The Cricket Thread 2016

[Dave Cooper please]

But yet again England haven't just gone into their shell after a couple of wickets like they always used to.

[Dave Cooper please]

Morgan looks like he's just itching to cut loose, next few overs could be fun.

[taylorsworkrate]

Hard to be too critical, because the approach is correct.

Unfortunately this poor end means we are well below par.

[PaulWinch again]

Hell of a collapse at the end.

[taylorsworkrate]

Yep. Probably means we are now 40 runs short of par. With a really inexperienced attack, I just can't see us holding NZ.

I think where they should have changed approach was at the fall of the 7th wicket. They probably should have been content knocking it around and getting 345

[PGW]

Still the first time we've scored 300+ in 3 consecutive matches.
Lets not be too critical

[paul_e]

Lovely delivery to get Guptill, hard to defend against that.

[PaulWinch again]

I was at the game today and have a few observations -

Our innings went a bit wrong at the end, but we're definitely on the right path. I think the pitch was pretty tough to get in on.

Morgan really is back and Stokes is really starting to gain a sense of responsibility.

Willey seems quicker in person than on the speed gun. I think he is potentially a very good player.

Williamson's hundred in particular was just brilliant.

[tomd2103]

I was at the game today and have a few observations -

Our innings went a bit wrong at the end, but we're definitely on the right path. I think the pitch was pretty tough to get in on.

Morgan really is back and Stokes is really starting to gain a sense of responsibility.

Willey seems quicker in person than on the speed gun. I think he is potentially a very good player.

Williamson's hundred in particular was just brilliant.

Glad you saw a good day's cricket mate and that stadium looks great now.  It's a very fine balance, but I do think Stokes should have been a little more responsible in bat given the state of the game.  It is difficult to criticise, but had he stuck around for a few more overs, we may have got runs which could have proved decisive.  As it was, with Jordan and Plunkett out, the weakened tail were left exposed and we left a few overs on the table.  We still look short in the bowling department. 

[paul_e]

I was at the game today and have a few observations -

Our innings went a bit wrong at the end, but we're definitely on the right path. I think the pitch was pretty tough to get in on.

Morgan really is back and Stokes is really starting to gain a sense of responsibility.

Willey seems quicker in person than on the speed gun. I think he is potentially a very good player.

Williamson's hundred in particular was just brilliant.

Glad you saw a good day's cricket mate and that stadium looks great now.  It's a very fine balance, but I do think Stokes should have been a little more responsible in bat given the state of the game.  It is difficult to criticise, but had he stuck around for a few more overs, we may have got runs which could have proved decisive.  As it was, with Jordan and Plunkett out, the weakened tail were left exposed and we left a few overs on the table.  We still look short in the bowling department. 

Losing Rashid first ball was the hammer blow for me, if he'd got the runs he did in the first 2 matches we'd have been defending 340-350 and the pressure on the bowlers is much less.

[tomd2103]

I was at the game today and have a few observations -

Our innings went a bit wrong at the end, but we're definitely on the right path. I think the pitch was pretty tough to get in on.

Morgan really is back and Stokes is really starting to gain a sense of responsibility.

Willey seems quicker in person than on the speed gun. I think he is potentially a very good player.

Williamson's hundred in particular was just brilliant.

Glad you saw a good day's cricket mate and that stadium looks great now.  It's a very fine balance, but I do think Stokes should have been a little more responsible in bat given the state of the game.  It is difficult to criticise, but had he stuck around for a few more overs, we may have got runs which could have proved decisive.  As it was, with Jordan and Plunkett out, the weakened tail were left exposed and we left a few overs on the table.  We still look short in the bowling department. 

Losing Rashid first ball was the hammer blow for me, if he'd got the runs he did in the first 2 matches we'd have been defending 340-350 and the pressure on the bowlers is much less.

Agree Paul and it was a disppointing dismissal, but we can't be reliant on a number 8 scoring runs every time.  I think the team is taking shape nicely, but we are still probably short of another all-rounder.       

[paul_e]

Not really Rashid is an all rounder (as is Willey).  Runs from the lower order aren't essential to make a decent target, which we did yesterday, but they make the difference between needing things to go your way with the ball (which we didn't get with a couple of dropped catches and the LBW that was reviewed not being given on the field) instead of having the buffer that makes batsmen do something extra.  I agree we can't expect him to get those runs every time but that was still the difference between a decent target and a genuinely competitive one.  I won't fault Stokes because he did the job he was there to do, getting big runs in the latter part of the innings, I'd rather see batsmen playing their natural game and following their instincts than see them get bogged down and play well within themselves which we've seen doesn't work.

The player we want to see in that position more often than not is Buttler (given his place in the batting order) who has all the destructive power of Stokes but is technically a much better batsman and has quicker hands.  Those last 2 mean that he can naturally switch to a more measured 'rotate the strike' game when needed without looking uncomfortable about it, and then he'll put the bad ones away.  Losing him cheaply was a big blow.

Finally I'm not convinced by Roy, he's looked very good at county level but I'm not sure he's ready to be an international opener, he's the main one I'd be looking at options for right now but Billings also needs to step up a bit more as well.  Both of them are very eager in the field which works in their favour but they really need runs now.  I know 3 games isn't a great deal of time and I would give them both the rest of the series regardless but they need 1 big innings each to be sure of their places for the aussies.

[PGW]

The other Overton has been called into ODI squad this morning.

[PaulWinch again]

Not really Rashid is an all rounder (as is Willey).  Runs from the lower order aren't essential to make a decent target, which we did yesterday, but they make the difference between needing things to go your way with the ball (which we didn't get with a couple of dropped catches and the LBW that was reviewed not being given on the field) instead of having the buffer that makes batsmen do something extra.  I agree we can't expect him to get those runs every time but that was still the difference between a decent target and a genuinely competitive one.  I won't fault Stokes because he did the job he was there to do, getting big runs in the latter part of the innings, I'd rather see batsmen playing their natural game and following their instincts than see them get bogged down and play well within themselves which we've seen doesn't work.

The player we want to see in that position more often than not is Buttler (given his place in the batting order) who has all the destructive power of Stokes but is technically a much better batsman and has quicker hands.  Those last 2 mean that he can naturally switch to a more measured 'rotate the strike' game when needed without looking uncomfortable about it, and then he'll put the bad ones away.  Losing him cheaply was a big blow.

Finally I'm not convinced by Roy, he's looked very good at county level but I'm not sure he's ready to be an international opener, he's the main one I'd be looking at options for right now but Billings also needs to step up a bit more as well.  Both of them are very eager in the field which works in their favour but they really need runs now.  I know 3 games isn't a great deal of time and I would give them both the rest of the series regardless but they need 1 big innings each to be sure of their places for the aussies.

I'm not 100% sure on Roy yet. I'm thinking he's more of a lower order batsman at the moment, so for me it would be him or Billings. I prefer Moeen as an ODI opener.

[tomd2103]

Finally I'm not convinced by Roy, he's looked very good at county level but I'm not sure he's ready to be an international opener, he's the main one I'd be looking at options for right now but Billings also needs to step up a bit more as well.  Both of them are very eager in the field which works in their favour but they really need runs now.  I know 3 games isn't a great deal of time and I would give them both the rest of the series regardless but they need 1 big innings each to be sure of their places for the aussies.

Agree that both should be given the rest of the series, but that a change may be required for the series against the Aussies.  If Roy was to be taken out the side, we could go for another young up and coming player (ie. Vince) or a more experienced stop gap option like Carberry.  As for Billings, I wonder if Woakes could bat as high as seven on his return and offer that extra bowling option.