Cricket
- Thread starter summerisle
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Not enough runs on the board for Lancashire.
Fully fit Lancs side cruises this, but it is what it is
Disgusting umpire decision cost Lancs that game.
The commentary was like watching a derby with MacManaman, Carragher, Souness and Redknapp on duty.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
India lose here, they lose the series for me.
Having lost the last three series in England 4-0, 3-1 and 4-1 - an incredibly depressing (for India) aggregate of 15-2, history is very much against India, but on paper, against such a heavily weakened England line-up, and without their talisman Ben Stokes too, this is easily the best chance they'll ever have of changing that. It's a big psychological hurdle to jump, but leading one-nil and on such a high - this test was their real chance to assert absolute control of the series.
It just seems to me like 2014 all over again and the devastating disappointment of losing heavily here against all the odds, will be all the harder to take with the burden of such a dismal recent record in England weighing so heavily against them. Kohli and co carry a lot of baggage around with them when touring here and any huge setback will just feel like 'here we go again'.
Having lost the last three series in England 4-0, 3-1 and 4-1 - an incredibly depressing (for India) aggregate of 15-2, history is very much against India, but on paper, against such a heavily weakened England line-up, and without their talisman Ben Stokes too, this is easily the best chance they'll ever have of changing that. It's a big psychological hurdle to jump, but leading one-nil and on such a high - this test was their real chance to assert absolute control of the series.
It just seems to me like 2014 all over again and the devastating disappointment of losing heavily here against all the odds, will be all the harder to take with the burden of such a dismal recent record in England weighing so heavily against them. Kohli and co carry a lot of baggage around with them when touring here and any huge setback will just feel like 'here we go again'.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Correction to the above, the aggregate score being 11-2 to England in the last few series over here.
It's been a woeful 2 days for them really. And surprising to some degree. The 2nd test was England worst defeat since that 2nd Ashes test in 06 (which still gives me shudders, imagine being 2-0 up in a derby after 30 minutes and still losing)!
What I have got from yesterday is that the seem bowling ranks have great depth. I gave 10 names who could feasibly play who I quite like. I said before this test I'd have gone Overton, and like Robinson I thought he did very well.
What you realise is the home bias that exists in cricket the days. Like when we go to the sub-continent, and you see a 4th or 5th choice spinner who is far better than our 1st choice. Just different cricketing cultures really and over a long series very few of the top nationals remain uncompetitive for the duration.
As an aside I think it shows how well New Zealand did and also Australia did 2 years ago.
As for India it will be a real test to come back from. Is this a 4 or 5 test series? A number of them looked all at sea with the swinging ball yesterday and Englabd have a great chance.
I think what is interesting with this Test Match is how much better we look not just for dropping Sibley, but also for having Malan and Bairstow back in the team (and yes I appreciate Bairstow only got 29). Essentially experienced players, who have been too Australia. If Stokes goes in at 6, with Buttler at 7 and any of Robinson, Alli, Curran, Woakes etc in the final 4 spaces England's batting looks much better,
They clearly gambled on younger players, Bracey, Sibley, Pope, Crawley & Pope and there is clearly an acknowledgement that while in the linger term some may come good, in the short term-medium term (I.E until the end of the Ashes series) they were just not showing the improvement required to move the team forward. There was probably some thought that it was getting embarrassing for the team and not helping the players involved. There may be a thought that some too many younger players were put into a team at once without enough support and solidity around them. I'd expect to see of the above Pope, Crawley and Lawrence at some stage again but weight of runs will become important.
It will be frustrating, as the investment in those 3 (I don't include Sibley in this as it was clear quite early on he just wasn't good enough) would have probably warranted having 3 test cricketers now ready to be approaching 35-40 in average.
The team looks more solid. Adding more experience has helped, and you look at what Buttler, Malan and Bairstow have done in One day cricket and they are World Class. Each of them have an argument to be in England's greatest ever teams for what they have done. I'm not sure any are totally suited to Test match cricket as their 1st option, but all are very talented.
I know Bairstow gets some stick, but he is currently 2nd on the averages for England and 4th in the series thus far. It's a low bar, but in England, with wet grey conditions his inclusion will be seen as a success. You would like to see Bairstow turn one of his positive starts into a big score and that will be the challenge. England look better for him at 5 though.
I don't expect the batting line up-with Stokes attached to go to Australia. With probably quite low expectations which may surprise a few.
They clearly gambled on younger players, Bracey, Sibley, Pope, Crawley & Pope and there is clearly an acknowledgement that while in the linger term some may come good, in the short term-medium term (I.E until the end of the Ashes series) they were just not showing the improvement required to move the team forward. There was probably some thought that it was getting embarrassing for the team and not helping the players involved. There may be a thought that some too many younger players were put into a team at once without enough support and solidity around them. I'd expect to see of the above Pope, Crawley and Lawrence at some stage again but weight of runs will become important.
It will be frustrating, as the investment in those 3 (I don't include Sibley in this as it was clear quite early on he just wasn't good enough) would have probably warranted having 3 test cricketers now ready to be approaching 35-40 in average.
The team looks more solid. Adding more experience has helped, and you look at what Buttler, Malan and Bairstow have done in One day cricket and they are World Class. Each of them have an argument to be in England's greatest ever teams for what they have done. I'm not sure any are totally suited to Test match cricket as their 1st option, but all are very talented.
I know Bairstow gets some stick, but he is currently 2nd on the averages for England and 4th in the series thus far. It's a low bar, but in England, with wet grey conditions his inclusion will be seen as a success. You would like to see Bairstow turn one of his positive starts into a big score and that will be the challenge. England look better for him at 5 though.
I don't expect the batting line up-with Stokes attached to go to Australia. With probably quite low expectations which may surprise a few.
BigMick
Player Valuation: £20m
Lancs eventually well beaten last night - Somerset had 11 balls still to come when they hit the winning runs. I certainly wouldn't blame umpire Millns for getting one decision wrong, the wicket off a no-ball, and two dropped catches were more telling, especially as Lancs were at least 20 short in the target they set.
The absence of Parkinson, Wood and Mahmood was crucial to them defending any sort of total after losing the toss on a small ground with heavy dew causing the fielders to slip and slide. Tom Bailey is an excellent red ball bowler but his strengths of relentless line and length are a weakness in T20. As soon as I saw him coming on to bowl the 18th I knew it was all over. I suspect he knew it too - when he captained the team in the recent 50 overs he never brought himself back to bowl at the death.
With the batting it was the old problem of all the big hitters getting out and leaving Rob Jones and the tail to get what they can from the last few overs.
I'm more concerned now with the return of the Championship on Monday. What appeared to be a well-balanced team is beginning to look a little threadbare at the crucial time. I presume Mahmood with still be gathering splinters in his backside with England, and Parkinson must be a doubt with covid isolation, and playing Gleeson in a 4 day game after so long out would be a gamble. They could do with Jennings and Wood being fit, otherwise the likes of Balderson, Morley or Hurt could be in line for their first appearance of the season.
I hope the cider-swilling yokels get hammered in the semi!
The absence of Parkinson, Wood and Mahmood was crucial to them defending any sort of total after losing the toss on a small ground with heavy dew causing the fielders to slip and slide. Tom Bailey is an excellent red ball bowler but his strengths of relentless line and length are a weakness in T20. As soon as I saw him coming on to bowl the 18th I knew it was all over. I suspect he knew it too - when he captained the team in the recent 50 overs he never brought himself back to bowl at the death.
With the batting it was the old problem of all the big hitters getting out and leaving Rob Jones and the tail to get what they can from the last few overs.
I'm more concerned now with the return of the Championship on Monday. What appeared to be a well-balanced team is beginning to look a little threadbare at the crucial time. I presume Mahmood with still be gathering splinters in his backside with England, and Parkinson must be a doubt with covid isolation, and playing Gleeson in a 4 day game after so long out would be a gamble. They could do with Jennings and Wood being fit, otherwise the likes of Balderson, Morley or Hurt could be in line for their first appearance of the season.
I hope the cider-swilling yokels get hammered in the semi!
Fantastic signing
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Yes to Austrslia, although if they had key men out like Smith and Labuschagne that too would have been one sided (as here with Stokes etc). England without Stokes is like a table with three legs, no matter what you do, there just no way there's any way of balancing it. It was largely a two man batting effort from the Aussies.
This Eng vs India series like most iconic ones between the more traditional strongest teams is a proper five test series
Although New Zealand have done well recently it's perhaps very pertinent they just don't play proper test series. They play two one-offs or even a single one-off - especially at home. There's very little chance for most away sides to become acclimatised to conditions and no recovery time whatsoever. - to me most of their two one-off so called series aren't proper test series. Test cricket doesn't pay over there so they hardly play it.
The England side that faced NZ in the warm up made even this line up look strong, there was no place for experience, the type Bairstow and Malan have provided. Even comparatively low scores like Bairstow's 29 contribute to significant partnerships of 50 plus and stop a clatter of wickets falling, instead England fielded a load of talented potential who might come good in 2038 or something like that Lawrence etc .... just beats me why experience is so undervalued.
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summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Excellent replacement for Davies.