summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
England ruined his prospects when he played his only Test against the Aussies.
Cricket
- Thread starter summerisle
- Start date
BigMick
Player Valuation: £20m
Some exciting finishes looming in the Bob Willis Trophy.
I've been watching Hampshire chasing 158 to beat Middlesex - lunch score 131 -7 with Dawson unable to bat so effectively 8.
Also saw the last few minutes of Notts v Yorkies with Olivier hitting Joe Clarke in the face and then dismissing Duckett off the last ball before lunch with one that leapt up at him - 46-3 needing another 142. Hameed out for 1, caught down the leg side.
Elsewhere Surrey are 86-3 looking to bat out the day against tournament favourites Essex. Harmer the big threat. Warwick need 247 in two sessions to win and Worcs will probably declare against Galmorgan, setting them 310 - probable draw.
I've been watching Hampshire chasing 158 to beat Middlesex - lunch score 131 -7 with Dawson unable to bat so effectively 8.
Also saw the last few minutes of Notts v Yorkies with Olivier hitting Joe Clarke in the face and then dismissing Duckett off the last ball before lunch with one that leapt up at him - 46-3 needing another 142. Hameed out for 1, caught down the leg side.
Elsewhere Surrey are 86-3 looking to bat out the day against tournament favourites Essex. Harmer the big threat. Warwick need 247 in two sessions to win and Worcs will probably declare against Galmorgan, setting them 310 - probable draw.
BigMick
Player Valuation: £20m
And tinkered with his action. He should never had played in that game - Watson had hammered him just the week before playing for the England Lions, so the last thing he needed was to face him again.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Tbf I did answer saying yes DRS has absolutely been a huge factor as has the predominance of one day and especially T20 cricket today. Batsman tend to be more willing to take risks far earlier having full confidence in the array of shots open to them. Many of them have played an awful lot of T20 stuff and it comes naturally, there are less so willing to play themselves in anf wait for the bad ball in standard test match fashion.
The scoring rate is far quicker than was traditionally the case (I know the 2005 ashes series featured some quick scoring too, it's not an exclusive phenomenon, but perhaps more generally a universal feature).
DRS had helped spinners especially as the pad has been eradicated as a first line of defence, but against seamers too it can be crucial to not let the pad get in the way of the bat coming down.
So the answer is obviously yes to the above reasons, which only add to the difficulties facing the modern day batsman. Opening the innings has a whole set of extra problems associated with it too, and with the dukes ball and seaming conditions is an extremely tough ask in England. Especially in recent summers where the current batch of dukes they're using seem to swing far more than ususl and are especially favourable to the opening attack.
BigMick
Player Valuation: £20m
With the Test series resuming tomorrow this Pakistan side had some very promising players but at the moment only one of them, Yasir Shah, comes close to making my favourite Pakistan XI, but loses out to one of their greatest entertainers. I've always enjoyed their brand of attacking, aggressive cricket; the game is rarely dull, one way or another, when they are involved.
My team is:
1. Saeed Anwar - For a couple of years in the 90s he was probably the best opener in the world.
2. Majid Khan - One of those players who made batting look so effortless it was like something we could all do. Saw him a lot for Glamorgan.
3. Zaheer Abbas - Tall, bespectacled, elegant, and noted for graceful double centuries against England. Starred For Gloucester for many years.
4. Javed Miandad - A mixture of batting genius, streetfighter, and a great cricket brain makes him irresistible. Vice-captain.
5. Inzamam ul Haq - A big man who could play the most delicate shots. His fielding and running between the wickets would add comedy value.
6. Imran Khan (c) - The Pakistan Prime Minister is one of cricket's all-time greats. Could easily bat higher.
7. Moin Khan - Pakistan haven't really had a great wicketkeeper/batsman but I liked Moin, another streetfighter.
8. Wasim Akram - Saw him lots for Lancs. Magical bowler, would have to sort his no balls out in today's game. A hitter rather than genuine all-rounder.
9. Abdul Qadir - Leg spinning genius.
10. Waqar Younis - Fast inswinging yorkers, couldn't have Wasim without Waqar.
11. Shoaib Akhtar - Played to the gallery and speed gun too much but at his best he was wonderful. Imran would keep him in order.
Younis Khan, Mohammed Yousef, Asif Iqbal and Mushtaq Mohammed just missed out. Saqlain Mushtaq left out because of the doosra. A few others I've probably forgotten!
My team is:
1. Saeed Anwar - For a couple of years in the 90s he was probably the best opener in the world.
2. Majid Khan - One of those players who made batting look so effortless it was like something we could all do. Saw him a lot for Glamorgan.
3. Zaheer Abbas - Tall, bespectacled, elegant, and noted for graceful double centuries against England. Starred For Gloucester for many years.
4. Javed Miandad - A mixture of batting genius, streetfighter, and a great cricket brain makes him irresistible. Vice-captain.
5. Inzamam ul Haq - A big man who could play the most delicate shots. His fielding and running between the wickets would add comedy value.
6. Imran Khan (c) - The Pakistan Prime Minister is one of cricket's all-time greats. Could easily bat higher.
7. Moin Khan - Pakistan haven't really had a great wicketkeeper/batsman but I liked Moin, another streetfighter.
8. Wasim Akram - Saw him lots for Lancs. Magical bowler, would have to sort his no balls out in today's game. A hitter rather than genuine all-rounder.
9. Abdul Qadir - Leg spinning genius.
10. Waqar Younis - Fast inswinging yorkers, couldn't have Wasim without Waqar.
11. Shoaib Akhtar - Played to the gallery and speed gun too much but at his best he was wonderful. Imran would keep him in order.
Younis Khan, Mohammed Yousef, Asif Iqbal and Mushtaq Mohammed just missed out. Saqlain Mushtaq left out because of the doosra. A few others I've probably forgotten!
...I’m old enough to remember one of those big innings from Zaheer Abbas against England, he was a class act.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
One of these strange facts you remember : Hanif Mohammed longest Test Innings (337, had to check 
) and also run out for 499.
) and also run out for 499.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Very elegant.
BigMick
Player Valuation: £20m
I'm glad to say Hanif was before my time!One of these strange facts you remember : Hanif Mohammed longest Test Innings (337, had to check
I remember his brothers though, Mushtaq (Northants) and Sadiq (Glos). I think there was another brother who also played but wasn't as successful.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Root has confirmed that Anderson plays tomorrow.
I think Jimmy coming out on Monday saying he's not done yet was a smart little poltical move by him. Had they dropped him after that it would've been very awkward.
Maybe they're just going to make one change, Crawley for Stokes, which I think would be crazy. A batting line up that's a man short, with worse personnel. Not a good idea.
There are a few possibilities...
The most palatable but unlikely is leaving Bess out and Root to do the spinning role with Curran coming in to provide more depth to the batting (1% possibility imo)
Bess will play but Broad or Woakes are rested, unless it's simply red zone danger tiredness, injury or rotation it looks unlikely but would be in line with their summer's intention (10% possibility)
Anderson plays instead of the pace option Root says he always wants (5%)
Crawley (for Stokes) the only change.(80%)
Wood having bowled fast in the nets replaces Archer in addition to Crawley (5%)
Realise it comes to 101% but only guesswork
I think Jimmy coming out on Monday saying he's not done yet was a smart little poltical move by him. Had they dropped him after that it would've been very awkward.
Maybe they're just going to make one change, Crawley for Stokes, which I think would be crazy. A batting line up that's a man short, with worse personnel. Not a good idea.
There are a few possibilities...
The most palatable but unlikely is leaving Bess out and Root to do the spinning role with Curran coming in to provide more depth to the batting (1% possibility imo)
Bess will play but Broad or Woakes are rested, unless it's simply red zone danger tiredness, injury or rotation it looks unlikely but would be in line with their summer's intention (10% possibility)
Anderson plays instead of the pace option Root says he always wants (5%)
Crawley (for Stokes) the only change.(80%)
Wood having bowled fast in the nets replaces Archer in addition to Crawley (5%)
Realise it comes to 101% but only guesswork
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Leftfield pick Ollie Robinson ? He was picked as Stokes' replacement, it'd be a bold choice.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Definitely would but can't see it, I think he stands a chance of figuring next week if they take a winning lead as both Broad and Anderson are probably due a rest.
Looking like same again bar Crawley for Stokes. England went in one batter short last week - batting was comfortably their weakest point. So they look like reacting to Stokes' absence by making it even weaker. Crazy
(I know Stokes didn't contribute at all with the bat in the last one but he's still arguably their best batsman and they were already fielding a batsman short)
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Does Crawley field at short leg, can't remember ?
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
He has done but it looks a green wicket and seam bowling looks like dominating with storms forecast. Seamers can have a short leg of course especially if they have the batter hopping about but possibly less often. It maybe just a hint of actually not playing a spinner but unlikely tbf. You just can't replace Stokes, although at home it is easier. We saw in the away ashes just what a shadow of a side they are without him abroad, but when he's been missing recently in home tests Sam Curran has stepped up and been a matchwinner.
We have to find away of lengthening the batting order with Curran, and to at least partially use a sticking plaster over the gaping wound left by Stokes. Just one change is criminal. Leaving Jimmy out with the excuse of it being too much to play three consecutive tests was by far the easiest option but Jimmy's nicely timed little presser may have closed that option.
Drop the spinner Bess or Jofra now seems the only way to get Curran in, Jofra had been poor for most of the summer bowling at only the same pace as the rest and doing less with it, but Root seems to insist on him playing.
I'm resigned to them picking a spinner for the whole of the summer and Leach isn't even in the squad so given that I'd like to see
Burns, Sibley, Crawley, Root, Pope, Buttler, Woakes, Curran, Bess, Broad, Anderson
But think it's certain Archer will play for Curran
Anderson should have been dropped and Curran should play imo.
That batting line up isn't strong enough.
That batting line up isn't strong enough.