Topic: The England Cricket Thread - 2024

[Sangria]

Jimmy seeing it like a football (that should do it).

Bastard.

[Yosser0_0]

Great take by Foakes to finish the innings. 4fer for Hartley and now 399 to win - its on!

[Crosby Nick]

Great take by Foakes to finish the innings. 4fer for Hartley and now 399 to win - its on!

Fairly decent bowling effort today. Looked like one biggish partnership in the middle that’s probably taken it away from us, and an annoying one with Ashwin and Bumrah but a good effort overall. If/when we lose it’ll be the 1st innings deficit that did the damage.

[voodoo ray]

my expert prediction based on hardly seeing any of this game is that england won't reach 250.

[Yosser0_0]

Bumrah was unplayable in the first innings. If he bowls like that again then it will be a big problem for England. On the positive side, the pitch doesn't look horrific.

[Robinred]

my expert prediction based on hardly seeing any of this game is that england won't reach 250.

Well I’m no expert, but I agree. Would be delighted to be proved wrong of course.

[Yosser0_0]

Crawley doesn't look like he's got this.
 

Is it called wafting?

[Crosby Nick]

my expert prediction based on hardly seeing any of this game is that england won't reach 250.

Yeah, that must be the likeliest outcome. We probably only get within 100 of Stokes has a beserker in him.

[Yosser0_0]

Yeah, that must be the likeliest outcome. We probably only get within 100 of Stokes has a beserker in him.

Key for me would be Duckett / Pope / Stokes. Previously you'd hope for a couple of big un's from Root / Bairstow but not at the moment given their current form.

Anyway 379 needed.

[Yorkykopite]

At least this is familiar territory for the Bazballers.

[Yosser0_0]

Night Watchman, I'm surprised.

[Yorkykopite]

...and disappointed.

[Ray K]

It'll be one of those 'wow, England have a real chance if they bat well first session ' followed by waking up at 7.00 and they're 196/8 reality checks.

[Crosby Nick]

It'll be one of those 'wow, England have a real chance if they bat well first session ' followed by waking up at 7.00 and they're 196/8 reality checks.

Probably. But I’d have taken that close of play score at the start of the 4th innings I think. No major damage done and made a nice little inroad into the total.

New Zealand against South Africa invitational XI started over night and probably going as expected. NZ 258/2 with hundreds for Williamson and Ravindra. I think I’ve heard of one of the South African teams, and even that is a maybe given their love of sharing surnames. 258 in a full day though! Cute.

[BobPaisley3]

Anderson went to 695 wickets in this test match, the 700th very likely to come on this tour.

[Crosby Nick]

Anderson went to 695 wickets in this test match, the 700th very likely to come on this tour.

If it does, I hope he gets the suitable level of applause and not just stunned silence. Although get the impression Jimmy is a fairly popular figure in India who hopefully he would get the credit he deserves.

[gerrardisgod]

More likely to give him a standing ovation for a no ball.

[Crosby Nick]

Numpties on Talk Sport we’re talking how India we’re panicking and it was too easy for England with the fields etc, and as they did Pope went. Scoring ok but 2 wickets in the first hour. England 125/3. Still a long way from home.

[Joseph-Immanuel Queen]

That was a mad innings from Root.

[FiSh77]

It'll be one of those 'wow, England have a real chance if they bat well first session ' followed by waking up at 7.00 and they're 196/8 reality checks.

Not a bad guess

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

We'd have had a big chance of winning this if Stokes didn't run himself out.

[Vegeta]

I truly believe England are going to do this

[voodoo ray]

well it's more than 250 anyway

[Hendollama]

I truly believe England are going to do this

Foakes gone. Still?

[Crosby Nick]

Always too much really. Needed Stokes to go big. Sounded like a poor dismissal that one. A fairly valiant effort but a bit annoying that so many made good starts but no one could really go big.

1-1 though. Effectively turned it into a 3 match series. Given India a bit to think about. Like having someone like Hartley in the lower order, a bit like the days of having Swann and Broad chipping in frequently.

[Elzar]

Overall nothing to be overly negative about there though. The difference was pretty much one brilliant innings by Jaiswal with the bat. Other than that it was a fairly even match up of players getting starts and struggling to push on.

Bumrah getting that middle order out in the first innings with some excellent bowling, but we did similar with their lower half in the second innings.

Turning into a competitive series I think, and great to see Crawley get some good scores on the board.

[Robinred]

Overall nothing to be overly negative about there though. The difference was pretty much one brilliant innings by Jaiswal with the bat. Other than that it was a fairly even match up of players getting starts and struggling to push on.

Bumrah getting that middle order out in the first innings with some excellent bowling, but we did similar with their lower half in the second innings.

Turning into a competitive series I think, and great to see Crawley get some good scores on the board.

Agree. This was in a similar vein from the Guardian coverage:

“Good to see the carping already starting,” writes Will Vignoles. “England have a method that has got the best of out of a relatively limited group of players, and mostly it’s working. It took two all-time performances for India to win this match – Jaiswal with the bat, Bumrah with the ball in the first innings, and sometimes that is the difference. Why must every defeat become a referendum on how England play? I’d much rather wake up to this than the shambles that came before, or the hopeless grinding of the 2016 tour.”

[Crosby Nick]

I don’t remember the 2016 tour? What happened? Did we crawl at 2-3 an over when we batted?

I remember the last one when we won the fist test thanks to Root but then really struggled to make any runs.

We’ve only had one big innings this time but at least consistently getting over 250 gets us into games. And even having a decent stab at a big chase today will maybe make India overthink things a bit. I’m enjoying the approach, my only grumble is that when everyone gets 20-30 you’d hope at least a couple could go on and get a fair bit more. That’s where we fell short.

[Robinred]

I don’t remember the 2016 tour? What happened? Did we crawl at 2-3 an over when we batted?

I remember the last one when we won the fist test thanks to Root but then really struggled to make any runs.

We’ve only had one big innings this time but at least consistently getting over 250 gets us into games. And even having a decent stab at a big chase today will maybe make India overthink things a bit. I’m enjoying the approach, my only grumble is that when everyone gets 20-30 you’d hope at least a couple could go on and get a fair bit more. That’s where we fell short.

From memory, India won the first two tests easily, and the third was drawn - England finally finding some form with a big 1st innings score, but unable to bowl India out in their second innings. But yes, it wasn't ’Bazball’.

[Nobby Reserve]

Root hasn't got going at all - averaging 13 (worst of all the top order by some way) with a top score of 29

[Crosby Nick]

Root hasn't got going at all - averaging 13 (worst of all the top order by some way) with a top score of 29

Seemed a strange innings today. I know he had a finger injury Ron bowling and maybe he just thought to go in the attack but was slightly out of character (although he has played a few more bizarre innings in recent months than he used to).

[Raid]

Root hasn't got going at all - averaging 13 (worst of all the top order by some way) with a top score of 29

For me, he's the one where Bazball has given some slightly muddled thinking. He should look to approach it like the all conquering ODI team, keep the scoreboard ticking over whilst letting the others provide the fireworks.

[Crosby Nick]

For me, he's the one where Bazball has given some slightly muddled thinking. He should look to approach it like the all conquering ODI team, keep the scoreboard ticking over whilst letting the others provide the fireworks.

Agree with that. He’s far too good to need to adapt his game and he always scored at a very decent rate anyway. He’d be one where before you knew it had about 30 off 40 balls with no real risk. I’m sure he’s not being told to play differently but does sometimes feel like he’s overthinking it. I’m sure he’d say that’s bollocks. Could your be a slight dip in form which he’s allowed.

[Crosby Nick]

Third Test starts at 4am. Wood in for Bashir the only change for England.

[CheshireDave]

Tidy start from England and especially Mark Wood who has been on the expensive side but had taken 2 vital wickets. Need to get Rohit.

97/3 approaching lunch

[FiSh77]

They were 39/3 when I got up, barely a sniff of a wicket since, Root had a decent chance to catch Rohit then he was given out lbw but clearly played the ball

[voodoo ray]

I stick it on just in time to see jadeja getting a 50.

do I not like that.

[CheshireDave]

Good partnership this. These pair will take some getting out...

[Yorkykopite]

Welcome breakthrough. Well done Woody.

[Robinred]

I stick it on just in time to see jadeja getting a 50.

do I not like that.

😂 (Was thinking of you - should’ve had a lie-in)