

Don't necessarily agree England would be as bad as the 90s teams. They have some very good batters in this team. I rate Duckett highly as an opener, and obviously Brook and Root are good players. Stokes is capable of match winning scores, albeit he's inconsistent. And Smith has a lot of potential too.

The problem right now is the bowling attack and finding replacements for Broad and Anderson. Bashir is doing OK but he's not always effective in home conditions. The plan for the next couple of years needs to be to get big first innings runs and hope the bowlers can use scoreboard pressure. I dont think bowling first in hot conditions is helpful for thos bowling attack.

Add to that, Woakes is 36, Stokes 34, Overton 31, Wood 35 and Archer, if he ever plays again, is 30 . Stokes' position is so crucial for the way England play, they'll struggle when he retires.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Add to that, Woakes is 36, Stokes 34, Overton 31, Wood 35 and Archer, if he ever plays again, is 30 . Stokes' position is so crucial for the way England play, they'll struggle when he retires.

The biggest concern from this test so far has been that Stokes was easily the best bowler.

 

[Walken]

Add to that, Woakes is 36, Stokes 34, Overton 31, Wood 35 and Archer, if he ever plays again, is 30 . Stokes' position is so crucial for the way England play, they'll struggle when he retires.

Class all rounders are really really rare

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

Add to that, Woakes is 36, Stokes 34, Overton 31, Wood 35 and Archer, if he ever plays again, is 30 . Stokes' position is so crucial for the way England play, they'll struggle when he retires.

Australia having similar issues very soon too.

 

[summerisle]

 

[Rita_Poon]

Class all rounders are really really rare

Getting rarer by the minute the way the bbc chews em up...

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

Getting rarer by the minute the way the bbc chews em up...

 

[Rita_Poon]

View attachment 313761

smoking a bit of weed and shagging around hardly makes beefy a renegade.