The Cricket Thread 2016

[peter w]

Nice fightback but once again too many failures among the recognised batsmen.
It is good that England are allowing players time and not chopping and changing but Compton must be on very thin ice now.

Yeah I'd have thought Compton is close. He just doesn't seem to cope with pressure too well. He normally starts a series ok, although not today, and then goes downhill the more the pressure comes on.

Other than his name I'm not a fan of Compton but I think he'll get the series if not the summer. But we can't keep going 3 down in  the blink of an eye.

[paul_e]

Nice fightback but once again too many failures among the recognised batsmen.
It is good that England are allowing players time and not chopping and changing but Compton must be on very thin ice now.

Yeah I'd have thought Compton is close. He just doesn't seem to cope with pressure too well. He normally starts a series ok, although not today, and then goes downhill the more the pressure comes on.

Other than his name I'm not a fan of Compton but I think he'll get the series if not the summer. But we can't keep going 3 down in  the blink of an eye.

3 down in a blink won't be common, that means one or both of Root and Cook have gone cheaply.  The problem is you need a 3 who can come in and adapt, so if we've got 150 on the board and the conditions are good they need to be able to go at 4-5 an over and pile the pressure on but if an opener has gone cheaply they need to be able to step in and see off the new ball.  Compton when he's in form can do the latter but he will never be a good choice for the former, which is why I'd be looking to replace him, it's why Trott was so good for a few years, he just played the role he was needed to (usually with  a slow start but escalating).

[paul_e]

Started well this morning, Bairstow just got a life though.  This is what I was hoping for yesterday, a big partnership to get us moving forward and get 300-350 back on the table.  There's still a lot to do but conditions look better this morning and both are looking in good form so hopefully this pair can push us past 250 and then one can stay with the tail and let Ali and Broad (in particular) try to cash in a little.

[PGW]

398 for Herath
Hales fails to get to the pitch of one and gives a catch to Chameera 86

224/6 72.3
Bairstow 91*
Ali 0*

[PGW]

298 not 398

[PGW]

Ali gone
231/7
Ali Ct Mendis b Chameera 0
Bairstow 97*
Broad in

[PGW]

233/8  76 overs
Broad b Chameera 2

[PaulWinch again]

Outside of Hales and Bairstow who have done very well, this has been a pretty pathetic batting display.

[paul_e]

and we're back to 250 looking a decent score, we need those 2 to offer much more resistance.

Given Finn and Anderson are all we have left I'd like to see Bairstow (now he has his 100) just start smacking it around a little.  20-30 quick runs here could be hugely important for us.

[paul_e]

Where does Vince bat for Hampshire?  Could he be the 3 we're looking for?  Bairstow up to 5 and Buttler in at 7 seems like a good way to strengthen things but I have no idea if Vince would be suited to 3.  I would like to see Buttler back in and Bairstow higher though.

[tomd2103]

Where does Vince bat for Hampshire?  Could he be the 3 we're looking for?  Bairstow up to 5 and Buttler in at 7 seems like a good way to strengthen things but I have no idea if Vince would be suited to 3.  I would like to see Buttler back in and Bairstow higher though.

I think Compton deserves a few more chances, but I'm pretty sure that's where Vince bats for Hampshire Paul and I think the above suggestion makes sense.  We could experiment at five though and have a look at some other options. 

[PaulWinch again]

I think Vince is a potential long term 3. I'm starting to think is there a lot of point in continuing with Compton? I'm not really sure he's ever going to cement his place.

[Dave Cooper please]

I do wonder about our batting line up, just because he is the wickie does Bairstow have to bat at 7, surely he's a number 5 at worst?
I'd move him and also possibly Ali (who is a primarily a batsman but as we don't have another spinner is counted as a bowler by England) above Stokes and let Stokes just heave away with the tail-enders rather than try to build an innings which he isn't particularly good at but needs to be able to do if batting at 5 or 6 when we have lost quick wickets.
In fact, drop Compton and bring another bowler in, we can still bat to No.7 and below them Broad has a Test century.

[PaulWinch again]

I do wonder about our batting line up, just because he is the wickie does Bairstow have to bat at 7, surely he's a number 5 at worst?
I'd move him and also possibly Ali (who is a primarily a batsman but as we don't have another spinner is counted as a bowler by England) above Stokes and let Stokes just heave away with the tail-enders rather than try to build an innings which he isn't particularly good at but needs to be able to do if batting at 5 or 6 when we have lost quick wickets.
In fact, drop Compton and bring another bowler in, we can still bat to No.7 and below them Broad has a Test century.

When Stokes has played lower in the order in other forms he's really struggled, I think weirdly he needs the responsibility of 6 to get the best out of him.

I think long term you could have Vince at 3, Bairstow at 5, Stokes at 6 and Buttler at 7.

[paul_e]

Bairstow gone which is a shame but he did exactly what I wanted him to and pushed the score along, with Finn supporting him well we've probably pushed 35-40 more runs than they'd have planned for when Ali and Broad went cheap.