The International Cricket Thread

[Steve67]

Think thats unfair on Broad to be honest. He was hitting 89mph at times, bowled a good full length and threatened. The bigger problem in the afternoon/evening was that Anderson wasn't avaliable and Stokes didn't back up Broad and Woakes in any way. Smith played carefully, and waited for the bowlers to become tired.

That's a fair point mate but given Broad huge experience, he tends to get shorter and wider instead of doing what he was doing in the morning.  That's why the likes of Anderson and McGrath are/were world class because they put in the right area, ball after ball.  I just think that Broad bowls quickly but his accuracy goes.

[Ads]

There are questions to be asked of England and obviously they should have done better bowling at the tail, but sometimes you do have to hold your hands up in the face of quality. Smith proved he's an all-timer today, in my view.

Which made the booing all the more disappointing.  Still, when you've been on the piss for 7 hours there's every chance you're going to let yourself down.

Yep, really stupid. Would they boo Atherton? Panto bullshit. This is one of the great players, appreciate him.

Nah, he's cheating c***. Crying his eyes out on the telly over being caught doesn't wash.

He can score another 10,000 runs and it wont make any difference. His legacy is already written the disgraceful cheating bastard. He can sit in the Pantheon of fellow cheats of sport with Armstrong, Gatlin et al. That's his legacy.

He wasnt booed enough.

[UK Redsox]

Blimey Ads, Smith isn't in the same class as cheats like Armstrong and Gatlin. They engaged in planned cheating over a number of years.

Smith's offence wasn't much worse than Atherton's.

[taylorsworkrate]

Roy gone.

A 22 run opening stand is probably a bit of a triumph in fairness.

Looks like the next day and a half are when the pitch and conditions are going to be at their best for batting. Need some players to finally stand up

[PaulWinch again]

Blimey some people already writing off Roy. It’s a bit mad, that was a good ball you get them sometimes. I actually think he showed good signs in that brief innings.

[Proposition Joe]

It's possibly something more for the Little Things than Annoy You thread, but why does the Graun Over by Over have to have Aussie journalists doing the updates? OBO was always a place, almost a group therapy, for us England fans. The Aussies are the Bad Guys!

[hilts_coolerking]

There are questions to be asked of England and obviously they should have done better bowling at the tail, but sometimes you do have to hold your hands up in the face of quality. Smith proved he's an all-timer today, in my view.

Which made the booing all the more disappointing.  Still, when you've been on the piss for 7 hours there's every chance you're going to let yourself down.

Yep, really stupid. Would they boo Atherton? Panto bullshit. This is one of the great players, appreciate him.

Nah, he's cheating c***. Crying his eyes out on the telly over being caught doesn't wash.

He can score another 10,000 runs and it wont make any difference. His legacy is already written the disgraceful cheating bastard. He can sit in the Pantheon of fellow cheats of sport with Armstrong, Gatlin et al. That's his legacy.

He wasnt booed enough.

Actually he'll be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.  Maybe even the greatest since Bradman,as he currently is.  The sandpaper thing will be a footnote.  An ignominious footnote for sure, but that's all it'll be.

[taylorsworkrate]

Smith is a brilliant player. Hard to believe he looked such a rabbit when we played them in 2010.

Yesterday was the sort of innings he's played before. Dug in for the team and turned the match on its head. Its the sort of innings that Root should look at and aspire to.

[taylorsworkrate]

Burns out but the aussies didn't review! Thats about the 4th/5th time this match where a review would have overturned a decision.

The standard of umpiring has been abysmal.

[jcsutv]

Smith is a brilliant player. Hard to believe he looked such a rabbit when we played them in 2010.

Yesterday was the sort of innings he's played before. Dug in for the team and turned the match on its head. Its the sort of innings that Root should look at and aspire to.

Agree with this. Took my lad yesterday and we were clapping him off as were plenty more in the Hollies stand to be fair. There were loads more clapping than booing.

[taylorsworkrate]

Another quality umpiring decision to give Root out!

Cannot believe the bails didn't come off though. Ball gave the stumps a good clatter

[thick_mike]

That’s where Root keeps his chewing gum.

[UK Redsox]

Wow, ball clipped Root’s off stump but the bail didn’t come off.

Initially given out caught behind but reversed on review

[paul_e]

Root gets very very lucky.

[manic-road]

Wow, ball clipped Root’s off stump but the bail didn’t come off.

Initially given out caught behind but reversed on review

Fantastic wasn't it? Followed by a load chorus of "same old Aussies, always cheating".