The Cricket Thread 2016

[PGW]

I'm an even bigger fan of Chris Woakes by the way!!!

[PGW]

I get it peter, you don't and never will rate Bairstow!

I certainly don't think any fault lies with Bairstow with regard to his dismissal, i would agree that it was a rash shot, but the pressure he and Chris Woakes were
put under by their team mates was immense. Both of them had defended stoically for a long time...Bairstow  (as is Woakes)is still a young player in terms of experience.
In his Intenational career so far most things in general have gone his way and i suppose this is the first time that he and the England team that he has been part of has
been put under any real scrutiny and pressure i suppose Australia (13/14 tour) where Bairstow only played in 2 tests have to be taken into account. On sunday he batted for 207 balls
scoring by his strike rate a modest 48, but of that 200 balls probably 50% were from Yasir. I think the pressure told and he was bowled, you only had to see from his demeanour
how upset he was at the shot he played and the probable consequences for the result of the game.....a big YES, i'm a fan, from me.

It was 207 minutes he batted for....147 balls....the point remains the same.

[tomd2103]

I'd love to see some stats of England's success rate when playing two spinners. I predict it's very low.

Mainly due to personnel than the actual tactic of playing two spinners I would have thought.  Swann and Monty worked quite well together in India a few years back if I recall correctly.

[cheltenhamlion]

I still haven't watched a cricket match at the College; despite working a few minutes' walk away

I've played there though back when my school team (a Comprehensive) made a decent run in a national competition against the posh boys

You should. It's a splendid day out. I too have played there. We got mullered.

[PaulWinch again]

Sounds like Bayliss, Strauss and Cook are on collision course with the Selectors.

[Villan For Life]

Sounds like Bayliss, Strauss and Cook are on collision course with the Selectors.

Good! Something has to be done. Selection should rest with the coach and captain alone.

The situation with Compton at the start of the international summer was stupid and if reports are true, Cook and Bayliss wanted Anderson to play at Lords but the selectors erred on the side of cautious medical advice even though the player said he was fit. He then goes back up the M1 and plays for his county. Utter madness.

[PaulWinch again]

Finn and Ball dropped from squad.

[Villan For Life]

Finn and Ball dropped from squad.

They've retained Rashid so I would think that after the recent hot weather they may consider playing two spinners. Old Trafford does offer spin so lord knows what Yasir Shah will do to us!

If they go with just Ali as the sole spinner then an attack of Anderson, Broad, Woakes, Stokes and Ali is pretty good if they bowl well and bowl to pre-set plans for each batsman.

[PaulWinch again]

I have wonder if they might go -

Hales
Cook
Root
Vince
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Rashid
Broad
Anderson

It means rejigging the batting line up, but it's a way of getting Rashid in the team. It also protects the workload on Stokes as a bowler.

[Ads]

Put Root at 4.

[claretandbeer]

Sounds like Bayliss, Strauss and Cook are on collision course with the Selectors.

Good! Something has to be done. Selection should rest with the coach and captain alone.

The situation with Compton at the start of the international summer was stupid and if reports are true, Cook and Bayliss wanted Anderson to play at Lords but the selectors erred on the side of cautious medical advice even though the player said he was fit. He then goes back up the M1 and plays for his county. Utter madness.

More like Strauss wants total control. Medical advice should decide whether a fast bowler plays.We can't afford to have a player breaking down in a test ,with also possible longer term consequences.Anderson's absence  had nothing to do with our defeat.Pakistan were dismissed for below average totals.His injury does provide an excuse for Strauss and Cook.The non-selection of 2 experienced middle order batsmen,one of whom Strauss called a cnut, has more relevance..
In the same way reports attacked KP''s loyalty,Bell's vice captaincy ,Rashid's accuracy,Compton's suitability,now we have the leaks/ reports aimed at selectors.These predate Bayliss,so who is briefing the journalists ?

[cheltenhamlion]

Me.

[Villan For Life]

Sounds like Bayliss, Strauss and Cook are on collision course with the Selectors.

Good! Something has to be done. Selection should rest with the coach and captain alone.

The situation with Compton at the start of the international summer was stupid and if reports are true, Cook and Bayliss wanted Anderson to play at Lords but the selectors erred on the side of cautious medical advice even though the player said he was fit. He then goes back up the M1 and plays for his county. Utter madness.

More like Strauss wants total control. Medical advice should decide whether a fast bowler plays.We can't afford to have a player breaking down in a test ,with also possible longer term consequences.Anderson's absence  had nothing to do with our defeat.Pakistan were dismissed for below average totals.His injury does provide an excuse for Strauss and Cook.The non-selection of 2 experienced middle order batsmen,one of whom Strauss called a cnut, has more relevance..
In the same way reports attacked KP''s loyalty,Bell's vice captaincy ,Rashid's accuracy,Compton's suitability,now we have the leaks/ reports aimed at selectors.These predate Bayliss,so who is briefing the journalists ?

Some of those leaks were before Strauss was appointed last year. Also, if Anderson was fit to play for Lancashire then he was fit to play for England.

The buck must stop with Bayliss and Cook not the selectors. Before the 50 over world cup last year we made significant changes between the end of the warm ups and the start of the tournament. Batsmen were being asked to bat in unfamiliar positions. This was done at the behest of the selectors which was completely wrong. Leave it to the captain and coach, with the selectors providing input about how potential new England players are performing on the county circuit.

[Flamingo Lane]

I'm watching the first day of the first test between West Indies and India - on the TV, that is.  Can anyone explain why there are no more than a few dozen spectators in the ground?  It all seems really weird.

[cdbearsfan]

Because the West Indies don't care about tests.