The Cricket Thread 2016

[PaulWinch again]

Moeen's innings was vital today, as was Ballance's.

[spangley1812]

One of Boycott's favourite sayings is "never judge a pitch until both teams have batted on it" and this should apply on this pitch

I was volunteering there until just after tea and Pakistan bowled very well, bowled line and length and watched the English batsmen get themselves out
there were no real demons in the pitch

Both teams strengths are in their bowling units 

If Pakistan go on and get 450/475+ we have under performed but if we bowl them out for 200/220 its a decent score

[Whiney MacWhineface]

Windies look like saving the test against India after initially getting another fearful clattering. Roston Chase has become the third West Indian to take five-for and a hundred, and only in his second game too.

[Chris Jameson]

One of Boycott's favourite sayings is "never judge a pitch until both teams have batted on it" and this should apply on this pitch

Happens everytime England get what is considered a low score on H&V. It's been said many times, wait until both sides have had a bat.

[olaftab]

One of Boycott's favourite sayings is "never judge a pitch until both teams have batted on it" and this should apply on this pitch


If Pakistan go on and get 450/475+ we have under performed but if we bowl them out for 200/220 its a decent score

Agree on both counts.
IMO 297 is a very good score against a top attack. I don't expect Pakistan to get anywhere near 400 as they face an equally good attack. 250 is the more likely.  All in all it was a fabulous days worth of cricket and let's hope for same tomorrow.

[PaulWinch again]

Pretty poor first session to be honest. The bowling has been very limp. The whole team seems to lose intensity when Stokes isn't involved. We need one of the bowlers to get a bit spikey.

[PaulWinch again]

Ah dropping catches is not really what we need.

[UK Redsox]

[Tuffers]Steven Finn could really struggle to do a Rumba[/Tuffers]

[Dave Cooper please]

Well, I think we're getting the answer as to how good England's first innings score was!

[AVH87]

300 was always going to be 50-100 light at Edgbaston. Not like we were up against a great attack either, it's decent, but we let their backup seamer take a five-for.

[Dr Butler]

pretty depressing listening on TMS ,but well batted Pakistan.

come on England sort it out will ya...

UTV
The Doc

[PaulWinch again]

Yep demonstrates that England's batting display was pretty dismal. Plus we haven't bowled particularly well. We need a very big session now.

[taylorsworkrate]

Test as good as gone barring a miracle.

Our total has now been shown up as woeful. There was nothing in the pitch on day 1. Absolutely no excuse not to get 450/500 on that

[PaulWinch again]

We're facing an absolute hammering here unless we knock over 3 very quickly tomorrow.

As an aside is it me or does Broad look a bit pedestrian this summer?

[taylorsworkrate]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2016/08/04/ecb-want-england-to-play-more-twenty20-matches-and-fewer-tests-i/

I would hate this to happen. Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game, and the most interesting form.