The Cricket Thread 2016

[Villan For Life]

Some interesting comments from Middlesex spinner Ollie Rayner.

Without wishing to sound full of self-pity, it is not easy being an English spin bowler at this moment in time. All we ever hear is that the cupboard is bare, but the simple truth is that we don't play in conditions that help young spinners to develop.

The current schedule packs half the Championship matches in before the end of May, a notorious time in terms of the weather and certainly not a period in which you'll find bunsens being prepared.

All you can hope to do as a spinner is bowl as much as you can, keep it tight and earn the right to stay in the side for the drier months of the season. But then, just when you'd expect spin bowlers to come into their own in July and August, there's a big block of one-day cricket to disrupt your rhythm before the Championship comes to the crunch in September.

In addition, there are T20s dotted all through the season, which I am not a fan of, to be brutally honest. The schedule forces you to go from one extreme discipline to the other, and many spinners have totally different actions in each form to deliver what they need to.

The plight of the English spin bowler

There's a lot of sense in what Rayner says and in an interview at the start of September Jeetan Patel said pretty much the same thing. Patel is probably the best spinner currently playing on the county circuit and when he says English spinners don't practice enough and cites Rayner as an example, you have the benefit of real insight.

Practice Makes Perfect

[PaulWinch again]

Oh Mo you really needed to fill your boots there.

[paul_e]

Oh Mo you really needed to fill your boots there.

It's not a massive score but I think he's done his job here, if we can get the openers regularly facing 40ish overs then we'll be much stronger than we have been for years, having over a hundred on the board when you lose your first wicket is a good habit to get into, regardless of how those runs are shared out.  If all Mo does is block up and end for 40 overs and let Cook be a little more expansive at the other end then I'm happy with that, he's one of the best openers in world cricket, if we can get him confident in his partner so he plays his natural game then everyone wins.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm happy with their partnership, it's just it was a good opportunity for him.

[Villan For Life]

Oh Mo you really needed to fill your boots there.

It's not a massive score but I think he's done his job here, if we can get the openers regularly facing 40ish overs then we'll be much stronger than we have been for years, having over a hundred on the board when you lose your first wicket is a good habit to get into, regardless of how those runs are shared out.  If all Mo does is block up and end for 40 overs and let Cook be a little more expansive at the other end then I'm happy with that, he's one of the best openers in world cricket, if we can get him confident in his partner so he plays his natural game then everyone wins.

That's how I read the situation. Plus it was a good dismissal by the Pakistan keeper, so he could consider himself to be slightly unlucky.

My only concern is that you eventually reach a point when he will need to start turning good starts into meaningful scores.

[Chris Jameson]

I see the focus from the press appears to be on Rashid's 'worst ever Test debut' figures, not much mention of Ali's figures. Giving him his debut on a pitch like that when they had the poor bloke carry the drinks in the West Indies without giving him a bowl wasn't the greatest way to blood a player they are obviously still not convinced by. How many runs did the two dropped catches and the no ball wicket end up costing the team?

[Villan For Life]

I see the focus from the press appears to be on Rashid's 'worst ever Test debut' figures, not much mention of Ali's figures. Giving him his debut on a pitch like that when they had the poor bloke carry the drinks in the West Indies without giving him a bowl wasn't the greatest way to blood a player they are obviously still not convinced by. How many runs did the two dropped catches and the no ball wicket end up costing the team?

More than Rashid's figures that's for sure.

If we avoid the follow on, it will be interesting to see how he does on a wearing pitch in their second innings.

[Villan For Life]

Good, solid innings by Cook, 100 out of 164-1.

Need plenty more though please skipper!

[PaulWinch again]

I see the focus from the press appears to be on Rashid's 'worst ever Test debut' figures, not much mention of Ali's figures. Giving him his debut on a pitch like that when they had the poor bloke carry the drinks in the West Indies without giving him a bowl wasn't the greatest way to blood a player they are obviously still not convinced by. How many runs did the two dropped catches and the no ball wicket end up costing the team?

It's an easy stat to throw up, but it's not really reflective of anything.

[PaulWinch again]

I think the fact that spin hasn't yet taken a wicket in England's innings shows that the pitch isn't suited to it.

[PaulWinch again]

Excellent hundred from Cook, now make it a big one.

[paul_e]

Bell is starting to settle a little now, there's been a couple of nice looking shots in the last few overs after looking scared for the first 50-55 deliveries.

[Ads]

Only another 160 odd runs until Bell is back in credit.

[PaulWinch again]

Cook has got a better sloppy since he got his hundred. Hopefully the tea break will get him back in gear.

[paul_e]

Fair play to Bell, that's a well scratched out 50 from a guy who's clearly out of form and made a couple of really bad errors in this test, he's shown a lot of character
here.  Just a shame it's in a match that has draw written all over it.