The cricket thread

breezytele

Thoroughly deserved knighthood 

RandallFlagg

Ref the Geoffrey Boycott knighthood. I agree with it. He's a legend of English cricket with a superb record for Yorkshire and England, and has been an outspoken and at times controversial, but very often right, critic and advocate of test cricket as commentator. He is scornful of modern batsmen's technique when they get it wrong, but also, less controversially offers unadulterated praise when it's worthy such as the Ben Stokes inning at Headingley, or the Steve Smith double century at Old Trafford. 

With regards the assault court case only 2 people know what happened at the time 25 years ago. He maintains his innocence but he was convicted. This should not detract from his devotion or services to English cricket in my opinion. Congratulations Sir Geoffrey.

RandallFlagg

I see the LOL troll scoreboard has a few more runs.

camf

That'll be me... flicked a little 3 there, off the pads, through the leg side.

camf

I've asked them to play 'Slap My Bitch Up' as I stride out to the crease. It's just a little fun, innit. 

RandallFlagg

"Smack my bitch up" silly boy. 

camf

No, you're wrong. In my defence, The Telegraph said I didn't do it.

camf

I'd originally spelled it with an M but then the M fell down, blamed me and all L broke out. 

Heartfeltdawn

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27586420/english-pitches-more-biased-james-anderson

"I think they've probably suited Australia more than us," he said. "I would have liked to have seen a bit more grass but that's the nature of the game here. When you're selling out - like Lancashire selling out five days of Test cricket - it's hard not to produce a flat deck but, you know, that's one of the frustrations from a player's point of view. We go to Australia and get pitches that suit them. They come over here and get pitches that suit them. It doesn't seem quite right."

Jim, what pitch would suit England's batsmen? We can't score heavily on green seamers at Lords, we collapsed at Headingley, and we couldn't draw on what you're describing as a Old Trafford flat track. 

And I thought footie managers moaning about referees were tedious... 

RandallFlagg

Heartfeltdawn said:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27586420/english-pitches-more-biased-james-anderson

"I think they've probably suited Australia more than us," he said. "I would have liked to have seen a bit more grass but that's the nature of the game here. When you're selling out - like Lancashire selling out five days of Test cricket - it's hard not to produce a flat deck but, you know, that's one of the frustrations from a player's point of view. We go to Australia and get pitches that suit them. They come over here and get pitches that suit them. It doesn't seem quite right."

Jim, what pitch would suit England's batsmen? We can't score heavily on green seamers at Lords, we collapsed at Headingley, and we couldn't draw on what you're describing as a Old Trafford flat track. 

And I thought footie managers moaning about referees were tedious... 

Yes it's nonsense. The Aussie bowlers got the ball swinging and seaming at pace until the ball went off but still managed to get wickets therafter. England got it seaming and swinging just the same but were less effective when the ball went off and the not as good 2nd tier seamers took over.

earwighoney

Heartfeltdawn said:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27586420/english-pitches-more-biased-james-anderson

"I think they've probably suited Australia more than us," he said. "I would have liked to have seen a bit more grass but that's the nature of the game here. When you're selling out - like Lancashire selling out five days of Test cricket - it's hard not to produce a flat deck but, you know, that's one of the frustrations from a player's point of view. We go to Australia and get pitches that suit them. They come over here and get pitches that suit them. It doesn't seem quite right."

Jim, what pitch would suit England's batsmen? We can't score heavily on green seamers at Lords, we collapsed at Headingley, and we couldn't draw on what you're describing as a Old Trafford flat track. 

And I thought footie managers moaning about referees were tedious... 

Jimmy Anderson is one of the great bell-ends of cricket. 

Fucking terrible monosyllabic commentator on the radio as well. 

earwighoney

Heartfeltdawn said:

Then again, Australia are no better. Matt Wade had a ton at Edgbaston to his name: now he's on the verge of being dropped for Mitchell sodding Marsh because there's an unspoken rule with the Aussie selectors that you have to have a Marsh play in every series... 

And like that it happened....

Mitchell Marsh in for Travis Head

England drop Roy & Overton for Woakes & Sam Curran.  Ben Stokes won't be able to bowl in the last test. 

I have to say HFD, I did chuckle when I saw MM is coming in for the next test.  Great prediction. 

guitars4you

earwighoney said:

England drop Roy & Overton for Woakes & Sam Curran.  Ben Stokes won't be able to bowl in the last test. 

I'd say that was about right - Stokes at 4  then Bairstow/Butler and Curran at 7

Heartfeltdawn

earwighoney said:

Heartfeltdawn said:

Then again, Australia are no better. Matt Wade had a ton at Edgbaston to his name: now he's on the verge of being dropped for Mitchell sodding Marsh because there's an unspoken rule with the Aussie selectors that you have to have a Marsh play in every series... 

And like that it happened....

Mitchell Marsh in for Travis Head

England drop Roy & Overton for Woakes & Sam Curran.  Ben Stokes won't be able to bowl in the last test. 

I have to say HFD, I did chuckle when I saw MM is coming in for the next test.  Great prediction. 

As inevitable as a Shane Watson DRS review going against the same player...

It's an attacking move to get the extra bowling option in there. Head's a decent player but hasn't scored a huge amount of runs so the extra bowling option is worth it on the grounds that Marsh might score some runs. If it turns you have two spin options in Labuschagne and Lyon. I think they'll play the big three seamers (Hazlewood, Starc, and Cummins) as Marsh gives some other options. 

Australia's strength is in the bowling. May as well play to that. 

David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Mitch Marsh, Matthew Wade, Tim Paine (c, wk), Pat Cummins, Peter Siddle, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Of the 12 selected, Siddle would be my 12th man. 

skippy76

Game on boys

scrumhalf

Marais makes a mistake! Burns survives. 

Heartfeltdawn

skippy76 said:

Game on boys

England can take a back seat for the next two days until Somerset have beaten Yorkshire

earwighoney

Heartfeltdawn said:

skippy76 said:

Game on boys

England can take a back seat for the next two days until Somerset have beaten Yorkshire

Huge game. 

I really hope Somerset cross the line.  They've been the bridesmaids for far too long, a few close runs but never get over the line. 

I've not had a chance to see Tom Abell, what do you think of him HFD?  Any chance of playing test cricket at no.3?  There's little chance of it happening but in the test team England need to address the issue of another opener and a genuine no.3, so Root can drop back to 4, Stokes at 5 and so on. 

scrumhalf

Oh cack, Denly caught (just) in the slips. 

earwighoney

scrumhalf said:

Oh cack, Denly caught (just) in the slips. 

This is what is really testing about following the team. 

Denley's not an opener.  He managed to score a few runs in the middle order so he gets shifted to being an opener to allow Jason Roy to bat in the middle order. 

He never looked comfortable as an opener as he's not one!  

How the fuck can the selectors not see this issue when every one else can?