The Cricket Thread 2016

[Dr Butler]

If Aussies do set a target of about 100, I'd still be quite nervous about us getting it.

Root is averaging about 70 on his own from the last couple of years, some of you are probably scared of your own shadow.  I'd rather be chasing as few as possible but to suggest 130 and it's their game to lose to taking the piss.

Well, they're already needing to chase more than they made in the second innings at Lord's, and that pitch was dead.

Completely different circumstances though, that was a match where we'd been dominated as opposed to one where we'd demolished them twice.

The pressure is different this time, but it's still pressure.  Pressure in that a win will see us 2-1 up and one of our favourite grounds coming up next.  Pressure in that a loss from here would be even more devastating than the one at Lord's.

And imagine Lyth goes in the first over, then Bell does what Bell does under pressure, and we're 2 down for not many.

or Bell knocks them off for a famous and deserved victory ?

[paul_e]

If Aussies do set a target of about 100, I'd still be quite nervous about us getting it.

Root is averaging about 70 on his own from the last couple of years, some of you are probably scared of your own shadow.  I'd rather be chasing as few as possible but to suggest 130 and it's their game to lose to taking the piss.

Well, they're already needing to chase more than they made in the second innings at Lord's, and that pitch was dead.

Completely different circumstances though, that was a match where we'd been dominated as opposed to one where we'd demolished them twice.

The pressure is different this time, but it's still pressure.  Pressure in that a win will see us 2-1 up and one of our favourite grounds coming up next.  Pressure in that a loss from here would be even more devastating than the one at Lord's.

And imagine Lyth goes in the first over, then Bell does what Bell does under pressure, and we're 2 down for not many.

Even if we are 2 down that's Cook and Root in, and even if one of them goes we have Bairstow who's averaging over 100 in domestic cricket this season, or Stokes who's scored plenty of runs this summer, etc, etc.  What you're suggesting is that it's 'likely' that our entire batting lineup will fail.

[taylorsworkrate]

I getting pretty bored by this amount of luck the aussies continue to have today

[taylorsworkrate]

About time

[taylorsworkrate]

I fully expect us to win comfortably.

We have made it trickier for ourselves than we should have though.

[paul_e]

thank god for that, and I'd had a bet for them to get less than 450 in total (put on before play started on day 1) which has worked out well, I nearly went for 400 so I'd have been really pissed off if I had and they end on 401.

[Proposition Joe]

Even if we are 2 down that's Cook and Root in, and even if one of them goes we have Bairstow who's averaging over 100 in domestic cricket this season, or Stokes who's scored plenty of runs this summer, etc, etc.  What you're suggesting is that it's 'likely' that our entire batting lineup will fail.

It wouldn't be the first time, and it wouldn't be without precedent.

Of course, Lyth could hit a swashbuckling 50 and we win by 10 wickets...

[taylorsworkrate]

I am gonna have a sneaky tenner on them at 12/1, purely to soften the blow a little if we do have a monumental fuckup.

[taylorsworkrate]

If Lyth fails here then that surely has to be the end for him

[Proposition Joe]

Are they seriously opening with Hazlewood and Starc?  Should have started with Johnson straight away.

[PaulWinch again]

If Lyth fails here then that surely has to be the end for him

He'll get another chance if we win.

[Proposition Joe]

Sky showing a special on Waqar and Wasim in the lunch break.  As good as Johnson can be in spells, he's not up there with Wasim.

[Chris Jameson]

If Lyth fails here then that surely has to be the end for him

Isn't it only four Tests ago he scored a hundred? People are too quick to write players off, I think he's paying the price of the stupidity of playing Trott ahead of him in the Caribbean. Bairstow supposedly isn't good enough for Test cricket but it's not that long ago he batted superbly against the South African attack and he's in the form of his life, the delivery that got him out yesterday would have troubled the best in the world, bit of patience required with players coming into the side.

[paul_e]

Even if we are 2 down that's Cook and Root in, and even if one of them goes we have Bairstow who's averaging over 100 in domestic cricket this season, or Stokes who's scored plenty of runs this summer, etc, etc.  What you're suggesting is that it's 'likely' that our entire batting lineup will fail.

It wouldn't be the first time, and it wouldn't be without precedent.

Of course, Lyth could hit a swashbuckling 50 and we win by 10 wickets...

It wouldn't be without precedent I agree, but there's far more precedent for us scoring steadily, losing a few wickets and knocking them off for 3 or 4 just after tea.

[taylorsworkrate]

If Lyth fails here then that surely has to be the end for him

Isn't it only four Tests ago he scored a hundred? People are too quick to write players off, I think he's paying the price of the stupidity of playing Trott ahead of him in the Caribbean. Bairstow supposedly isn't good enough for Test cricket but it's not that long ago he batted superbly against the South African attack and he's in the form of his life, the delivery that got him out yesterday would have troubled the best in the world, bit of patience required with players coming into the side.

Put another way, Lyth has had 9 test innings, 8 of which have been failures. His century as I recall was decent, but pretty scratchy. Robson scored a century last summer, but failed miserably apart from that. It was the correct decision to drop him.

He may score 60 odd today, in which case fair play and he deserves to keep his place. From what I've seen so far, he just looks like he's lacking a bit at this level. Put the ball outside his off stump on a consistent basis and he'll nick off.