The Cricket Thread

[Mel Evo]

I'm concerned about my day 4 tickets next week, will be doing a rain dance on the first 3 days

Good luck I’m mainly disappointed as it was going to be my sons first England match and the Lords visit would have been great all round. Very hard to see this test going past day three now.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Seems churlish to criticise someone who keeps getting good scores but he does need to make them a big 'un a bit more often. Of course if you'd said to any of us 18 months ago that Zak Crawley would now be on a career ratio of scoring a 50 every three Test matches (which he is)...

Averaging 49 now since the start of last summer and 40+ against everyone he's played in that period (Aus, Ind, Ire and WI)

 

[Carrotdude]

Weird thing about Crawley is he’s always been very feast or famine with one massive score in amongst a load of crap. Seems to have swung the other way now with consistent 50+ scores and no big ones

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

68 lead at stumps. I suspect if we make that 268 or more tomorrow then we won't have to bat again.

 

[Squeak]

Crawley is infuriating to watch most of the time but he can be quite brilliant others. I still don't see him as an opener against a top class attack though. WIndies are very average, at best.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

But he averaged over 40 vs Australia and India in the last year?

 

[Squeak]

But he averaged over 40 vs Australia and India in the last year?

Yeah.... exactly what I mean... we know he has the talent but he does like a whaff at the ball and it gets him out. A lack of concentration from time to time. I'd prefer him lower down the order but it seems opener is the only place he fits.

 

[Dublin Drummer Wolf]

Brilliant bit of spin bowling to take Stokes out

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Root very close to going past Mahela Jayawardene in the all-time table now. Should go past Chanderpaul, Lara, Sangakkara and Cook too in the next year, barring injury or catastrophic loss of form.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Smith smashing the ball out of the ground, easy to see why we've gone down this road

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Bashir run out with an absolutely insane throw from the deep, unreal stuff

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Smith holes out for 70 and what could be Jimmy's last bat ends with 0 off 0 balls

250 lead

Not sure we'll have to bat very much again if at all

 

[BillyDee]

What could be Jimmy's last bat ends with 0 off 0 balls

Another n/o to add to his record, 114 now I think. Unlikely to ever be beaten.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

And wicket 702 comes along, Brathwaite clean bowled

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

200 Test wickets for Stokes

17/2

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Three players have 6,000+ Test runs and 200+ Test wickets

Gary Sobers
Jacques Kallis
Ben Stokes

 

[Johnny75]

Three players have 6,000+ Test runs and 200+ Test wickets

Gary Sobers
Jacques Kallis
Ben Stokes

Some company that

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Stokes has long since surpassed Flintoff as a batsman (6,320 runs, 13 hundreds and counting vs 3,845 runs, 5 hundreds), next to overhaul him as a bowler (200 wickets @ 31.74, 4 five wicket hauls and counting vs 226 wickets @ 32.78, 3 five wicket hauls)

 

[BillyDee]

Nice choice of change ball by the umps!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

And with that he goes to 201