The Cricket Thread 2017

[Proposition Joe]

Sigh.  You just knew we'd England this up somehow.  Should have scored more, should have got them out for less and now looking at a defeat.  I have a feeling that the target we set may not even be 3 figures.  I also have a feeling that throughout the whole series we will not see Smith lose his wicket more than a couple of times.  This is why I rate Ashes 2010/11 above 2005 - it's rare enough that England play at half their potential down under and we probably won't see England smash Australia like that for another generation (assuming test cricket is still going in 30 years).  1st innings scores being more or less the same is not an "evenly poised" match for England in Australia, given how England usually completely fold in their second innings over here, it's very much England staring down the barrel.

BTW is Anderson injured?  He hurt his side in the morning session, and side injuries are not a good sign for fast bowlers.

[Dante Lavelli]

Is Stokes excluded from the whole tour?  We could really do with him, arguably he looks like the difference between the teams.

[Proposition Joe]

Is Stokes excluded from the whole tour?  We could really do with him, arguably he looks like the difference between the teams.

Apparently the ECB are waiting for the police to investigate and take any action first, and then they'll decide on what internal disciplinary action to take.  Who knows how ling that might take.  I doubt he'll make over, but if the police finish their investigation quickly, don't press charges, and the series is still alive when they do, let's see how pragmatic the ECB are ...

[Meanwood Villa]

That was a promising day turned to shit.

[ColinMac]

Smith played brilliantly, showed the English batsmen how to do it, that last session today was crucial, we couldn’t win the test today, but we may well have lost it, for the first time in 3 days, the Gabba felt like a bear put in that final session.
Tomorrow morning is the time for someone to make themselves a hero.

Cooks dismissal was really frustrating, after seeing how Smith hated, he chased a short one.

[olaftab]

Very important first session tonight as that will decide decide the winner or loser of this test match.

[PaulWinch again]

Well that's a bit of a nightmare, but fairplay to Root and Stoneman. We badly let them off the hook when they were 200 odd for 7. We're going to have to bat tremendously well now. Are Jimmy and Moeen injured? If they are we're fucked.

[PaulWinch again]

Oh and my worries about Cook haven't been assuaged, his shot was fucking atrocious.

[PaulWinch again]

We need to hit back in the morning. Australia bowled fast and well at the end, but we need to counter again. If we start scoring runs fast then that'll get them on the back foot quick. Although if Jimmy and Mo are injured we may as well pack up and go home.

[Risso]

Oh and my worries about Cook haven't been assuaged, his shot was fucking atrocious.

Yep, especially after he'd failed first innings.

Not looking good at all if Anderson isn't 100%.

[Proposition Joe]

We need to hit back in the morning. Australia bowled fast and well at the end, but we need to counter again. If we start scoring runs fast then that'll get them on the back foot quick. Although if Jimmy and Mo are injured we may as well pack up and go home.

The trouble is, they'll bowl short and fast - how do you counter that other than pulling and hooking?  We all know what happens when England batsmen hook...

The bowling cupboard really is bare though.  Where's Adil Rashid, is he on the tour?

[PaulWinch again]

You hook and pull well.

[PaulWinch again]

Oh and my worries about Cook haven't been assuaged, his shot was fucking atrocious.

Yep, especially after he'd failed first innings.

Not looking good at all if Anderson isn't 100%.

Hopefully what they're saying is true and it was workload. If that is true then the change bowlers need to step up. Woakes and Ball weren't good enough overall.

[OzVilla]

Oh and my worries about Cook haven't been assuaged, his shot was fucking atrocious.

Yep, especially after he'd failed first innings.

Not looking good at all if Anderson isn't 100%.

Hopefully what they're saying is true and it was workload. If that is true then the change bowlers need to step up. Woakes and Ball weren't good enough overall.

I watched every ball today and it's not like Ball and Woakes bowled badly after lunch, they didn't bowl many 4 balls infact they kept it fairly tight, but at no point did the Aussies look uncomfortable facing them, they just knocked it about, kept rotating te strike and put bad ball away. 

This is why I was saying we miss Stokes and the extra pace and skiddy variation of Wood in Australia. Pace matters if the ball's not moving and once the Kookaburra is more than 25 overs old the seam flattens and it does fuck all so the bowlers either need to have a 145kph spell in their locker or great variation, off cutters, reverse etc. Woakes and Ball have neither and on todays evidence they're in for a long tour if they can't adapt quickly.

We know that Stokes sitation is complex but is Wood on a Lions tour (or any other bowler of genuine pace and hostility on this tour, Not seen much of Curran?)

[PaulWinch again]

Woakes can get his pace up so maybe they need to consider his role. Get him bowling fast in short spells. Curran is definitely not the answer in Test cricket in Aus, unless he's put on about 10mph on his bowling.