The Cricket Thread 2014

[PaulWinch again]

Sri Lanka's morning, only real positive are that we've scored at over 3 an over, but that's because Bell looks good. A decision is going to have to be made on Cook soon, because his performances with the bat are not acceptable.

[Villan For Life]

Sri Lanka's morning, only real positive are that we've scored at over 3 an over, but that's because Bell looks good. A decision is going to have to be made on Cook soon, because his performances with the bat are not acceptable.

Maybe stripping him of the captaincy will help him with his batting. In form he is a wonderful batsman. Trouble is there's not really a credible captaincy option other than Cook.

[PaulWinch again]

Yes in form he is, but he's been out of form for 12-18 months and you need to draw a line at some point. Maybe dropping him as captain is an option, because although there aren't lots of obvious candidates his principle role is as a batsman.

[PaulWinch again]

Bell is playing aggressively which is what we need.

[Dr Butler]

Bell gone LBW....

[PaulWinch again]

Oh dear, but he still had the right mind set.

[PaulWinch again]

England have not passed 400 in their last 26 innings - against New Zealand at Wellington in March 2013 was the most recent - and they have managed 300 only twice in the last 11 attempts.

That is our problem highlighted in a stat.

[PaulWinch again]

Root looking much more at home in the middle order and Moeen is really looking the part.

[Dr Butler]

listening to TMS and dare I say it they both sound ok in the middle...

[PaulWinch again]

At the moment Ali is looking like a better option than Ballance when Stokes comes back.

[Villafirst]

I want Joe Root to return to Yorkshire, continue opening the batting for us and score loads of runs. England can fuck about all they like with somebody else moving them up and down the order then. Balance bats at five for Yorkshire, I don't understand why he's at three and Root at five.

They've really messed Root, Balance and in particular Bairstow around haven't they?

I know I'll be accused of bias but as I've said before I only ever watch Yorkshire so can't really comment on other players but it does look that way. Last year was a prime example when Bairstow wasn't allowed to play any cricket for Yorkshire for the first two months of the season and then they wondered why he looked out of form and a little rusty when he played in the Test.

Root will no doubt end the summer batting at 10 and being a specialist bowler.

I don't think that it's bias, we all want the best for our county sides and for England. The Bears are suffering with Woakes being used as a glorified drinks carrier. Hopefully they'll release him to play for us tomorrow in the T20.

They wont release Woakes as he'll be on drinks duty.....I don't agree with the system where a player is constantly sitting around kicking his heels.

[Villafirst]

Moeen Ali looks a good player on his debut. To think Warwickshire allowed him to leave for Worcestershire in 2006 and favoured Alex Loudon at the time. Loudon promptly left the game to pursue a business career in 2007 and dated Pippa Middleton for a while. Not a great decision by the Bears, always thought Ali looked a class act.

[PaulWinch again]

It's a good thing our run-rate has improved on recent times, because Sri Lanka's appalling over rate would mean under the old regime we'd have scored about 125 by now.

[PaulWinch again]

Ali did well, disappointing he got out but he's shown enough with the bat. It's a big innings for Prior now.

[PaulWinch again]

The middle order have done well here and our run rate is still up which is good.