The Cricket Thread 2013

[Dave Cooper please]

Hmm batting first morning at Lords, that just doesn't seem the right choice from Cook but we'll see.

Win the toss in a Test and 9 times out of 10 you bat first.
On the tenth occasion you have a think about it and then bat first.

[Dave Cooper please]

See this has highlighted my issue with the Cook and Compton partnership. They've done alright, but 45 minutes into play they've only scored 24 runs. It's not hooping around or anything and I think against the top sides you need to impose yourself on the opposition and I'm not sure the top 3 combination we have does that.

[Boycott] Proper Test creekit [/Boycott]

[PaulWinch again]

And there you go, Compton is gone and suddenly in spite of not losing a wicket for over an hour and a half we're 46-1 it doesn't look great.

[jcsutv]

First home test series without SKY. Sounds like I have not missed much.

[PaulWinch again]

This top three will not work against the best sides, we need to impose our game on the opposition. Strauss at least attempted to increase tempo and could score quick, Compton really doesn't appear to have that in his locker. 16 off 62 and getting out the way he did is not good.

[Dave Cooper please]

And there you go, Compton is gone and suddenly in spite of not losing a wicket for over an hour and a half we're 46-1 it doesn't look great.

Looks okay to me, Cook is grinding away and we bat down to number nine at least.
It's Test cricket, no need to score at four an over all the time, if we are 200-3 or 4 at close I'll be perfectly happy.

[PaulWinch again]

And there you go, Compton is gone and suddenly in spite of not losing a wicket for over an hour and a half we're 46-1 it doesn't look great.

Looks okay to me, Cook is grinding away and we bat down to number nine at least.
It's Test cricket, no need to score at four an over all the time, if we are 200-3 or 4 at close I'll be perfectly happy.

You've got to take the bowling attack and predicted weather into account. Also it's important to be able to dominate the opposition otherwise it's hard to get in control of the match. I'm not saying we'll lose, but against the top sides we need more.

[PaulWinch again]

Also the top sides over recent times have tended to score at at least 3 runs and over. We're well short of that and this isn't a one off.

[Dave Cooper please]

Also the top sides over recent times have tended to score at at least 3 runs and over. We're well short of that and this isn't a one off.

But we are one of the top sides over recent times, us and South Africa have been one and two for a while and we won in India which is something not many teams achieve.
 Yes run rates in Test cricket have gone up, but there is still a place for the top order not losing wickets and grinding down the bowlers, especially when you decide to bat first on a seaming wicket, as England did today. New Zealand have also bowled superbly today, hardly a bad ball all day so far, got to take that into account.

You shouldn't worry about the weather on day one and two, you have to think of it as a five day, 450 over Test match, play the conditions, play each ball on merit and worry about everything else as the game progresses.

Anyway, Bell in now so the run rate will go up a bit I reckon.

[PaulWinch again]

England's run rate was higher prior to Compton coming into the side, India is a bit different as run rates tend to be lower. We need a more dynamic opener with Cook I think, I'm not saying they have to be wreckless but they need to be a bit more of a stroke maker. If you score as slowly as we've done and then lose two wickets fairly cheaply there is a lot of pressure on the middle order.

[Dave Cooper please]

Fair one, I'm not convinced about Compton but he does deserve a chance in this series prior to the Ashes. Another failure in the second innings and then we may have to look at someone else to open.
My point is that we shouldn't look at run rates in Test matches, in our line up the faster runs will come in the middle order, as long as the runs come I don't really care how fast they are accumulated. I leave that to those who only like T20!

[PaulWinch again]

Fair enough, I guess provided we our run rate is over 3 runs an over across the innings it's ok, but I definitely we need to impose ourselves more at the top of the innings. Compton deserves a chance, but unless he can show a much more flexible game we shouldn't persevere with him. I'd be looking at Root as opener for the ashes, with KP coming back in and either Bairstow or Morgan at 6. I think that gives our batting much more balance.

[PaulWinch again]

This really is pedestrian stuff.

[PaulWinch again]

Trott gone now, it's looking a bit dicey. Not a great contribution from the top 3.

[PaulWinch again]

I've been pondering my issue with the England team at the moment, and I think it's that since the first innings of the NZ tour which went horribly wrong we look like a team who is trying to avoid losing rather than forcing a win. I think the tone is set by the top 3 being far too one paced and I think Compton probably needs to go. I also think some of Cook's fields are also very negative. It's something that needs addressing.