The Cricket Thread 2014

[PaulWinch again]

What I hope though is that we don't use that dismissal as an excuse for what was a very poor display. We have to be a lot more proactive at the top of the order, carry more of a threat when bowling the middle overs and field better.

[cdbearsfan]

Agreed. They shouldn't keep having to rely on Buttler to bail them out. The top order have to do better.

[olaftab]

Buttler was not cheating. Buttler was doing what every batsman does and it's within the rules for him to do it. Buttler was just being dozy and paid the price.

So they all do it and get away with it and therefore it's not cheating? It is bad sportsmanship because it detracts the bowler from doing his job and it is cheating because by being 2 yards out you gain an unfair advantage.

[olaftab]

Yes, and I reckon that is exactly what would have happened if it hadn't have been Buttler.

Poor form from Angelo Matthews for me, you could see the umpire looking at him as if to say "do you really want to do this?", but as it was the final danger man he went for it. Bad sportsmanship of the sort I really hope we never succumb to.

I am the biggest critic of Sri Lankan dodgy bowlers on here but  yesterday they got it right. Buttler was warned and he carried on being a bad sportsman. So no excuses.

[Villan For Life]

Buttler was not cheating. Buttler was doing what every batsman does and it's within the rules for him to do it. Buttler was just being dozy and paid the price.

So they all do it and get away with it and therefore it's not cheating? It is bad sportsmanship because it detracts the bowler from doing his job and it is cheating because by being 2 yards out you gain an unfair advantage.

Buttler was hardly 2 yards out was he? It doesn't detract from the bowler. When he starts his run, he knows he's going to break the stumps at the non-strikers end. It's entirely pre-meditated particularly as warnings had been issued.

Backing up is an accepted process. It's drummed in to everyone from an early age. What do we do next, stop fielders walking in as the bowler bowls?

[paul_e]

Yes, and I reckon that is exactly what would have happened if it hadn't have been Buttler.

Poor form from Angelo Matthews for me, you could see the umpire looking at him as if to say "do you really want to do this?", but as it was the final danger man he went for it. Bad sportsmanship of the sort I really hope we never succumb to.

I am the biggest critic of Sri Lankan dodgy bowlers on here but  yesterday they got it right. Buttler was warned and he carried on being a bad sportsman. So no excuses.

I don't think it was bad sportsmanship at all, he was a few inches out of his ground when the front foot lands, which is pretty much the time everyone moves forward, Mathews not upholding the appeal but telling him to stop it would've been the normal thing to do.  I also think that's what they'd have done with anyone else.

[UK Redsox]

Mathews not upholding the appeal but telling him to stop it would've been the normal thing to do.  I also think that's what they'd have done with anyone else.

SL had basically already done that but Buttler kept creeping forward too early.

[Dave Cooper please]

This, from Collingwood, was pretty poor too...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=87m2d6cV4F0

Look at that one again and watch Grant Elliot's run. He deliberately runs up the opposite side of the pitch to which is natural to deliberately block Sidebottom from getting to the ball, I don't think he should have any complaints really.

[olaftab]

Not few inches. At least a yard if not two. Look at it again.

[paul_e]

Not few inches. At least a yard if not two. Look at it again.

crap angle but look at 13 seconds at the point where senanayake's front foot lands, there's at most a inch between the toe of the bat and the crease.

Specifically





That's with Senanayake having started his action (look at his arm position and body shape).  As said, you'll find hundreds of examples of someone being that far out at that point every season.  As far as I'm concerned it was an agreed tactic that they were going to get in his head with it and they took it even further when they realised it wasn't working.

[Villan For Life]

Jordan, Ali and Robson in Test squad with Prior as the keeper.

Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior, Sam Robson, Joe Root, Chris Woakes

Good to see Plunkett back but surprised by the inclusion of Woakes.

[PaulWinch again]

Very surprised to see Woakes in the squad, but I guess that's a temporary measure as Stokes isn't match fit yet. He'll be back involved soon from what the selectors said. Very interesting to see Plunkett selected, I'm guessing it's rewarding good form. I see the team being -

- Robson
- Cook
- Bell
- Root
- Ballance
- Ali
- Prior
- Jordan
- Broad
- Plunkett
- Anderson

It doesn't look too bad to me, although there are question marks over Root at the moment.

[Villan For Life]

Very surprised to see Woakes in the squad, but I guess that's a temporary measure as Stokes isn't match fit yet. He'll be back involved soon from what the selectors said. Very interesting to see Plunkett selected, I'm guessing it's rewarding good form. I see the team being -

- Robson
- Cook
- Bell
- Root
- Ballance
- Ali
- Prior
- Jordan
- Broad
- Plunkett
- Anderson

It doesn't look too bad to me, although there are question marks over Root at the moment.

That's the side I'd pick from the squad. I hope Prior's Achilles is up to a 5 day test.

Whatever side they pick there will be 5 changes from the last test we played in January, I don't recall that many changes to a test side for a very long time. 

[PaulWinch again]

No exactly and it sums up how much of a mess we made in Australia. Although if he was fit I think Stokes would be playing.

[cdbearsfan]

This, from Collingwood, was pretty poor too...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=87m2d6cV4F0

Look at that one again and watch Grant Elliot's run. He deliberately runs up the opposite side of the pitch to which is natural to deliberately block Sidebottom from getting to the ball, I don't think he should have any complaints really.

Disagree. I think he's barely started his run, sees Sidebottom in front of him and attempts to run round him, but ends up colliding with him. Neither his, nor Sidebottom's fault.

Collingwood should've turned down the wicket.