The Cricket Thread

If the rest of the team adapt and play the way Burns, Root did, 400 should be doable. If however they play the Moeen way, no chance.

Rex Kramer wrote:England need 400, both for this game and confidence overall.

I reckon we need that just as insurance, as I don't fancy batting last on this. We don't want to be chasing down a lead of 300.

This partnership needs another 100 at least for that. I have no confidence in the batting of anyone coming after.

Found a pub with the cricket on. Lots of playing and missing. Careful gents...

This session needs to be like yesterday's first one, not many runs but also not many wickets.

Rats.

Pressure on YJB, needs a performance.

It's a strawberry floating test match you dumb strawberry floats.

Balladeer wrote:This partnership needs another 100 at least for that. I have no confidence in the batting of anyone coming after.

Hello past Balladeer, how right you were.

Well done Woakes and Broad. Not at all sure about the early Ali ploy, mind.

Balladeer wrote:Well done Woakes and Broad. Not at all sure about the early Ali ploy, mind.

Keep posting Balla!

Not sure that’ll be any good. Smith and Khawaja are safely ensconced now.

That's one match lost then.

It's cool how gooseberry fool this has gone.

We've no chance tomorrow, this team can't bat 3 sessions with men round the bat and the pressure on (though to be fair neither can any of the modern test teams).

What is the point of Moeen Ali? Seriously.

I do wonder if Australian maybe batted for too long yesterday. I'm surprised they didn't want 15 or 20 overs at England instead of just the 7 they had.

Drumstick wrote:What is the point of Moeen Ali? Seriously.

He was until recently a jolly good red ball spinner. He was also not a bad white ball one, and that went away a bit, but the skills are so different that there’s no reason he couldn’t have whisked back into the Test side.

As it happens he’s bowled poorly, but I don’t think that was a selection issue. Putting him at number 8 over Woakes probably was though. Confidence ploy to try and bolster his batting? Hasn’t worked if so.

It's ridiculous that Ali and Bairstow have had a free ride in this team for the last 18 months. Moeen is IMO unselectable at the moment. His confidence has obviously gone. Get Leach in because he's a better spinner and will probably contribute more with the bat at any rate.

Since the start of the 2 test Pakistan series last year, Bairstow averages 23 in 22 innings. Drop him for Foakes and tell YJB to go and re-learn red-ball cricket.

Maybe the selectors have been reading this article - https://www.wisden.com/stories/opinion/ ... -moeen-ali

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