The Cricket Thread 2013

[PaulWinch again]

We don't want to let them get too many more.

[PaulWinch again]

This is an odd decision, we should be trying to bowl them out not using our 'fifth' bowler.

[PaulWinch again]

Cook is losing it here, we shouldn't be bowling filler overs. There's two wickets remaining, bowl them out. This is now a 72 run partnership and they're getting towards a perfectly defendable total.

[PaulWinch again]

Well our 'fifth' bowler and Broad are making an almighty hash of this. SA are back in the game now.

[john e]

Stop pissing your pants Paul, they only got 175 ffs anyone wold think we were chasing 300 +

[PaulWinch again]

Glad it's finally over, and of course I'd have taken 175 before the start but from 80-8 it's quite a let off.

[paul_e]

Does 2 in 2 from Broad to finish them off stop him getting grief for a few of his earlier overs?

getting SA all out for 175 is a very good bowling performance, that it could have been an exceptional bowling performance shouldn't stop us from being very proud of this one.

As for why it's not an exceptional 100 all out I think that has more to do with Cook than anything else.  He just isn't willing to press his advantage, we're just very passive as a team.  Most of the top sides in the last 20-40 years would've gone ultra aggressive at the tail and tried to skittle them in 25 overs, you'll lose some quick runs but a tail ender is going to regularly biff it to the fence without offering up catches.  the question is would we have given them 95 runs for the last 2 wickets if we'd surrounded the bat and forced the issue.  I have no idea what the answer is but I also know that with Cook we're never going to get the opportunity to find out.

We should still win this so it's nit-picking to an extent but I'd love to see us really take someone to the cleaners in ODI cricket, I can't recall us doing it any time recently.

[tomd2103]

Can't see us having too many problems here (hopefully!!).  Cook, Bell and Trott aren't under any real pressure to score quickly and can play at their natural pace. 

[PaulWinch again]

I think it's very important that Cook learns about being more ruthless. All in all we've done very well to knock over SA for 175, and hopefully we'll knock the runs off comfortably. I'm not sure whether moving forward having 10 overs made up by two part timers is the way to go.

[PaulWinch again]

Cook gone.

[Dr Butler]

let's hope the Bears duo can see us home...

[paul_e]

I think it's very important that Cook learns about being more ruthless. All in all we've done very well to knock over SA for 175, and hopefully we'll knock the runs off comfortably. I'm not sure whether moving forward having 10 overs made up by two part timers is the way to go.

2 part-timers is fine if they're both contributing meaningfully with the bat, I'd argue that both Root and Bopara have been key at times in the  group games.

I still think our issues this summer have been about aggression in the field more than individual batting and bowling performances.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't mind part time bowlers taking a couple of overs here or there, or bowling out if they're doing well. However I don't think we should rely on 10 overs from them every game.

Bell gone, come on Joe carry us home.

[paul_e]

I don't mind part time bowlers taking a couple of overs here or there, or bowling out if they're doing well. However I don't think we should rely on 10 overs from them every game.

Bell gone, come on Joe carry us home.

The thing is, having 2 part timers means we can bat to 7, which allows 3 all or nothing middle order batsmen in Bopara, Morgan and Buttler.  We've seen Bopara and Buttler make the most of that in the last few weeks.  We need Morgan to work out how to play teams who give him loads of width (which has happened all summer), if he can start scoring big runs in those games then we're in a good place.  If we can then get all 3 of them doing it a bit more consistently so that at least one of them goes at 200%+ for a few overs every game we'll be set.  We've got 4 very good batsmen at the top but 3 of them can be guilty of allowing the rate to dip too much, having a bunch of sloggers to call on late gives us a bit of leeway to keep the top 4 as it is for the time being.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't mind part time bowlers taking a couple of overs here or there, or bowling out if they're doing well. However I don't think we should rely on 10 overs from them every game.

Bell gone, come on Joe carry us home.

The thing is, having 2 part timers means we can bat to 7, which allows 3 all or nothing middle order batsmen in Bopara, Morgan and Buttler.  We've seen Bopara and Buttler make the most of that in the last few weeks.  We need Morgan to work out how to play teams who give him loads of width (which has happened all summer), if he can start scoring big runs in those games then we're in a good place.  If we can then get all 3 of them doing it a bit more consistently so that at least one of them goes at 200%+ for a few overs every game we'll be set.  We've got 4 very good batsmen at the top but 3 of them can be guilty of allowing the rate to dip too much, having a bunch of sloggers to call on late gives us a bit of leeway to keep the top 4 as it is for the time being.

I agree it's a very tricky balance, but really we need numbers 5 and 6 to contribute on a more consistent basis. Morgan in particular needs to start performing. If we get regular performances from those, we could probably afford a bowling all rounder in there. Obviously in that scenario the wicket keeper would be batting 6.