The International Cricket Thread

[taylorsworkrate]

Root actually looked in good touch I thought. Got a good ball but got himself stuck on the crease.

[paul_e]

I thought he was looking better than he did in the last test but still seemed 'off'.

[paul_e]

Burns gets very lucky there, that's a fucking awful attempt at the catch by Khawaja.

[paul_e]

That's a piss poor review, didn't look remotely close in real time.

[taylorsworkrate]

Pitch is looking very good for batting now.

[paul_e]

I agree, the pitch is looking pretty lifeless right now, England have to make the most of this and get runs on the board in the 2nd session. I want us to be pushing towards 200 by tea, I think most of this aussie attack will give you balls to score from if you're willing to back yourself.

[taylorsworkrate]

It looks like its going to be difficult to force a result on this pitch.

Most of tomorrow looks like being washed out. Saturday and Sunday look good, but 3 and a half days cricket looks insufficient unless there is a bad collapse.

[paul_e]

It looks like its going to be difficult to force a result on this pitch.

Most of tomorrow looks like being washed out. Saturday and Sunday look good, but 3 and a half days cricket looks insufficient unless there is a bad collapse.

It's Lords, 1st day under blue/patchy sky is usually good for batting (unless the pitch is green which isn't the case here) but if we want a result we need to have 300+ on the board by the end of the day.

[paul_e]

Denly done by a good one there unfortunately.

[taylorsworkrate]

Thats poor from Buttler. No need to play at that one.

Another shit batting performance in progress.

[paul_e]

Losing Burns pretty soon after Denly was frustrating but it was a great catch to get him and he'd been playing with fire for while.

Buttler going was poor though, not sure what he was trying to do there. The frustrating thing is that he seems to be trying to temper his natural game and it's caused him to have the indecisive 'hanging bat' a few times recently. I'd rather he go playing big shots than something like this one.

[manic-road]

Thats poor from Buttler. No need to play at that one.

Another shit batting performance in progress.

Yep a nothing shot, he's lucky to keep his place I think. I always see him as a destructive one day player and not a test cricketer.

[manic-road]

Bairstow needs a good knock because he's another player lucky to be selected on his form.

[taylorsworkrate]

Thats poor from Buttler. No need to play at that one.

Another shit batting performance in progress.

Yep a nothing shot, he's lucky to keep his place I think. I always see him as a destructive one day player and not a test cricketer.

Problem is theres no batsmen, with the possible exception of Root and Burns who are justifying there place in the team at the moment.

Its a fucking shit show, and that there isn't credible alternatives in the county system reflects very badly on English cricket.

[paul_e]

Buttler in form is easily good enough to bat 5-7. The problem is that he's not in much form. It's the same for lots of the batsmen because they just haven't played enough red ball cricket in the last 8 months.