The Cricket Thread

Balladeer wrote:It has been pointed out that the BBC was very very anti-Test Match Sofa at the time. Of course, they’ve now got their founder in the commentary box...

Anyone got any thoughts about that squad then? Jennings or Denly to open? And will they actually play Olly Stone, or will they be afraid to and just pack three rfms and Sam Curran? (And Curran only begrudgingly?)

For once I didn't have too much to gripe about in terms of squad selection. I'll be my bottom dollar though that come the day one of the first test I'll be in here disagreeing with the team selection.

What the ECB SHOULD do:

Jennings
Burns
Moeen
Root (c)
Buttler
Stokes
Bairstow +
Curran/Stone
Rashid
Leach
Anderson

What the ECB will probably do:

Jennings
Denly
Moeen
Root (c)
Bairstow +
Stokes
Buttler
Rashid
Stone
Broad/Woakes
Anderson

If they put Denly over Burns I will scream.

When they put Broad over Stone or Leach or Curran or indeed anyone I’ll sigh resignedly.

I'd be tempted to open with Burns and Jennings, play Denly at 3, drop Bairstow, have Buttler keep wicket and then Moeen can bat at 7. But it would be risky as strawberry float. Also, Curran needs to play every game.

So for me, it would be

Jennings
Burns
Denly
Root (c)
Stokes
Buttler +
Ali
Curran
Rashid
Leach/Woakes (torn on this one, Leach for the wicket but Woakes for the experience)
Broad/Anderson (I don't see the point in wearing either of them out over this winter so alternate)

We'd probably get beat but I think it would put us in a better place going into the Ashes.

I personally do not believe that we will be able to win there without playing 3 spinners and would prefer to be over-prepared than under. I would much prefer to play 3 spinners in the first test and assess how that goes.

Stone's pace will get wickets anywhere so I'd rather play him over Broad or Woakes, the only contentious point I have is that there isn't a way to fit Stone, Anderson, Curran and 3 spinners into the same team.

If Broad starts the first test I might go mental.

Agreed. And Denly doesn’t count as a spinner.

Broad will definitely start the first Test though. And Anderson. This is England we’re talking about.

Yes, three actual spinners, not Root and Denly throwing a few overs down.

18 year old wonderkid Prithvi Shaw has just scored 134 in his test debut. It was against one of the weakest bowling attacks I've ever seen but still, 18! God what we'd give for a player with such potential.

We had one. He’s retired now.

Incidentally Keaton Jennings scored a ton on debut in India. He’s not Prithvi Shaw or Alastair Cook, but maybe a reason to give him a go over Joe Chuffing Denly this winter?

Balladeer wrote:We had one. He’s retired now.

Incidentally Keaton Jennings scored a ton on debut in India. He’s not Prithvi Shaw or Alastair Cook, but maybe a reason to give him a go over Joe Chuffing Denly this winter?

Yeah, scoring a ton on debut isn't necessarily a guarantee of future success.

As noted above I would start Jennings as he has been good vs spin but I worry about him opening next summer in The Ashes against Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood. Send him to Gary Palmer to get his technique sorted out for next summer.

We've put out almost a full strength XI and been set 288 off the 50 overs. Be interesting to see how Roy gets on with the pitches. If he gets a ton in any of these warm up or ODI matches I could see Ed Smith parachuting him into the test squad at the eleventh hour.

Oh God he would wouldn’t he. :dread:

Meanwhile, West Indies giving us a reminder that things could always be worse.

Balladeer wrote:Oh God he would wouldn’t he.

Meanwhile, West Indies giving us a reminder that things could always be worse.

Another Indian stat-padding exercise.

And yes, Ed Smith would definitely do that. That said I have come to not mind him too much.

Roy out for 27.

Is it bad that I’m almost hoping for more of that this series so that the above doesn’t happen?

Balladeer wrote:Roy out for 27.

Is it bad that I’m almost hoping for more of that this series so that the above doesn’t happen?

Yes. You are a terrible human being.

I think steady 50s would be enough to help us to victory without warranting a late call-up, so I'll probably be hoping for that.

There is a decent chance that Root could have more ODI tons than test after this series, in fewer innings too.

Drumstick wrote:
Balladeer wrote:Roy out for 27.

Is it bad that I’m almost hoping for more of that this series so that the above doesn’t happen?

Yes. You are a terrible human being.

Hashtag life goals.

I remain amazed at how Joe can tick along at nearly a run a ball without making any big hits.

Sky Sports Cricket are showing highlights of the 2015 World Cup match vs. Sri Lanka. Can't help but wonder what the ECB were derping.

Bell opened with Moeen. No issue with Mo opening and Bell did a decent enough job in the match, basically a run-a-ball half century, but after that it's Gary Ballance in at 3. It's just the most bizarre, illogical selection. I know he was the test team number 3 at the time but he's never been a great, or even good limited overs player. Prior to the tournament, James Taylor had been playing at 3, but he ends up coming in at 6 after Root and Morgan. Who is number 7 and coming in with 5 overs left? It's Jos Buttler.

Root made 120-odd, Jos bashed 39 (19) to get them to 309. SL chased it down for the loss of only one wicket with 2.4 overs left.

Just when you think you couldn't dislike Ballance anymore, if he wasn't in the team they could have made 350ish.

Also some of the shots Root played in this innings are out of this world, the type you don't see from him nowadays.

I quite liked Gary. Granted, in the Test team, but given that he took to it like the proverbial duck to water and had an obscene List A average, I can see why they did what they did.

This, incidentally, is why I shouldn’t be a white-ball selector.

Balladeer wrote:I quite liked Gary. Granted, in the Test team, but given that he took to it like the proverbial duck to water and had an obscene List A average, I can see why they did what they did.

This, incidentally, is why I shouldn’t be a white-ball selector.

It's OK, I will make you chief red-ball selector. It comes with generous salary but you do have to put up with internet plebs that think they know best.

Re: Gazza

Yeah, he started off promisingly. 3 tons (104*, 110 & 156) in his first ten innings. Tremendous home tour vs. India (503 runs @ 71 in 7 innings, 2x100, 2x50) and the trip to the West Indies (331 runs @ 66 in 6 innings, 1x100, 2x50)... and then his form took a nosedive into oblivion. 23 innings since and he passed 50 twice.

Clearly his technique works for him at county level but he got found out against quality seam attacks. A succession of short balls followed by a full delivery or yorker saw him bowled, LBW or caught behind.

Yep, even Geoffrey's mother knows how to get Gary Ballance out. It's a shame he wasn't willing to fix his technique.

Not sure anything to do with red ball in England gets granted a generous salary at the minute...

Aye, it’s a shame. Idiosyncratic techniques can work (Chanderpaul, Steve Smith); as can stubbornness (Chef). In the end, Gary simply wasn’t good enough.

Smith's technique works because he is ostensibly removing two types of dismissal. When he takes guard on leg stump, obscuring the stumps entirely, he can't be bowled. He also knows exactly where his off stump is because he is stood in line with it, so he is barely ever nicking off behind either.

That should make him a prime candidate for LBW but that is exactly what he is is leading the bowlers into, his percentage of LBW dismissals is tiny.

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