The Cricket Thread 2016

[OzVilla]

I can understand why they'd bowl first at the toss. Muggy conditions, fragile batting line up from the Aussies, bowlers up for it, bit of grass on the pitch. Totally understand the decision.

England just need to be consistant with their line and length and they'll get something. Aussies need to be watchful and build on it later in the day.

Old fashioned Test Match Cricket.

[PaulWinch again]

We need to pitch it up more, they're able to leave far too much.

[PaulWinch again]

We're looking a bit too friendly in this Test so far. We need to get our aggression and will to win back. It's definitely a batting pitch, the early conditions were a bit of a red herring.

[PaulWinch again]

This is looking worryingly like Lords at the moment. We need a couple of quick wickets to get into them.

[OzVilla]

This might actually be a five day test match at last. They've batted well and we haven't bowled badly but they've just not made the mistake of going after it and nicking off.

I think we've been conditioned out of this type of Cricket.

[Proposition Joe]

Bit of overconfidence from Cook.  You never bowl first at the Oval if you have a choice.  This will be another 500+ score from Australia, and then we know how England do under a bit of scoreboard pressure.

[PaulWinch again]

For the long term development of the team it might be useful for us to try and bowl on a flat deck. We need to work out how to get wickets when conditions don't suit us. We need a big afternoon session now.

[OzVilla]

Obviously just watching on tv but there doesn't feel like the same intensity in this match. Probably a natural thing in dead rubbers.

[paul_e]

yeah, the game feels quite flat. Only half watching it but Wood has looked the best bowler from what I've seen because he's been fuller, I'd like to see Broad and Finn have a go at that sort of length. 

And there's Wood getting a wicket, was a shorter one but it worked because he's not been bowling a back foot length so he stood him up.

[UK Redsox]

A wicket at last

[PaulWinch again]

I understand the thing about the dead rubber, but I'd be a bit annoyed if our intensity dropped because of it. 4-1 seems massively different to 3-2 and it would be nice to get some pay back. We really need to bowl fuller on the whole.

[UK Redsox]

yeah, the game feels quite flat.

I'd been pondering heading over early tomorrow and trying to get a ticket. Listening on the radio, the game does seem to be a bit anti-climactic, so I don't think I'll bother

[paul_e]

yeah, the game feels quite flat.

I'd been pondering heading over early tomorrow and trying to get a ticket. Listening on the radio, the game does seem to be a bit anti-climactic, so I don't think I'll bother

Never know, it might be worth it still, I think the game just needs something to spark it, I hoped the wicket would do it but the crowd never really got going after that.  Getting Smith of Warner is probably the important one.

[PaulWinch again]

This is getting pretty ominous. I don't blame Cook for bowling first, it looked green and the overhead conditions looked really helpful, but it's looking like a bat first wicket all the way here.

[PaulWinch again]

Good lad Moeen. Now come on England we're into the soft underbelly.