The International Cricket Thread

[paul_e]

To some, this would be like watching paint dry but I'm loving it.  It helps that Dom Sibley is Bear but watching him bat is hypnotic.

Sibley's performance might bode well for the future but I don't think that it's the best way of winning what could be a rain shortened match

It will be if we step up from here. If we bat like this all day then I agree with you. Using 2 full days for the first innings is fine if you put 450-500 on the board by doing it, 350-400 and you're almost guaranteeing the draw.

[Ads]

Still, beats being 230 all out.

[hilts_coolerking]

You have to remember that the bowling has been good, there's been some swing and the outfield is slow.  Even Stokes is only batting at 40 per 100 balls.

[simboy]

To some, this would be like watching paint dry but I'm loving it.  It helps that Dom Sibley is Bear but watching him bat is hypnotic.

Sibley's performance might bode well for the future but I don't think that it's the best way of winning what could be a rain shortened match

Stokes is not going much quicker so it's clearly a difficult pitch to score runs, the Windies didn't take the new ball until the 95th over so batting with a cloth ball.  If they end up at tea at about 400 Sibley and Stokes will have done an excellent job.

[UK Redsox]

Stokes is not going much quicker so it's clearly a difficult pitch to score runs, the Windies didn't take the new ball until the 95th over so batting with a cloth ball.  If they end up at tea at about 400 Sibley and Stokes will have done an excellent job.

Yep, the only way I can see England winning this is to only bat once

[hilts_coolerking]

This and the next Test are back-to-back, so if Shannon Gabriel is in the field for two full days I'd be amazed if he plays the next game.  He doesn't look more than about 80% fit now.

[simboy]

Stokes is not going much quicker so it's clearly a difficult pitch to score runs, the Windies didn't take the new ball until the 95th over so batting with a cloth ball.  If they end up at tea at about 400 Sibley and Stokes will have done an excellent job.

Yep, the only way I can see England winning this is to only bat once

We will see. Following on is not what teams like to do nowadays. The miles put into the legs of the WIndies bowlers yesterday and today will win this game if we are going to win it. if we finish 150 in front on first inning a quick 170 second innings with a day to bowl them out may be very interesting. We will give ourselves that option.

[hilts_coolerking]

As far as Sky is concerned, I don't miss Gower or Botham one bit.

[paul_e]

As far as Sky is concerned, I don't miss Gower or Botham one bit.

I agree, I like the team they have now, Bumble is a bit of a clown but he still adds something. Ebony Rainford-Brent seems to have been the biggest beneficiary for the extra time that's been freed up and I think she's doing a great job in the '3rd man' role.

[paul_e]

Maybe 3-4 more overs playing it safe and then I'd like to see them try to push on, they've seen off the new ball, got their centuries and got us in a position to build from.

I'd let Sibley carry on as he is to an extent and carry his bat through.

[paul_e]

With the injuries to their bowlers we should definitely be going after them now.

[paul_e]

I like Holder but he's reviewed really poorly this afternoon, none of his reviews have looked 'right' to me.

[paul_e]

Sibley goes for 120 but at least he went doing the right thing and trying to push the score along. Now we need Pope to take a few overs to settle and then join Stokes in moving the score along quickly.

[hilts_coolerking]

Ebony RB and Holding are damning Sibley with faint praise here.  The word selfish was used, not playing for the team.  What a load of old cock.

[paul_e]

Ebony RB and Holding are damning Sibley with faint praise here.  The word selfish was used, not playing for the team.  What a load of old cock.

I can sort of understand the point, with rain expected tomorrow he did take a lot of time out of the game but I don't think he was wrong in doing it until Lunch, this session I think he needed to get going a bit sooner but overall i think he's done a good job for the team and it should allow people like Buttler, Woakes and Bess to come in and swing hard without any real concerns.