The Cricket Thread 2016

[paul_e]

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.

Lyth looks scared of failing right now, as I said before in the first innings he'd done really well and then he got impatient and played at one that he should've left, if he's got the natural game to succeed then we need to give him every chance to learn what he can leave and when to play, that's the big difference between first class and test level batting, particularly for openers.

[Dr Butler]

Cook gone ! 

[Proposition Joe]

Shit

[taylorsworkrate]

Cook gone. Great delivery in fairness.

[paul_e]

Good delivery to be fair to him.

Bell, at his home ground needs to put in a performance here.

[Villan For Life]

Come on England! It would be good if our out of form batsmen could see us home.

Four from Bell's first ball

[Proposition Joe]

Haha, Bell on for fastest Ashes half century to take it from Warner?

[Proposition Joe]

Oof, Bell lucky there.  That shot was slip practice.

[LeeB]

This smells like a reverse Headingley 1981.

[Villan For Life]

We've got more than half the required runs.

Listening on TMS, the atmosphere sounds amazing. Why Edgbaston doesn't get an automatic Ashes test is beyond me. The players love playing there and Warner admitted that the Aussies were intimidated by the crowd. We should stage the first test every year at Edgbaston like the Aussies do as Brisbane. They haven't lost a test at Brissie for donkeys years.

[taylorsworkrate]

We've got more than half the required runs.

Listening on TMS, the atmosphere sounds amazing. Why Edgbaston doesn't get an automatic Ashes test is beyond me. The players love playing there and Warner admitted that the Aussies were intimidated by the crowd. We should stage the first test every year at Edgbaston like the Aussies do as Brisbane. They haven't lost a test at Brissie for donkeys years.

Yep definitely. Unfortunately the ECB cares more about making a few extra quid from having the counties bid for the matches, rather than the success of the team itself.

Edgbaston should have a test each summer without fail. Scandalous that it doesn't

[Villan For Life]

We've got more than half the required runs.

Listening on TMS, the atmosphere sounds amazing. Why Edgbaston doesn't get an automatic Ashes test is beyond me. The players love playing there and Warner admitted that the Aussies were intimidated by the crowd. We should stage the first test every year at Edgbaston like the Aussies do as Brisbane. They haven't lost a test at Brissie for donkeys years.

Yep definitely. Unfortunately the ECB cares more about making a few extra quid from having the counties bid for the matches, rather than the success of the team itself.
Edgbaston should have a test each summer without fail. Scandalous that it doesn't

Surely a continually successful England side would generate even more revenue and the feel-good factor feed down to county and grass-roots cricket. To me that is a win - win situation.

One of the problems with Cricket in this country is the ECB's preoccupation with profit over the performance of the team as you rightly pointed out.

[taylorsworkrate]

50 for Bell. He's looked very classy in both innings in this match.

[aj2k77]

A nice days work and a good overall test for England.

Lyth though. Doesn't look good enough. From the little I've seen of him admittedly he looks neither as good as Compton or Carberry and looks a walking wicket, at least those two had to be wrestled out.

[Villan For Life]

The Hollies stand is in great voice.