The International Cricket Thread

[Villan For Life]

Denly's the same age now as Ian Bell was when he played his last test.  Madness.

He was the next batsman off the rank.

[Risso]

See, add 20 runs and two wickets as a theoretical score, and it doesn't looks so clever.  210-7 for now, and as clinical and well worked a dismissal as you're likely to see.

[paul_e]

This partnership is what I mean by going for it, they're still batting sensibly but they're being a bit more adventurous, pushing us along to a competitive score.

We've lost a couple more wickets than I'd have liked but I said we need to be around 200 by tea and we're there or thereabout.

That's another desperate review.

Those 'couple of wickets' are a big difference though.

Oh I agree, just pointing out that they've scored at about the rate they needed to so this isn't a case of giving wickets away by being too aggressive (which will be the inevitable criticism from many).

Shame that Woakes went, was playing well but I don't think he did much wrong with his shot.

[paul_e]

Also on that Woakes one, I hope Archer peppers the fuck out of their tail with bouncers, show them how it's done properly.

[PaulWinch again]

I hope that introduction to Jofra gets him motivated. Let’s see how they like Jof getting them jumping about.

[Risso]

Agreed, I hope Jofra absolutely batters them.  Not until tomorrow lunchtime though preferrably!

[paul_e]

That stat from Gower just was important. Archer has faced only 25 white ball deliveries all summer before this match. The idea (but not the numbers) will be the same for most of the players in this team. That's probably playing a big part in so many of them looking out of sorts.

[Risso]

There we go, 230-8.  So predictable you could put your mortgage on it.

[paul_e]

Archer gone, just got slightly early on the shot but faced nearly as many deliveries as he has all summer in that spell so did pretty well in context.

I think 250 is about the minimum you'd want to set here and you'd be looking at 300 to be 'happy'.

Not sure why Broad came out before Leach after the Ireland match but he's clearly going to be targeted with short stuff. Tough for Bairstow now, needs to score runs but will be criticised if he goes playing something silly and more time in the middle will do him well. I think he'll go fairly aggressive to anything at the stumps but will leave anything wide.

[Risso]

Trouble is Paul, the likely 150 from Smith means that 300 really isn't par on this pitch.

[PaulWinch again]

Right play Bairstow, keep going.

[paul_e]

Trouble is Paul, the likely 150 from Smith means that 300 really isn't par on this pitch.

Then the job is to try to bowl him out rather than acting like it's impossible and just trying to leave him stuck up the other end, more bluntly Root needs to grow a pair when we're bowling.

[paul_e]

That Broad wicket is seriously unlucky, the ball barely brushed the bail, world cup wickets and that goes nowhere.

[Risso]

Trouble is Paul, the likely 150 from Smith means that 300 really isn't par on this pitch.

Then the job is to try to bowl him out rather than acting like it's impossible and just trying to leave him stuck up the other end, more bluntly Root needs to grow a pair when we're bowling.

Yep, the commentators on Sky were just taking the piss out of his field settings when he had everybody on the boundary.  One of them (Warne?) just said if he was bowling to that field, he'd have thrown the ball to thecaptain and said "go on then skip, you get him out."

[Risso]

All out for 258.  Proper shit that.