The International Cricket Thread

[PGW]

225/7

[PaulWinch again]

Brilliant knock from Smith this.

[olaftab]

What a shame, the boy deserved a 100. Superb innings.

[PaulWinch again]

Did deserve a century but brilliant effort. Feels like it’s got England in the game at least.

[taylorsworkrate]

267 should be a decent to good score I think with the conditions and Pakistan to bat last.

[tomd2103]

267 should be a decent to good score I think with the conditions and Pakistan to bat last.

Key day tomorrow.  If we can go into our 2nd innings with any type of lead then we could be in a decent position.  Smith's score and his partnership with Atkinson was crucial today. 

[PaulWinch again]

Pakistan getting into a good position

[taylorsworkrate]

England lost the plot completely after lunch. With it most likely the series.

[PaulWinch again]

Brilliant controlled knock from Shakeel. But blimey England ballsed that up.

[PaulWinch again]

Collapse is on.

[taylorsworkrate]

The sheer barmyness of the first test win is masking an England team going backwards again in test cricket. Egland weren't great in the summer and were flattered by the results against 2 poor teams in Sri Lanka and the Windies.

Barring a miracle they are now going to losw a series against a team who recently lost 2-0 at home to Bangladesh.

The Ashes could be humiliating next winter

[tomd2103]

The sheer barmyness of the first test win is masking an England team going backwards again in test cricket. Egland weren't great in the summer and were flattered by the results against 2 poor teams in Sri Lanka and the Windies.

Barring a miracle they are now going to losw a series against a team who recently lost 2-0 at home to Bangladesh.

The Ashes could be humiliating next winter

It's not looking good in this test at all at the moment, but I disagree with that to be honest.  The past two tests have been played in conditions heavily doctored to favour the home team and ones in which most sides would find difficult.

Yes, there will rightly be some questions asked about the approach in certain passages of play, but you only have to look at some of the additions to the side in the past few series like Smith, Atkinson and Carse who have really added something.   

[Risso]

'Bazball' at the moment seems to be the team is either really good, but just as often, absolutely fucking hopeless.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah I think it’s over the top. We do have a problem on turning pitches, no doubt, but England aren’t going backwards.

Pope is going to come under serious pressure soon though. A number 3 who gets the odd, excellent, hundred and nothing around it just doesn’t work.

[olaftab]

The sheer barmyness of the first test win is masking an England team going backwards again in test cricket. Egland weren't great in the summer and were flattered by the results against 2 poor teams in Sri Lanka and the Windies.

Barring a miracle they are now going to losw a series against a team who recently lost 2-0 at home to Bangladesh.

The Ashes could be humiliating next winter

I wish I could  disagree with you but can't. The only bright spot today was Rehan Ahmed.  Australia will be a different challenge with their pitches being hard and bouncy but the fragility of our batting  I can see another humiliating Ashes tour.