The Cricket Thread

[Deutsch Wolf]

On the approach...I will defend it overall as a) results have markedly improved, b) it's extremely watchable and c) I think it best suits the current set of players. If you want to play in a different style then you're going to have to pick a very different squad. I'm not sure we even have those players.

That's not to say it's infallible and that you can't adapt to the situation as appropriate, it's also reductive to pretend it's this or scoring at 2 an over, nothing in between. Absolutely fine to criticise our hookathon at Lord's last year or the shots that Root, Brook, Stokes and Smith played on Thursday (one or two you might let slide, all four of them throwing it away, less so).

 

[Carrotdude]

Tbf I don’t like some of the stupid batting we’ve seen at times - particularly from Stokes when he was trying to hit every ball for 6 no matter what in a lot of the early games of his captaincy. Brook is another culprit with ones like his dismissal in the last game.

We’re still consistently getting much bigger totals than we did for years before McCullum came in so I don’t get too hung up on the fact we could have got more if someone didn’t play a certain shot. The bowling is still a worry though on pitches like this.

 

[Carrotdude]

As usual, DW has summed it up much more neatly than I could.

 

[Tony Towner]

I'm not sure that's so true about the players outside of the openers and I do take the point that it'd be silly to drop those given we've cycled through so many pretty much since Strauss retired. Pope, Root and Stokes can all play at a pace of their choosing. All the reports about Smith were that he batted going through the gears at County level, which only leaves Brook as the unknown.

 

[Squeak]

Root is the one who has annoyed me the most with the manner of his dismissals over the last year. He is one player who simply needs to play properly as we all know what he can do when he does. He had great success playing in a more traditional style and I'd like him to be more of an anchor for the innings rather than trying to keep up with the big shotmakers we have.

I'm fine with Duckett taking the game to the opposition, Pope usually plays nicely and not recklessly so we have that, but often when we are 2 or 3 down early, we need the likes of Root and Brooks to rebuild. It wouldn't have been surprising to see us bowled out for 250 to 300 given how we played and only the dropped catches helped us get to 400. Bazball is fine at the right time and right circumstances but we do not need to be as reckless as we are at times.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Much better from Woakes this morning, he's looked short of a gallop before now but this is classic stuff from him. Just enough movement.

 

[leedswolf]

Yeah - bring back Boycott

He's just been discharged from hospital after successful surgery to remove a tumour from his throat.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Second time fighting cancer I think. I wish him well.

 

[Squeak]

Excellent last wicket stand from the WIndies takes them ahead. Wouldn't surprise me to see England collapse second innings and throw the game away.

 

[leedswolf]

Second time fighting cancer I think. I wish him well.

Yes, I also wish the (convicted) woman beating racist the best of health.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Joe Root bowling some right buffet

 

[Carrotdude]

Not a great test of the whole ‘use Mark Wood’s pace to get wickets on flat pitches’ thing this

 

[Sniffer]

The ECB are looking to change the 100 to the traditional T20 format but keeping the branding from 2028.

Who would have thought that pissing about with a successful format would end up being shelved?

 

[BillyDee]

Fucking morons.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The ECB are looking to change the 100 to the traditional T20 format but keeping the branding from 2028.

Who would have thought that pissing about with a successful format would end up being shelved?

Hmmm

That isn't going to please sky who have the current T20 format and share the hundred with the beeb. Will the blast be shelved, despite it getting really good crowds?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's sort of happened by accident this year with the World Cup being played through June and taking up the schedule but there's nowhere near the exposure on Sky for the Blast as there used to be, and the knockout stages have been shunted into September. Sky don't overly care what happens to it tbh. The BBC don't matter, they only simulcast Hundred games that are already on Sky and not many of them.

Doesn't quite get the physical crowds it did 5+ years ago either, take Essex as an example, they used to thrive off the money they made from regularly selling Chelmsford out but they're now in some financial difficulty.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Crawley gone early, just a freak one where he's backing up and Seales flicks it onto the stumps.

We're going to need a lead of at least 300 I feel, long old way to go to get there.

 

[pagey]

Never understood Crawley, it's all or nothing with him.

 

[Carrotdude]

Can’t blame him today!

 

[pagey]

Can’t blame him today!

Out and about, not seen any of it today just a frustrating player.