The Cricket Thread 2014

[PaulWinch again]

I'm not sure on that at all, you knock 60 runs off our total and it would have been very gettable today. I think we needed those runs, it was the collapse that killed us.

[Monty]

Shame England couldn't quite get there, but a great test match and an advert for the format. Sri Lanka battled hard and deserved their draw.

[cheltenhamlion]

You also need the intangible benefit of the Ballance ton for his confidence in future. I would have let him get his hundred.

[aj2k77]

I'm not sure on that at all, you knock 60 runs off our total and it would have been very gettable today. I think we needed those runs, it was the collapse that killed us.

How many tests have been won by someone scoring 330ish on the last day? I'd wager a handful. He's too negative for me.

[aj2k77]

West Indies v Australia 09/05/2003 West Indies win by 3 wickets 418
Australia v South Africa 17/12/2008 South Africa won by 6 wickets. 414
New Zealand v West Indies 27/02/1969 West Indies win by 5 wickets 348
England v West Indies 28/06/1984 West Indies win by 9 wickets 344
South Africa v Australia 15/03/2002 South Africa win by 5 wickets 340
Australia v England 29/12/1928 England win by 3 wickets 332


Those are the highest 4th innings run chases in history. So we set them the 3 highest chase ever all on the final day just in case something goes terribly and historically wrong rather than have a bowl for an hour.... come on, have some faith in the bowlers. Really really poor captaincy that.

[Bully2345]

I don't think he should have declared last night. The target only got up to 390 because Ballance got a shimmy on in last half hour to get a ton. If he had declared with forty minutes to go, Sri Lanka would have needed three an over. Very gettable on that flat pitch, especially considering how serenely they started this morning

[aj2k77]

They should have got the rate going earlier. We don't have a killer instinct under Cook because his natural instinct is to protect.  For me, on any pitch in the world, getting nearly 400 on the last day of a test is unheard of.

[Dave Cooper please]

So you accelerate earlier, lose wickets  and get bowled out for a 300 lead,  Sri Lanka knock off 70-80 of those before the close and you're looking at  a very gettable 220-230 on the last day.
I think Cook would have ideally declared with a few overs to go but as mentioned before, Ballance was on for a maiden Test hundred, something which could pay huge dividends in the near future, I have no problem with the decision and it so nearly paid off.
Wonderful Test Match either way, Test cricket is NOT dying, it is ace.

[paul_e]

I was disappointed that we didn't push on sooner but I can understand why we couldn't.

[Villan For Life]

What a test match. Nearly 1,600 runs; 36 wickets, a double ton, 3 other centuries. No 5-fers and other than an England win what else could you wish for in a test that seemed dead at tea on the last day?

[PaulWinch again]

It was good to see us bowling to innovative fields in the last session as well, well done to Cook there.

[PaulWinch again]

Interesting to see Moores specifically mention Kerrigan, Riley and Panesar as options alongside Ali if he can become more of a wicket taking threat.

[Villan For Life]

Interesting to see Moores specifically mention Kerrigan, Riley and Panesar as options alongside Ali if he can become more of a wicket taking threat.

None of those are filling me with any optimism. Panesar is the pick on them but he seems to be on a downward spiral of self-destruction.

[PaulWinch again]

I think Kerrigan will be a good player, we just brought him in in completely the wrong circumstances previously.

[paul_e]

I think Kerrigan will be a good player, we just brought him in in completely the wrong circumstances previously.

I agree, I really like the look of Kerrigan, he's a lot like Swann was at that age, clearly some talent but sometimes struggles to put it together and sometimes looks a bit lost.