The Cricket Thread 2014

[PaulWinch again]

Root really needs to perform now, he's not been playing at the required standard for a while now and he needs runs.

[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.

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.

The natural side for him to run down is the opposite one to where the non-striker is running, that way you don't impede each other, Elliot looks at where he's dropped the ball and runs diagonally across the pitch to stop Sidebottom getting to the ball to run one of them out.
I too think Collingwood should have withdrawn the appeal but I can see why he didn't.

[cdbearsfan]

He's only about a yard away from Sidebottom (snigger) when he starts his run. I don't think he has enough time to think "I'm going to impede the bowler". He was just thinking, as anyone would've been, "I need to get the fuck out of the way or I'm gonna get flattened".

I reckon, anyway.

[paul_e]

I'm with plumbutt on this one, I think Elliott knew he was out and tried to put himself that side for 2 reasons, first to slow sidebottom down and second to be between the ball and stumps, it was an unnatural line for him to run.  That said I also think we should've turned the appeal down in a 'benefit of the doubt, way.

The other interesting thing from that is to look at where the non-striker is when Sidebottom releases and compare it to the Buttler one.

Onto the test side, I can understand them going with Prior but he's very lucky, his form for the last year has been dire.

[PaulWinch again]

'We've lost one Test series out of a huge number. It's not all doom and gloom as everyone says."

I think that quote from Cook is a bit worrying. Yes it's true we've lost one Test series out of a number, but we were really really hammered. Not only that from the preceding 18 months our performance had dipped massively, and lots of players looked complacent and arrogant.

[Villan For Life]

'We've lost one Test series out of a huge number. It's not all doom and gloom as everyone says."

I think that quote from Cook is a bit worrying. Yes it's true we've lost one Test series out of a number, but we were really really hammered. Not only that from the preceding 18 months our performance had dipped massively, and lots of players looked complacent and arrogant.

What Cook should remember is that the series he's referring to is the most important of the lot.

[paul_e]

'We've lost one Test series out of a huge number. It's not all doom and gloom as everyone says."

I think that quote from Cook is a bit worrying. Yes it's true we've lost one Test series out of a number, but we were really really hammered. Not only that from the preceding 18 months our performance had dipped massively, and lots of players looked complacent and arrogant.

What Cook should remember is that the series he's referring to is the most important of the lot.

More importantly he needs to remember just how badly outplayed we were.  Australia are ok but they're nothing like good enough to justify dominating us like that.  Despite the pastings in the 90s and 00s I never felt we'd completely let ourselves down, this winter we did.

[Chris Smith]

'We've lost one Test series out of a huge number. It's not all doom and gloom as everyone says."

I think that quote from Cook is a bit worrying. Yes it's true we've lost one Test series out of a number, but we were really really hammered. Not only that from the preceding 18 months our performance had dipped massively, and lots of players looked complacent and arrogant.

I don't see it as worrying, he's got to try and drum up some positivity in the camp otherwise they are beaten before a ball is bowled.

[PaulWinch again]

Maybe, but I don't think anyone was saying it's all doom and gloom now and most people are looking towards the future. I'm not sure why he's dragging the winter up again. If he's going to bring it up, then he's got to expect people to talk about how bad we were in the winter and how it had been coming for 12 months before that.

[peter w]

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.

The natural side for him to run down is the opposite one to where the non-striker is running, that way you don't impede each other, Elliot looks at where he's dropped the ball and runs diagonally across the pitch to stop Sidebottom getting to the ball to run one of them out.
I too think Collingwood should have withdrawn the appeal but I can see why he didn't.

He should have only turned the appeal down had New Zealand decided that they weren't go to have the run. They clearly hadn't done that so the collision - which I think was just one of those things - was going to result in a wicket or a run for New Zealand. You can't have a dead ball so it really is a decision of wicket or run. Why should England lose a run? As I said Sidebottom was not at fault. Neither was the batsmen but he should have stayed where he was refusing the run so England could have withdrawn the appeal. They didn't so the run out was the correct course of action.

[PaulWinch again]

Sri Lanka bat first, which means this is our chance to start batting properly again after about 18 months of under par displays. We need to take the initiative and bat with aggression, we can't just plod along.

[Villan For Life]

Sri Lanka bat first, which means this is our chance to start batting properly again after about 18 months of under par displays. We need to take the initiative and bat with aggression, we can't just plod along.

Bit of a typo there Paul ;-) !!

England: 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Sam Robson, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Joe Root, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Matt Prior (wkt), 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 James Anderson

[PaulWinch again]

Oh yeah oops! Bowl first rather. It's really important we start to play aggressive, attacking cricket and stop with our attritional stuff.

[PaulWinch again]

Oh dear Robson gone, and our run of appalling opening partnership scores continues.

[Villan For Life]

Oh dear Robson gone, and our run of appalling opening partnership scores continues.

This inexperienced batting line up really puts pressure on Cook & Bell to deliver.