The Cricket Thread 2016

[PaulWinch again]

Now this will be a real test for the likes of Hales, Vince and Balance. Well all of them actually, but we've seen the others score big against quality attacks. They won't face many better attacks than this Pakistan one. They have everything.

[paul_e]

I'm sure I said it on here a while back but watching the way Woakes moves the ball in the air I've long thought that he's the natural replacement for Jimmy in a few years time because he can get the ball going both ways.  He's not got the natural talent of Anderson but he has worked his balls off to make the best of his ability and that is starting to shine through now, he's now clearly the 3rd seamer in this team and the confidence from his performances is driving him on.  I suspect by the end of this series he'll have an average of around 25-30 that properly reflects his ability with the ball.


Edit


Also I love the fact that more than anyone else in the country he has a smooth repeatable action which means he can bowl longer spells regularly and still get lots out of the ball, that should help him have a long career and hopefully avoid injuries.

[paul_e]

Now this will be a real test for the likes of Hales, Vince and Balance. Well all of them actually, but we've seen the others score big against quality attacks. They won't face many better attacks than this Pakistan one. They have everything.

I think Hales is important here.  He's got the ability and started to show that against SL so he has form, with Cook also over the 'hump' of his record which affected him in that series there is the potential for a big opening stand here which would be nice after a few years of repeated failure at the top.

[paul_e]

Goddamnit I need to not type silly statements like that one.

[Dave Cooper please]

Hales gone. Big test for Root then, he's not a natural opener and he is now, for all intents, opening.

[Dave Cooper please]

Oh. and the pitch looks quicker this morning, so faster scoring but inevitably more chances for the Pakistan seamers.

[peter w]

I must admit that I thought that Woakes was just short of international class, so I'm pleased to admit that I was wrong!

The selectors have got a real selection problem ahead. From the side playing at Lords, clearly Finn is short of rhythm and form so Anderson will come in for him in the next test. Stokes is nearing full fitness and should go back into the side, but Woakes does not deserve to be dropped. Do they sacrifice Ali, whose runs with the lower order have proved vital or do they drop Woakes who is bowling well and can get you runs?

It's a nice headache to have and it will be interesting to see how they decide to go.

I think it could be a batsman that is discarded or probably Ball.

Cook
Hales
Root (I'd bat him at 4)
Ballance
Bairstow
Vince
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

or one of Ballance or Vince goes and Ball comes back in.

[PaulWinch again]

This is going to be very tough now.

[paul_e]

I must admit that I thought that Woakes was just short of international class, so I'm pleased to admit that I was wrong!

The selectors have got a real selection problem ahead. From the side playing at Lords, clearly Finn is short of rhythm and form so Anderson will come in for him in the next test. Stokes is nearing full fitness and should go back into the side, but Woakes does not deserve to be dropped. Do they sacrifice Ali, whose runs with the lower order have proved vital or do they drop Woakes who is bowling well and can get you runs?

It's a nice headache to have and it will be interesting to see how they decide to go.

I think it could be a batsman that is discarded or probably Ball.

Cook
Hales
Root (I'd bat him at 4)
Ballance
Bairstow
Vince
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

or one of Ballance or Vince goes and Ball comes back in.

The only issue with keeping Ball in and bringing in Stokes is that you'd then have 5 frontline seamers and inevitably 1-2 of them won't get many overs, there's a delicate balance to be found to avoid having too many options.

[tomd2103]

Hales gone. Big test for Root then, he's not a natural opener and he is now, for all intents, opening.

I personally would not have moved him from four.  Would have moved Vince to three and kept Root where he was.

[PaulWinch again]

With Pakistan having Yasir Shah in the team I reckon we need at least a hundred run lead after the first innings.

[peter w]

Hales gone. Big test for Root then, he's not a natural opener and he is now, for all intents, opening.

I personally would not have moved him from four.  Would have moved Vince to three and kept Root where he was.

I think that because of the uncertainty over Vince following the Sri Lanka series means that he'll get protected in the middle order. Hopefully he comes good because he'd be a great number 3.

[Chris Jameson]

Hales gone. Big test for Root then, he's not a natural opener and he is now, for all intents, opening.

Although he first got into the England team on the strength of his batting for Yorkshire as an opener, he then got moved up and down the order before they decided four was his best position.

[UK Redsox]

I can't believe that Andrew did the calculation to work out how long it would take Tuffers to bowl out the population of India


..........66 million years 

[Dave Cooper please]

Hales gone. Big test for Root then, he's not a natural opener and he is now, for all intents, opening.

Although he first got into the England team on the strength of his batting for Yorkshire as an opener, he then got moved up and down the order before they decided four was his best position.

Ah, I didn't know he opened for Yorkshire, I take little notice of such back waters of the game.