The Cricket Thread 2013

[paul_e]

Declared evetually, with about 60 more than we needed and about 15overs later than it should've been.  Rain predicted for between 5-6pm and tomorrow will be very little play in all likelihood... I'm a bit dumbstruck by the negativity of it, I always thought it was Strauss that made us the "just don't lose" side of test cricket but it's clearly deeper than that.

I think you're being hyper critical. The first thing to do was not lose and thus secure the series. Then to go out and try to win the game. We've shown we can scuttle them out quickly so it's not as though we've no chance of a win but a bit of ruthless pragmatism is not a bad trait.

We have shown we can scuttle them out quickly, 3 times in 3 attempts, so why did we need to bat for 76 overs and get a lead of nearly 470.

We've made it pretty much impossible for them to win but we've also made it a lot more difficult to win than it had to be (if the weather turns out as expected).  There's a maximum of 69 overs today and potentially a full day tomorrow but in real terms 50overs today looks to be most of what we'll get.  We could've got them in 10-15 overs sooner and I'd be a lot more confident if we had.  We may well still go on to win this, and if the weather holds we certainly will, but we've made it a risky thing.

[PaulWinch again]

I wonder why the crowd is so poor for this.

[Dave Cooper please]

We have shown we can scuttle them out quickly, 3 times in 3 attempts, so why did we need to bat for 76 overs and get a lead of nearly 470.

To give the batsmen time in the middle.

[PaulWinch again]

We have shown we can scuttle them out quickly, 3 times in 3 attempts, so why did we need to bat for 76 overs and get a lead of nearly 470.

To give the batsmen time in the middle.

I'm not sure using a live Test match as essentially practice is really in the spirit of the game. Also it's far enough away from the Ashes not to have any real impact in terms of form and practice. I think you should always be doing your upmost to win Test matches where possible, and I don't think we have done that here. We may still win, and there's no guarantee we would have had we enforced the follow on, but it would have been mor elikely given the weather forecast.

[Dave Cooper please]

Playing is the best practice you can get.
We are probably going to win this game inside three and a half days of actual playing time, we've won the series and the batsmen have had time in the middle that they wouldn't have got had Cook enforced the follow-on or declared earlier. I think we've played it perfectly.

[PGW]

I've just been watching Ian Smith the NZ TV commentator he is basically in bits pissing himself about the fact that we are still at Headingley today and that NZ may get a draw out of this game where England have been far and away the superior side, but batting far too long and not having the time to wrap game up last night. As it stands we probably need 2 hours cricket to finish them off which with weather may not be possible.
Play is due to start at 11:45 lets hope that happens and we get the requisite time needed.

[Villan For Life]

To be honest I'm amazed that there is any prospect of play today. Good news if we get sufficient time to take the remaining wickets.

[PGW]

Broad just taken a supern caught and bowled to get rid of McCallum - with him gone likely we will do it then!!!
162 - 7

[Villan For Life]

They've been throwing the bat but Swann has got Southee.

Now who will win, England or the weather?

[PGW]

218/8
Southee ct Trott b Swann
5 fer for Swanny
But a very entertaining partnership 50 off 35 balls
Raining again now but still out there at moment

[PGW]

Rain Stops play.
Managed 47 minutes

[PaulWinch again]

If we don't win this, it'll be for two reasons firstly we didn't enforce the follow on and secondly we batted on for far too long after we had declined that follow on.

[PaulWinch again]

I also don't understand cricket sometimes, the light has improved slightly but they've brought lunch forward. We've already lost a lot of the morning, why don't they make lunch later?

[paul_e]

If we don't win this, it'll be for two reasons firstly we didn't enforce the follow on and secondly we batted on for far too long after we had declined that follow on.

I supported not enforxcing the follow on, but the target should been to get a lead of 400with 9-10 overs left before lunch giving them a short session where Jimmy and Broad could go all out and then the rest of the day.  The 15ish overs extra that would've allowed us would mean game over by now.  As said they were so concerned with not losing that they've risked the win.  If we get another hour today it's all over but the weather was always going to be against us.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm a little concerned with the focus on not losing, we should have faith our bowling attack to knock NZ over or anyone for that matter for less that 400.