The Cricket Thread 2013

[PaulWinch again]

Anderson puts our awful batsmen to shame.

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Another 70 runs and its a par score on this wicket. Anything over 300 and you are in business up at Durham.

The batting however, is a complete shambles. Root should not be opening, Prior is massivlyl out of form, Bairstow has put in one of the poorest displays I have ever seen and should be nowhere near the side. Broad has failed with the ball all summer.

Taylor, Compton, Tremlett et al must be wondering what they have to do, because this side needs a serious wake up call, as it looks utter garbage.

[paul_e]

It all comes back to our scoring rate, if your top order are going at 2-2.5 an over you do nothing to discourage the bowlers and captain to continue an attacking line, eventually any international bowler, with no batting pressure on him, will get one right and get you.  The best sides always have someone attacking and driving the score along, we don't seem to have that in the slightest, so the score meanders along at a rate far below what we should be after.

Today we've faced enough balls to have 300-350 on the board, if we were 'for 9' then it would be about par and we'd have something to bowl at.  It's been my main concern ever since cook took over, he's a very defensive player and is an even more defensive captain and it's making us look a worse sie than we are.

[taylorsworkrate]

I don't think 300 is anywhere near par on this. Id want 400 minimum

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I don't think 300 is anywhere near par on this. Id want 400 minimum

Nobody has scored 400 on this wicket all summer, I don't think. Yorkshire got the highest with 350.

[PaulWinch again]

It all comes back to our scoring rate, if your top order are going at 2-2.5 an over you do nothing to discourage the bowlers and captain to continue an attacking line, eventually any international bowler, with no batting pressure on him, will get one right and get you.  The best sides always have someone attacking and driving the score along, we don't seem to have that in the slightest, so the score meanders along at a rate far below what we should be after.

Today we've faced enough balls to have 300-350 on the board, if we were 'for 9' then it would be about par and we'd have something to bowl at.  It's been my main concern ever since cook took over, he's a very defensive player and is an even more defensive captain and it's making us look a worse sie than we are.

It's not just Cook, it comes from Flower as well. There is negativity flowing through our team in every respect. It's not solely down to scoring rate, although that is a major issue. I just think our players are far too secure in their roles. It's good having security, but too much breeds complacency. We've predominantly retained the Ashes through the Aussies being poor in the first two Tests, we haven't been good at all.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't think 300 is anywhere near par on this. Id want 400 minimum

Nobody has scored 400 on this wicket all summer, I don't think. Yorkshire got the highest with 350.

Maybe, but our batting issues are absolutely chronic and have been for a while.

[taylorsworkrate]

I don't think 300 is anywhere near par on this. Id want 400 minimum

Nobody has scored 400 on this wicket all summer, I don't think. Yorkshire got the highest with 350.

Stats are stats. From what I've seen of todays pitch, where there's been no spin, no swing and only the rare ball has seemed, 400 would be an absolute minimum

[adrenachrome]

"Gifting wickets to a non spinning off spinner bowling around the wicket" is GB's verdict.

[PaulWinch again]

There are massive question marks over Gooch as well, we've been rubbish since he became full time batting coach.

[olaftab]

OK Aussies have not batted yet so judge this score tomorrow please.

[PaulWinch again]

OK Aussies have not batted yet so judge this score tomorrow please.

It's irrelevant, our bowlers might save us they have before. It doesn't change the fact our batsmen have consistently failed, we've batted first 3 times and failed to 400 every time. Australia have batted first once and got 500+ declared.

[PaulWinch again]

You don't get to 100-1 on a bad pitch.

[taylorsworkrate]

No matter what the aussies get, our batting is indefensible

[PaulWinch again]

No matter what the aussies get, our batting is indefensible

and has been for a while, if this was an isolated incident then you could go 'yeah ok every team has a bad day'. However we have been failing to put on first innings runs for a long while now and there are major issues with how we approach an innings, and players not being under pressure to perform.