England Cricket Thread 2011

[OzVilla]

As has been said, Bell is a somewhat lucky boy as i'm sure under the same circumstances many teams wouldn't have agreed to his re-instatement (I don't think England would and I know Australia wouldn't).

But what a series so far, best since 2005 and just shows that Test Match Cricket is one of the best sporting formats going around. Two excellent teams going at ful throttle but still leaving room for the spirit of the game to be upheld. 

The pitch has certainly got flatter at the game has gone on, the initial green grass has died and with every mow and brush there's less for the bowlers to work with. Having said that, a fifth day pitch is a fifth day pitch whatever the conditions so this is where Englands attack comes into it's own.  Greame Swann will be the key, bowling a lot of overs at one end while we rotate the quicks.

Ideally, if we score another 130ish tomorrow (lead of 500) and get them in mid afternoon to give us the thick end of 5 sessions to bowl them out.  If they were to pull that one off it'd be one of the all time great English Test Match wins.   

[KevinGage]

To declare overnight would be idiotic. Basically bat until either all out or tea tomorrow. If we somehow stick around until tea we'll have a lead of over 600 - something India would not be able to achieve in 4 sessions. Priority should be to make sure we cannot lose the match.

I'm not even sure Strauss is conservative enough to only feel comfortable with a 600 run lead.  520 dec - or all out, whichever happens sooner.  If they can chase that down on a 4th and 5th day pitch (with Swann most likely coming more and more into things) good luck to 'em. 

Still need to get them out again so you give yourself as long as possible to do that, knowing that Dravid, Sachin et al are more than capable of batting time.

Strauss might have been more conservative earlier into his captaincy, but in his defence, the better England have got as a unit the bolder he has been in the timing of his declarations.

[taylorsworkrate]

I hope that -as Dravid says- the players in the dressing room felt uncomfortable and Strauss and Flowers input was largely inconsequential.  Otherwise, it has connotations of the touring side being bullied into complying with the wishes of the hosts.

I don't think India could possibly be bullied by any host nation.  The BCCI wields a substantial amount of power within world cricket.

[taylorsworkrate]

I think that unless we get bowled out, we should just bat till lunch then declare.

With Prior, Bresnan, Broad and Swann the lead will be at 500 by that stage.  5 sessions to bowl India out would be ideal.  It even allows you to have a bad session, and still have plenty of time.  Absolutely no way India will get anywhere near that total.

[Villan For Life]

Where would you rank this England team?
I think they're better than 2004 by some distance.

I was a bit too young to remember any of the Botham or Gatting teams.

There was a comparison between the Ashes winning side of 2005 and the current team in the Times on Wednesday. Surprisingly more of the 2005 side were selected. If you exclude Strauss, Bell and KP who were in both sides, my comparison goes like this:

Trescothick for Cook
Vaughan for Trott (and he would be my captain)
Swann for Giles
Prior for Jones
Freddie for Broad
Jones for Tremlett/Bresnan/Finn

Harmison would get in the squad  as would Colly.

For me the difference between England 2005 and England 2011 is a desire to kick on and be the best in the world. The 2005 side were guilty of resting on their laurels. The current side are hungry for more success.

[Dave Cooper please]

I agree, to an extent.

I do think the umpires might have been a bit more decisive at the time too. They seemed as confused/ uncertain as the players.

The umpires have to go by the letter of the law, Rauf knew he hadn't called 'over' and the Indians appealed, once it was ascertained that the ball did not go for four he had to give Bell out, no choice, it's the rule.
Luckily, cricket is unique in the sporting world in having the appeal system (something some people would like to see binned, including our own UKRedsox), so it makes it possible for a captain to say "No, on second thoughts we aren't asking for him to be out, he can play on." Without it Bell would have been out, and the rest of the series would have been played under a cloud of bad feeling and Dhoni and his team would have been slammed for being poor sportsmen and in Tabloid land no doubt, cheats. I'm sure the copy was being written through the tea interval and I can imagine what the headlines would have been.

[Dante Lavelli]

I fucking love test march cricket. I'm currently in central America and I've tried to explain it to north Americans and locals but I bore myself explaining the rules yet a series like this is immense. Yes it's five days of standing around, but each day breaks down... Blah blah blah you know... It simply is the most majestic sport.

[VillaZogmariner]

Re the debate of 2005 v 2011, I've done 3 or 4 combined teams now and still can't decide on who or what I think would be the best, look at the list of players to chose from -

Anderson*
Bell*
Bresnan
Broad
Collingwood
Cook
Finn
Flintoff
Giles
Harmison
Hoggard
G. Jones
S. Jones
Morgan
Pietersen*
Prior
Strauss*
Swann
Tremlett*
Trescothick
Trott

Overall I think the one I would settle for would be -

Strauss (2011 edition)
Cook
Vaughan (c)
Pietersen (2005 edition)
Bell (2011 edition)
Collingwood
Prior (wk)
Flintoff
Swann
Broad
Anderson

[UK Redsox]

Blowers........... "the sun is up there but its behind the clouds"

Thanks Henry, I thought that the sun hadn't risen today 

[Dave Cooper please]

What a series Broad is having. They should threaten to drop him more often.

[PaulWinch again]

Huge wicket before lunch that.

[KevinGage]

What odds on this not going to a fifth day?

[Villan For Life]

beautiful delivery from Jimmy to get Laxman. I love to see a stump cartwheeling across the pitch!

[Dave P]

What odds on this not going to a fifth day?

Even shorter now VVS is out !

[KevinGage]

What odds on this not going to a fifth day?

Even shorter now VVS is out !

Bastard Paddy Power don't have it on their in play selections.

India have gone here.