England Cricket 2024

[smuts]

Pakistan require 36.

Stokes has had a shocker with the bat and also on the field allowing their tail to milk the spinners with singles. It's almost like "Huh...why are they not trying to smash it into the crowd every ball? Brain does not compute..."

We've made their spinners look like Murali and Warne.

[Macca1973]

Yep.

The template is set how to nullify ‘Bazball’, not a single batsman that can play spin, even Root’s had a shocker.

Those two spinners will now disappear back into obscurity as no one else will play them like we have.

[smuts]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/liv ... 0dcaa#post

Says it all really.

[Puff Daddy]

Checked the score earlier this morning and we were something like 93/6 and Joe Root was still at the crease and thought, well, with him there, we could still have a chance, albeit, a very slim one zi thej checked the score again, about an hour later, only to find shock, horror, we had lost

[Junco Partner]

NZ beat India by 113 runs.

0-2 up in India is no mean feat.

Pulling out a bit, two of the big three getting beat on the same day is probably no bad thing for Test cricket

[wolf359]

NZ beat India by 113 runs.

0-2 up in India is no mean feat.

Pulling out a bit, two of the big three getting beat on the same day is probably no bad thing for Test cricket

Listening to an Indian journalist on TMS yesterday sounds like they are suffering from similar things to us. Lack of respect of the opposition, no one stayed in for more than 60 balls, trying to bully the opposition. You disrespect Test cricket and it rightly puts you back in your place once in a while. Respect your wicket , have plans when you bowl and generally you’ll have a good chance - worked for well over 100 years.

[smuts]

England probably have a decision to make soon regarding Pope who's just a number 3. You're meant to come in steady the ship and he's a flaky mess who does sort himself out once he's been in for about 10 overs, sadly he doesn't usually last that long.

Hopefully, Stokes gets some form with the bat soon as he was all over the place.

Crawley keeps his spot by default.

And can we please not let Duckett anywhere near a microphone? Makes a complete melon of himself every time with his comments which backfire constantly.

Carse looked good this series.

[Bend it like Repka]

I can't really blame bazball for this one. I don't think we were overly aggressive, as we have proved many times in the past, this side struggles against spin in the subcontinent. Some of our dismissals were awful, just poor thinking. Same as India away, players seem lost and just play terrible shots in desperation.

Any side is going to have a problem when 2 of it's top six can't score. Stokes will hopefully find his form but they have to get past their Pope obsession.

We also have an issue with dismissing the tail of teams, which has gone on far too long.

NZ are playing well, don't expect any freebies there.

[smuts]

England slip to 93 for 4 in the first ODI against West Indies.

Good to see all this exposure to the IPL, 100 etc is bearing fruit at the moment...

[sendô]

West Indies won by 8 wickets (with 55 balls remaining) (DLS method)

[smuts]

West Indies rack up 328.

[Loftyhammer]

9 bowlers used!

[smuts]

9 bowlers used!

And Archer didn't even get all his overs.

It was like a park game where everyone gets a chance to turn their arm over.

[smuts]

What a knock from Livingstone

[LincolnshireHammer]

With regard to our test batting. Batting for 40 overs in 3 out of the last 4 test innings is shameful. You need to build an innings and to do that you need a solid defensive technique.

During Geoff Boycott's return to the England side in 77 against the best team in the world, he has to graft towards 100 after 300 balls. We made something like 364 from over 100 overs. Proper test match cricket.

I'm all for attacking play but I get the feeling it's partly because we don't have the quality in our batting line up (Crawley and Pope etc) to build innings and then attack.

[Tenbury]

And yet you don't include Duckett who statistically leaves the ball less often than any opener in this or any other era......and are you suggesting that suddenly Root has become a lousy batsman??

Pope is completely out of form,and (IMO) should be dropped, Crawley has been dogged by injury, as has Stokes, the last two pitches were bunsens, anywhere outside the subcontinent they would have been reported........we're England getting pelters after the first test???

I spent a couple of decades watching Boycott bat (both in the flesh,and on the TV) and it was almost as boring as his punditry.

[wolf359]

Third ODI is going well!

[smuts]

No heroics from Livingstone this time.

[smuts]

Good stuff by the lower order to get us to a half decent total.

[LincolnshireHammer]

And yet you don't include Duckett who statistically leaves the ball less often than any opener in this or any other era......and are you suggesting that suddenly Root has become a lousy batsman??

Pope is completely out of form,and (IMO) should be dropped, Crawley has been dogged by injury, as has Stokes, the last two pitches were bunsens, anywhere outside the subcontinent they would have been reported........we're England getting pelters after the first test???

I spent a couple of decades watching Boycott bat (both in the flesh,and on the TV) and it was almost as boring as his punditry.

I'm sure you know, I'm not referring to Joe Root when it comes to defensive technique. Root and Brook are about the only batsmen in the order that escape my wrath on this one. I agree, Duckett's technique needs work too - albeit his average is decent enough. I'm predominantly referring to Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, neither of whom look like they should be anywhere near the test side. Crawley dogged by injury...his average is 32.77 after 48 tests, so don't give me that one.

Boring as it may be, but I'd rather win test matches and play dull than play brash over 3 days and come home with our tail between our legs. My criticism with Baz and Stokes is that I feel that entertainment comes ahead of the win. Yes it puts bums on seats and ensures cricket to live on, but I am confident that winning rather than losing games has a bigger impact on the lifeline of test cricket.