The International Cricket Thread 2018

[Villan For Life]

I think that Rashid will play, it seems to be an entirely pointless exercise to pick him and not play him. Ed Smith seems to have started his tenure with a bold selection that I suspect will define his era.

We need a strong performance as we have been pretty poor in tests recently and have been unable to finish sides off. I hope that it lasts to day four because that’s when I’m going!

[PGW]

I think that Rashid will play, it seems to be an entirely pointless exercise to pick him and not play him. Ed Smith seems to have started his tenure with a bold selection that I suspect will define his era.

We need a strong performance as we have been pretty poor in tests recently and have been unable to finish sides off. I hope that it lasts to day four because that’s when I’m going!

The wicket, although we've had a fair bit of rain Saturday & Sunday should still be dry enough to play two spinners, it is a big call to make and i for one would go with the 2 of them.
I won't see u as going days 1-3 didn't book Saturday due to watching my own club play.

Hopefully a great match and atmosphere to celebrate Englands 1000th Test Match.

[shirley_villan]

I think that Rashid will play, it seems to be an entirely pointless exercise to pick him and not play him. Ed Smith seems to have started his tenure with a bold selection that I suspect will define his era.

We need a strong performance as we have been pretty poor in tests recently and have been unable to finish sides off. I hope that it lasts to day four because that’s when I’m going!

The wicket, although we've had a fair bit of rain Saturday & Sunday should still be dry enough to play two spinners, it is a big call to make and i for one would go with the 2 of them.
I won't see u as going days 1-3 didn't book Saturday due to watching my own club play.

Hopefully a great match and atmosphere to celebrate Englands 1000th Test Match.

PGW, do you still get members discount on beer at international matches as you do at domestic? This is the first year I’ve been a member that I’ll be going to an England game there.

[PGW]

I think that Rashid will play, it seems to be an entirely pointless exercise to pick him and not play him. Ed Smith seems to have started his tenure with a bold selection that I suspect will define his era.

We need a strong performance as we have been pretty poor in tests recently and have been unable to finish sides off. I hope that it lasts to day four because that’s when I’m going!

The wicket, although we've had a fair bit of rain Saturday & Sunday should still be dry enough to play two spinners, it is a big call to make and i for one would go with the 2 of them.
I won't see u as going days 1-3 didn't book Saturday due to watching my own club play.

Hopefully a great match and atmosphere to celebrate Englands 1000th Test Match.

PGW, do you still get members discount on beer at international matches as you do at domestic? This is the first year I’ve been a member that I’ll be going to an England game there.

Yes as long as you produce your membership card.....it can depend where your drinking i for one always get Block 9 which means i can use David Heath bar.
The rule is that anywhere on ground u can get member discount but it will probably need a nudge from you to instigate it if drinking on the ground.

[shirley_villan]

I think that Rashid will play, it seems to be an entirely pointless exercise to pick him and not play him. Ed Smith seems to have started his tenure with a bold selection that I suspect will define his era.

We need a strong performance as we have been pretty poor in tests recently and have been unable to finish sides off. I hope that it lasts to day four because that’s when I’m going!

The wicket, although we've had a fair bit of rain Saturday & Sunday should still be dry enough to play two spinners, it is a big call to make and i for one would go with the 2 of them.
I won't see u as going days 1-3 didn't book Saturday due to watching my own club play.

Hopefully a great match and atmosphere to celebrate Englands 1000th Test Match.

PGW, do you still get members discount on beer at international matches as you do at domestic? This is the first year I’ve been a member that I’ll be going to an England game there.

Yes as long as you produce your membership card.....it can depend where your drinking i for one always get Block 9 which means i can use David Heath bar.
The rule is that anywhere on ground u can get member discount but it will probably need a nudge from you to instigate it if drinking on the ground.

No worries, we're block 9 as well so will be using the bar there. Cheers.

[tomd2103]

I think that Rashid will play, it seems to be an entirely pointless exercise to pick him and not play him. Ed Smith seems to have started his tenure with a bold selection that I suspect will define his era.

We need a strong performance as we have been pretty poor in tests recently and have been unable to finish sides off. I hope that it lasts to day four because that’s when I’m going!

The wicket, although we've had a fair bit of rain Saturday & Sunday should still be dry enough to play two spinners, it is a big call to make and i for one would go with the 2 of them.
I won't see u as going days 1-3 didn't book Saturday due to watching my own club play.

Hopefully a great match and atmosphere to celebrate Englands 1000th Test Match.

Weather looks OK for later in the week PGW, so hopefully there won't be any interruptions. 

[PGW]

I think that Rashid will play, it seems to be an entirely pointless exercise to pick him and not play him. Ed Smith seems to have started his tenure with a bold selection that I suspect will define his era.

We need a strong performance as we have been pretty poor in tests recently and have been unable to finish sides off. I hope that it lasts to day four because that’s when I’m going!

The wicket, although we've had a fair bit of rain Saturday & Sunday should still be dry enough to play two spinners, it is a big call to make and i for one would go with the 2 of them.
I won't see u as going days 1-3 didn't book Saturday due to watching my own club play.

Hopefully a great match and atmosphere to celebrate Englands 1000th Test Match.

PGW, do you still get members discount on beer at international matches as you do at domestic? This is the first year I’ve been a member that I’ll be going to an England game there.

Yes as long as you produce your membership card.....it can depend where your drinking i for one always get Block 9 which means i can use David Heath bar.
The rule is that anywhere on ground u can get member discount but it will probably need a nudge from you to instigate it if drinking on the ground.

No worries, we're block 9 as well so will be using the bar there. Cheers.

If u see 'fat bastard' with a wooden walking stick unshaven likely me....and dependent on time possibly pissed  ...

[tomd2103]

I think that Rashid will play, it seems to be an entirely pointless exercise to pick him and not play him. Ed Smith seems to have started his tenure with a bold selection that I suspect will define his era.

We need a strong performance as we have been pretty poor in tests recently and have been unable to finish sides off. I hope that it lasts to day four because that’s when I’m going!

He has been picked and the line up looks like it will be - Cook, Jennings, Root, Malan, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Rashid, Curran, Broad, Anderson

[UK Redsox]

Beeb

Adil Rashid has been named as England's only spin bowler for the first Test match against India at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old, who will play his first Test in almost two years, has been recalled despite signing a white-ball only contract for Yorkshire in February.

All-rounder Sam Curran also plays, with Moeen Ali and Jamie Porter missing out.

Captain Joe Root said Jos Buttler will act as vice-captain.

Regular understudy Ben Stokes' trial for affray begins on Monday, the day after the first match of the five-Test series is due to end.

Stokes will miss the second Test at Lord's, which starts on 9 August.

England XI for first Test: Joe Root (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.

[PaulWinch again]

Curran's bowling needs to develop a lot if he's going to be in as a bowler/bowling all-rounder.

[manic-road]

Heard on the radio earlier that there are thousands of unsold tickets left for the test match at Edgbaston, 6000 tomorrow and 9000 available for Thursday.

[tomd2103]

Curran's bowling needs to develop a lot if he's going to be in as a bowler/bowling all-rounder.

I would think he is in primarily as a bowler isn't he Paul and will most probably bat either 8 or 9?  He offers something a bit different in the fact that he is a left-armer, but the seam attack looks very similar and a bit one paced again.   

[paul_e]

Curran's bowling needs to develop a lot if he's going to be in as a bowler/bowling all-rounder.

I would think he is in primarily as a bowler isn't he Paul and will most probably bat either 8 or 9?  He offers something a bit different in the fact that he is a left-armer, but the seam attack looks very similar and a bit one paced again.   

I'm far from convinced he's ready, for me he's just not quick enough to be a regular bowler in red ball cricket. He has good variations and that makes him effective in one day and t20 and at county level that bit of mystery gets him plenty of wickets but at international level I suspect he's a couple of matches away from a humbling 100+ for 0 innings.

[tomd2103]

Curran's bowling needs to develop a lot if he's going to be in as a bowler/bowling all-rounder.

I would think he is in primarily as a bowler isn't he Paul and will most probably bat either 8 or 9?  He offers something a bit different in the fact that he is a left-armer, but the seam attack looks very similar and a bit one paced again.   

I'm far from convinced he's ready, for me he's just not quick enough to be a regular bowler in red ball cricket. He has good variations and that makes him effective in one day and t20 and at county level that bit of mystery gets him plenty of wickets but at international level I suspect he's a couple of matches away from a humbling 100+ for 0 innings.

Think he will be OK in home matches as he can swing the ball and conditions here will favour that.  Like you though Paul, I'm still not convinced about him in test match cricket at this point.  I think being a left armer has probably helped his cause.   

[paul_e]

Curran's bowling needs to develop a lot if he's going to be in as a bowler/bowling all-rounder.

I would think he is in primarily as a bowler isn't he Paul and will most probably bat either 8 or 9?  He offers something a bit different in the fact that he is a left-armer, but the seam attack looks very similar and a bit one paced again.   

I'm far from convinced he's ready, for me he's just not quick enough to be a regular bowler in red ball cricket. He has good variations and that makes him effective in one day and t20 and at county level that bit of mystery gets him plenty of wickets but at international level I suspect he's a couple of matches away from a humbling 100+ for 0 innings.

Think he will be OK in home matches as he can swing the ball and conditions here will favour that.  Like you though Paul, I'm still not convinced about him in test match cricket at this point.  I think being a left armer has probably helped his cause.   

With the right conditions his (lack of) pace can help him but in most cases top class players will just have too much time to adjust and defend.  He's kind of halfway between Woakes and Lyon in that he needs the right conditions but also his devilment is in deception through small variations rather than any genuinely outstanding technique.  He's young enough to improvement but (and I don't mean this in a bad way) right now he's like an attempt to create a text book bowler from Dernbach.