The Cricket Thread 2013

[Dave Cooper please]

Is this really a 16 wickets in a day pitch?

[PaulWinch again]

Not a chance, it's really poor batting.

[PaulWinch again]

It's decent bowling from both sides but that's it.

[bertlambshank]

KP needs to be dropped.

I am not his biggest fan but to many times when we need him to play for the team he doesn't.

No more than Cook does. None of them need to be dropped, they just need to get their focus back as they've been fucking rubbish.

[bertlambshank]

Is this really a 16 wickets in a day pitch?

Its not a 6 wicket pitch.

[PaulWinch again]

The batsmen need to start playing Test innings again, because it's been dreadful.

[PaulWinch again]

Ever since Graham Gooch has been our batting coach we've been on the slide a bit.

[paul_e]

in 15 completed innings Englands top 4 have 3 50s and no centuries, that's pretty terrible given their pedigree.  However given the conditions at Trent Bridge and the fact that only Bell from either team has looked comfortable on this wicket it suggests thatthe bowling and pitches have had a bigger say than the batting in the series so far.  I'm pretty happy with that as good bowling and batsmen never being 'safe' makes for great test cricket.

[The Left Side]

last over of the day

[The Left Side]

31-3 still well balanced but England should regroup for tomorrow and get a good lead, 400 plus... great stuff to watch.

[bertlambshank]

Ever since Graham Gooch has been our batting coach we've been on the slide a bit.

Yep he was shit at Essex as well.

[taylorsworkrate]

Well the last hour was a bit mystifying, especially the nightwatchman when you are 260 runs ahead.

In a great position though, even if we lost the last 7 wickets for 0 runs then Australia would still have to score more than double the amount they got in the first innings, which is highly unlikely.

[paul_e]

Well the last hour was a bit mystifying, especially the nightwatchman when you are 260 runs ahead.

In a great position though, even if we lost the last 7 wickets for 0 runs then Australia would still have to score more than double the amount they got in the first innings, which is highly unlikely.

I'm not surprised with the nightwatchman, Bell was next out and as our only genuinely in form batsman we didn't want to lose him late in the day.

[KevinGage]

Well the last hour was a bit mystifying, especially the nightwatchman when you are 260 runs ahead.

In a great position though, even if we lost the last 7 wickets for 0 runs then Australia would still have to score more than double the amount they got in the first innings, which is highly unlikely.

It's still a good pitch, sides with a bit of application and endurance (admittedly probably not this Australian side) should be able to cash in. 

There have been some pretty weird second innings scores in the past few years at Lords. Sri Lanka made 190 odd in 2006 first up and then saved the game with 500+

Even the Aussies got 400 second time around in 2009. 

Hopefully Root can get at least 40-60, and ease some of the pressure up top.  He'll be the long term choice for one of the opening slots, no question. But it's hard to know how to play it sometimes. The only way he can get experience is to face the rough patch he's enduring at present, but if it goes on too long, confidence can dip and you end up damaging a young player. 

I was thinking of Michael Carberry if Root needs to go down back down the order, as opposed to Compton who has looked like a nervous wreck in his lat few England outings.  But then I read that Carberry has only managed one century in county cricket in the last two years.   

Sometimes it's not always about big runs though, body language and setting the tempo is as much apart of it as anything else.   If a Carberry (or similar) was coming in and getting 40/50 at the top of the order (similar to what Shane Watson is doing) that might be enough if Cook, Trott and KP start to weigh in with runs too.   The latter two aren't at the moment, obv.   But they are coming into proceedings far too early on a regular basis. 

You might expect 3 or 4 to be coming in early once every 3 to 4 innings.   Not every innings.  That's the biggest issue for the batters at present.

[paul_e]

The last line is the key for me, we need the openers to soak up 20-25 overs on a regular basis so Trott and KP are coming in against an older ball.