The Cricket Thread 2014

[PaulWinch again]

One thing I notice we do is we get obsessed by bowling at the 'weakest batsman'. We stop trying to get the other batsman out, and basically just try and prevent him getting on strike for the next over. Then against the weakest batsman we look for the perfect ball rather than bowl as you would against anyone else. That allows both batsmen to get in and then we end up in situations like yesterday.

[Ads]

Cooks average since his last centrury is something like 14, which is appalling.

[Villafirst]

Cooks average since his last centrury is something like 14, which is appalling.

It's ironic that Cook stated that this England side was a new era and need freshening up - I agree, only he now needs to be relieved of the Captaincy! Shocking form from Cook for 12 months now. Would it be better if he came in at number 4? I'd trust Belly as a better opener.

[Chris Jameson]

Lemon and ginger cake baked lovingly by my other half was a hit.


Melchester Rovers chairman adopts the Lerner approach to new signings. Cheap and 'experienced'

[PaulWinch again]

Robson and Ballance doing very well and Ballance starting to up the tempo a bit now.

[tomd2103]

Cooks average since his last centrury is something like 14, which is appalling.

It's ironic that Cook stated that this England side was a new era and need freshening up - I agree, only he now needs to be relieved of the Captaincy! Shocking form from Cook for 12 months now. Would it be better if he came in at number 4? I'd trust Belly as a better opener.

I wouldn't give up on Cook just yet, but I would certainly relieve of the pressure of the captaincy for the time being.  There aren't too many other candidates in the team, but you would have to think that Bell or maybe even Prior would be able to step in for a short time.  I'd give Cook the rest of the series, but then would leave him out of any ODIs (I don't think he should be in the ODI team anyway!!) and let him go away and work on his game.  After this series, we don't have any tests until next summer, so it will be a good break for him. 

[PaulWinch again]

Vaughan seems to think we'll definitely change a seamer next week.

[paul_e]

Vaughan seems to think we'll definitely change a seamer next week.

Jordan should be back in, he really shouldn't have been dropped.  I suggested Plunkett as the one to drop out after the SL series and I'm going to stick with that.  I'd give woakes a go for Broad or Anderson later in the series as well (probably Broad but it depends if Jimmy looks like he's on empty like he did last summer).

I'd also give Ali a chance to open in place of Cook and bring in a genuine spinner (Kerrigan would be my choice still, yes he didn't do great last summer but the guy was called up and given 8 overs before being dumped, that's fucking disgraceful treatment of a player).

[PaulWinch again]

Brilliant Robson given out LBW when he had an inside edge, not having DRS is ridiculous.

[PaulWinch again]

Robson has done really well since that first Test, he's been robbed there.

[Dr Butler]

on TMS

Geoff" I say what I like and I like what I bloody well say" Boycott reckons Robson hit his pad and not a inside edge....

[taylorsworkrate]

I would say this has been a shocking session from us, but I'm not in the least bit surprised our batsmen have failed on a dead pitch against an innocuous bowling attack.

[taylorsworkrate]

Shocking decision. Must have missed that by at least a bats width.

In huge trouble now. There's just no character in this team.

[taylorsworkrate]

Actually getting quite funny now

[Dr Butler]

202/7.......an England collapse AGAIN !!