The International Cricket Thread

[taylorsworkrate]

Bethell has been brilliant. Can't wait to see how England ruin his test career.

Its comical at the moment. They've got Labuschagne bowling bouncers and a part time seamer in Webster bowling spin and they've taken 4 wickets doing so 😂😂😂

[PaulWinch again]

Superb from Bethell like I said last night you can just tell he’s very good. It’s a shame his and Root’s efforts will be in failure because of the weakness more widely.

[PaulWinch again]

Stokes being injured as well somewhat kills the bowling, not that it really matters!

[Villan For Life]

Bethell made it look so easy, why couldn’t the others?

I will be glad to see the back of this tour.

[taylorsworkrate]

Bethell and Tonge have been the only real positives of this tour.

I wasn't a fan of Tonge but he has bowled impressively and a lot less wayward than he was last summer.

Bethall has surely put to bed Pope's career. Crawley should be following Pope out the door too but that would make it awkward when he and Rob Key next play golf.....

[Gareth]

Kind of ironic that the two real positives took 2/3 tests to even get a game.

[simboy]

Brilliant by Bethall

I’d add Joe Root as a positive, scored two hundreds and again probably our most consistent batsman. From what I read appears to have had long chats with Bethall,with Bethall joking he didn’t understand it. What a great mentor to have if it’s true.

I wonder if Smith cannot bat and keep on tour, clearly his cricket brain is frazzled atm. You wonder - or at least I do - with a fully fit Stokes Smith bats 6 Stokes 7 and Foulkes 8. Trouble is we are very reliant on part-time spin option if that is the case. Shades of Moeen.

[Steve67]

Bethel. Cap truly doffed here. Great effort from him but as others say, too many silly errors elsewhere to win this last test. Might paper over some of the cracks even if we did.

[Villan For Life]

Reports this morning that Key and McCullum will be given the opportunity to stay on. FFS at least one or even both of them should go.

[UK Redsox]

Reports this morning that Key and McCullum will be given the opportunity to stay on. FFS at least one or even both of them should go.

I'd be binning Stokes as Captain before Key & Baz.

[Villan For Life]

Reports this morning that Key and McCullum will be given the opportunity to stay on. FFS at least one or even both of them should go.

I'd be binning Stokes as Captain before Key & Baz.

Stokes should continue as captain, there’s no credible alternative.

[PaulWinch again]

Stokes has been left high and dry. He takes some responsibility, but he’s still a good captain.

[tomd2103]

Bethell has been brilliant. Can't wait to see how England ruin his test career.

Its comical at the moment. They've got Labuschagne bowling bouncers and a part time seamer in Webster bowling spin and they've taken 4 wickets doing so 😂😂😂

I think the management of players like Bethell and to some extent Brook, are going to be a big theme over the coming decade.  They will want to play on the T20 circuit for all the fane and fortune that brings, but a balance is going to have to be struck with playing in the other formats of the game. 

The IPL and the early summer tests are going to be one of the biggest clashes going forward.  On a purely test match basis, you'd want Bethell playing at least a month of county cricket before the New Zealand series starts in June.  He'll be off playing in the IPL though so will go straight into a test match from playing in that, which is not exactly the best preparation. 

[tomd2103]

Stokes has been left high and dry. He takes some responsibility, but he’s still a good captain.

Think his stock has fallen a bit on that front during this series though.  Jonathan Agnew pointed out the other day that Carse had been fielding at extra cover after a tough spell of bowling and cramped up diving for a ball, whereas Duckett had spent the day fielding in the shade down at deep square leg.  Some of the bowling changes have been questionable as well.

That said, I would still keep him on as captain.  I think Rob Key is probably the one who most questions need to be asked about and no-one has really mentioned the structure above that.  The Board seems to only have one person with a cricket background on it (Ebony Rainford-Brent) and she's been in the commentary box as this shitshow has unfolded with seemingly no responsibility being proportioned to her.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah I think he has struggled this series, in particular. It’s hard to know cause and effect, but if your bowlers can’t deliver then I imagine it undermines your ability to focus and captain well. But I think he’s enough in the bank to continue, especially given the paucity of alternatives.